Dry eye syndrome (DES) is recognized as a public health concern. One of the pathophysiologies in the development of DES is inflammation, and metabolic syndrome (MetS), which is highly prevalent in the general population, is a well-known chronic and systemic inflammatory condition. Despite the increasing interest regarding a relationship between DES and MetS, information is lacking on the association between DES and MetS and its individual components. We investigated the association between DES symptoms and MetS and its components among adults aged ≥ 19 years using population-based data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey V. A sample group of 15,294 adults (42.67% men and 57.33% women) completed household interviews in which they provided blood (for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, and glucose) and anthropometric measurements (including waist circumference, weight, and height) to define MetS. We also collected information regarding sociodemographic and behavioral risk factors. The survey results showed that 11.50% of men and 22.35% of women experienced DES and 5.30% of patients had both DES and diagnosis of MetS, including 204 men and 606 women. Thus, no significant difference was observed between DES and the diagnosis of MetS according to sex (P = 0.4008 in men; P = 0.0804 in women); however, a significant association was observed between DES and hypertriglyceridemia in women (OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.01-1.29). Therefore, hypertriglyceridemia might be an important factor in the association between DES and MetS. Further longitudinal research is needed to evaluate this relationship.
Adult ; Aged ; Blood Glucose/analysis ; Body Height ; Body Weight ; Cholesterol, HDL/blood ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Dry Eye Syndromes/complications/*diagnosis/epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertriglyceridemia/complications/diagnosis ; Interviews as Topic ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome X/complications/*diagnosis/epidemiology ; Middle Aged ; Nutrition Surveys ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Sex Factors ; Triglycerides/blood ; Waist Circumference ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: To describe the relationship between the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRFs) and to evaluate the validity of WHtR in identifying adolescents with metabolic syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed data from a pooled population of 4068 adolescents aged 10-19 years from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys conducted between 1998 and 2008. Overweight individuals were defined by body mass index (BMI) ≥85th percentile. Those with at least 2 CMRFs among hypertension, hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were classified as having multiple CMRFs. RESULTS: WHtR was significantly related to systolic blood pressure, HDL-C, and triglycerides in both non-overweight and overweight adolescents (all p<0.01). Among overweight adolescents, the area under the curve (AUC) for WHtR in identifying multiple CMRFs was significantly greater than that for BMI (p=0.014). Metabolic syndrome was more common in overweight adolescents with a WHtR of ≥0.5 than in those with a WHtR of <0.5 (p<0.001). In non-overweight adolescents, the prevalences of multiple CMRFs (p=0.001) and metabolic syndrome (p<0.001) were higher in those with a WHtR of ≥0.5 than in those with a WHtR of <0.5. Among those without central obesity, the prevalence of multiple CMRFs was higher in those with a WHtR of ≥0.5 than in those with a WHtR of <0.5 (p=0.021). CONCLUSION: WHtR is a simple and valid index for identifying adolescents with increased cardiometabolic risk and is related to CMRFs even in non-overweight adolescents. In adolescents already screened via BMI and waist circumference (WC), WHtR seems to be of additional help in discriminating those at higher cardiometabolic risk.
Adolescent ; Blood Pressure/physiology ; *Body Height ; Body Mass Index ; Cardiovascular Diseases/*epidemiology ; Child ; Cholesterol, HDL/blood ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension/complications/epidemiology ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome X/*epidemiology ; Nutrition Surveys ; Obesity, Abdominal/complications/*epidemiology ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Triglycerides/blood ; *Waist Circumference/physiology ; *Waist-Height Ratio ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: Recent studies have revealed close relationships between hepatic injury, metabolic pathways, and gut microbiota. The microorganisms in the intestine also cause irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The aim of this study was to examine whether IBS was associated with elevated hepatic enzyme [alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST)], gamma-glutamyl transferase (gamma-GT) levels, and metabolic syndrome (MS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective, cross-sectional, case-control study. The case and control groups comprised subjects who visited our health promotion center for general check-ups from June 2010 to December 2010. Of the 1127 initially screened subjects, 83 had IBS according to the Rome III criteria. The control group consisted of 260 age- and sex-matched subjects without IBS who visited our health promotion center during the same period. RESULTS: Compared to control subjects, patients with IBS showed significantly higher values of anthropometric parameters (body mass index, waist circumference), liver enzymes, gamma-GT, and lipid levels. The prevalences of elevated ALT (16.9% vs. 7.7%; p=0.015) and gamma-GT (24.1% vs. 11.5%; p=0.037) levels were significantly higher in patients with IBS than in control subjects. A statistically significant difference was observed in the prevalence of MS between controls and IBS patients (12.7% vs. 32.5%; p<0.001). The relationships between elevated ALT levels, MS, and IBS remained statistically significant after controlling for potential confounding factors. CONCLUSION: On the basis of our study results, IBS may be an important condition in certain patients with elevated ALT levels and MS.
Adult ; Alanine Transaminase/analysis/*metabolism ; Aspartate Aminotransferases/analysis/*metabolism ; Body Mass Index ; Case-Control Studies ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome/diagnosis/*enzymology/epidemiology ; Liver/metabolism ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome X/complications/diagnosis/*enzymology/epidemiology ; Middle Aged ; Obesity/epidemiology ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Waist Circumference ; gamma-Glutamyltransferase/analysis/*metabolism

