Background: High mean corpuscular volume (MCV) has been implicated in various health problems, such as anemia, liver disease, and thyroid disease. However, the clinical significance of borderline-high MCV is poorly understood in the primary care setting. This study aimed to investigate whether borderline-high MCV was related to arterial stiffness in Korean adults as measured by brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV). Methods: This cross-sectional study comprised 582 participants aged >30 years who underwent routine health examinations. Borderline-high MCV was defined as over 95.0 fl (>90th percentile) after excluding participants with MCV of ≥100 fl or ≤80 fl, and high baPWV was defined as >1,600 cm/s (>90th percentile). The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for high baPWV according to borderline-high MCV were calculated using multiple logistic regression analyses after adjusting for the confounding variables. Results: The mean age of the study population was 47.8±11.7 years, and 56.9% of the participants were male. Compared to that in the control group, the OR (95% CI) of high baPWV in those with a borderline-high MCV was 3.68 (1.39–9.74) after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, alcohol intake, smoking status, regular exercise, mean blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, C-reactive protein, γ-glutamyltransferase, uric acid, hypertension medication, and diabetes medication. Conclusion Borderline-high MCV was independently associated with arterial stiffness among apparently healthy Korean individuals.

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether impaired pulmonary function serves as a risk factor for decreased renal function. This study investigated the association between the forced vital capacity (FVC) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in middle-aged and elderly men.METHODS: We investigated the association between FVC and CKD in 412 Korean men aged ≥50 years, without diabetes, who have not received treatment for chronic lung disease. CKD was defined based on evidence of renal tissue damage or reduced renal function indicated by estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 mL/min/1.73 m² or proteinuria level ≥1+. We assessed the association between FVC and CKD using multivariate logistic regression analysis after adjusting for confounders.RESULTS: The overall prevalence of CKD was 29.2% in the study population. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval for CKD was 0.96 (0.92–0.99) with a 1% increment in FVC after adjusting for age, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol intake, regular exercise, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, fasting plasma glucose, triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels, as well as antihypertensive and antidyslipidemic medications.CONCLUSION: We observed that FVC was independently and inversely associated with CKD. This finding suggests that careful monitoring of renal function is necessary to evaluate possible kidney dysfunction in patients with decreased FVC.
Aged ; Blood Glucose ; Body Mass Index ; Fasting ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Humans ; Kidney ; Logistic Models ; Lung Diseases ; Male ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Proteinuria ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Triglycerides ; Vital Capacity

BACKGROUND: The ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a simple, noninvasive clinical test that is useful in the diagnosis of peripheral artery disease (PAD). The borderline ABI value is 0.91–0.99 and has also been reported in endothelial dysfunction and preclinical PAD. We investigated the relationship between resting heart rate as a surrogate marker of autonomic balance and borderline ABI in apparently healthy individuals.METHODS: We evaluated the association between resting heart rate and borderline ABI in 618 participants (348 male and 270 female) in a health examination program. The odds ratios for borderline ABI were calculated using a multivariable logistic regression analysis after adjusting for confounding variables across heart rate quartiles (Q1≤56, Q2=57–62, Q3=63–68, and Q4≥69 beats/min).RESULTS: The overall prevalence of borderline ABI was 13.9%. The age- and sex-adjusted resting heart rate was significantly higher in the borderline ABI group than in the control group (66.9±0.9 vs. 63.0±0.4 beats/min, P < 0.001). The odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for the borderline ABI in each heart rate quartile were 1.00, 1.04 (0.43–2.52), 1.69 (0.73–3.93), and 3.52 (1.55–7.97) after adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, alcohol intake, regular exercise, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose level, triglyceride level, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol level, white blood cell count, C-reactive protein level, uric acid level, γ-glutamyltransferase level, hypertension medication, diabetes medication, and dyslipidemia medication.CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that a higher resting heart rate is independently associated with borderline ABI.
Ankle Brachial Index ; Biomarkers ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; C-Reactive Protein ; Confounding Factors (Epidemiology) ; Diagnosis ; Dyslipidemias ; Fasting ; Heart Rate ; Heart ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Leukocyte Count ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Odds Ratio ; Peripheral Arterial Disease ; Prevalence ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Triglycerides ; Uric Acid

Aging ; Hope ; Humans ; Life Style ; Male ; Men's Health ; Quality of Life ; Risk Factors ; Testosterone

