Efficacy of Additional Intervention to the Specific Health Guidance in Japan: The Takahata GENKI Project

PURPOSE: A tailored approach to individual risk factors for developing lifestyle-related diseases would help induce behavioral changes toward intervention acceptability. The addition of preventive healthcare programs to nationwide specific health guidance in Japan is adapted in a given region. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a prospective parallel-group comparison study on 195 eligible residents from Takahata, Japan, with a high risk of lifestyle-related diseases from 2014 to 2017 to examine whether such an intervention could improve the body mass index (BMI) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). RESULTS: Of the 195 enrolled residents, 117 were assigned to the control group and 78 to the intervention group. They were ≤65 years old and had a BMI ≥25 kg/m(2) and an eGFR ≤90 mL/kg/1.73 m(2). We conducted certain interventions for each group, including additional blood testing, regular health guidance, and specific health guidance. After one year, neither BMI (intervention: 26.7 ± 2.17 kg/m(2) vs control: 27.3 ± 2.12 kg/m(2), p = 0.076) nor eGFR (intervention: 72.2 ± 11.1 mL/kg/1.73 m(2) vs control: 73.1 ± 10.5 mL/kg/1.73 m(2), p = 0.608) differed significantly between groups. However, after three years, the BMI in the intervention group (26.4 ± 2.05 kg/m(2)) was significantly reduced compared to that in the control group (27.4 ± 2.26 kg/m(2); p = 0.005). CONCLUSION: The additional interventions might have contributed to a reduction in metabolic syndrome. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered in the UMIN-Clinical Trials Registry (ID:000013581). More information: https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000015868. The registration date was 31/03/2014.