General Population In Japan Research Articles

Correction to: Understanding COVID‑19 Vaccine Hesitancy among the General Population in Japan from Public Health Ethical Perspectives: Findings from a Narrative Review

Correction to: Understanding COVID‑19 Vaccine Hesitancy among the General Population in Japan from Public Health Ethical Perspectives: Findings from a Narrative Review

Real-world predictors of severe psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan: Insights from a large-scale internet-based cohort study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had negative physical and psychological impacts worldwide. However, there has been a lack of real-world evidence concerning the predictors of severe psychological distress (SPD) among the general population in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to examine predictors of SPD during the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigated the predictors of new-onset SPD in the general Japanese population using data from a large-scale internet-based cohort study. We included 16 489 study participants (age range = 16-81, mean age = 52.7, percentage of male = 50%) in the analysis. Over the course of 1 year from baseline, the estimated proportion of participants who experienced SPD was 5.2% with inverse probability weighting. The predictors of SPD included younger age, being never married, being unemployed, having a higher education background, scoring higher on the Fear of Coronavirus-19 Scale, experiencing more adverse childhood experiences, reporting poorer subjective health status, and COVID-19 with oxygen therapy. Our internet-based survey of the Japanese population may have selection bias, limiting the generalizability to other countries and cultures. This study revealed that being afflicted with COVID-19 requiring oxygen therapy is the most significant predictor of SPD. In addition, we found that vulnerability to social isolation, such as never being unmarried, anxiety toward COVID-19, and susceptibility to stress, are predictors of the emergence of SPD. Therefore, the implementation of online support systems and ensuring access to accurate information may protect against SPD during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.

Association between adverse childhood experiences and pregnancy morbidities: A nationwide online-based cross-sectional study.

To examine the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and pregnancy morbidities, including preterm birth (PTB), gestational diabetes (GDM), preeclampsia, and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) among the general population in Japan. The data were from the JACSIS study, an online-based nationwide survey conducted from July to August 2021 in Japan (N = 5444). ACEs included physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, neglect, childhood poverty, bully victimization, domestic violence, parental death, and parental divorce. Pregnancy morbidities, including PTB, GDM, preeclampsia, and SGA were identified through questionnaires. A multivariable logistic regression model was applied. Of 5444 women, 2778 (51.0%) had no ACEs, and 374 (6.9%) had four or more ACEs. A dose-response association was found between total ACE score and PTB and preeclampsia (p-value: 0.016 and 0.001). Women with four or more ACE scores showed higher risks of preeclampsia (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] [95% confidence interval, CI]: 3.06 [1.57-5.94], p-value: 0.001). Besides, those with two or three ACEs had higher risks of PTB (aOR [95%CI]: 1.42 [1.01-2.02], p-value: 0.046, and aOR [95%CI]: 1.61 [1.04-2.50], p-value: 0.041), and women with one ACE showed a higher risk of GDM (aOR [95%CI]: 1.34 [1.02-1.77], p-value: 0.035). SGA was not associated with ACEs. ACEs were associated with an increased risk of PTB, preeclampsia, and GDM, but not SGA among the general population in Japan.

Outcomes of Watchful Waiting Strategy and Predictors of Postoperative Prognosis in Asymptomatic or Equivocally Symptomatic Chronic Severe Aortic Regurgitation With Preserved Left Ventricular Function.

The optimal surgical timing for asymptomatic or equivocally symptomatic chronic severe aortic regurgitation with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction remains controversial. Two hundred ten consecutive patients (median age 65 years) with asymptomatic or equivocally symptomatic chronic severe aortic regurgitation and left ventricular ejection fraction ≥50% were registered. First, the treatment plans (aortic valve replacement or watchful waiting) after initial diagnosis were investigated. Then, 2 studies were set: Study A (n=144) investigated the prognosis of patients who were managed under the watchful waiting strategy after initial diagnosis; Study B (n=99) investigated the postoperative prognosis in patients who underwent aortic valve replacement at initial diagnosis or after watchful waiting. The primary outcomes were all-cause death in Study A and postoperative cardiovascular events in Study B. In Study A, 3 died of noncardiovascular causes during a median follow-up of 3.2 years. In Kaplan-Meier analysis, the survival curve was similar to that of an age-sex-matched general population in Japan. In Study B, 9 experienced the primary outcome during a median follow-up of 5.0 years. In Cox regression analysis, preoperative left ventricular end-systolic diameter enlargement (hazard ratio, 1.11; P=0.048) and left ventricular end-systolic diameter >45 mm (hazard ratio, 12.75; P=0.02) were significantly associated with poor postoperative prognosis. In Kaplan-Meier analysis, left ventricular end-systolic diameter >45 mm predicted a higher risk of the primary outcome (P <0.01). Watchful waiting was achieved safely in asymptomatic or equivocally symptomatic chronic severe aortic regurgitation with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction. Preoperative left ventricular end-systolic diameter >45 mm predicted a poor postoperative outcome and may be an optimal cut-off value for surgical indication.

