The Effects of Smoking on the Diagnostic Characteristics of Metabolic Syndrome: A Review

Association between urinary fluoride concentrations and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in adult individuals from the Central Region of Mexico

Emerging scientific studies have supported the hypothesis that exposure to environmental chemicals increases the incidence of diverse human metabolic disorders. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the association between fluoride exposure and metabolic syndrome (MetS) prevalence in people from the Central Region of Mexico. This research included 575 adult individuals. Urinary fluoride concentrations were determined using a potentiometric method. Anthropometric measurements and blood pressure were also acquired. Serum fasting glucose and lipid levels were quantified. For the MetS screening, we used the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) criteria. The mean urinary fluoride levels were 3.50 ± 2.50 mg/L. The prevalence of MetS was approximately 27 and 25% according to NCEP ATP III and IDF criteria, respectively. A multivariate logistic regression analysis showed significant associations (p < 0.05) between urinary fluoride concentrations and MetS occurrence using NCEP ATP III criteria (OR = 1.60; 95% CI 1.05-2.10) and IDF criteria (OR = 1.35; 95% CI 0.95-1.45). These findings emphasize the need to discover the underlying mechanisms that fluoride exposure has on MetS pathogenesis.

Concordance of Characteristics and Metabolic Syndrome in Couples: Insights from a National Survey

Background and Objective: There is insufficient evidence on whether the concordance of sociodemographic, behavioral, and nutritional characteristics between spouses correlates with the concordance of metabolic syndrome (MetS) between spouses, or if a spouse's characteristics are directly linked to their own MetS. This study seeks to evaluate the association between the concordance of characteristics and the concordance of MetS in couples and investigate whether a spouse's attributes are linked to their partner's MetS. Methods: Analyzing data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2019-2021, 1824 couples with complete data, including MetS parameters, sociodemographic details, health behaviors, and dietary information, were included. General linear model and logistic regression were employed. Results: Among couples, 10.7% exhibited concordant MetS, with spousal concordance ranging from 1.3% to 81.5% for nonoptimal characteristics. Multivariate analysis revealed that the odds of both partners having MetS increased by 1.04-1.61 times with a higher mean age of the couple and higher concordance in lower education, poor subjective health, insufficient strength exercise, and excessive carbohydrate consumption. When accounting for both individual and spousal factors, the odds of MetS rose with the higher mean age of the couple, having a spouse with MetS, their own characteristics (lower education, poor subjective health, insufficient strength exercise, and sedentary behavior for husbands and wives; alcohol consumption and insufficient walking for husbands; and excessive carbohydrate intake for wives), and spousal factors such as smoking (in husbands) and lower education, lower economic status, and excessive carbohydrate intake (in wives). In wives, spousal sedentary behavior and poor subjective health were linked to decreased odds. Conclusions: The findings suggest a connection between MetS concordance and shared characteristics in couples, as well as an association between both spousal MetS status and characteristics and their own MetS.

Influence of Smoking and Controlled Medical Conditions on the Risks of Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion in South Korea: A Population-Based Study

PURPOSE

To evaluate the effect of controlled medical conditions and risk of lifetime smoking history on the prevalence of branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) based on the Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey (KNHANES) database from 2017-2021.

METHODS

The study population consisted of individuals aged ≥ 40 years who had completed ophthalmological questionnaires, underwent comprehensive ophthalmological examinations, and had at least one good-quality readable fundus photograph. Age, sex, hypertension status, diabetes status, dyslipidemia status, body mass index status, a history of chronic kidney disease (CKD), a lifetime smoking history of ≥ 100 cigarettes, and glaucoma were subjected to univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS

The estimated prevalence (± standard error) of RVO was 0.5% (±0.1%). Significant risk factors were one-year increase in age, female sex, hypertension (stage 1, controlled, uncontrolled, and undiagnosed hypertension), underweight, pre-obesity, history of CKD, lifetime smoking history of ≥ 100 cigarettes, and glaucoma. Controlled diabetes decreased the risk of BRVO by 55% (odds ratio [OR] = 0.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.22-0.89, p = 0.022) and controlled hyper-high-density-lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterolemia decreased the risk by 69% (OR = 0.31, 95% CI = 0.13-0.76, p = 0.010).

CONCLUSION

This study, for the first time, reported the association between lifetime smoking history of ≥ 100 cigarettes and BRVO in Korea. The risk of BRVO was lower in participants with controlled diabetes and hypo-HDL-cholesterolemia.

