Objective To investigate the relationship of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with blood-lipid levels. Methods Individuals 40 years old or older who had undergone a physical-health examination in our hospital between January and December 2017 were enrolled in this study. Information regarding medical history and the results of essential ophthalmological and physical-health examinations were examined to exclude individuals with serious chronic diseases such as malignant tumors, stroke, myocardial infarction, pulmonary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and kidney disease. One thousand nine individuals with AMD (all at the early stage) were included in the AMD group, and 3489 individuals without AMD were included in the non-AMD group. Data of all participants, including total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, were collected and analyzed. Results The average age in the AMD group was higher than that in the non-AMD group, and the male to female ratio was significantly higher in the AMD group (P<0.05). After adjusting for age, gender, and BMI confounders, multiple linear stepwise regression analysis revealed that HDL-C was associated with AMD (β=-0.026, 95% CI: 0.045-0.006, P=0.011); there was no correlation between TC, TG, LDL-C, and AMD (all P>0.05). Conclusion Early stage AMD was related to a decrease in HDL-C, which may be a protective factor against AMD. Further study is warranted to validate this finding.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between liver function and arterial stiffness in the physical examination population.Methods:A total of 9 111 people who received physical examination in the Health Management Center of Wuhan Tongji Hospital from January to December 2017 with an age of 18 and above and complete clinical data were included in this study. The subjects were divided into arterial stiffness group (3 252 cases) and the normal group (5 859 cases) according to the results of brachial-ankle artery pulse wave velocity (baPWV) examination. The liver function indicators were checked in all the subjects, including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and glutamyl transpeptidase γ (GGT). According to interquartile range of the liver function indicators, the subjects were divided into 4 groups (group Q1- Q4). Multivariate logistic regression analysis and restricted cubic spline functions were used to explore the relationship between liver function and risk of arterial stiffness. Results:When the subjects were grouped by ALT, after adjusted for age and gender, the risk of arterial stiffness in the Q2 to Q4 groups was 1.260 (95% CI:1.093-1.452, P<0.05), 1.571 (95% CI:1.355-1.822, P<0.001) and 2.436 (95% CI:2.097-2.830, P<0.001) times of that in the Q1 group, respectively, P for trend<0.001. And after adjusted for age, gender, body mass index, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), the risk of arterial stiffness in the Q2 to Q4 groups was 1.158 (95% CI:1.003-1.338, P<0.05), 1.331 (95% CI:1.143-1.551, P<0.001) and 1.867 (95% CI:1.591-2.190, P<0.001) times of that in the Q1 group, respectively, P for trend <0.001. After adjusted for age, gender, body mass index, LDL-C, triglycerides, HDL-C, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, fasting blood glucose, blood uric acid, serum creatinine, with or without hypertension or diabetes, the risk of arterial stiffness in the Q2 to Q4 groups was 1.116 (95% CI:0.940-1.325, P=0.210), 1.241 (95% CI:1.036-1.488, P<0.05) and 1.598 (95% CI:1.322-1.932, P<0.001) times of that in the Q1 group, respectively, P for trend <0.001. Restricted cubic spline regression analysis showed a linear positive correlation between ALT and the risk of arterial stiffness. Similar results as ALT obtained with AST, ALP and GGT. Conclusions:The increase of liver function indicators is positively correlated with the risk of arterial stiffness.

