Physical Activity in the Japan Population: Association with Blood Lipid Levels and Effects in Reducing Cardiovascular and All-Cause Mortality

According to many prospective cohort studies and meta-analyses of those studies, physical inactivity and/or low levels of physical fitness are associated with an elevated risk for the development of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease (CAD), and stroke, and with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality and all-cause mortality. Most of these analyses, however, were conducted on non-Japanese populations in the West. This report summarizes prospective observational and clinical studies in Japan. The annual national nutrition survey has shown a gradual decline in the number of walking steps in both genders and in all age groups over the last 10 years. While exercise habits have been gradually increasing in the elderly, only one-fifth of young and middle-aged people undertake leisure-time physical activity. Prospective cohort studies have shown that increased physical fitness and greater physical activity in either daily life or leisure time are of benefit in preventing all-cause mortality and CVD mortality. The daily number of walking steps is positively associated with HDL cholesterol levels and negatively associated with triglyceride levels. According to a random-effects model meta-analysis of 4 randomized controlled trials comparing supervised aerobic exercise training with non-exercise control in subjects without CAD, exercise resulted in a significant increase in HDL-cholesterol (10.01 mg/dL, 95% CI 5.38 to 14.65, p<0.0001). While this confirms the importance of physical activity in preventing CVD mortality and all-cause mortality, the levels of physical activity are on a declining trend in Japan, particularly among the young.