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Background/Objectives: Studies examining the association between coffee consumption and metabolic syndrome (MetS), considering different coffee types, have reported inconsistent results. We investigated the relationship between coffee consumption and MetS, taking into account coffee types, using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted from 2016 to 2021 among 14,631 adults aged 19–64 years. Subjects/Methods: We used a 24-h dietary recall method to assess diet, including the type and quantity of coffee consumed. Coffee was categorized into black coffee and coffee with sugar and/or cream (non-drinkers, ≤1, 2–3, and >3 cups/day). Multivariable logistic regression models were utilized to investigate the relationship between coffee consumption and MetS, defined by the harmonized criteria. Results: After adjusting for potential covariates, for women, 2–3 cups/day of black coffee were inversely associated with MetS (OR = 0.66; 95% CI = 0.46–0.96). Three or fewer cups per day of black coffee were inversely associated with low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and elevated triglycerides in women. Coffee consumption was not significantly associated with MetS in men. Consumption of coffee with sugar and/or cream or more than three cups per day of coffee was not significantly associated with MetS overall. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that moderate of 2–3 cups/day of black coffee consumption is inversely associated with MetS in women, possibly due to its favorable impact on HDL-C and triglycerides. Further prospective studies examining the consumption of different coffee types in relation to MetS are warranted to offer definitive evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toloese, a bed composition, is formulated with a combination of minerals of various wavelengths by utilizing a specific ratio and particle size. A maturation mixing technique is used without additional compression processes, resulting in the natural formation of numerous fine pores in the bed structure. At 40 °C, far infrared radiation in the range of 5–20 μm is emitted with a 0.916 radiant ratio, and the measured emitted radiant energy is 3.69 × 102 W/m2·μm. This study aimed to investigate the influence of far infrared radiation emitted from a Toloese bed on endogenous nitric oxide production. Clinical trials were conducted with 20 healthy adults aged 20 years. Blood samples were collected before and after Toloese bed usage for 1 h daily for 3 weeks. Nitric oxide levels in the saliva and blood of men and women significant increased after they used the Toloese bed for 1 h. Additionally, sweating sharply increased in the upper and lower body regions after Toloese bed usage. No hematological changes or adverse effects were observed, but blood glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides decreased after Toloese bed usage compared with those before Toloese bed usage. These findings demonstrated that far infrared radiation emitted by the Toloese bed induced endogenous nitric oxide production and contributed to significant reductions in blood glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a senior-friendly diet based on the dietary inflammatory index (DII) on the nutritional status and health indicators of older people. A total of 256 participants were classified into tertiles based on their DII values and split into intervention (n = 201) and control (n = 55) groups. The intervention group was provided with a senior-friendly diet, and the control group was allowed to eat their usual diet. Before and after the trial, anthropometric measurements, blood analyses, and questionnaires were completed for both groups. The mean age of the participants was 82.49 years, and 66.4% were female. On average, participants had 2.5 medical conditions, with a notable prevalence of cardiovascular disease. Following the intervention, the energy, carbohydrate, protein, and fat intakes significantly increased in the intervention group compared to pre-intervention levels. Tertile 3 exhibited substantial improvements in total nutrition score, NQ-E balance, and DII total score, as well as in triglycerides and blood glucose, attributed to this dietary intervention compared to other groups. In comparison with Tertile 1, nutrient intake and nutritional status in Tertile 3 were closely associated with significant influencing factors of the dietary intervention. For the group with the worst DII (Tertile 3), this dietary intervention greatly improved nutritional status, nutrient intake, and clinical indicators; thus, this senior-friendly diet appears to be beneficial for elderly people with nutritional vulnerabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Consumption of dietary fiber has been suggested as an important aspect of a healthy diet to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS), including cardiovascular disease. The role of fiber intake in MetS might differ by individual genetic susceptibility. APOA5 encodes a regulator of plasma triglyceride levels, which impacts the related mechanisms of MetS. This study investigated the association between dietary fiber and the risk of MetS, assessing their associations according to APOA5 genetic variants. Methods: A total of 1985 participants aged 30–55 years were included from a cross-sectional study based on the Korean Medicine Daejeon Citizen Cohort study at baseline (2017–2019). Dietary fiber intake was measured using a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. The APOA5 polymorphisms (rs2266788 A > G, rs662799 A > G, and rs651821 T > C) were genotyped using the Asia Precision Medicine Research Array. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Results: A higher consumption of dietary fiber was associated with a lower prevalence of MetS (P = 0.025). Among the components of MetS, an inverse association with dietary fiber was observed in increased waist circumference (OR, 95% CI = 0.60, 0.41–0.88, P for trend = 0.009) and elevated triglycerides (OR, 95% CI = 0.69, 0.50–0.96, P for trend = 0.012). Regarding the interaction with APOA5 genetic variants, a stronger association with dietary fiber intake was shown in G allele carriers of rs662799 than in A/A carriers (OR, 95% CI = 2.34, 1.59–3.44, P for interaction = 0.024) and in C allele carriers of rs651821 than in T/T carriers (OR, 95% CI = 2.35, 1.59–3.46, P for interaction = 0.027). Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that the benefits of dietary fiber on the risk of MetS could be modified by genetic variants of the APOA5 gene, providing a more effective strategy for preventing MetS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to apply a health partnership program using commercially available mobile health apps to improve cardiovascular risk factors in male employees and verify its effectiveness. Methods: Using a randomized control group pretest-posttest design, male employees with cardiovascular risk factors from five small and medium-sized workplaces were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 32) and a control group (n = 31). The experimental group was encouraged to use three mobile health apps for 12 weeks to acquire the necessary cardiovascular disease-related information and practice strengthening training, walking, and diet management appropriate to their level. They also received feedback on their weekly activities and motivational text messages from health partners. Hypotheses were tested using the SPSS WIN 22.0. Results: The experimental group showed a significant difference compared to the control group in terms of their perception of mobile health app (p < .05), self-efficacy for exercise and diet, self-management partnership, and cardiovascular disease prevention health behavior (p < .001). In particular, there were significant decreases in the body mass index, ratio, serum fasting blood sugar, total cholesterol, and triglyceride in the experimental group (p < .001); however, there was no significant difference in high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. Conclusion: Intervention using mobile apps based on partnership with health managers is effective in improving the objective cardiovascular risk index in male employees; therefore, such intervention should be continuously used as a useful lifestyle modification strategy in the workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined specific clinical risk factors for age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass in late middle-aged women with sarcopenia. This Korean nationwide cross-sectional study analyzed data from 2814 community-dwelling women aged from 50 to 64 years old and screened them for sarcopenia. This study examined various risk factors such as age; height; weight; body mass index; waist circumference; skeletal muscle mass index; systolic and diastolic blood pressure; smoking and drinking habits; fasting glucose levels; triglyceride; and cholesterol levels. Complex sampling analysis was used for the data set. Prevalence of sarcopenia with a weighted prevalence of 13.43% (95% confidence interval: 2.15–15.78). The risk factors for sarcopenia were height, body mass index, waist circumference, skeletal muscle mass index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, triglyceride level, and total cholesterol level (p < 0.05). Weight, fasting glucose level, drinking status, and smoking status were not significant (p > 0.05). These results are expected to contribute to the existing literature on sarcopenia and identify potential risk factors associated with the development of sarcopenia in late middle-aged females. By acknowledging prevalence and recognized risk factors, healthcare professionals may augment their proficiency in recognizing and discerning potential instances of sarcopenia in female patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical activity (PA) interventions deployed using eHealth technologies have been shown to improve cardiovascular health (CVH) and physical function in older adults. This study tested the preliminary efficacy of a 12-week hybrid (web-based and center-based) PA intervention combining the use of a