Background
Insulin resistance contributes to the development of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Smoking leads to an increase in triglyceride levels, which, in turn, increases insulin resistance. Although the number of e-cigarette users has increased in recent years, few studies have investigated the association between ecigarette use and insulin resistance. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the association between e-cigarette use and insulin resistance using the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index in Korean adults.
Methods
This study included 4,404 healthy adults aged ≥20 years who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2019 and 2020. Participants were categorized as never-smokers or ecigarette users, and the TyG index was categorized into low- and high-TyG index groups according to the median value (9.22). A logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the association between e-cigarette smoking and insulin resistance.
Results
E-cigarette users had a higher TyG index than never smokers (e-cigarette: mean=3.95; never: mean=9.18; P<0.001). The e-cigarette users had a higher risk of being in the high TyG index group than never-smokers (odds ratio [OR], 1.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03–1.84). In the subgroup analysis stratified by sex, age, and body mass index, a higher OR for a high TyG index was observed in men (OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.03–2.08) and individuals aged 60 years or older (OR, 3.74; 95% CI, 1.14–12.30).
Conclusion
Our findings suggest that e-cigarette use is significantly associated with insulin resistance.

Background
Skipping breakfast is associated with an increased risk of chronic inflammatory diseases. This study aimed to examine the association between breakfast-eating habits and inflammation, using high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) as a marker.
Methods
A total of 4,000 Korean adult males with no history of myocardial infarction, angina, stroke, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, or current smoking were included. Data from the 2016–2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used for analysis. The frequency of breakfast consumption was assessed through a questionnaire item in the dietary survey section asking participants about their weekly breakfast consumption routines over the past year. Participants were categorized into two groups, namely “0–2 breakfasts per week” and “3–7 breakfasts per week”; hs-CRP concentrations were measured through blood tests.
Results
Comparing between the “infrequent breakfast consumption (0–2 breakfasts per week)” and “frequent breakfast consumption (3–7 breakfasts per week)” groups, the mean hs-CRP was found to be significantly higher in the “infrequent breakfast consumption” group, even after adjusting for age, body mass index, physical activity, alcohol consumption, systolic blood pressure, blood pressure medication, fasting blood glucose, and triglycerides (mean hs-CRP: frequent breakfast consumption, 1.36±0.09 mg/L; infrequent breakfast consumption, 1.17±0.05 mg/L; P-value=0.036).
Conclusion
Less frequent breakfast consumption was associated with elevated hs-CRP levels. Further large-scale studies incorporating adjusted measures of daily eating patterns as well as food quality and quantity are required for a deeper understanding of the role of breakfast in the primary prevention of chronic inflammatory diseases.

Background
Sleep duration is associated with hearing loss, especially presbycusis, which is the most common type of hearing loss; however, there is limited evidence regarding this association among the Korean population. We aimed to determine the relationship between sleep duration and high-frequency hearing loss in Korean adults aged ≥40 years.
Methods
We examined 5,547 Korean adults aged ≥40 years who completed audiometric tests and questionnaires regarding sleep duration during the 2010–2012 cycle of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Mild presbycusis was defined as >25 decibels (dB) and <40 dB, whereas moderate-to-severe presbycusis was defined as >40 dB pure tone averages at high frequencies (3,000, 4,000, and 6,000 Hz) for both ears. Additionally, the sleep duration was divided into quartiles. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using multivariable logistic regression after adjusting for covariates.
Results
The prevalence of presbycusis in South Korean adults was 62.1%, of which 61.4% showed moderate to severe presbycusis. The incidence of moderate-to-severe, but not mild, presbycusis showed a significant positive correlation with sleep duration.
Conclusion
Our findings suggest that sleep duration is associated with the prevalence of presbycusis.

