Combined associations of visceral adipose tissue and adherence to a Mediterranean lifestyle with T2D and diabetic microvascular complications among individuals with prediabetes.

BACKGROUND: It's unclear if excess visceral adipose tissue (VAT) mass in individuals with prediabetes can be countered by adherence to a Mediterranean lifestyle (MEDLIFE). We aimed to examine VAT mass, MEDLIFE adherence, and their impact on type 2 diabetes (T2D) and diabetic microvascular complications (DMC) in individuals with prediabetes. METHODS: 11,267 individuals with prediabetes from the UK Biobank cohort were included. VAT mass was predicted using a non-linear model, and adherence to the MEDLIFE was evaluated using the 25-item MEDLIFE index, encompassing categories such as "Mediterranean food consumption," "Mediterranean dietary habits," and "Physical activity, rest, social habits, and conviviality." Both VAT and MEDLIFE were categorized into quartiles, resulting in 16 combinations. Incident cases of T2D and related DMC were identified through clinical records. Cox proportional-hazards regression models were employed to examine associations, adjusting for potential confounding factors. RESULTS: Over a median follow-up of 13.77 years, we observed 1408 incident cases of T2D and 714 cases of any DMC. High adherence to the MEDLIFE, compared to the lowest quartile, reduced a 16% risk of incident T2D (HR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.71-0.98) and 31% for incident DMC (0.69, 0.56-0.86). Conversely, compared to the lowest quartile of VAT, the highest quartile increased the risk of T2D (5.95, 4.72-7.49) and incident any DMC (1.79, 1.36-2.35). We observed an inverse dose-response relationship between MEDLIFE and T2D/DMC, and a dose-response relationship between VAT and all outcomes (P for trend < 0.05). Restricted cubic spline analysis confirmed a nearly linear dose-response pattern across all associations. Compared to individuals with the lowest MEDLIFE quartile and highest VAT quartile, those with the lowest T2D risk had the lowest VAT and highest MEDLIFE (0.12, 0.08-0.19). High MEDLIFE was linked to reduced T2D risk across all VAT categories, except in those with the highest VAT quartile. Similar trends were seen for DMC. CONCLUSION: High adherence to MEDLIFE reduced T2D and MDC risk in individuals with prediabetes, while high VAT mass increases it, but MEDLIFE adherence may offset VAT's risk partly. The Mediterranean lifestyle's adaptability to diverse populations suggests promise for preventing T2D.

Impact of healthy lifestyle on the incidence and progression trajectory of mental disorders: A prospective study in the UK Biobank.

BACKGROUND: Healthier lifestyle decreased the risk of mental disorders (MDs) such as depression and anxiety. However, research on the effects of a comprehensive healthy lifestyle on their progression is lacking. METHODS: 385,704 individuals without baseline MDs from the UK Biobank cohort were included. A composite healthy lifestyle score was computed by assessing alcohol intake, smoking status, television viewing time, physical activity, sleep duration, fruit and vegetable intake, oily fish intake, red meat intake, and processed meat intake. Follow-up utilized hospital and death register records. Multistate model was used to examine the role of healthy lifestyle on the progression of specific MDs, while a piecewise Cox regression model was utilized to assess the influence of healthy lifestyle across various phases of disease progression. RESULTS: Higher lifestyle score reduced risks of transitions from baseline to anxiety and depression, as well as from anxiety and depression to comorbidity, with corresponding hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) of 0.94 (0.93, 0.95), 0.90 (0.89, 0.91), 0.94 (0.91, 0.98), and 0.95 (0.92, 0.98), respectively. Healthier lifestyle decreased the risk of transitioning from anxiety to comorbidity within 2 years post-diagnosis, with HR 0.93 (0.88, 0.98). Higher lifestyle scores at 2-4 years and 4-6 years post-depression onset were associated with reduced risk of comorbidity, with HR 0.93 (0.87, 0.99) and 0.92 (0.86, 0.99), respectively. LIMITATION: The generalizability to other ethnic groups is limited. CONCLUSION: This study observed a protective role of holistic healthy lifestyle in the trajectory of MDs and contributed to identifying critical progression windows.

[Effects of Ilizarov technique on the histopathological changes of articular cartilage].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of pressure changes on the experimental articular cartilage by utilizing Ilizarov distraction technique. METHODS: The Ilizarov external fixators were fixed at the left ankle joints of 18 experimental dogs, and the fixators were stretched with a speed of 1 mm/d to create a varus deformity. After three weeks, the ankle varus was 15 degree; when the degree was confirmed by X-ray film, the same traction was retained for 3 weeks. Then the traction decreased at the same speed of 1 mm/d to correct the deformity for 3 weeks. At the 3rd, 7th and 9th weeks, articular cartilages were separated from medial foot of the experimental and normal side to do morphology observation after HE stain, which were group A, group B, group C and group D respectively separately. The gray scale values were obtained using Image-Pro Plus 6.0 software and compared among the 4 groups using SPSS 13.0. The microstructure of cartilage was observed through transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: (1) The Mankin scores: there was significant difference between group A and group B (P=0.043<0.05); and significant difference between group B and group C (P=0.038<0.05). (2) The values of gray scale: there was significant difference between group A and group B (P=0.047<0.05); significant difference between group B and group C (P=0.045<0.05); significant difference between group A and group D (P=0.039<0.05); no significant difference between group C and group D (P=1.23>0.05). CONCLUSION: Using Ilizarov technique, when the pressure between the cartilage surface of the ankle joint increases, the necrosis of articular cartilage occurred; and when the stress between the articular cartilage surface decreases, the damaged articular cartilage can be restored.

1,2-Bis(2-methyl-5-phenyl-3-thien-yl)benzene.

In the mol-ecule of the title compound, C(28)H(22)S(2), the two thio-phene rings are twisted with respect to the central benzene ring, making dihedral angles of 71.59 (12) and 50.71 (12)°. The two terminal benzene rings are oriented at dihedral angles of 37.59 (11) and 20.12 (11)° to their bonded thio-phene rings.