This study investigated the impact of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components on prostate volume (PV) in the general Chinese population. In total, 43 455 participants in The First Medical Center of the Chinese PLA General Hospital (Beijing, China) from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2022, undergoing health examinations were included in the study. Participants were categorized into four groups according to PV quartiles: Q1 (PV ≤24.94 ml), Q2 (PV >24.94 ml and ≤28.78 ml), Q3 (PV >28.78 ml and ≤34.07 ml), and Q4 (PV >34.07 ml), with Q1 serving as the reference group. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between MetS and PV, with subgroup analyses conducted by age. Among the participants, 18 787 (43.2%) were diagnosed with MetS. In the multivariate analysis model, a significant correlation between MetS and PV was observed, with odds ratios (ORs) increasing as PV increased (Q2, OR = 1.203, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.139-1.271; Q3, OR = 1.300, 95% CI: 1.230-1.373; and Q4, OR = 1.556, 95% CI: 1.469-1.648). Analysis of MetS components revealed that all components were positively associated with PV, with abdominal obesity showing the most significant effect. The number of MetS components was identified as a dose-dependent risk factor for elevated PV. The impact of MetS, its components, and component count on PV exhibited a decreasing trend with advancing age. Overall, the influence of MetS, its components, and component count on PV was predominantly observed in the age groups of 40-49 years and 50-59 years. Early intervention targeting MetS can significantly alleviate the increase in PV, particularly benefiting individuals aged 40-59 years who have abdominal obesity.
Humans ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome/complications* ; Middle Aged ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Aged ; Prostate/diagnostic imaging* ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Organ Size ; China/epidemiology* ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Risk Factors

Extensive studies have identified potential adverse effects on semen quality of obesity, based on body mass index, but the association between body fat distribution, a more relevant indicator for obesity, and semen quality remains less clear. We conducted a longitudinal study of 4304 sperm donors from the Guangdong Provincial Human Sperm Bank (Guangzhou, China) during 2017-2021. A body composition analyzer was used to measure total and local body fat percentage for each participant. Generalized estimating equations were employed to assess the association between body fat percentage and sperm count, motility, and morphology. We estimated that each 10% increase in total body fat percentage (estimated change [95% confidence interval, 95% CI]) was significantly associated with a 0.18 × 10 6 (0.09 × 10 6 -0.27 × 10 6 ) ml and 12.21 × 10 6 (4.52 × 10 6 -19.91 × 10 6 ) reduction in semen volume and total sperm count, respectively. Categorical analyses and exposure-response curves showed that the association of body fat distribution with semen volume and total sperm count was stronger at higher body fat percentages. In addition, the association still held among normal weight and overweight participants. We observed similar associations for upper limb, trunk, and lower limb body fact distributions. In conclusion, we found that a higher body fat distribution was significantly associated with lower semen quality (especially semen volume) even in men with a normal weight. These findings provide useful clues in exploring body fat as a risk factor for semen quality decline and add to evidence for improving semen quality for those who are expected to conceive.
Humans ; Male ; Adult ; Semen Analysis ; China ; Body Fat Distribution ; Longitudinal Studies ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; Body Mass Index ; Tissue Donors ; Obesity/complications* ; Spermatozoa ; Young Adult ; Middle Aged ; East Asian People