Laboratory-based surveillance of non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease in Japan

BackgroundIntractable pulmonary diseases with non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM-PDs) and antimicrobial resistance have become increasingly concerning worldwide. Nevertheless, a surveillance system for NTM has not been established in most countries, thus requiring repeated, intermittent, and time-consuming cross-sectional nationwide surveys.MethodsTo establish a nationwide surveillance system for NTM-associated diseases, we aimed to develop a prototype computer system primarily designed to continuously estimate NTM-PD incidence using a bacteriological case-defining algorithm through an automatic process of integrating bacteriological data collected from microbiology laboratories across Japan. To validate the accuracy of our study results, we compared the distribution of pulmonary TB cases between our laboratory data and the national surveillance data, which is representative of the Japanese population.ResultsOur estimates implied a 17.7% increase in NTM-PD incidence from 15.8 [14.9–16.8] in 2013 to 19.2 [18.2–20.4] in 2017, per 100 000 population. Moreover, 93.0% of the identified NTM-PD cases were dominated by theMycobacterium avium-intracellularecomplex, and the proportion ofM. abscessusspecies exceeded that ofM. kansasiifor the first time in Japan. We also revealed significant age and sex differences in NTM-PDs. Notably, we found similar characteristics between our laboratory data and national surveillance data covering almost the entire Japanese population.ConclusionThese findings, despite being laboratory-based, are extrapolatable to the general population in Japan and provide evidence that supports our system as a viable alternative to the nationwide NTM surveillance system.

Functional evaluation of novel variants of B4GALNT1 in a patient with hereditary spastic paraplegia and the general population.

Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) is a heterogeneous group of neurological disorders that are characterized by progressive spasticity and weakness in the lower limbs. SPG26 is a complicated form of HSP, which includes not only weakness in the lower limbs, but also cognitive impairment, developmental delay, cerebellar ataxia, dysarthria, and peripheral neuropathy, and is caused by biallelic mutations in the B4GALNT1 (beta-1,4-N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 1) gene. The B4GALNT1 gene encodes ganglioside GM2/GD2 synthase (GM2S), which catalyzes the transfer of N-acetylgalactosamine to lactosylceramide, GM3, and GD3 to generate GA2, GM2, and GD2, respectively. The present study attempted to characterize a novel B4GALNT1 variant (NM_001478.5:c.937G>A p.Asp313Asn) detected in a patient with progressive multi-system neurodegeneration as well as deleterious variants found in the general population in Japan. Peripheral blood T cells from our patient lacked the ability for activation-induced ganglioside expression assessed by cell surface cholera toxin binding. Structural predictions suggested that the amino acid substitution, p.Asp313Asn, impaired binding to the donor substrate UDP-GalNAc. An in vitro enzyme assay demonstrated that the variant protein did not exhibit GM2S activity, leading to the diagnosis of HSP26. This is the first case diagnosed with SPG26 in Japan. We then extracted 10 novel missense variants of B4GALNT1 from the whole-genome reference panel jMorp (8.3KJPN) of the Tohoku medical megabank organization, which were predicted to be deleterious by Polyphen-2 and SIFT programs. We performed a functional evaluation of these variants and demonstrated that many showed perturbed subcellular localization. Five of these variants exhibited no or significantly decreased GM2S activity with less than 10% activity of the wild-type protein, indicating that they are carrier variants for HSP26. These results provide the basis for molecular analyses of B4GALNT1 variants present in the Japanese population and will help improve the molecular diagnosis of patients suspected of having HSP.

