Association between Homocysteine and Vitamin D Levels in Asymptomatic Korean Adults.

An increased homocysteine level is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, venous thromboembolism, cerebrovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease. In addition, vitamin D deficiency is associated with coronary artery disease and metabolic disorders. The present study included data from 1375 adults (895 men and 480 women) with a mean age of 52.62 ± 9.94 years who visited the Health Promotion Center of the University Hospital in Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea from January 2018 to December 2022 for routine checkups that included assessments of their homocysteine and vitamin D levels. Homocysteine levels were positively associated with age, a history of hypertension, a history of diabetes, current smoking habits, and levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, creatinine, uric acid, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. By contrast, vitamin D levels were negatively associated with serum levels of homocysteine after adjusting for covariates (ß = -0.033, p < 0.001). Additional long-term prospective studies are needed to elucidate the presence of a causal relationship between vitamin D status and serum levels of homocysteine in asymptomatic Korean adults. An intervention trial is warranted to determine whether the administration of vitamin D is helpful for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease by lowering the homocysteine level in this population.

Relationship between metabolically healthy obesity and coronary artery calcification.

There is a lack of consensus regarding universally accepted criteria for metabolic health (MH). A simple definition of MH was systematically derived in a recent prospective cohort study. The present cross-sectional study aimed to explore the applicability of these criteria in Korean population, using coronary calcification as an indicator of cardiovascular risk. In total, 1049 healthy participants, who underwent coronary artery calcification testing at university hospital health promotion centers between January and December 2022, were included. Applying the main components of the newly derived definition, MH was defined as follows: (1) systolic blood pressure < 130 mmHg and no use of blood pressure-lowering medication; (2) waist circumference < 90 cm for males and < 85 cm for females; and (3) absence of diabetes. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to examine the odds ratio (OR) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) for coronary artery calcium score across different phenotypes. The prevalence of coronary artery calcification in this study was 41.1 %. Compared with metabolically healthy, normal weight subjects, those with the metabolically healthy obesity phenotype did not exhibit increased odds for coronary atherosclerosis. (OR 0.93 [95 % CI 0.48-1.79]) Conversely, metabolically unhealthy subjects had increased risk, regardless of their body mass index category (OR 3.10 [95 % CI 1.84-5.24] in metabolically unhealthy normal weight; OR 3.21 [95 % CI 1.92-5.37] in metabolically unhealthy overweight; OR 2.73 [95 % CI 1.72-4.33] in metabolically unhealthy obese phenotype). These findings suggest that the new definition for MH has the potential to effectively distinguish individuals at risk for cardiovascular disease from those who are not.

Sunflower seed extract supplementation reduces body fat in adults with obesity: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Obesity is an important public health problem and socioeconomic burden. We hypothesized that an intake of sunflower seed extract (SUN-CA) would decrease body fat and then investigated the effects and safety of SUN-CA intake on body fat in adults with obesity as an option for obesity treatment. In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, 100 adults with body mass indices of 25 to 31.9 kg/m2 were assigned to groups that received SUN-CA (n = 50) or a placebo (n = 50) and received 1 tablet/day containing 500 mg of SUN-CA or the placebo over a 12-week period. The primary endpoint was the change in mass and percentage of body fat. The group that received SUN-CA daily showed decreases in body fat mass greater than those in the placebo group (-0.9 ± 1.8 kg vs. -0.1 ± 1.4 kg, P = .043). In addition, body weight, body mass index, and hip circumference improved after the intake of SUN-CA relative to the changes in the placebo group. There was no intergroup differences in the prevalence of adverse events. The accumulation of excess body fat improved through the intake of 500 mg/day of SUN-CA containing 100 mg of chlorogenic acids for 12 weeks in adults with obesity without causing serious adverse side effects. SUN-CA could be an effective and safe management option for obesity. The trial was registered at Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS: https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/index/index.do) as KCT0005733.

