title: Changes in metabolic profiles after the Great East Japan Earthquake: a retrospective observational study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck off eastern Japan in March 2011. Many survivors have been living in temporary houses provided by the local government since they lost their houses as a result of the great tsunami (tsunami group) or the expected high-dose radiation resulting from the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (radiation group). The tsunami was more than 9 m high in Soma, Fukushima, which is located 30 km north of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and adjacent to the mandatory evacuation area. A health screening program was held for the evacuees in Soma in September 2011. The aim of this study was to compare the metabolic profiles of the evacuees before and after the disaster. We hypothesized that the evacuees would experience deteriorated metabolic status based on previous reports of natural disasters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on 200 subjects who attended a health screening program in September or October of 2010 (pre-quake) and 2011 (post-quake) were retrospectively reviewed and included in this study. Pre-quake and post-quake results of physical examinations and laboratory tests were compared in the tsunami and radiation groups. A multivariate regression model was used to determine pre-quake predictive factors for elevation of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in the tsunami group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significantly higher values of body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, and HbA1c and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were found at the post-quake screening when compared with the pre-quake levels (p = 0.004, p = 0.03, p = 0.008, p < 0.001, and p = 0.03, respectively). A significantly higher proportion of subjects in the tsunami group with high HbA1c, defined as ≥ 5.7%, was observed after the quake (34.3%) than before the quake (14.8%) (p < 0.001). Regional factors, periodic clinic visits, and waist circumference before the quake were identified as predictive factors on multivariate analysis for the deterioration of HbA1c.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Post-quake metabolic variables were impaired compared with pre-quake baseline levels in survivors who were living in temporary houses. A natural disaster could affect metabolic profiles, and careful follow-up for survivors should be planned.
authors.affiliation: Division of Social Communication System for Advanced Clinical Research, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. tsubokura-tky@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masaharu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsubokura
authors.forename: Morihito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takita
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumura
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanimoto
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Tamae
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hamaki
authors.forename: Giichiro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Oiso
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kami
authors.forename: Tadaichi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okawada
authors.forename: Hidekiyo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tachiya
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004190:Disasters; D055866:Earthquakes; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D055442:Metabolome; D008875:Middle Aged; D018788:Radioactive Hazard Release; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D057192:Tsunamis
chemical_list: D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human