The Role of Microbiota on the Incidence of Obesity

Obesity is predicted to become a global public health problem, especially in developing countries. Obesity is characterized by a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more, which is calculated by dividing a person's weight by the square of their height (in kilograms per square meter). The incidence of obesity by age increased from 4.6% in 1980 to 14.0% in 2019. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 2 billion adults are classified as overweight, while another 650 million people are categorized as obese. Based on a national survey, the obesity rate in Indonesia is 23.1%, while in South Sulawesi province it is 31.6% (Riskesdas, 2018). This can alter the gut microbiota structurally and functionally, and the gut microbiota can also modulate nutritional status. A certain abundance and diversity of bacteria may facilitate energy storage and metabolic pathways that lead to obesity. Dietary interventions with probiotics, prebiotics, or synbiotics may be effective in counteracting the disturbances observed in the gut microbiota during obesity or unbalanced diets, as they may be able to reduce and maintain body weight. Intestinal anaerobic bacteria, including Firmicute and bacteroids, can hydrolyze carbohydrates that cannot be digested by the intestine, obtaining short chain fatty acids (SCFA) including acetate, propionate and butyrate, which have an impact on human health. Therefore, anaerobic bacteria can inhibit obesity

Effectiveness of Chronic Disease Management Program in Lowering Blood Pressure in Hypertensive Patients: Literature Review

Chronic illnesses are a global health issue that kills people. Hypertension is a blood vessel disorder that compromises the body's tissues' oxygen and nutrient supply. In 2025, 1.5 billion people will have hypertension, and 9.4 million will die from it. This research review evaluates the Chronic Disease Management Program's blood pressure-lowering effects in hypertensive patients. A PRISMA Flow Diagram-based literature review. Downloading scientific papers from PubMed, Portal Garuda, and Google Scholar follows SINTA IV and V criteria. This article searches for Prolanis, blood pressure, and hypertension. Search results yielded 103 articles. Using inclusion criteria, 11 research publications were chosen for review. The study found that the chronic disease management program, which included medical consultations, Prolanis participant education, SMS gateway reminders, home visits, club activities (exercise), and health status monitoring, effectively lowered blood pressure in hypertension patients

The Effect of Trehalose in Inhibiting Liver Damage via The Il-6 Pathway in Old Mice

Trehalose is a non-reducing disaccharide consisting of two glucose molecules linked by a 1–1 glycosidic bond. Trehalose can play a role in organ detoxification, antioxidant enzyme activity, reducing lipid peroxidation and reducing the secretion of inflammatory factors TNF-, IL-1β, Il-6, thereby inhibiting liver damage. Because of its role, this study aims to determine the effect of trehalose administration on liver damage through the IL-6 expression pathway with experimental post-test design with control group design. This research was conducted using samples of old rats, namely Wistar rats (Rattus novergicus). The old rats used were 21 male species which were then divided into 3 groups, namely the old control group, the old rat group that was given sucrose, and the old rat group that was given trehalose. Then observed for 8 weeks, namely in March - May 2021 at the Faculty of Medicine, Hasanuddin University Makassar. The results obtained from the 3 groups showed a significant value that the administration of trehalose sugar in elderly mice had an effect on reducing the inflammatory factor IL-6 because it activated autophagy in macrophages thereby reducing cytokine production and vascular inflammation so as to be able to restore all aging mice to a level like observed in young mice. It is also known that aged rat liver, which is characterized by ER UPR activation and inflammatory signaling, decreases nicotinamide and UDP-N-acetyl-hexosamines, and reduces proteasome activity. Therefore, trehalose can be an effective therapeutic strategy against age-related disorders of proteostasis in the liver

The Anti-inflammatory Effects of Hydrogen-Rich Water Acts in a Volume-Dependent Manner on Rats’ Lungs Exposed to Cigarette Smoke