Associations between Dietary Patterns and Metabolic Syndrome: Findings of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a multifactorial cluster of metabolic disorders related to cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Diet and dietary patterns are significant factors in the development and management of MetS. The associations between dietary patterns (i.e., high-carbohydrate [HCHO], high-fat [HF], and high-protein [HP] diets) and the prevalence of MetS in Koreans were examined using data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, collected between 2018 and 2020. The study included data from 9069 participants (3777 men and 5292 women). The percentage of participants with MetS was significantly higher in the HCHO diet group than in the normal diet group in women. Women with HCHO diet were positively associated with elevated blood pressure and triglyceride levels based on a comparison with the normal diet group (p = 0.032 and p = 0.005, respectively). Men with an HF diet were negatively associated with elevated fasting glucose levels based on a comparison with the normal diet group (p = 0.014). Our findings showed that HCHO intake was strongly associated with a higher risk of MetS, especially elevated blood pressure and triglyceride levels in women, and an HF diet was negatively associated with elevated fasting glucose levels in men. Further prospective studies of the impact of dietary carbohydrate, fat, and protein proportions on metabolic health are needed. The optimal types and proportions of these dietary components, as well as the underlying mechanisms through which suboptimal proportions can lead to MetS, should also be investigated.

Changes in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Korean adults after the COVID-19 outbreak.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to reveal changes in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) after the start of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and to identify the groups showing the greatest changes. METHODS: We compared the prevalence of MetS between 2017-2019 (i.e., the 3-year period before the COVID-19 pandemic) and soon after the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 among 24,564 adults ≥ 19 years of age using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. RESULTS: The prevalence of MetS increased steadily between 2017 and 2020 (29.4 to 35.3%, p for trend < 0.001), with annual percent changes of 2.0%p, 2.2%p, and 1.7%p, respectively. Compared to 3 years before the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence of MetS significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in males (6.2%p; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.5 to 8.9) compared to females (1.5%p; 95% CI, -1.2 to 4.1). The age groups with the greatest increases in MetS prevalence after the COVID-19 pandemic were those in their 40s (4.6%p; 95% CI, 0.9 to 8.4) and 50s (5.8%p; 95% CI, 2.2 to 9.4). By educational background, the increase in MetS prevalence was greatest among those with a college degree or higher (5.1%p). The prevalence of MetS in high-income (5.3%p) and low-income (4.6%p) groups significantly increased. CONCLUSIONS: The increasing trend in the overall prevalence of MetS continued during the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the prevalence of MetS among adult males in their 40s and 50s increased significantly after the COVID-19 outbreak in Korea.

Sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults is associated with the diversity and composition of the gut microbiota.

Sarcopenia is a prognostic indicator of negative consequences in older adults, including physical disability, frailty, and mortality. Few studies have investigated the associations between sarcopenia and the gut microbiota. We sought such associations in community-dwelling older adults aged ≥60 years. Sarcopenia was defined as low muscle mass, plus reduced physical performance, and/or low skeletal muscle strength. 16S rRNA next-generation sequencing was used to identify the components of the gut microbiota in fecal samples from 27 older adults with sarcopenia and 33 without sarcopenia. Relationships between sarcopenia and the diversity and composition of the gut microbiota were analyzed. Diversities at the species level were detected between the sarcopenia and control groups (P = 0.049). The abundance of Prevotella and Prevotella copri was significantly lower (P = 0.021 and P = 0.018 respectively) and that of Parabacteroides sp. higher in the sarcopenia than the control group (P = 0.010). Linear discriminant analysis of effect size revealed differences in the microbiota composition between the two groups. Sarcopenia was related with the presence of Anaerotruncus and Phascolarctobacterium sp. and the absence of Prevotella sp. and Prevotella copri. Further research is warranted to clarify whether changes in the gut microbiota cause sarcopenia onset or development.

Fat-to-muscle Ratio: A New Indicator for Coronary Artery Disease in Healthy Adults.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is an important issue in public health. Previous studies have shown that the ratio of fat to muscle mass is a significant predictor of metabolic disease, and it is known to be associated with atherosclerosis. In this study, we evaluated the association between the fat-to-muscle ratio (FMR) and CAD in healthy adults. Methods: A total of 617 participants without diabetes mellitus, hypertension, known CAD, or stroke who visited the Health Promotion Center from 2009 to 2018 were included in this study. Computed tomography imaging and bioelectrical impedance analysis were used to ascertain the coronary artery calcium (CAC) score, degree of CAD, and FMR. Results: Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that old age, male sex, smoking history, creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, uric acid, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were significantly associated with CAC. After adjusting for potential confounding covariates, the presence of CAC was independently associated with FMR (OR, 1.014; 95% CI, 1.002-1.026; p = 0.019. The association was maintained even after adjusting for body mass index and waist circumference (odds ratio, 1.019; 95% confidence interval, 1.004 -1.034; P = 0.012). Conclusion: In this study, a high FMR was significantly associated with CAC. A large-scale prospective study on the association with FMR and cardiovascular diseases is necessary to confirm this relationship.

