Background. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the leading causes of chronic liver disease and is closely associated with cardiometabolic disorders, being insulin resistance (IR) the ...common pathogenic mechanism. The triglycerides/glucose (TyG) index and triglycerides/HDL-c (TG/HDL) ratio are markers correlated with IR. We compared the capacity of these two indexes, alongside IR, to detect NAFLD. Methods. In a cross-sectional cohort study, we examined 263 active military personnel from the Colombian Air Force, aged between 29 and 54 years. Anthropometric measurements and biochemical determinations (glycemia, lipid profile, and insulin) were obtained, and ultrasound studies were performed to evaluate the presence of NAFLD. HOMA-IR index was calculated as (fasting insulin (µIU/mL) × fasting glucose (mmol/L)/22.5), the TyG index as Ln (triglycerides (mg/dL) × fasting glucose (mg/dL)/2), and the TG/HDL ratio as (triglycerides (mg/dL)/HDL-c (mg/dL)). Results. NAFLD ultrasound criteria were met in 70 individuals (26.6%). Subjects with NAFLD had significantly higher values of HOMA-IR (2.55 ± 1.36 vs. 1.51 ± 0.91), TyG (9.17 ± 0.53 vs. 8.7 ± 0.51), and TG/HDL (6.6 ± 4.54 vs. 3.52 ± 2.32) compared to those without NAFLD p<0.001. A TyG cutoff point of 8.92 showed an AUC of 0.731, while cutoff points of 3.83 for TG/HDL and 1.68 for HOMA-IR showed an AUC of 0.766 and 0.781, respectively. Conclusion. Our study shows that novel and lower-cost markers of IR are useful for detecting NALFD, with a performance comparable to the HOMA-IR index. These markers should be used as the first step when screening patients for NAFLD.
Abstract
Because the ovarian response to FSH stimulation in assisted reproduction is variable, ranging from hyporesponse to hyperresponse, with the possible complication of ovarian hyperstimulation, ...it would be of great benefit to predict the response of the patients to FSH. To date, no clear-cut predictors of ovarian responsiveness to FSH have been identified. In this study, we investigated the role of two distinct FSH receptor (FSHR) variants, Thr307/Asn680 and Ala307/Ser680, in the response to FSH in women undergoing controlled ovarian stimulation.
The FSHR polymorphism at position 680 was analyzed by restriction-fragment-length polymorphism in 161 ovulatory women below the age of 40 yr. With reference to the couple, infertility has been diagnosed as being attributable to male causes (76%), tubal factor (11%), or both (13%). The distribution was 29% for the Asn/Asn, 45% for the Asn/Ser, and 26% for the Ser/Ser FSHR variant. Peak estradiol levels, number of preovulatory follicles, and number of retrieved oocytes were similar in the 3 groups. However, basal FSH levels were significantly different among the 3 groups (6.4 ± 0.4 IU/L, 7.9 ± 0.3 IU/L, and 8.3 ± 0.6 IU/L for the Asn/Asn, Asn/Ser, and Ser/Ser groups, respectively, P < 0.01). The number of FSH ampoules required for successful stimulation was significantly different among the 3 groups (31.8 ± 2.4, 40.7 ± 2.3, and 46.8 ± 5.0 for the Asn/Asn, Asn/Ser, and Ser/Ser groups, respectively, P < 0.05). According to multiple linear regression analysis, the number of ampoules needed could be predicted from a linear combination of both the type of polymorphism and basal FSH levels (P < 0.001).
These clinical findings demonstrate that the ovarian response to FSH stimulation depends on the FSHR genotype.
Myokines are a group of protein mediators produced by skeletal muscle under stress or physical exertion. Even though their discovery and effects in cell culture and animal models of disease have ...elicited great enthusiasm, very little is known about their role in human metabolism. We assessed whether plasma concentrations of three known myokines myonectin, myostatin, and fibroblast-derived growth factor 21 (FGF-21) would be associated with direct and indirect indicators of insulin resistance (IR) in individuals who did not have a diagnosis of diabetes.
