Association of Advanced Glycation End Products with Cognitive Function: HealthyDance Study.

Background: The current research on advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs) and cognitive function is limited. Objective: We aimed to investigate the relationship between multiple plasma AGEs and cognitive function and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: Baseline data from The Lifestyle and Healthy Aging of Chinese Square Dancer Study was used in this cross-sectional study. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry was used to determine plasma levels of carboxymethyl lysine (CML), carboxyethyl lysine (CEL), and methyl imidazolinone (MG-H1). Four cognitive tests were used to obtain the four cognitive domain scores and the composite z scores. The Petersen criteria were used to diagnose MCI. The data were analyzed by multivariable linear and logistic regression models. Results: This study included 1,018 participants (median age 61.0 years, 87.3% female). After multivariate adjustment, the ßs of the highest quartile of CML and CEL compared to the lowest quartile were -0.28 (-0.38, -0.17) and -0.13 (-0.23, -0.03), respectively, for the composite z score. For the four cognitive domains, CML was negatively correlated with memory, attention, and executive function, and CEL was negatively associated with memory and language function. In addition, higher CML was associated with a higher odds of MCI. MG-H1 was not associated with cognitive function. Conclusions: High plasma AGE levels were correlated with poorer cognitive function, particularly CML and CEL, higher levels of CML were also associated with higher odds of MCI. To clarify the effects of different AGEs on cognitive function and the underlying mechanisms, further longitudinal and experimental studies are needed.

Association of the serum levels of saturated fatty acids and mild cognitive impairment: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association of serum saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and prevalent mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among middle-aged and elderly Chinese. METHODS: A total of 607 Chinese adults aged at least 45 years were included in the baseline survey of The Lifestyle and Healthy Aging of Chinese Square Dancer Study. Serum concentrations of individual SFAs including 6 even-chain SFAs (C14:0, C16:0, C18:0, C20:0, C22:0, and C24:0) and 4 odd-chain SFAs (C15:0, C17:0, C21:0, and C23:0), were quantified by Gas chromatography system with a mass spectrometer. According to Petersen's criteria, prevalent MCI was diagnosed by neurologists through uniformed neuropsychological tests, including trail-making test-part B (TMT-B), auditory verbal learning test (AVLT), digit symbol substitution test (DSST), and verbal fluency test (VFT). RESULTS: The median age was 62 years with an interquartile range of 57.0 to 67.0 years, and 86 (14.17%) participants were living with MCI. Higher levels of either even-chain or odd-chain individual SFAs were associated with the higher odds of MCI, and their odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) were 2.054 (1.012 to 4.171) for C14:0, 2.246 (1.061 to 4.755) for C16:0, 2.789 (1.321 to 5.886) for C18:0, and 2.329 (1.136 to 4.778) for C15:0, and 2.761 (1.310 to 5.820) for C17:0, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The serum concentration of SFAs was positively related to the odds of MCI in middle-aged and elderly adults. Determining the link between SFAs profiles and MCI may inform a better understanding of the potential role of saturated fat intake on cognitive function.

Association between Body Iron Status and Cognitive Task Performance in a Nationally Representative Sample of Older Adults.

Iron is an essential micronutrient that is necessary for proper cognitive function. However, the dose-response relationship between body iron status and cognitive function remains unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between serum ferritin concentrations, an indicator of body iron status, and cognitive function in older adults. Based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999 -2002 in the United States, nationally representative data was collected from 2,567 adults aged 60 years and older who had objectively measured serum ferritin levels and cognitive performance. High ferritin levels were defined as a serum ferritin level >200 ng/mL in women and >300 ng/mL in men. Low ferritin levels were defined as a serum ferritin level <30 ng/mL. The digit symbol substitution test (DSST) was employed to assess cognitive function. Multivariable logistic regression analyses with survey weights were performed after the DSST was dichotomized at the median score. The weighted prevalence of adults with normal, low, and high serum ferritin levels were 73.98%, 9.12%, and 16.91%, respectively. A U-shaped association between serum ferritin concentrations and cognitive task performance was observed. After adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, lifestyle, and C-reactive protein factors, the odds ratio (95% confidence intervals) for lower cognitive performance was 1.39 (1.11, 1.74) in adults with high ferritin levels and 1.38 (0.86, 2.22) in adults with low ferritin levels, compared with those with normal ferritin levels. The association between serum ferritin levels and lower cognitive performance was stronger in adults aged 60 to 69 years old than those aged 70 years and older. In conclusion, in a nationally representative sample of older adults in the United States, a high serum ferritin level was significantly associated with worse cognitive task performance. Thus, the relationship between low serum ferritin concentrations and cognitive task performance warrants further investigation.

