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Introduction: A waist to height ratio (WHtR) greater than 0.5 may be a global screening tool for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes. However, it is unclear whether WHtR could be used instead of BMI. This study aimed to evaluate the role of BMI regarding CVD and diabetes in a subset of Turkish adults with WHtR greater than 0.5. Material and Method: The cross-sectional study involved 118 participants with WHtR>0.5, 18 years and older who applied to the endocrinology and metabolism disease outpatient clinic between September 2019 and February 2020. WHtR and BMI were calculated. Results: The prevalence of hypertension and hyperlipidemia increased with BMI. WHtR was correlated with FBG. BMI was significantly associated with TG, HDL-c, SBP, and DBP in linear regression analysis, but not with FBG. On the other hand, there was a significant association between WHtR and FBG. Conclusion: This study confirmed that the simple value of ‘0.5’ for WHtR was associated with diabetes risk. The cut-off value of 35 for BMI was effective categorizing participants with high blood pressure and lipid levels in paticipants with high WHtR. Further population-based studies in Turkish adults are needed to evaluate whether WHtR could be used independent from BMI as an early warning of cardiovascular risks for preventive interventions.

ObjectiveAn increased prevalence of vertebral fractures (VFs) has been reported in previous studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between bone mineral density (BMD), bone turnover markers, serum sclerostin levels, and vertebral fractures (VFs) in acromegaly patients. We also evaluated the effects of gonadal status, disease activity, treatment modality, age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) on skeletal endpoints.DesignCase-control study.Patients and measurementsSeventy acromegaly patients (M/F:36/34, mean age 45,5±11,9 years) and 70 controls (M/F:31/39; mean age 45.66±11.9 years) were included. VFs, BMD, calcium metabolism, markers of bone turnover, and sclerostin levels were evaluated. BMD was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (Hologic QDR 4500). Conventional lateral radiography of the spine was performed and the Genant method was used for the assessment of fractures of T4–L5 vertebrae.ResultsThe prevalence of vertebral fractures was higher in acromegalic patients as compared with the control group (72.9% vs. 20%; p

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and serum carboxymethyl-lysine (CML) level and their association with the disease activity in patients with acromegaly. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 65 acromegalic patients (F/M:28/37) and 52 controls ( F/M:23/29). PFTs such as spirometry and diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO) were performed to determine the lungs' ability to exchange gases. Serum CML levels were measured with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Basal and nadir growth hormone (GH), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) were also assessed. Results: Serum CML levels were significantly higher in acromegalic patients (208.1 +/- 80 ng/mL) than in controls (174.2 +/- 11 ng/mL), (p=0.02). The evaluated PFTs were expressed as predicted values [forced expiratory volume in the 1st second % (p=0.01), forced vital capacity % (p=0.007), functional residual capacity % (p=0.03), residual volume % (p=0.03), vital capacity % (p=0.007), total lung capacity % (p=0.01), and DLCO% (p=0.02)) that were found to be elevated in acromegalic patients than in controls. CML levels positively correlated with HbA1c (r=0.53, p=0.02) but did not con-elate with basal GH levels (r=0.35, p=0.06). GH and IGF-1 levels positively correlated with lung volume in acromegalic patients. Conclusion: Serum CML levels increased in acromegaly patients but had no association with the PFTs results. Increased lung volume was the most prominent lung function alteration in acromegalic patients; relevantly, we found elevated GH and IGF-1 levels to be associated with the increased lung volumes. Future studies need to evaluate the association between the advanced glycation end-products and complications of acromegaly.

Objective: Obesity is a risk factor for vitamin D deficiency, which is reported to be detected differently in each population. This study aimed to evaluate the 25(OH) vitamin D (25(OH)D) levels, intact parathormone (iPTH) levels, and their relationship with body mass index (BMI) in obese patients, screened prior to bariatric surgery. Material and Methods: This retrospective study comprised of 1.082 obese patients (41 +/- 10 years, female/male: 823/259) who were candidates for bariatric surgery. BMI, waist circumference (WC), serum 25(OH)D, iPTH, calcium, phosphorus values of these patients were recorded from patient files. Results: BMI, WC, iPTH, and 25(OH)D levels were 48 +/- 8.9 kg/m(2), 128 +/- 11.9 cm, 64 +/- 36 pg/mL, and 15 +/- 18 ng/mL, respectively. Mean 25(OH)D level of 79.1% of the patients belonged to the deficiency range. Very low 25(OH) vitamin D levels (