• Exercise Science
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.82-90
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• 2019

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the association of waist to height ratio (WHtR) and resting heart rate (RHR) with cardio-metabolic risk factors among Korean postmenopausal women. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis was performed using the 2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The analysis included a total of 1,540 postmenopausal women. RESULTS: Individuals with higher WHtR (>0.56) showed significantly higher glucose, triglyceride, insulin, Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), total cholesterol, systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared with ones with lower WHtR (≤0.51). Similar findings were found in those with higher RHR (≥90 bpm) compared with ones with lower RHR (<60 bpm) for glucose and HOMA-IR. When determining the combined effects of WHtR and RHR on the prevalence of metabolic syndrome, individual with WHtR above 0.5 and RHR above 80 bpm showed 10.39 times higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome compared with those with WHtR below 0.5 and RHR below 70 bpm. We further performed multiple linear regression analysis to understand how WHtR and RHR contribute to fasting glucose, and found that both WHtR and RHR contribute to fasting glucose levels independent of age, education level, marital status and income level. CONCLUSIONS: The current study showed that the WHtR and RHR are associated with cardio-metabolic risk factor and prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Korean postmenopausal women.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.332-345
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• 2023

Objectives: We examined the association of hearing with cardio-metabolic diseases, dyslipidemia, hypertension and diabetes mellitus according to the personal and occupational characteristics of workers exposed to noise. Methods: The subjects of the study were 237,028 workers who underwent 2, 3, and 4 kHz airway pure tone audiometry in 2015 and who underwent clinical tests to diagnose cardiovascular-metabolic diseases. Cardiovascular-metabolic diseases were defined using reference values for respective items including blood pressure (systolic/diastolic), fasting blood glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides. The airway pure tone hearing threshold of 2, 3, and 4 kHz, the average threshold of 2-3-4 kHz, and the hearing loss by the average threshold of the primary examination were distinguished. Results: Workers with cardiovascular-metabolic disease had significantly higher average hearing thresholds and higher rates of hearing loss. Logistic regression analysis, which adjusted for demographic variables of gender and age and occupational variables such as workplace size, industry, and type of work, and cardiovascular-metabolic disease as independent variables, showed that the odds ratio of hypertension to hearing loss in the mid-frequency was 1.239 (95% confidence interval: 1.118-1.374). For hypertension was 1.159 (1.107-1.214) and for diabetes it was 1.166 (1.104-1.230) for hearing loss in the high-frequency. Hearing loss measured by mean hearing was 1.178 (1.105-1.256) for hypertension and 1.181 (1.097-1.271) for diabetes. Conclusions: Cardiovascular-metabolic diseases in noise-exposed workers are associated with an increased risk of hearing loss and should be accompanied by bio-monitoring of cardiovascular-metabolic diseases in addition to auditory surveillance.

• Clinical Nutrition Research
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.218-228
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• 2023

Recent studies have evaluated the association between specific beverage intake and metabolic risks in adults. However, more evidence is needed to examine the association between the Healthy Beverage Index (HBI) and metabolic factors. Therefore, this study investigated the relationship between HBI and metabolic factors in adults. In this cross-sectional study, 338 overweight and obese individuals living in Tabriz, Iran were selected. Data on beverage consumption, demographics, physical activity, and anthropometric characteristics were evaluated using validated standard protocols. The predefined HBI was calculated based on previous studies. The mean value of HBI index among all of the participants was 59.76 ± 6.51. Those at the higher HBI scores had significantly lower waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, fat mass, and weight (p < 0.05). HBI and triglyceride scores also had a significant relationship. It has been shown that at higher HBI scores compared to lower scores, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels increase while homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, and blood pressure decrease. HBI scores higher among Iranian adults were associated with a better chance of losing weight and weight loss and a better lipid profile, and lower blood pressure. Therefore, HBI can be a useful and helpful tool for assessing the overall quality of beverages adults consume. However, further studies are warranted to confirm the possible health effects of healthy beverage index.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.277-285
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• 2019

