Osteoprotegerin (OPG) plays a core role in bone reformation by antagonizing the effect of receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL), and mediates vascular calcification in cardiovascular disease patients. Thus, we aimed to examine the relationship between serum OPG levels and cardiovascular factors and inflammatory markers in metabolic syndrome patients (MS). This cross-sectional study included 96 men who visited the diet clinic between May and July 2011. Patients were classified into 2 groups based on NCEP-ATP guidelines: normal and with MS (n = 50 and 46, respectively). Physical measurements, biochemical assay were measured. Serum OPG and IL-6, diponectin and hs-CRP were assessed. MS were aged 50.02 +/- 10.85 years, and normal patients 52.07 +/- 9.56 years, with no significant differences. Significant differences were not observed in BMI between the 2 groups. Moreover, significant differences were not observed in serum OPG, however, the serum OPG level (4.41 +/- 1.86 pmol/L) differed significantly between an overweight MS (BMI > 25) and normal patients. OPG was correlated to age (r = 0.410, p = 0.000), HDL-cholesterol (r = 0.209, p = 0.015), and log adiponectin (r = 0.175, p = 0.042). Multiple regression analyses using the enter method showed that age (beta = 0.412, p = 0.000) and BMI (beta = 0.265, p = 0.000) considerably affected OPG. In conclusion, out study showed that serum OPG levels are correlated with cardiovascular risk factors, such as BMI, HDL-cholesterol and adiponectin in MS and adiponectin, suggesting that serum OPG has potential as a cardiovascular disease indicator and predictor.
Adiponectin ; Aged ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diet ; Humans ; Interleukin-6 ; Male ; Obesity ; Osteoprotegerin ; Overweight ; Plasma ; Risk Factors ; Vascular Calcification

An increase in the prevalence of dyslipidemia has been strongly associated with the mortality rate of cardiovascular disease. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis to determine the relationship between dietary patterns and dyslipidemia in adult men aged 40–64 years. A total of 5,643 subjects from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES) were selected for the final analysis. We analyzed 24-hour dietary recall data. Using principal component analysis, 3 dietary patterns were identified: rice based Korean food pattern, flour based western dietary pattern, and convenience food dietary pattern. The flour based western dietary pattern was significantly and positively associated with total cholesterol, and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (p for trend < 0.05). With regard to the rice based Korean food pattern, the group with the highest factor score had a significantly lower risk of hyper LDL cholesterolemia (odds ratio [OR], 0.802; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.698–0.922) and high total cholesterol levels (OR, 0.868; 95% CI, 0.761–0.990) than the group with the lowest factor score. For the flour based western dietary pattern the group with the highest factor score showed a significantly high risk of hyper LDL cholesterolemia (OR, 1.189; 95% CI, 1.033–1.367; p for trend < 0.05) than the group with the lowest factor score. Our results showed that the rice based Korean food pattern protected against dyslipidemia. In contrast, the western staple pattern, which is rich in flour and processed foods, was independently associated with dyslipidemia in urban male residents of Korea.
Adult ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cholesterol ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diet ; Diet, Western ; Dyslipidemias ; Epidemiology ; Fast Foods ; Flour ; Genome ; Humans ; Korea ; Lipoproteins ; Male ; Mortality ; Prevalence ; Principal Component Analysis ; Urbanization