OBJECTIVES: To systematically evaluate the prevalence and risk factors of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in overweight and obese children and adolescents in China. METHODS: Databases including China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data, VIP Database, China Biomedical Literature Database, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were searched, from database inception to October 2024. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and assessed the quality of the studies according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. A Meta analysis was conducted using Stata 16.0 software. RESULTS: A total of 42 studies involving 16 481 overweight and obese children and adolescents were included. The Meta analysis results showed that the prevalence of NAFLD among overweight and obese children in China was 43% (95%CI: 37%-48%). Factors associated with NAFLD included being male (OR=1.61, 95%CI: 1.17-2.04), increased weight (MD=10.33, 95%CI: 9.08-11.57), increased waist circumference (MD=5.49, 95%CI: 3.36-7.62), longer duration of obesity (MD=0.31, 95%CI: 0.02-0.61), higher body mass index (MD=3.11, 95%CI: 2.07-4.16), elevated fasting blood glucose levels (MD=0.17, 95%CI: 0.06-0.29), higher triglyceride levels (MD=0.32, 95%CI: 0.17-0.47), elevated total cholesterol levels (MD=0.15, 95%CI: 0.10-0.21), higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (MD=0.14, 95%CI: 0.04-0.23), increased alanine aminotransferase levels (MD=24.39, 95%CI: 18.57-30.20), increased aspartate aminotransferase levels (MD=12.49, 95%CI: 9.67-15.32), elevated serum insulin levels (MD=4.47, 95%CI: 2.57-6.36), higher homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (MD=0.45, 95%CI: 0.30-0.59), and elevated uric acid levels (MD=55.91, 95%CI: 35.49-76.32) (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of NAFLD among overweight and obese children and adolescents in China is high. Male gender, increased weight, increased waist circumference, prolonged obesity duration, higher body mass index, dyslipidemia, and elevated levels of fasting blood glucose, liver enzymes, serum insulin, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance, and uric acid are potential risk factors for NAFLD in this population.
Humans ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/etiology* ; Risk Factors ; Adolescent ; Child ; Overweight/complications* ; Prevalence ; China/epidemiology* ; Obesity/complications* ; Male ; Female

A 7-year-old girl was admitted to the hospital with rapidly progressive vision loss. Since 1 year of age, she had exhibited developmental delay accompanied by visual impairment and neutropenia. Combined with genetic testing and molecular pathogenicity analysis, she was diagnosed with Cohen syndrome (CS) caused by compound heterozygous variants in VPS13B (c.6940+1G>T and c.2911C>T). The c.6940+1G>T variant resulted in exon 38 skipping, leading to a frameshift and premature termination. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed significantly reduced VPS13B gene expression (P<0.05). Bioinformatic analysis suggested that both variants likely produce truncated proteins. This case highlights that integrating clinical features with molecular pathogenicity assessment (DNA, RNA, and protein analysis) can improve early diagnostic accuracy for CS.
Humans ; Female ; Child ; Vesicular Transport Proteins/genetics* ; Developmental Disabilities/etiology* ; Muscle Hypotonia/etiology* ; Myopia/etiology* ; Heterozygote ; Intellectual Disability/etiology* ; Microcephaly/etiology* ; Obesity/genetics* ; Growth Disorders/etiology* ; Retinal Degeneration/genetics* ; Psychomotor Disorders/genetics* ; Fingers/abnormalities*

OBJECTIVES: To study the predictive value of serum macrophage M1/M2 markers for the risk of cardiac lesions in obese children. METHODS: A total of 60 obese children (mild-to-moderate obesity, n=32; severe obesity, n=28) and 50 healthy controls who visited the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from June 2024 to December 2024 were included. The baseline characteristics and the levels of laboratory indicators, echocardiographic parameters, and macrophage markers (MCP-1, Arg-1, CD206, and CD86) were compared among the three groups. The correlation between macrophage marker levels and echocardiographic parameters and the influencing factors of cardiac lesions in obese children were analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to evaluate the predictive performance of each influencing factor for cardiac lesions in obese children. RESULTS: Multiple echocardiographic parameters differed significantly among the mild-to-moderate obesity, severe obesity, and control groups (P<0.01). Significant differences were also observed in MCP-1 and Arg-1 levels, CD206 positivity rate, and the CD86/CD206 ratio among the three groups (P<0.05). In obese children, MCP-1 and Arg-1 levels, as well as CD86 and CD206 positivity rates, were correlated with echocardiographic parameters (P<0.05). Univariate logistic regression identified MCP-1, Arg-1, the CD86/CD206 ratio, and the CD206 positivity rate as factors associated with cardiac lesions (P<0.05). The combined prediction model based on these markers yielded an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.887 (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS Combined measurement of macrophage markers can predict the risk of early cardiac lesions in obese children.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Child ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Macrophages ; Obesity/blood* ; Chemokine CCL2/blood* ; ROC Curve ; Adolescent ; Child, Preschool ; Heart Diseases/diagnosis* ; Echocardiography