OBJECTIVES: Metabolic syndrome is an important etiologic factor in the development of certain types of cancers. The economic cost of the treatment of cancer has been steadily increasing. We therefore estimated the economic burden of cancers attributable to metabolic syndrome in Korea. METHODS: We reviewed metabolic syndrome-related cancers and relative risk and then calculated population attributable fractions. We analyzed insurance claims data for metabolic syndrome-related cancers in 2012 in order to estimate the direct costs associated with these cancers, including hospitalization, outpatient visits, transportation costs, and caregivers' costs as well as indirect costs such as loss of productivity due to cancer treatment and premature death. RESULTS: In 2012, 18 070 patients in Korea had cancers attributable to metabolic syndrome. The economic burden was USD 199.8 million and the direct and indirect costs were USD 124.5 million and USD 75.3 million, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We estimated the economic burden of cancers attributable to metabolic syndrome in Korea and the efforts are necessary to reduce this burden.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cost of Illness ; Female ; Humans ; Insurance Claim Reporting ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome X/complications/*economics/epidemiology ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms/*economics/etiology ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Risk

Obesity during childhood is a dominant risk factor for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), and is itself considered a disease that needs to be treated. Recently, the growth in childhood obesity in Korea has become stagnant; however, two in every ten children are still overweight. In addition, 60% or more of overweight children have at least one metabolic syndrome risk factor. Thus, childhood obesity should be controlled through lifestyle modification. This paper reviews studies of the modifiable risk factors of obesity in Korean children. According to the life-course approach, preschool-aged children (<5 years) are influenced by their parents rather than individual habits because they are under mostly parental care. Elementary school-aged children (6 to 11 years) are affected by overlapping individual and parental effects. This may mean that the establishment of individual behavior patterns begins during this period. The conditions of poor eating habits such as skipping meals, eating out, and high fat intake, along with low physical activity, facilitate increased obesity among adolescents (12 to 18 years). Notably, adolescent girls show high rates of both underweight and obesity, which may lead to the development of NCDs in their offspring. Therefore, the problem of NCDs is no longer limited to adults, but is also prevalent among children. In addition, early intervention offers cost-effective opportunities for preventing NCDs. Thus, children need primary consideration, adequate monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment to reduce the burden of NCDs later in adulthood.
Adolescent ; Child ; Chronic Disease/*epidemiology ; Diet ; Female ; Humans ; Life Style ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome X/epidemiology/*etiology/*prevention & control ; Obesity/*complications/epidemiology/*prevention & control ; Parent-Child Relations ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Sedentary Lifestyle

PURPOSE: The association of ischemic stroke and metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) with or without diabetes mellitus (DM) is not clear. The present study aimed to identify the impact of diabetes or hyperglycemia on the risk of MetSyn-associated ischemic stroke. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study comprised an Asian population of 576 patients with acute nonembolic cerebral infarction and 500 controls. MetSyn was defined according to the criteria of the International Diabetes Federation. MetSyn patients were further subgrouped according to their glucose levels: MetSyn with DM, MetSyn with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and MetSyn with normal glucose tolerance (NGT). The impact of MetSyn on cerebral infarction was then evaluated. RESULTS: At baseline, the prevalence of MetSyn in patients with cerebral infarction was higher than that of the controls (57.29% vs. 10.00%, p<0.01). In the stroke group, the prevalences of MetSyn with DM, IFG, and NGT were 25.69%, 8.85% and 22.74%, respectively, all of which were higher than that of the controls (all p-values <0.05). By multiple logistic regression analysis, we discovered that MetSyn was associated with an increased risk of cerebral infarction (odds ratio: 5.73, p<0.01). After adjustment for all the components of MetSyn, the odds ratios of MetSyn with DM, IFG, and NGT were 5.70, 2.24 and 2.19 (all p-values <0.05), respectively. CONCLUSION: In Asian population, patients with MetSyn accompanied by T2DM are at the greatest risk for acute non-embolic stroke. Additionally, IFG was not observed to be associated with an increased risk for MetSyn-related ischemic stroke.
Aged ; Cerebral Infarction/*complications ; Diabetes Complications/epidemiology ; Female ; Glucose Intolerance/complications/epidemiology ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia/*complications ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome X/*complications/epidemiology ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors

The aim of this study was to describe the incidence of metabolic syndrome and to identify five components as metabolic syndrome predictors. The final study included 1,095 subjects enrolled in a rural part of Daegu Metropolitan City, Korea for a cohort study in 2003. Of these, 762 (69.6%) subjects had participated in the repeat survey. During the five-year follow-up, incidence density was significantly higher for women than for men (men, 30.0/1,000 person-years; women, 46.4/1,000 person-years). In both men and women, incidence of metabolic syndrome showed a significant increase with increasing number of metabolic syndrome components at baseline. Compared with individuals presenting none of components at baseline, relative risks were increased 1.22 (men; 95% CI, 0.43-3.51), 2.21 (women; 95% CI, 0.98-4.97) times more for individuals with one component of metabolic syndrome and 5.30 (men; 95% CI, 2.31-12.13), 5.53 (women; 95% CI, 2.78-11.01) times more for those who had two components. In multivariate analysis, the most powerful risk factor for metabolic syndrome was abdominal obesity in men and low HDL-cholesterol in women (adjusted relative risk, 3.28, 2.53, respectively). Consequently, finding a high risk group for metabolic syndrome according to gender and prevention of metabolic syndrome through lifestyle modification are essential.
Adult ; Aged ; Cholesterol, HDL/blood ; Cohort Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/complications ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypertension/complications ; Hypertriglyceridemia/complications ; Incidence ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome X/complications/*epidemiology ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Obesity, Abdominal/complications ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Risk Factors

The principal objective of this study was to determine whether visceral fat or liver fat is a more relevant risk factor for metabolic syndrome. A total of 98 subjects aged 18-65 yr, who visited a health promotion center in a university hospital, were enrolled in this study. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed based on the modified National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III report (NCEP-ATPIII) criteria. We defined the visceral obesity as a visceral fat area of > or = 100 cm2 which was acquired by CT at the L4-5 level. To evaluate fatty liver, we applied a liver-to-spleen attenuation ratio < or = 1.1 as measured by CT at the T12 level. We employed binary logistic regression models that used the presence or absence of metabolic syndrome as a dependent variable and age, sex, and the presence or absence of visceral obesity and fatty liver as independent variables. Visceral obesity was not found to be an independent variable as a risk factor of metabolic syndrome (odds ratio 2.7; 95% confidence interval 0.55-13.30), but fatty liver was found to be significant in this model (odds ratio 71.3; 95% CI 13.04-389.53). Our study suggests that liver fat may be a more important risk factor than visceral fat in terms of its association with metabolic syndrome.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Blood Pressure ; Body Composition ; Demography ; Fatty Liver/*complications ; Female ; Humans ; Intra-Abdominal Fat/*anatomy & histology/radiography ; Liver/anatomy & histology/radiography ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome X/diagnosis/epidemiology/*etiology ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Risk Factors ; Sex Factors ; Spleen/anatomy & histology/radiography ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Young Adult

The aim of this study was to examine whether serum homocysteine (Hcy) levels correlated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) depending on the presence or absence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Korean men. We conducted a case-control study, including 138 CVD and 290 non-CVD age-matched control subjects. The subjects were divided into four subgroups: 34 CVD/MetS, 104 CVD, 77 MetS, and 213 normal subgroups. The mean Hcy was significantly higher, whereas HDL and intake of vitamin B1 and B2 were lower in the CVD group (P < 0.05) than non-CVD group. When compared to the control group, subjects with CVD/MetS, CVD and MetS exhibited high Hcy levels, with the highest observed in the CVD/MetS subgroup (P < 0.001). Multivariate stepwise linear regression between CVD and markers of CVD showed Hcy significantly correlated with CVD (P < 0.05). To predict CVD based on Hcy, Hcy threshold of 11.72 microM in non-MetS subjects had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.664 (95% CI 0.598-0.731). In MetS subjects, the AUC was 0.618 and Hcy threshold was 13.32 microM (95% CI 0.509-0.726). The results of our study show that the presence of MetS needs to be considered when using Hcy levels for predicting CVD.
Adult ; Area Under Curve ; Cardiovascular Diseases/*blood/complications/epidemiology ; Case-Control Studies ; Cholesterol, HDL/blood ; Dietary Supplements ; Homocysteine/blood ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome X/*complications ; Middle Aged ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology

Either chronic inflammation or metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with renal impairment. This cross-sectional study was designed to investigate the relationship between elevated white blood cell (WBC) counts and chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 3 or more according to the presence of MetS in adult Koreans. In total, 5,291 subjects (> or = 20 yr-old) participating in the 2005 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination were included. CKD stage 3 or more was defined as having an estimated glomerular filtration rate below 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, as calculated using the formula from the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease study. The odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for CKD stage 3 or more in the highest WBC quartile (> or = 7,200 cells/microL) was 1.70 (1.17-2.39) after adjusting for MetS and other covariates, compared with the lowest WBC quartile (< 5,100 cells/microL). In subjects with MetS, the prevalence risk for CKD stage 3 or more in the highest WBC quartile was 2.25 (1.28-3.95) even after fully adjusting for confounding variables. In contrast, this positive association between WBC quartile and CKD stage 3 or more disappeared in subjects without MetS. Low-grade inflammation is significantly associated with CKD stage 3 or more in subjects with MetS but not in those without MetS.
Adult ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Humans ; Inflammation/complications/*diagnosis ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/*epidemiology/etiology ; Leukocyte Count ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome X/complications/*diagnosis ; Middle Aged ; Nutrition Surveys ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Severity of Illness Index