Essential role of Card11 in airway hyperresponsiveness in high-fat diet-induced obese mice.

A high-fat diet (HFD) can induce airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) in obese mice, independent of allergic sensitization. This study aimed to identify the key molecules related to AHR in HFD-induced obese mice. In a cluster analysis of time series gene expression in the adipose and lung tissues of HFD-induced obese mice, we identified the Caspase Recruitment Domain Family Member 11 (Card11) gene as an essential molecule.

Effectiveness of a protein-supplemented very-low-calorie diet program for weight loss: a randomized controlled trial in South Korea.

Introduction: Weight-loss strategies through meal replacements are effective and sustainable options. However, few studies have assessed their effects on weight loss including body composition through protein-supplemented meal replacements targeting the Asian population, including Koreans. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of a protein-supplemented very-low-calorie diet (PSVLCD) for weight reduction and changes in body composition in individuals with obesity over a 12-month long-term period.

Higher Physical Activity is Associated with Reduced Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Korean Men.

Purpose: Identifying and managing risk factors for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) is crucial because it impacts the quality of life of elderly individuals. Lifestyle factors, including physical activity (PA), and their relationship with LUTS have not been well studied. This objective of this study was to investigate the association between PA and LUTS.

Association between Chronic Atrophic Gastritis and Bone Mineral Density among Women Older than 40 Years of Age in Korea.

Background: Chronic atrophic gastritis causes hypochlorhydria, hypergastrinemia, and malabsorption of nutrients, leading to lower bone mineral density. The few studies that investigated the association between chronic atrophic gastritis and bone mineral density have reported inconsistent findings. As such, the present study assessed the association between chronic atrophic gastritis and bone mineral density among a large sample of women >40 years of age in Korea.

Trends in underweight and severe underweight disparities in Korean adults and older adults: a nationwide, repeated cross-sectional study.

Objectives: Little is known about the disparities in underweight prevalence among the general population in high-income countries. We investigated the trends in underweight prevalence and disparities across sociodemographic groups among Korean adults and older adults.

Setting And Participants: A series of cross-sectional data on Korean national health checkups for adults aged ≥20 years were analyzed from 2005 to 2016.

Association between serum uric acid level and bone mineral density in men more than 50 years of age.

Background: The results of previous studies on the association between serum uric acid levels and bone mineral density and the risk of osteoporosis are controversial. Fat free mass (FFM) is more strongly associated with bone mineral density (BMD) than it is with body fat mass (BFM). Skeletal muscle mass is assumed to contribute indirectly to the relationship between serum uric acid levels and BMD.

Effects of the abdominal fat distribution on the relationship between exposure to air pollutants and thyroid hormones among Korean adult males.

Background: Several significant associations between air pollution and thyroid function have been reported, but few studies have identified whether these associations differ by obesity, particularly its regional distribution. We assessed the relationship between ambient air pollution and thyroid hormone, and whether this relationship is modified by abdominal adiposity, as indicated by the waist circumference, visceral adipose tissue (VAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), and visceral-to-subcutaneous fat ratio (VSR) in Korean men.

Methods: We included 2440 male adults in the final analysis and used each person's annual average exposure to four air pollutants: particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm (PM), nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide (SO), and carbon monoxide (CO).

Exploring the Category and Use Cases on Digital Therapeutic Methodologies.

Objectives: As the Fourth Industrial Revolution advances, there is a growing interest in digital technology. In particular, the use of digital therapeutics (DTx) in healthcare is anticipated to reduce medical expenses. However, analytical research on DTx is still insufficient to fuel momentum for future DTx development.

A genome-wide by PM exposure interaction study for blood pressure in Korean adults.

Blood pressure (BP) is a typical complex trait, and the genetic susceptibility of individuals to changes in BP induced by air pollution exposure is different. Although interactions of exposure to air pollutants with several candidate genes have been identified, genome-wide interaction studies (GWISs) are needed to understand the association between them with BP. Therefore, we aimed to discover the unique genetic loci for BP that interact with exposure to air pollutants in Korean adults.

Diagnosis of Obesity: 2022 Update of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Obesity by the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity.

The prevalence of obesity has consistently increased worldwide, and many obesity-related diseases are emerging as major health problems. Body mass index (BMI) is used to define obesity and is highly correlated with body fat mass. Moreover, obesity-related morbidities increase linearly with the increase in BMI.

Diagnosis of Obesity: 2022 Update of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Obesity by the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity.

The prevalence of obesity has consistently increased worldwide, and many obesity-related diseases are emerging as major health problems. Body mass index (BMI) is used to define obesity and is highly correlated with body fat mass. Moreover, obesity-related morbidities increase linearly with the increase in BMI.

Inhibition of glutaminase 1 activity reverses airway hyperresponsiveness and decreases IL-1β M1s and IL-17 producing ILC3s in high-fat diet-fed obese mice.

