A growing number of Japanese men in their 40s and 50s are suffering from liver function disorders, high cholesterol and other diseases stemming from irregular lifestyle patterns, an organization of hospital administrators said Tuesday.

The Japan Hospital Association said a record-low 14.8 percent of those who went through complete physical checkups last year at hospitals nationwide were diagnosed as free of any health disorder.

The figure was down from the previous year's 15.8 percent. The rate has been deteriorating since the research began in 1984, when it stood at 29.8 percent, the association said.

The number of men with high blood sugar levels and high blood pressure increased with age, while the number of those who were obese, or had high neutral fat and liver function disorders was highest among men in their 40s, with high cholesterol the most common among those in their 50s. The incidence of these latter disorders declined with age in men.

The association attributed the disorders to eating foods high in fat, excessive drinking and lack of exercise, rather than simply aging.

Among women, instances of all the disorders rose with age.

The results from the association's research will be disclosed at a two-day meeting of the Japanese Society of Human Dry Dock in Sapporo, Hokkaido, the association said.

The association has conducted research every year since 1984 on those people who had thorough checkups at designated hospitals.

Last year covered 26.4 million people, the largest ever, according to the association.