High-sensitivity c-reactive protein and gamma-glutamyl transferase levels are synergistically associated with metabolic syndrome in community-dwelling persons

Abstract Background Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with an increased risk of major cardiovascular events. Increased high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels are associated with MetS and its components. Changes in gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels in response to oxidative stress are also associated with MetS, and the levels could be modulated by hsCRP. Methods From a single community, we recruited 822 men (mean age, 61 ± 14 years) and 1,097 women (63 ± 12 years) during their annual health examination. We investigated whether increased hsCRP and GGT levels are synergistically associated with MetS and insulin resistance evaluated by Homeostasis of model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Results Of these subjects, 141 men (17.2%) and 170 women (15.5%) had MetS. Participants with MetS had a higher hsCRP and GGT level than those without MetS in both genders, and the HOMA-IR increased significantly in correlation with an increase in hsCRP and GGT. In men, the adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for MetS across tertiles of hsCRP and GGT were 1.00, 1.69 (1.01-2.80), and 2.13 (1.29-3.52), and 1.00, 3.26 (1.84-5.78) and 6.11 (3.30-11.3), respectively. In women, the respective corresponding values were 1.00, 1.54 (0.92-2.60), and 3.08 (1.88-5.06), and 1.00, 1.70 (1.04-2.79) and 2.67 (1.66-4.30). The interaction between increased hsCRP and GGT was a significant and independent determinant for MetS and insulin resistance in both genders. Conclusions These results suggested that higher CRP and GGT levels were synergistically associated with MetS and insulin resistance, independently of other confounding factor in the general population.</p

High-Resolution Submillimeter and Near-Infrared Studies of the Transition Disk around Sz 91

To reveal the structures of a transition disk around a young stellar object in Lupus, Sz 91, we have performed aperture synthesis 345 GHz continuum and CO(3--2) observations with the Submillimeter Array (\sim1\arcsec--3\arcsec resolution), and high-resolution imaging of polarized intensity at the $K_s$-band by using the HiCIAO instrument on the Subaru Telescope (0\farcs25 resolution). Our observations successfully resolved the inner and outer radii of the dust disk to be 65 AU and 170 AU, respectively, which indicates that Sz 91 is a transition disk source with one of the largest known inner holes. The model fitting analysis of the spectral energy distribution reveals an H$_2$ mass of $2.4\times10^{-3}$ M_\sun in the cold ($T<$30 K) outer part at $65<r<170$ AU by assuming a canonical gas-to-dust mass ratio of 100, although a small amount ($>3\times10^{-9}$ M_\sun) of hot ($T\sim$180 K) dust possibly remains inside the inner hole of the disk. The structure of the hot component could be interpreted as either an unresolved self-luminous companion body (not directly detected in our observations) or a narrow ring inside the inner hole. Significant CO(3--2) emission with a velocity gradient along the major axis of the dust disk is concentrated on the Sz 91 position, suggesting a rotating gas disk with a radius of 420 AU. The Sz 91 disk is possibly a rare disk in an evolutionary stage immediately after the formation of protoplanets because of the large inner hole and the lower disk mass than other transition disks studied thus far

The Association between Hypertension and Dementia

Hypertension (HT) and dementia are common disorders in the elderly. HT in the elderly is associated with increased occurrence rates of dementia including Alzheimer&apos;s disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD). In connection to this, some studies have suggested that HT in old age correlates with the pathogenesis of dementia. Since HT is potentially reversible, a number of randomized trials have examined whether antihypertensive treatment may help in preventing dementia occurrence. We review five studies, all using subjects 60 years or older, which investigated different antihypertensive pharmacological treatments. Data from two trials (Syst-Eur, PROGRESS) open the way toward the prevention of dementia (AD or VaD) by antihypertensive treatments. In the Syst-Eur study, with the dihydropyridine calcium antagonists, a reduction in both types of dementia was demonstrated (risk reduction 55%). The PROGRESS study showed that the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs), with or without diuretics, resulted in decrease incidence of stroke-related dementia (risk reduction 19%), but dementia without stroke was not reduced. In contrast, the SHEP trial, treatment with a chlorthalidone-based antihypertensive regimen, did not significantly reduced the incidence of dementia. The SCOPE study (candesartan or hydrochlorothiazide versus placebo) and the HYVET-COG study (indapamide or perindopril versus placebo) found no significant difference between the active treatment and placebo group on the incidence of dementia. We found conflicting results regarding treatment benefits in dementia prevention. Recent clinical trials and studies on animal models suggest that blockades of RAS system could have reduced cognitive decline seen in Alzheimer&apos;s disease and vascular dementia. Future trials primarily designed to investigate the effects of antihypertensive agents on impaired cognition are needed

Zolpidem therapy in dystonia

Although there are some newly developed options to treat dystonia, its medical treatment is not always satisfactory. Zolpidem, an imidazopyridine agonist with a high affinity on benzodiazepine subtype receptor BZ1 (ω1), was found to improve clinical symptoms of dystonia in a limited number of case reports. To investigate what subtype of dystonia is responsive to the therapy, we conducted an open label study to assess the efficacy of zolpidem (5–20 mg) in 34 patients suffering from miscellaneous types of dystonia using the Burke–Fahn–Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale (BFMDRS). Patients were entered into the study if they had been refractory to other medications as evaluated by BFMDRS (no change in the previous two successive visits). After zolpidem therapy, the scores in the patients as a whole were decreased from 7.2 ± 7.9 to 5.5 ± 5.0 (P = 0.042). Patients with generalized dystonia, Meige syndrome/blepharospasm, and hand dystonia improved in the scale by 27.8, 17.8, and 31.0%, respectively, whereas no improvement was found in cervical dystonia patients. Overall response rate among patients were comparable to that of trihexyphenidyl. Zolpidem may be a therapeutic option for generalized dystonia, Meige syndrome, and hand dystonia including musician’s. Drowsiness was the dose-limiting factor