smartwatch and mobile application. Our intervention was concurrently implemented in-person at the local senior welfare center and at-home through a web-based modality. Participants (n = 120) had an average age of 72.7 year and were largely female (75%). Health status was categorized as low-risk (26.7%), middle-risk (43.3%), and high-risk (30%). Overall, increases were evident in diastolic blood pressure (t = −3.55, p <.01), and high-density-lipoprotein (t = −3.02, p <.01), with decreases seen for triglyceride levels (t = 2.42, p <.05) at posttest. Participants showed improvements in muscular function (t = −3.75, p <.001) and cardiopulmonary endurance (t = −2.34, p <.05). Moreover, while controlling for covariate, participants in the middle-risk health category showed lower diastolic blood pressure (b = −4.54, p <.05) and greater triglyceride levels (b = 37.74, p <.001) and cardiopulmonary endurance (b = 6.98, p <.05) than those within the low-risk health group. Participants with high-risk health showed greater triglyceride levels than those with low-risk group (b = 40.57, p <.001). Further studies should test a PA intervention using a randomized controlled trial design, with the expansion of the surveyed covariates and possible important mechanistic confounders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study compared health behaviors and health-related clinical characteristics between individuals with normal glucose levels without diabetes and those with undiagnosed diabetes. Factors that were associated with undiagnosed diabetes were identified by sex. Methods: This was an observational study with a cross-sectional design based on data from the eighth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which used a stratified, multi-stage, cluster-sampling design to obtain a nationally representative sample. Multiple logistic regression analysis was employed to compute the odds ratios of health behaviors and clinical characteristics to identify risk factors for undiagnosed diabetes. Results: The overall prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes was 5.2% (weighted %, n = 700, p < .001). Among individuals with undiagnosed diabetes, 58.3% were men. Univariate logistic regression for undiagnosed diabetes identified sex, age, house income, educational level, and triglycerides as influencing factors. In multiple logistic regression by sex, the factors associated with undiagnosed diabetes in men were age, perceived health status, a diagnosis of angina, and triglycerides. Conclusion: Strategies should be targeted to improve health behaviors and clinical characteristics for specific age groups, men in bad perceived health status, women with high systolic blood pressure, and high triglycerides. Moreover, healthcare providers should understand the barriers to health behaviors and health-related quality of life to effectively deliver healthcare services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated the risk factors, prevalence, and characteristics of sarcopenia among men aged 50–64 years. A total of 2868 participants were enrolled in this study. Of these, 328 individuals were classified into a sarcopenia group; the remaining 2540 were assigned to a control group. This study examined several variables, including skeletal muscle mass index, age, height, weight, body mass index, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, triglyceride and total cholesterol levels, alcohol consumption, and tobacco use. It employed a stratified, clustered, and multistage probability sampling design. Complex sampling was used for the data analysis. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 10.25% (95% CI: 8.98–11.69). All anthropometric measures, including height, weight, BMI, and waist circumference, were significantly different between the two groups (p < 0.05). In terms of blood pressure, only systolic blood pressure (SBP) was significant (p < 0.05), and fasting glucose and triglyceride levels were risk factors for sarcopenia (p < 0.05). Tobacco use differed significantly between the two groups (p < 0.05). This study reported the specific prevalence of sarcopenia and identified its risk factors among men in early old age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) based on a single measurement is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), little is known about whether changes in AIP over time are related to incident CVD. We aimed to determine whether AIP trajectory, which reflects homogenous AIP trends for a particular period, is associated with CVD risk. Methods: Data from 5,843 participants of the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES) were analyzed. The KoGES had been conducted biennially from the baseline survey (2001–2002) to the eighth follow-up survey (2017–2018). The research design specifies the exposure period from baseline to the third follow-up, designates the latent period at the fourth follow-up, and establishes the event accrual period from the fifth to the eighth follow-up. During the exposure period, we identified two trajectories: a decreasing (n = 3,036) and an increasing group (n = 2,807) using latent variable mixture modeling. Information on CVD was collected initially through the self-reporting, followed by in depth person-to-person interview conducted by a well-trained examiner. During the event accrual period, the cumulative incidence rates of CVD between the two AIP trajectory groups were estimated using Kaplan–Meier analysis with the log-rank test. Multiple Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: The increasing AIP trajectory group had a significantly higher cumulative incidence rate of CVD than the decreasing AIP trajectory group. Compared to the decreasing AIP trajectory group, the increasing AIP trajectory group had a higher risk of incident CVD (HR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.02–1.69) after adjusting for confounders. Conclusions: The risk of incident CVD increased when the AIP level showed an increasing trend and remained high over a long period. This suggests that checking and managing the trajectory of the AIP can be a preventive strategy for incident CVD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sleep plays a complex role in metabolic regulation, and the underlying linkage has not been clearly defined. We investigated the association between sleep duration and metabolic disorders in Filipino immigrants in Korea. Methods: We analyzed 410 participants from the 2014 to 2016 baseline population of the Filipino Women's Diet and Health Study. Usual sleep duration was self-reported, and anthropometric parameters were measured directly. Blood glucose, lipid, and insulin levels were examined from fasting serum samples. We used general linear models to acquire least squares (LS) means and logistic regression models to calculate odds ratios to test the cross-sectional association between sleep duration and metabolic markers with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: We found a statistically significant linear association between increased sleep duration and elevated triglycerides, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). LS means (95% CI) of <5, 5-6, 7-8, and >8 hours of sleep were 81.74 (71.43 to 93.54), 85.15 (76.65 to 94.59), 86.33 (77.84 to 95.75), and 105.22 (88.07 to 125.71), respectively, for triglycerides (P trend=0.049) and 174.52 (165.02 to 184.57), 180.50 (172.79 to 188.55), 182.51 (174.83 to 190.53), and 190.16 (176.61 to 204.74), respectively, for total cholesterol (P trend= 0.042). For LDL-C, the LS means (95% CI) were 97.34 (88.80 to 106.71), 100.69 (93.73 to 108.18), 104.47 (97.35 to 112.10), and 109.43 (96.94 to 123.54), respectively (P trend=0.047). Statistical significance persisted after additional adjustment for body mass index. The association with triglycerides was limited to current alcohol drinkers (P interaction=0.048). Conclusion: Longer sleep duration was associated with increased triglyceride, total cholesterol, and LDL-C levels. The association with triglycerides was more pronounced among moderate alcohol drinkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although there is strong evidence linking triglyceride to highdensity lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio to insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus, its clinical importance in pregnant women has not been well determined. This study sought to determine the connection between the TG/HDL-C ratio in the first trimester and the eventual onset of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of open-access data from a prospective cohort study. This present study included 590 singleton pregnant women at 10-14 weeks who visited the outpatient clinics for prenatal checks and were recorded at Incheon Seoul Women's Hospital and Seoul Metropolitan Government Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center in Korea. A binary logistic regression model, a series of sensitivity analyses, and subgroup analysis were used to examine the relationship between TG/HDL-C ratio and incident GDM. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was also conducted to assess the ability of the TG/HDL-C ratio to predict GDM. Results: The mean age of the included individuals was 32.06 ± 3.80 years old. The mean TG/HDL-C ratio was 1.96 ± 1.09. The incidence rate of GDM was 6.27%. After adjustment for potentially confounding variables, TG/HDL-C ratio was positively associated with incident GDM (OR=1.77, 95%CI: 1.32-2.38, P=0.0001). Sensitivity analyses and subgroup analysis demonstrated the validity of the relationship between the TG/HDL-C ratio and GDM. The TG/HDL-C ratio was a good predictor of GDM, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.7863 (95% CI: 0.7090-0.8637). The optimal TG/HDL-C ratio cut-off value for detecting GDM was 2.2684, with a sensitivity of 72.97% and specificity of 75.05%. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that the elevated TG/HDL-C ratio is related to incident GDM. The TG/HDL-C ratio at 10-14 weeks could help identify pregnant women at risk for GDM and may make it possible for them to receive early and effective treatment to improve their prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Low-grade inflammation plays a role in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome (MetS), and measuring levels of inflammatory molecules, such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), may indicate Mets progression. Serum uric acid (SUA) has also been identified as an independent risk factor for MetS. This study aimed to investigate the association between MetS components and levels of serum hs-CRP and SUA using representative and reliable data for the Korean population. Methods: This study used the data of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2016–2018, a cross-sectional and nationally representative survey performed by the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Results: We analysed the data of 13,454 individuals. High hs-CRP levels were observed in 1,164 (8.7%) subjects while 3,296 (24.5%) subjects had high SUA levels. Moreover, hs-CRP was negatively correlated with serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (OR, 1.703; 95% CI, 1.431–2.027). When stratified by sex, this trend remained, but the correlation was stronger in women than in men. Furthermore, high SUA levels were significantly associated with hypertension (HTN) (OR, 1.399; 95% CI, 1.210–1.616), hypertriglyceridemia (OR, 1.735; 95% CI, 1.486–2.026), and low HDL (OR, 1.257; 95% CI, 1.106–1.429), but not with diabetes mellitus (DM) (OR, 0.478; 95% CI, 0.382–0.597). When grouped by sex, this trend remained, however, all MetS components were found to be more prevalent in women with high SUA. Conclusions: Our findings showed that low HDL was more prevalent in subjects with high hs-CRP, and high SUA levels were observed in subjects with HTN, hypertriglyceridemia, and low HDL. However, the prevalence of high SUA was lower in diabetic subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been a growing trend of obesity and dyslipidemia among young adult men in South Korea. Therefore, we aimed to identify the obesity-related factors of dyslipidemia among young adult men in Korea using 3-year data (2019–2021) from the 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We included 1559 eligible men aged 19–39 years and examined the association between dyslipidemia and participants' general characteristics, health-related characteristics, and food intake according to obesity status. Statistical analysis was performed using complex sample analysis with weighted household and individual data. The affecting factors of dyslipidemia included age, body image perception, stress, and waist circumference (WC) in the body mass index (BMI) < 25 kg/m2 group and age and WC in the BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 group. To prevent and manage dyslipidemia in young adult men, interventions should be developed separately for the normal, underweight, and obese groups. Effective intervention requires measuring WC and focusing on body fat control. Moreover, regular screening of this population should be performed to ensure early diagnosis and management of dyslipidemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The potential role of dietary branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) in metabolic health, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes, is evolving, and it is yet to be understood if dietary BCAA intakes are associated with plasma lipid profiles or dyslipidaemia. This study tested the association of dietary BCAA intakes with plasma lipid profiles and dyslipidaemia among Filipino women in Korea. Methods: Energy-adjusted dietary BCAA intakes (isoleucine, leucine, valine, and total BCAA) and fasting blood profiles of triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) were determined in a sample of 423 women enrolled in the Filipino Women's Diet and Health Study (FiLWHEL). The generalized linear model was applied to estimate least-square (LS) means and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and compare plasma TG, TC, HDL-C, and LDL-C across tertile distribution of energy-adjusted dietary BCAA intakes at P < 0.05. Results: Mean of energy-adjusted dietary total BCAA intake was 8.3 ± 3.9 g/d. Average plasma lipid profiles were 88.5 ± 47.4 mg/dl for TG, 179.7 ± 34.5 mg/dl for TC, 58.0 ± 13.7 mg/dl for HDL-C, and 104.0 ± 30.5 mg/dl for LDL-C. LS means, and 95% CIs across tertiles of energy-adjusted total BCAA intakes were 89.9 mg/dl, 88.8 mg/dl and 85.8 mg/dl (P-trend = 0.45) for TG, 179.1 mg/dl, 183.6 mg/dl and 176.5 mg/dl (P-trend = 0.48) for TC, 57.5 mg/dl, 59.6 mg/dl and 57.1 mg/dl (P-trend = 0.75) for HDL-C and 103.6 mg/dl, 106.2 mg/dl and 102.3 mg/dl (P-trend = 0.68) for LDL-C. Furthermore, the multivariable-adjusted prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals for dyslipidaemia across increasing tertile distribution of energy-adjusted total BCAA intake were; 1.00, 0.67 (0.40, 1.13) and 0.45 (0.16, 1.27; P-trend = 0.03) for the first, second and third tertile, respectively. Conclusions: Higher dietary intakes of BCAA presented a statistically significant inverse trend with the prevalence of dyslipidaemia among Filipino women in this study and testing these associations in longitudinal studies may be necessary to confirm these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess lipid levels and to identify groups with poor lipid control group among patients with dyslipidemia. Methods: Data from 1,399 Korean patients with dyslipidemia older than 20 years were extracted from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Complex sample analysis and decision- tree analysis were conducted with using SPSS for Windows version 27.0. Results: The mean levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), and high density lipoprotein cholesterol were 211.38±1.15 mg/dL, 306.61±1.15 mg/dL, 118.48±1.08 mg/dL, and 42.39±1.15 mg/dL, respectively. About 61% of participants showed abnormal lipid control. Poor glycemic control groups (TC ≥ 200 mg/dL or TG ≥ 150 mg/dL or LDL-C ≥ 130 mg/dL) were identified through seven different pathways via decision-tree analysis. Poor lipid control groups were categorized based on patients’ characteristics such as gender, age, education, dyslipidemia medication adherence, perception of dyslipidemia, diagnosis of myocardial infarction or angina, diabetes mellitus, perceived health status, relative hand grip strength, hemoglobin A1c, aerobic exercise per week, and walking days per week. Dyslipidemia medication adherence was the most significant predictor of poor lipid control. Conclusion: The findings demonstrated characteristics that are predictive of poor lipid control and can be used to detect poor lipid control in patients with dyslipidemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the single-point insulin sensitivity estimator (SPISE) has been developed as a simple surrogate of insulin resistance based on BMI, triglycerides (TG), and HDL-C. However, no studies have focused on the predictive power of the SPISE index for identifying metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) in Korean adults. Here, this study aimed to estimate the predictive power of the SPISE index for determining MetSyn and to compare its predictive power with other insulin sensitivity/resistance indices in South Korean adults. A total of 7837 participants from the 2019 and 2020 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys were analyzed in the present study. MetSyn was defined by the AHA/NCEP criteria. In addition, HOMA-IR, inverse insulin, TG/HDL, TyG index (triglyceride-glucose index), and SPISE index were calculated based on the previous literature. Predictive power of the SPISE index for determining MetSyn (ROC-AUC [95 % CI] = 0.90 [0.90–0.91], sensitivity = 83.4 %, specificity = 82.2 %, cut-off point = 6.14, p <.001) was higher than that of HOMA-IR (ROC-AUC: 0.81), inverse insulin (ROC-AUC: 0.76), TG/HDL-C (ROC-AUC: 0.87), and TyG index (ROC-AUC: 0.88), the P value for ROC-AUC comparison <.001. SPISE index has demonstrated superior predictive value for diagnosing MetSyn regardless of sex and is strongly correlated with blood pressure compared with other surrogate indices of insulin resistance, attesting to its utility as a reliable indicator of insulin resistance and MetSyn in Korean adults. • The predictive power of the SPISE index is superior to that of HOMA-IR, inverse insulin, TG/HDL-C, and TyG index for MetSyn. • SPISE index correlates with anthropometric measurements and cardiometabolic disease risk factors. • SPISE index has a very large effect size profile between non-obese individuals and obese individuals regardless of sex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the association between obesity and cardiovascular disease risk factors (CVDRFs) in adolescents. We performed a cross-sectional study using the data from 8149 adolescents, aged 10–18 years, included in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2011–2020). Using the body mass index, we defined "overweight" (≥85th to <95th percentile) and "obese" (≥95th percentile). We analyzed the associations between obesity and CVDRFs (high blood pressure, abnormal lipid profiles, and high fasting glucose levels) by sex and age groups (early [10–12 years], middle [13–15 years], and late [16–18 years] adolescence). When analyzing all the subjects, being overweight was correlated with high blood pressure and abnormal all-lipid profiles in boys and high triglyceride and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in girls, while obesity was associated with all CVDRFs in both boys and girls. Analyzing separately in the age subgroups, the correlation between obesity and CVDRFs tended to be shown earlier in boys than in girls, and obesity tended to be associated with CVDRFs earlier than being overweight. The association between obesity and CVDRFs may begin to be shown at different periods of youth, depending on the degree of obesity, CVDRF variables, and sex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the antiobesity effects of yellow and black soybean, C57BL/6 mice were provided with a normal diet, high-fat diet, HFD-containing yellow soybean powder (YS), and black soybean powder (BS) for six weeks. Compared with the HFD group, both