Lower Relative Handgrip Strength is Significantly Associated with a Higher Prevalence of the Metabolic Syndrome in Adults.

In previous studies, there were debates on the association between handgrip strength (HGS) and prevalence of metabolic syndrome. Since body weight is associated with both HGS and prevalence of metabolic syndrome, whether HGS is corrected with body weight (relative HGS) or not (absolute HGS) can directly influence outcome of the study. Therefore, this study analyzed the relationship between HGS and prevalence of metabolic syndrome using both relative and absolute HGS.

Relationship between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance in Korean adults: A cross-sectional study.

Background: We investigated the independent and combined impact of obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) on components and prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Korean adults.

Methods: This study included 1695 adults (500 males and 1,195 females), who took part in a regular health check-up at the community-based health promotion center. Participants were divided according to degree of adiposity and the presence of NAFLD.

Association between cardiorespiratory fitness and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among Korean adults: a cross sectional study.

Background: The purpose of the current study was to investigate the association between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), measured by a simple step test, and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among Korean adults, in a cross sectional design.

Methods: A total of 1,007 Korean adults (488 men and 519 women) who underwent routine health checkups were recruited. CRF was measured by Tecumseh step test.

Reduced serum total osteocalcin is associated with central obesity in Korean children.

Background: Recently, osteocalcin (OC), an osteoblast-derived hormone, has been suggested as a new link between obesity and insulin resistance in humans. However, few studies regarding the relationship between OC and obesity in Asian children have been published. We investigated the association of OC with adiposity, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Korean children.

Mitochondrial DNA copy number in peripheral blood is independently associated with visceral fat accumulation in healthy young adults.

Aims. Visceral obesity is associated with an increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases and it is important to identify the underlying mechanisms. There is growing evidence that mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with metabolic disturbances related to visceral obesity.

Effect of Active Hexose Correlated Compound (AHCC) in alcohol-induced liver enzyme elevation.

To investigate the effects of Active Hexose Correlated Compound (AHCC) supplementation and the mechanism action of AHCC in patients with alcohol-induced mildly elevated liver enzyme levels, participants were randomly allocated to the placebo, 1 g AHCC, or 3 g AHCC group and took the supplement for 12 wk. Subjects visited the hospital for clinical and biochemical measurements, for examination of adverse events, to return unused supplements, and to obtain their next supplements. Biochemical tests including liver enzymes, a questionnaire survey, and anthropometric measurements were collected at baseline and every 4 wk thereafter.

Visceral adiposity is associated with SIRT1 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells: a pilot study.

Sirtuin1 (SIRT1) is activated during calorie restriction and appears to be related to energy balance through glucose or lipid metabolism and insulin signaling. These findings suggest that SIRT1 may play a role in the pathophysiology of visceral obesity. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between SIRT1 gene expression in circulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and abdominal visceral adiposity as measured by computed tomography.

Association between serum osteocalcin and insulin resistance in postmenopausal, but not premenopausal, women in Korea.

Objective: Menopause is known to compound cardiometabolic disease risk factors, and a deeper understanding of the mechanism of this effect is needed. Recently, the osteoblast-derived protein osteocalcin was found to function as a regulator of glucose and fat metabolism. However, there is a lack of studies comparing the extent of association between osteocalcin and glucose metabolism in postmenopausal versus premenopausal women.

The association between chemerin and homeostasis assessment of insulin resistance at baseline and after weight reduction via lifestyle modifications in young obese adults.

Background: Chemerin is a recently discovered adipocytokine, associated with adiposity and insulin sensitivity. The current study investigated the effects of lifestyle intervention on circulating chemerin level and its association with insulin resistance and adiponectin in human.

Methods: Forty male and 20 female obese adults (mean age: 29.

Serum Ferritin Is Differentially Associated with Anti-oxidative Status and Insulin Resistance in Healthy Obese and Non-obese Women.

Background: Ferritin is known to be associated with insulin resistance (IR) and oxidative stress; however, recent studies have shown that there is an association between ferritin and anti-oxidative status. To date, the biphasic response of ferritin to oxidative stress has not been fully evaluated. Thus, we investigated the association between ferritin and IR and anti-oxidative status in obese and non-obese women.

The association between pentraxin 3 and insulin resistance in obese children at baseline and after physical activity intervention.

Background: The role of pentraxin-3 (PTX3) in the development of insulin resistance is still not clear. We aimed to test 1) whether circulating PTX3 levels are associated with insulin resistance and 2) whether changes in PTX3 levels after the physical activity are associated with changes in insulin resistance.

Methods: Fifty-seven overweight or obese children (39 boys, 18 girls; age: 12.

Chemerin and adiponectin contribute reciprocally to metabolic syndrome.

Obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are considered chronic inflammatory states. Chemerin, a novel adipokine, may play an important role in linking MetS and inflammation. We investigated the association of chemerin with inflammatory markers and with characteristics of MetS in apparently healthy overweight and obese adults.

The relationship between leukocyte mitochondrial DNA contents and metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women.

Objective: Menopause is associated with increased risk of metabolic syndrome. There is growing evidence that mitochondrial dysfunction may lead to obesity and insulin resistance, which are major components of metabolic syndrome. The purpose of this study was to illuminate the relationship between mitochondrial function using leukocyte mitochondrial DNA copy number and metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women.

