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Seaweeds have numerous biologically active ingredients, such as polysaccharides, polyphenols and carotenoids, that are beneficial to human health. Although these benefits might be related to the synthesis, secretion or reabsorption of uric acid, no studies have explored the relationship between seaweeds consumption and hyperuricaemia (HUA) in the general population. The aim of this study was to investigate whether seaweeds consumption is related to HUA in a large-scale adult population. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 32 365 adults (17 328 men and 15 037 women) in Tianjin, People's Republic of China. Frequency of seaweeds consumption was assessed by a validated self-administered FFQ. HUA was defined as serum uric acid levels >420 μmol/L in men and >350 μmol/L in women. The association between seaweeds consumption and HUA was assessed by multiple logistic regression analysis. Restricted cubic spline functions were used for non-linearity tests. The prevalence of HUA in men and women was 21·17 % and 5·93 %, respectively. After adjustments for potential confounding factors, the OR (95 % CI) for HUA across seaweed consumption (g/1000 kcal per d) were 1·00 (reference) for level 1, 0·91 (95 % CI 0·81, 1·02) for level 2; 0·90 (95 % CI 0·81, 1·01) for level 3; 0·86 (95 % CI 0·78, 0·97) for level 4 in men and 0·90 (95 % CI 0·73, 1·10) for level 2; 0·82 (95 % CI 0·67, 1·00) for level 3; 0·84 (95 % CI 0·68, 1·03) for level 4 in women, respectively. A negative correlation between seaweeds consumption and HUA in males but not in females was observed. Further studies are needed to explore the causal relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Previous studies have shown that many nutrients play an essential role in maintaining skeletal muscle strength. Hand grip strength (HGS) is frequently used as an objective and reliable method to evaluate overall body muscle strength and physical function. Some studies have demonstrated that some specific single nutrients such as PUFA, fiber, vitamin C, fruits and vegetables are associated with muscle strength. However, few studies have explored the relationship between dietary patterns and HGS in the adult population. The aim of this study was to investigate how dietary patterns are related to HGS in a large-scale Chinese population. Methods: A cross-sectional study (n = 35,175) was performed in Tianjin, China. Adherence to dietary patterns was measured by a valid self-administered food frequency questionnaire with 81 food items. Principal-components analysis was used to derive three major dietary patterns: "sweet", "healthy" and "animal food". HGS was measured using a handheld digital dynamometer. Analysis of covariance and multiple logistic regression were employed to explore the relationship between dietary patterns and HGS. Results: After adjustment for potential confounders, the means (95% confidence interval) of HGS for increasing quartile of dietary patterns were as follows: "sweet", 0.50 (0.49–0.51), 0.50 (0.49–0.51), 0.50 (0.49–0.51), 0.50 (0.48–0.51) (P value = 0.07); "healthy" 0.50 (0.49–0.51), 0.50 (0.49–0.51), 0.50 (0.49–0.51), 0.50 (0.49–0.51) (P value < 0.0001); "animal food" 0.51(0.50–0.52), 0.50 (0.49–0.51), 0.50 (0.49–0.51), 0.49 (0.48–0.51) (P value < 0.0001), respectively. Conclusions: The present study demonstrated a slight improvement between healthy dietary pattern and HGS across the quartiles. On the contrary, this study also showed higher adherence to the animal food dietary pattern (i.e., higher quartile) had lower grip strength. A long-term prospective study or randomized trials are required to clarify this association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/objectives: Many studies have suggested that probiotics may be applied as a therapeutic agent for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the effects of frequent yogurt consumption (as a natural probiotic source) on NAFLD remain poorly understood. This study was to examine the association of habitual yogurt consumption with newly diagnosed NAFLD in the general adult population.Subject/methods: Overall, 24,389 adults were included in this cross-sectional study. Yogurt consumption was estimated by using a validated self-administered food frequency questionnaire. NAFLD was diagnosed by abdominal ultrasonography. We used logistic regression models to assess the association between yogurt consumption categories and newly diagnosed NAFLD.Results: The multivariable odds ratios with 95% confidence interval of newly diagnosed NAFLD were 1.00 (0.88, 1.14) for 1 time/week, 0.91 (0.81, 1.02) for 2-3 times/week, and 0.86 (0.76, 0.98) for ≥4 times/week (P for trend = 0.01), compared with those who consumed <1 time/week yogurt. The inverse association was observed in a sensitivity analysis.Conclusion: Higher yogurt consumption was inversely associated with the prevalence of newly diagnosed NAFLD. These results are needed to be confirmed in randomized controlled trials or prospective studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal studies have suggested that mushroom intake can alleviate non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. However, the association between mushroom intake and NAFLD is unknown in humans. We aimed to investigate the association of mushroom intake with