Association of aquatic food consumption, long-chain polyunsaturated n-3 fatty acid intake, and blood mercury levels with cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Aquatic food is rich in nutrients which benefit the human brain and cognitive health; however, concerns about heavy metal accumulation in aquatic food remain. This study evaluated the associations between aquatic food consumption, long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n-3 PUFAs) intake, and blood mercury levels with cognition in middle-aged and older adults. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used baseline data from the Lifestyle and Healthy Aging of Chinese Square Dancer Study. Aquatic food consumption and LC n-3 PUFAs intake were obtained from a food frequency questionnaire. Blood mercury levels were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. A composite z-score was developed to represent global cognition by averaging the z-scores for each cognitive domain. Participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) were diagnosed according to Petersen's criteria. Multivariate linear and logistic regression models were used to examine the association between the exposure factors and cognitive performance including cognitive scores and MCI. RESULTS: Of 2621 middle-aged and older adults, the mean (SD) age was 63.71 (5.15) years, and 85.73% were females. Compared with the lowest quartile, those in the highest quartile for aquatic food consumption were associated with higher composite z-scores (ß = 0.156, 95% CI: 0.088-0.225) and lower MCI odds (OR = 0.598, 95% CI: 0.425-0.841). A similar positive relationship between LC n-3 PUFAs intake and composite z-score and an inverse association between LC n-3 PUFAs intake and MCI were also observed. In addition, the participants in the highest quartile for blood mercury levels had higher composite z-scores than those in the lowest quartile. CONCLUSIONS: In this cross-sectional study, higher aquatic food consumption, LC n-3 PUFAs intake, and blood mercury levels were related to better cognitive function. Further studies in Chinese populations are required to confirm these findings.

Dietary Diversity and Mild Cognitive Impairment in Middle-Aged and Older Chinese People: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: The evidence concerning dietary diversity and cognitive function remains insufficient. Objective: To investigate the association of dietary diversity score (DDS) with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and cognitive performance in different domains. Methods: Data from The Lifestyle and Healthy Aging of Chinese Square Dancer Study was used in this study. DDS was constructed based on the intake frequencies of 9 food groups assessed by a validated food frequency questionnaire. MCI was diagnosed by Petersen's criteria. A neuropsychological test battery was used to assess the performance on cognitive domains, and test scores were standardized to Z scores. Multiple linear regression models and logistic regression models were used to estimate the ß and odds ratios and their 95% CIs, respectively. Results: Among 1,982 participants, the mean (SD) age was 63.37 (5.00) years, 1,778 (89.71%) were women, and 279 (14.08%) had MCI. Compared to the DDS quartile (0, 6], the multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (95% CI) were 0.74 (0.48, 1.15) for DDS quartile (6, 7], 0.65 (0.43, 0.97) for DDS quartile (7, 8], and 0.55 (0.37, 0.84) for DDS quartile (8, 9]. Furthermore, higher DDS was positively associated with better performance of cognitive domains, including global cognitive function (ß= 0.20, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.30), episodic memory (ß= 0.21, 95% CI: 0.07, 0.35), attention (ß= 0.15, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.26), language fluency (ß= 0.24, 95% CI: 0.10, 0.38), and executive function (ß= - 0.24, 95% CI: - 0.38, - 0.10). Conclusions: This study indicated that higher DDS was associated with better cognitive function among middle-aged and older Chinese people.