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Inflammation is often associated with chronic diseases, and numerous studies suggest that certain foods can modulate inflammatory status. This study aimed to assess the impact of intensive nutrition education on glycemic control and inflammation in patients with diabetes mellitus using the Korean food-based index of dietary inflammatory potential (FBDI). SUBJECTS/METHODS: A total of 120 patients (male: 70, 58.3%) were randomly divided into two groups of 60 each, to be given intensive nutritional education (IE) and basic nutritional education (BE), respectively. As part of the nutrition education intervention, basic diabetesrelated nutrition education was provided to both groups initially. In addition, the IE was provided two face-to-face nutrition education sessions based on FBDI over six months, and text transmissions were made at least eight times. We surveyed the anthropometric measurements, biochemical indicators, inflammatory markers, and dietary intake before and after the interventions. We analyzed the effects of the intensive nutrition education using the t-test, χ 2 test and paired t-test. RESULTS: Of the subjects, 76.7% (46/60) of the IE and 86.7% (52/60) of the BE completed the study. The results of the paired t-test to evaluate the effectiveness of nutrition education using FBDI showed that high density lipoprotein-cholesterol increased significantly from 42.6 mg/dL before intervention to 49.2 mg/dL after intervention (P = 0.009), tumor necrosis factor-α significantly decreased from 1.25 pg/mL before intervention to 1.11 pg/mL after intervention (P =.012) in the IE. Also, glycated hemoglobin decreased from 8.0% to 7.5% in the IE but increased from 7.4% to 7.7% in the BE, and the differences between the groups were significant (P= 0.008). CONCLUSION These findings suggest that providing intensive FBDI-based education on antiinflammatory foods positively affected glycemic control and inflammatory status in diabetes patients. Therefore, practical dietary plans using FBDI should be considered for diabetes patients to prevent increased inflammation.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The dietary intake of foods with fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAP) is known to adversely affect patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, the effects of FODMAP have been studied predominantly among Western populations. This study aimed to identify foods high in FODMAP content which form a part of the Korean adult diet and obtain basic data for the preparation of IBS guidelines. SUBJECTS/METHODS: An online survey of 1,000 adults from the general population in the age group of 20 to 40 years was performed. Data from 787 participants (men, 386; women, 401) were analyzed. The general characteristics of the participants, health status, IBS diagnosis using the Rome III diagnostic criteria, semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire findings, and food items causing symptoms were analyzed. RESULTS: Overall, 169 participants (21.5%) had IBS. The contribution of the FODMAP nutrients in both IBS and healthy groups was as follows: fructan > lactose > excess fructose > sorbitol > mannitol > galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS). The fructan intake was 4.6 ± 2.2 g/day and 4.3 ± 2.5 g/day in the IBS and healthy groups (P = 0.014), respectively. In the IBS group, the ratio of the intake of fructan to the total FODMAP intake was 39.5%, 29.8%, and 5.8% through onions, garlic, and bananas, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Fructan was the FODMAP nutrient most consumed by Korean adults.Therefore, given the difference in the dietary habits of each country’s population, the dietary guidelines for IBS should be country specific.

The change in people's dietary life has led to an increase in an intake of processed foods and food chemicals, raising awareness about taste education for preschoolers whose dietary habits start to grow. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and satisfaction of parents and childcare personnel after developing a taste education program and demonstrating it in class. A part of the curriculum developed by Piusais and Pierre was referred for the program. After educating 524 preschoolers in child care facilities in Seoul, a satisfaction survey was conducted on the program. The data in this study were analyzed using SPSS 14.0. Statistical analysis was conducted based on the frequency after collecting the data. Mean +/- SD used to determine satisfaction with taste education, with preferences marked on a five-point scale and the alpha was set at 0.05. The program includes five teachers' guides with subjects of sweetness, saltiness, sourness, bitterness and harmony of flavor, and ten kinds of teaching tools. For the change in parents' recognition of the need for taste education based on five-point scale, the average of 4.06 +/- 0.62 before the program has significantly increased to 4.32 +/- 0.52 (P < 0.01). Regarding the change in the preferences for sweetness, saltiness, sourness, and bitterness, the average has increased to 3.83 +/- 0.61, 3.62 +/- 0.66, 3.64 +/- 0.66, and 3.56 +/- 0.75 respectively. In an evaluation of instructors in child care facilities, the average scores for education method, education effect, education contents and nutritionists, and teaching tools were at 4.15 +/- 0.63, 3.91 +/- 0.50, 4.18 +/- 0.50, and 3.80 +/- 0.56 respectively. In addition, the need for a continuous taste education scored 4.42 +/- 0.67. This program has created a positive change in preschoolers' dietary life, therefore the continuation and propagation of the taste education program should be considered.
Child ; Child Care ; Curriculum ; Food Habits ; Humans ; Parents