Awareness, information sources, and beliefs regarding palliative care in the general population in Japan: a nationwide cross-sectional survey (INFORM study 2023).

The diversification of information sources and changes in social structures necessitates updates on the state of public awareness of palliative care. Therefore, we clarified the status and determinants of awareness, information sources, and beliefs, regarding palliative care in Japan. This nationwide cross-sectional survey included 10 000 participants aged ≥20years enrolled through random sampling using a two-stage stratification in 2023. We used a mailed self-administered questionnaire (INFORM Study 2023). The questionnaire items were selected (partially modified) from the Health Information National Trends Survey (USA) to ensure comparability, included palliative care awareness, information sources, and beliefs. Weighted logistic regression was conducted to explore the determinants of awareness. Of the 3452 participants that responded (response rate: 35.3%), 65.2% had palliative care awareness. The weighted logistic regression analysis revealed that respondents less likely to have any palliative care awareness were younger, were male, had limited education history, had lower household income, and were non-Internet users. Of these, sex had the clear association (adjusted odds ratio for female vs. male: 3.20 [95% CI: 2.66-3.85]). Across all age groups, healthcare professionals (58.5%) and the Internet (30.5%) were the most trusted source of information. Younger participants frequently received information online. Most participants believed that palliative care was beneficial, although 82.0% associated it with death. The Japanese population had a relatively high palliative care awareness, with the majority trusting information from healthcare professionals rather than the Internet. Further efforts are warranted to address barriers to receiving trustworthy palliative care information.

Association Between Gastrointestinal and Sleep Problems in the General Population of Japan: A Cross-Sectional Community-Based Observational Study.

Background and aim Poor sleep is known to be associated with functional gastrointestinal (GI) problems in the general population, but the exact mechanisms underlying the relationship remainunclear. Deeper insights into the exact mechanisms underlying the connection may benefit individuals suffering from these conditions without efficient treatments. Therefore, this study investigated the association between functional GI symptom levels and sleep-related characteristics in the general population of Japan. Methods In this cross-sectional questionnaire-based observational study, data including the self-reported levelof poor sleep and functional GI symptoms in the last one month were collected fromconsecutive individuals who visited a hospital in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, for regular medical checkups between April 2020 and March 2023. The levels of other physical and mental conditions, such as stress at home, fatigability, irritability, thermoregulatory problems, and edema in the limbs, were measured with an 11-point Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) between 0 and 10. Additional sleep-related specific information, such as sleep length, wake-up time, bedtime, trouble falling asleep, and nocturnal awakening, were further collected. Correlations with functional GI symptoms in these characteristics were evaluated by bivariate correlation analyses and generalized regression analyses. Results A total of 151 consecutive adults aged ≥18 years (77 males and 74 females) participated in this study. In bivariate correlation analyses, chronic GI symptom levels were significantly correlated with stress at home (p=0.0005), fatigability (p=0.0008), irritability (p=0.0022), edema in the limbs (p<0.0001), and sleep problem (p<0.0001). In the following generalized regression analysis, significant correlations with GI symptom levels were observed in sleep problems (p=0.0042) and edema in the limbs (p=0.0256). Further bivariate correlation analyses using sleep-related subscales revealed that trouble falling asleep in bed (p=0.0001), midnight awakening (p=0.0143), and wakeup time (p=0.0465) were correlated with GI symptom levels. In the following generalized regression analysis, a significant correlation withGI symptom levels was observed in trouble falling asleep (p=0.0239). Conclusion Functional GI symptoms in the general population of Japan were associated with poor sleep, even after adjusting for daily stress and irritability levels. Among the sleep-related characteristics, trouble falling asleep was associated with GI dysfunctions. Assessing sleep-related information and achieving good sleep quality with smooth sleep induction may be a clue to relieving GI dysfunctions with uncertain causes.

