Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a predictor for cardiovascular diseases: a cohort study in Tianjin, China.

Based on a cohort in Tianjin, China, we explore the relationship between neutrophils-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). From January 2010 to December 2019, 4667 eligible participants aged more than 40 years old, CVDs-free, and registered in two community health service centers were recruited and followed up. The values of NLR collected at baseline were included in Cox proportional hazards model to evaluate its association with the incidence risk of CVDs. Hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated before and after adjustment for potential confounding factors selected by LASSO regression. During a total of 13,691 person-years of follow-up among all participants (median, 2.0 years; interquartile range, 1.7-2.5), 150 (3.42%) newly diagnosed CVDs events occurred, with the incidence density of CVDs of 10.96/1000 person-year. The incidence density in subgroups categorized by tertiles of baseline NLR was 8.08/1000, 11.74/1000, and 13.24/1000, respectively (p trend = 0.019). COX models revealed that after adjustment for potential confounders, NLR (as a continuous variable) was significantly related to the risk of total CVDs (HR 1.10, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.17), myocardial infarction (HR 1.12, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.20), and ischemic stroke (HR 1.21, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.33). When NLR was categorized into tertiles, participants in the top tertile had a significantly higher risk of CVDs (HR 1.61, 95% CI: 1.06, 2.44) and myocardial infarction (HR 1.88, 95% CI: 1.09, 3.27) relative to those in the bottom tertile.

The beneficial cutoffs of vitamin D for metabolic syndrome varies by sex among the elderly Chinese population: A cross-sectional study.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a risk factor for various diseases with a high prevalence globally. We aimed to investigate the association of serum vitamin D levels with MetS, and we hypothesized that the beneficial cutoffs of vitamin D for MetS might vary by sex among urban people aged ≥60 years in Tianjin, China. This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 2 community health centers. We collected lifestyle and anthropometric information and measured serum 25(OH)D3 concentrations by high-performance liquid chromatography. MetS was diagnosed based on the 2009 International Diabetes Federation/American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute criterion. Binary logistic regression and stratification analysis were performed to determine the association between MetS and 25(OH)D3 levels. Among 840 eligible participants (347 males and 493 females), 439 (52.3%) were diagnosed with MetS. The prevalence rates of MetS in men and women were 52.7% and 51.9%, respectively (P = .82). In the whole population, no significant association was found between 25(OH)D3 and MetS, regardless of which 25(OH)D3 cutoff was used. After stratification by sex, men with serum 25(OH)D3 ≥40 ng/mL had a significantly lower risk of MetS before and after adjustment, with odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of 0.55 (0.31-0.98) and 0.53 (0.29-0.96), respectively. For women, serum 25(OH)D3 ≥20 ng/mL was associated with a lower MetS risk, with unadjusted and adjusted ORs (95% CI) of 0.64 (0.43-0.95) and 0.61 (0.41-0.91), respectively. This association was more significant among females with respect to diastolic pressure and triglycerides. The beneficial cutoffs of serum 25(OH)D3 levels for MetS among men and women might be different.

The influence of socioeconomic status on menarcheal age among Chinese school-age girls in Tianjin, China.

The association between socioeconomic status and the onset age of menarche is still not conclusive. This cross-sectional study was conducted among primary and middle school girls aged 7 to 16 years old in Tianjin, China, to explore the distribution of menarcheal age and its association with socioeconomic status. A self-designed structured questionnaire was completed by students and their parents to collect information on socioeconomic status (i.e., family income, parental education level, living residence), menarcheal status, and covariates (weight status of girls and their parents, sleeping hours per day, physical activity). Information on menarcheal status included whether or not menarche had occurred (Yes/No) and the exact age at menarche. Linear regression analysis was used to explore the association between socioeconomic status and menarcheal age before and after covariate adjustment. Among 1485 eligible girls with complete information, 445 had experienced menarche, with an overall menarche rate of 30%. The mean age at menarche was 12.9 years (95% confidence interval 12.8-13.0). Urban girls experienced menarche earlier than rural girls did (12.1 years vs. 13.5 years). Univariate analysis showed that urban residence and higher parental education were associated with earlier onset of menarche. After covariate adjustment, the significance still existed. However, after adjusting further for residence, the significant association with the parental education disappeared. Only urban residence was still significantly associated, even after further adjustment for parental education and family income, with adjusted regression coefficients (95% confidence interval) of - 1.087 (- 1.340,-0.834), indicating that the onset age of menarche among urban girls was 1.087 years (0.834, 1.340) younger than that among rural girls. Family income was not related to the onset age of menarche in any analyses.Conclusion: Urban-rural differences played a more important role in the early onset of menarche than socioeconomic differences between families. What is Known: • The age at menarche varies by race and country, but the global trend is towards earlier onset as a result of changes in nutrition, family structure, socioeconomic status, and physical condition. What is New: • Urban girls experienced menarche earlier than rural girls, but this urban-rural difference could not be explained by family income, parental education, weight status of the participants and their parents, participants' physical exercise and sleeping hours. • Higher parental education was associated with earlier onset of menarche, but this association disappeared after adjustment for living residence.

Impact of updated pediatric hypertension criteria on prevalence estimates of hypertension among Chinese children.

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of updated pediatric hypertension (HTN) criteria (the 2017 AAP Guidelines) on prevalence estimates of HTN and prehypertension among Chinese children compared to the 2004 Fourth Report. A total of 2093 children aged 7-15 years from five schools in Tianjin, China were selected using a multistage random cluster sampling method. The prevalence of HTN per the 2017 AAP Guidelines (10.1%) was significantly higher than that per the Fourth Report (6.6%), whereas the prevalence of prehypertension per the 2017 AAP Guidelines (6.3%) was significantly lower than that per the Fourth Report (8.8%). From the 2004 Fourth Report to the 2017 AAP Guidelines, a total of 117 (5.6%) children were reclassified to have higher blood pressure. The two criteria had better consistency in the diagnosis of systolic abnormalities than in the diagnosis of diastolic abnormalities. The updated definitions for pediatric HTN have a substantive impact on the prevalence estimation among Chinese children, especially among boys, overweight children, and older children.

An ultra-low energy method for rapidly pre-concentrating microalgae.

This study demonstrates that Nannochloropsis sp. can be effectively separated from its growth medium (0.2-0.3g/L) using electro-coagulation-flocculation in a 100mL batch reactor with nickel electrodes and a treatment time of only 4s. Minimum energy density input for effective separation is 0.03 kWh/m(3). Both energy input and treatment time are much smaller than reported elsewhere. The process results in rapid separation of microalgae (over 90% in 120 min) with minimal damage to algal cells (>90% still alive after processing). At around 4V input, algae can be effectively separated even in very low concentrations. Pulsing is equally effective in separating microalgae as continuous direct current of same magnitude and total exposure time. Algae can separate from their growth medium even if the suspension itself is not treated, but is mixed with treated saltwater with same conductivity. The described method has significant advantages including applicability to continuous processing and water reuse.