Sleep Quality, Nutrient Intake, and Social Development Index Predict Metabolic Syndrome in the Tlalpan 2020 Cohort: A Machine Learning and Synthetic Data Study

This study investigated the relationship between Metabolic Syndrome (MetS), sleep disorders, the consumption of some nutrients, and social development factors, focusing on gender differences in an unbalanced dataset from a Mexico City cohort. We used data balancing techniques like SMOTE and ADASYN after employing machine learning models like random forest and RPART to predict MetS. Random forest excelled, achieving significant, balanced accuracy, indicating its robustness in predicting MetS and achieving a balanced accuracy of approximately 87%. Key predictors for men included body mass index and family history of gout, while waist circumference and glucose levels were most significant for women. In relation to diet, sleep quality, and social development, metabolic syndrome in men was associated with high lactose and carbohydrate intake, educational lag, living with a partner without marrying, and lack of durable goods, whereas in women, best predictors in these dimensions include protein, fructose, and cholesterol intake, copper metabolites, snoring, sobbing, drowsiness, sanitary adequacy, and anxiety. These findings underscore the need for personalized approaches in managing MetS and point to a promising direction for future research into the interplay between social factors, sleep disorders, and metabolic health, which mainly depend on nutrient consumption by region.

Therapeutic potential of adiponectin in prediabetes: strategies, challenges, and future directions

Adiponectin, an adipose-derived hormone, plays a pivotal role in glucose regulation and lipid metabolism, with a decrease in circulating adiponectin levels being linked to insulin resistance and prediabetes. This review examines the therapeutic potential of adiponectin in managing prediabetes, elucidating on multiple aspects including its role in glucose and lipid metabolism, influence on insulin sensitivity, and anti-inflammatory properties. Moreover, the paper highlights the latest strategies to augment adiponectin levels, such as gene therapy, pharmacological interventions, dietary modifications, and lifestyle changes. It also addresses the challenges encountered in translating preclinical findings into clinical practice, primarily related to drug delivery, safety, and efficacy. Lastly, the review proposes future directions, underlining the need for large-scale human trials, novel adiponectin analogs, and personalized treatment strategies to harness adiponectin's full therapeutic potential in preventing the transition from prediabetes to diabetes.

Obesity and Dyslipidemia

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This article sumarizes pathopysiological consequencies between obesity and dyslipidemia and aims to bring some practical approach.

RECENT FINDINGS

Dyslipidemia is often present in individuals with obesity and simultaneusly, many obese individuals have lipid metabolism disorders. Especially the abdominal obesity increases the cardiometabolic risk because of the presence of atherogenic dyslipidemia while the total low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) may be normal. LDL-C is the primary goal in dyslipidemia treatment. Apoliprotein B (Apo B) and non - high density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) should be estimated to precise the cardiovascular risk and represents the secondary goal in treatment. Weight loss either with diet or antiobestic medication induces the decrease in triglycerides (TG) and LDL-C and the increase in HDL-C. Composition of nutrients, esp. fatty acids, influences lipid levels. Bariatric surgery is efficient in weight loss and has a significant effect on serum lipids. Dyslipidemia and obesity present common diseases that must be managed to decrease the cardiovascular risk and the risk of obesity-related complications.

Nano-curcumin effects on nicotine dependence, depression, anxiety and metabolic parameters in smokers: A randomized double-blind clinical study

Background

Smoking is clearly associated with metabolic profiles/abnormalities, psychological dysfunction, and symptoms of nicotine dependence. Nano-Curcumin (Nano-CUR) is a medicinal herb with antianxiety, antioxidant antidepressant-like effects, and anti-inflammatory properties. This RCT aimed to determine the therapeutic effects of Nano-CUR in smokers on clinical symptoms and metabolic parameters.

Methods

This trial was conducted on 70 participants with cigarette smoking. Smokers in two arms received soft gel capsules Nano-CUR 80 mg/daily for 3 months (n = 35) and placebo (n = 35), respectively. Primary outcomes (Nicotine dependence syndrome scale, depression, and anxiety beck score), and secondary outcomes (glycemic, lipid, stress oxidative, and inflammation profiles) were analyzed before and 3-months after the intervention in smokers.

Results

Nano-CUR supplementation significantly decreased nitric oxide, malondialdehyde, and C-reactive protein levels (P < 0.05), compared to the control. Furthermore, no significant effect change was shown in nicotine dependence syndrome, depression, anxiety, and other metabolic parameters (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

Nano-CUR intake may have favorable effects on C-reactive protein, malondialdehyde, and nitric oxide in subjects with cigarette smoking. More RCT are required to evaluate the effectiveness of Nano-CUR supplementations in smokers in order to reject or support these conclude.