The relationship between mushroom consumption and cognitive performance among middle-aged and older adults: a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: Bioactive compounds in mushrooms may protect the brain from neurodegeneration by inhibiting the production of amyloid-ß and playing an antioxidant role. This study aimed at examining the associations of mushroom consumption with cognitive function and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among middle-aged and older adults in China. Design: A cross-sectional study. Setting and participants: This study was conducted in seven cities in China and included 2203 middle-aged and older adults. Methods: Data on mushroom consumption were collected using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Cognitive function was evaluated by the Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT), Verbal Fluency Test (VFT), Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), and Trail Making Test-B (TMT-B). The composite z score was used to reflect global cognition. MCI was determined according to the Petersen criteria. Multiple linear regression and logistic regression were used to examine the relationship between mushroom consumption and cognitive performance. Results: This study included 2203 participants aged 55 years and above (mean age = 63.43 years). After controlling demographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, other dietary factors, and history of chronic disease, higher mushroom consumption was associated with better global cognition. Compared to the lowest quartile (Q1, 0-4.00 g day-1), the ßs (95% confidence intervals, 95% CIs) were 0.10 (0.03, 0.18) for Q2 (4.01-10.42 g day-1), 0.13 (0.06, 0.20) for Q3 (10.43-20.84 g day-1), and 0.13 (0.06, 0.20) for Q4 (>20.84 g day-1). The higher mushroom consumption was positively related to better performance in DSST and TMT-B (P-values < 0.05). A 10 g day-1 increment in mushroom consumption was related to 12% lower odds of MCI (odds ratio = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.80-0.97). Conclusions: Higher mushroom consumption was positively related to better cognitive function and associated with lower odds of MCI. Further studies are needed to replicate our findings in other populations and determine the underlying mechanisms.

The effect of grape seed procyanidins extract on cognitive function in elderly people with mild cognitive impairment: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Background: Procyanidins have antioxidative properties that may protect against age-related brain oxidative stress. Previous studies indicated that procyanidin-rich foods could improve cognitive function and prevent neurodegenerative diseases. This study hypothesized that grape seed procyanidins extract (GSPE) would have a favorable effect on cognitive function in elderly people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: A community-based, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted. Participants aged 60 years or older with MCI were randomly assigned into the GSPE group (n = 35, 320 mg/d) or placebo group (n = 36), and received capsules for 6 months. Cognitive function was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA). The change in MoCA scores between groups were tested by the time ✕ treatment interaction in mixed-design ANOVA. Results: After 6 months of intervention, the MoCA score was higher than the baseline both in the intervention group and placebo control group, while the there was no significant difference for mean change in MoCA score from baseline between the intervention group and the placebo group (2.35 ± 3.20 vs. 1.28 ± 2.93, P = 0.192). Conclusions: Present study showed that 6-month supplementation with GSPE did not significantly improve cognitive function in subjects with MCI. Further investigations regarding the longer-term intervention effect of procyanidins extract on mild or moderate cognitive disorders are needed.

Relationship between Whole-Blood Magnesium and Cognitive Performance among Chinese Adults.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the association between magnesium levels and the odds of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHOD: In this cross-sectional study of 1006 participants (≥55 years) from China, whole-blood magnesium concentration was measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. MCI was diagnosed according to Petersen criteria using self-reported cognitive decline and a neuropsychological test battery, including the trail-making test-part B (TMT-B), auditory verbal learning test (AVLT), digit symbol substitution test (DSST), and verbal fluency test (VFT), which measured the assessment of executive, memory, attention, and language functioning, respectively. A logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between magnesium levels and MCI, and linear regression analyses were performed for the association between magnesium and cognitive function score. RESULTS: The MCI group had a significantly lower concentration of magnesium compared to the Non-MCI group (34.7 ± 9.8 vs. 36.7 ± 9.7, p = 0.017). After adjusting for covariates, a negative association was observed between magnesium levels and MCI. Compared with the lowest quartile (median: 25.4 mg/L), the odds ratio for MCI was 0.53 (95%CI 0.32-0.90) for the highest quartile (median: 48.4 mg/L), and there was an inverse dose-response relationship (p for trend = 0.009). In addition, higher levels of magnesium were positively correlated with VFT scores (ß = 0.37, 95%CI = 0.11-0.62) and DSST scores (ß = 0.50, 95%CI = 0.01~0.98) and negatively correlated with TMT scores (ß = -1.73, 95%CI = -3.40--0.07) in the middle-aged and older adults. CONCLUSIONS: Whole-blood magnesium was inversely associated with the occurrence of MCI and positively associated with performance in neuropsychological tests assessing attention, executive, and language ability in middle-aged and older adults.

