Background: Physical activity (PA) is associated with a favorable metabolic risk profile in adults. However, its role in adolescents remains unclear. In this study, using data (2019–2021) from the 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we investigated the optimal exercise type for preventing metabolic complications in adolescents. Methods: A total of 1,222 eligible adolescent participants (12–18-year-old) were divided into four groups as follows: aerobic exercise (AE), resistance exercise (RE), combined aerobic and resistance exercise (CE), and no exercise (NE). Daily PA was assessed using the international PA questionnaire. Blood samples were collected to measure lipid, glucose, and insulin levels. Additionally, the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and triglyceride-glucose (TyG) indices were measured. Multivariate regression analysis was used to compare the metabolic risk factors across the PA groups before and after propensity score matching (PSM) adjustment for confounding variables. Results: The CE group exhibited improved fasting glucose levels, lower TyG index, reduced white blood cell count, and higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels than the NE group. The RE group exhibited lower mean blood pressure, triglyceride, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, TyG index and a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome than the NE group. The AE group had higher total and HDL cholesterol levels. In detailed comparison of the AE and RE groups, the RE group consistently exhibited favorable metabolic parameters, including lower blood pressure and total and low-density cholesterol levels, which persisted after PSM. Conclusion These findings highlight the positive effects of PA on cardiovascular risk factors in adolescents. Thus, RE may have a more favorable metabolic effect than AE. Further studies are needed to validate the benefits of exercise according to the exercise type.

A healthy 30-yr-old woman carrying an insect that had been caught in her living room visited the International Clinic at Severance Hospital, Seoul, in December 2007. The insect she brought was identified to be a nymph of a bedbug, Cimex lectularius, and her skin rashes looked typical bedbug's bites. Her apartment was investigated, and a dead body of a bedbug, cast skins, and hatched eggs were found in her rooms and neighbors' rooms in the same building. She was living in that apartment in Seoul for 9 months since she had moved from New Jersey, USA. We assume that the bedbugs were introduced from abroad, since there had been no report on bedbugs in Seoul for more than 2 decades at least. This is a report of a reemergence of the common bedbug, C. lectularius in Seoul, Korea.
Adult ; Animals ; *Bedbugs/anatomy & histology ; Dermatitis/*pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Insect Bites and Stings/*pathology ; Insecticides ; Korea/epidemiology

BACKGROUND: The definition of sarcopenia focuses on muscle mass and function. Sarcopenic obesity is the relative excess of fat tissue with decreased muscle mass. We examined the association between cigarette smoking and sarcopenia according to obesity in middle-aged and elderly Koreans. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 9,385 subjects (age ≥50 years) based on data from the fourth and fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (2008–2011). Smoking groups were categorized by smoking status and the number of cigarettes smoked daily. Sarcopenia was defined as weight-adjusted appendicular skeletal muscle mass of 2 standard deviations below the sex-specific mean for young adults. Obesity was defined as fat mass ≥30% for men and ≥40% for women. Subjects were categorized into three groups: sarcopenic obese (SO), sarcopenic non-obese (SNO), and normal. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between smoking and SNO and SO. RESULTS: Among men, current smokers were more associated with SNO than never-smokers (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 3.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09–10.26). However, there was no significant association between smoking status and SNO in women or SO in either sex. Among current smokers, moderate smokers (11–20 cigarettes/d) were more likely to be SNO (adjusted OR, 5.81; 95% CI, 1.12–30.31) and heavy smokers (>20 cigarettes/d) were more likely to be SO (adjusted OR, 9.53; 95% CI, 1.65–55.01) than light smokers (<11 cigarettes/d). CONCLUSION: In men, smoking was positively associated with SNO, and heavy smokers were more likely to be SO than light smokers.
Aged ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Nutrition Surveys ; Obesity ; Odds Ratio ; Sarcopenia ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tobacco Products ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDMolecular analysis of neovascularization related genes by time course in response to ischemia has not been described in the context of aging. We aimed to provide a progressively deeper understanding of how aging compromises neovascularization.

METHODSYoung (3-month) and old (18-month) C57Bl mice were subjected to left hindlimb ischemia. Necrosis score was evaluated in calf muscles. Calf muscles, peripheral blood, bone marrow were harvested at different time points. The expressions of matrix metalloproteiniase-9 (MMP9), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), stromal derived growth factor-1 (SDF1), hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF1α), VEGF receptor-1 (Flt1), VEGF receptor-2 (Flk1), angiopoietin-1 (Ang1), CD133, CD26 were detected by RT-PCR or Western blotting. White blood cells were counted in the peripheral blood. Gene expression data were compared by two-way analysis of variance.

RESULTSMMP9, HIF-1α and SDF-1 were more upregulated during acute ischemia in old vs. young mice, reflecting increased ischemia in aging mice. However VEGF and eNOS exhibited lower expression in old vs. young mice, despite greater ischemia intensity. Ang1 and Flk1 showed similar expression in old vs. young mice. MMP9 peaked earlier in peripheral blood in young vs. old mice. Concurrent decreasing CD26 and increasing CD133 expression in aging bone marrow suggest aging impairs progenitor cell mobilization,

CONCLUSIONSOur results indicate that a complex array of defects occur with aging that interfere with optimal neovascularization. These include potential impaired mobilization of progenitor cells to ischemic tissue, decreased levels of eNOS and VEGF and delayed responses to ischemia.

Aging ; physiology ; Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Chemokine CXCL12 ; metabolism ; Female ; Hindlimb ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; metabolism ; Ischemia ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Muscle, Skeletal ; metabolism ; pathology ; Necrosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; genetics ; metabolism ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 ; genetics ; metabolism