Association between dietary protein intake and skeletal muscle mass in older Korean adults.

PURPOSE: We investigated the association of low and high daily protein intakes on skeletal muscle mass status in Korean adults aged 60 years and older. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2008 and 2011. The participants' dietary protein intake was assessed using the 24-h dietary recall method and was classified as low (< 0.8 g/kg body weight/day), moderate (0.8-1.2 g/kg/day), and high (> 1.2 g/kg/day). Amount of skeletal muscle mass was measured using whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Low skeletal muscle mass was defined as appendicular skeletal muscle mass index < 7.0 kg/m2 in men and < 5.4 kg/m2 in women. RESULTS: The study included data from 4585 participants (2022 men and 2563 women). All skeletal muscle parameters in women and total lean mass in men decreased as the amount of protein consumed daily increased. However, there was no association between high or low protein intake and low skeletal muscle mass in men or women. CONCLUSIONS: No association was found between the amount of daily protein intake and skeletal muscle mass status in older Korean adults. Gender-specific further studies focussing on the interactions of dietary protein intake under specific conditions including physical activity status and the daily distribution of protein intake and the quality and source of the protein are needed to evaluate the impact of protein intake status on muscle health in older Koreans.

Impact of dietary protein intake on the incidence of low muscle strength in middle-aged and older adults.

BACKGROUND: A reduction in skeletal muscle strength is a prognostic indicator of negative consequences, such as physical disability, frailty, and mortality in older adults. Studies investigating associations between the risk of reduction in skeletal muscle strength and the amount of dietary protein which is a factor influenced muscle health are scarce, particularly in Asian populations. Therefore, we investigated the association between the amount and change in daily protein intake and the prospective risk of developing low skeletal muscle strength in middle-aged and older adults. METHODS: This study used data from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study as an ongoing population-based cohort study of adults aged 40 years and over. The amount of daily protein consumed was assessed using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Low skeletal muscle strength was measured with a handgrip strength dynamometer. RESULTS: In total, 32,458 adults (11,358 males and 21,100 females) were evaluated. The amount of daily dietary protein consumed was not associated with the risk of low muscle strength over the 4-year follow-up period after adjusting for covariates. No associations between low muscle strength events according to the change in the amount of protein consumed from the baseline to the follow-up surveys were identified. CONCLUSIONS: The amount of and change in dietary protein consumed were not associated with developing low muscle strength in middle-aged and older adults. Further studies with a focus on physical activity-protein intake interactions and specific conditions, such as mobility-limited adults or hospitalized patients, are warranted to clarify the relationship between protein intake status and the incidence of low skeletal muscle strength.

Fatigue and Mental Status of Caregivers of Severely Chronically Ill Patients.

Background and Aims: Fatigue is an unpleasant experience accompanied by functional deterioration involving both mental and physical factors. Caregivers of patients with severe illnesses who require long-term treatment often experience marked physical and mental fatigue. This study investigated the factors affecting fatigue among caregivers of patients with severe chronic diseases. Methods: The study enrolled 100 caregivers of patients providing home care nursing at a university hospital in Gyeonggi-do of Korea, including 47 caregivers caring for cancer patients and 53 caregivers caring for chronic disease patients (e.g., dementia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease). The degree of fatigue was measured using the Korean version of the multidimensional fatigue inventory (MFI-K). Caregiver depression and anxiety were examined using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Results: The average MFI-K score of all caregivers was 60.43 ± 13.77 and did not differ significantly between those caring for cancer patients and those caring for patients with severe chronic diseases (62.15 ± 13.27 vs. 58.49 ± 14.20, respectively, p=0.186). The longer the disease duration, the greater the general and physical fatigue of the caregiver (r = 0.284, p=0.004). However, caregiver mental fatigue did not differ according to disease duration (r = 0.169, p=0.094). The main factors affecting caregiver general and physical fatigue were caregiver anxiety and depression and patient's disease duration. Conclusions: The caregivers of patients with cancer or chronic severe illnesses experience high levels of fatigue: the longer the disease duration, the greater the degrees of depression, anxiety, and physical fatigue experienced by the caregivers. Such caregivers need strategies to manage their fatigue and depression.