We studied 81 adults of both sexes comprising a wide range of body adiposity and insulin sensitivity. All participants underwent a thorough clinical assessment and a 5-point oral glucose tolerance test with calculation of multiple IR and insulin sensitivity indices. Twenty-one of them additionally underwent a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp with determination of steady-state whole-body insulin-stimulated glucose disposal ("M"). We compared plasma myokine concentrations across quartiles of IR indices and clinical IR surrogates, and explored the correlation of each myokine with the
-value.
Plasma myonectin levels increased monotonically across quartiles of the incremental area under the insulin curve (higher values indicate more IR) (
-trend = 0.021) and decreased monotonically across quartiles of the insulin sensitivity index (ISI - higher values indicate less IR) (
-trend = 0.012). After multivariate adjustment for other relevant determinants of IR (body mass index, age, and sex), the negative association of myonectin with ISI persisted (standardized beta = -0.235,
= 0.023). Myostatin was not associated with any clinical IR indicator or direct IR index measure. In multivariate analyses, FGF-21 showed a trend toward a positive correlation with glucose disposal that did not reach statistical significance (standardized beta = 0.476,
= 0.091).
The secretion of myonectin may constitute an attempt at a compensatory mechanism against IR in humans.
Controversies exist on whether the presence of cardiovascular risk factors and their association with major cardiovascular events (MACE) is different between men and women. Most of the evidence comes ...from high-income countries, hindering extrapolation of sociocultural and demographic factors of other regions.
To evaluate sex differences in the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and the incidence of MACE and diabetes in Colombian adults.
We performed a survival analysis from women and men aged 35-70 belonging to the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology-Colombia prospective study. Incidence rates for MACE composite (myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, death) and each outcome and diabetes were calculated. Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests were performed. The association between demographic, behavioral, and metabolic variables with MACE and diabetes were evaluated with Cox proportional hazards models.
7,552 participants (50±9.7 years) were included; 64% were women. Women had higher hypertension prevalence, body mass index, levels of total cholesterol, LDL-c, and HDL-c but lower triglycerides levels. Women were more sedentary but fewer smokers or active alcohol consumers and had higher educational levels. After 12-year mean follow-up (SD 2.3), the incidence rate of MACE composite was higher in men 4.2 (3.6-4.9) vs. 3.2 (2.8-3.7) cases per 1000 person-years. Diabetes had the greatest association with MACE (HR = 2.63 95%CI:1.85;3.76), followed by hypertension (HR = 1.75 95%CI:1.30;2.35), low relative grip strength (HR = 1.53 95%CI:1.15;2.02), smoking (HR = 1.47 95%CI: 1.11;1.93), low physical activity (HR = 1.42 95%CI: 1.03;1.96). When evaluating risk factors by sex, only an increased waist-to-hip ratio was more strongly associated with MACE in men (p-interaction <0.05).
The composite MACE outcome was higher in men despite having a lower overall burden of risk factors. The risk factors contribution was similar, leading us to reconsider the need to carrying out differentiated cardiovascular risk prevention and management campaigns, at least in our region.
Background
Abdominal obesity (AO) indirectly represents visceral adiposity and can be assessed by waist circumference (WC) measurement. In Latin America, cut-off points for the diagnosis of AO are ...based on Asian population data. We aim to establish the WC cut-off points to predict major cardiovascular events (MACE) and incident diabetes.
Methods
We analyzed data from the cohort PURE study in Colombia. WC cut-off points were defined according to the maximum Youden index. Multivariate logistic regression was used to obtain associations between WC and MACE, diabetes, and cumulative incidence of outcomes visualized using Kaplan-Meier curves.
Results
After a mean follow-up of 12 years, 6,580 individuals with a mean age of 50.7 ± 9.7 years were included; 64.2% were women, and 53.5% were from rural areas. The mean WC was 85.2 ± 11.6 cm and 88.3 ± 11.1 cm in women and men, respectively. There were 635 cases of the MACE composite plus incident diabetes (5.25 events per 1,000 person-years). Using a cut-off value of 88.85 cm in men (sensitivity = 0.565) and 85.65 cm in women (sensitivity = 0.558) resulted in the highest value for the prediction of the main outcome. These values were associated with a 1.76 and 1.41-fold increased risk of presenting the composite outcome in men and women, respectively.
Conclusions
We defined WC cut-off points of 89 cm in men and 86 cm in women to identify the elevated risk of MACE and incident diabetes. Therefore, we suggest using these values in cardiovascular risk assessment in Latin America.
