Prevalence and Determinants of Metabolic Syndrome among Women in Chinese Rural Areas

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is prevalent in recent years but few data is reported in the rural areas in China. The aim of this study was to examine MS prevalence and its risk factors among women in rural China. METHODS AND RESULTS: The Nantong Metabolic Syndrome Study (NMSS), a population based cross-sectional study, was conducted during 2007-2008 in Nantong, China. In person interviews, blood glucose and lipid measurements were completed for 13,505 female participants aged 18-74 years. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the US Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program, the Adult Treatment Panel (ATPIII) and modified ATPIII for Asian population has determined three criteria of MS. These criteria for MS were used and compared in this study. The prevalence of MS was 22.0%, 16.9% and 23.3% according to IDF, ATPIII and ATPIII-modified criteria, respectively. Levels of agreement of these criteria for MS were above 0.75. We found that vigorous-intensity of occupational physical activity was associated with a low prevalence of MS with OR of 0.76 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.63-0.91). Rice wine drinkers (alcohol >12.8 g/day) had about 34% low risks of developing MS with OR of 0.66 (95% CI: 0.48-0.91), compared with non-drinkers. Odds ratio of MS was 1.81 (95% CI: 1.15-2.84) in women who smoked more than 20 pack-years, compared to non-smokers. Odds ratio of MS was 1.56 (95% CI: 1.25-1.95) in women who had familial history of diseases, including hypertension, diabetes and stroke, compared to women without familial history of those diseases. CONCLUSION: MS is highly prevalent among women in rural China. Both physical activity and rice wine consumption play a protective role, while family history and smoking are risk factors in MS development. Educational programs should be established for promoting healthy lifestyles and appropriate interventions in rural China

Análise das variações florísticas e estruturais da comunidade arbórea de um fragmento de floresta semidecídua às margens do rio Capivari, Lavras-MG.

A study of the floristic and structural variations of a tree community was carried out in a tropical semideciduous forest fragment, located on the margins of the Capivari river, in Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil, to analyze the correlations between environmental variables (related to soil, topography and fragment shape) and the distribution of tree species. The study also aimed to increase the understanding on the floristic composition and phytosociological structure of tree communities in the upper Rio Grande region. Tree species were sampled in extensive collecting excursions as well as through 28 sample plots of 20 ´ 20 m, where all individuals with dbh ³ 5 cm were registered. The plots were distributed into five transects placed parallel to the predominant slope of each site. The environmental variables were obtained through a topographic survey of the fragment and chemical and textural analyses of soil samples. The correlations between the distribution of species abundance and environmental variables in the plots were assessed by canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). The floristic checklist contained 166 species, out of which 140 were found inside the sample plots. The tree community produced a high Shannon diversity index (H’ = 4.258 nats/individual), correlated to low ecological dominance (high Pielou evenness, J’ = 0.862), and possibly to high local environmental heterogeneity. The CCA showed that the environmental heterogeneity of the fragment is characterized mainly by the steep topography and by the variations in soil fertility, texture and ground water regime. The latter is most strongly correlated with the distribution of the tree species. The analysis indicated that many tree species in the fragment show preference for either of the following two habitats: the lower slope, with moister and more fertile soils; and the upper slope, with less moist and fertile soils, and more liable to edge effects

Standard short-term diet ameliorates the lipid profile altered by a fructose-rich diet in rats

Markers of metabolic abnormalities are commonly found in rodents fed a fructose-rich diet. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the administration of a short-term standard diet to rats is able to improve the lipid profile altered by a fructose-rich diet. The male pups, immediately after birth, were divided in three groups according to the diet for 90 days. Standard diet: a standard diet for the whole experimental period; fructose (60% fructose-rich diet): fructose-rich diet during the entire experimental period; fructose/standard (FS): fructose-rich diet from the neonatal period up to 60 days of age and standard diet from 60 to 90 days of age. A fructose-rich diet from the neonatal period to 60 days reduced weight gain (P<0.05), as well as the weight of adipose tissues in all the regions analyzed (epididymal, mesenteric, retroperitoneal and posterior subcutaneous), and it altered the lipid profile (elevation of triglycerides, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol; P<0.05). When a standard diet was administered after the fructose-rich diet, it was able to partially reverse changes to the lipid profile, as total cholesterol levels were significantly different in all the groups (P<0.05), and triglyceride and VLDL cholesterol levels were similar between the control and FS group. In summary, a fructose-rich diet altered the lipid profile, and a standard diet can partially reverse the changed parameters in short term.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP