Predictive Ability of Hypertriglyceridemic Waist, Hypertriglyceridemic Waist-to-Height Ratio, and Waist-to-Hip Ratio for Cardiometabolic Risk Factors Clustering Screening among Chinese Children and Adolescents.

Objective: Hypertriglyceridemic waist (HW), hypertriglyceridemic waist-to-height ratio (HWHtR), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) have been shown to be indicators of cardiometabolic risk factors. However, it is not clear which indicator is more suitable for children and adolescents. We aimed to investigate the relationship between HW, HWHtR, WHR, and cardiovascular risk factors clustering to determine the best screening tools for cardiometabolic risk in children and adolescents. Methods: This was a national cross-sectional study. Anthropometric and biochemical variables were assessed in approximately 70,000 participants aged 6-18 years from seven provinces in China. Demographics, physical activity, dietary intake, and family history of chronic diseases were obtained through questionnaires. ANOVA, χ 2 and logistic regression analysis was conducted. Results: A significant sex difference was observed for HWHtR and WHR, but not for HW phenotype. The risk of cardiometabolic health risk factor clustering with HW phenotype or the HWHtR phenotype was significantly higher than that with the non-HW or non-HWHtR phenotypes among children and adolescents (HW: OR = 12.22, 95% CI: 9.54-15.67; HWHtR: OR = 9.70, 95% CI: 6.93-13.58). Compared with the HW and HWHtR phenotypes, the association between risk of cardiometabolic health risk factors (CHRF) clustering and high WHR was much weaker and not significant (WHR: OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 0.97-1.34). Conclusion: Compared with HWHtR and WHR, the HW phenotype is a more convenient indicator withhigher applicability to screen children and adolescents for cardiovascular risk factors.

Secular trends and urban-rural disparities in the median age at menarche among Chinese han girls from 1985 to 2019.

BACKGROUND: Menarche is a substantial milestone of female puberty. Timing of age at menarche is considered the key to understanding the potential linkages with women's health outcomes later in life. This study aimed to explore the secular trends and urban‒rural disparities in the median age at menarche among Chinese Han girls from 1985 to 2019. METHODS: Data were extracted from the 1985, 1995, 2005, 2014, and 2019 Chinese National Surveys on Students' Constitution and Health, which were nationally representative cross-sectional studies, and a total of 173,535 Han girls aged 9-18 years were examined. Girls were asked whether menarche had occurred. The median age at menarche was estimated by probit analysis. Z tests were used to compare the differences between survey years and between urban and rural areas. RESULTS: The median age at menarche among Chinese Han girls decreased from 13.37 years in 1985 to 12.00 years in 2019, and the overall decrease was more significant in rural areas (1.77 years) than in urban areas (0.99 years). The average five-year change in the decrease in the median age at menarche showed an accelerating and then slowing pace; and it was observed similarly in both urban and rural areas. The urban‒rural disparities shrank from 0.64 years in 1985 to 0.44 years in 1995, then to 0.27 years in 2005, 0.24 years in 2014, and finally to - 0.14 years in 2019. CONCLUSIONS: The median age at menarche among Chinese Han girls continued to decline from 1985 to 2019 but at a slowing pace in the last five years. Urban‒rural disparities gradually narrowed. Sexual and reproductive health education and interventions to prevent the decline in the age of menarche are needed, especially in rural areas.

Does a Healthy Lifestyle Lower the Elevated Risk of Obesity Caused by Caesarian Section Delivery in Children and Adolescents?

Background: Both caesarean section (CS) and lifestyle were linked with child adiposity. This study aimed to investigate whether CS delivery is linked with elevated risk of child adiposity regardless of a healthy lifestyle. Methods: All the subjects in this study came from a baseline survey of a national school-based program on healthy lifestyle interventions against adiposity among Chinese children and adolescents. A questionnaire was used to collect the information on delivery mode and lifestyle. According to the weighted lifestyle score, subjects were categorized into healthy, intermediate, and unhealthy lifestyle. Results: A total of 44,961 children aged 6−18 years were enrolled in the current study. Overall, 41.9% (18,855/44,961) of children were delivered by CS. Compared with children delivered by vaginal delivery, children delivered by CS had a higher adiposity risk (OR = 1.56; 95%CI: 1.46−1.66; p < 0.001) after adjustment for age, sex, region, mother adiposity, ethnicity, and weighted lifestyle factors. Compared with children with a healthy lifestyle, children with an unhealthy lifestyle had a higher risk of child adiposity (OR = 1.31; 95%CI: 1.19−1.44). Children delivered by CS who had an unhealthy lifestyle had a 106% higher (OR = 2.06; 95%CI: 1.79−2.37) risk of child adiposity compared with children delivered by vaginal delivery who had a healthy lifestyle. However, keeping a healthy lifestyle in later life seems not to offset the increased risk of child adiposity caused by CS (OR = 1.59; 95%CI: 1.39−1.82). Conclusions: Both CS and unhealthy lifestyle were linked with child adiposity risk. Keeping a healthy lifestyle did not counteract the elevated risk of child adiposity caused by CS.