Associations of skeletal muscle mass with atherosclerosis and inflammatory markers in Korean adults.

BACKGROUND: Several global studies have clarified the relationship of sarcopenia with inflammatory markers and atherosclerosis; however, these associations in Korean adults remain unclear. We evaluated whether low skeletal muscle mass is associated with atherosclerosis and inflammatory markers in Korean adults. METHODS: We analysed data from 1556 Korean adults who visited a Health Promotion Centre in South Korea. We assessed their brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) in a cross-sectional study to analyse the relationships of skeletal muscle mass index (SMI), appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI), and low muscle mass (LMM) to atherosclerosis, atherosclerotic risk factors, and inflammatory markers. RESULTS: In men, SMI was significantly negatively correlated with baPWV, serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR); in women, SMI was negatively associated with baPWV and hs-CRP after adjusting for confounding factors including atherosclerosis and related risk factors. ASMI showed similar results to SMI for both males and females. In an unadjusted model, baPWV and NLR were significantly higher in men with LMM than in the normal population, and the outcomes remained significant after adjusting for confounding factors. Similarly, baPWV and hs-CRP were higher in women with LMM than in the normal population after adjusting for confounding factors. CONCLUSIONS: LMM, peripheral atherosclerosis, and inflammatory markers were closely associated in Korean adults. Further studies are required to evaluate the effect of increased muscle mass on the prevention of atherosclerosis or cardiovascular events.

Associations Between Mental Health, Quality of Life, and Obesity/Metabolic Risk Phenotypes.

Background: Obesity is a risk factor for many health issues, as are metabolic abnormalities; all may affect mental health and one's health-related quality of life. Therefore, we investigated the association between obesity subtypes, considering both body weight and metabolic abnormalities, and the mental health and quality of life of a Korean population. Methods: We used data from the 2016 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a cross-sectional survey of Korean civilians, and data on a total of 6057 participants were analyzed. Obesity subtypes were classified as metabolically healthy but obese (MHO); metabolically abnormal but of normal weight (MANW); and metabolically abnormal and obese (MAO). Results: MHO was positively associated with mobility problems, pain/discomfort, and stress compared with metabolically healthy and of normal weight (MHNW) control. MAO was positively associated with problems in terms of not only mobility problems, pain/discomfort, and stress but also self-care and usual activity problems, and improper sleep duration, compared with the MHNW control. MANW showed no associations with the mental health problems or quality of life. Conclusions: With or without metabolic abnormalities, obesity is associated with mental health problems and decreased quality of life.

Are There Differences in Hair Mineral Concentrations Between Metabolically Healthy and Unhealthy Obese Adults?

Obesity is a risk factor for metabolic syndrome, dyslipidemia, hypertension, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease. However, obesity is not a homogenous state and not all subjects in an obese population are at an increased risk for metabolic abnormalities. Thus, obesity types can be subdivided into metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) and metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) according to metabolic status. Body minerals are important and are involved in various metabolic processes that may be related to obesity. Thus, this study determined whether hair mineral concentrations differ between MHO and MUO adults. The associations between metabolic risk factors and hair mineral concentrations were analyzed in 141 obese Korean adults (62 MHO subjects and 79 MUO subjects). The MUO subjects showed significantly higher triglyceride levels, systolic blood pressure, waist circumference and body mass index, lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, and greater insulin resistance as reflected by the homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index compared with MHO subjects. No significant differences in hair mineral concentrations were detected between MHO and MUO adults. Hair iron and cobalt concentrations were significantly negatively correlated with blood pressure in subjects with MHO. In addition, hair zinc concentration was associated with decreased systolic blood pressure. The results of this study suggest that mineral status in obese adults may play a role in metabolic abnormalities. Further studies with a larger number of subjects are warranted to identify the nature of the relationship between hair mineral status and metabolic risk in MHO and MUO subjects.

