Differences of Sedentary Behavior, Physical Activity, and Metabolic Syndrome Severity Among Metabolic Syndrome Clusters

Background: Sedentary behavior (SB), physical activity (PA), and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are risk indicators for cardiometabolic diseases. Novel methods for researching MetS by the 16 unique clusters (i.e., WC+FBG+BP) and as a continuous severity z-score (MetS-Z) have emerged. This study examined how SB, PA, and MetS-Z differed among MetS clusters and SB and PA differences by MetS-Z tertiles. Methods: Using 2015-2016 National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) data, participants with MetS (N = 792) were identified. Subsequently, sex-, race-, and ethnicity-specific MetS-Z were calculated. SB and PA differences were compared between MetS clusters and MetS-Z tertiles. Additionally, MetS-Z was compared between MetS clusters. Results: The WC+FBG+BP MetS cluster was prevalent among 23.80% of participants (95% CIs, 18.41-30.18) and the overall mean MetS-Z was 1.16 (1.08-1.24). Participants reported over 6 daily hours of SB (393.41 minutes⋅day-1 [370.07-416.75]). The TRI+FBG+BP+HDL MetS cluster had less SB than the WC+TRI+FBG+HDL, WC+TRI+HDL, and WC+FBG+BP MetS clusters. PA did not differ between MetS clusters and no differences in SB or PA between MetS-Z tertiles. Conclusions: Limited differences in SB and PA were observed. Participants with 4 or more MetS criteria had worse MetS-Z. Efforts should support replacing SB with PA to improve cardiometabolic health.

The dietary intake of chronic kidney disease according to stages: Findings from the Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey

Appropriate dietary adjustment in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is important, and nutritional guidelines recommend different dietary management depending on the CKD stage. However, there is no study, to our knowledge, of the characteristics of dietary intake according to CKD stages. We tried to assess the comparison of nutritional intake according to CKD stages. A cross-sectional study was conducted to reveal the characteristics of dietary intake among patients with CKD based on the Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey between 2011 and 2014. Of 16,878 participants, we classified non-CKD (n = 14,952) and CKD (n = 1,926), which was stratified into five groups (I, II, IIIa, IIIb, and IV–V). We investigated the characteristics of dietary intake, such as energy, water, protein, fat, carbohydrate, sodium, potassium, calcium, and phosphorus, according to stage of CKD. We also explored nutritional intake according to CKD stage among patients with early CKD (stage I and II) and advanced CKD (stage IIIa, IIIb, and IV–V). Intake of majority of nutrients and energy tended to be decreased as CKD progressed. In early CKD stage, intake of energy, water, protein, fat, carbohydrate, potassium, calcium and phosphorus seemed to be statistically significant decreased as CKD progressed. In advanced CKD stage, intake of potassium and calcium seemed to be decreased as CKD progressed, but the intake of energy was about to be lower limit. Appropriate dietary education and CKD recognition are needed to improve nutritional intake depending on the CKD stage.

Effect of the Interaction between Depression and Sleep Disorders on the Stroke Occurrence: An Analysis Based on National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey

Objective. To investigate the effect of the interaction between depression and sleep disorders on the stroke occurrence based on the data from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES). Methods. Seven cycles of 2-year NHANES data (2005-2018) were analyzed in this study. Univariate analysis was first performed between the stroke and nonstroke patients, and then, multivariate logistic regression models were conducted to analyze the association of depression, sleep disorders, and their interactions with stroke occurrence. Results. A total of 30473 eligible participants were included in this study, including 1138 (3.73%) with stroke and 29335 (96.27%) with nonstroke. Except sex, the differences were all significant between the stroke and nonstroke patients in baseline information (all P < 0.001 ). Depression (odds ratio (OR): 2.494, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.098-2.964), depression severity (moderate, OR: 2.013, 95% CI: 1.612-2.514; moderately severe, OR: 2.598, 95% CI: 1.930-3.496; severe, OR: 5.588, 95% CI: 3.883-8.043), and sleep disorders (OR: 1.677, 95% CI: 1.472-1.910) were presented to be associated with an increased risk of stroke after correcting all the confounders. The logistic regression analysis showed that there was a synergic, additive interaction between depression and sleep disorders on the stroke occurrence, and the proportion of stroke patients caused by this interaction accounted for 27.1% of all the stroke patients. Conclusion. Depression, depression severity, and sleep disorders are all independently associated with a high risk of stroke. The interaction between depression and sleep disorders can synergistically increase the stroke occurrence.