OBJECTIVES: To explore the association between Chinese visceral adiposity index (CVAI) and the risk of nephrolithiasis. METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from 78 438 Chinese adults who underwent ultrasound examinations during health screening at the Health Examination Center of Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University. Participants were divided into quartiles (Q1-Q4 groups) based on CVAI. Multivariate logistic regression models were utilized to evaluate the association between CVAI and nephrolithiasis risk, followed by subgroup analyses to further explore potential relationships. The performance of CVAI in predicting the risk of nephrolithiasis was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: Increased CVAI was significantly associated with a higher risk of nephrolithiasis, with prevalence rising from 3.36% in the Q1 group to 10.67% in the Q4 group (P<0.01). In adjusted models, CVAI was positively correlated with the prevalence rate of nephrolithiasis (OR=1.002, 95%CI: 1.001-1.004, P<0.01). The risks of nephrolithiasis in the Q2, Q3, and Q4 groups were 1.196-fold (95%CI: 1.069-1.338, P<0.01), 1.260-fold (95%CI: 1.109-1.433, P<0.01), and 1.316-fold (95%CI: 1.125-1.539, P<0.01) higher than in the Q1 group, respectively. Subgroup analysis revealed that CVAI was positively associated with the risk of nephrolithiasis in male participants, individuals aged <60 years, the hypertension group, populations with or without diabetes mellitus, and the normal body mass index subgroup. Genders and age had an interaction effect on the correlation between CVAI and the risk of nephrolithiasis development (both P<0.05). The ROC curve analysis demonstrated that CVAI exhibited superior predictive efficacy compared to waist circumference, body mass index, visceral adiposity index, weight-adjusted waist index, cardiometabolic index and body shape index, with an area under the curve of 0.622. CONCLUSIONS In Chinese adults, CVAI is positively associated with the risk of nephrolithiasis development, which may serve as a potential predictive marker for nephrolithiasis.
Humans ; Nephrolithiasis/etiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Adult ; Intra-Abdominal Fat ; Risk Factors ; China/epidemiology* ; Adiposity ; Aged ; Logistic Models ; Obesity, Abdominal/epidemiology* ; East Asian People

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical effect of physical intervention combined with medical nutritional weight loss (PI+MNWL) in the treatment of short penis in obese children. METHODS: One hundred and twenty obese children with a short penis were included and equally divided into three groups: PI+MNWL, MNWL, and self-guided diet, who underwent PI+MNWL, MNWL intervention under the supervision of professional nutritionists in the hospital, or self-guided diet intervention at home, respectively, all for 30 days. We measured the penile parameters, including stretched penile length (SPL), flaccid penile length (FPL) and penile diameter (PD), of the children before and after treatment, and compared them among the three groups. RESULTS: After intervention, the body weight of the children was significantly decreased in all the three groups (27.1－94.1［53.59±11.88］ kg vs 23.0－85.1［49.01±11.61］ kg， P < 0.05). The weight of children in 3 groups decreased to different degrees, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). MNWL was found remarkably more effective than self-guided weight loss in reducing the body weight of the children (P < 0.05). Based on weight loss achieved through medical nutrition combined with physical intervention, the FPL in the PI+MNWL group increased from (1.93 ± 0.76) cm before treatment to (3.41 ± 1.41) cm after one course of comprehensive treatment, with a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). Similarly, SPL increased from (3.75 ± 0.76) cm before treatment to (4.98 ± 0.64) cm, and PD increased from (1.32 ± 0.21) cm before treatment to (1.61 ± 0.66) cm, both showing statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). In the MNWL group , FPL increased from (2.01 ± 0.81) cm to (2.77 ± 0.84) cm after one course of treatment, with a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). Additionally, SPL increased from (4.03 ± 0.84) cm before treatment to (4.40 ± 0.76) cm, also demonstrating statistical significance (P < 0.05), while PD increased from (1.37 ± 0.21) cm before treatment to (1.42 ± 0.22) cm, with statistical significance (P < 0.05). FPL and SPL increased significantly in the PI+MNWL group compared to the MNWL group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). However, there was no significant difference in PD between the two groups following the intervention (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION MNWL is more effective than self-guided diet in controlling the body weight of children, while the combination approach of PI+MNWL is even superior to the management of short penis in obese children, with the advantages of improving the appearance and increasing the exposed length of the penis.
Humans ; Male ; Child ; Weight Loss ; Penis/abnormalities* ; Obesity/complications* ; Adolescent