Abstract
BACKGROUND
A higher prevalence of hypertension is reported among Afro-descendants compared with other ethnic groups in high-income countries; however, there is a paucity of information in ...low- and medium-income countries.
METHODS
We evaluated 3,745 adults from 3 ethnic groups (552 White, 2,746 Mestizos, 447 Afro-descendants) enrolled in the prospective population-based cohort study (PURE)—Colombia. We assessed associations between anthropometric, socioeconomic, behavioral factors, and hypertension.
RESULTS
The overall prevalence of hypertension was 39.2% and was higher in Afro-descendants (46.3%) than in Mestizos (37.6%) and Whites (41.5%), differences that were due to the higher prevalence in Afro-descendant women. Hypertension was associated with older age, increased body mass index, waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio, independent of ethnicity. Low education was associated with hypertension in all ethnic groups, and particularly in Afro-descendants, for whom it was the factor with the strongest association with prevalence. Notably, 70% of Afro-descendants had a low level of education, compared with 52% of Whites—26% of Whites were university graduates while only 7% of Afro-descendants were. We did not find that education level alone had a mediator effect, suggesting that it is not a causal risk factor for hypertension but is an indicator of socioeconomic status, itself an important determinant of hypertension prevalence.
CONCLUSIONS
We found that a higher prevalence of hypertension in Colombian Afro-descendants than other ethnic groups. This was principally associated with their lower mean educational level, an indicator of lower socioeconomic status.
Graphical Abstract
Graphical Abstract
Some studies, mainly from high-income countries (HICs), report that women receive less care (investigations and treatments) for cardiovascular disease than do men and might have a higher risk of ...death. However, very few studies systematically report risk factors, use of primary or secondary prevention medications, incidence of cardiovascular disease, or death in populations drawn from the community. Given that most cardiovascular disease occurs in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), there is a need for comprehensive information comparing treatments and outcomes between women and men in HICs, middle-income countries, and low-income countries from community-based population studies.
In the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiological study (PURE), individuals aged 35–70 years from urban and rural communities in 27 countries were considered for inclusion. We recorded information on participants' sociodemographic characteristics, risk factors, medication use, cardiac investigations, and interventions. 168 490 participants who enrolled in the first two of the three phases of PURE were followed up prospectively for incident cardiovascular disease and death.
From Jan 6, 2005 to May 6, 2019, 202 072 individuals were recruited to the study. The mean age of women included in the study was 50·8 (SD 9·9) years compared with 51·7 (10) years for men. Participants were followed up for a median of 9·5 (IQR 8·5–10·9) years. Women had a lower cardiovascular disease risk factor burden using two different risk scores (INTERHEART and Framingham). Primary prevention strategies, such as adoption of several healthy lifestyle behaviours and use of proven medicines, were more frequent in women than men. Incidence of cardiovascular disease (4·1 95% CI 4·0–4·2 for women vs 6·4 6·2–6·6 for men per 1000 person-years; adjusted hazard ratio aHR 0·75 95% CI 0·72–0·79) and all-cause death (4·5 95% CI 4·4–4·7 for women vs 7·4 7·2–7·7 for men per 1000 person-years; aHR 0·62 95% CI 0·60–0·65) were also lower in women. By contrast, secondary prevention treatments, cardiac investigations, and coronary revascularisation were less frequent in women than men with coronary artery disease in all groups of countries. Despite this, women had lower risk of recurrent cardiovascular disease events (20·0 95% CI 18·2–21·7 versus 27·7 95% CI 25·6–29·8 per 1000 person-years in men, adjusted hazard ratio 0·73 95% CI 0·64-0·83) and women had lower 30-day mortality after a new cardiovascular disease event compared with men (22% in women versus 28% in men; p<0·0001). Differences between women and men in treatments and outcomes were more marked in LMICs with little differences in HICs in those with or without previous cardiovascular disease.
Treatments for cardiovascular disease are more common in women than men in primary prevention, but the reverse is seen in secondary prevention. However, consistently better outcomes are observed in women than in men, both in those with and without previous cardiovascular disease. Improving cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment, especially in LMICs, should be vigorously pursued in both women and men.
Full funding sources are listed at the end of the paper (see Acknowledgments).