Background: Obesity is considered a state of enhanced oxidative stress as well as chronic and low-grade inflammation. The copper–zinc ratio in obese individuals has been reported to reflect systemic oxidative stress and inflammatory status. We investigated whether the neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio is related to the copper–zinc ratio in hair, within the context of a normal white blood cell count among overweight or obese Korean individuals. Methods: We included 56 participants aged older than 20 years who voluntarily sought weight reduction treatment and met the inclusion criterion of body mass index of 23 kg/m2 or greater. Intra-abdominal visceral adipose tissue was measured by computed tomography imaging, while the copper and zinc levels were measured by hair mineral analysis. Using multiple linear regression analysis, we examined the associations between the neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio and the copper–zinc ratio. Results: The mean age, body mass index, and visceral adipose tissue were 46.0±10.5 years, 29.0±4.1 kg/cm2 , and 142.9±68.8 cm2 , respectively. Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed the association of the neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio with copper level (r=0.475, P<0.001) and copper–zinc ratio (r=0.494, P<0.001). After adjusting for confounding variables, we found the neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio was significantly associated with the level of copper and the copper–zinc ratio in hair (regression coefficient: 0.055±0.015; P<0.001 and regression coefficient: 0.761±0.185; P<0.001, respectively). Conclusion A higher copper–zinc ratio in hair is positively and independently associated with the neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio. Thus, a high hair copper–zinc ratio could be a useful parameter for oxidative burden of individuals predisposed to obesity-related comorbidity.

Background: Obesity is considered a state of enhanced oxidative stress as well as chronic and low-grade inflammation. The copper–zinc ratio in obese individuals has been reported to reflect systemic oxidative stress and inflammatory status. We investigated whether the neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio is related to the copper–zinc ratio in hair, within the context of a normal white blood cell count among overweight or obese Korean individuals. Methods: We included 56 participants aged older than 20 years who voluntarily sought weight reduction treatment and met the inclusion criterion of body mass index of 23 kg/m2 or greater. Intra-abdominal visceral adipose tissue was measured by computed tomography imaging, while the copper and zinc levels were measured by hair mineral analysis. Using multiple linear regression analysis, we examined the associations between the neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio and the copper–zinc ratio. Results: The mean age, body mass index, and visceral adipose tissue were 46.0±10.5 years, 29.0±4.1 kg/cm2 , and 142.9±68.8 cm2 , respectively. Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed the association of the neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio with copper level (r=0.475, P<0.001) and copper–zinc ratio (r=0.494, P<0.001). After adjusting for confounding variables, we found the neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio was significantly associated with the level of copper and the copper–zinc ratio in hair (regression coefficient: 0.055±0.015; P<0.001 and regression coefficient: 0.761±0.185; P<0.001, respectively). Conclusion A higher copper–zinc ratio in hair is positively and independently associated with the neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio. Thus, a high hair copper–zinc ratio could be a useful parameter for oxidative burden of individuals predisposed to obesity-related comorbidity.

Background: The interaction between calcium and magnesium as a risk modifier for insulin resistance may be largely overlooked because the strict regulatory system in blood has been thought to maintain such homeostatic interactions under tight control. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the calcium-magnesium ratio in hair with the triglyceride glucose index (TyG index) and triglyceride/HDL-cholesterol ratio (TG/ HDL ratio) among overweight or obese Korean individuals. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 56 participants fulfilling the inclusion criterion of a body mass index of 23 kg/m2 or more. Intra-abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT) was measured by fat measurement computed tomography, while calcium and magnesium levels were measured by hair mineral analysis. A high TyG index and a high TG/HDL ratio were defined as >9.3 and >4.0, respectively (>75th percentile). Using multiple logistic regression analysis, we examined the associations between the TyG index, TG/HDL ratio, and calcium–magnesium ratio in hair. Results: The mean age, body mass index, and VAT were 45.3 years, 28.5 kg/cm2 , and 137.4 cm2 , respectively. Compared to the controls, the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for a high TyG index and a high TG/HDL ratio were 16.03 (1.32–194.23) and 9.98 (1.05–94.98) per one increment of log (calcium-magnesium ratio), respectively, after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, visceral adipose tissue, white blood cell count, total cholesterol, hypertension medication, diabetes medication, and dyslipidemia medication. Conclusion We found that the calcium-magnesium ratio in hair was positively and independently associated with the TyG index and TG/HDL ratio.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies suggest that serum calcium levels correlate with cardiovascular events. An ankle-brachial index (ABI) between 0.9 and 1.00 is a surrogate estimation of preclinical peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Prior studies have shown that an ABI of 0.9–1.0 is also associated with endothelial dysfunction. Therefore, we sought to investigate the relationship between serum calcium levels and preclinical PAD in apparently healthy Korean individuals. METHODS: We evaluated the association between serum calcium levels and preclinical PAD in 596 participants (334 males, 262 females) in a health examination program. Preclinical PAD was defined by an ABI of 0.9–1.0. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to determine whether the serum calcium level was an independent determinant of preclinical PAD. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of preclinical PAD was 14.3%. The mean age was 44.0±12.5 years in the non-PAD group and 48.3±11.4 years in the preclinical PAD group (P=0.001). After adjusting for age, gender, systolic blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, C-reactive protein, g-glutamyltransferase, uric acid, hypertension medication, diabetes medication, and hyperlipidemia medication, the odds ratio (95% confidence intervals) for preclinical PAD was 2.28 (1.02–5.11) with a 1-mg/dL increase in the serum calcium. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that increased serum calcium is independently and positively associated with preclinical PAD regardless of the presence of classic cardiovascular risk factors.
Ankle Brachial Index ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; C-Reactive Protein ; Calcium* ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cholesterol ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Fasting ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; Hypertension ; Lipoproteins ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Odds Ratio ; Peripheral Arterial Disease* ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Triglycerides ; Uric Acid

