Cohort study on the relationship between lifestyles and cardiovascular risk factors in young male university students.

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Westernization of lifestyles among Japanese, in particular among young generations, is a matter of concern about a future increase in coronary heart disease. In order to clarify the relationship between lifestyles and cardiovascular risk factors in young males, we examined a total of 170 male university students for three years during their campus life. Physical characteristics, serum lipids, fatty acid compositions, fibrinogen as well as dietary habits and lifestyles were measured twice at the 1^<st> and the 4^<th> year in the periodic health examination.The proportion of students who ate meals three times daily and breakfast regularly decreased significantly in the 4^<th> year as compared with the 1^<st> year. The dietary frequency of fish, vegetable, milk and egg decreased, and that of oil increased in the 4^<th> year as compared with 1^<st> year. The prevalence of current smokers and drinkers also significantly increased in the 4^<th> year. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures an … More d percent body fat were higher in the 4^<th> year as compared with 1^<st> year. Smoking rate and alcohol usage were also higher in the 4^<th> year. Serum fibrinogen level was higher in the 4^<th> year than in the 1^<st> year, but serum total cholesterol showed no difference between them.Serum compositions of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acid (FA) increased significantly in the 4^<th> year, whereas those of polyunsaturated FA (both of n3 and n6-unsaturated FA) significantly decreased in the 4^<th> year. The ratio of n3 and n6 (n3/n6 ratio) showed significantly decrease in the 4^<th> year. Within the 4^<th> year students, the n3-unsaturated fatty acid composition as well as Eicosapentaenoic acid and Docosahexaenoic acid was positively correlated with the frequency of fish intake.Students in the 4^<th> year generally showed westernized dietary habits and higher coronary risk profiles than in the 1^<st> year as indicated by the change of body characteristics and serum lipid and fatty acid compositions. Modification of these dietary habits and lifestyles may be important for the prevention of future coronary heart disease among Japanese young generations. Less