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The aim of this study is examining the effects of multiple sets of high-velocity resistance exercise (HVRE) on cardiovascular responses. Fifteen healthy adult men participated in two experimental sessions: one comprised three sets of resistance exercise performed against high-intensity resistance exercise (HIRE) at low velocity and the other three sets of HVRE performed against reduced load at high velocity. Blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), stroke volume (SV) and cardiac output (CO) during both sessions were evaluated using impedance electrocardiography. The increases in BP, HR and CO were significantly lowered during HVRE compared with HIRE (p< 0.05). In contrast, there was no significant difference in SV between sessions (p> 0.05). This study suggested that the increases in BP and CO during HVRE were lower than those during HIRE although HVRE required performing fast movement. HVRE might be applied to patients for whom HIRE is contraindicated because of cardiovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors undertook this study to determine changes in the daily concentration of cadmium, copper, and zinc in Japanese workers' urine over a 13-year period from 1985 to 1998. The workers were aged between 20 and 59 years. The authors studied 277 subjects in 1985, 320 in 1993, and 292 in 1998, for a total of 889 (464 men and 425 women). Although, in both men and women, urinary excretions of cadmium and copper were lower in 1993 and 1998 than in 1985, they were not substantially lower in 1998 than in 1993. The authors observed no marked changes between 1985, 1993, and 1998 regarding the excretion of zinc in any of the age groups in either men or women. Furthermore, the excretion of urinary cadmium in 1998 still exceeded the tolerable limit levels in the general population of the investigated region in Japan. This fact suggests the necessity of further nationwide investigation and comprehensive measures to reduce cadmium exposure in Japanese society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long working hours have been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but its relationship with hypertension remains unclear. The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between overtime and presence of hypertension using data from a large-scale multi-company study in Japan. Participants were 52 365 workers of four companies that provided both health-checkup data and self-reported data on overtime worked. Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg, and/or the use of antihypertensive drug. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the odds ratio for hypertension for each category of overtime work (<45, 45-79, 80-99 or ≥100 h/month) with adjustments for age, sex, company, smoking status and body mass index. The prevalence of hypertension tended to decrease with increasing overtime work: 17.5, 12.0, 11.1 and 9.1% for the shortest (<45 h/month) through the longest overtime category (≥100 h/month). The age-, sex- and company-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) were 1.00 (reference), 0.81 (0.75-0.86), 0.73 (0.62-0.86), 0.58 (0.44-0.76), respectively ( p for linear trend <0.001). In a sub-cohort, the inverse association remained statistically significant after an additional adjustment for other potential confounders. Results of the present large-scale study among Japanese workers suggest an inverse association between overtime work and presence of hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]