Plasma Extracellular Vesicle MicroRNA Analysis of Alzheimer's Disease Reveals Dysfunction of a Neural Correlation Network.

Small extracellular vesicle (sEV) is an emerging source of potential biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in sEV is not well understood. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of sEV-derived miRNAs in AD using small RNA sequencing and coexpression network analysis. We examined a total of 158 samples, including 48 from AD patients, 48 from patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 62 from healthy controls. We identified an miRNA network module (M1) that was strongly linked to neural function and showed the strongest association with AD diagnosis and cognitive impairment. The expression of miRNAs in the module was decreased in both AD and MCI patients compared to controls. Conservation analysis revealed that M1 was highly preserved in the healthy control group but dysfunctional in the AD and MCI groups, suggesting that changes in the expression of miRNAs in this module may be an early response to cognitive decline prior to the appearance of AD pathology. We further validated the expression levels of the hub miRNAs in M1 in an independent population. The functional enrichment analysis showed that 4 hub miRNAs might interact with a GDF11-centered network and play a critical role in the neuropathology of AD. In summary, our study provides new insights into the role of sEV-derived miRNAs in AD and suggests that M1 miRNAs may serve as potential biomarkers for the early diagnosis and monitoring of AD.

Association between Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations and Respiratory Infection among United States Adults.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D plays an essential role in immune responses to infections. However, the association between serum 25(OH)D concentrations and respiratory infection remains unclear. OBJECTIVES: The current study aimed to examine the association between serum 25(OH)D concentrations and respiratory infection among the United States adults. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used data from the NHANES 2001-2014. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay or liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and were classified as ≥75.0 nmol/L (sufficiency), 50.0-74.9 nmol/L (insufficiency), 30.0-49.9 nmol/L (moderate deficiency), and <30 nmol/L (severe deficiency). The respiratory infections included self-reported head or chest cold as well as influenza, pneumonia, or ear infection within the last 30 d. The associations between serum 25(OH)D concentrations and respiratory infections were examined using weighted logistic regression models. Data are presented as ORs and 95% CIs. RESULTS: This study included 31,466 United States adults ≥20 y of age (47.1 y, 55.5% women) with a mean serum 25(OH)D concentration of 66.2 nmol/L. After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, season of examination, lifestyle and dietary factors, and body mass index, compared with participants with a serum 25(OH)D concentration ≥75.0 nmol/L, those with a serum 25(OH)D concentration <30 nmol/L had higher risk of head or chest cold (OR: 1.17; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.36) and other respiratory diseases, including influenza, pneumonia, and ear infections (OR: 1.84; 95% CI: 1.35, 2.51). In the stratification analyses, lower serum 25(OH)D concentrations were associated with a higher risk of head or chest cold in obese adults but not in nonobese adults. CONCLUSIONS: Serum 25(OH)D concentrations are inversely associated with respiratory infection occurrence among United States adults. This finding may shed light on the protective effect of vitamin D on the respiratory health.

Association of Serum Uric Acid With All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality in Diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether serum uric acid (SUA) level is associated with all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality among individuals with diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, we included patients with diabetes from the U.S. National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2018. Mortality and underlying causes of death were ascertained by linkage to national death records through 31 December 2019. Weighted Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to evaluate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for all-cause and CVD mortality. We also performed a meta-analysis of available cohort studies to combine the association between SUA level and mortality in diabetes. RESULTS: Among the 7,101 patients with diabetes from NHANES 1999-2018, the weighted mean of SUA level was 5.7 mg/dL. During 57,926 person-years of follow-up, 1,900 deaths (n = 674 deaths from CVD) occurred. In the fully adjusted model, when compared with patients with diabetes in the lowest SUA quintile, those in the highest SUA quintile had the HRs (95% CIs) of 1.28 (1.03, 1.58) for all-cause mortality and 1.41 (1.03, 1.94) for CVD mortality. We included 13 cohort studies in the meta-analysis and found that the pooled HRs (95% CIs) were 1.08 (1.05, 1.11) for all-cause mortality and 1.05 (1.03, 1.06) for CVD mortality per 1 mg/dL increment of SUA level in patients with diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated that higher SUA levels were associated with increased risks of all-cause and CVD mortality in diabetes. Interventional studies are needed to elucidate the health effect of treatments to lower SUA levels.