YS and BS decreased body weight by 30.1% and 37.2% and fat in tissue by 33.3% and 55.8%, respectively. Simultaneously, both soybeans significantly reduced the serum triglyceride and total cholesterol levels and regulated the lipogenic mRNA expressions of Pparγ, Acc, and Fas genes in the liver, supporting reduced body adiposity. Furthermore, BS significantly increased Pgc-1α and Ucp1 mRNA expression levels in epididymal adipose tissue, indicating thermogenesis is the key mechanism of BS. Taken together, our findings suggest that both soybeans prevent high-fat diet-induced obesity in mice by regulating lipid metabolism, and BS, in particular, has a greater antiobesity potential than YS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The current study aimed to screen for relationships and different potential metabolic biomarkers involved between metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) and metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) in adolescents. Methods: The study included 148 obese adolescents aged between 14 and 16. The study participants were divided into MUO and MHO groups based on the age-specific adolescent metabolic syndrome (MetS) criteria of the International Diabetes Federation. The current study was conducted to investigate the clinical and metabolic differences between the MHO and MUO groups. Multivariate analyses were conducted to investigate the metabolites as independent predictors for the odds ratio and the presence of the MetS. Results: There were significant differences in the three acylcarnitines, five amino acids, glutamine/glutamate ratio, three biogenic amines, two glycerophospholipids, and the triglyceride-glucose index between the MUO group and those in the MHO group. Moreover, several metabolites were associated with the prevalence of MUO. Additionally, several metabolites were inversely correlated with MHO in the MUO group. Conclusions: In this study, the biomarkers found in this study have the potential to reflect the clinical outcomes of the MUO group. These biomarkers will lead to a better understanding of MetS in obese adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: It has been hypothesized that lipid profiles are associated with bone mineral density (BMD), but previous results have been controversial. In this study, serum triglycerides showed a significant inverse association with BMD, and the relationship is thought to correlate with vitamin D status among older adults. Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between lipid profiles and bone mineral density (BMD) in older adults using data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Methods: We enrolled men older than 50 years and postmenopausal women who participated in the KNHANES 2008–2011. Subjects with liver cirrhosis, thyroid disease, or renal dysfunction and those receiving treatment for hyperlipidemia or osteoporosis were excluded. Results: A total of 4323 subjects (2286 men and 2037 women) was analyzed. The prevalence of osteoporosis was 8.7% in men older than 50 years and 38.4% in postmenopausal women. Osteopenia and osteoporosis groups were generally older and tended to have a lower body mass index compared to the normal group (p for trend < 0.001). The correlation between each lipid profile and BMD was analyzed in the linear model adjusted for age and body mass index. Total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol showed a negative correlation with BMD in the total population, but there was no significant correlation when analyzed separately for men and women. Triglycerides had a negative association with whole-body BMD in both men and women (p < 0.05). The adjusted odds ratio of logarithmic triglyceride level for osteoporosis was 2.50 (95% confidence interval 1.13–5.51) in women older than 65 years. Conclusion: Serum triglycerides showed a significant inverse association with BMD, and the relationship is thought to correlate with vitamin D status among older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: A novel non–insulin-based metabolic score for insulin resistance (METS‐IR) index has been proposed as a simple and reliable alternative insulin resistance (IR) marker, but its the predictive value in asymptomatic adults with coronary artery calcification (CAC) remains unclear. Methods and results: We enrolled 1576 participants without cardiovascular disease (CVD), who underwent multidetector computed tomography. Logistic regression, restricted cubic spline models and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to examine the association between METS-IR, the ratio of triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) and triglyceride glucose index (TyG index) and CAC. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, the increase in METS-IR was independently associated with a higher prevalence of CAC (all P < 0.05 in Models 1–3). Furthermore, restricted cubic splines indicated that the significance of METS-IR in predicting CAC was higher than that of other IR indexes. In ROC curve analysis, without considering the P value, the area under the curve of CAC predicted by METS-IR was higher than that of other IR indexes (METS-IR, 0.607; TyG index, 0.603; TG/HDL-C, 0.577). Conclusion: Compared with other IR indexes, METS-IR may have better discrimination ability in predicting the incidence of CAC in asymptomatic adults without CVD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combined endurance and dynamic-resistance exercise has important anti-inflammatory effects, altering vascular endothelial function, and helping to prevent and treat aging-related metabolic syndrome (MS). We studied changes in 40 elderly women aged ≥ 65 years (control group (no MS), n = 20, mean age: 68.23 ± 2.56 years; MS group, n = 19, mean age: 71.42 ± 5.87 years; one left). The exercise program comprised dynamic-resistance training using elastic bands, three times weekly, for six months. We analyzed body composition, blood pressure, physical fitness, and MS-related blood variables including ApoA-I, antioxidant factors, and inflammatory markers. After the program, the MS group showed significant reductions in waist-hip ratio, waist circumference, diastolic blood pressure, blood insulin, and HOMA-IR, and a significant increase in HSP70 (p < 0.05). Both groups showed significant increases in ApoA-I levels, ApoA-I/HDL-C ratio, SOD2, IL-4, and IL-5 levels (p < 0.05). Active-resistance training-induced changes in ApoA-I were significantly positively correlated with changes in HDL-C and HSP70, and significantly negatively correlated with changes in triglycerides, C-reactive protein, and TNF-α (p < 0.05). Active-resistance training qualitatively altered HDL, mostly by altering ApoA-I levels, relieving vascular inflammation, and improving antioxidant function. This provides evidence that dynamic-resistance exercise can improve physical fitness and MS risk factors in elderly women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study was aimed at investigating the incidence and risk factors of dyslipidemia in menopausal women using a Korean community-based longitudinal study. Methods: The subjects were 245 postmenopausal women without dyslipidemia who had participated in the Ansan-Ansung cohort study from 2001~2002 (baseline) to 2015~2016 (seventh follow-up visit). The dyslipidemia incidence was measured as incidence proportion (%) and incidence rate per 100 person-years. The predictors of developing dyslipidemia were analyzed with Cox's proportional hazard model. Results: The incidence of new dyslipidemia during the follow-up period was 78.4% (192 patients), and 11.9 per 100 person-years. Mean duration from menopause to developing dyslipidemia was 5.3 years in new dyslipidemia cases. The triglyceride/high density lipoprotein (TG/HDL-C) ratio at baseline (hazard ratio = 2.20; 95% confidence interval = 1.39~3.48) was independently associated with developing dyslipidemia. Conclusion: Dyslipidemia occurs frequently in postmenopausal women, principally within five years after menopause. Therefore, steps must be taken to prevent dyslipidemia immediately after menopause, particularly in women with a high TG/HDL-C ratio at the start of menopause. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Triglyceride (TG) is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Korean women. • The trend is significant irrespective of menopausal status and LDL-cholesterol. • Associations are largely attenuated for women with non-optimal non-HDL-C. The independent effect of serum triglyceride levels on the development of ischemic cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains inconclusive, which might be due to heterogeneity among study populations. To evaluate the effect of triglyceride levels on ischemic CVD and mortality in Korean women, with stratification according to the menopausal status, diabetes mellitus, or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (LDL-C). We retrospectively investigated Korean women aged 40-69 years who underwent health examination in 2009 and were followed up until 2018 using nationwide claim data. The subjects were divided according to triglyceride quartiles (Q): Q1 <70 mg/dL, Q2 71–99 mg/dL, Q3 100–142 mg/dL, and Q4 ≥143 mg/dL. The primary outcome was the incidence of CVD defined as a composite of myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke. Among 2,208,347 women, primary outcome occurred in 62,255 (2.8%) subjects. As triglyceride levels increased, the event rate of primary outcome increased in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women in the fully adjusted model (hazard ratio [HR] per 1 Q, 1.10 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.08–1.12] and 1.08 [95% CI, 1.07–1.09], respectively), which was maintained on further stratification according to diabetes or LDL-C (P <0.05 in all). Higher triglyceride levels were more significantly associated with the primary outcome, MI, and stroke risk among women with optimal non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (non-HDL-C) <130 mg/dL, but only weakly with stroke for women with non-optimal non-HDL-C. Triglyceride is an independent prognosticator in the development of ischemic CVD in Korean