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Background: Diet-induced metabolic acidosis has been linked to cardiometabolic abnormalities in Westerners, but the evidence on this issue is scarce in Asians.Objective: The present study prospectively examined the association between dietary acid load and type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Japanese adults.Methods: Study participants were 27,809 men and 36,851 women, aged 45-75 y, who completed a dietary questionnaire of the second survey of the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study and had no previous history of T2D. Dietary intake was assessed by using a validated 147-item food-frequency questionnaire. Potential renal acid load (PRAL) and net endogenous acid production (NEAP) scores were derived from the nutrient intake. A multilevel logistic regression model was used to estimate ORs and 95% CIs of self-reported, physician-diagnosed T2D over 5 y, with adjustment for potential confounding variables.Results: A total of 1191 cases of newly diagnosed T2D were reported. PRAL score was positively associated with T2D in men; the multivariable-adjusted ORs (95% CIs) for the lowest through the highest quartiles of PRAL were 1.00, 1.09 (0.87, 1.36), 1.10 (0.88, 1.37), and 1.25 (1.01, 1.55) (P-trend = 0.047). Further adjustment for dietary intake strengthened the association. NEAP score was not associated with the risk of T2D (P-trend = 0.20). In stratified analyses, the positive association between PRAL and T2D was confined to younger men (age <50 y; P-trend = 0.046). There was no association between dietary acid load score and T2D in women.Conclusion: A high dietary acid load score is associated with an increased risk of T2D in Japanese men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Background & aims Acid-base imbalance has been suggested to play an important role in certain cardio-metabolic abnormalities, including type 2 diabetes; however, epidemiological evidence linking dietary acid load to glucose metabolism is lacking. We examined the association of dietary acid load with markers of insulin resistance (IR), insulin secretion, and blood glucose status among Japanese workers. Methods The study subjects were 1732 workers, aged 19–69 years, who completed a health survey at a periodic checkup. Dietary intake was assessed using a validated brief diet history questionnaire. Potential renal acid load (PRAL) and net endogenous acid production (NEAP) scores were derived from nutrient intake. A multilevel linear regression model was used to estimate the means of fasting insulin, fasting plasma glucose, homeostatic model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR) score, homeostatic model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA-β) score and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level with adjustment for potential confounding variables. Results PRAL was positively associated with HOMA-IR score ( P trend = 0.045); the multivariable-adjusted means (95% confidence intervals) for the HOMA-IR scores for the lowest through the highest quartiles of PRAL were 0.88 (0.82–0.94), 0.92 (0.86–0.98), 0.92 (0.86–0.98), and 0.94 (0.88–1.01). A similar association was observed between NEAP and HOMA-IR scores ( P trend = 0.03). In the stratified analyses, these positive associations were confined to subjects with lower BMIs (<23 kg/m 2 ) ( P trend = 0.03 and 0.01 for PRAL and NEAP, respectively). NEAP score was positively associated with HOMA-β score ( P trend = 0.03). Dietary acid load score was not appreciably associated with fasting glucose or HbA1c levels. Conclusions The present findings suggest that high dietary acid load is associated with IR among apparently healthy adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To examine the association of smoking status, smoking intensity, and smoking cessation with the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) using a large database. Methods: The present study included 53,930 Japanese employees, aged 15 to 83 years, who received health check-up and did not have diabetes at baseline. Diabetes was defined as fasting plasma glucose ≥126 mg/dl, random plasma glucose ≥200 mg/dl, HbA1c ≥6.5% (≥48 mmol/mol), or receiving medication for diabetes. Cox proportional-hazards regression models were used to investigate the association between smoking and the risk of diabetes. Results: During 3.9 years of median follow-up, 2,441 (4.5%) individuals developed T2D. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (95% CI) for diabetes were 1 (reference), 1.16 (1.04 to 1.30) and 1.34 (1.22 to 1.48) for never smokers, former smokers, and current smokers, respectively. Diabetes risk increased with increasing numbers of cigarette consumption among current smokers (P for trend <0.001). Although the relative risk of diabetes was greater among subjects with lower BMIs (< 23 kg/m2), attributable risk was greater in subjects with higher BMIs (≥ 23 kg/m2). Compared with individuals who had never smoked, former smokers who quit less than 5 years, 5 to 9 years, and 10 years or more exhibited hazards ratios for diabetes of 1.36 (1.14 to 1.62), 1.23 (1.01 to 1.51), and 1.02 (0.85 to 1.23), respectively. Conclusions: Results suggest that cigarette smoking is associated with an increased risk of T2D, which may decrease to the level of a never smoker after 10 years of smoking cessation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Coffee and green tea consumption may be associated with circulating adipokines, but data are inconsistent, scarce or lacking. We examined the association of coffee and green tea consumption with serum adiponectin, leptin, visfatin, resistin and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) among a Japanese working population. Methods: The authors analyzed data ( n = 509) from a cross-sectional survey among Japanese workers aged 20-68 years. Serum adipokines were measured using a Luminex suspension bead-based multiplexed array. Coffee and green tea consumption