Front Endocrinol (Lausanne)
August 2024
Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS), characterized by central obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and hypertension, affects 20-25% of the global population. The creatinine-to-cystatin C ratio (CCR) is an indicator of skeletal muscle mass. While CCR may play a role in MetS development, sex differences in these associations are not fully understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a prevalent health condition in Taiwan that places individuals at higher risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and stroke. Therefore, the identification of risk factors associated with MetS is crucial. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of uric acid and MetS in a Taiwanese community with a middle-aged and elderly population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) has been recognized as a valuable biomarker for identifying the risk of cardiovascular diseases and inflammation. Furthermore, there is strong evidence to suggest that metabolic syndrome is closely associated with chronic inflammation. Accordingly, the present study endeavors to examine the potential correlation between metabolic syndrome and the levels of Lp-PLA2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF(1) Background: Many studies have revealed a relationship between serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D and physical activity. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between self-reported sitting time and serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels in middle-aged and elderly adults in Taiwan. (2) Methods: A total of 396 people were enrolled in our study during a community health examination in Taiwan in 2019.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVitamin D deficiency (VDD) is commonly observed in people with late-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease; it has also been associated with the progression of kidney disease. We hypothesized that VDD played a role in early-stage chronic kidney disease as well. Thus, this cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and CKD stages 1 through 3 (early-stage CKD) in a relatively healthy population in China.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF(1) Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) is a risk factor for predicting cardiovascular diseases. Metabolic syndrome is characterized by a state of chronic inflammation that is related to an increased risk of cardiovascular events and death. In the present study, we aimed to analyze the correlation between cardiometabolic risk factors and Lp-PLA2 levels.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Since July 2021, some countries and regions have initiated the vaccination of minors against coronavirus disease (COVID-19), and parental COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy will affect the vaccination of minors. We aimed to identify the level of parental hesitancy to vaccinate their children against COVID-19 in Taiwan and the factors associated with vaccine hesitancy.
Methods: We conducted a population-based, self-administered online questionnaire in Taiwan to assess parental hesitancy and the factors influencing their children's vaccination against COVID-19.
(1) Background: Metabolic syndrome has become a serious health problem in society. Homocysteine is a biomarker for cardiovascular disease. We investigated the relationship between homocysteine levels and metabolic syndrome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Association of sedentary behavior and plasma leptin levels is a popular topic in recent research. Aged populations often suffer from cardiometabolic diseases, and leptin is considered a novel marker for many cardiometabolic diseases. To further explore this topic, our research investigates the relationship between sedentary time and serum leptin levels in middle-aged and older populations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMost COVID-19 studies aim to assess factors influencing willingness to pay for vaccines between the public and medical staff. However, few studies focus on parents' willingness to pay for their children's COVID-19 vaccine. The current study aimed to assess parents' willingness to pay for their children's vaccination against COVID-19 and its influencing factors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Plasma leptin is considered a risk factor for obesity and cardio-metabolic disease, but the link between serum leptin and renal function is still under evaluation. In our study, we focused on the relationship between serum leptin and renal function, and we investigated the relationship in more detail.
Methods: The 396 middle-aged and elderly Taiwanese adults recruited for our health survey were the subject of our research.
Introduction: Sarcopenia and frailty are well-known public health problems in middle-aged and older people. Calf circumference (CC) is a representative anthropometric index that may be useful for screening sarcopenia. Physical performance, assessed by hand grip strength and gait speed, measures sarcopenia and frailty.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Insulin resistance (IR) was reported to be associated with renal function impairment, but little is known about the gender difference. Hence, our study aimed to investigate the relationship between IR (estimated by the homeostasis model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR) index) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in a Chinese population with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and discern whether there was any gender disparity or not.
Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study enrolled 13,638 men and 10,450 women who received health examinations from 2013 to 2016 at Xiamen Chang Gung Hospital.
Int J Environ Res Public Health
November 2022
Atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), a novel biomarker, is associated with cardiovascular diseases and obesity. The main aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between AIP and obesity among Taiwanese hospital employees. A total of 1312 subjects with an average age of 42.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMetabolic syndrome (MetS) has become the most important issue in family medicine and primary care because it is a cluster of metabolic abnormalities that are a burden on health care in many countries. Highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), which is elevated in inflammatory situations, can be produced by monocyte-derived macrophages in adipose tissue. People with MetS tend to have more adipose tissue.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGlobally, obesity is a major health problem and can markedly increase the risk of various diseases, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension (HTN), dyslipidemia, and chronic kidney disease (CKD). The association of obesity-related parameters, such as lipid parameters and their ratio, with CKD in clinical settings is not well understood. This study aimed to investigate the association of obesity-related parameters with CKD in the middle-aged and elderly population in Taiwan.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: High-dose influenza vaccine offers better protection against influenza/associated complications compared with standard-dose formulation. We evaluated immunogenicity and safety of high-dose influenza vaccine (QIV-HD) and standard-dose (QIV-SD) in older adults (≥ 65 years) in Taiwan.
Methods: This was a phase III, randomized, modified double-blind, active-controlled, multi-center, descriptive study in older adults.
The relationship between leptin and insulin resistance among middle-aged and elderly populations in Asia is seldom reported. Our research included 398 middle-aged and elderly Taiwanese individuals. First, we divided participants into three groups according to the tertiles of the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) to analyze the parameters between each group.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Older adults are subject to higher COVID-19 infection and mortality rates. Safety and immunogenicity of MVC-COV1901, a protein subunit vaccine have been demonstrated in phase 2 clinical trial for the general population, and negative correlations have been observed between immune responses and age, however, older adults were under-represented.
Methods: A double-blind, randomized, multi-center study compared safety and immunogenicity of high-dose (25 mcg) to mid-dose (15 mcg) of MVC-COV1901 administered 2 times 28 days apart in 420 participants of 65 years and older.
Background: Hyperhomocysteinemia is an important factor for endothelial cell damage and a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is recognized as a leading burden in Taiwan's healthcare system. This study aimed to investigate the association between homocysteine levels and CKD in middle-aged and elderly adults from a community in northern Taiwan.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study aimed to investigate the risk of vitamin D deficiency in a relatively healthy Asian population, with (i) metabolically healthy normal weight (MHNW) (homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance [HOMA-IR] < 2. 5 without metabolic syndrome [MS], body mass index [BMI] < 25), (ii) metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) (HOMA-IR < 2.5, without MS, BMI ≥ 25), (iii) metabolically unhealthy normal weight (MUNW) (HOMA-IR ≥ 2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Sarcopenia and osteoporosis are important health issues faced by older people. These are often associated with each other and share common risk factors and pathologic mechanisms. In the recently revised consensus of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People, low muscle strength has been defined as the first characteristic of sarcopenia rather than a loss in muscle mass, and walking speed has been stated as an indicator of the severity of sarcopenia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: It is not certain whether non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or abdominal obesity (AO) has stronger associations with atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease (CAD) risk across different genders. The purpose of this study was to determine the gender-based association of NAFLD and AO with subclinical atherosclerosis represented by coronary artery calcification (CAC) and CAD risk by Framingham risk score (FRS).
Methods: A total of 1,655 participants in a health-screening program (mean age: 49.