women aged 40–69 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim was to compare the metabolic syndrome in adults with and without depression in Korea using the 2013–2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. A cross‐sectional study was conducted involving secondary data analysis. National survey data on the self‐reported medical diagnosis of depression and metabolic syndrome were collected between 2013 and 2015 and released for research purposes in 2017. We conducted a propensity score‐matched study that included adults (n = 494) with and without depression at a 1:1 ratio, to reduce the impact of potential confounding factors between groups. Depression was not significantly associated with changes in metabolic syndrome. However, participants with depression had significantly higher triglycerides than those without depression (p =.008), highlighting the importance of periodically checking triglycerides in depressed patients. Nurses need to check the subcomponents of metabolic syndrome in depressed patients periodically, especially regarding the management of triglycerides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Cholelithiasis is one of the most common gastrointestinal diseases worldwide. The metabolic syndrome (MetS), a combination of various metabolic abnormalities, is also common with a continually increasing prevalence. These diseases are associated with several risk factors. However, data on the association between MetS components and cholelithiasis are insufficient. This study aimed to analyze the association of MetS and its components with the incidence of cholelithiasis using national data from the Korean population. Methods: Data were obtained from the National Health Insurance Corporation of Korea, and 207 850 individuals without cholelithiasis in 2009 were enrolled and followed up until 2013. A multivariate Cox proportional hazard model was used to calculate the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the incidence of cholelithiasis according to the presence of MetS and the number of MetS components. Furthermore, the risk of cholelithiasis was evaluated in individuals with a single metabolic component. Results: The multivariate adjusted HRs and 95% CIs for incident cholelithiasis according to 1, 2, 3, and 4–5 MetS components were 1.08 (0.93–1.24), 1.22 (1.06–1.41), 1.35 (1.17–1.57), and 1.35 (1.15–1.57), respectively (P < 0.001). This increasing trend was observed in both sexes. Compared with participants with no metabolic components, those with low high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol had a significantly increased risk for cholelithiasis (adjusted HR, 1.39 [95% CI, 1.05–1.85]). Conclusions: Metabolic syndrome is a potential risk factor for cholelithiasis. Low HDL cholesterol level is the most relevant factor among MetS components for incident cholelithiasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Insulin resistance is a determinant of diabetes. With the increasing popularity of electronic smoking, the number of dual smokers (smoking both cigarettes and electronic cigarettes [e-cigarettes]) is increasing. However, few studies have assessed the association between insulin resistance and smoking behavior, including dual smoking.Objective: This work aims to investigate the association between smoking behaviors and insulin resistance.Methods: This prospective, cross-sectional study took place among the general community. A total of 11 653 participants (4721 male and 6932 female) aged 19 years or older from the 2016 to 2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were divided based on their smoking behaviors: dual smokers (both cigarettes and e-cigarettes), single smokers (cigarette smokers), previous smokers, and nonsmokers. Insulin resistance was determined based on the triglyceride-glucose index. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the association between smoking behavior and insulin resistance.Results: Among the participants, 205 males (3.9%) and 40 females (0.5%) were dual smokers, and 1581 males (29.9%) and 350 females (4.5%) were single smokers. Male and female smokers (dual and single) both had higher odds of being in a group with higher insulin resistance than nonsmokers (male, dual: OR = 2.19; 95% CI, 1.39-3.44; single: OR = 1.78; 95% CI, 1.43-2.22; female, dual: OR = 2.32; 95% CI, 1.01-5.34; single: OR = 1.76; 95% CI, 1.28-2.42).Conclusion: This study suggests that single and dual smoking both may increase the risk of insulin resistance in the general population. Education on the adverse effects of smoking behaviors may be an important strategy to improve the health of the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The association between dyslipidemia and Achilles tendinopathy (AT) or Achilles tendon rupture (ATR) remains controversial, although some studies have examined this topic. Purpose: To evaluate the correlation of dyslipidemia and the risk of AT or ATR, and its association with body mass index (BMI), by assessing data from a nationwide population-based cohort. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: We used the National Health Insurance database, which includes the entire population of the Republic of Korea, to evaluate participants in the National Health Screening Program between January 2009 and December 2010. Participants diagnosed with AT or ATR before December 31, 2017, were selected. The variables assessed were age, sex, frequency of high-intensity exercise per week, BMI, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, and levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and fasting blood glucose. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression was used for data analysis. Results: A total of 16,830,532 participants were included. Of these, 125,814 and 31,424 participants developed AT and ATR, respectively. A higher level of LDL-C was associated with an increased risk of AT (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.16) and ATR (adjusted HR, 1.18). A slightly increased risk of AT was observed in participants with higher TG levels (adjusted HR, 1.03), whereas higher HDL-C level was associated with a slight risk reduction for AT (adjusted HR, 0.95). However, no significant association was observed between higher TG or HDL-C levels and ATR. In the underweight group (BMI <18.5 kg/m2), a higher LDL-C level was associated with an increased risk of AT and ATR by 37% and 116%, respectively, compared with lower LDL-C. Higher LDL-C level was associated with an increased risk of AT and ATR by 10% and 16%, respectively, in the obese group (BMI ≥25 kg/m2). Conclusion: Dyslipidemia was related to the development of AT and ATR. The association of higher LDL-C levels with AT and ATR risk was more pronounced in underweight than in overweight and obese individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As dyslipidemia at a young age is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease in adulthood, the screening and management of dyslipidemia in children and adolescents might be an important health issue. This review deals with issues related to the prevalence, diagnosis, screening, and treatment of pediatric dyslipidemia. Current Concepts: In Korea, the prevalence of pediatric dyslipidemia was 19.7% between 2007 and 2009. Dyslipidemia was defined according to the guidelines of the Korean Society of Pediatric Endocrinology: total cholesterol ≥200 mg/dL, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ≥130 mg/dL, triglycerides ≥130 mg/dL, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol <40 mg/dL, or non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ≥145 mg/dL. Discussion and Conclusion: We recommend universal screening tests for dyslipidemia at ages 9-11 years and 17-21 years. Diet and lifestyle modifications are essential in the treatment of dyslipidemia. In children aged ≥10 years with a poor response to lifestyle modification, drug therapy is recommended. Pediatric dyslipidemia should be diagnosed and treated properly to reduce adult cardiovascular diseases and improve quality of life in this age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study examined the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in South Korean children and adolescents by gender and age and analyzed gender-specific factors associated with MetS. Methods: This study used data on children aged 10~18 from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) from 2010 to 2015. Analyses included descriptive statistics, the independent t-test, the χ² test, and univariate logistic regression analysis (p<.050). Results: The prevalence of MetS was 4.8% in boys and 3.4% in girls. The prevalence was higher in girls up to the age of 12, but higher in boys who were 13 or older. Abdominal obesity was frequent in girls, whereas low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and elevated blood pressure were more common in boys. Higher body mass index, waist-to-height ratio, waist circumference, blood pressure, triglycerides, HDL-C, perceived "fat" body shape, and weight loss efforts were associated with MetS in both genders. Increasing age, having one meal per day, and weight maintenance were associated factors unique to boys. Fasting plasma glucose, familial medical history of low HDL-C, and perceived "thin" body shape were associated factors in girls. Conclusion: Gender and age differences should be considered in the risk assessment and prevention of MetS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study examines the relations between blood lead, mercury, and cadmium levels, affect metabolic syndrome of young adults. Study Design and Participants: This study is a descriptive study on verifying the relation between blood lead, mercury, cadmium level, and subcategories of metabolic syndrome. A total of 823 respondents' data of 19~29 years were sampled of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2016 conducted under the National Health Promotion Law. Measurement: To identify the predictive risk factors of metabolic syndromes, the subcategories of metabolic syndromes and the lead, mercury, and cadmium levels were analyzed using logistic regression. Pearson's correlation was used to