Vaccine Attitudes Among Parents: Comparing HPV and COVID-19 Vaccines Perceptions in Healthcare Workers' and the General Population in Japan

Vaccine Attitudes Among Parents: Comparing HPV and COVID-19 Vaccines Perceptions in Healthcare Workers' and the General Population in Japan

Actual Access and Usage of Antipyretic Analgesics before and after COVID-19 Vaccination: Pharmacist's Roles in Promoting Proper Use of Medicines during the Infodemic

An overwhelming surge of information regarding preparedness for postvaccination side effects had caused widespread confusion approximately since April 2021, when the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination had started for the general population in Japan. Notably, this resulted in a remarkably increased shortage of OTC acetaminophen formulations. The aim of this study was to elucidate the actual responses of the public in such an environment, how individuals acquired and understood information related to the management of postvaccination side effects, and how they obtained and used antipyretic analgesics before and after COVID-19 vaccination. We conducted a web-based survey in January 2022, targeting 400 individuals aged ≥20 years, who had received two COVID-19 vaccine doses, and excluded qualified professionals such as physicians and pharmacists. The results revealed that 67% of the respondents had obtained antipyretic analgesics in anticipation of adverse effects after vaccination, whereas 38% had taken these medicines before and/or after the second vaccination. Possible misappropriation of medicines from others, preventive administration, and lack of dosage and administration confirmation are the problems identified in medication acquisition and usage. Additionally, avoidance of antipyretic analgesics based on information without scientific evidence was observed. This study revealed no small amount of inappropriate use of medicines in situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, where there is an "infodemic" of mixed-quality information. Pharmacists, as experts in medication, should play a crucial role in promoting appropriate medication usage by consistently staying updated with the latest scientific evidence and proactively supporting OTC drug selection and counseling medication.

A longitudinal population-based study identifies THBS2 as a susceptibility gene for intervertebral disc degeneration.

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is a common degenerative disease associated with ageing. Additionally, IDD is recognized as one of the leading causes of low back pain and disability in the working-age population and is the first step in the process leading to degenerative spinal changes. However, the genetic factors and regulatory mechanisms of IDD remain unknown. Therefore, we selected eight single nucleotide polymorphisms of genes to reveal the progression of IDD in a 7-year longitudinal study of the general population in Japan. IDD was evaluated in the Wakayama Spine Study (WSS), which is a population-based cohort study. Overall, 574 participants from the general population cohort who underwent whole spine magnetic resonance imaging and provided clinical information were included in this longitudinal survey. The progression of IDD was affected only by THBS2 at the lumbar region, T12-L1 (p = 0.0044) and L3-4 (p = 0.0045). The significant interaction between THBS2 and age with IDD negatively affected the thoracic spines and passively influenced both the thoracolumbar junction and thoracic spines. The higher progression per year of Pfirrmann's score was rapid in young people with age; however, this decelerated the IDD progression per year in different ages. Our longitudinal study found the genes associated with IDD progression and that genetic factors' impact on IDD differs depending on disc level and age.

Assessing the Good Lives Model in the Japanese Context: Findings from the Primary Human Goods Survey of Incarcerated People and General Population in Japan

Assessing the Good Lives Model in the Japanese Context: Findings from the Primary Human Goods Survey of Incarcerated People and General Population in Japan

Associations between Social Capital and Self-Rated Health among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Japan.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are significantly more likely to report poor health compared to the general population in Japan and internationally. Social capital has been observed as an important component of positive health and well-being outcomes among MSM. However, there is limited research investigating how alter sexuality (possessors of actual resources embedded in social capital networks) mitigates health outcomes. In an online survey of 1564 MSM in Japan, we investigated social correlates of poor self-rated health among MSM, including MSM and heterosexual social networks. Multiple logistic regression revealed that poor health was associated with older age, lower education, and part-time and unemployment. Poor health was inversely correlated with bisexual behavior and high MSM or heterosexual social capital. In order to decrease health disparities among MSM in Japan, interventions focusing on increasing social capital among deprived groups, such as those with lower socio-economic status, older MSM, and those whose sex partners are exclusively male, may be effective.

Validity of claims-based definition of number of remaining teeth in Japan: Results from the Longevity Improvement and Fair Evidence Study.