Objective:To analyse the relationship between serum electrolyte concentrations and risk of cardiovascular events in physical examination population.Methods:A cross-sectional study design was applied to survey 8 445 adults whose serum high-sensitivity cardiac tropon Ⅰ (hs-cTnⅠ) and serum electrolytes (chloride, phosphorus, calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium) concentrations were measured at the health examination center of Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology from January 1, 2018 to February 28, 2022. The risk of cardiovascular events was classified into three levels according to the serum hypersensitive cardiac troponin Ⅰ(hs-cTnⅠ) concentration: low, middle or high risk group. One-way analysis of variance was applied to compare the differences in serum electrolyte concentrations of participants with different risk levels of cardiovascular events. Ordered multi-category logistic regression was performed to analyze the correlation between serum electrolyte levels and the risk of cardiovascular events.Results:The concentration of potassium and magnesium ion in the subjects with low risk of cardiovascular events were both higher than those in the middle and high risk group [potassium ion (4.28±0.29) vs (4.24±0.34), (4.23±0.36) mmol/L, magnesium ion (0.88±0.06) vs (0.87±0.07), (0.87±0.07) mmol/L](both P<0.05), while the concentration of sodium ion was lower [(140.54±1.75) vs (140.88±1.73), (140.81±2.20) mmol/L]( P<0.001); the concentration of phosphorus ion in the high-risk group was lower than those in the middle and low risk groups [(1.04±0.17) vs (1.08±0.16), (1.05±0.15) mmol/L]( P=0.001); no significant difference was found in the concentrations of chloride and calcium ion among the three groups (both P>0.05). Compared to subjects with normal concentrations of electrolyte, the risk level of cardiovascular events in subjects with hypokalemia ( OR=6.96, 95% CI: 3.67-13.10) and hypomagnesemia ( OR=5.00, 95% CI: 1.01-24.50) was higher(both P<0.05). Within the normal range, sodium concentration was positively correlated with the risk of cardiovascular events ( OR=1.08, 95% CI: 1.03-1.14; P<0.001). Conclusions:The serum sodium, potassium and magnesium concentrations in health examination subjects are correlated with the risk of cardiovascular events. Maintaining the balanced concentration of serum potassium and magnesium, as well as low sodium levels within normal limits may help prevent cardiovascular events.

Objective:To investigate the correlation between Helicobacter pylori ( H.pylori) infection and albuminuria inphysical examination population. Methods:It was a cross-sectional study. All the adults who received physical examination and underwent 13C-urea breath test at the Physical Examination Center in Tongji Hospital in 2021 were selected as the study subjects. General data (such as demographic information and past medical history) were documented. The physical measurement and blood biochemical indicators were checked too. Multivariate analysis was used to analyze the relationship between H. pylori infection and albuminuria. Results:A total of 30 311 subjects were included in this analysis. There were 17 123 males and 13 188 females with an age of (44.51±12.17) years. The positive rate of H. pylori infection was 27.3%. The incidence of albuminuria in subjects with H. pylori infection was 6.7%, and it was 6.1% in the subjects without H. pylori infection ( P=0.031). After adjusting for the confounding factors such as gender, age, diabetes and hypertension, H. pylori infection was independently associated with the risk of albuminuria (odds ratio ( OR)=1.133, 95% CI: 1.018-1.261, P=0.022). Conclusion:H. pylori infection is positively correlated with the occurrence of albuminuria in the physical examination population.

Objective: To explore the association between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and overweight/obesity in a Chinese population. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that included all adult participants who underwent a ¹³C-urea breath test at the physical examination center in Tongji Hospital (Wuhan, China) in 2016. Data on demographic characteristics, anthropometric index, biochemical variables, and medical history were collected. Multivariate analyses were performed to assess the relationship between H. pylori infection and overweight/obesity, as well as body mass index (BMI). Results: Of the 27 883 participants included, 17 585 were males and 10 298 were females. They were aged (43.94±11.31) years. The prevalence rate of H. pylori infection was 33.1%. The BMIs of subjects with and without H. pylori infection were (24.30±3.28) kg/m² and (23.99±3.35) kg/m², respectively (t=-7.28, P<0.001). After adjusting for age, sex, blood lipid levels, diabetes, and hypertension, the BMI of subjects with H. pylori infection was 0.120 kg/m² (95% CI: 0.050-0.191, P=0.001), which was higher than that of subjects without H. pylori infection. Moreover, H. pylori infection was independently associated with a higher risk of prevalent overweight/obesity, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.09 (95%CI: 1.03-1.16, P=0.004). The positive association between H. pylori infection and overweight/obesity was more evident among women, with an OR of 1.19 (95%CI: 1.07-1.31, P=0.001). Conclusion H. pylori infection was closely correlated with overweight/obesity. Control of H. pylori infection may be useful in reducing the heavy disease burden caused by overweight/obesity.