The adverse effects of obesity on male reproductive function are mainly manifested as the abnormal development of the reproductive system, decrease of testosterone level, decline of sperm quality, and impact on the health of offspring, while its regulatory mechanism is far from being clarified. This paper expounds the influence of obesity on the male reproductive system in the aspects of population epidemiology and animal experiments, presents an overview on the action mechanisms of obesity from the perspectives of the hypothalamus-pituitary-testis axis, blood-testis barrier, inflammatory reaction, oxidative stress, testicular germ cell apoptosis, and impact of paternal obesity on the health of offspring, aiming to shed some light on the clinical treatment and prevention of obesity-related male reproductive dysfunction.
Male ; Obesity/physiopathology* ; Humans ; Animals ; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System ; Testis/physiopathology* ; Oxidative Stress ; Infertility, Male/etiology* ; Reproduction ; Blood-Testis Barrier

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have provided compelling evidence that exposure to brominated flame retardants (BFRs) can adversely affect human health. We aim to explore the potential impact of BFRs on adiposity and central obesity. METHODS: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) cycles conducted between 2009 and 2014 was used to study the connections between variables. After filtering, we analyzed a sample of 4,110 adults aged 20 years and above. Our goal was to examine the potential association between BFRs and consequences and investigate the part played by oxidative stress and inflammatory markers as intermediaries. To achieve this, we used advanced statistical methods such as weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression, quantile-based g-computation (QGC), and the Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR). RESULTS: The findings showed that among the examined chemicals, exposure to PBDE85 (weight: 41%), PBDE100 (24%), and PBB153 (23%) may be the dominant contributors to general obesity risk. Upon controlling for all variables that could impact the results, it was found that the QGC outcomes indicated a positive correlation between exposure to mixtures of brominated flame retardants and the occurrence of abdominal obesity (OR = 1.187, 95% CI: 1.056-1.334, p = 0.004). Significant contributions were made by PBDE85 (52%), PBB153 (27%), and PBDE100 (21%). Mediation analysis shows that lymphatic cells (LC) and albumin (ALB) partially mediate the link between brominated flame retardants and obesity. The results of BKMR are generally consistent with those of WQS and QGC. CONCLUSION At a population level, our research has revealed a noteworthy correlation between BFRs and obesity. However, further investigation is required through prospective cohort studies and in-depth mechanistic exploratory studies.
Humans ; Flame Retardants/adverse effects* ; Oxidative Stress/drug effects* ; Adult ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Inflammation/epidemiology* ; Obesity/chemically induced* ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Nutrition Surveys ; Mediation Analysis ; Young Adult ; United States/epidemiology* ; Environmental Exposure/adverse effects* ; Aged ; Environmental Pollutants/adverse effects* ; Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers/adverse effects*

BACKGROUND: Despite some studies identifying a potential association between obesity and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) risk, previous research had overlooked the dynamic nature of body weight over time, leading to inconsistent findings. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the relationship between adult weight change and COPD risk by adjusting for potential confounding factors. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis using data from ten NHANES cycles (1999-2018), including adults aged 40-74 years. Weight change patterns were assessed using BMI at three time points and classified into five categories per period. Absolute weight change was also grouped into five levels. Multivariate logistic regression models, incorporating sampling weights, were used to examine associations between weight change and COPD, adjusting for demographic and lifestyle covariates. RESULTS: Compared with participants who maintained normal weight, stable obesity participants had increased risk of COPD from age 25 years to 10 years before the survey (OR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.15 to 1.83), in the 10 years period before the survey (OR = 1.75, 95% CI = 1.47 to 2.08), and from age 25 years to survey (OR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.46 to 2.31). Three periods indicate that weight gain in adulthood was associated with risk of COPD. In addition, substantial weight gain of more than 20 kg was associated with a higher risk of COPD. In stratified analyses, we also observed a more significant association between weight change and the risk of COPD in never smokers compared to former smokers. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggested that stable obesity and weight gain in adulthood were associated with an increased risk of COPD compared to those who maintain a normal weight, and that the association between weight gain and the incidence of COPD appears closer in patients who have never smoked.
Humans ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/etiology* ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Weight Gain ; Obesity/complications* ; Risk Factors ; United States/epidemiology* ; Nutrition Surveys ; Body Mass Index