Combined use of serum adiponectin and tumor necrosis factor-alpha receptor 2 levels was comparable to 2-hour post-load glucose in diabetes prediction.

Background: Adipose tissue inflammation and dysregulated adipokine secretion are implicated in obesity-related insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. We evaluated the use of serum adiponectin, an anti-inflammatory adipokine, and several proinflammatory adipokines, as biomarkers of diabetes risk and whether they add to traditional risk factors in diabetes prediction.

Methods: We studied 1300 non-diabetic subjects from the prospective Hong Kong Cardiovascular Risk Factor Prevalence Study (CRISPS).

The KCNJ11 E23K polymorphism and progression of glycaemia in Southern Chinese: a long-term prospective study.

Context: The KCNJ11 E23K variant is associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in cross-sectional studies, but conflicting findings have been reported from prospective studies.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate whether the E23K variant could predict glycaemic progression in a Southern Chinese population.

Methods/principal Findings: We performed a long-term prospective study on 1912 subjects from the Hong Kong Cardiovascular Risk Factors Prevalence Study (CRISPS).

Plasma concentration of pigment epithelium-derived factor is closely associated with blood pressure and predicts incident hypertension in Chinese: a 10-year prospective study.

Objectives: Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) is secreted from the adipose tissue. It circulates at high concentrations, and was reported to play a causal role in obesity-induced insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunctions in mice. Previous cross-sectional studies also demonstrated plasma PEDF concentration correlated positively with systolic blood pressure (BP) and pulse pressure, and inversely with small artery elasticity.

High plasma level of fibroblast growth factor 21 is an Independent predictor of type 2 diabetes: a 5.4-year population-based prospective study in Chinese subjects.

Objective: To investigate whether circulating levels of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), which previously has been shown to be elevated in obesity, could predict the development of type 2 diabetes in a 5.4-year, population-based, prospective study.

Research Design And Methods: Baseline plasma FGF21 levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 1,900 subjects from the Hong Kong Cardiovascular Risk Factor Prevalence Study (CRISPS).

Haemoglobin A1c is superior to fasting glucose in predicting the incidence of diabetes over 8 years among Chinese.

Baseline haemoglobin A1c had a higher standardized hazard ratio, and more optimal sensitivity and specificity than fasting glucose in predicting the 8-year incidence of diabetes among 530 non-diabetic Chinese from the population-based Hong Kong Cardiovascular Risk Factor Prevalence Study.

Genetic variants associated with persistent central obesity and the metabolic syndrome in a 12-year longitudinal study.

Objective: Central obesity predisposes to various cardiometabolic diseases and is a key component of the metabolic syndrome (MetS). We have previously demonstrated that three obesity-susceptible single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs10938397 (GNPDA2), rs8050136 (FTO) and rs17782313 (MC4R), were associated with obesity and waist circumference in cross-sectional studies in the Chinese population. In this study, we investigate whether these SNPs could also predict the persistence of central obesity and MetS in subjects from the Hong Kong Cardiovascular Risk Factors Prevalence Study (CRISPS) cohort.

Plasma level of pigment epithelium-derived factor is independently associated with the development of the metabolic syndrome in Chinese men: a 10-year prospective study.

Objective: Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), a serine protease inhibitor, is secreted from the adipose tissue and circulates at high concentrations. A recent study found that PEDF played a causal role in obesity-induced insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunctions in mice. Here we investigated whether circulating PEDF levels predicted the development of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in a 10-yr prospective study.

Obesity susceptibility genetic variants identified from recent genome-wide association studies: implications in a chinese population.

Context: Recent large-scale genome-wide association studies identified novel genetic variants associated with obesity and body mass index (BMI) in addition to the well-described FTO and MC4R genetic variants.

Objective: This study aimed to examine 13 previously reported obesity and/or BMI-associated loci for associations with obesity in Chinese.

Design And Study Participants: This was a cross-sectional case-control study in 470 obese cases (BMI > or =27.

Circulating levels of adipocyte and epidermal fatty acid-binding proteins in relation to nephropathy staging and macrovascular complications in type 2 diabetic patients.

Objective: To investigate the relationships of serum adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (A-FABP) and epidermal fatty acid-binding protein (E-FABP) with renal dysfunction and macrovascular complications in type 2 diabetic patients.

Research Design And Methods: The associations of serum A-FABP and E-FABP with markers of renal function, nephropathy staging, and macrovascular complications were examined in 237 type 2 diabetic patients.

Results: Serum A-FABP and E-FABP correlated significantly with serum creatinine, mean albumin excretion rate, and glomerular filtration rate (all P < 0.

High density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels increase with age in American women but not in Hong Kong Chinese women.

Objectives: High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is a powerful cardiovascular risk factor. Important gender and ethnic differences in plasma HDL levels exist and warrant investigation.

Design: Cross-sectional survey in two different general populations.

Association between plasma alkaline phosphatase and C-reactive protein in Hong Kong Chinese.

Background: Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is a biomarker for hepatobiliary and skeletal diseases. It is also raised in sepsis. In atherosclerotic plaques, ALP is expressed.

Epidermal fatty-acid-binding protein: a new circulating biomarker associated with cardio-metabolic risk factors and carotid atherosclerosis.

Aims: Epidermal fatty-acid-binding protein (E-FABP) is highly homologous to adipocyte FABP (A-FABP), which mediates obesity-related metabolic syndrome (MetS), diabetes and atherosclerosis in animals. Combined deficiency of E-FABP and A-FABP protects against the MetS and atherosclerosis in mice. This study investigated the association of serum E-FABP with cardio-metabolic risk factors and carotid atherosclerosis in humans.

Association between raised blood pressure and dysglycemia in Hong Kong Chinese.