Secondary healthcare data use has been increasing in the dental research field. The validity of the number of remaining teeth assessed from Japanese dental claims data has been reported in several studies, but has not been tested in the general population in Japan. To evaluate the validity of the number of remaining teeth assessed from Japanese dental claims data and assess its predictability against subsequent health deterioration. We used the claims data of residents of a municipality that implemented oral health screening programs. Using the number of teeth in the screening records as the reference standard, we assessed the validity of the claims-based number of teeth by calculating the mean differences. In addition, we assessed the association between the claims-based number of teeth and pneumococcal disease (PD) or Alzheimer's disease (AD) in adults aged ≥65 years using Cox proportional hazards analyses. Of the 10,154 participants, the mean number of teeth assessed from the claims data was 20.9, that in the screening records was 20.5, and their mean difference was 0.5. During the 3-year follow-up, PD or AD onset was observed in 10.4% (3,212/30,838) and 5.3% (1,589/30,207) of participants, respectively. Compared with participants with ≥20 teeth, those with 1-9 teeth had a 1.29 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.17-1.43) or 1.19 (95% CI: 1.04-1.36) times higher risk of developing PD or AD, respectively. High validity of the claims-based number of teeth was observed. In addition, the claims-based number of teeth was associated with the risk of PD and AD.

Employment rates for working-age patients receiving hemodialysis increasing: Changing economic environment.

This study explored employment trends among working-age patients undergoing hemodialysis using 5-year surveys from 1996 to 2021. Policy changes affecting individuals with disabilities, the economic environment, and employment status among the general population in Japan were considered. Differences in trends by gender and health status were examined. Employment status was categorized into employment and nonemployment; and regular, nonregular, and self. Analytical data with similar characteristics were generated over the six surveys using the propensity score method. The employment rate, especially among women, increased from 1996 to 2021. However, the employment rate ratio to the general population was approximately 80% for men and 50% for women, even in 2021. The employment rate increased with an expansion in nonregular employment. Women's employment trends could be explained by changes in real gross domestic product and employment quotas for individuals with disabilities. Employment trends differ by gender and by regular versus nonregular employment.

Association between daily step counts and healthy life years: a national cross-sectional study in Japan

BackgroundDespite accumulating evidence concerning the association between daily step counts and mortality or disease risks, it is unclear whether daily step counts are associated with healthy life years.MethodsWe used the...

Are Web-Based Valuation Surveys for Preference-Based Measures as Reliable as Face-to-Face Surveys? TTO, DCE and DCE with Duration.

Valuation surveys of preference-based measures are typically conducted face-to-face or on web panels. In this survey, we considered whether face-to-face and online surveys were reliable using three tasks: composite time trade-off (cTTO), discrete choice experiment (DCE), and DCE with duration. Respondents (aged 20-69 years) for both face-to-face (N = 1000, target sample size) and web surveys were selected through quota sampling by sex and age from each panel of the general population in Japan. They were then allocated to one of the three tasks and divided into six groups (two survey modes × three tasks, N = 334 per group). For the cTTO, respondents were asked to rate ten health states described by the EQ-5D-5L. For the DCE and DCE with duration surveys, respondents were asked about 15 health-state pairs. For all participants, as in the second-stage survey, a similar process was repeated two weeks after the first survey. Reliability was evaluated by calculating the percentage of agreement and intraclass correlation coefficients. The cTTO scores of the face-to-face and web surveys were systematically different. Between the face-to-face and web surveys, the agreement of the TTO survey was not good. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.37 for the face-to-face test-test and 0.59 for the web test-retest. Discrete choice experiment (DCE) and DCE with duration had similarly good agreement (more than 70%), regardless of face-to-face or web surveys. However, between the first and second surveys (test-retest) of DCE and DCE with duration, the agreement depends on whether the positions of the two cards (health states) are identical. If the face-to-face cTTO score is the gold standard, a web-based survey of cTTO is not recommended regardless of the ICC. If a DCE survey is performed, positioning effects should be considered.

Real-world clinical determinants of alcohol dependence in outpatients with bipolar disorder: a multicenter treatment survey for bipolar disorder in psychiatric outpatient clinics with 2,392 participants.

Bipolar disorder is a psychiatric disorder characterized by mood swings between manic and depressed states that causes psychosocial problems. Cognitive function deteriorates with each recurrence, making it important to maintain remission through continued treatment. Bipolar disorder often co-occurs with alcohol dependence, which is known to lead to decreased treatment adherence and increased suicide risk. However, the real-world clinical determinants of alcohol dependence in outpatients with bipolar disorder in Japan remain unclear. We conducted an observational study targeting 2392 patients with bipolar disorder using data from the MUSUBI study, a joint project of the Japanese Association of Neuro-Psychiatric Clinics and the Japanese Society of Clinical Neuropsychopharmacology. After determining the prevalence of alcohol dependence and the sociodemographic characteristics of patients with bipolar disorder, multivariate analysis was performed to identify risk factors for alcohol comorbidity. The prevalence of alcohol dependence among outpatients with bipolar disorder in this study was 5.7%. The prevalence was 7.6% for males and 3.1% for females. The results of the binomial logistic regression analysis revealed that bipolar I disorder, manic state, comorbidities with other psychiatric disorders, male sex, and suicidal ideation were significantly associated with alcohol dependence. Stratified analysis by gender showed that alcohol dependence was more strongly associated with the presence of suicidal ideation in women than in men. First, because this was an observational study with a cross-sectional design, causal relationships between factors cannot be determined. In addition, this study included outpatients in Japan but lacked information on inpatients. Therefore, it was considered necessary to conduct the study on a larger population in order to generate more robust evidence. We found that outpatients with bipolar disorder, especially men, had higher rates of alcohol dependence overall than the general population in Japan. In addition, the relationship between alcohol dependence and suicidal ideation was stronger in women than in men with bipolar disorder. There was a strong association between manic states and alcohol dependence in outpatients with bipolar disorder. These results are useful to clinicians because they reinforce real-world clinical evidence for the treatment of bipolar disorder and co-occurring alcohol dependence.

Associations between subjective well-being, number of teeth, and self-rated mastication in Japanese adults: A cross-sectional study.

This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the risk factors for low levels of subjective well-being (SWB) in the general population of Japan, specifically, the impact of the number of teeth and self-rated mastication. The surveyed population consisted of individuals aged between 40 and 79 years from Yamagata prefecture, Japan. A postal self-administered questionnaire survey of respondents lifestyles, medical history, oral health, and dietary intake, was conducted from 2017 to 2021. We included 6846 participants to confirm the independent associations between SWB and several parameters using multivariate ordinal logistic regression analysis to estimate adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Individuals with < 20 teeth and poor mastication ability had a 1.3-fold risk for low levels of SWB compared with individuals with ≥ 20 teeth with good mastication ability (adjusted odds ratios = 1.300, 95% confidence intervals = 1.043-1.621, P = .020). There were no differences between individuals with good mastication ability, regardless of the number of remaining teeth. Our study emphasizes not only the importance of having ≥ 20 teeth and good mastication ability for high levels of SWB but also the importance of restoring mastication ability using some form of prosthesis, to facilitate a high level of SWB when the number of remaining teeth is < 20.

Abstract 14218: Trends in Prevalence of Hypertension and Untreated Hypertension Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic Period in Japan

Background: To examine influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on blood pressure in a general population, trends in prevalence of hypertension and untreated hypertension before and during the COVID-19 pandemic period were examined. Methods: We studied subjects aged 40 to 79 who had the annual health checkup offered to adult citizens of Moriguchi city, Osaka, Japan from 2015 to 2022. Sex-specific age-standardized prevalence rates of hypertension (systolic blood pressure (BP) &gt; 140 mmHg, diastolic BP &gt; 90 mmHg, or receiving antihypertensives) and those of untreated hypertension to the WHO reference population with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Statistically significant difference was determined by 95% CI compared to the 95% CI of the prevalence of 2015. Results: Number of subjects and trends in prevalence of hypertension and untreated hypertension with 95% CI are presented in the figure. From 2015 to 2019 (before the COVID-19 pandemic period) prevalence of hypertension and untreated hypertension did not change both in men and women. However, from 2020 to 2022 (during the COVID-19 pandemic period), prevalence of hypertension and untreated hypertension significantly increased compared to 2015, except for prevalence of hypertension in women in 2020 and that of untreated hypertension in men in 2022. Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic period, higher prevalence of hypertension and untreated hypertension was observed in a general population in Japan.