A Healthy Lifestyle Offsets the Increased Risk of Childhood Obesity Caused by High Birth Weight: Results From a Large-Scale Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective: To investigate whether a healthy lifestyle is associated with the lower childhood obesity regardless of birth weight. Methods: Participants were selected from a large-scale cross-sectional study conducted in the seven provinces across China. Birth weight and lifestyle factors were collected through a questionnaire. A weighted healthy lifestyle score was calculated and categorized into favorable, intermediate, and unfavorable lifestyles. Results: A total of 47,768 participants were enrolled in this study. Overall, 16.4% of the participants followed a favorable lifestyle, 62.8% followed an intermediate lifestyle, and 20.8% followed an unfavorable lifestyle. Compared with the participants who were born normal birth weight (NBW), participants who were born high birth weight (HBW) (OR = 1.58; 95% CI 1.48-1.77) and very high birth weight (VHBW) (OR = 1.79; 95% CI: 1.47-2.18) had higher obesity risk, however, the participants who were born low birth weight (LBW) had lower obesity risk (OR = 0.81; 95% CI: 0.68-0.96). Participants with an unfavorable lifestyle were associated with a higher risk of childhood obesity compared with the participants with favorable lifestyle (OR = 1.25; 95%CI: 1.14-1.38). Participants who were born VHBW and with an unfavorable lifestyle had 2.76 times (95% CI: 1.78-4.28) further risk of childhood obesity compared with the participants who were born NBW and with a favorable lifestyle. However, adherence to a favorable lifestyle seems to counteract the elevated risk of childhood obesity by VHBW (OR = 1.37; 95% CI: 0.84-2.24). Conclusion: Both the HBW and unfavorable lifestyle were significantly associated with risk of childhood obesity. Adherence to a favorable lifestyle decreased the risk of childhood obesity among the participants with VHBW. A more longitudinal study is required to repeat the finding to inform tailored prevention programs.

Prevalence of Hyperhomocysteinemia in China: An Updated Meta-Analysis.

We conducted a meta-analysis to systematically assess the prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) in China, its change over time, and its determinants. Literature searches were conducted using English databases (PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science) and Chinese databases (CNKI, CBM, VIP, and Wanfang). The time ranges were from Jan 2014 to Mar 2021 in China. We adopted the random effects model to estimate the pooled positive rates of HHcy and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). To find the sources of heterogeneity, we performed subgroup analysis and meta-regression. A total of 29 related articles were identified involving 338,660 participants with 128,147 HHcy cases. The estimated prevalence of HHcy in China was 37.2% (95% CI: 32.6-41.8%, I2 = 99.8%, p for heterogeneity < 0.001). The trend of HHcy prevalence was gradually upward over time, with increases during 2015-2016 (comparison to 2013-2014, p < 0.001), but steady between 2015-2016 and 2017-2018. Subgroup analysis showed that the prevalence was higher in the elderly over 55 years old, males, and residents in the north, inland, and rural China (for each comparison, p < 0.001). Meta-regression analysis revealed that age and area of study contributed to 42.3% of the heterogeneity between studies. The current meta-analysis provides strong evidence that the prevalence of HHcy is increasing in China, and varies substantially across different ages, genders, and geographic distribution. Accordingly, high-risk population groups should be focused on, and public health policies and strategies should be carried out to prevent and control HHcy in China.

Complete chloroplast genome of the grain Chenopodium quinoa Willd., an important economical and dietary plant.

The grain Chenopodium quinoa Willd. is the main traditional food of Inca aboriginal, which was a native grain in South American Andes Mountains, the edible and cultivation history of which has been more than five thousand years. In this study, we sequenced the complete chloroplast genome of C. quinoa on the Illumina platform by shotgun genome skimming method. The complete chloroplast genome of C. quinoa was 152,087 bp in length with the GC content 37.2%, which was comprised of a large single copy (LSC) region of 83,570 bp, a small single copy (SSC) region of 18,107 bp, and a pair of inverted repeats (IRA/IRB) of 25,205 bp. The chloroplast genome encoded 133 genes including 88 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes and eight rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis constructed using the maximum likelihood (ML) method strongly supported the monophyly of each genus in the family Chenopodiaceae, and the genus Chenopodium is sister to Spinacia as a cluster, which closely grouped to Dysphania.

Combined effects of the rs9810888 polymorphism in calcium voltage-gated channel subunit alpha1 D (CACNA1D) and lifestyle behaviors on blood pressure level among Chinese children.

BACKGROUNDS: A recent GWAS Study found a new locus (rs9810888 in CACNA1D) was associated with blood pressure (BP) in Chinese adults. But whether the association exists in children is unknown. Whether lifestyle behaviors could interact with rs9810888 on BP is not clear. This study aimed to identify the association between rs9810888 and BP in children, and also explore the gene-lifestyle interaction. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted among 2030 Chinese children aged 7 to 18 years. Genotyping was conducted by using the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Lifestyle behaviors were investigated with questionnaire. RESULTS: With adjustment for age, age square, sex, study group and body mass index (BMI), rs9810888 was significantly associated with diastolic BP (DBP) (b = 1.69, p = 0.021) and mean arterial BP (MAP) (b = 1.56, p = 0.010). Stratified analysis showed that the rs9810888 GG genotype carriers had higher DBP than GT/TT carriers (b = 3.78, p = 0.023) in the subgroup having protein intake (meat/fish/soybeans/egg)

Sex difference in the mediation roles of an inflammatory factor (hsCRP) and adipokines on the relationship between adiposity and blood pressure.