was assessed using a validated diet history questionnaire, and caffeine consumption from these beverages was estimated. Multiple regression analysis was performed with adjustment for potential confounding variables. Results: Coffee consumption was significantly, inversely associated with leptin and PAI-1 ( P for trend = 0.007 and 0.02, respectively); compared with subjects consuming <1 cup per day, those consuming ≥4 cups per day had 13 and 10 % lower means of leptin and PAI-1, respectively. Similar associations were observed for caffeine consumption ( P for trend = 0.02 for both leptin and PAI-1). Additionally, we noted a significant positive association between coffee consumption and adiponectin in men ( P for trend = 0.046), but not in women ( P for trend = 0.43, P for interaction = 0.11). Moreover, there was a positive association between coffee consumption and resistin in current male smokers ( P for trend = 0.01), but not in male non-smokers ( P for trend = 0.35, P for interaction = 0.11). Green tea consumption was not associated with any adipokine. Conclusions: Higher consumption of coffee and caffeine but not green tea was associated with lower serum levels of leptin and PAI-1 in Japanese adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long working hours have been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but its relationship with hypertension remains unclear. The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between overtime and presence of hypertension using data from a large-scale multi-company study in Japan. Participants were 52 365 workers of four companies that provided both health-checkup data and self-reported data on overtime worked. Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg, and/or the use of antihypertensive drug. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the odds ratio for hypertension for each category of overtime work (<45, 45-79, 80-99 or ≥100 h/month) with adjustments for age, sex, company, smoking status and body mass index. The prevalence of hypertension tended to decrease with increasing overtime work: 17.5, 12.0, 11.1 and 9.1% for the shortest (<45 h/month) through the longest overtime category (≥100 h/month). The age-, sex- and company-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) were 1.00 (reference), 0.81 (0.75-0.86), 0.73 (0.62-0.86), 0.58 (0.44-0.76), respectively ( p for linear trend <0.001). In a sub-cohort, the inverse association remained statistically significant after an additional adjustment for other potential confounders. Results of the present large-scale study among Japanese workers suggest an inverse association between overtime work and presence of hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Brazilin is a promising natural red dye, isolated from Caesalpinia sappan. • It exhibited anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-depressant, and anxiolytic. • Anti-diabetic, anticancer, antibacterial, and vasorelaxant are reported. • It is an effective drug candidate for management of different disorders. Brazilin is a promising natural red dye, extracted from the wood of Caesalpinia sappan L. It exhibits several pharmacological activities including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-depressant and anxiolytic, anti-diabetic, anticancer, antibacterial, and vasorelaxant. Moreover, bioavailability studies demonstrated that brazilin is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. The data were collected from several databases as ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Pubmed and Proquest. This review is designed to conduct an in-depth search on its pharmacological activities, as well as the underlying cell signaling pathways and mechanism of actions. In addition, we have addressed the bioavailability and structural analysis of brazilin and its close derivatives, safety and quality profiles, and toxicological status. Brazilin with its safety characteristics and acceptable bioavailability, has the potential to touch numerous natural grids, thus, it is possible that this medicinally effective molecule will assist as a promising principal for the development of drug in management of different disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During 2011–2012, an extensive leaf spot disease caused byStemphylium lycopersiciwas observed on vegetable crops including, tomato, eggplant, pepper and lettuce in major vegetable-growing regions of Malaysia. Four isolates ofS. lycopersiciobtained from each vegetable crop were used to determine cultural and physiological characteristics. The variations were found in colony colour (pale to light grey or light as well as the brown), texture (cottony or mycelium flat), shape (regular with concentric growth rings or irregular) and pigmentation (yellow or deep red) of the cultures. The optimum temperature for the conidial germination and mean radial growth of the isolates was 25?°C, and the radial growth of the isolates was maximal on V-8 juice agar followed by potato carrot agar. The maximum sporulation ofS. lycopersiciisolates was observed on V-8 juice agar media under 12/12 h light/darkness photoperiod at 25?°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess whether teaching good cooking practices, food habits and sanitation to ultra-poor rural women in four rural communities of Rangpur district, Bangladesh, with a high density of extremely poor households, would improve the overall health of the community. The sample size was 200 respondents combined from the target and control areas. In the target area, twelve in-depth interviews and four focus group discussions were undertaken for knowledge dissemination. Descriptive and mixed-model analyses were performed. The results show that washing hands with soap was 1.35 times more likely in the target than the control group (p<0.01). Further, after intervention, there was a significant improvement in hand-washing behaviour: before cutting vegetables, preparing food, feeding a child and eating, and after defecating and cleaning a baby (p<0.05). Also, the target group was more likely to moderately and briefly boil their vegetables and were 19% less likely to use maximum heat when cooking vegetables than the control group (p<0.01). Improved knowledge and skills training of ultra-poor women reduces the loss of nutrients during food preparation and increases their hygiene through hand-washing in every-day life. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background Influences of alcohol use on glucose metabolism may depend on alcohol flushing response. We investigated the effect of alcohol flushing response on the associations between alcohol consumption and markers of glucose metabolism in Japanese men and women. Methods The subjects were 979 employees (885 men and 94 women), aged 18 to 69 years, of a manufacturing company in Japan. Flushing response and alcohol consumption were determined using a self-administered questionnaire. Homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance ( HOMA- IR) and homeostasis model assessment for β-cell function ( HOMA- β) were computed using fasting plasma glucose and insulin. For each group of flushers and nonflushers, multiple regression analysis was used to estimate means of fasting plasma glucose, hemoglobin A1c ( Hb A1c), and HOMAs for each category of alcohol consumption, with adjustments for potential confounders. Results In flushers, alcohol consumption was associated with Hb A1c levels in a U-shaped manner, with the lowest Hb A1c levels being observed at an alcohol consumption level of 23.0 to <34.5 g ethanol/d ( p for quadratic trend = 0.002). In nonflushers, alcohol consumption was linearly and inversely associated with HbA1c levels ( p for linear trend = 0.001). Decreases in HbA1c were more evident among flushers compared with nonflushers at moderate alcohol consumption levels ( p for interaction = 0.049). An increase of fasting glucose associated with highest alcohol consumption was observed in both flushers and nonflushers. A statistically significant decrease in HOMA- IR with increasing alcohol consumption was observed in flushers ( p for trend = 0.007), whereas HOMA- IR levels slightly decreased at higher alcohol consumption in nonflushers. HOMA- β similarly decreased with increasing alcohol consumption in both flushers and nonflushers (both p for trend < 0.001). Conclusions The results suggest that the alcohol flushing response may improve glucose metabolism and insulin resistance at moderate alcohol use levels in apparently healthy Japanese adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To estimate the prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes in Bangladesh using national survey data and to identify risk factors. Methods Sociodemographic and anthropometric data and data on blood pressure and blood glucose levels were obtained for 7541 adults aged 35 years or more from the biomarker sample of the 2011 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), which was a nationally representative survey with a stratified, multistage, cluster sampling design. Risk factors for diabetes and prediabetes were identified using multilevel logistic regression models, with adjustment for clustering within households and communities. Findings The overall age-adjusted prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes was 9.7% and 22.4%, respectively. Among urban residents, the age-adjusted prevalence of diabetes was 15.2% compared with 8.3% among rural residents. In total, 56.0% of diabetics were not aware they had the condition and only 39.5% were receiving treatment regularly. The likelihood of diabetes in individuals aged 55 to 59 years was almost double that in those aged 35 to 39 years. Study participants from the richest households were more likely to have diabetes than those from the poorest. In addition, the likelihood of diabetes was also significantly associated with educational level, body weight and the presence of hypertension. The prevalence of diabetes varied significantly with region of residence. Conclusion Almost one in ten adults in Bangladesh was found to have diabetes, which has recently become a major public health issue. Urgent action is needed to counter the rise in diabetes through better detection, awareness, prevention and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: Higher coffee and green tea consumption has been suggested to decrease risk of type 2 diabetes, but their roles in insulin resistance (IR) and insulin secretion remain unclear. This study examined the association between habitual consumption of these beverages and markers of glucose metabolism in a Japanese working population. Materials/Methods: Participants were 1440 Japanese employees (1151 men and 289 women) aged 18–69years. Consumption of coffee and green tea was ascertained via a validated brief diet history questionnaire. Multilevel linear regression was used to estimate means (95% confidence intervals) of fasting insulin, fasting plasma glucose, homeostatic model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR), homeostatic model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA-β) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) with adjustment for potential confounding variables. Results: Coffee consumption was significantly, inversely associated with HOMA-IR (P for trend=0.03), and the association appeared to be confined to overweight subjects (BMI≥25kg/m2) (P for trend=0.01, P for interaction=0.08). Unexpectedly, green tea consumption was positively associated with HOMA-IR (P for trend=0.02), though there was no dose–response relationship among daily consumers of green tea. Neither coffee nor green tea consumption was associated with HOMA-β and HbA1c. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that coffee consumption may be associated with decreased IR, but not with insulin secretion. The positive association between green tea consumption and IR warrants further investigation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]