Refining breast cancer genetic risk and biology through multi-ancestry fine-mapping analyses of 192 risk regions.

Genome-wide association studies have identified approximately 200 genetic risk loci for breast cancer, but the causal variants and target genes are mostly unknown. We sought to fine-map all known breast cancer risk loci using genome-wide association study data from 172,737 female breast cancer cases and 242,009 controls of African, Asian and European ancestry. We identified 332 independent association signals for breast cancer risk, including 131 signals not reported previously, and for 50 of them, we narrowed the credible causal variants down to a single variant.

Comprehensive epidemiology of melanoma at all sites: insights from Japan's National Cancer Registry, 2016-2017.

Background: Melanoma is a highly malignant cancer responsible for 55 000 deaths worldwide annually. Despite its severity, its epidemiology in Japan remains understudied owing to its rarity among Asians. This study aimed to determine the incidence of melanoma in Japan using data from the National Cancer Registry.

Consumption of Sodium and Its Ratio to Potassium in Relation to All-Cause, Cause-Specific, and Premature Noncommunicable Disease Mortality in Middle-Aged Japanese Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Reducing premature noncommunicable disease (NCD) mortality is a global challenge. Sodium is thought to increase risk of NCDs via an effect of salt per se or high-salt foods on hypertension-induced cardiovascular disease (CVD) and gastrointestinal cancer. Further, relative risk of CVD is reportedly more closely associated with sodium-to-potassium ratio than that with sodium alone.

Longitudinal Metabolomics Reveals Metabolic Dysregulation Dynamics in Patients with Severe COVID-19.

A dysregulated metabolism has been studied as a key aspect of the COVID-19 pathophysiology, but its longitudinal progression in severe cases remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate metabolic dysregulation over time in patients with severe COVID-19 requiring mechanical ventilation (MV). In this single-center, prospective, observational study, we obtained 236 serum samples from 118 adult patients on MV in an ICU.

Effects of smokeless tobacco on cancer incidence and mortality: a global systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: The prevalence of smokeless tobacco consumption remains high despite policies on reduction interventions. This study aims to quantify the associations between smokeless tobacco use with cancer incidence and mortality globally.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and PROSPERO protocol (ID: CRD42023390468).

[Educational inequalities in mortality by prefectures in Japan: National census-linked mortality data, 2010-2015].

Objectives　To examine a comprehensive monitoring framework for health inequalities in Japan, this study aimed to quantify educational inequalities in mortality and its regional variations, which are widely used internationally as outcome measures of health inequalities.Methods　Individual data were obtained from the 2010 Population Census and Vital Statistics death records (2010-2015). We used the combination of "sex," "birth month/year," "municipality of residence," "marital status," and "age of spouse (married individuals only)" as a linkage key.

Reproductive factors and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer: results from the Asia Cohort Consortium.

Background: There are scarce data on risk factors for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) in Asian populations. Our goal was to advance knowledge on reproductive -related risk factors for EOC in a large population of Asian women.

Methods: This study used pooled individual data from baseline questionnaires in 11 prospective cohorts (baseline years, 1958-2015) in the Asia Cohort Consortium.

Association of plasma branched-chain amino acid levels with colorectal cancer risk in a nested case-control study.

Background: Intake of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) has been suggested to have a prophylactic effect against carcinogenesis in colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the possible effect of plasma BCAA concentration has not been fully evaluated.

Methods: We conducted a prospective case-control study within a cohort of four public health center areas for which blood sample and questionnaire data from a 5-year follow-up survey were available.

Cigarette Smoking, Alcohol Consumption, and the Risk of Thyroid Cancer in Japan: The Japan Public Health Center-Based Prospective Study.

Background: Although cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption are established causes of cancer, most cohort studies and meta-analyses have reported inverse associations with thyroid cancer risk. However, epidemiologic evidence for this possibility is limited in Asia, where thyroid cancer histologic type differs from the West. In this study, we examined the association between cigarette smoking or alcohol consumption and the risk of thyroid cancer in Japanese.

Complex Multimorbidity and Trajectories of Functional Disabilities in the Last Three Years of Life: A Prospective Cohort Study of Older Adults in Japan.

We sought to understand the impact of multimorbidity (MM) on the trajectories of functional decline in the last three years of life among older people in Japan. We used nationwide longitudinal cohort data with 6-year follow-up and analyzed 3731 functionally independent residents aged 65 years and older. The primary outcome was the five trajectory groups of functional disability in the last three years of life, defined by group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM).

