Akira Sekikawa

Contributions to Public Health

• Unraveling the Low Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) Mortality in Japan: Our research revealed why Japan's CHD mortality is dramatically lower than in the US, despite higher lifetime exposure to traditional risk factors like cholesterol, blood pressure, and smoking. We disproved common theories like misclassification and genetic factors, identifying unique protective elements in the Japanese lifestyle and environment. These insights offer valuable strategies for global cardiovascular health improvements.
  • Sekikawa A, Miyamoto Y, Miura K, Nishimura K, Willcox BJ, Masaki KH, Rodriguez B, Tracy RP, Okamura T, Kuller LH. Continuous decline in mortality from coronary heart disease in Japan despite a continuous and marked rise in total cholesterol: Japanese experience after the Seven Country Study. Intl J Epidemiol 2015; 44: 1614-24 PMID: 26182938
  • Sekikawa A, Willcox BJ, Usui T, Carr JJ, Barinas-Mitchell EJ, Masaki H, Watanabe M, Tracy RP, Bertolet MH Evans RW, Nishimura K, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Kuller LH, Miyamoto Y. Do differences in risk factors explain the lower rates of coronary heart disease in Japanese versus U.S. women? J Women’s Health 2013; 22: 966-977 PMID: 24073782
• Unlocking the Cardiovascular Benefits of Soy Isoflavones and Equol: My research reveals soy isoflavones' cardiovascular benefits may depend on equol production, a gut microbiome metabolite. While Asian studies show benefits, US trials did not. We discovered that blood equol levels, not dietary isoflavones, were linked to reduced atherosclerosis and smaller brain white matter lesions. These findings highlight equol's unique vascular health benefits and its potential for improving global cardiovascular health.
  • Sekikawa A, Higashiyama A, Lopresti BJ, Ihara M, Aizenstein H, Watanabe M, Chang Y, Kakuta C, Yu Z, Mathis C, Kokubo Y, Klunk W, Lopez OL, Kuller LH, Miyamoto Y, Cui C. Associations of equol-producing status with white matter lesion and amyloid-β deposition in cognitively normal elderly Japanese. Alzheimer's & dementia. 2020;6(1):e12089. Epub 2020/10/30. doi: 10.1002/trc2.12089. PMID: 33117881
  • Ahuja V, Miura K, Vishnu A, Fujiyoshi A, Evans R, Zaid M, Miyagawa N, Hisamatsu T, Kadota A, Okamura T, Ueshima H, Sekikawa A. Significant inverse association of equol-producer status with coronary artery calcification but not dietary isoflavones in healthy Japanese men. Br J Nutr. 2017;117(2):260-6. PMID: 28205492.
• Fish Oil and Atherosclerosis Research: Our research shows that blood levels of fish oil in Japan are over 100% higher than in the US, significantly linked to reduced atherosclerosis risk. Our systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials confirm high-dose fish oil has strong anti-atherosclerotic effects. This groundbreaking research offers exciting opportunities for students passionate about international epidemiology and cardiovascular health, focusing on fish oil's benefits in preventing heart disease.
  • Sekikawa A, Majahan H, Kadowaki S, Hisamatsu T, Miyagawa N, Fujiyoshi A, Kadota A, Maegawa H, Murata K, Miura K, Edmundowicz D, Ueshima H; SESSA Research Group. Association of blood levels of marine omega-3 fatty acids with coronary calcification and calcium density in Japanese men. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2019;73:783-92. PMID: 30050076
  • Sekikawa A, Cui C, Sugiyama D, Fabio A, Harris WS, Zhang X. Effect of High-Dose Marine Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Atherosclerosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. Nutrients. 2019;11(11):2599. PMID: 3167152
• Training Future Epidemiologists: As Director of the T32 Cardiovascular Epidemiology Training Program since 2018 (Co-director since 2013), I have guided 33 trainees (22 pre-doctoral, 11 post-doctoral, and 8 from under-represented groups) to success. Our trainees authored 600+ publications, delivered 200+ presentations, and secured prestigious funding. Beyond T32, I have mentored 8 doctoral, 16 master’s students, and 5 post-doctoral fellows, and served on 32 pre-doctoral committees, fostering the next generation of epidemiologists.

• International Collaborations: I have led collaborations with researchers in Japan and Kazakhstan, focusing on cardiovascular disease, dementia, and preventive strategies. These partnerships offer cross-cultural comparisons of subclinical atherosclerosis and cardiovascular health among Japanese, Japanese Americans, and Caucasian Americans. We conducted brain imaging study in older adults and are conducting metabolomics studies of cardiovascular disease in Japan. In Kazakhstan, we developed infrastructure for cognitive assessment and air pollution studies, enhancing global public health research.
  • Sekikawa A, Curb JD, Ueshima H, El-Saed A, Kadowaki T, Abbott RD, Evans RW, Rodriguez BL, Okamura T, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Nakamura Y, Masaki K, Edmundowicz D, Kashiwagi A, Willcox BJ, Takamiya T, Mitsunami K, Seto TB, Murata K, White RL, Kuller LH. Marine-derived n-3 fatty acids and atherosclerosis in Japanese, Japanese Americans, and Whites. J Am Coll Cardiol 2008; 52: 417-24 PMID: 18672160
  • Kulimbet M, Glushkova N, Snitz B, Tsoy R, Adambekov S, Talbott E, Mereke A, Wu M, Zhumagaliuly A, Karaca F, Chang Y, Turuspekova S, Sekikawa A, Davletov K. Neuropsychological Assessment of Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19:16189 PMID: 36498262