Housing type linked to cardiovascular death risk in older adults in Japan

Detached houses and rentals pose higher risk of cardiovascular death than flats, highlighting the need to build high-quality housing

Institute of Science Tokyo

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Researchers analyzed housing conditions and cardiovascular deaths among nearly 39,000 older adults in Japan and found that those living in rental flats and detached houses faced higher risks compared with residents of owner-occupied flats.

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Credit: Institute of Science Tokyo

A 6-year cohort study conducted by researchers from Japan, comprising nearly 39,000 older adults found that people living in rental flats and owner-occupied detached houses face higher risks of cardiovascular death compared with those in owner-occupied flats. The study attributes to the increased risk to colder, less stable indoor temperatures in these housing types and suggests that improving housing quality to address these issues could lower cardiovascular mortality, particularly among men.

Where we live can shape how long we live. Growing evidence shows that the quality of housing affects the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). In 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued the Housing and Health Guidelines, noting that CVDs, such as stroke and heart disease are more common in cold homes. The report emphasized that exposure to cold raises blood pressure, a known contributor to CVD risk. In Japan, the Cardiovascular Disease Clinical Practice Guidelines released in 2024 also recognized housing as a social environmental factor influencing cardiovascular health.

Now, researchers at Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo), Japan, provide further evidence of clear differences in CVD risk depending on housing status. In a study published in Volume 3, Issue 2 of the journal BMJ Public Health on September 08, 2025, they report that people living in rental flats and owner-occupied detached houses face a higher risk of death from CVD, compared with those in owner-occupied flats.

The study was led by Assistant Professor Wataru Umishio from the Department of Architecture, Science Tokyo, in collaboration with colleagues from Science Tokyo’s Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Nihon Fukushi University, and Chiba University.

The findings are based on a 6-year cohort study of 38,731 older adults in Japan, with an average age of 73.6 years. Researchers linked participants’ housing and tenure types—including owner-occupied detached houses, owner-occupied flats, rental detached houses, and rental flats—to official records of deaths from cardiovascular causes such as acute myocardial infarction, arrhythmias, heart failure, and strokes.

One explanation, the researchers note, lies in structural differences between housing types that affect indoor thermal conditions. Detached houses, exposed to the outdoor environment on all sides, are more vulnerable to low and fluctuating indoor temperatures, unlike flats, which are insulated by neighboring units. Previous studies in Japan have shown that detached houses tend to have cold and unstable indoor temperatures, both of which can raise blood pressure and increase its variability.

Men were most at risk, likely because they generally have higher blood pressure than women. According to the Japanese Society of Hypertension Guidelines, men in their 60s and 70s tend to have higher systolic blood pressure than women of the same age.

Poor housing quality in rental flats was identified as another factor. Many rental properties have inferior insulation, partly due to the “split incentive” problem, where landlords have little motivation to invest in improvements that mainly benefit the tenants. National surveys show that just 15% of rental homes in Japan have double window sashes or double-glazed windows, compared with 38% of owned homes.

The researchers suggest that improving insulation and keeping indoor temperatures above the WHO-recommended 18 °C could lower cardiovascular deaths, particularly among older adults and men. For Japan’s aging population, safe and warm homes are a critical part of public health.

“Such initiatives for promoting the adoption of high-quality housing could contribute not only to improving cardiovascular health but also to enhancing planetary health by mitigating climate change through reduced energy consumption,” says Umishio.

 

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About Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo)
Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo) was established on October 1, 2024, following the merger between Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) and Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech), with the mission of “Advancing science and human wellbeing to create value for and with society.”

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Journal

BMJ Public Health

DOI

10.1136/bmjph-2025-003073 

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Combination of housing type (detached houses vs flats) and tenure (owned vs rented) in relation to cardiovascular mortality: findings from a 6-year cohort study in Japan

 

Stress sensitivity makes suicidal thoughts more extreme and persistent among the university population

This is described in a study that has analysed data from surveys conducted on university students for 14 consecutive days. The study coordinated by the Hospital del Mar Research Institute and the UPF has enabled classifying suicidal ideation according to

Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Barcelona

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Philippe Mortier, Ana Portillo Van-Diest & Jordi Alonso, authors of the article.