Noninvasive Serum Fibrosis Markers are Associated with Coronary Artery Calcification in Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Background/Aims: Advanced hepatic fibrosis is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We investigated the association between noninvasive serum fibrosis markers and the coronary artery calcium score (CACS) in subjects with NAFLD. Methods: We analyzed 665 NAFLD subjects without chronic liver disease or heart disease between 2011 and 2015. The noninvasive fibrosis markers that were used to evaluate the severity of hepatic fibrosis included the NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS), fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) score, Forn's index, and the aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI). Results: The areas under the receiver operating characteristics curves for the NFS, FIB-4 score, Forn's index and APRI for predicting CACS >100 were 0.689, 0.683, 0.659, and 0.595, respectively. According to the multivariate analysis, older age, increased body mass index (BMI), and decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were significant factors associated with CACS >100. The NFS, FIB-4 score and APRI were significantly associated with CACS >100 after adjusting for age and gender (p=0.006, p=0.012, and p=0.012, respectively) and after adjusting for age, gender, BMI and eGFR (p=0.013, p=0.022, and p=0.027, respectively). Scores integrating noninvasive fibrosis markers and other risk factors improved the predictive accuracy. Conclusions: The NFS and FIB-4 score were associated with coronary atherosclerosis in subjects with NAFLD. Furthermore, scores integrating these noninvasive scores and risk factors for CVD showed good discriminatory power in predicting CACS >100. Therefore, noninvasive serum fibrosis markers may be useful tools for identifying NAFLD subjects at a high risk for CVD.

Associations between Macronutrient Intakes and Obesity/Metabolic Risk Phenotypes: Findings of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Obesity is a risk factor for many health issues, as are metabolic abnormalities. However, few studies have addressed the associations between obesity/metabolic risk phenotypes and dietary macronutrient intakes (carbohydrate, protein, and fat). Therefore, this study examined the associations between macronutrient intakes and obesity/metabolic risk phenotypes in a Korean population. We used data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a cross-sectional survey of Korean civilians, conducted in 2014 and 2016, and data on a total of 7374 participants were analyzed. Macronutrient intakes were defined as the proportions of energy derived from carbohydrate, protein, and fat. Those exhibiting obesity/metabolic risk phenotypes (or not) were divided into four groups: normal weight without metabolic abnormalities; obese without metabolic abnormalities; normal weight with metabolic abnormalities; and obese with metabolic abnormalities. After adjusting for age, smoking status, alcohol consumption, extent of physical activity, household income, and daily fiber intake, no association was found between the proportions of carbohydrate, protein, or fat intakes and obesity/metabolic risk phenotypes except for a positive association between metabolically healthy but obese status and low protein intake in females. Further studies are required to evaluate the effects of macronutrient intakes on obesity/metabolic risk phenotypes and associated health outcomes.

Association between carbohydrate intake and body composition: The Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

OBJECTIVE: Several studies have investigated the effects of dietary carbohydrate intake on body composition. However, the results are controversial and few studies have been conducted on an Asian population. The aim of this study was to investigate whether dietary carbohydrate intake is associated with body composition in Korean adults. METHODS: The present study used data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a cross-sectional survey of Korean civilians, conducted from 2008 to 2011. The study analyzed 9594 participants. Carbohydrate intake was defined as the proportion of energy consumed from carbohydrate. Waist circumference, body mass index, and lean and fat mass using a whole-body dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scanner were measured as body composition parameters. RESULTS: After adjusting for age, household income, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, history of diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and intake of energy and fiber per day, the proportion of carbohydrate intake was positively correlated with total limb lean mass in men (ß = 0.141, P = 0.046), and in women, the proportion of carbohydrate intake was positively associated with appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ß = 0804, P = 0.003) but negatively associated with trunk fat percentage (ß = -0.075, P = 0.026). Total limb lean mass and appendicular skeletal muscle mass index in women showed an increasing trend as the proportion of carbohydrate intake increased. CONCLUSIONS: No positive association was found between the proportion of carbohydrate intake and any measure of obesity or body fat mass in either men or women. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effects of quantity and quality of carbohydrate intake on body composition.