Risk factor assessments of temporomandibular disorders via machine learning

This study aimed to use artificial intelligence to determine whether biological and psychosocial factors, such as stress, socioeconomic status, and working conditions, were major risk factors for temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). Data were retrieved from the fourth Korea National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (2009), with information concerning 4744 participants’ TMDs, demographic factors, socioeconomic status, working conditions, and health-related determinants. Based on variable importance observed from the random forest, the top 20 determinants of self-reported TMDs were body mass index (BMI), household income (monthly), sleep (daily), obesity (subjective), health (subjective), working conditions (control, hygiene, respect, risks, and workload), occupation, education, region (metropolitan), residence type (apartment), stress, smoking status, marital status, and sex. The top 20 determinants of temporomandibular disorders determined via a doctor’s diagnosis were BMI, age, household income (monthly), sleep (daily), obesity (subjective), working conditions (control, hygiene, risks, and workload), household income (subjective), subjective health, education, smoking status, residence type (apartment), region (metropolitan), sex, marital status, and allergic rhinitis. This study supports the hypothesis, highlighting the importance of obesity, general health, stress, socioeconomic status, and working conditions in the management of TMDs.

Association between triglyceride-glucose index and thyroid function in euthyroid adults: The Korea National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey 2015

Objectives Low-normal thyroid function is associated with numerous metabolic risk factors including insulin resistance (IR). Triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index is a new surrogate marker of IR calculated by fasting triglyceride and glucose levels. Here, we investigated the association between thyroid function and TyG index in non-diabetic euthyroid adults. Methods This cross-sectional study was based on data from the Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey 2015 including 1482 individuals (741 men and 741 women). Serum thyrotropin (TSH) and free thyroxine (fT4) levels were measured. Results After adjusting for confounders, there was an inverse relationship of TyG index with fT4 in men (β = –0.094, P = 0.009) and a positive relationship of TyG index with TSH in women (β = 0.078, P = 0.018). The lowest fT4 tertile in men (P = 0.001) and the highest TSH tertile in women (P = 0.010) exhibited increased TyG index after adjusting for confounders. The lowest fT4 tertile also showed increased homeostatic model assessment for IR (HOMA-IR) only in men (P = 0.006). Odds ratios (ORs) for the high TyG index, which was defined as the highest TyG quartile decreased in the highest and second highest tertile of fT4 in men (OR = 0.41 and OR = 0.45, respectively; P < 0.001) and increased in highest tertile of TSH in women (OR = 1.81, P = 0.031) after adjusting for confounders. The OR for high HOMA-IR defined as the highest HOMA-IR quartile was also lower in the highest and second highest fT4 tertiles in men (both OR = 0.47; P = 0.003). Conclusions This is the first study to suggest that TyG index is a good surrogate marker of IR in evaluating its relationship with thyroid function.

Prediction of Insulin Resistance by Modified Triglyceride Glucose Indices in Youth

The triglyceride glucose (TyG) index, derived from a combination of fasting glucose and triglycerides, has been suggested as a useful marker for insulin resistance (IR), in addition to modified TyG indices that combine obesity parameters. This study investigated the association and utility of TyG and modified TyG indices for IR prediction in youth. Based on the Korea National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey, the data of 3728 youth aged 10–19 years were analyzed. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of tertiles 2 and 3 for each parameter were calculated and compared with tertile 1 as a reference. To compare the parameters for identifying IR, receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated. The ORs and 95% CIs for insulin resistance (IR) progressively increased across tertiles of each parameter. Overall, all modified TyG indices presented higher ORs and AUC than the TyG index. The TyG-body mass index standard deviation score showed the largest AUC for IR detection in all subjects. In conclusion, TyG and modified TyG indices could be used as valuable markers for the prediction of IR in youth. Moreover, modified TyG indices had better diagnostic accuracy than the TyG index.