Two new cytochalasins from the endophytic fungus Xylaria sp. GDGJ-77B.

Two new open-chain cytochalasins, xylarchalasins A and B (1 and 2), together with six known analogues (3-8), were isolated from the endophytic fungus Xylaria sp. GDGJ-77B from the Chinese medicinal plant Sophora tonkinensis. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of comprehensive spectroscopic analysis. Compound 2 displayed moderate antibacterial activities against Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli with MIC values of 25 and 12.5 µg/mL, respectively.

Association of social support with cognition among older adults in China: A cross-sectional study.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between social support and its sub-domains and cognitive performance, and the association with cognitive impairment among older adults in China. Design: A cross-sectional study. Setting and participants: We included 865 community-based individuals aged 65 and above from Hubei province, China. Methods: The level of social support was evaluated using the social support rating scale (SSRC). The Mini-Mental State Examination was adopted to assess cognitive function, and its cut-offs were used to determine cognitive impairment among the participants. Multiple linear regression models and logistic regression models were used to estimate the ß and odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% CIs, respectively. Results: The participants were divided into quartiles 1-4 (Q1-Q4), according to the total scores of SSRC. After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, and history of diseases, for MMSE scores, compared to these in Q1, the ß of Q2-Q4 were -0.22 (-0.88, 0.43), 0.29 (-0.35, 0.94), and 0.86 (0.19, 1.53), respectively; For cognitive impairment, the ORs of Q2-Q4 were 1.21 (0.80, 1.82), 0.62 (0.40, 0.94), and 0.50 (0.32, 0.80), respectively. Considering SSRC scores as the continuous variable, per 1-unit increase, the ß was 0.05 (0.02, 0.09) for the cognitive score, and the OR was 0.95 (0.92, 0.98) for cognitive impairment. In addition, higher levels of both subjective support and support utilization were related to better MMSE performance and lower risks of cognitive impairment. Conclusion and implications: Among the older adults in China, as expected, there is a positive relationship between social support and cognitive performance, and high levels of social support, particularly in support utilization, were related to low risks of cognitive impairment. More social support should be provided in this population to improve cognitive function and reduce the risks of cognitive impairment.

[Association between adherence to three healthy dietary patterns and risk of cognitive disorders:Meta-analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between adherence to healthy dietary patterns, such as Mediterranean dietary pattern(MED), dietary approaches to stop hypertension(DASH), Mediterranean-DASH intervention for neurodegenerative delay with cognitive disorders(MIND), and the incidence of cognitive disorders. METHODS: Prospective studies on the association of MED, DASH and MIND with cognitive disorders in Chinese and English literatures were retrieved from PubMed, Wanfang, CNKI and VIP databases by title/abstract retrieval strategy from database establishment to February 28, 2022. Relative risk and its 95% confidence intervals were extracted to calculated the pooled effect and dose-response relationship. Heterogeneity was calculated by using Q test and I~2, and publication bias were analyzed by funnel plot, Begg's test and Egger's test. RESULTS: Totally, 124 977 participants and 15 studies about the relationship between healthy dietary patterns and cognitive impairment diseases were included in this study. Compared with the lower adherence group, the relative risks of cognitive disorders were 0.84(95%CI 0.84-0.97) for participants with higher adherence to MED, 0.79(95%CI 0.79-1.00) for participants with higher adherence to DASH, 0.48(95%CI 0.32-0.71) for participants with higher adherence to MIND, respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that the risk of mild cognitive impairment was 0.76(95%CI 0.65-0.90) for participants with higher adherence to MED, and 0.63(95%CI 0.48-0.82) for DASH. No significant association were observed in the relationship of MED, DASH with dementia. Different scoring method for dietary patterns, dietary survey method, study area, follow-up time and sample size might be the main sources of heterogeneity. CONCLUSION: Higher adherence to MED, DASH and MIND were associated with lower risk of cognitive disorders. MED and DASH were associated with a reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment rather than dementia.