Objective: To investigate the association between raised blood pressure and dysglycemia.

Research Design And Methods: We studied the association between raised blood pressure and dysglycemia in 1,862 subjects in the Hong Kong Cardiovascular Risk Factor Prevalence Study cohort. We determined the factors predicting the development of diabetes and hypertension in 1,496 subjects who did not have either condition at baseline.

Prevalence, treatment, and control of diagnosed diabetes in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2004.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the trends in prevalence, treatment, and control of diagnosed diabetes in United States adults 20 years of age or older.

Methods: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2004 were used. Glycemic, blood pressure, and total cholesterol target levels were defined as having glycosylated hemoglobin <7.

Relationship between the metabolic syndrome and the development of hypertension in the Hong Kong Cardiovascular Risk Factor Prevalence Study-2 (CRISPS2).

Background: The metabolic syndrome is a predictor of diabetes and coronary events. We hypothesized that it also predicts hypertension.

Methods: A total of 1,944 subjects (901 men and 1,043 women; age 46 +/- 12 years) from the Hong Kong Cardiovascular Risk Factor Prevalence Survey were recruited in 1995-1996 and restudied in 2000-2004.

Components of the metabolic syndrome predictive of its development: a 6-year longitudinal study in Hong Kong Chinese.

Objective: To investigate which of the components of the metabolic syndrome best predict its development.

Design: Long-term cohort of randomly selected adults.

Patients: One thousand five hundred and forty-eight subjects from the Hong Kong Cardiovascular Risk Factor Prevalence Study who did not have the metabolic syndrome by the US National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) or International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria at baseline.

Treatment and control of diabetes mellitus in the United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2002.

Control of glycemia and other risk factors in people with diabetes has a critical bearing on clinical outcome. Using data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002, the authors compared the characteristics and control among diabetic subjects in different antidiabetic treatment groups. Among diagnosed diabetic subjects (n=827), 18.

Serum adipocyte fatty acid binding protein as a new biomarker predicting the development of type 2 diabetes: a 10-year prospective study in a Chinese cohort.

Objective: Adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (A-FABP) is abundantly expressed in adipocytes and plays a role in glucose homeostasis in experimental animals. We have previously shown that circulating A-FABP levels are associated with the metabolic syndrome, which confers an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Here we investigated whether serum A-FABP levels could predict the development of diabetes in a 10-year prospective study.

Hypoadiponectinemia as a predictor for the development of hypertension: a 5-year prospective study.

Low circulating levels of adiponectin, an adipokine with insulin-sensitizing, antiatherogenic, and anti-inflammatory properties, are found in hypertensive patients. Adiponectin replenishment ameliorated hypertension in adiponectin-deficient mice or obese, hypertensive mice with hypoadiponectinemia, suggesting an etiologic role of adiponectin in hypertension. We aimed to determine, in this 5-year prospective study, whether hypoadiponectinemia could predict the development of hypertension in a nondiabetic Chinese cohort.

Circulating adipocyte-fatty acid binding protein levels predict the development of the metabolic syndrome: a 5-year prospective study.

Background: Adipocyte-fatty acid binding protein (A-FABP), a major cytoplasmic protein in adipocytes, plays a central role in the development of diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in experimental animals. We have previously shown that A-FABP is present in the bloodstream and that its circulating levels correlate with metabolic risk factors in a cross-sectional study. In the present study, we further evaluated the prospective association of A-FABP with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) as defined by the updated National Cholesterol Education Program criteria.

Metabolic syndrome increases all-cause and vascular mortality: the Hong Kong Cardiovascular Risk Factor Study.

Objective: The metabolic syndrome has been associated with increased mortality in some Caucasian populations, but data in Asian populations are not available. We present data describing the association of the metabolic syndrome with mortality.

Methods: The impact of the US National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) metabolic syndrome guidelines definition (using Asian central obesity criteria) on mortality was examined using Cox regression analyses in a population-based cohort (n = 2863) of Chinese subjects.

Development of diabetes in Chinese with the metabolic syndrome: a 6-year prospective study.

Objective: We investigated the association of the metabolic syndrome with new-onset diabetes in the Hong Kong Cardiovascular Risk Factor Prevalence Study cohort.

Research Design And Methods: We followed up on 1,679 subjects without diabetes at baseline. Those with a previous diagnosis of diabetes or those who were receiving drug treatment were considered to be diabetic.

Resistin gene polymorphisms and progression of glycaemia in southern Chinese: a 5-year prospective study.

Objective: Human resistin gene (RETN) polymorphisms have been found to be associated with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), insulin resistance and/or obesity. We evaluated, in a 5-year prospective study, whether RETN polymorphisms could predict the progression of glycaemia in southern Chinese.

Design And Patients: We conducted a systematic search for variants in RETN in 70 southern Chinese subjects.

Lipocalin-2 is an inflammatory marker closely associated with obesity, insulin resistance, and hyperglycemia in humans.

Background: Lipocalin-2, a 25-kDa secreted glycoprotein, is a useful biomarker for early detection of various renal injuries. Because lipocalin-2 is abundantly expressed in adipose tissue and liver, we investigated its relevance to obesity-related pathologies.

Methods: We used real-time PCR and in-house immunoassays to quantify the mRNA and serum concentrations of lipocalin-2 in C57BL/KsJ db/db obese mice and their age- and sex-matched lean littermates.

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase G894T (Glu298Asp) polymorphism was predictive of glycemic status in a 5-year prospective study of Chinese subjects with impaired glucose tolerance.

Subjects with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) have a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and its related complications. However, both environmental and genetic factors may influence the progression or regression of hyperglycemia. Polymorphisms of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene have been associated with DM in cross-sectional studies, but their predictive values in glycemic progression are not known.