Therapeutic lifestyle modification program reduces plasma levels of the chemokines CRP and MCP-1 in subjects with metabolic syndrome.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a 6-month therapeutic lifestyle modification (TLM) program on chemokines related to oxidative stress, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and arterial stiffness in subjects with metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Methods: The authors performed a randomized controlled trial, assigning 52 women (mean age 62.7 ± 9.

Mitochondrial DNA copy number in peripheral blood in polycystic ovary syndrome.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with insulin resistance and various metabolic diseases; and recently, elevated oxidative stress has been detected in PCOS. Mitochondria are highly susceptible to oxidative damage; and disordered mitochondrial function at the cellular level can impact whole-body metabolic homeostasis, leading to the hypothesis that abnormalities in markers of mitochondrial metabolism are related to PCOS. We compared mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number in women with and without PCOS and investigated the independent relationship between mtDNA copy number and PCOS after adjustment for metabolic parameters.

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein is independently associated with arterial stiffness in women with metabolic syndrome.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with higher incidences of cardiovascular events and with increased mortality from coronary heart disease. There is increasing evidence that MetS presents as a proinflammatory and prothrombotic state.

Objectives: The purposes of this study were to investigate the relationships among adiponectin (a marker for adipocytokines), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP, a marker for inflammation), and brachial-ankle pulse-wave velocity (ba-PWV, a marker for arterial stiffness) in MetS and to identify predictors of ba-PWV, which indicates subclinical atherosclerosis.

Serum carcinoembryonic antigen is associated with metabolic syndrome in female Korean non-smokers.

Background: Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), a serological marker of malignant tumors, demonstrates a modest increase under nonmalignant conditions and the pro-inflammatory features of CEA suggest that CEA may be related to insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.

Methods: A total of 7075 female Korean non-smokers who underwent health check-ups were analyzed in the present study. The interquartile cutoff values for serum CEA concentrations were 0.

Effects of a therapeutic lifestyle modification program on inflammatory chemokines and insulin resistance in subjects with metabolic syndrome.

Background: Although therapeutic lifestyle modification (TLM) effectively improves the values of diagnostic biomarkers of metabolic syndrome, less is known about its effects on inflammatory chemokines and insulin resistance (IR) in patients with this syndrome. Objectives. To examine the effects of a short-term TLM program on inflammatory chemokines (monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 [MCP-1], retinol binding protein-4 [RBP-4]) and IR in subjects with metabolic syndrome.

Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 is related to metabolic syndrome and homocysteine in subjects without clinically significant atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Background: The features of the metabolic syndrome include glucose intolerance, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and central obesity, all of which are risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) play a key role in atherosclerosis. We examined the association between chemokines, such as MCP-1 and IL-8, and metabolic syndrome.

Relation between obesity and bone mineral density and vertebral fractures in Korean postmenopausal women.

Purpose: The traditional belief that obesity is protective against osteoporosis has been questioned. Recent epidemiologic studies show that body fat itself may be a risk factor for osteoporosis and bone fractures. Accumulating evidence suggests that metabolic syndrome and the individual components of metabolic syndrome such as hypertension, increased triglycerides, and reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol are also risk factors for low bone mineral density.

Serum osteocalcin is related to abdominal obesity in Korean obese and overweight men.

Background: Growing evidence suggests a link between body composition and serum osteocalcin. Here we examined such an association between serum osteocalcin and body composition in Korean obese men.

Methods: Eighty-six men, aged 20 to 76 years, who visited the obesity clinic at the Division of Family Medicine, Severance hospital, Seoul, Korea were recruited for this study.

Increased γ-glutamyltransferase and decreased total bilirubin are associated with metabolic syndrome in Korean postmenopausal women.

Background: The objective of this study was to determine if there is an association between serum hepatic markers and the metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women.

Methods: This study involved 1229 postmenopausal women aged 44-85 years, who visited the Center for Health Promotion for a health check-up. We excluded subjects from the analysis if they had a daily alcohol consumption of more than 1.

The relationship between visfatin and metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women.

Objective: The biological role and activity of visfatin, an adipokine mainly produced by visceral fat, has not been fully elucidated. The observed relationships between visfatin and metabolisyndrome are inconsistent. The purpose of this study was to illuminate the relationship between visfatin and metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women.

Mitochondrial DNA copy number in peripheral blood is associated with cognitive function in apparently healthy elderly women.

Background: The identification of early markers of dementia is of increasing clinical importance. Recently, impaired mitochondrial function has emerged as a potential marker for age-related diseases and the maintenance of mtDNA copy number is essential for the preservation of mitochondrial function. We investigated the association between mtDNA copy number and cognitive function in elderly women.

Effects of a 6-month lifestyle modification intervention on the cardiometabolic risk factors and health-related qualities of life in women with metabolic syndrome.

Although therapeutic lifestyle modification (TLM) has been recommended as a cornerstone treatment of metabolic syndrome (MetS), little is known about the biobehavioral effects of a TLM program for patients in a community. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a 6-month TLM program on MetS risk factors and health-related qualities of life (HRQOL) among middle-aged and older women in a community in Korea. Fifty-two women (mean age, 62.