Serum folate and vitamin B12 levels are not associated with the incidence risk of atherosclerotic events over 12 years: the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study.

Atherosclerosis, a common cause of atherosclerotic vascular diseases, is associated with several risk factors including hyperhomocysteinemia, and vitamin B12 and folate are involved in homocysteine metabolism; thus, serum folate and vitamin B12 status may be associated with the risk of atherosclerotic vascular diseases mediated by homocysteine plasma concentrations. Therefore, we hypothesized that low vitamin B12 and folate levels are related to higher risks of atherosclerotic vascular disease and investigated the risk of atherosclerotic vascular events in Korean adults with low serum vitamin B12 and folate levels. This population-based cohort study followed 421 subjects aged 40-69 years for 12 years, 2003-2014. Over the follow-up period, 38 (9.0%) atherosclerotic events occurred. However, serum folate and vitamin B12 levels were not associated with the risk of stroke, coronary artery disease, or myocardial infarction or the development of peripheral arterial disease after adjustment for age, sex, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity, body mass index, serum creatinine, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels and a history of diabetes, hypertension, or dyslipidemia. In conclusion, the incidence of atherosclerotic vascular events in Korean adults aged 40-69 years was not associated with the serum folate or vitamin B12 status.

Abdominal Obesity is Associated With Lower Bone Mineral Density in Non-Weight-Bearing Site in Korean Men.

This research aimed to investigate the relationship between abdominal obesity and lower bone mineral density (BMD) at non-weight-bearing site in Korean men using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which is a nationwide cross-sectional survey. The study population ( n = 5,941) was selected from the 2009-2010 survey. Abdominal obesity in men was defined as waist circumference ⩾ 90 cm. Lower BMD state was defined as having T-score of -2.5 or below. To investigate the association, multiple logistic regression analysis was performed. Abdominal obesity was highly associated with lower non-weight-bearing site (lumbar spine [LS]) BMD after adjustment (odds ratio [OR] 1.61, 95% CI [1.06, 2.44], p = .026). Also, abdominal obesity was a risk factor for lower LS BMD, especially in age groups of those in their 20s and those over 60s (OR 5.53, 95% CI [1.27, 24.07], p = .023 for 20s; OR 2.19, 95% CI [1.19, 4.02], p = .011 for 60 years or older). Abdominal obesity in Korean men is associated with lower BMD at non-weight-bearing site (LS), especially in younger and older age groups. Further research might be recommended to prove the mechanism or causality.

Safety and tolerability of Korean Red Ginseng in healthy adults: a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) has been used in Asia for its various biological effects, but no studies have investigated the safety of its long-term intake. Therefore, the present study evaluated the safety of KRG intake for 24 weeks. METHODS: We randomized 1,000 participants in a 1:1 ratio into two groups, which were treated daily with 2 g of KRG or a placebo for 24 weeks. The primary endpoint was all adverse events and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) that occurred after KRG or placebo administration, which were reported at week 4, 12, and 24 after the baseline visit. RESULTS: In total, 192 and 211 participants experienced adverse events in the KRG and placebo groups (39.2% and 42.0%, respectively; p = 0.361), and 59 and 57 KRG- and placebo-treated individuals reported ADRs (12.0% and 11.4%, respectively; p = 0.737). The frequently occurring ADRs were pruritus (2.0%), headache (1.6%), diarrhea (1.4%), and dizziness (1.2%) in the KRG group and pruritus (2.0%), headache (1.8%), dizziness (1.6%), rash (1.4%), and diarrhea (1.2%) in the placebo group. Discontinuation of drug administration due to ADRs was reported in 13 participants, six (1.2%) and seven (1.4%) in the KRG and placebo groups, respectively (p = 0.814). No significant abnormal changes were revealed by anthropometric, laboratory, and vital sign measurements in the KRG group compared with those in the placebo group. CONCLUSION: The present study confirms the safety and tolerability of daily intake of 2 g of KRG for 24 weeks by healthy adults.