**2. Materials and Methods**

We included patients who had undergone Japanese-specific health checkups in Kanazawa City, which is a strategy of the Japanese government to provide an early screen for, diagnose, and treat the metabolic syndrome that started in 2008. All general residents in Kanazawa City aged 40 years or older were eligible. The participants completed questionnaires about medical history, medications, and lifestyles. Examinations included anthropometric measurements, physical examinations, blood tests, urine dipstick tests, and resting 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG).
