Journal of Metabolic Syndrome

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is recognized as a major cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to examine the longitudinal association between baseline hematocrit (HCT) level and the development of NAFLD in Chinese adults. We performed a prospective cohort study of 2798 healthy Chinese adults without NAFLD at baseline. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine hazard ratios for NAFLD incidence in two groups determined by baseline hematocrit levels (group A, HCT <49%; group B, HCT ≥ 49%). During 10346.5 person-years of follow-up, 474 (16.9%) NAFLD cases developed between 2008 and 2012. After adjusting for multiple covariates and change in the covariates during the follow-up period, the hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) for NAFLD incidence when comparing group B with group A were 1.17 (1.03-1.31) and 1.70 (1.26-2.31), respectively (p<0.001).
Conclusions: HCT level may be a predictor of the development of NAFLD in Chinese adults.

Metabolic syndrome refers to a group of risk factors that increase a person’s chance of developing cardiovascular disease and/or diabetes mellitus type II. Hypertension and insulin resistance, two factors associated with metabolic syndrome, are reflective of prenatal androgen exposure. Androgen exposure in utero is also related to the ratio of the length of the 2nd and 4th digits of the hand (2D:4D).

Objective: To test the hypothesis that the 2D:4D correlates with parameters associated with metabolic syndrome measuring in the risk range for developing metabolic disease. If our hypothesis is correct, measuring a patient’s 2D: 4D would be a non-invasive way to determine the risk for developing cardiovascular disease and/or diabetes mellitus type II.

Methods: The 2D:4Ds of 45 adults were measured at a health fair and correlated with the parameters associated with metabolic syndrome, and body mass index (BMI). The predictability of the 2D:4D for determining the risk of metabolic disease was also assessed.

Results: Significant correlations were found between the 2D:4D of the left and right hands with elevated concentrations of circulating triglycerides, and the right hand with BMI. The AUC for the relationship of the right and left hand 2D:4D with elevated triglycerides was 0.7538 and 0.7012, respectively.

Conclusion: The relationship between the 2D:4D and elevated triglycerides supports use of the 2D:4D as a noninvasive screening tool to assess an individual’s risk for metabolic syndrome. Such a screening tool may increase the number of people willing to participate, enabling earlier detection and intervention to stave off metabolic diseases.

The aim of the study was to elucidate the state of lipid metabolism, the processes of lipid peroxidation (LPO) and the state of the antioxidant system (AOS) in pregnant women with metabolic syndrome. A comprehensive examination of pregnant women without pathology was performed, with signs of a metabolic syndrome. Analysis of the data showed that in pregnant women with impaired glucose metabolism, activation of LPO processes takes place against the background of a decrease in the activity of AOS enzymes. Active metabolites of oxygen (AMC) and LPO products lead to a decrease in the NO content of the main vasodilating factor. As a result of these disorders, hypoxia develops, which significantly affects the formation of the fetus. The data obtained make it possible to recommend the determination of the parameters of the POL-AOS system and the NO-forming endothelial function as additional laboratory tests in pregnant women with metabolic syndrome (MS).