Cigarette smoke can activate various ROS-sensitive signaling pathways in the lungs, triggering airway inflammation and leading to mucus hypersecretion. Meanwhile, hydrogen has shown anti-inflammatory activity in various injury models. This study aims to determine the anti-inflammatory effect of hydrogen-rich water on lungs exposed to cigarette smoke in rats. Male wistar rats were divided into four groups randomly (n=5), namely CI group (given aquades + exposed to free air), CII group (given aquades + exposed to cigarette smoke), HI group (given HRW 5 mL once a day + exposed to cigarette smoke), and HII group (given HRW 5 mL twice a day + exposed to cigarette smoke). HRW/aquades was administered orally 30 minutes before cigarette smoke exposure. Exposure to cigarette smoke lasts about 15-25 minutes with 5 cigarettes/day for 28 days. Subsequently, we examine the levels of lung NF-kB p65 using the ELISA method and perform pulmonary histopathological examination. The results showed that the administration of HRW reduced the levels of NF-κB p65 induced by cigarette smoke exposure, which is significant in the HII group (p<0.01). From the histopathological examination, administration of HRW significantly reduced the degree of lung inflammation caused by cigarette smoke exposure in the HI and HII group (p<0.05)

Association between angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene I/D polymorphism with the risk of knee OA: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression [version 1; peer review: 2 approved]

Background Previous studies have linked genetics to knee osteoarthritis. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene I/D polymorphism may cause OA. However, evidence remains inconsistent. This study examines knee OA risk and ACE gene I/D polymorphism. Methods We explored Europe PMC, Medline, Scopus, and Cochrane Library using keywords. Three assessment bias factors were assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Criteria for inclusion: (1) Split the study population into knee OA patients and healthy controls; (2) Analysed the ACE gene I/D polymorphism; (3) Case-control or cross-sectional surveys. Studies with non-knee OA, incomplete data, and no full-text were excluded. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated using random-effect models. Results A total of 6 case-control studies consist of 1,226 patients with knee OA and 1,145 healthy subjects as controls were included. Our pooled analysis revealed that a significant association between ACE gene I/D polymorphism and risk of knee OA was only seen in the dominant (DD + ID vs. II) [OR 1.69 (95% CI 1.14 – 2.50), p = 0.009, I2 = 72%], and ID vs. II [OR 1.37 (95% CI 1.01– 1.86), p = 0.04, I2 = 43%] genotype models. Other genotype models, including recessive (DD vs. ID + II), alleles (D vs. I), DD vs. ID, and DD vs. II models did not show a significant association with knee OA risk. Further regression analysis revealed that ethnicity and sex may influence those relationships in several genotype models. Conclusions Dominant and ID vs. II ACE gene I/D polymorphism models increased knee OA risk significantly. More research with larger samples and different ethnic groups is needed to confirm our findings. After ethnicity subgroup analysis, some genetic models in our study showed significant heterogeneities, and most studies are from Asian countries with Asian populations, with little evidence on Arabs

Insulin resistance and testosterone level in Indonesian young adult males

Introduction. Central obesity is characterized by the accumulation of abdominal fat which may lead to several diseases including insulin resistance. The prevalence of central obesity is higher in male and the incidence in young adult males is increased. Central obesity is also related to low testosterone levels. The research aimed to assess the relationship between the testosterone levels and insulin resistance of young adult males with central obesity

Body mass index as the most influential factor of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in non-diabetic adults

BACKGROUND High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) has been widely accepted as a predictor of future cardiovascular risk that reflects a microinflammatory state. Obesity linked to microinflammation increases the prevalence of metabolic disorders and cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to determine the association between several obesity indices namely body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), body fat percentage (fat), and visceral fat (VF) with hsCRP in non-diabetic adults. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study performed on 80 non-diabetic adults with ages ranging from 20-40 years. The obesity indices BMI, WC, body fat percentage, and VF were measured. We then measured the hsCRP levels using an immunoturbidimetric method. Simple and multiple linear regression tests were used to analyze the association between obesity indices and hsCRP levels. RESULTS Mean of log BMI, log WC, and log VF was 1.41 ± 0.08 kg/m2, 1.93 ± 0.06 cm, and 0.95 ± 0.27 units, respectively. Simple linear regression tests showed that log BMI (â=3.506; p<0.001), log WC (â=3.672; p<0.001), log VF (â=0.833; p<0.001), and log systolic blood pressure (â=3.739; p=0.024) had a significant positive correlation with log hsCRP levels. Further multiple linear regression test showed that log BMI (â=3.772; Beta=0.674; p<0.001) had the greater effect on log hsCRP levels compared to other indices. CONCLUSIONS     BMI had a greater influence on hsCRP levels compared to other obesity indices in non-diabetic adults. Body mass index can be used as a better index in predicting hsCRP levels compared to other indices