Citations

• Joint association of sleep duration and depression with new-onset hearing loss: a national cohort study
  Fang Wang, Yu-Jun Xiong, Da-Ming Shao, Tian Lv, Shiqin Chen, Qian-Yuan Zhu
  Frontiers in Nutrition.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Sleep characteristics and hearing loss in middle-aged and older adults: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015–2018
  Kening Jiang, Adam P. Spira, Nicholas S. Reed, Frank R. Lin, Jennifer A. Deal
  Sleep Epidemiology.2024; 4: 100082.     CrossRef
• Age-related hearing loss and its potential drug candidates: a systematic review
  Shiyu Hu, Qingru Sun, Fei Xu, Ninghua Jiang, Jianli Gao
  Chinese Medicine.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef

Background
Folic acid is involved in inflammatory reactions; however, the association between folic acid and allergic diseases, particularly asthma, remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the association between serum folic acid levels and asthma in Koreans.
Methods
This study analyzed the serum folic acid levels of 6,615 individuals included in the 2016–2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The prevalence of asthma was determined using a questionnaire that identified cases of physician-diagnosed asthma. The relationship between serum folic acid levels and asthma was analyzed using logistic regression analysis.
Results
Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that a 1 ng/mL increase in serum folic acid level significantly reduced the risk of asthma after adjusting for confounding factors including sex, age, household income, current smoking, current alcohol use, and body mass index (odds ratio [OR], 0.930; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.876– 0.987; P=0.017). The relationship between the adjusted odds of asthma and serum folic acid levels were consistently inverse (OR, 2.266; 95% CI, 1.126–4.420; P for trend=0.038).
Conclusion
Serum folic acid levels are inversely associated with physician-diagnosed asthma in the Korean population.

Citations

• Association between serum folate levels and blood eosinophil counts in American adults with asthma: Results from NHANES 2011–2018
  Jun Wen, Changfen Wang, Mohan Giri, Shuliang Guo
  Frontiers in Immunology.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef

Background
The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between near work time and depression.
Methods
Data of 1,551 workers aged 19–49 years from the sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were examined. The Patient Health Questionaire-9 scores were used to screen for depression. Participants who scored a total of 10 or above, which is suggestive of the presence of depression, were classified as the depression group; the rest were classified as normal. The correlation between daily near work time and depression was analyzed using multivariate logistic analysis after adjusting for other sociodemographic and health behavior-related variables.
Results
Multivariate logistic analysis found that workers with 3 or more hours of near work were more likely to report depression compared to the reference group who had 2 or fewer hours per day of near work (adjusted odds ratio, 2.471; 95% confidence interval, 1.062–5.747).
Conclusion
Longer near work time was associated with depression among South Korea’s workers. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce near work time to prevent depression.

Background
Although many studies have demonstrated that the first cigarette in the morning increases the prevalence of smoking-related morbidity, limited studies have examined the impact of time to first cigarette (TTFC) on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Thus, we assessed this relationship using nationally-representative data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VII-1 (2016).
Methods
We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from 577 current male smokers aged 30–59 years, after excluding those with a certain disease. Participants were divided into four categories according to TTFC (≤5 min, 6–30 min, 31–60 min, >60 min). HRQoL was measured using self-reported EuroQol-5 (EQ-5D). The relationship between TTFC and EQ-5D index was analyzed using a multivariate-adjusted generalized linear model to assess how HRQoL varies according to TTFC. After adjusting for confounders, a multivariate-adjusted logistic regression analysis was performed to identify which of the five dimensions of the EQ-5D affected the HRQoL according to TTFC.
Results
The generalized linear analysis indicated that as TTFC decreased (6–30 min, 31–60 min vs. >60 min), the EQ-5D index score decreased significantly (P=0.037). Shorter TTFC (≤5 min vs. >60 min) was associated with higher pain/discomfort (odds ratio [OR], 3.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.39–10.48) and anxiety/depression (OR, 7.58; 95% CI, 1.75–32.88).
Conclusion
Higher nicotine dependence was associated with impaired HRQoL. These results may be used to improve smoking cessation treatment outcomes.

Citations

• Current status of tobacco use, cessation and control policy in Korea
  Cheol Min Lee
  Journal of the Korean Medical Association.2022; 65(12): 789.     CrossRef

Background
Grip strength is a convenient method to measure muscle strength. Recently, relative handgrip strength (HGS) was recommended as a clinical predictor of metabolic health and disease, such as dyslipidemia, which is considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study was to characterize the association between relative HGS and dyslipidemia.
Methods
We included 6,027 adults (2,934 men, 3,093 women) aged 30–69 years who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2014 and 2015. Relative HGS was obtained by dividing the HGS by body mass index. Complex sampling analysis was conducted to compare the general characteristics of participants according to the quartiles of relative HGS. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between quartiles of relative HGS and dyslipidemia.
Results
After adjustment for age, prevalence of diabetes mellitus, prevalence of hypertension, alcohol consumption, smoking status, exercise, income, and education level, relative HGS was inversely associated with dyslipidemia in both men and women. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for dyslipidemia in quartiles 1, 2, and 3 relative to quartile 4 were 1.36 (1.00–1.83), 1.29 (0.98–1.70), 1.23 (0.95– 1.60) in men and 1.81 (1.30–2.50), 1.81 (1.32–2.47), 1.39 (1.07–1.81) in women, respectively.
Conclusion
Relative HGS was inversely associated with dyslipidemia risk in Korean adults. Muscle-strengthening exercise is recommended to enhance health outcomes.

