Kawamori Ryuzo
Department of Medicine, Metabolism and Endocrinology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Hongo, Tokyo, Japan.
Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2002 Sep-Oct;18 Suppl 3:S9-13. doi: 10.1002/dmrr.296.
The prevalence of diabetes is increasing in Japan, and it is estimated that more than 12 million Japanese people are hyperglycemic. This high prevalence is most likely the result of a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors specific to Japan. The lifestyle and diet of the Japanese population have changed significantly since the end of World War II. In general, the Japanese have become more sedentary and they consume more fat than in the past. Among Japanese men, these changes have been associated with a steadily increasing body mass index (BMI), a well-known risk factor for the development of insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, and diabetes. Genetic characteristics common to many Japanese may also contribute to their higher prevalence of diabetes. The Japanese have a higher prevalence of polymorphisms for at least three genes that code for proteins thought to play key roles in lipid and glucose metabolism: the beta 3-adrenergic receptor, the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, and calpain-10. The interaction between changes in lifestyle and the 'thrifty' genotype characteristic of many Japanese people may play a significant role in the increasing prevalence of diabetes and associated cardiovascular risk in this population.
在日本，糖尿病的患病率正在上升，据估计，超过1200万日本人血糖偏高。这种高患病率很可能是日本特有的遗传和环境因素之间复杂相互作用的结果。自第二次世界大战结束以来，日本人口的生活方式和饮食发生了显著变化。总体而言，日本人的运动量减少，脂肪摄入量比过去更多。在日本男性中，这些变化与体重指数（BMI）稳步上升有关，而BMI是胰岛素抵抗、糖耐量受损和糖尿病发展的一个众所周知的风险因素。许多日本人共有的遗传特征也可能导致他们糖尿病患病率较高。日本人中至少有三种编码在脂质和葡萄糖代谢中起关键作用的蛋白质的基因的多态性患病率较高：β3 - 肾上腺素能受体、过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体γ和钙蛋白酶 - 10。生活方式的改变与许多日本人特有的“节俭”基因型之间的相互作用，可能在该人群中糖尿病患病率上升及相关心血管风险方面发挥重要作用。