An inverse correlation between obesity and arterial stiffness has been reported, but there are no consistent results in elderly subjects. This study examined the relationship between the arterial stiffness measured by the CAVI (cardio-ankle vascular index) and BMI (body mass index) in healthy elderly people. This study included 629 healthy elderly people aged 65 and over who underwent health examinations at a general hospital in Gyeonggi from July 2018 to June 2019. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed using the criteria of the Adult Treatment Panel (ATP) III of the US National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP). Among the criteria of NCEP-ATP III, the waist circumference and obesity criteria were based on the WHO criteria. All subjects underwent a biochemical blood test and an assessment of the CAVI. In both men and women, the CAVI was lower in the obese group than in the normal weight group. Gender (P=0.047), age (P<0.001), BMI (P<0.001), and waist circumference (P=0.008) were factors affecting the CAVI. Gender, high blood pressure, and hyperglycemia were independent positive predictors of the CAVI levels, while obesity was a negative predictor. Therefore, the CAVI and BMI showed an inverse correlation. In conclusion, there was an inverse correlation between the CAVI and BMI in the elderly, and obesity was a negative predictor of the CAVI.

• Journal of Korea Society of Digital Industry and Information Management
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.69-81
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• 2010

Physical manifestations of aging due to the lack of exercise include the slowing down of motor learning, cardiopulmonary degradation, and the increasing difficulty to adapt to the environment. Aging is manifested with the lack of aerobic exercise work, decrease in muscular endurance, decline in skeletal and muscular strength, flexibility and agility, and the decrease in reaction speed and balance. Added to those are aging-related physiological changes, including the reduction of muscle bulk, increased body fat, decrease in total body water and basic metabolic rate as activities are reduced, and a decrease in cell and Lean Body Mass (LBM). These changes are known to cause problems. Interest and participation in appropriate physical activities among the elderly is needed to help them increase stamina, avoid diseases, maintain a clear intellect, and basically enable the elderly to live their daily lives as easy as possible. Therefore, physical activities are necessary for the elderly to enhance health-related factors. Special exercises should be performed for the enhancement of muscle function, muscle endurance, flexibility, agility, and balance. An accurate measurement of cardio-respiratory endurance and stamina through basic physical and cognitive characteristics of older adults is also required to ensure safety. Also, the development of a more scientific resistance exercise prescription system for the elderly is desperately needed.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.15-22
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• 2015

Dexamethasone, a synthetic glucocorticoid (GC), is clinically administered to woman at risk for premature labor to induce fetal lung maturation. However, exposure to repeated or excess GCs leads to intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and subsequently increases risk of psychiatric and cardio-metabolic diseases in later life through fetal programming mechanisms. GCs are key mediators of stress responses, therefore, maternal nutrient restriction or psychological stress during pregnancy also causes negative impacts on birth and neurodevelopment outcome of fetuses, and other congenital defects, such as craniofacial and skeletal abnormalities. In this study, to examine the effect of prenatal stress on fetal skeletal development, dexamethasone (1 mg/kg [DEX1] or 10 mg/kg [DEX10] maternal body weight per day) was administered intraperitoneally at gestational day 7.5~9.5 and the skeletons were prepared from embryos at day 18.5. Seven out of eighteen (39%) embryos treated with DEX10 showed axial skeletal abnormalities in either the T13 or L1 vertebrae. In addition, examination of the sternum revealed that xiphoid process, the protrusive triangular part of the lower end of the sternum, was bent more outward or inward in DEX group embryos. In conclusion, our findings suggest a possible link to the understanding of the effect of uterine environment to the fetal skeletal features.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.386-394
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• 2019

Trypanosoma cruzi infection results in debilitating cardiomyopathy, which is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in the endemic regions of Chagas disease (CD). The pathogenesis of Chagasic cardiomyopathy (CCM) has been intensely studied as a chronic inflammatory disease until recent observations reporting the role of cardio-metabolic dysfunctions. In particular, we demonstrated accumulation of lipid droplets and impaired cardiac lipid metabolism in the hearts of cardiomyopathic mice and patients, and their association with impaired mitochondrial functions and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in CD mice. In the present study, we examined whether treating infected mice with an ER stress inhibitor can modify the pathogenesis of cardiomyopathy during chronic stages of infection. T. cruzi infected mice were treated with an ER stress inhibitor 2-Aminopurine (2AP) during the indeterminate stage and evaluated for cardiac pathophysiology during the subsequent chronic stage. Our study demonstrates that inhibition of ER stress improves cardiac pathology caused by T. cruzi infection by reducing ER stress and downstream signaling of phosphorylated eukaryotic initiation factor ($P-elF2{\alpha}$) in the hearts of chronically infected mice. Importantly, cardiac ultrasound imaging showed amelioration of ventricular enlargement, suggesting that inhibition of ER stress may be a valuable strategy to combat the progression of cardiomyopathy in Chagas patients.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.433-444
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• 2017