Citations

• Association between handgrip strength and metabolic syndrome in relation to gender and adiposity among middle aged and older Saudi populations
  Shaea A. Alkahtani, Ghedeir M. Alshammari, Aishah Alzuwaydi, Abdulaziz Alfuhaid, Abeer A. Al-Masri, Rizwan Qaisar, Syed Shahid Habib
  The Aging Male.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Association Between Typologies of Sedentary Behavior and Muscle Strength, Gait Speed, and Balance in Community-Dwelling Older Adults
  Letícia Martins Cândido, Núbia Carelli Pereira de Avelar, Eleonora D’Orsi, Ana Cristina Rodrigues Lacerda, Vanessa Amaral Mendonça, Gabriella Tringali, Alessandro Sartorio, Ana Lúcia Danielewicz
  Journal of Aging and Physical Activity.2024; 32(2): 225.     CrossRef
• Predictors of the onset of low handgrip strength in Europe: a longitudinal study of 42,183 older adults from 15 countries
  Rizwan Qaisar, M. Azhar Hussain, Fabio Franzese, Asima Karim, Firdos Ahmad, Atif Awad, Abeer A. Al-Masri, Shaea A. Alkahtani
  Aging Clinical and Experimental Research.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Increasing muscular strength to improve cardiometabolic risk factors
  Patricio Lopez-Jaramillo, Jose P. Lopez-Lopez, Maria Camila Tole, Daniel D. Cohen
  Clínica e Investigación en Arteriosclerosis.2023; 35(3): 144.     CrossRef
• Association of absolute and relative hand grip strength with all-cause mortality among middle-aged and old-aged people
  Wonjeong Jeong, Jong Youn Moon, Jae-Hyun Kim
  BMC Geriatrics.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Identification of subgroups with poor lipid control among patients with dyslipidemia using decision tree analysis: the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2019 to 2021
  Hee Sun Kim, Seok Hee Jeong
  Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science.2023; 25(2): 131.     CrossRef
• Increasing muscular strength to improve cardiometabolic risk factors
  Patricio Lopez-Jaramillo, Jose P. Lopez-Lopez, Maria Camila Tole, Daniel D. Cohen
  Clínica e Investigación en Arteriosclerosis (English Edition).2023; 35(3): 144.     CrossRef
• Association between Relative Handgrip Strength and Insulin Resistance in Korean Elderly Men without Diabetes: Findings of the 2015 Korea National Health Nutrition Examination Survey
  Kwang-Chae Joo, Da-Hye Son, Jae-Min Park
  Korean Journal of Family Medicine.2022; 43(3): 199.     CrossRef
• Association Between C-Reactive Protein and Relative Handgrip Strength in Postmenopausal Korean Women Aged 45–80 Years: A Cross-Sectional Study
  Da-Hye Son, Seung-Ah Song, Yong-Jae Lee
  Clinical Interventions in Aging.2022; Volume 17: 971.     CrossRef
• Relationship Between Relative Grip Strength and Serum Total Cholesterol, High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol, Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol, and Triglyceride Levels in Korean Middle-Aged or Older Adults: A Panel Regression Model
  DooYong Park, Duck-Chul Lee, YeonSoo Kim
  Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders.2022; 20(9): 517.     CrossRef
• Stroke-Related Sarcopenia among Two Different Developing Countries with Diverse Ethnic Backgrounds (Cross-National Study in Egypt and China)
  Marwa Mohammed, Jianan Li
  Healthcare.2022; 10(11): 2336.     CrossRef
• Importance of Handgrip Strength as a Health Indicator in the Elderly
  Soo Young Kim
  Korean Journal of Family Medicine.2021; 42(1): 1.     CrossRef
• Handgrip Strength: An Irreplaceable Indicator of Muscle Function
  Sang Yoon Lee
  Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine.2021; 45(3): 167.     CrossRef
• Association between relative handgrip strength and abdominal obesity, type-2 diabetes and hypertension in a Mexican population
  Iris Paola Guzmán-Guzmán, Pedro Delgado-Floody, Ilse Adriana Gutiérrez-Pérez, Felipe Caamaño-Navarrete, Daniel Jerez-Mayorga, Óscar Zaragoza-García, Isela Parra-Rojas
  Nutrición Hospitalaria.2021;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Grip Strength as a Cardiometabolic Marker
  Jungun Lee
  Korean Journal of Family Medicine.2020; 41(5): 271.     CrossRef

