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. Purpose: To identify symptoms potentially related to glaucomatous visual field abnormalities (VFAs) in a population-based setting, and to assess the applicability of using these symptoms to identify persons at risk of developing glaucoma. Methods: In this study, 10 214 Japanese male general workers (mean age, 45.3 ± 8.8 years) filled out a self-administered questionnaire and underwent frequency doubling technology (FDT) perimetry testing. The questionnaire inquired about whether the participant was suffering from any of nine symptoms, with scores for each response graded on a four-item Likert scale: 0 (none), 1 (rarely), 2 (sometimes), and 3 (always). Results from the questionnaire were compared among three groups: participants without any VFAs (9767), participants with VFAs as determined by the FDT test (FDT-VFA; 447), and 227 participants (of the 447 FDT-VFA participants) with glaucomatous VFAs who were newly diagnosed by ophthalmologic examinations. Results: The mean summed scores for the total items were significantly (p < 0.01) higher in FDT- and glaucomatous VFA groups than in normal subjects. In particular, responses citing the symptoms 'feeling of something in the front of the eye' and 'feeling of hardness to see in dark places' were significantly (p < 0.05) more frequent in subjects with FDT- and glaucomatous VFAs than among normal participants. However, the respective areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of summed scores for the nine total items and for the two items which showed significant differences for the glaucoma groups were 0.57 (95% confidence interval = 0.53-0.60) and 0.58 (95% confidence interval = 0.54-0.61). Conclusion: Although the symptoms 'feeling of hardness to see in dark places' and 'feeling of something in the front of the eye' could be associated with glaucomatous VFA in a population-based setting, inquiring about symptoms is of little aid in identifying subjects with glaucomatous VFA as a strategy for public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolic syndrome is a complex medical disorder characterized by visceral fat-type obesity involving hypertension, and abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between periodontal disease and components of metabolic syndrome (obesity, lipid abnormality, hypertension, and hyperglycemia) in industrial workers of a single company in Tokyo, Japan. The study subjects consisted of 2,478 adult employees (2,028 men and 450 women; mean age: 43.3 years). The association between the presence of periodontal pockets and components of metabolic syndrome was investigated cross-sectionally using multiple logistic regression analysis, odds ratios (ORs), and 95 percent confidence intervals (CIs). Body mass index, blood pressure, triglycerides, fasting blood glucose, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) were significantly elevated (P < 0.05) in patients with periodontal pockets of 4 mm or more. We found that the OR of the presence of periodontal pockets adjusted for age, gender, and smoking habit was 1.8 (96 percent CI = 1.4-2.3) when the subjects with two positive components and without positive component were compared. And it was 2.4 (96 percent CI = 1.7-2.7) when the subjects with three or four positive components and without positive component were compared. Our findings suggest an association between periodontal disease and metabolic syndrome in Japanese workers between the ages of 20 and 60 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is considered a hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome. Periodontal disease is a mild chronic inflammatory disease with systemic effects, and many studies have indicated an association between metabolic syndrome and periodontitis. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between periodontitis and liver biochemical parameters according to alcohol drinking habits through a cross-sectional study based on data from Japanese people in occupational settings. Material and Methods The subjects were 1510 employees (1218 males, 292 females, mean age 50.4 years) who underwent dental and medical checkups in 2012. Associations between the presence of periodontal pockets and serum levels of liver biochemical parameters were assessed. Results Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) levels were higher in subjects with than without periodontal pockets. Multiple logistic regression analysis (adjusting for age, gender, cigarette smoking, and alcohol drinking habits, and components of metabolic syndrome) with GGT or ALT as the dependent variable revealed that there was a significant association between periodontal pockets and GGT (odds ratio, OR=1.48), but not ALT. Similar associations were observed when an analysis was performed according to the presence or absence of alcohol drinking habits; the OR was higher in subjects without (OR=1.84) than with drinking habits (OR=1.41). Conclusions The presence of periodontal pockets was associated with serum levels of GGT, a liver biochemical parameter, in Japanese adults with no drinking habit, suggesting that periodontal disease is associated with liver function, independent of alcohol ingestion.