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Credit: Pompeu Fabra University

Stress sensitivity increases the frequency, intensity, and variability of suicidal thoughts among the university community. These are the findings of a longitudinal study coordinated by the Hospital del Mar Research Institute and Pompeu Fabra University, which analyses survey data from more than 700 university students. The study defines, for the first time, three degrees of passive suicidal ideation according to their frequency, intensity and increasing variability. Taking stress sensitivity into account could have an impact on suicide prevention. 

Suicide is the first cause of death among young people aged between 15 and 29 in Spain and the third globally. It is a complex clinical phenomenon –due to its etiology and stigma– that is not yet known in detail. Thus it is hard to predict and prevent. Although since 2017 there has been speculation that stress modulates the variability and persistence of suicidal thoughts, so far this relationship has not been defined. 

A study published in Journal of Affective Disorders, which analysed data taken from surveys conducted on university students, determines that stress sensitivity –a condition in which more sensitive people experience greater discomfort and adverse feelings such as fear, anxiety, guilt or hostility in the face of a stressful situation - renders suicidal thoughts more frequent, intense and persistent. 

To carry out the study, they analysed the data collected from surveys carried out every evening for 14 consecutive days on more than 700 university students to assess their degree of passive suicidal ideation and daily negative affect. That is, their tendency to experience unpleasant emotions. In addition, the students –who joined the study through the PROMES-U project, which seeks to improve the mental health of this population– included a follow-up session 12 months later. 

 

Suicidal thoughts at least every two days 

The study defines, for the first time, three degrees of suicidal ideation according to their frequency, intensity and increasing variability. The students with a higher degree of passive suicidal ideation (groups 2 and 3), have thoughts or desires to die with no specific plan at least one in every two days. 

Stress sensitivity is a growing factor among the groups and is higher among students with greater suicidal ideation (groups 2 and 3). In the most pronounced cases –high frequency and intensity of suicidal thoughts– “we see that people who are more stress sensitive have more constant ideation on consecutive days”, states Ana Portillo-Van Diest, a researcher in the Health Services Research Group who is doing her thesis at Pompeu Fabra University.

“To date, all people with suicidal ideation were grouped together, so it was difficult to find causal relationships with other factors that disrupt our health”, explains Jordi Alonso, coordinator of the Health Services Research Group at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute and a full professor of Public Health at Pompeu Fabra University. 

“Being able to distinguish students who have sporadic and less intense suicidal ideation from those who think about it at least once every two days more intensely has allowed us to see that stress sensitivity intensifies the frequency and variability of suicidal thoughts”, adds Ana Portillo-Van Diest, who is the first author of the article. 

Philippe Mortier, a researcher with the Health Services Research Group, says that, as it is a study on a non-clinical population, “we have not managed to distinguish as an independent group the profile of people who present a high intensity and low variability of suicidal ideation, on consecutive days”. This profile, according to other studies, is particularly dangerous because more suicide attempts are observed.  

 

Persistent suicidal thoughts and behaviours for at least one year

Thanks to follow-up visits held a year after conducting the surveys, the study determines that the severity of suicidal ideation in everyday life predicts this behaviour –as well as suicide attempts– in the future. For students with a more intense and frequent pattern of passive suicidal ideation, suicidal thoughts and behaviours persist more over time, for at least a year. Such behaviour increases the risk of attempting suicide. 

“Our data shatters the traditional view that passive is less serious than active ideation”, Mortier comments. The study shows that a more intense, frequent and persistent pattern of ideation predicts active ideation –with planning and intent–, until at least one year later. 

Among people with intense, frequent, and persistent ideation, stress sensitivity makes suicidal thoughts more extreme and sustained. Hence, the authors point out that taking stress sensitivity into account, applying measures such as the practice of mindfulness, or others, could be an effective measure to prevent suicide among the university community.