identify correlations among the factors. Results: An analysis of the correlations among the metabolic syndromes and blood levels of lead, mercury, and cadmium showed significant relationships between blood lead level and systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, waist circumference, and triglyceride level; also between blood mercury level and waist measurement and triglyceride level; and between blood cadmium level and waist circumference and triglyceride level (p <.05). Conclusion: This study is significant in that it provides basic data on the correlation between metabolic syndromes and heavy metals among young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Elevated serum triglyceride levels are a risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease. A number of studies have demonstrated a positive association between psychological stress and serum triglyceride levels. However, there is limited evidence regarding the impact of stressful life events (SLEs) on serum triglyceride levels in the healthy population. Therefore, we evaluated the independent association between SLEs and serum triglyceride levels in a middle-aged Korean population.Methods: We analyzed a sample of 2,963 people (aged 30-64 years; 36% men) using baseline data from the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Etiology Research Center (CMERC) cohort study. The Korean version of the Life Experience Survey questionnaire was used to measure the presence and positive/negative impact of SLEs. Hypertriglyceridemia was defined as a fasting serum triglyceride level of ≥ 150 mg/dL.Results: Of the 2,963 participants, 33.1% reported at least 1 SLE over the past 6 months and 24.8% had hypertriglyceridemia. Even after adjusting for potential confounders, the serum triglyceride level was significantly associated with the total number of SLEs in men (3.333 mg/dL per event; p= 0.001), but not in women (0.451 mg/dL per event, p= 0.338). Hypertriglyceridemia was also associated with having 4 or more SLEs with positive effects (odds ratio [OR], 2.57; 95% CI, 1.02 to 6.46) and 4 or more SLEs with negative effects (OR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.16 to 3.41) in men.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that SLEs may increase the risk of hypertriglyceridemia in middle-aged men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to develop a mobile-based self-management health alarm (MSHA) program for modifying obese children's lifestyle based on the information-motivation-behavioral skills (IMB) model and to test its feasibility. Methods: A methodological study for the development of the MSHA program and pilot study with a one-group pretest-posttest design for feasibility testing was conducted. The MSHA program was designed to provide obesity-related information (I), monitor daily diet and exercise, provide motivational text messages (M), and enhance healthy diet and exercise skills (B) via a mobile-based web platform. In the feasibility test, six obese children participated in the 4-week program, and the number of days per week that they achieved their goals and differences in metabolic components were assessed. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: Participants successfully achieved their diet and exercise goals≥5 days per week. Body mass index (z=-1.99, p=.046), waist circumference (z=-2.20, p=.028), and triglyceride levels (z=-2.21, p=.027) significantly decreased. Conclusion: The MSHA program showed positive effects on health behaviors and metabolic syndrome risk. The program may be effective in improving metabolic syndrome in obese children by promoting self-health management behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Allium hookeri is widely consumed as a vegetable and herbal medicine in Asia. A. hookeri has been reported anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, osteoblastic, anti-oxidant, and anti-diabetic effects in animal studies. We investigated the anti-diabetic effects of A. hookeri aqueous extract (AHE) in the Korean subjects. Methods: Prediabetic subjects (100 ≤ fasting plasma glucose (FPG) < 126 mg/dL) who met the inclusion criteria were recruited for this study. The enrolled subjects (n = 30) were randomly divided into either an AHE (n = 15, 486 mg/day) or placebo (n = 15) group. Outcomes were measurements of FPG, glycemic response to an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), insulin, C-peptide, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol. The t-test was used to assess differences between the groups. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Eight weeks after AHE supplementation, HbA1c level was significantly decreased in the AHE group compared with the placebo group. No clinically significant changes in any safety parameter were observed. Conclusion: The findings suggest that AHE can be effective in reducing HbA1c, indicating it as an adjunctive tool for improving glycemic control. Trial registration: The study protocol was retrospectively registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03330366, October 30, 2017). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We investigated the association between the triglycerides to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL) ratio and low testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels in middle-aged and elderly men.Methods: This cross-sectional study included 1055 men aged ≥45 years who underwent a medical examination. The cutoff points for low testosterone and SHBG levels were determined as 12.2 and 29.4 nmol/L, which corresponded to the 25th percentile of the current sample. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for low testosterone and SHBG levels were calculated after adjusting for confounding variables across TG/HDL ratio quartiles (Q1: ≤ 1.70, Q2: 1.71-2.54, Q3: 2.55-3.77, Q4: ≥3.78) using multiple logistic regression analysis.Results: The proportion of subjects with low testosterone and SHBG levels significantly increased in accordance with TG/HDL ratio quartile. The ORs (95% CIs) of the lowest TG/HDL ratio quartile compared to the highest TG/HDL ratio quartile for low levels of testosterone and SHBG were 1.96 (1.13-2.75) and 3.90 (2.38-6.38), respectively, after adjusting for age, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol drinking, regular exercise, diastolic blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, and total cholesterol level.Conclusions: The TG/HDL ratio was inversely associated with testosterone and SHBG levels in middle-aged and elderly Korean men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammatory markers are susceptible to changes over time. Thus, we observed changes in inflammatory markers correlating with age-related increases in blood pressure (BP) through a prospective study. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in inflammatory markers that correlate with age-related increases in BP. The study included 1,500 nondiabetic and normotensive healthy subjects at baseline. Of these, 121 individuals who developed hypertension (defined as systolic BP ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg) after 2 years formed the hypertension group. For each incident hypertension case, 2 age- and sex-matched control subjects were selected among those who did not develop hypertension (control group, n = 242). After baseline adjustment, the hypertension group exhibited greater increases in body mass index (BMI), systolic and diastolic BP, triglyceride, total cholesterol, glucose, Lp-PLA2 activity, and urinary 8-epi-prostaglandin F2α (8-epi-PGF2α) levels compared to the control group. In the hypertension group, changes in (Δ) systolic BP correlated positively with Δ Lp-PLA2 activity, which correlated positively with Δ low-density lipoprotein (LDL−) cholesterol and Δ urinary 8-epi-PGF2α levels. Moreover, multiple linear regression revealed baseline systolic BP and Δ Lp-PLA2 activity to be independent predictors of Δ systolic BP in the hypertension group. Our results suggest that age-related increases in systolic BP may correlate strongly with elevated Lp-PLA2 activity and that Lp-PLA2 can be considered a biomarker for systolic BP elevation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to evaluate the potential synergistic and protective effects of ALM16, a mixture of Astragalus membranaceus (AM) and Lithospermum erythrorhizon (LE) extract in a ratio of 7 : 3, against hepatic steatosis in high fat diet (HFD)-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) mice. Forty-eight mice were randomly divided into eight groups and orally administered daily for 6 weeks with a normal diet (ND) or high fat diet alone (HFD), HFD with AM (HFD + 100 mg/kg AM extract), HFD with LE (HFD + 100 mg/kg LE extract), HFD with ALM16 (HFD + 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg ALM16), or HFD with MT (HFD + 100 mg/kg Milk thistle extract) as a positive control. ALM16 significantly decreased the body and liver weight, serum and hepatic lipid profiles, including triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL), and serum glucose levels, compared to the HFD group. Moreover, ALM16 significantly ameliorated the HFD-induced increased hepatic injury markers, including aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT)-1. Furthermore, as compared to the mice fed HFD alone, ALM16 increased the levels of phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase (p-AMPK) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (p-ACC), thereby upregulating the expression of carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT)-1 and downregulating the expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP)-1c and fatty acid synthase (FAS). These results demonstrated that ALM16 markedly inhibited HFD-induced hepatic steatosis in NAFLD mice by modulating AMPK and ACC signaling pathways, and may be more effective than the single extracts of AM or LE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The metabolic syndrome (MetS) has shown strong associations with the hypertriglyceridemic waist (HW) phenotype. The best anthropometric indicator of MetS remains controversial. Furthermore, no studies have