title: [Keiten-Aijin].
abstract: As a member of the Third Department of Internal Medicine, Yamagata University School of Medicine, I was involved in an epidemiological study called the Funagata Diabetes Study, which demonstrated that the postprandial hyperglycemia was a formidable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. The accumulation of clinical evidence relating to laboratory medicine has resulted in the appropriate use of the results of laboratory tests such as plasma glucose concentration and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), in clinical practice. After moving to the Department of Laboratory Medicine, I participated in the nationwide standardization program of HbA1c and other tests related to diabetes mellitus. This program achieved standardization of the HbA1c measurement in Japan. The scientific execution of routine examination in the laboratories is also based on the traceability system, so that the results of laboratory tests are precisely used in clinical practice. Laboratory testing is itself a science, and not an art. However, when doctors advise patients of the results of laboratory testings, importance of art increases at that moment, because the personalities of patients are complex and diverse. In this respect, we would like to understand deeply that "Every human seeks the reason of his or her own existence"(Dr. Takeshi Saito). Not only doctors but also their medical colleagues are asked to improve both the science and art of medicine through lifelong learning in order to provide the most appropriate care to patients through clear insight, rich imagination and a deep understanding of each patient's personality.
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Clinic, Miyuki Medical Corporation and Affiliated Organization, Yamagata 990-2461, Japan. mtominag@miyuki.or.jp
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tominaga
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D010338:Pathology, Clinical; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D019518:Postprandial Period; D012015:Reference Standards; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human