Plasma uric acid levels and risk of dementia in a population-based cohort study.

Background: Given the opposing properties of uric acid (UA), which are intracellular prooxidant action and extracellular antioxidant action, the association of circulating UA levels with dementia remains controversial. We aimed to ascertain whether both lower and higher plasma UA levels are associated with the risk of incident dementia among middle-aged and older population.

Methods: 1685 participants (530 men and 1155 women) aged 40-69 years at baseline (1990-1993) were randomly selected for plasma UA measurement from base cohort participants who responded to the baseline questionnaire and provided blood samples.

Introduction of AI Technology for Objective Physical Function Assessment.

Objective physical function assessment is crucial for determining patient eligibility for treatment and adjusting the treatment intensity. Existing assessments, such as performance status, are not well standardized, despite their frequent use in daily clinical practice. This paper explored how artificial intelligence (AI) could predict physical function scores from various patient data sources and reviewed methods to measure objective physical function using this technology.

Metabolomic Profiling of Open-Angle Glaucoma Etiologic Endotypes: Tohoku Multi-Omics Glaucoma Study.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate biologically meaningful endotypes of open-angle glaucoma (OAG) by applying unsupervised machine learning to plasma metabolites.

Methods: This retrospective longitudinal cohort study enrolled consecutive patients aged ≥20 years with OAG at Tohoku University Hospital from January 2017 to January 2020. OAG was confirmed based on comprehensive ophthalmic examinations.

Body mass index and breast cancer risk in premenopausal and postmenopausal East Asian women: a pooled analysis of 13 cohort studies.

Background: It has been suggested that the association between body mass index and breast cancer risk differs between Asian women and Western women. We aimed to assess the associations between body mass index and breast cancer incidence in East Asian women.

Methods: Pooled analyses were performed using individual participant data of 319,189 women from 13 cohort studies in Japan, Korea, and China.

Trajectory Patterns of Three Lifestyle Behaviors and Subsequent Health Conditions in Japanese Adults: A Retrospective Longitudinal Study Using a Health Checkup Database.

Introduction: Although the associations between lifestyle behavioral changes over time and the risks of cancer and cardiovascular diseases are documented worldwide, evidence specific to the Japanese population remains limited. This study aimed to elucidate the trajectories of lifestyle behaviors and their associations with health conditions.

Methods: We analyzed health checkup data from the Japan Medical Data Center Claims Database from 2005 to 2019, specifically those of individuals who underwent 10 consecutive annual checkups.

Stapler-induced vascular injury during uniportal VATS lobectomy: lessons learned from a rare complication case.

Background: Due to advances in video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), the majority of lung resections can be performed safely via VATS with low morbidity and mortality. However, pulmonary artery (PA) bleeding often requires emergency conversion to thoracotomy, potentially leading to a life-threatening situation. We report a case of pulmonary artery injury caused by an unexpected stapler-tissue interaction during uniportal VATS lobectomy, highlighting the importance of recognizing and managing such rare complications to improve patient outcomes.

Changes in Mortality During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan: Descriptive Analysis of National Health Statistics up to 2022.

Background: Amidst the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Japan has faced a significant public health challenge, evident from the significant increase in mortality rates since 2021. This study described the variations in all-cause and cause-specific changes in mortality up to 2022 in Japan.

Methods: This study used official Vital Statistics from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) to assess the impact of the pandemic on mortality trends.

[How smokers perceive pictorial and non-pictorial health warnings on cigarette packages: An online survey].

Objectives　This study aimed to evaluate Japanese smokers' perceptions of health warnings on tobacco packaging by comparing text-only and pictorial warnings.Methods　Data were sourced from the Japan Society and New Tobacco Internet Survey (JASTIS), an online, self-reported study conducted in February and March 2020. Participants included current smokers aged 15-74 years in Japan (n＝2,372).

Impacts of revised smoke-free regulations under the 2020 Japan Health Promotion Act on cigarette smoking and heated tobacco product use in indoor public places and homes: findings from 2018 to 2021 International Tobacco Control (ITC) Japan Surveys.

Background: In April 2020, Japan's revised Health Promotion Act (HPA) banned cigarette smoking and heated tobacco products (HTP) use in indoor public places but exempted small establishments and permitted smoking-designated/HTP-designated rooms. This pre-post study evaluated the effectiveness of the HPA.

Methods: Data were from waves 1 to 4 (2018-2021) of the International Tobacco Control Japan Surveys among a national cohort of adults who smoke cigarettes, use HTPs and do not use any tobacco products.