investigated alternative indices that could replace waist circumference in the HW phenotype. The objectives of this study were to find the best indicator of MetS among anthropometric indices and to examine the predictive power of phenotypes consisting of triglyceride levels with anthropometric indices. Methods: A total of 12,025 subjects participated in this retrospective cross-sectional study. All subjects were recruited between November 2016 and August 2007 from hospitals in 28 urban and rural regions in South Korea. The data analyzed in this study were obtained from the Korean Health and Genome Epidemiology Study database and the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine. Results: The proportion of patients with MetS ranged from 9 to 57% according to age and gender groups. Waist circumference (WC) was best indicator of MetS in men of all age groups. However, in women aged 40–49 years, the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) was the best indicator of MetS. Rib circumference and chest circumference were the strongest indicators in women aged 50–59 years and 70–79 years, respectively. The combination of WC and triglyceride (TG) was the best indicator of MetS in men and women overall. However, interestingly, the best indicator was TG + WHtR in women aged 40–49 years and TG + forehead-to-waist ratio in women aged 70–79 years. Conclusions: The best indicator of MetS in terms of individual anthropometric indices and the various phenotypes combining a single anthropometric index with TG may differ subtly according to age group in women, but not in men. Our findings provide insight into a simple and inexpensive method that could be used to identify MetS in initial health screening efforts in epidemiology and public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and non-HDL cholesterol have opposite associations with coronary heart disease, multi-country reports of lipid trends only use total cholesterol (TC). Our aim was to compare trends in total, HDL and non-HDL cholesterol and the total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio in Asian and Western countries.Methods: We pooled 458 population-based studies with 82.1 million participants in 23 Asian and Western countries. We estimated changes in mean total, HDL and non-HDL cholesterol and mean total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio by country, sex and age group.Results: Since ∼1980, mean TC increased in Asian countries. In Japan and South Korea, the TC rise was due to rising HDL cholesterol, which increased by up to 0.17 mmol/L per decade in Japanese women; in China, it was due to rising non-HDL cholesterol. TC declined in Western countries, except in Polish men. The decline was largest in Finland and Norway, at ∼0.4 mmol/L per decade. The decline in TC in most Western countries was the net effect of an increase in HDL cholesterol and a decline in non-HDL cholesterol, with the HDL cholesterol increase largest in New Zealand and Switzerland. Mean total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio declined in Japan, South Korea and most Western countries, by as much as ∼0.7 per decade in Swiss men (equivalent to ∼26% decline in coronary heart disease risk per decade). The ratio increased in China.Conclusions: HDL cholesterol has risen and the total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio has declined in many Western countries, Japan and South Korea, with only a weak correlation with changes in TC or non-HDL cholesterol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study determined cardiovascular risk among Korean college students with a history of binge drinking. Variables included alcohol consumption, cardiovascular risk factors (increased blood pressure, body mass index, lipid values) and markers (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, fibrinogen), and 10-year Framingham risk scores. Korean college student binge drinkers had higher triglyceride levels and higher ratios of triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol than did abstainers. Average number of drinks on one occasion was correlated with higher body mass index, triglyceride level, ratio of triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and 10-year Framingham risk score. The findings indicate that binge drinking may be associated with premature cardiovascular disease risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of lower body center strength exercise on blood lipid and homocysteine in middle-aged men. For this purpose, 20 middle-aged men in their 40s were divided into 10 lower body muscle exercise group and 10 control group. The subjects were selected for those who have not participated in regular exercise and weight loss programs in recent years. Method/Statistical Analysis: The LBMG's treatment program was followed by muscle exercise around the lower body for 60 minutes, 3 times a week for 12 weeks. CG was to maintain a normal life without any treatment during the 12 weeks of the experiment. Mean and standard deviation of each group and treatment time were calculated and 2-way ANOVA was performed to analyze the treatment effect. The significance level was verified at .05 level Findings: 12 weeks of lower body muscle exercise showed significant differences in blood lipid variables such as triglyceride, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein, total cholesterol and homocysteine. Improvements/Applications: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of 12 weeks of lower body muscle exercise on blood lipid and homocysteine change. Lipoprotein, total cholesterol, and homocysteine showed positive improvement. In this respect, strength training of the large muscle center of the lower body is considered to be effective in improving blood lipid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: Metabolic syndrome has been increasing for the last 10 years in South Korea, and the rate of increase in the prevalence rate of male workers is especially fast. Metabolic syndrome is a disease for which continuous care is important. Motivation for health behavior that induces health promoting behavior is affected by subjective health status. Accordingly, subjective health status of adult male workers with metabolic syndrome in South Korea and factors influencing subjective health status will be examined in this study. Method/Statistical Analysis: This study performed secondary data analysis using the Seventh Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The number of participants of the Seventh Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was 29,321. There were 469 adult male workers with metabolic syndrome. Subjective health status was measured using a 5-point scale for subjective judgment of one's health status. In this study,subjective health status of the subjects according to general characteristics, health-related characteristics and health-related behavioral characteristics were verified by t-test and ANOVA. Multiple regression was used to analysethe factors causing significant differences in subjective health status. Findings: The results showed body discomfort, perceived stress, comorbidity, muscle strengthening and walking exercise, restriction of activity were significantly associated with subjective health status. Improvements/Applications: The results of this study show that the developed interventions are needed to improve health ofadult male workers with metabolic syndrome in Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds: Triglyceride (TG) is known to be regulated by multiple lifestyle factors rather than genetic factors. This cross-sectional and community-based study (Healthy Twin study in Korea) aimed to estimate the "modifiable TG level" by identifying non-genetic risk factors of TG. Methods: Participants were recruited between 2006 and 2011 who fulfilled health examinations and detail surveys: 3079 Korean adults including 949 monozygotic twins and 222 dizygotic twins. In order to investigate conventional risk factors, a mixed model accounting for family as a random effect was performed. In addition, we conducted a co-twin control analysis for 452 monozygotic twin (MZ) pairs, to examine non-genetic risk factors and potentially modifiable serum triglyceride levels. Results: After excluding patients on dyslipidemia or diabetes medication, 2672 individuals (1029 men, with mean age of 43.9; and 1643 women with mean age of 43.3; 949 MZ pairs, 222 dizygotic twin pairs, and 1501sibling pairs) were analyzed. Fasting blood sugar (FBS), lipid panel, height, weight, waist (WC) and hip circumference, body mass index (BMI), amount of dietary intake and amount of physical activity was examined after adjusting for age and sex. For conventional analysis, WC, fat %, and BMI were identified as significant factors influencing serum triglyceride levels. Examination of non-genetic factors from the Co-twin control study revealed BMI (beta coefficient 9.94 with C.I. 3.42 to 16.46) and amount of alcohol intake (beta coefficient 0.08 with C.I. 0.02 to 0.14) as significant factors. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that controlling body weight and alcohol intake might be effective to control TG; moderate weight control (BMI 1 reduction) and reducing alcohol consumption by 50 g/week (about two glassed of beer) might reduce TG level by 9.94 and 4.0 mg/dL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional Korean diet is relatively high in carbohydrate and low in fat and protein compared with diets of non-Asian populations. In recent decades, the rapid economic growth in Korea has led to lifestyle and dietary changes, with an increase in the prevalence of dyslipidemia, a risk factor for chronic diseases. To examine the association between a low carbohydrate diet (LCD) score and dyslipidemia in Korean adults. The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey is an ongoing nationally representative population-based cross-sectional survey that is conducted annually. A total of 12,199 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey participants aged ≥20 years from 2010 to 2016 were included in this study. Individual components of dyslipidemia, such as hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, were defined based on fasting blood test results. Participants were classified by sex into quintiles of LCD scores calculated using 1-day 24-hour dietary recall data. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to examine the association between LCD score and each dyslipidemia component after adjusting for potential confounders. A higher LCD score was significantly associated with higher odds of hypercholesterolemia (odds ratio 1.36, 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.78; P for trend=0.031) and lower odds of low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (odds ratio 0.72, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.94; P for trend=0.002) in women. However, in men, higher LCD scores were significantly associated with lower odds of hypertriglyceridemia (odds ratio 0.70, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.95; P for trend=0.012). More specifically, animal-based LCD scores were negatively associated with the odds of hypertriglyceridemia (odds ratio 0.65, 95% CI 0.48 to 0.87; P for trend=0.010) in men. These results suggest that the complicated and integrated effects of macronutrient composition on individual lipid components should be considered for preventing dyslipidemia in Korean adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effect of spouses participating in health coaching on stage of the change, health behaviors, and physiological indicators among male office workers with cardiocerebrovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and compare the findings with trainers who provided health coaching only to workers. Methods: A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was used. Convenience sampling was used to recruit participants from a manufacturing research and development company in the city of Gyeonggi province. The health coaching program for the experimental group (n=26) included individual counseling sessions according to workers' stage of change, and provision of customized health information materials on CVD prevention to workers and their spouses for 12 weeks through mobile phone and email. Results: After 12 weeks of intervention, the total score for health behavior, and scores on the sub-areas of exercise and health checkups significantly improved in the experimental group, but there were no significant differences in the scores of stage of the change and physical indicators. The results of a paired t-test showed a significant decrease in the body mass index, abdominal circumference, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol and triglyceride values, and a significant increase in the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol value in the experimental group after the intervention. Conclusion: To improve the health of male workers with CVD risk factors in the workplace, sharing health information with their spouses has proven to be more effective than health coaching for only workers. Therefore, it is important to develop strategies to encourage spousal participation when planning workplace health education for changing health-related behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• LDL-C and triglycerides differed significantly between controls and AD participants. • Participants with low LDL-C had improved gait performance with increase in LDL-C. • Balancing time in AD participants was dependent on LDL-C and triglyceride levels. • Serum lipid levels significantly affected lower-extremity function in both groups. Older adults with Alzheimer's dementia (AD) experience lower-extremity dysfunction. High serum lipid levels are a risk factor for AD. We investigated the association between serum lipid levels and lower-extremity function in older individuals with and without AD. In this cross-sectional study, we enrolled 33,185 senior citizens (aged 66 years) who participated in the National Geriatric Screening Program, sampled from the Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Health Screening Cohort Database, between 2009 and 2015. Participants were dichotomized into 1) an AD group comprising individuals with the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, diagnostic codes F00, F00.0–F00.9, and G30, G30.0–G30.9; and 2) a control group comprising individuals without AD. Differences in the Timed Up and Go and One-Leg Standing results among the three levels (low, moderate, and high) of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were evaluated between the groups. Logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the odds of gait disorder considering clinical and lifestyle variables. In participants with low LDL-C levels, increased LDL-C levels correlated with higher gait speed. In the AD group, balancing time with eyes open (BT-EO) was inversely correlated with TG levels in participants with low TG levels. In the control group, BT-EO was negatively correlated with TC levels in participants with low TC levels. Serum lipid levels were significantly correlated with lower-extremity function in participants with and without AD but not with gait disorder in participants with AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Subcutaneous fat mass is negatively correlated with atherogenic risk factors, but its putative benefits remain controversial. We hypothesized that genetic variants that influence subcutaneous fat mass would modulate lipid and glucose metabolism and have interactions with lifestyles in Korean middle-aged adults with high visceral fat. Materials and methods: Subcutaneous fat mass was categorized by dividing the average of subscapular skin-fold thickness by BMI and its cutoff point was 1.2. Waist circumferences were used for representing visceral fat mass with Asian cutoff points. GWAS of subjects aged 40–65 years with high visceral fat (n = 3303) were conducted and the best gene-gene interactions from the genetic variants related to subcutaneous fat were selected and explored using the generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction. Genetic risk scores (GRS) were calculated by weighted GRS that was divided into low, medium and high groups. Results: Subjects with high subcutaneous fat did not have dyslipidemia compared with those with low subcutaneous fat, although both subject groups had similar amounts of total fat. The best model to influence subcutaneous fat included IL17A_rs4711998, ADCY2_rs326149, ESRRG_rs4846514, CYFIP2_rs733730, TCF7L2_rs7917983, ZNF766_rs41497444 and TGFBR3_rs7526590. The odds ratio (OR) for increasing subcutaneous fat was higher by 2.232 folds in the high-GRS group, after adjusting for covariates. However, total and LDL cholesterol, triglyceride and C-reactive protein concentrations in the circulation were not associated with GRS. Subjects with high-GRS had higher serum HDL cholesterol levels than those with low-GRS. Physical activity and GRS had an interaction with subcutaneous fat. In subjects with low physical activity, the odds ratio for high subcutaneous fat increased by 2.232, but subcutaneous fat deposition was not affected in the high-GRS group with high physical activity. Conclusion: Obese adults with high-GRS had more subcutaneous fat, but they did not show more dyslipidemia and inflammation compared to low-GRS. High physical activity prevented subcutaneous fat deposition in subjects with high GRS for subcutaneous fat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify influencing factors of metabolic index and cardiovascular risk factors, on depressive and non-depressive groups, in vulnerable diabetic elderly women. Methods: Participants were 137 vulnerable diabetic elderly women, using health centers in D city. Data were collected through interviews September though December 2017. The metabolic index was measured using National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III), and cardiovascular risk factors were measured using Framingham Risk Score (FRS). Depressive and non-depressive groups were divided by the score of Geriartric Depress Scale Short Korea Version (GDSSF). Collected data were analyzed using a x2 test, independent t-test, and binary logistic regression, with the SPSS/WIN 25.0 program. Results: Vulnerable diabetic elderly women, did not exercise in the depressive groups, and had higher triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC) and larger waists, than in the non-depressive group. Results show that lack of exercise (OR=6.30), is the highest risk factor, influencing the depressive symptom in vulnerable diabetic elderly women. Conclusion: These results suggest that to reduce depressive symptom levels among vulnerable diabetic elderly women, nursing interventions are needed to increase exercise and decrease TG, TC, and waist size, particularly in improving exercise of vulnerable diabetic elderly women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to examine the relation of serum uric acid with prediabetes in Korea. We conducted a cross-sectional study in 4633 individuals aged 20 to 81 years who participated in the 2016 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Participants are considered to have prediabetes if they have one or more of the following: impaired fasting glucose (fasting blood glucose levels between 5.6 and 6.9 mmol/L); impaired hemoglobin A1c (hemoglobin A1c ranges of 5.7% to 6.4% [39-46 mmol/mol]). Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to compute odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Prediabetes was more prevalent in the hyperuricemia group compared with the normal-range group among men (OR = 1.51; 95% CI = 1.11-2.05; P <.01) and women (OR = 1.84; 95% CI = 1.01-3.37; P =.04) after adjustment for age, body mass index, abdominal obesity, blood pressure, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, renal function, alcohol consumption, smoking, and physical activity level. For a standard deviation increment in uric acid, the odds of having prediabetes as compared with that of not having prediabetes increased about 114% in men (P =.05) and 116% in women (P =.01). Higher levels of uric acid were associated with an increased risk of prediabetes among the general Korean population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]