NAFLD among Chinese adults. This is a cross-sectional study of 24 236 adults (mean (standard deviation) age: 40·7 (sd 11·9) years; 11 394 men (47·0 %)). Mushroom intake was assessed via a validated FFQ. Newly diagnosed NAFLD was identified based on the results of annual health examinations, including ultrasound findings and a self-reported history of the disease. Multiple logistic models were used to examine the association between mushroom intake and NAFLD. The prevalence of newly diagnosed NAFLD was 19·0 %. Compared with those consuming mushrooms less frequently (≤1 time/week), the fully adjusted OR of newly diagnosed NAFLD were 0·95 (95 % CI 0·86, 1·05) for those consuming 2–3 times/week and 0·76 (95 % CI 0·63, 0·92) for those consuming ≥4 times/week (P for trend = 0·01). The inverse association was consistent in subgroups defined by age, sex and BMI. In conclusion, higher mushroom intake was significantly associated with lower prevalence of NAFLD among Chinese adults. Future research is required to understand the causal association between mushroom intake and NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) was related with increased risk of mortality and adverse cardiovascular outcomes. However, it is uncertain whether RDW is related to the prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in Asian population. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between RDW and AF in a large Chinese population. Methods: We performed a cross‐sectional study to examine the relationship between RDW and AF among 106 998 subjects who were from the Tianjin Chronic Low‐grade Systemic Inflammation and Health Cohort Study. AF was diagnosed using electrocardiography, and RDW was measured using an automated hematology analyzer. Multiple logistic regression models were conducted to examine the relation between tertiles of RDW and AF. Results: The overall prevalence of AF was 0.1% (129/106 998). After adjustments for potential confounding factors, the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of AF across increasing tertiles of RDW were 1.00 (reference), 1.08 (0.69, 1.67), and 2.65 (1.75, 4.07) (P for trend < .0001), respectively. Conclusions: The study demonstrated that elevated RDW is significantly related to higher prevalence of AF in a general Chinese population. Large prospective studies are needed to confirm this finding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Quercetin is one of potential antidiabetic substances because of its powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions. The purpose of this study is to estimate daily quercetin intake and assess the relationship between dietary quercetin intake and the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in a Chinese population. Methods: Dietary intake was investigated by a validated 100-item food frequency questionnaire. Daily intakes of quercetin and nutrients were calculated accordingly. T2DM was diagnosed based on the criteria of the American Diabetes Association. Adjusted logistic regression models were used to analyze the relationship between the quartiles of quercetin intake and the prevalence of T2DM. Results: The prevalences of T2DM were 8.35% in men and 4.68% in women. The main food sources of quercetin were apple, orange, and green tea. Daily intake of quercetin was 20.9 ± 2.32 mg/day (mean ± SD). After adjusting for potentially confounding factors, the odds ratios (95% CI) for T2DM across the ascending quartiles of quercetin intake were: 1.00 (reference), 0.75 (0.60–0.95), 0.76 (0.59–0.99), and 0.63 (0.51–0.94). Conclusions: The results of the present study showed that quercetin intake was inversely related to the prevalence of T2DM in the Chinese population, suggesting a protective effect of quercetin in the development of T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activation of the innate immune system plays a key role in the development of fatty liver disease (FLD). The complement system is a major humoral component of the innate immune response and complement C3 plays a central role, implying that C3 may be a powerful predictor or therapeutic target for FLD. However, few studies have assessed the association between C3 and FLD in a large population. Here we use a cross-sectional study to investigate the link between serum C3 levels and FLD. Participants were recruited from Tianjin Medical University’s General Hospital-Health Management Centre. Serum C3 was measured using immunoturbidimetry method and FLD was diagnosed by liver ultrasonography. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between quartiles of C3 and FLD prevalence. The overall prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD) were 37.3% and 10.1%, respectively. After adjusting for covariates, the odds ratio of having NAFLD or AFLD (only in males) in the fourth quartile of C3 compared with the first quartile was 4.13 times greater (95% confidence interval, 2.97-5.77) (trend P values < 0.0001) and 2.09 times greater (95% confidence interval, 1.08-4.18) (trend P values = 0.02). This is the first study to demonstrate that serum C3 levels are independently associated with a higher prevalence of NAFLD and AFLD (only in males) in an adult population. Further studies are needed to establish a causal link and determine the precise role of C3 in FLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]