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Background: It remains controversial whether weight change could influence the risks of colorectal cancer (CRC) and mortality. This study aimed to quantify the associations between full-spectrum changes in body mass index (BMI) and the risks of colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence, cancer-related and all-cause mortality among midlife to elder population., Methods: A total of 81,388 participants who were free of cancer and aged 55 to 74 years from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) screening program were involved. The percentage change of BMI was calculated as (BMI in 2006 - BMI at baseline)/BMI at baseline, and was categorized into nine groups: decrease (≥ 15.0%, 10.0-14.9%, 5.0-9.9%, 2.5-4.9%), stable (decrease/increase < 2.5%), increase (2.5-4.9%, 5.0-9.9%, 10.0-14.9%, ≥ 15.0%). The associations between percentage change in BMI from study enrolment to follow-up (median: 9.1 years) and the risks of CRC and mortality were evaluated using Cox proportional hazard regression models., Results: After 2006, there were 241 new CRC cases, 648 cancer-related deaths, and 2361 all-cause deaths identified. Overall, the associations between BMI change and CRC incidence and cancer-related mortality, respectively, were not statistically significant. Compared with participants whose BMI were stable, individuals who had a decrease in BMI were at increased risk of all-cause mortality, and the HRs were 1.21 (95% CI: 1.03-1.42), 1.65 (95% CI: 1.44-1.89), 1.84 (95% CI: 1.56-2.17), and 2.84 (95% CI: 2.42-3.35) for 2.5-4.9%, 5.0-9.9%, 10.0-14.9%, and ≥ 15.0% decrease in BMI, respectively. An L-shaped association between BMI change and all-cause mortality was observed. Every 5% decrease in BMI was associated with a 27% increase in the risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.22-1.31, p < 0.001). The results from subgroups showed similar trends., Conclusions: A decrease in BMI more than 5% shows a significantly increased risk of all-cause mortality among older individuals; but no significant association between increase in BMI and all-cause mortality. These findings emphasize the importance of body weight management in older population, and more studies are warranted to evaluate the cause-and-effect relationship between changes in BMI and cancer incidence/mortality.

Obesity is associated with decreased testosterone levels in males. Testosterone is synthesized by testosterone synthetic enzymes, which are stimulated by luteinizing hormone (LH). Testosterone can also be converted to estradiol via the aromatase. The objective of this study was to examine the factors related to testosterone synthesis and conversion, and to systematically evaluate the key processes that influence testosterone levels in male obesity. Three hundred and two male subjects (aged 25-45 years old) were divided according to BMI into normal weight (18.5-23.9 kg/m 2 ), overweight (24-27.9 kg/m 2 ), and obese (≥28 kg/m 2 ) groups; or divided following WHR into non-abdominal obesity and abdominal obesity groups (WHR: ≥0.9). Male C57BL/6 mice were divided into normal diet (ND) and high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity group. Serum sex hormones and aromatase levels were measured using ELISAs. Testosterone synthetic enzymes in the testes were measured by qRT-PCR. The testosterone levels in obese men and abdominal obesity men were lower than normal men. In abdominal obesity men serum LH levels were decreased and associated with testosterone levels after multivariate regression analysis. Serum aromatase levels were increased in abdominal obesity males. In mice, compared to the ND group, the HFD group had decreased steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR). However, aromatase levels in subcutaneous adipose tissue were higher in the ND group than HFD group. In conclusion, according to this study decreased testicular synthesis function and the conversion of testosterone may explain the reduction in testosterone levels in male obesity, and the decrease of testicular synthesis may change first., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Objectives: The aim of this was to access maternal obesity and the risk of neural tube defects (NTDs) in offspring, and establishes a nonlinear dose-response relationship between maternal body mass index (BMI) and risk of NTDs in offspring., Methods: PubMed and Web of Science were systematically searched. We compared NTDs risk difference