 

 

About Promes-U

PROMES-U is a research project that aims to improve the mental health of university students by studying the factors that can influence the onset of mental health problems, as well as the implementation and evaluation of online interventions to promote mental health and prevent depression and anxiety. 

The project, coordinated by the Health Services Research Group of the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, analyses data obtained from students at the six participating universities: Pompeu Fabra University, University of the Balearic Islands, Jaume I University, University of Málaga, Miguel Hernández University of Elche, and University of Zaragoza. 

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Journal

Journal of Affective Disorders

DOI

10.1016/j.jad.2025.119865 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Subtypes of suicidal ideation among university students – An ecological momentary assessment study

 

Lessons from Ascension’s shark troubles could help boost conservation

Peer-Reviewed Publication

University of Exeter

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Sharks at the coast of Ascension Island

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Credit: Kate Downes

Understanding people’s attitudes to interactions with sharks could help halt the global decline of shark numbers, according to new research carried out on Ascension Island.  

In 2017, there were two non-fatal shark attacks at Ascension – a UK territory in the South Atlantic with a population of about 800 people.

Large numbers of sharks – mostly silky and Galapagos sharks – have affected the island’s recreational fishers, who often lose tackle and hooked fish before they can be landed.

The research team, led by the University of Exeter and ZSL, interviewed 34 islanders to assess perceptions of sharks.

“We found that human-shark conflict is driven by lots of different factors beyond just attacks – and understanding this is vital if we want shark conservation to work,” said Dr Claire Collins, from ZSL and the University of Exeter.

“People had varying views on what shark numbers and behaviours were ‘normal’ and how sharks should be managed.

“Shark attacks – one of which resulted in a life-threatening injury on Ascension – can have a significant impact on people’s attitudes. This includes hidden psychosocial impacts such as stress and anxiety, and we show that, as a result, some people had changed the way they live and use the ocean due to fear of attack.”

Ascension Island became a Marine Protected Area (MPA) in 2019, with only recreational fishing allowed in nearshore waters (coast to 12nm) and all fishing prohibited from 12 to 200nm.

Reports of human-shark interactions have increased over the last decade, and 90% of the people interviewed said they had reduced their use of the ocean.

Many people felt shark behaviour and numbers were not normal for the island, and some felt these changes had been driven by human actions including “chumming” (attempting to attract fish by dispersing fish scraps into the water) by recreational and sports fishers in the past. However, uncertainty in general about what was causing the interactions, and which shark species were responsible also fuelled anxiety and uncertainty amongst island inhabitants.

“A positive step would be to ensure people are working from widely agreed, evidence-based information about sharks,” said Dr Sam Weber, from the Centre for Ecology and Conservation on Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall.

“Sharks are among the most threatened animals globally, so it’s vital to understand and manage conflicts to ensure continued support for their protection.

“People often feel more uncertain about marine species – so by demystifying these animals and enabling wider community participation in their research and management, we can prevent escalation into human-wildlife conflict.”

This work formed part of a larger project funded by the UK Darwin Initiative and Save Our Seas Foundation, which is helping to demystify shark-human conflict by tracking sharks to try and understand their movements and how changes in the ocean environment around Ascension Island are affecting their interactions with people

Tiffany Simpson, from AIG Conservation, said: “It is very important for both science and public confidence to establish an understanding of the potential drivers behind shark activity around Ascension. This multidisciplinary research project is helping to bridge knowledge gaps and develop a better understanding surrounding one of the marine world’s unique icons. This is just the beginning of attempting to learn more about the migration patterns, habitat use and measures to help reduce potentially negative interactions”.  

The study was funded by the UK government’s Darwin Initiative and the Save Our Seas Foundation. 

The paper, published in the journal People and Nature, is entitled: “Social dimensions of shark-human interactions in a large remote Marine Protected Area.”

Tuna bitten by sharks before being landed by fishers

Credit

Sam Weber

Journal

People and Nature

DOI

10.1002/pan3.70131 

Article Title

Social dimensions of shark-human interactions in a large remote Marine Protected Area

Article Publication Date

10-Oct-2025