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Given the increasing proportion of the Korean population that is aged 65 years and older, the present study analyzed the relationship between diet quality and sarcopenia in elderly persons by using data from the 2008–2011 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). SUBJECTS/METHODS: Data for 3,373 persons aged 65 years and over (men: 1,455, 43.1%) were selected from the 2008–2011 KNHANES. Sarcopenia assessments are based on a formula that divides a subject's appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) by their weight (wt) and multiplies that result by 100 ([ASM/wt] × 100). Sarcopenia is present if the subject's result was less than one standard deviation (SD) below the sex-specific mean for a young reference group. For evaluation of diet quality, data obtained via the 24-hour recall method were used to calculate the Diet Quality Index for Koreans (DQI-K). A general linear model was applied in order to analyze general information and nutritional intake according to sarcopenia status. For analysis of the relationship between diet quality and sarcopenia, a binominal logistic regression analysis was undertaken. RESULTS: The sarcopenia prevalence rate among the study subjects aged 65 years and over was 37.6%. The DQI-K of those without sarcopenia was 3.33 ± 0.04 points, while that of those with sarcopenia was 3.45 ± 0.04 points (P < 0.05). The relationship between diet quality and sarcopenia revealed that subjects aged 75 and older had a poor diet quality, and their odds ratio (OR) of sarcopenia presence was significantly higher (OR: 1.807, 95% confidence interval: 1.003–3.254, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS This study revealed that poor diet quality was related to sarcopenia presence in Koreans aged 75 and older. In order to improve the diet quality of the elderly (aged 75 and older), it is necessary to develop dietary improvement guidelines.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Metabolic syndrome is closely associated with lifestyle factors, including diet and nutritional intake. Modern trends show a shift in food consumption from healthy home-cooked meals to processed and instant foods. Therefore, this study analyzed the association between ultra-processed food intake and the development of metabolic syndrome in Korean adults based on the data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2013–2018. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The subjects of this study were 17,414 adults aged 19–80 years who participated in the 6th–7th KNHANES. Processed food was classified into four categories, NOVA1 to NOVA4, using 24-h recall data. The higher the NOVA category, the more processed the food. Statistical analysis was conducted using logistic regression to investigate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome according to the consumption of ultra-processed foods. RESULTS: Among the diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome, hypertension (odds ratio [OR], 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.62–0.85; Q4 vs. Q1, P-trend < 0.001) and high triglycerides (OR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.72–0.94; Q4 vs. Q1, P-trend < 0.001) showed a correlation with the percentages of energy consumed from ultra-processed foods. The OR for metabolic syndrome, according to the percentages of energy consumed from ultra-processed foods, is shown only for men. The OR showed that the percentages of energy consumed from ultraprocessed foods were associated with increased metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that consumption of ultra-processed foods raises the risk of metabolic syndrome especially among men. To prevent metabolic syndrome, it is necessary to prepare appropriate dietary guidelines for Korean adults.

Purpose: Dietary habits are strongly related to the symptoms of people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Therefore, personalized nutrition management can help reduce symptoms and improve the quality of life of people with IBS. This study assessed the effectiveness of a personalized web-based nutrition management based on the types of food that trigger IBS symptoms. Methods: Sixty Korean adults with IBS according to Rome IV criteria in their 20s and 30s were enrolled in this study. The data from the final 49 patients who completed a three-month personalized nutrition intervention were analyzed. The general information, anthropometry, dietary intake survey, and gut microbiota were examined pre and post-intervention. The gut microbiota analysis included the relative abundance and the Shannon index. The food intake was recorded for two days for personalized nutrition education, followed by three months of personalized nutrition intervention. Statistical analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test in SPSS 26.0, with the significance set to p < 0.05. Results: The relative abundance of the gut microbiota changed after personalized nutrition management, with a significant decrease in the presence of Veillonella (p = 0.048). Furthermore, when the gut microbiota was analyzed according to the type of food that triggers symptoms, the diversity was increased significantly in the high fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs) type (p = 0.031) and FODMAPs-containing gluten-type personalized nutrition intervention types (p < 0.001). Conclusions Gut microbial diversity and gut microbiota distribution changed after using web-based personalized nutrition management. Hence, personalized nutrition management that considers trigger foods may improve IBS symptoms.

We present a case of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) that developed in a previously healthy young woman. She was diagnosed with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia, but did not respond to macrolide treatment. The pathogens of CAP was examined using chest radiographs, computed tomography, and various laboratory tests including Mycoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies, blood and sputum cultures, and PCR for M. pneumoniae, Legionella pneumophila, and Chlamydophila pneumoniae. In this study, differential diagnosis of the pathogens and analysis of the mechanisms underlying their resistance to macrolide treatment were performed, and the results were discussed. After changing the antimicrobial to quinolone, the patients' clinical symptoms and radiographic findings improved, and she was discharged after 8 days.
Antibodies ; Chlamydial Pneumonia ; Chlamydophila pneumoniae ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Legionella pneumophila ; Mycoplasma ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae ; Pneumonia ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sputum ; Thorax