This study was conducted to identify relationships between lung function disorders and Metabolic Syndrome(MetS) that have common comorbidities such as Cardio Vascular Diseases(CVD). According to the hypothesis that there may be a significant relationship between them, analyses were conducted to identify the proper management point for those diseases. Overall, 53,829 data were taken from KNHANES 2008-2013. Included data were PFT(Pulmonary Function Test) done and age over 40. All the 14 confounders applied, only 8,137 cases (M:3,951, F:4,186) were left. Low pulmonary function was divided into two categories, obstructive and restrictive patterns, based on the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease(GOLD) criteria, while MetS was defined based on the revised NCEP-ATPIII criteria. The relationships between those diseases were analyzed using logistic regression analysis. In addition, for the prevalence rate, cross-tab analysis were conducted. There were no significant relationships observed between obstructive lung disease and MetS, but a restrictive pattern had a meaningful relationship with MetS. Specifically, MetS showed a higher prevalence rate for both obstructive and restrictive pattern patients than the control group. Restrictive pattern patients showed a higher prevalence rate to MetS than obstructive patients. Overall, restrictive lung patterns showed a meaningful association with MetS, but not with obstructive patterns. Additionally, the prevalence rate of MetS among restrictive patients was higher than among obstructive patients.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.218-225
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• 2011

Objectives: This study investigated the relationship between the blood mercury concentration and cardiovascular risk factors in elderly Korean individuals living in coastal areas. Methods: The sample consisted of 477 adults (164 males, 313 females) aged 40 to 65 years who visited a Busan health promotion center from June to September in 2009. The relationship between blood mercury concentration and cardiovascular risk factors including metabolic syndrome, cholesterol profiles, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), was investigated. Variables related to blood mercury concentration were further evaluated using multiple regression analysis. Results: The blood mercury concentration of the study population was 7.99 (range, 7.60 to 8.40) ${\mu}g$/L. In males, the blood mercury concentration was 9.74 (8.92 to 10.63) ${\mu}g$/L, which was significantly higher than that in females (7.21, [6.80 to 7.64] ${\mu}g$/L). The blood mercury concentration of the study population was related to several cardiovascular risk factors including low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (p=0.044), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (p=0.034), BMI (p = 0.006), waist circumference (p = 0.031), and WHR (p < 0.001). In males, the blood mercury concentration was significantly correlated with WHR in the multiple regression analysis. Conclusions: In males, the blood mercury concentration was related to waist-to-hip ratio, which is a central obesity index and cardiovascular risk factor. Our finding suggests that cardiovascular disease risk in males was increased by mercury exposure via an obesity-related mechanism.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.106-118
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• 2023

Objectives: Network pharmacology is a method of constructing and analyzing a drug-compound-target network to predict potential efficacy and mechanisms related to drug targets. In that large-scale analysis can be performed in a short time, it is considered a suitable tool to explore the function and role of herbal medicine. Thus, we investigated the potential functions and pathways of Chongmyunggongjin-dan (CMGJD) on Alzheimer's disease (AD) via network pharmacology analysis. Methods: Using public databases and PubChem database, compounds of CMGJD and their target genes were collected. The putative target genes of CMGJD and known target genes of AD were compared and found the correlation. Then, the network was constructed using Cytoscape 3.9.1. and functional enrichment analysis was conducted based on the Gene Ontology (GO) Biological process and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) Pathways to predict the mechanisms. Results: The result showed that total 104 compounds and 1157 related genes were gathered from CMGJD. The network consisted of 1157nodes and 10034 edges. 859 genes were interacted with AD gene set, suggesting that the effects of CMGJD are closely related to AD. Target genes of CMGJD are considerably associated with various pathways including 'Positive regulation of chemokine production', 'Cellular response to toxic substance', 'Arachidonic acid metabolic process', 'PI3K-Akt signaling pathway', 'Metabolic pathways', 'IL-17 signaling pathway' and 'Neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction'. Conclusion: Through a network pharmacological method, CMGJD was predicted to have high relevance with AD by regulating inflammation. This study could be used as a basis for effects of CMGJD on AD.