Correlation between the triglyceride-glucose index and arterial stiffness in Japanese individuals with normoglycaemia: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The association between the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and arterial stiffness in individuals with normoglycaemia remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between the TyG index and arterial stiffness in Japanese individuals with normoglycaemia, providing additional evidence for predicting early arterial stiffness. METHODS: This study included 15,453 adults who participated in the NAGALA Physical Examination Project of the Murakami Memorial Hospital in Gifu, Japan, from 2004 to 2015. Data on clinical demographic characteristics and serum biomarker levels were collected. The TyG index was calculated from the logarithmic transformation of fasting triglycerides multiplied by fasting glucose, and arterial stiffness was measured using the estimated pulse wave velocity calculated based on age and mean blood pressure. The association between the TyG index and arterial stiffness was analysed using a logistic regression model. RESULTS: The prevalence of arterial stiffness was 3.2% (500/15,453). After adjusting for all covariates, the TyG index was positively associated with arterial stiffness as a continuous variable (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.86; 95% Confidence Interval = 1.45-2.39; P<0.001). Using the quartile as the cutoff point, a regression analysis was performed for arterial stiffness when the TyG index was converted into a categorical variable. After adjusting for all covariates, the OR showed an upward trend; the trend test was P<0.001. Subgroup analysis revealed a positive association between the TyG index and arterial stiffness in Japanese individuals with normoglycaemia and different characteristics. CONCLUSION: The TyG index in Japanese individuals with normoglycaemia is significantly correlated with arterial stiffness, and the TyG index may be a predictor of early arterial stiffness.

The weight-adjusted waist index and frailty: A cohort study from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.

OBJECTIVES: This cohort study's aim was to assess the association between the weight-adjusted waist index (WWI) and frailty among middle-aged and elderly individuals in China. METHODS: Seven-year complete follow-up data from 10,349 adults aged ≥45 years, initially surveyed in 2 011 in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, were analyzed, including clinical demographic characteristics, anthropometric indices, frailty scores, and relevant covariates. The WWI was calculated as waist circumference divided by the square root of the body weight. Frailty was evaluated using the Frailty Index. Relationships between the WWI and frailty were evaluated via Cox proportional hazards modeling. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses assessed the effectiveness of obesity-related indicators in predicting frailty. RESULTS: Over a median 84-month follow-up period, frailty occurred in 23.7% (2453/10,349) of participants. After potential confounder adjustment, the WWI positively correlated with frailty (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.14; 95% confidence interval: 1.08-1.20; p < 0.001). After WWI-stratification into quartiles based on frailty and covariate adjustment, regression analyses were conducted; the adjusted hazard ratios exhibited a significant upward trend (p < 0.001). The subgroup analyses revealed higher positive correlations between the WWI and frailty in males and those aged ≥65 years and lower correlations in those with a high school or higher educational level and in married or cohabiting individuals. The strong positive correlation was unaltered in the other subgroup analyses. The WWI outperformed all other obesity-related indicators as a frailty predictor. CONCLUSIONS: The WWI is a dependable and innovative obesity-related predictor of frailty and could help in mitigating its development.

Household income unequally affects genetic susceptibility to pulmonary diseases: evidence from bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.

Objectives: Previous observational studies have reported a close association between socioeconomic status and pulmonary disease-related morbidity. However, the inherent causal effects remain unclear. Therefore, this bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) study aimed to identify the causal relationship between household income and genetic susceptibility to pulmonary diseases. Methods: An MR study was conducted on a large cohort of European individuals, using publicly available genome-wide association study datasets using a random-effects inverse-variance weighting model as the main standard. Simultaneously, MR-Egger regression, weighted median, and maximum likelihood estimation were applied as supplements. Sensitivity analysis, comprising a heterogeneity test and horizontal pleiotropy test, was performed using the Cochran's Q, MR-Egger intercept, and MR-PRESSO tests to ensure the reliability of the conclusion. Results: A higher household income tended to lower the risk of genetic susceptibility to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, OR: 0.497, 95% CI = 0.337-0.733, p < 0.001), asthma (OR: 0.687, 95% CI = 0.540-0.876, p = 0.002), and lung cancer (OR: 0.569, 95% CI = 0.433-0.748, p < 0.001), and further indicated potential causality with pneumonia (OR: 0.817; 95% CI = 0.686-0.972, p = 0.022). No association was evident with COVID-19 (OR: 0.934, 95% CI = 0.764-1.142, p = 0.507), tuberculosis (OR: 0.597, 95% CI = 0.512-1.189, p = 0.120), or bronchiectasis (OR: 0.680, 95% CI = 0.311-1.489, p = 0.400). Reverse MR analysis suggested no reverse causal relationship between pulmonary disease and household income status, while sensitivity analysis verified the reliability of the results. Conclusion: The results revealed that the population with a higher household income tended to have a lower risk of genetic susceptibility to COPD, asthma, and lung cancer.

NEAT1 siRNA Packed with Chitosan Nanoparticles Regulates the Development of Colon Cancer Cells via lncRNA NEAT1/miR-377-3p Axis.

This study was for verifying that transfecting colon cancer cells (CCCs) with lncRNA NEAT1 packed with siRNA chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) can suppress lncRNA NEAT1 and biological behaviors of the cells. siRNA targeting lncRNA NEAT1 expression vector was constructed and then transfected into CCCs after being packed with CNPs. Subsequently, the impact of the transfection on biological behaviors of the cells was evaluated. As a result, with high expression in CCCs, NEAT1 was negatively bound up with miR-377-3p in cases with colon cancer (CC), and dual luciferase reporter assay confirmed the potential binding region. Additionally, after downregulating NEAT1 in CCCs, transfection of NEAT1 siRNA packed with CNPs brought a great inhibition on cell proliferation and a promotion on apoptosis, and inhibiting miR-377-3p was able to offset the role of silencing NEAT1 in CCCs. Therefore, in our opinion, NEAT1 siRNA packed with CNPs can hinder the growth and metastasis of CCCs by knocking down NEAT1 in CC, and its mechanism may be achieved by targeting miR-377-3p, which offers a novel direction for treating CC.