Background
Serum-ferritin levels may be associated with psychiatric symptoms among the elderly; however, this association has not been extensively studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between serumferritin levels and mental health issues in older Koreans.
Methods
This cross-sectional study included large-scale national data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2010–2012. In total, 1,802 older Koreans (≥65 years old) were included. The assessed psychiatric symptoms included short sleep duration, stress, depressed mood, and suicidal ideation. Any association between serum-ferritin levels and mental health issues according to sex was examined using logistic regression analysis.
Results
The prevalence of short sleep duration, stress, depressed mood, and suicidal ideation was 50.9%, 21.7%, 18.2%, and 22.5%, respectively. In men, suicidal ideation decreased with increased serum-ferritin levels after multivariate adjustment for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors and comorbidities. The odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of suicidal ideation by quartiles of serum-ferritin level were 1 (reference), 1.132 (95% CI, 0.569–2.252), 0.453 (95% CI, 0.217–0.945), and 0.608 (95% CI, 0.295–1.253), respectively, (P for trend=0.039). In women, no trend was observed. However, compared to the lowest quartile, short sleep duration (<7 h) and stress perception were significantly decreased in the third quartile, with odds ratios of 0.601 (95% CI, 0.461–0.888), and 0.606 (95% CI, 0.386–0.952), respectively.
Conclusion
Moderate serum-ferritin levels were associated with decreased risk for suicide ideation in men, and were associated with decreased short sleep duration and stress perception in women.

Citations

• Association between suicide attempts and anemia in late-life depression inpatients
  Jie Li, Lan Wang, Ziyi Wang, Fengxue Zhao, Yadi Sun, Ying Lu, Lei Yang
  BMC Geriatrics.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Sleep quality and Laboratory Findings in Patients with Varicose Vein Leg Pain
  Acır Ibrahim, Atay Zeynep Vildan Okudan , Atay Mehmet , Yayla Vildan
  Journal of Neuroscience and Neurological Disorders.2023; 7(1): 022.     CrossRef
• Alteration of Inflammatory Parameters and Psychological Post-Traumatic Syndrome in Long-COVID Patients
  Irma Clemente, Gaia Sinatti, Antonio Cirella, Silvano Junior Santini, Clara Balsano
  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2022; 19(12): 7103.     CrossRef
• Psychological and Cognitive Effects of Long COVID: A Narrative Review Focusing on the Assessment and Rehabilitative Approach
  Rosaria De Luca, Mirjam Bonanno, Rocco Salvatore Calabrò
  Journal of Clinical Medicine.2022; 11(21): 6554.     CrossRef
• Suicidal Ideation in Major Depressed Individuals: Role of Type D Personality
  Mokhtar Abdelhakim Laoufi, Benjamin Wacquier, Tristan Lartigolle, Gwenolé Loas, Matthieu Hein
  Journal of Clinical Medicine.2022; 11(22): 6611.     CrossRef

Background
The prevalence of chronic kidney disease is increasing worldwide. Several studies have suggested that obesity is associated with early renal dysfunction. However, little is known about the relationship between obesity phenotypes and early renal function decline. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the relationship between obesity phenotypes and early renal function decline in adults without hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes.
Methods
We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of clinical and anthropometric data from 1,219 patients who underwent a routine health checkup in 2014. We excluded adults with cardiovascular disease, renal disease, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, or low glomerular filtration rate (<60 mL/min/1.73 m2). Renal function was determined according to the estimated glomerular filtration rate calculated using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration creatinine-cystatin C equation.
Results
Age, sex, body mass index, waist circumference, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein, and fasting glucose had an association with the estimated glomerular filtration rate. After adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, and alcohol intake, the odds ratios of the metabolically abnormal normal weight and metabolically abnormal obese phenotypes for the presence of low estimated glomerular filtration rates were 1.807 (95% confidence interval, 1.009– 3.236) and 1.834 (95% confidence interval, 1.162–2.895), compared with the metabolically healthy normal weight phenotype. However, the metabolically healthy obese phenotype did not show a significant association with early renal function decline.
Conclusion
In this cross-sectional study, we confirmed the association between the metabolically abnormal normal weight and metabolically abnormal obese phenotypes and early kidney function decline in adults without hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes.

