The association between age at menopause and bone health in Southwest China women: mediation effect of body mass index.

Background: Previous studies have yielded inconsistent findings regarding the association between age at menopause and bone health, with limited exploration of potential mediating factors, particularly in the less-developed muti-ethnic regions of China. Our objective was to analyze the association between age at menopause and bone health among postmenopausal women in southwest China, while also examining the mediating effect of body mass index (BMI) and the moderating effect of years since menopause on this association.

Methods And Results: The analysis included a total of 15,352 naturally postmenopausal women obtained from the baseline data of the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort (CMEC) Study.

Altitude and metabolic syndrome in China: Beneficial effects of healthy diet and physical activity.

Background: The correlation between altitude and metabolic syndrome has not been extensively studied, and the mediation effects of diet and physical activity remain unclear. We evaluated the cross-sectional correlations between altitude and metabolic syndrome and the possible mediation effects of diet and physical activity in China.

Methods: We included 89 485 participants from the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort.

Associations between major dietary patterns and blood pressure among Southwest Chinese: A cross-sectional analysis based on the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort (CMEC) study.

Background And Aims: In the less developed multi-ethnic regions (LEMRs) of Southwest China, the associations between dietary patterns and blood pressure (BP) values remain unclear. We aimed to investigate such associations and related effect modifiers.

Methods And Results: This study included 81,433 participants from the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort Study.

Down-Regulation of EPAS1 Transcription and Genetic Adaptation of Tibetans to High-Altitude Hypoxia.

Tibetans are well adapted to the hypoxic environments at high altitude, yet the molecular mechanism of this adaptation remains elusive. We reported comprehensive genetic and functional analyses of EPAS1, a gene encoding hypoxia inducible factor 2α (HIF-2α) with the strongest signal of selection in previous genome-wide scans of Tibetans. We showed that the Tibetan-enriched EPAS1 variants down-regulate expression in human umbilical endothelial cells and placentas.

HMOX2 Functions as a Modifier Gene for High-Altitude Adaptation in Tibetans.

Tibetans are well adapted to high-altitude environments. Among the adaptive traits in Tibetans, the relatively low hemoglobin level is considered a blunted erythropoietic response to hypoxic challenge. Previously, EPAS1 and EGLN1, the major upstream regulators in the hypoxic pathway, were reportedly involved in the hemoglobin regulation in Tibetans.