Cycloaspeptide H, a cyclopentapeptide from the endophytic fungus Penicillium virgatum.

One new cyclopentapeptide, cycloaspeptide H (1), featuring a serine residue, along with seven known compounds (2-8), was isolated from the endophytic fungus Penicillium virgatum GDGJ-227. The planar structure of 1 was elucidated by a comprehensive analysis of NMR and MS spectroscopic spectra, and the absolute configuration was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (Cu Kα) analysis. Compounds 7 and 8 displayed antibacterial activities against Bacillus subtilis and Enterobacter aerogenes with MIC values ranging from 12.5 to 50 µg/mL.

Plasma Exo-miRNAs Correlated with AD-Related Factors of Chinese Individuals Involved in Aß Accumulation and Cognition Decline.

Numerous studies have investigated the risk factors of Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, AD-risk factors related miRNAs were rarely reported. In this study, AD-risk factor related miRNAs of 105 Chinese individuals (45 AD patients and 60 cognitively normal controls) were investigated. The results showed that Hsa-miR-185-5p, Hsa-miR-20a-5p, and Hsa-miR-497-5p were related to AD and education, Hsa-miR-185-5p, Hsa-miR-181c-5p, Hsa-miR-664a-3p, Hsa-miR-27a-3p, Hsa-miR-451a, and Hsa-miR-320a were related to AD and depression. Target prediction of above miRNAs showed that these miRNAs were involved in the generation and clearance of amyloid-beta (Aß), important molecules related to cognition, and disease-activated microglia response to AD. It is worth noting that Hsa-miR-185-5p was related to both education and depression, whose decreased expression pattern in AD patients was alleviated by education and enhanced by depression, and participates in Aß generation and accumulation. Our results indicated that certain education and depression factors can contribute to AD progression by modulating miRNA expression, implying that preventive interventions might alter AD progression in Chinese patients.

Association Between Grip Strength and Cognitive Function in US Older Adults of NHANES 2011-2014.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between grip strength and cognitive function remains no consensus in the older adults. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of grip strength with cognitive function and cognitive performance in different domains. METHODS: Participants of the present cross-sectional study were from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2014. Grip strength was measured by grip dynamometer, and combined handgrip strength was the sum of the largest reading from each hand. Four cognitive domains (immediate and delayed memory, language, and attention) were assessed by a set of neuropsychological tests. The subjective cognitive decline was determined via self-report. RESULTS: Among 2,618 participants, combined grip strength was positively associated with scores on global cognitive function and each cognitive domain after controlling for demographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, and history of disease. In addition, compared to those with grip strength < 46.7 kg, participants with grip strength≥75.3 kg had odds ratios of 0.36 (95% CI: 0.21 to 0.63) for poor global cognitive function, 0.66 (95% CI: 0.38 to 1.13) for poor immediate memory, 0.53 (95% CI: 0.30 to 0.93) for poor delayed memory, 0.48 (95% CI: 0.27 to 0.86) for poor language function, 0.20 (95% CI: 0.11 to 0.35) for poor attention, and 0.36 (95% CI: 0.18 to 0.73) for subjective cognitive decline in fully adjusted model. CONCLUSION: Older adults with higher grip strength were significantly associated with better performance on cognition function included global and various domains such as memory, language, attention, and subjective cognitive decline.

Association of Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels with More than 20-Year Risk of Cardiovascular and All-Cause Mortality in the General Population.