in maternal obesity group vs. normal weight group+overweight group, and maternal obesity group vs. normal weight group. We also examined the dose-response relationship between maternal body mass index and the risk of NTDs in offspring., Results: A total of 22 studies with 1,758,832 patients included in the meta-analysis. The results showed obesity maternal obesity is an important risk factor for NTDs in offspring. When maternal obesity group compared with normal weight group+overweight group, the summary OR of NTDs was 1.632 (95% CI 1.473-1.808; Z=9.37, P<0.00001); when maternal obesity group compared with normal weight group, the summary OR was 1.682 (95% CI 1.510-1.873; Z=9.44, P<0.00001). No publication biases were found. Dose-response meta-analysis showed statistically significant association between maternal BMI and risk of NTDs in offspring (model χ 2 =41.49, <0.00001). In linear model, the OR of NTDs in offspring was 1.040 (95% CI 1.027-1.051) for every 1kg/m 2 BMI increase in mother. In spline model, the OR of NTDs in offspring risk increased rapidly along with maternal BMI, especially when BMI >30kg/m 2 . Sensitivity analyses by only included the studies reported adjusted OR showed the result was robust., Conclusion: Our meta-analysis indicated that maternal obesity is an important risk factor for neural tube defects in offspring., (Copyright © 2016 Asia Oceania Association for the Study of Obesity. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

BackgroundThe study aims to explore the relationship between obesity and serum uric acid in adolescents by combining body mass index and waist height ratio.Methods475 adolescents in our study were classified as normal weight without central obesity (NW), normal weight but central obesity (NWCO), overweight or obesity without central obesity (OB) and overweight or obesity with central obesity (OBCO). Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for hyperuricemia were calculated using a logistic regression model. The dose-response association between obesity indicators and serum uric acid were explored by restricted cubic spline model.ResultsThe highest serum uric acid level and the OR for hyperuricemia were found in the OBCO group, regardless of sex. After controlling for waist height ratio, the risk of hyperuricemia increased with increasing body mass index in boys and girls. The restricted cubic spline model showed that boys had higher ORs for hyperuricemia at the 25th and 75th percentiles of body mass index than for waist height ratio and girls had a higher OR for hyperuricemia than waist height ratio at the 25th percentile of body mass index.ConclusionsHyperuricemia in adolescence was not only associated with the overweight or obesity in BMI, but with the combination of overweight or obesity in BMI and central obesity in WHtR. However, in boys and girls, the increased risk of hyperuricemia associated with elevated body mass index was significantly better than that of waist height ratio.

Abstract Background This study aims to analyze the effect of the body mass index (BMI) on E2, P and LH values in females who received intrauterine insemination (IUI) treatment on human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) day. Methods A total of 2319 cycles of IUI-assisted pregnancy treatment were selected in our hospital. Based on the BMI, female infertility patients are divided into three groups: normal weight group, overweight and obese group. Results For patients with natural cycles and ≤ 35 years old, there were 440, 178 and 197 cases in the three groups, respectively. For patients with natural cycles and > 35 years old, there were 90, 83 and 81 cycles in the three groups, respectively. For patients with induced ovulation cycle and ≤ 35 years old, there were 425, 203 and 516 cases in the three groups, respectively. For patients with induced ovulation cycle and > 35 years old, there were 26, 26 and 54 cases in the three groups, respectively. Conclusion When a patient is ≤35 years old, the BMI affects the E2, LH and P values on the day of artificial insemination. However, the BMI is negatively correlated with E2, LH and P in IUI on HCG day. After controlling for age and assisted pregnancy, the correlation analysis revealed that the BMI is negatively correlated with hormone E2 and LH. The higher the BMI was, the lower the levels of hormones E2, LH and P became. However, in the present study, the BMI did not significantly improve the clinical pregnancy rate of patients who received IUI.

