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Purpose: We aimed to assess the effects of different exercise modalities on cardiometabolic risk factors within a comprehensive, representative sample of the Korean population. Methods: We categorized 13,971 adult participants into aerobic exercise (AE), resistance exercise (RE), combined aerobic and resistance exercise (TE), insufficient exercise, and inactive groups. Multivariable regressions were conducted to compare the incidence of chronic diseases across the groups before and after propensity score matching (PSM). Results: The TE and RE groups had significantly lower waist circumference (WC), mean blood pressure (BP), glucose and insulin-related indices, and white blood cell count (WBC) measures, with TE showing the most significant differences. The TE group had significantly lower triglyceride levels and higher high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels. Post-PSM, the TE group had the lowest risk for metabolic syndrome, hypertension, and diabetes, closely followed by the RE group when compared with the inactive group. In a subgroup analysis, RE consistently exhibited benefits including lower body mass index, WC, BP, total cholesterol, glucose and insulin-related indices, and WBC count when compared with AE. RE may be associated with reduced incidence of cardiometabolic diseases compared to AE alone. Conclusion: TE appears to be associated with significant reduction in cardiometabolic risk in Korean adults. RE possibly provides a more favorable cardiometabolic effect than AE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (sdLDL-C) is the lipoprotein marker among the various lipoproteins that is most strongly related to atherosclerosis. Insulin resistance (IR) can alter lipid metabolism, and sdLDL-C is characteristic of diabetic dyslipidemia. Therefore, this study sought to inspect the relationship between the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and mean low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particle size. Methods: In this study, a total of 128 adults participated. The correlation coefficients between various lipoproteins and the TyG index were compared using Steiger's Z test and the Spearman correlation. The independent link between the TyG index and mean LDL particle size was demonstrated by multiple linear regression analysis. To identify the TyG index cutoff value for the predominance of sdLDL particles, receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted. Results: Mean LDL particle size correlated more strongly with the TyG index than did very low-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Regression analysis demonstrated that mean LDL particle size had a strong association with the TyG index (β coefficient = -0.038, P-value < 0.001). The TyG index optimal cutoff value for sdLDL particle predominance and the corresponding area under the curve (standard error: 0.028, 95% confidence interval: 0.842–0.952) were 8.72 and 0.897, respectively, which were close to the cutoff value of diabetes risk in Koreans. Conclusions: Mean LDL particle size is more strongly correlated with the TyG index than do other lipid parameters. After correcting for confounding variables, mean LDL particle size is independently linked with the TyG index. The study indicates that the TyG index is strongly related to atherogenic sdLDL particles predominance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has gained attention owing to its severe complications. This study aimed to explore the interaction between Mediterranean-diet (MD) adherence, genetic factors, and MASLD risk in a Korean population. Methods: In total, 33,133 individuals aged 40 years and older from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES) were analyzed. Participants were assessed for MASLD based on criteria and MD adherence measured by the Korean version of the Mediterranean-Diet Adherence Screener (K-MEDAS). Individuals were categorized into two groups based on their MD adherence: high adherence (K-MEDAS > 6) and low adherence (K-MEDAS < 5). Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotypes were obtained using the Korea Biobank array. Logistic regression was used to examine the single-marker variants for genetic associations with MASLD prevalence. Results: Individuals were categorized into MASLD (10,018 [30.2%]) and non-MASLD (23,115 [69.8%]) groups. A significant interaction was observed between the rs780094 glucokinase regulatory protein (GCKR) gene and K-MEDAS on MASLD (p < 10 - 2 ). Of individuals with K-MEDAS > 6, those carrying the minor allele (C) of the GCKR gene rs780094 exhibited a lower risk of MASLD compared to those without the allele (odds ratio [OR] = 0.88 [0.85–0.91], p-value = 5.54e−13). Conclusion: The study identified a significant interaction involving the rs780094 variant near the GCKR gene, with carriers of the minor allele exhibiting a lower MASLD risk among those adhering well to the MD. Dietary habits influence the MASLD risk associated with the rs780094 allele, emphasizing the need for personalized nutrition recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Handedness is a conspicuous characteristic in human behavior, with a worldwide proportion of approximately 90% of people preferring to use the right hand for many tasks. In the Korean population, the proportion of left‐handedness is relatively low at approximately 7%–10%, similar to that in other East‐Asian cultures in which the use of the left hand for writing and other public activities has historically been oppressed. Methods: In this study, we conducted two genome‐wide association studies (GWASs) between right‐handedness and left‐handedness, and between right‐handedness and ambidexterity using logistic regression analyses using a Korean community‐based cohort. We also performed association analyses with previously reported variants and our findings. Results: A total of 8806 participants were included for analysis, and the results identified 28 left‐handedness‐associated and 15 ambidexterity‐associated loci; of these, two left‐handedness loci (NEIL3 [rs11726465] and SVOPL [rs117495448]) and one ambidexterity locus (PDE8B/WDR41 [rs118077080]) showed near genome‐wide significance. Association analyses with previously reported variants replicated ANKS1B (rs7132513) in left‐handedness and ANKIB1 (rs2040498) in ambidexterity. Conclusion: The variants and positional candidate genes identified and replicated in this study were largely associated with brain development, cerebral asymmetry, neurological processes, and neuropsychiatric diseases in line with previous findings. As the first East‐Asian GWAS related to handedness, these results may provide an intriguing reference for further human neurologic research in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Associations among dietary fat, cholesterol intake and total mortality remain controversial, and most available data cover Western populations. The aim of this study was to assess associations for dietary fat and cholesterol in relation to total mortality in Koreans. Methods: This study used data from three prospective Korean Genome and Epidemiology studies (conducted between June 2001 and December 2013). A total of 194,295 middle‐aged and older Korean adults were included. Dietary fat intake was classified into quintiles. Dietary cholesterol intake was categorized into three groups based on cholesterol intake as follows: <200 mg, 200–299 mg and ≥300 mg. A multivariable Cox frailty model with random effects was applied to calculate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) after adjusting for confounders. Results: We documented 3866 deaths across a mean (min–max) follow‐up period of 8.15 years (3–13 years). Higher fat intake was associated with lower total mortality (Q5 vs. Q1, HR 0.82 [95% CI 0.69, 0.98]; p trend < 0.01) after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, alcohol, smoking, exercise and total calorie and protein (%) intake. Higher dietary cholesterol intake (≥300 mg/day) was associated with a higher risk of total mortality (HR 1.19 [95% CI 1.04, 1.37]) than lower cholesterol intake (<200 mg/day) in the multivariate model. Conclusions: In Koreans, high dietary fat intake is associated with a lower risk of total mortality, while dietary cholesterol intake above 300 mg/day is associated with a higher risk of total mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]