Citations

• Obesity as a Risk Factor for Hyperglycemia, Electrolyte Disturbances, and Acute Kidney Injury in the Emergency Department
  Iulia Najette Crintea, Alexandru Cristian Cindrea, Ovidiu Alexandru Mederle, Teodor Florin Fulga, Adina Maria Marza, Alina Petrica, Cosmin Iosif Trebuian, Romulus Timar
  Biomedicines.2025; 13(2): 349.     CrossRef
• Obesity Class and Severity of Metabolic Emergencies: A Single-Center Retrospective Five-Year Study
  Iulia Najette Crintea, Alexandru Cristian Cindrea, Teodor Florin Fulga, Cosmin Iosif Trebuian, Adina Maria Marza, Alina Petrica, Ovidiu Alexandru Mederle, Romulus Timar
  Healthcare.2025; 13(6): 617.     CrossRef
• Metabolically healthy obesity and chronic kidney disease risk: exploring the dynamics
  Mustafa GULDAN, Lasin OZBEK, Ahmet U. TOPCU, Adrian COVIC, Mehmet KANBAY
  Panminerva Medica.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Visceral Adiposity Index and Lipid Accumulation Product as Effective Markers of Different Obesity Phenotypes in Korean Adults: A Cross-Sectional Analysis
  Sung Ryul Yu, Kyung-A Shin
  Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity.2023; Volume 16: 495.     CrossRef
• Metabolically healthy obesity is associated with higher risk of both hyperfiltration and mildly reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate: the role of serum uric acid in a cross-sectional study
  Hong Zhang, Rui Chen, Xiaohong Xu, Minxing Yang, Wenrong Xu, Shoukui Xiang, Long Wang, Xiaohong Jiang, Fei Hua, Xiaolin Huang
  Journal of Translational Medicine.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Prevalence and associations of metabolic syndrome in patients with alcohol use disorder
  Anna Hernández-Rubio, Arantza Sanvisens, Ferran Bolao, Isabel Cachón-Suárez, Carme Garcia-Martín, Antoni Short, Ramón Bataller, Roberto Muga
  Scientific Reports.2022;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Effects of bariatric surgery on renal function and associated factors with bivariate analysis: a cohort study
  Juliana Amaro Borborema Bezerra, Eduardo Pachu Raia dos Santos, Carlos Teixeira Brandt
  F1000Research.2022; 11: 409.     CrossRef
• Metabolic obesity phenotypes and chronic kidney disease: a cross-sectional study from the RaNCD cohort study
  Samira Arbabi Jam, Behrooz Moloudpour, Farid Najafi, Mitra Darbandi, Yahya Pasdar
  BMC Nephrology.2022;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Abdominal obesity phenotypes and risk of kidney function decline: Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study
  Asharf Shahali, Erfan Tasdighi, Maryam Barzin, Maryam Mahdavi, Majid Valizadeh, Mahtab Niroomand, Fereidoun Azizi, Farhad Hosseinpanah
  Obesity Research & Clinical Practice.2020; 14(2): 168.     CrossRef
• Obese First degree relatives of hemodialysis patients are at Higher Risk for Developing Kidney Diseases: In a Cross-sectional Study
  Abozaid Mohammed Elemam
  Sudan Journal of Medical Sciences.2019;[Epub]     CrossRef

Background
BMI alone may not serve as an index of obesity because it does not reflect body composition. The present study aimed to compare arterial stiffness as assessed by the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (ba-PWV) among groups defined by body fat percentage (pBF) and BMI.
Methods
This cross-sectional study was based on 1,700 participants (1,044 men and 656 women) who completed a health screening examination at a national hospital between January 2011 and February 2016. Participants were divided into four groups according to BMI and pBF: normal fat and normal weight (NFNW); excessive fat and normal weight (EFNW); normal fat and obese (NFO); and excessive fat and obese (EFO). The ba-PWV and other cardiometabolic factors were compared among the four groups in men and women separately.
Results
For both sexes, the NFNW group had a lower metabolic risk compared to that in the other groups (EFNW, NFO, and EFO). After adjusting for multiple variables, the NFO males had a significantly lower ba-PWV compared to those in the other groups, including NFNW males. The NFO group had significantly more skeletal muscle mass and muscle mass compared the other groups (P<0.05). Among women, the NFNW group had a significantly lower ba-PWV compared the other groups, even after adjusting for multiple variables.
Conclusion
Lower pBF in obese men may be associated with improved cardiovascular risk.