Mounting evidence shows that adiposity is closely related to elevated blood pressure (BP); however, the underlying mechanism of this relationship is not clearly understood. We aimed to assess the mediating effects of an inflammatory factor (high sensitivity C-reactive protein, hsCRP) and adipokines, as well as any sex differences, on the relationship between adiposity and BP among Chinese overweight or obese adults. A total of 1221 overweight or obese subjects aged 20-55 years who lived in Beijing for at least 1 year were recruited in 2014. The percentage of body fat (PBF) was examined using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Mediation analyses were conducted to examine the mediation of hsCRP, leptin, and adiponectin on the relationship between adiposity and BP by sex. Serum hsCRP and leptin levels were positively associated with PBF (P < 0.001) in males and females. Adiponectin and leptin levels were associated with systolic BP (SBP), but only in males, while in females, the hsCRP level was associated with SBP and diastolic BP (DBP). In males, leptin mediated 22.5% of the relationship between adiposity and SBP and 31.4% for DBP (mediation effect = 0.059 and 0.068, respectively, P < 0.05). However, in females, hsCRP mediated 30.2% of the relationship between adiposity and SBP and 29.5% for DBP (mediation effect = 0.058 and 0.063, respectively, P < 0.001). There are sex differences in the mediation roles of hsCRP and adipokines on the relationship between adiposity and BP. Leptin mediated part of the relationship between adiposity and BP in males, while hsCRP mediated the relationship in females. Our results provide evidence for adiposity-related high BP control measures in a sex-specific manner and provide hints for exploring the potential mechanisms of obesity-related hypertension.

Healthy Body Weight may Modify Effect of Abnormal Birth Weight on Metabolic Syndrome in Adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the association between birth weight (BW) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adolescents and to further investigate whether having a healthy body weight could modify the potential adverse influence of abnormal BW on MetS risk. METHODS: A total of 6,206 participants aged 10 to 17 years were recruited using data from a Chinese national survey conducted in 2012. Gestational age-specific BW percentiles were used to classify small for gestational age (SGA), appropriate for gestational age, and large for gestational age (LGA). Fractional polynomial regression, logistic regression, and population-attributable risk (PAR) were used to assess the relationship between BMI and BW with MetS. RESULTS: MetS risk increased by 73% (OR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.06-2.84) in SGA adolescents with overweight or obesity, but not in those without overweight, compared with their counterparts with BW appropriate for gestational age. A huge difference between PAR percent of MetS because of SGA and PAR percent because of overweight or obesity was detected. For example, PAR percent of SGA was 2.4% (95% CI: 0.1%-4.6%) in adolescents with overweight or obesity, while PAR percent of overweight or obesity was 44.2% (95% CI: 33.3%-53.2%) in those who were SGA infants. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that healthy body weight could relieve the adverse impact of SGA on MetS in adolescents.

Comparative Analysis of the Multi-Frequency Bio-impedance and Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry on Body Composition in Obese Subjects.

To examine accuracy of body composition predicted by the Multi-Frequency Bioelectric Impedance Analysis (MF-BIA) compared with the Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) in adults with obese. We measured body composition of 749 adults with obese both by the MF-BIA and DXA. The Lin's concordance correlation and the Bland-Altman plots were used to examine the consistency. The concordance correlation coefficient of %BF between the MF-BIA and DXA in men and women was 0.560, and 0.669, respectively. Compared with the DXA, the MF-BIA significantly underestimated %BF by 4.33% in men (P < 0.001), however overestimated %BF by 0.50% in women (P < 0.001). After corrected by the correction equations established in this study, the differences were significantly decreased. Therefore, the MF-BIA (TANITA MC-180) may need to be corrected in estimating body composition for adults with obese.

Pliocene-Quaternary crustal melting in central and northern Tibet and insights into crustal flow.

There is considerable controversy over the nature of geophysically recognized low-velocity-high-conductivity zones (LV-HCZs) within the Tibetan crust, and their role in models for the development of the Tibetan Plateau. Here we report petrological and geochemical data on magmas erupted 4.7-0.3 Myr ago in central and northern Tibet, demonstrating that they were generated by partial melting of crustal rocks at temperatures of 700-1,050 °C and pressures of 0.5-1.5 GPa. Thus Pliocene-Quaternary melting of crustal rocks occurred at depths of 15-50 km in areas where the LV-HCZs have been recognized. This provides new petrological evidence that the LV-HCZs are sources of partial melt. It is inferred that crustal melting played a key role in triggering crustal weakening and outward crustal flow in the expansion of the Tibetan Plateau.