Background Current cholesterol guidelines have recommended very low low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) treatment targets for people at high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, recent observational studies indicated that very low LDL-C levels may be associated with increased mortality and other adverse outcomes. The association between LDL-C levels and long-term risk of overall and cardiovascular mortality among the U.S. general population remains to be determined. Methods and Results This prospective cohort study included a nationally representative sample of 14 035 adults aged 18 years or older, who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III 1988-1994. LDL-C levels were divided into 6 categories: <70, 70-99.9, 100-129.9, 130-159.9, 160-189.9 and ≥190 mg/dL. Deaths and underlying causes of deaths were ascertained by linkage to death records through December 31, 2015. Weighted Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HR) of mortality outcomes and its 95% CIs. During 304 025 person-years of follow up (median follow-up 23.2 years), 4458 deaths occurred including 1243 deaths from CVD. At baseline, mean age was 41.5 years and 51.9% were women. Very low and very high levels of LDL-C were associated with increased mortality. After adjustment for age, sex, race and ethnicity, education, socioeconomic status, lifestyle factors, C-reactive protein, body mass index, and other cardiovascular risk factors, individuals with LDL-C<70 mg/dL, compared to those with LDL-C 100-129.9 mg/dL, had HRs of 1.45 (95% CI, 1.10-1.93) for all-cause mortality, 1.60 (95% CI, 1.01-2.54) for CVD mortality, and 4.04 (95% CI, 1.83-8.89) for stroke-specific mortality, but no increased risk of coronary heart disease mortality. Compared with those with LDL-C 100-129.9 mg/dL, individuals with LDL-C≥190 mg/dL had HRs of 1.49 (95% CI, 1.09-2.02) for CVD mortality, and 1.63 (95% CI, 1.12-2.39) for coronary heart disease mortality, but no increased risk of stroke mortality. Conclusions Both very low and very high LDL-C levels were associated with increased risks of CVD mortality. Very low LDL-C levels was also associated with the high risks of all-cause and stroke mortality. Further investigation is needed to elucidate the optimal range of LDL-C levels for CVD health in the general population.

Identification of the Key Enzymes in WL Gum Biosynthesis and Critical Composition in Viscosity Control.

As an important microbial exopolysaccharide, the sphingan WL gum could be widely used in petroleum, food, and many other fields. However, its lower production is still limiting its wider application. Therefore, to gain insights into the bottlenecks of WL gum production by identifying the key enzymes in the WL gum biosynthesis pathway, more than 20 genes were over-expressed in Sphingomonas sp. WG and their effects on WL gum production and structure were investigated. Compared to the control strain, the WL gum production of welB over-expression strain was increased by 19.0 and 21.0% at 36 and 84 h, respectively. The WL gum production of both atrB and atrD over-expression strains reached 47 g/L, which was approximately 34.5% higher than that of the control strain at 36 h. Therefore, WelB, AtrB, and AtrD may be the key enzymes in WL production. Interestingly, the broth viscosity of most over-expression strains decreased, especially the welJ over-expression strain whose viscosity decreased by 99.3% at 84 h. Polysaccharides' structural features were investigated to find the critical components in viscosity control. The uronic acid content and total sugar content was affected by only a few genes, therefore, uronic acid and total sugar content may be not the key composition. In comparison, the acetyl degrees were enhanced by over-expression of most genes, which meant that acetyl content may be the critical factor and negatively correlated with the apparent viscosity of WL gum. This work provides useful information on the understanding of the bottlenecks of WL gum biosynthesis and will be helpful for the construction of high WL gum-yielding strains and rheological property controlling in different industries.

Enzymatic degradation, antioxidant and rheological properties of a sphingan WL gum from Sphingomonas sp. WG.

A molecular weight (Mw) controllable degradation strategy using the lyase WelR as the efficient tool was established, and the relationship between the Mw and the rheological properties and antioxidant activity of WL gum was systematically investigated. Four different WL samples WL1-WL4 with a gradient Mw change (from 4.70 × 106 to 1.45 × 106 Da) were obtained by controlling the enzymatic reaction conditions. As the Mw decreased, its apparent viscosity, intrinsic viscosity, viscous modulus (G″) and elastic modulus (G') decreased. More interestingly, in contrast to the native WL, the G″ of the degraded WL became higher than G'. Besides, the biodegraded WL samples possessed much higher hydroxyl radicals scavenging activity than the original WL. WL4 with the lowest Mw showed the highest HO radical scavenging activity, about 94.65% at 1 mg/mL. This work provided a useful method to obtain a series of WL samples with controllable Mw and properties, which will broaden the application of sphingans.