BACKGROUND: Experimental studies have shown that disinfection byproducts (DBPs) including haloacetic acids (HAAs) can cause liver toxicity, but evidence linking this association in humans is sparse. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to explore the associations between HAA exposures and liver injury. METHODS: We included 922 women between December 2018 and January 2020 from the Tongji Reproductive and Environmental (TREE) cohort study in Wuhan, China. Urinary HAA concentrations including trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) and dichloroacetic acid (DCAA) and serum indicators of liver function, including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) were measured. Liver injury was defined as if any of serum indicator levels were above the 90th percentile. Multivariate logistic and linear regression models were fitted to assess the associations of urinary HAA concentrations with the risk of liver injury and liver function indicators. Stratified analyses by age, body mass index (BMI), alcohol use, and passive smoking were also applied to evaluate the potential effect modifiers. RESULTS: There is little evidence of associations of urinary TCAA concentrations with liver injury risk and liver function indicators. However, urinary DCAA concentrations were associated with a higher risk of liver injury [odds ratios (OR) for 1-interquartile range (IQR) increase in natural log (ln) transformed DCAA concentrations: 1.45; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07, 1.98]. This association was observed only among nondrinkers (푝interaction =0.058). We also found that a 1-IQR increase in ln-transformed DCAA concentrations was positively associated with ALT levels (percentage change =6.06%; 95% CI: 0.48%, 11.95%) and negatively associated with AST/ALT (percentage change= -4.48%; 95% CI: -7.80%, -1.04%). In addition, urinary DCAA concentrations in relation to higher GGT levels was observed only among passive smokers (푝interaction =0.040). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that exposure to DCAA but not TCAA is associated with liver injury among women undergoing assisted reproductive technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Experimental studies show that disinfection byproducts (DBPs) can inhibit oocyte maturation, decrease fertilization capacity, and impair embryo development, but human evidence is lacking. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the associations between exposure to drinking water DBPs and in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes. METHODS: The study included 1,048 women undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment between December 2018 and January 2020 from a prospective cohort study, the Tongji Reproductive and Environmental study in Wuhan, China. Exposure to DBPs was assessed by dichloroacetic acid (DCAA) and trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) in up to four urine samples, which were collected on the day of both enrollment and oocyte retrieval. Multivariable generalized linear mixed models, accounting for multiple IVF cycles per woman, were applied to evaluate the associations between urinary biomarkers of DBP exposures and IVF outcomes. Stratified analyses were used to explore the potential effect modifiers. RESULTS: The included 1,048 women underwent 1,136 IVF cycles, with 960 (91.6%), 84 (8.0%), and 4 (0.4%) women contributing one cycle, two cycles, and three cycles, respectively. We found that elevated quartiles of urinary DCAA and TCAA concentrations were associated with reduced numbers of total oocytes and metaphase II oocytes and that urinary DCAA concentrations with a lower proportion of best-quality embryos (all 푝 for trends<0.05). Moreover, elevated quartiles of urinary DCAA concentrations were associated with decreased proportions of successful implantation, clinical pregnancy, and live birth (14%, 15%, and 15% decreases in adjusted means comparing the extreme quartiles, respectively; all 푝 for trends<0.05). Stratification analyses showed that the inverse associations of urinary TCAA concentrations with multiple IVF outcomes were stronger among women ≥30 y of age (푝 for interactions<0.05). DISCUSSION: Exposure to drinking water DBPs was inversely associated with some IVF outcomes among women undergoing ART treatment. Further study is necessary to confirm our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Metabolomic signatures of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Tibetan Chinese population, a group with high diabetes burden, remain largely unclear. Identifying the serum metabolite profile of Tibetan T2DM (T-T2DM) individuals may provide novel insights into early T2DM diagnosis and intervention. Methods: Hence, we conducted untargeted metabolomics analysis of plasma samples from a retrospective cohort study with 100 healthy controls and 100 T-T2DM patients by using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. Results: The T-T2DM group had significant metabolic alterations that are distinct from known diabetes risk indicators, such as body mass index, fasting plasma glucose, and glycosylated hemoglobin levels. The optimal metabolite panels for predicting T-T2DM were selected using a tenfold cross-validation random forest classification model. Compared with the clinical features, the metabolite prediction model provided a better predictive value. We also analyzed the correlation of metabolites with clinical indices and found 10 metabolites that were independently predictive of T-T2DM. Conclusion: By using the metabolites identified in this study, we may provide stable and accurate biomarkers for early T-T2DM warning and diagnosis. Our study also provides a rich and open-access data resource for optimizing T-T2DM management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High‐dose