Effects of two-dimensional reed oscillation on airflow and sound generation in a single-reed instrument

Yoshinaga T., Baba R., Yokoyama H., et al. Effects of two-dimensional reed oscillation on airflow and sound generation in a single-reed instrument. Computers and Fluids 285, 106452 (2024); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compfluid.2024.106452.While two-dimensional (2D) reed oscillation modes of single-reed woodwind instruments have been reported in previous studies, little is known about their effects on airflow and sound generation. In this study, we conducted aeroacoustic simulations of a clarinet mouthpiece and resonator coupled with one-dimensional (1D) and 2D reed deformation models and investigated the changes in flow and sound generation due to the 2D reed vibration. The 1D and 2D reeds were modeled using 1D beam and thin plate theories, respectively, whereas the three-dimensional airflow was simulated by solving the compressible Navier–Stokes equations. The self-sustained oscillations of the 2D reed model mainly exhibited a flexural mode at the fundamental frequency, which is consistent with previous observations. Complex torsional modes were observed only at higher harmonic frequencies. A comparison between the 1D and 2D reed models demonstrated that the 2D reed opened later at the side face of the mouthpiece than the 1D reed owing to the torsional mode, which changed the time variation of the flow rate into the mouthpiece and the far-field sound in the high-frequency range. These results suggest the importance of the torsional deformation characteristics of reeds on the timbre of single-reed instruments

Association between fasting plasma glucose and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein: gender differences in a Japanese community-dwelling population

Abstract Background High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) is an acute phase reactant and a sensitive marker of inflammation. Hyperglycemia can potentially promote the production of CRP. The aim of this study was to determine whether increased fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels are associated with elevated hsCRP concentrations by gender. Methods We recruited 822 men (mean age, 61 ± 14 years) and 1,097 women (63 ± 12 years) during their annual health examination from a single community. We cross-sectionally examined whether FPG levels are associated with hsCRP concentrations, and whether this association is independent of gender, body mass index (BMI) and other components of the metabolic syndrome. Results In women only, hsCRP increased significantly and progressively with increasing FPG (r = 0.169, P 2 and higher FPG than in men. Conclusions These results suggested that hsCRP levels increase continuously across the FPG spectrum starting from the lowest FPG in both men and women. However, increase in hsCRP levels was greater in women than men.</p

Alanine aminotransferase/aspartate aminotransferase ratio is the best surrogate marker for insulin resistance in non-obese Japanese adults

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to examine how liver markers are associated with insulin resistance in Japanese community-dwelling adults. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 587 men aged 58 ± 14 (mean ± standard deviation; range, 20–89) years and 755 women aged 60 ± 12 (range, 21–88) years. The study sample consisted of 998 (74.4%) non-obese [body mass index (BMI) <25.0 kg/m(2)] and 344 (25.6%) overweight (BMI ≥25 kg/m(2)) subjects. Insulin resistance was defined by homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) of at least 2.5, and HOMA-IR and potential confounders were compared between the groups. Areas under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were used to compare the power of these serum markers. RESULTS: In non-obese subjects, the best marker of insulin resistance was alanine aminotransferase (ALT)/aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ratio of 0.70 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.63-0.77). In overweight subjects, AUC values for the ALT/AST ratio and ALT were 0.66 (0.59-0.72) and 0.66 (0.59-0.72), respectively. Multiple linear regression analyses for HOMA-IR showed that ALT/AST ratios were independently and significantly associated with HOMA-IR as well as other confounding factors in both non-obese and overweight subjects. The optimal cut-off point to identifying insulin resistance for these markers yielded the following values: ALT/AST ratio of ≥0.82 in non-obese subjects and ≥1.02 in overweight subjects. In non-obese subjects, the positive likelihood ratio was greatest for ALT/AST ratio. CONCLUSIONS: In non-obese Japanese adults, ALT/AST ratio may be the best reliable marker of insulin resistance

Association of genetic variation with systolic and diastolic blood pressure among African Americans: the Candidate Gene Association Resource study

The prevalence of hypertension in African Americans (AAs) is higher than in other US groups; yet, few have performed genome-wide association studies (GWASs) in AA. Among people of European descent, GWASs have identified genetic variants at 13 loci that are associated with blood pressure. It is unknown if these variants confer susceptibility in people of African ancestry. Here, we examined genome-wide and candidate gene associations with systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) using the Candidate Gene Association Resource (CARe) consortium consisting of 8591 AAs. Genotypes included genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data utilizing the Affymetrix 6.0 array with imputation to 2.5 million HapMap SNPs and candidate gene SNP data utilizing a 50K cardiovascular gene-centric array (ITMAT-Broad-CARe [IBC] array). For Affymetrix data, the strongest signal for DBP was rs10474346 (P= 3.6 × 10−8) located near GPR98 and ARRDC3. For SBP, the strongest signal was rs2258119 in C21orf91 (P= 4.7 × 10−8). The top IBC association for SBP was rs2012318 (P= 6.4 × 10−6) near SLC25A42 and for DBP was rs2523586 (P= 1.3 × 10−6) near HLA-B. None of the top variants replicated in additional AA (n = 11 882) or European-American (n = 69 899) cohorts. We replicated previously reported European-American blood pressure SNPs in our AA samples (SH2B3, P= 0.009; TBX3-TBX5, P= 0.03; and CSK-ULK3, P= 0.0004). These genetic loci represent the best evidence of genetic influences on SBP and DBP in AAs to date. More broadly, this work supports that notion that blood pressure among AAs is a trait with genetic underpinnings but also with significant complexit