In obesity, disturbed glutamine metabolism contributes to enhanced inflammation by inducing alterations in immune cells. As macrophages and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are known to be involved in the pathogenesis of obesity-related asthma, we tested our hypothesis that altered glutamine metabolism may link obesity to airway hyperresponsivenss (AHR), a cardinal feature of asthma, focusing on these innate immune cells. Four-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 13 wk in the presence or absence of BPTES [Bis-2-(5-phenylacetamido-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)ethyl sulfide, a selective inhibitor of glutaminase 1 which converts glutamine to glutamate] and their blood, lung, and adipose tissues were analyzed.

Association of intraabdominal fat with the risk of incident chronic kidney disease according to body mass index among Korean adults.

Background: The association between abdominal visceral adipose tissue and the risk of incident chronic kidney disease according to body mass index in the Asian population, remains unclear. We evaluated the impact of abdominal adiposity stratified by body mass index on the risk of incident chronic kidney disease.

Methods: A cohort study included 11,050 adult participants who underwent health check-ups and re-evaluated the follow-up medical examination at a single university-affiliated healthcare center.

Association of Body Shape Index with Cerebral Small Vessel Disease.

Introduction: A body shape index (ABSI) is an anthropometric index designed to reflect the influence of visceral fat. ABSI has been previously associated with various atherosclerosis, metabolic diseases, and cardiovascular diseases; however, relatively few studies have been conducted on cerebrovascular disease. In this study, we evaluated the association between ABSI and cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) in health check-up participants.

Annual exposure to PM is related to cerebral small vessel disease in general adult population.

Ambient air pollution is one of the most important global health issues. Although several studies have been reported the associations between air pollution and brain function or structure, impact of the air pollution on cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) have rarely been explored in Asian adult population. We evaluated the association between exposure to air pollutants and cSVD in Korean asymptomatic adults.

Association between long-term air pollution exposure and insulin resistance independent of abdominal adiposity in Korean adults.

Significant associations between air pollution (AP) and insulin resistance (IR) have been reported in limited populations or certain patient groups, but few studies have addressed this association in the general population, especially in Asians. Although abdominal fat is a major contributor to IR, previous studies have not fully controlled for its effect in the association between AP and IR. We investigated the association between exposure to AP and IR in Korean adults in the general population and whether this association is maintained even after controlling for the effects of abdominal fat, particularly visceral fat.

Bifidobacterial carbohydrate/nucleoside metabolism enhances oxidative phosphorylation in white adipose tissue to protect against diet-induced obesity.

Background: Comparisons of the gut microbiome of lean and obese humans have revealed that obesity is associated with the gut microbiome plus changes in numerous environmental factors, including high-fat diet (HFD). Here, we report that two species of Bifidobacterium are crucial to controlling metabolic parameters in the Korean population.

Results: Based on gut microbial analysis from 99 Korean individuals, we observed the abundance of Bifidobacterium longum and Bifidobacterium bifidum was markedly reduced in individuals with increased visceral adipose tissue (VAT), body mass index (BMI), blood triglyceride (TG), and fatty liver.

The Atherogenic Index of Plasma is Associated With Cerebral Small Vessel Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective: Recently, the lipid profile of atherogenic dyslipidemia has become important in cerebrovascular diseases. Atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), an index that reflects this lipid profile as a single number, has been proposed, but there are still few related studies in cerebrovascular disease. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between AIP and cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) in health check-up participants.

Association of underweight status with the risk of tuberculosis: a nationwide population-based cohort study.

In studies evaluating the association between body mass index (BMI) and risk of tuberculosis (TB), the data for the underweight population has been limited and results were conflicting. Our study aimed to evaluate whether being underweight increases the risk of TB using a nationwide representative sample from the Republic of Korea. A large population-based cohort study of over ten million subjects who participated in the health screening in 2010 was performed using the Korean National Health Insurance database 2010-2017.

Allergic Diseases and Risk of Incident Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease.

Objective: To examine the associations between the allergic triad (asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis) and risk of dementia.

Methods: Participants comprised 6,785,948 adults aged ≥40 years who participated in a national health examination in 2009 without any history of dementia before baseline. From 2009 to 2017, we prospectively investigated the associations between physician-diagnosed allergic diseases and risk of incident dementia (all-cause, Alzheimer's disease [AD], vascular dementia [VaD]) ascertained using national health insurance claims data.

Systemic immune-inflammation index is associated with white matter hyperintensity volume.

Systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) is a novel inflammatory marker based on the composition ratio of blood cell counts. In this study, we evaluated the association between the SII and cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) in health check-up participants. We evaluated participants from our health check-up registry between 2006 and 2013.

A Genome-Wide Association Study on Abdominal Adiposity-Related Traits in Adult Korean Men.

Introduction: Although previous genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified genetic susceptibility loci for abdominal adiposity, GWASs on Asian samples remain scarce. Therefore, we performed a GWAS for abdominal adipose tissue depots in a Korean population.

Methods: A total of 1,937 Korean men were included in the study.