ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Across the globe, obesity stands as a prominent public health concern, linked to a heightened susceptibility to a range of metabolic and cardiovascular disorders. This study reveals a disproportionate impact of obesity on African American (AA) communities, irrespective of socioeconomic status. Structural racism plays a critical role in perpetuating healthcare disparities between AA and other racial/ethnic groups in the United States. These disparities are reflected in limited access to nutritious food, safe exercise spaces, health insurance, and medical care, all of which significantly influence healthcare outcomes and obesity prevalence. Additionally, both conscious and unconscious interpersonal racism adversely affect obesity care, outcomes, and patient-healthcare provider interactions among Blacks. STUDY OBJECTIVE: This study aims to analyze and compare obesity-related mortality rates among AAs, Whites, and other racial groups. METHODOLOGY: We queried the CDC WONDER dataset, incorporating all US death certificates. During data extraction, various ICD 10 codes were used to denote different obesity categories: E66.1 (drug-induced obesity), E66.2 (severe obesity with alveolar hypoventilation), E66.3 (overweight), E66.8 (other forms of obesity), E66.9 (unspecified obesity), E66.0 (obesity due to excess calorie intake), E66.01 (severe obesity due to excess calories), and E66.09 (other forms of obesity caused by excess calorie intake). Our study encompassed decedents aged ≥15 years, with obesity-related diseases as the underlying cause of death from 2018 to 2021. Sex- and race-specific obesity-related mortality rates were examined for AAs, Whites, and other races. Resultant mortality trends were computed and presented as ratios comparing AA and White populations. RESULTS: This study reveals lower obesity-related mortality rates in AAs compared to Whites. Furthermore, women exhibited higher rates than men. In the 15 to 24 age bracket, males comprised 60.11% of the 361 deaths, whereas females made up 39.89%. In this demographic, 35.46% of deaths were among Blacks, with 64.54% among Whites. Within the 25 to 34 age group, females constituted 37.26% of the 1943 deaths, and males 62.74%. Whites made up 62.94% of the fatalities, Blacks 33.40%, with other racial groups accounting for the remainder. These trends extended through the 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65-74, and 75+ age categories, with variations in death proportions among genders and races. Whites consistently accounted for the highest death percentages across all age groups, followed by Blacks. Our data indicate that obesity-related mortality tends to occur earlier in life. CONCLUSION: Our results corroborate previous studies linking elevated mortality risk to obesity and overweight conditions. The uniformity of our findings across age groups, as well as genders, supports the proposal for applying a single range of body weight throughout life. Given the ongoing rise in obesity and overweight conditions across the United States, excess mortality rates are projected to accelerate, potentially leading to decreased life expectancy. This highlights the urgency for developing and implementing effective strategies to control and prevent obesity nationwide.
ABSTRACT
Berberine (BBR) is an ancient plant popular in China and is used to treat dyslipidemia, among other cardiovascular and metabolic-related diseases. BBR has historically been regarded as having multiple benefits, with a few clinical trials indicating this fact. We searched PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar with the following keywords: Berberidaceae, berberine, Berberis spp., dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis, and inflammation. We synthesized the information within the literature to provide an updated review of BBR, its potential, and its applicability in real-world medicine in the future. This review sought to evaluate the literature and advancement in BBR's efficacy regarding dyslipidemia, inflammation, and atherosclerosis.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: To investigate the possible association between serum 25(OH) vitamin D3 concentration and the severity of disease in Iranian patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and to compare this concentration with a matched control group. METHODS: This was an analytical cross-sectional study performed at Jondishapour Neurology Clinic in Tehran, Iran. Patients with relapsing-remitting MS were categorized by disease severity: mild [0≤ Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) ≤3], moderate (3.5≤EDSS≤5.5), and severe (6≤EDSS). Serum concentrations of 25(OH) vitamin D3, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and parathyroid hormone were measured in 98 MS patients and 17 healthy age- and sex-matched controls. Fisher's exact, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U test, and independent t and Spearman rank correlation tests were used. RESULTS: Serum 25(OH) vitamin D3 concentration was significantly lower in patients with MS, especially in the severe MS subgroup, compared with healthy controls (P=0.047). There was a statistically significant inverse correlation between 25(OH) vitamin D3 concentration and EDSS score (P=0.049, R=-0.168 by Spearman rank correlation test), which was observed in women only (P=0.044, R=-0.199). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings not only further disclose the lower level of vitamin D in MS patients in comparison with healthy controls, but also support the association between vitamin D and disease severity in MS.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: There is a known inverse association between solar radiation and the prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS). Some studies have investigated the link between vitamin D and MS. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible association between serum 25(OH) vitamin D3 concentration and the severity of disease in Iranian patients with MS. METHODS: Patients with relapsing-remitting MS underwent neurological examination, including measurement of Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score, and were categorized by disease severity into mild (0 ≤ EDSS ≤3), moderate (3.5 ≤ EDSS ≤5.5) and severe (6 ≤ EDSS). Serum concentrations of 25(OH) vitamin D3, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and parathyroid hormone were also measured. RESULTS: A total of 78 (73.1% female) patients with MS were evaluated. The mean (± standard deviation) of age was 33.9 ± 9.2 years. The mean (± standard error) serum concentrations of 25(OH) vitamin D3 were 36.6 ± 5.1 mg/dL, 50.1 ± 12.6 mg/dL and 19.8 ± 6.5 mg/dL in patients with mild, moderate and severe disease, respectively. There was a statistically significant inverse correlation between 25(OH) vitamin D3 concentration and EDSS score (P = 0.016, r= -0.273 by Spearman rank correlation test), which was observed in women only (P = 0.021, r = -0.305). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis suggested that a serum 25(OH) vitamin D3 concentration cutoff of 16.5 mg/dL could differentiate patients with mild/moderate MS from severe disease with 74.6% accuracy. CONCLUSION: Our findings further support the association between vitamin D and disease severity in MS.