BACKGROUND: Uric acid has been reported to function both as an oxidant or antioxidant depending on the context. A previous study in the Korean population reported a positive linear association between serum uric acid level and arterial stiffness in men, but little is known about how serum uric acid level is related to the risk of increased arterial stiffness in Korean postmenopausal women. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study of 293 subjects who participated in a health examination program run by the health promotion center of Gangnam Severance Hospital between October 2007 and July 2010. High brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity was defined as a brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity of more than 1,450 cm/s. The odds ratios (ORs) for high brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity were calculated using multivariate logistic regression analysis across uric acid quartiles after adjusting for other indicators of cardiovascular risk. RESULTS: The 293 postmenopausal women were divided into quartiles according to uric acid level. The mean brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity values of each quartile were as follows: Q1, 1,474 cm/s; Q2, 1,375 cm/s; Q3, 1,422 cm/s; Q4, 1,528 cm/s. The second quartile was designated as the control group based on mean brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity value. Multivariate adjusted ORs (95% confidence intervals) for brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity across the uric acid quartiles were 2.642 (Q1, 1.095–6.3373), 1.00, 4.305 (Q3, 1.798–10.307), and 4.375 (Q4, 1.923–9.949), after adjusting for confounding variables. CONCLUSION: Serum uric acid level has a J-shaped association with arterial stiffness in Korean postmenopausal women.
Cardiovascular Diseases ; Confounding Factors (Epidemiology) ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Menopause ; Odds Ratio ; Pulse Wave Analysis ; Uric Acid* ; Vascular Stiffness*

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to compare the diagnostic performance of initial procalcitonin, lactate, and high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) for predicting bacteremia in female patients with acute pyelonephritis (APN). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of female APN patients who visited the emergency department (ED) at the studied hospital between January 2015 and December 2016. The main outcome was bacteremia, which was reported via the first blood culture at ED. The patient demographics, co-morbidities, physiologies, and laboratory variables including initial procalcitonin, lactate, and hsCRP levels, were collected and analyzed to identify associations with the presence of bacteremia. The area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) and sensitivity (SE)/specificity (SP) were calculated for each variable. RESULTS: During the study period, 282 patients were enrolled. A total of 105 (37.2%) patients had bacteremia. Escherichia coli was the most frequent pathogen. The AUROC was 0.70 (0.63–0.76), 0.70 (0.63–0.76), and 0.56 (0.49–0.63) for the procalcitonin, lactate, and hsCRP, respectively. At a cut-off value of 0.163 ng/mL, the procalcitonin level predicted bacteremia, with a SE/SP of 95.2%/22.6%, respectively. At a cut-off value of 0.7 mmol/L, the lactate level predicted bacteremia with a SE/SP of 96.2%/20.9%, respectively. The combination of a procalcitonin level >0.447 ng/mL or a lactate level >0.7 mmo/L was chosen, as they showed 100% SE and a 100% negative predictive value. CONCLUSION: The initial serum procalcitonin and lactate levels showed similar and fair discriminative performance for predicting bacteremia in female APN patients, while the hsCRP level showed poor performance. The combination of procalcitonin and lactate (procalcitonin level≤0.447 ng/mL and lactate≤0.7 mmol/L) can be used to identify patients at low risk of bacteremia.
Bacteremia ; C-Reactive Protein ; Demography ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Escherichia coli ; Female ; Humans ; Lactic Acid ; Pyelonephritis ; Retrospective Studies