dual therapy (HDDT) is an emerging and promising therapeutic regime for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication. However, the pharmacokinetics of the components of HDDT, amoxicillin and proton pump inhibitor, are likely to be affected by body size. In this study, we aimed to find out the impact of body size on the efficacy of HDDT. Methods: We collected the medical data of 385 treatment‐naive patients infected with H. pylori who received HDDT (esomeprazole 20 mg and amoxicillin 750 mg four times daily) for 14 days from July 2020 to December 2021. The associations among the eradication efficacy, adverse events, and variables (sex, age, height, body weight, body mass index (BMI), body surface area (BSA), smoking, drinking, etc.) were analyzed respectively in our study. Among these factors, continuous variables were classified into categorical variables using the cut‐off values which were calculated by receiver operating characteristic analysis. Results: The eradication rate of HDDT was 89.9%. There were 55 (14.3%) patients who occurred adverse events during the treatment. Patients with height <170.5 cm, body weight <60.5 kg, BMI <20.55 kg/m2, BSA <1.69 m2 had a higher eradication rate (92.1% vs. 84.0%, 93.1% vs. 86.8%, 96.0% vs. 87.8%, 93.4% vs. 84.8%, all p <.05). The multivariate analysis showed that BSA ≥1.69 m2 (OR 2.53, 95% CI: 1.28–4.99, p =.007) was the only independent predictor of eradication failure. Conclusion: HDDT could achieve better eradication efficacy in patients with small BSA. Clinicians should be aware of the impact of BSA on the H. pylori eradication rate and pay more attention to patients with large BSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Numerous observational studies have shown that liver enzymes correlated with diabetes mellitus (DM) risk significantly, but limited studies showed whether different obesity subgroups present the same correlation. Our objective was to evaluate the association of liver enzymes with DM risk in different obesity subgroups based on a middle-aged Chinese population. Methods: We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study and surveyed 9,916 people aged 40 years and above. A two-slope linear regression model was used to analyze the cutoff points of obesity in DM risk. Restricted cubic splines were used to analyze the correlation between liver enzymes and DM risk in different obesity categories. The odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using the logistic regression model. Results: The cutoff points of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference were 30.55 kg/m² and 98.99 cm for DM risk, respectively. The serum gammaglutamyl transferase (GGT) concentration was positively correlated with DM risk in the subgroups with waist circumference <98.99 cm [OR = 1.04, 95% CI (1.03-1.05)], BMI <30.55 kg/m² [OR = 1.04, 95% CI (1.03-1.05)], and BMI ≥30.55 kg/m² [OR = 1.18, 95% CI (1.04-1.39)], but not in the subgroup with waist circumference ≥98.99 cm. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) concentrations have no significant correlation with the risk of diabetes in all groups. Conclusion: The results showed that serum GGT concentration was correlated with DM risk but not with AST or ALT in the middle-aged population. However, the correlation disappeared when waist circumference was over 98.99 cm, and serum GGT concentration had a limited value for DM risk in waist circumference over 98.99 cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The impact of heterogeneity on gender difference for achieving clinically meaningful weight loss (cmWL) remains unclear. Here, we explored the potential gender differences in factors associated with cmWL. Methods: A total of 60,668 participants with body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m2 at study entry and available BMI values at follow-up were included in this study. cmWL was defined as a weight loss of ≥5% from the study entry to follow-up. The associations of social-demographic factors, personal history of chronic diseases, lifestyle behaviors, and history of BMI with cmWL were evaluated using logistic regression models. Results: During a median follow-up of 9.13 years, 26.6% of the participants had a cmWL (30.8% for females vs. 23.1% in males; p < 0.001). Participants with older age, obesity at study entry, being more physical activity compared to 10 years ago, being relapsed smokers or consistent current smokers, having a history of chronic diseases (i.e., diabetes, osteoporosis, and stroke), cancer diagnosis during the study period, and more than 10-year follow-up were more likely to achieve cmWL in both males and females (all p < 0.05). The new smoking quitters and participants with less active in physical activity compared to 10 years ago were less likely to achieve cmWL in both males and females (all p < 0.05). Specifically, males with a history of emphysema were more likely to reach cmWL, and for females, those being overweight at 20 years old and current drinkers were more likely to reach cmWL (p < 0.05). Sensitivity analyses demonstrated similar results. Conclusion: Age, BMI status, physical activity, smoking status, family income, and health status were independent factors in males and females for weight management. However, further well-designed prospective studies are warranted to confirm our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aims to estimate the prevalence and risk factors of macrosomia and LGA (large for gestational age) in non-GDM (gestational diabetes mellitus) pregnant women in Fuyang, Anhui Province of China.Methods: A large population-based cohort study was conducted among non-GDM pregnant women aged 18-45 years. Maternal sociodemographic data prior to pregnancy were collected using interviewer-administered standardized questionnaire. Maternal obstetrical delivery records and newborn hospital records were extracted from antenatal care booklets and hospital discharge abstracts. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the predictors of macrosomia and LGA.Results: The incidence of macrosomia and LGA was 9.2 and 15.9%, respectively. Mothers ≥35 years of age (aOR 2.75, 95% CI 1.98, 3.80), male neonates (aOR 1.68, 95% CI 1.51, 1.89), overweight and obese (aOR 1.61, 95% CI 1.34, 1.92 and aOR 3.05, 95% CI 2.05, 4.56, respectively) were associated with increased risk of macrosomia. Compared with the less educated mothers, the educated mothers were more likely to have increased risk of macrosomia. IFA (iron and folic acid) supplements intake during pregnancy was more likely to deliver macrosomia or LGA (aOR1.32, 95% CI 1.08, 1.49 and aOR1.42, 95% CI 1.24, 1.61, respectively) as compared with no IFA supplements intake. SCr (serum creatinine concentration) >80 µmol/L was related to decreased risk of macrosomia (aOR 0.73, 95% CI 0.61, 0.86) and LGA (aOR 0.67, 95% CI 0.59, 0.77) as compared with normal range (44-80 µmol/L).Conclusions: There was a high prevalence of macrosomia and LGA in non-GDM pregnant women in China. Healthcare educations and reasonable body weight are necessary for pregnant women to prevent macrosomia and LGA. Pregnant women should be checked regularly and have the first prenatal visit as soon as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to establish an effective prognostic nomogram with or without plasma Epstein-Barr virus DNA (EBV DNA) for nondisseminated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).Methods: The nomogram was based on a retrospective study of 4630 patients who underwent radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center from 2007 to 2009. The predictive accuracy and discriminative ability of the nomogram were determined by a concordance index (C-index) and calibration curve and were compared with EBV DNA and the current staging system. The results were validated using bootstrap resampling and a prospective cohort study on 1819 patients consecutively enrolled from 2011 to 2012 at the same institution. All statistical tests were two-sided.Results: Independent factors derived from multivariable analysis of the primary cohort to predict recurrence were age, sex, body mass index (BMI), T stage, N stage, plasma EBV DNA, pretreatment high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and hemoglobin level (HGB), which were all assembled into the nomogram with (nomogram B) or without EBV DNA (nomogram A). The calibration curve for the probability of recurrence showed that the nomogram-based predictions were in good agreement with actual observations. The C-index of nomogram B for predicting recurrence was 0.728 (P < .001), which was statistically higher than the C-index values for nomogram A (0.690), EBV DNA (0.680), and the current staging system (0.609). The C-index of nomogram B (0.730) and nomogram A (0.681) remained higher for predicting recurrence among patients treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (P < .001). The results were confirmed in the validation cohort.Conclusions: The proposed nomogram with or without plasma EBV DNA resulted in more accurate prognostic prediction for NPC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Skin disease is a global public health problem that often has physiological, psychological and social impacts. However, it is not very clear how to adapt to these impacts, especially psychosocial adaptation of patients with skin disease.Methods: We searched EMBASE, PubMed, CINAHL and PsycINFO from 2009 to 2018. The following themes were extracted from the included articles: the concepts, related factors, and interventions for psychosocial adaptation of patients with skin disease. Two reviewers independently screened and analyzed.Results: From 2261 initial records, 69 studies were identified and analyzed. The concept of psychosocial adaptation in patients with skin disease was referred to under an assortment of descriptions. The related factors for psychosocial adaptation in patients with skin disease included the following: demographic factors (sex, age, education level, ethnicity, BMI, sleep quality, marital status, exercise amount, family history, the use of topical treatment only, personality and history of smoking); disease-related factors (disease severity, clinical symptoms, localization and duration); psychological factors (anxiety/depression, self-esteem, body image, stigma and suicidal ideation); and social factors (social support, social interaction, sexual life, economic burden and social acceptance). Despite being limited in quantity, several studies have clarified the benefits of adjuvant care in the form of cognitive behavioral training, educational training and self-help programs, all of which have become common methods for dealing with the psychosocial impacts.Conclusions: Based on the previous literatures, we constructed a protocol of care model for psychosocial adaptation in patients with skin disease. It not only provided the direction for developing new instruments that could assess psychosocial adaptation statue, but also a basis for helping patients adjust to changes in skin disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Childhood obesity is more likely to increase the chance of many adult health problems. Numerous studies have shown obese children to be more prone to elevated blood pressure (BP) and hypertension. It is important to identify an obesity anthropometric index with good discriminatory power for them in pediatric population. Methods MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases were retrieved comprehensively for eligible studies on childhood obesity and hypertension/elevated BP through June 2021. The systematic review and meta-analysis of studies used receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves for evaluating the discriminatory power of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) in distinguishing children with elevated BP and hypertension. Results 21 cross-sectional studies involving 177,943 children and 3–19 years of age were included in our study. Meta-analysis showed that the pooled area under the reporting receiver-operating characteristic curves (AUC) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for BMI, WC, and WHtR to detect hypertension of boys were 0.68 (0.64, 0.72), 0.69 (0.64, 0.74), 0.67 (0.63, 0.71), for elevated BP, the pooled AUCs and 95% CIs were 0.67 (0.61, 0.73), 0.65 (0.58, 0.73), 0.65 (0.61, 0.71). The pooled AUCs and 95% CIs for BMI, WC and WHtR of predicting hypertension were 0.70 (0.66, 0.75), 0.69 (0.64, 0.75), 0.67 (0.63, 0.72) in girls, the pooled AUCs and 95% CIs of predicting elevated BP were 0.63 (0.61, 0.65), 0.62 (0.60, 0.65), 0.62 (0.60, 0.64) respectively. There was no anthropometric index was statistically superior in identifying hypertension and elevated BP, however, the accuracy of BMI predicting hypertension was significantly higher than elevated BP in girls (P

Purpose: To investigate the prevalence and the associated risk factors for menstrual pain in a sample of rural married women of reproductive age in Anhui Province of China.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among married women (n = 14,828) aged 18-45 years. Data were collected through self-reported questionnaires. Mann Whitney U, Kruskal-Walls H tests and ordinal logistic regression models were used to analyze the data.Results: The prevalence of no, moderate, severe menstrual pain was 80.1%, 18.7%, 1.2%, respectively. Lower educational level, lower stress level and earlier age at menarche were protective factors for menstrual pain while women with longer duration of menstrual flow tended to have menstrual pain. Compared to women with a normal body mass index (BMI), significantly higher odds of reporting menstrual pain were detected for women who were lower BMI or higher BMI. Age, length of menstrual cycle, blood type, anemia and previous pregnancy were not significantly associated with dysmenorrhea after controlling for potential confounding factors.Conclusions: There is high prevalence of dysmenorrhea among women in China. Our results suggest that reduction of stress and maintaining a normal BMI may be important for women to have pain-free periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of microRNAs on PTEN levels are characteristic for many types of cancer. However, the picture of the correlation between the expression levels of PTEN and its targeting microRNAs in endometrial cancer is not fully presented. Our study investigated and analysed the expression levels of PTEN and PTEN-targeting miR-21, miR-181a, miR-214, miR-301a, and miR-1908 in total of 78 samples, out of which 26 samples were from normal endometrium, whereas the 52 samples were from endometrial cancer samples. Our results demonstrated a high variability of individual endometrial cancer samples in the levels of PTEN . The level of miR-181a showed significant increment in endometrial cancer tissues in comparison with normal endometrium. We did not observe any statistically significant correlation between levels of microRNAs and PTEN in a heterogeneous cohort of patients. At the same time, in samples collected from endometrial cancer patients, it was found out that the relationship between PTEN expression and body mass index had significant positive correlation. Moreover, our data demonstrated that the expression of PTEN was significantly decreased, whereas expression of miR-181a was significantly over-expressed in non-obese compared to obese endometrial cancer patients. Additionally, we observed the relationship between PTEN levels and miR-181a related to the cancerous tissues for non-obese patients was established to be negatively correlated. Our findings suggest that decrease of PTEN via increase of miR-181a may be important contributor to endometrial cancer in non-obese patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Previous studies have obtained conflicting findings regarding the possible associations between glycemic load (GL) indices and diabetes. In the present study, we examined cross-sectional associations between several GL indices, including the total dietary GL, the energy-adjusted GL, and the prevalence of abnormal glucose metabolism, including prediabetes and diabetes.Methods and Study Design: This study was conducted in Guangzhou, China from July 2011 to December 2011. It included 2,022 participants (602 men and 1,420 women), between 45 and 75 years of age. The prevalence of abnormal glucose metabolism was compared across the quartiles of GL indices to discover any potential linear correlations. Stratified analysis was conducted according to the body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) measurements.Results: Energy-adjusted GL was positively associated with the prevalence of diabetes and the multivariable-adjusted estimate of the OR comparing the highest versus the lowest quartile was 2.50 (95% CI, 1.49-4.19). For the stratified analysis by sex, BMI or WC, similar associations were observed. For the overweight and obese (BMI ≥24.0 kg/m2) or centrally obese (WC ≥85 cm for men or ≥80 cm for women) participants, compared to participants in the lowest quartile of energy-adjusted GL, those in the highest quartile showed an increased risk of abnormal glucose metabolism. The OR estimates were 2.25 (95% CI: 1.45-3.52) and 1.54 (95% CI: 1.06-2.25), respectively.Conclusions: High dietary energy-adjusted GL is associated with the prevalence of diabetes as well as abnormal glucose metabolism among middle-aged and elderly adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]