Black Carbon (BC) is an important component of household air pollution (HAP) in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs), but levels and drivers of exposure are poorly understood. As part of the ...Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiological (PURE) study, we analyzed 48-hour BC measurements for 1187 individual and 2242 household samples from 88 communities in 8 LMICs (Bangladesh, Chile, China, Colombia, India, Pakistan, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe). Light absorbance (10−5 m−1) of collected PM2.5 filters, a proxy for BC concentrations, was calculated via an image-based reflectance method. Surveys of household/personal characteristics and behaviors were collected after monitoring. The geometric mean (GM) of personal and household BC measures was 2.4 (3.3) and 3.5 (3.9)·10−5 m−1, respectively. The correlation between BC and PM2.5 was r = 0.76 for personal and r = 0.82 for household measures. A gradient of increasing BC concentrations was observed for cooking fuels: BC increased 53% (95%CI: 30, 79) for coal, 142% (95%CI: 117, 169) for wood, and 190% (95%CI: 149, 238) for other biomass, compared to gas. Each hour of cooking was associated with an increase in household (5%, 95%CI: 3, 7) and personal (5%, 95%CI: 2, 8) BC; having a window in the kitchen was associated with a decrease in household (−38%, 95%CI: −45, −30) and personal (−31%, 95%CI: −44, −15) BC; and cooking on a mud stove, compared to a clean stove, was associated with an increase in household (125%, 95%CI: 96, 160) and personal (117%, 95%CI: 71, 117) BC. Male participants only had slightly lower personal BC (−0.6%, 95%CI: −1, 0.0) compared to females. In multivariate models, we were able to explain 46–60% of household BC variation and 33–54% of personal BC variation. These data and models provide new information on exposure to BC in LMICs, which can be incorporated into future exposure assessments, health research, and policy surrounding HAP and BC.
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•Black Carbon (BC) from household air pollution is an environmental health hazard.•Few studies measure household and personal BC levels to inform health research.•We measured BC for 2242 households and 1187 individuals in 8 developing countries.•We observed strong gradients of increasing BC from clean to solid fuel use.•Multivariable models were able to explain a substantial portion of BC measurements.
Household air pollution (HAP) from cooking with solid fuels has been associated with adverse respiratory effects, but most studies use surveys of fuel use to define HAP exposure, rather than on ...actual air pollution exposure measurements.
To examine associations between household and personal fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and black carbon (BC) measures and respiratory symptoms.
As part of the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology Air Pollution study, we analyzed 48-h household and personal PM2.5 and BC measurements for 870 individuals using different cooking fuels from 62 communities in 8 countries (Bangladesh, Chile, China, Colombia, India, Pakistan, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe). Self-reported respiratory symptoms were collected after monitoring. Associations between PM2.5 and BC exposures and respiratory symptoms were examined using logistic regression models, controlling for individual, household, and community covariates.
The median (interquartile range) of household and personal PM2.5 was 73.5 (119.1) and 65.3 (91.5) μg/m3, and for household and personal BC was 3.4 (8.3) and 2.5 (4.9) x10−5 m−1, respectively. We observed associations between household PM2.5 and wheeze (OR: 1.25; 95%CI: 1.07, 1.46), cough (OR: 1.22; 95%CI: 1.06, 1.39), and sputum (OR: 1.26; 95%CI: 1.10, 1.44), as well as exposure to household BC and wheeze (OR: 1.20; 95%CI: 1.03, 1.39) and sputum (OR: 1.20; 95%CI: 1.05, 1.36), per IQR increase. We observed associations between personal PM2.5 and wheeze (OR: 1.23; 95%CI: 1.00, 1.50) and sputum (OR: 1.19; 95%CI: 1.00, 1.41). For household PM2.5 and BC, associations were generally stronger for females compared to males. Models using an indicator variable of solid versus clean fuels resulted in larger OR estimates with less precision.
We used measurements of household and personal air pollution for individuals using different cooking fuels and documented strong associations with respiratory symptoms.
•Multi-country study of measured personal and household air pollution.•Measured air pollution exposure associated with respiratory symptoms.•Household measures more strongly associated than personal measures.•PM2.5 measures more strongly associated than black carbon measures.•Larger associations for female compared to male individuals.
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