The leading cause of death in Japan is cancer (malignant neoplasms 30.0%), followed by heart disease (15.9%) and cerebrovascular disease (11.1%). However, the rate of mortality for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), which include heart and cerebrovascular diseases, is almost the same as that for cancer (Vital Statistics 2008 by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan). Insulin resistance is the decreased ability to respond to the effects of insulin, and is caused by heredity factors, environmental factors such as a high-fat diet and reduced physical activity, and “glucose toxicity” due to hyperglycemia, etc. Since the introduction of a westernized diet and reduced physi-