Citations

• Improved fatty acid profile reduces body fat and arterial stiffness in obese adolescents upon combinatorial intervention with exercise and dietary restriction
  Lei Xu, Xiaoyu Zou, Zhiqiang Gao, Caifeng Mao, Hang Su, Chunyan Li, Ning Chen
  Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness.2021; 19(4): 234.     CrossRef
• Borderline-High Mean Corpuscular Volume Levels Are Associated with Arterial Stiffness among the Apparently Healthy Korean Individuals
  Haneul Kwon, Byoungjin Park
  Korean Journal of Family Medicine.2020; 41(6): 387.     CrossRef

Background
: Childhood and adolescent obesity, not only increases the risk of obesity into adulthood but also is a significant culprit affecting health in general. The purpose of this study was to examine the trend in body mass index (BMI) and to investigate the prediction of adolescence overweight from childhood weight status by retrospectively tracking for seven years.

Methods : The subjects, 520 adolescents aged 14 and 15 years, were recruited from a junior high school that is located in Guri-city. The subjects' height and weight measurements were extracted from the school records of annual physical examination. We assessed their BMI over a period of seven years starting at age seven. Other baseline data were obtained by questionnaires which were completed by both the subjects and their parents in 2001.

Results : The prevalence of overweight, according to the Korean Pediatric Society guideline, increased at age 7 through 14. The overweight adolescents of age 14 were more likely to have an obese mother. The results showed that 84% of males and 47% of females who were overweight in childhood continued to remain overweight in adolescence. Compared to the non-overweights, the relative risk of becoming an overweight adolescent among overweight boys was 5.7 (95% CI: 4.1∼8.1) and among overweight girls was 6.3 (95% CI: 3.4∼11.4).

Conclusion : Approximately 70% of the overweight children continued to remain overweight as adolescents. Therefore, prevention and effective management of obesity during childhood and adolescence are essential.

Background
: C-reactive protein (hereinafter CRP) is a substance that is elevated in large quantities when there is an abnormal metabolic reaction or an inflammatory condition. Many researches have identified the substance as a prognostic and an independent risk factor responsible for cardiovascular disease. More recently, many studies have shown that obesity is associated with low-grade systemic inflammation. This study was attempted to illustrate the relationship between obesity and CRP regarding Korean men who were applied by different standards of obesity.

Methods : The subjects included 15,353 men who had visited one health promotion center from May, 2001 to December, 2001, were randomly selected as the total addressable population. We excluded 389 men who were observed to have inflammatory conditions, according to the results of the general chemical and physical diagnosis. Among 15,353 Korean men 14,964 were examined. CRP was quantitatively analyzed by the method of Nephelometry as high sensitivity-CRP. CRP values in relation to age, BMI, clustering of metabolic risk factors were studied, and multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify correlation between obesity and CRP value.

Results : We compared the median values of CRP of each group divided by age, BMI, and clustering of metabolic risk factors. As a matter of the fact, the more age, BMI, and clustering of metabolic risk factors increased, the more the value of CRP significantly increased (P＜0.0001). We operationally defined incremented CRP value as CRP of 0.22 mg/dl or more, and conducted multiple logistic regression analysis with the parameters of age, BMI, and obesity related diseases. Consequently, when fasting blood glucose and total cholesterol were high or HDL was low, the risk of CRP increasing was significantly high. Also, when the age was more than 60 or BMI was greater than 25 kg/m², which was categorized as obese, the risk regarding increase in CRP was significantly high.

Conclusion : Obesity is independently related to increase in CRP in Korean men. Which suggests that low-grade systemic inflammation exists in obese people. Furthermore, our study showed that old age, high level of blood glucose, high level of cholesterol, and low level of HDL have correlation with increase in CRP.