Pumpkin seed oil (PSO) has been shown to block the action of 5‐alpha reductase and to have antiandrogenic effects on rats. This randomized, placebo‐controlled, double‐blind study was designed to investigate the efficacy and tolerability of PSO for treatment of hair growth in male patients with mild to moderate androgenetic alopecia (AGA). 76 male patients with AGA received 400 mg of PSO per day or a placebo for 24 weeks. Change over time in scalp hair growth was evaluated by four outcomes: assessment of standardized clinical photographs by a blinded investigator; patient self‐assessment scores; scalp hair thickness; and scalp hair counts. Reports of adverse events were collected throughout the study. After 24 weeks of treatment, self‐rated improvement score and self‐rated satisfaction scores in the PSO‐treated group were higher than in the placebo group (P  =  0.013, 0.003). The PSO‐treated group had more hair after treatment than at baseline, compared to the placebo group (P < 0.001). Mean hair count increases of 40% were observed in PSO‐treated men at 24 weeks, whereas increases of 10% were observed in placebo‐treated men (P < 0.001). Adverse effects were not different in the two groups.

To evaluate associations between handgrip strength (HGS) and dietary nutrients, this study of a representative Korean population of 1553 adults aged ≥60 years (706 men and 847 women) analyzed data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016). HGS was measured in both hands three times using a digital grip strength dynamometer. Dietary intake data were collected by the 24-h recall method through computer-assisted personal interviews. The study population had a mean age of 70.1 years, body mass index (BMI) of 24.2 kg/m², and HGS of 35.7 kg in men, 21.2 kg in women. Total energy (r = 0.411), protein (r = 0.217), polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) (r = 0.269), fiber (r = 0.272), and vitamin C (r = 0.098) were positively correlated with HGS. In multivariable regression analysis, PUFA (β = 0.083) and vitamin C (β = 0.003) were positively associated with HGS among women. Fiber (β = 0.071) and vitamin C (β = 0.006) showed a positive association with HGS among men. Community-dwelling older men and women with higher levels of PUFA, fiber, and vitamin C in their diet were more likely to have greater HGS even after adjusting for age, total calorie intake, BMI, chronic diseases and health-related habits.

Background: Many researchers have identified that adequate sleep duration is linked to the quality of life and metabolic diseases. Nowadays, it is hard to take enough sleep, so weekend catch-up sleep (CUS) may be an alternative option in modern society. To our knowledge, no previous studies reported the association between weekend CUS and metabolic syndrome, especially in the Korean population. Objective: We investigated the association between weekend CUS and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Korean adults (≥ 20 years old) with less than 6 hours of average weekday sleep. Patients and Methods: A total of 1,453 individuals were selected from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Weekend CUS was divided into four categories: ≤ 0 hour, 0– 1 hour, 1– 2 hours, and ≥ 2 hours. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were derived by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results: Participants with weekend CUS ≥ 1 hour had decreased risk of metabolic syndrome in univariate analysis (CUS 1– 2 hours: OR: 0.413, 95% CI: 0.301– 0.568; CUS ≥ 2 hours: OR: 0.382, 95% CI 0.296– 0.493). Weekend CUS 1– 2 hours reduced the risk of metabolic syndrome in multivariate logistic regression analysis (OR: 0.552, 95% CI: 0.369– 0.823). Based on the age group analysis, weekend CUS ≥ 1 hour reduced the metabolic syndrome among those aged 20– 39 and 40– 65 (20– 39: CUS 1– 2 hours OR: 0.248, 95% CI: 0.078– 0.783, CUS ≥ 2 hours OR: 0.374, 95% CI: 0.141– 0.991; 40– 65: CUS 1– 2 hours OR: 0.507, 95% CI 0.309– 0.832 CUS ≥ 2 hours OR: 0.638, 95% CI: 0.415– 0.981). Conclusion: Weekend CUS was associated with a low risk of metabolic syndrome among Korean adults with sleep restriction.

Background: Obesity is an important risk factor of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Atherosclerosis can be considered an important signal of CVD. Primary physicians can reduce the risk of CVD by preventing and treating obesity. Therefore, finding a tool to diagnose the association of obesity with arteriosclerosis is important. The association between obesity parameters and arterial stiffness remains controversial. To our knowledge, no previous studies reported the relationships between multiple new anthropometric parameters (a body shape index [ABSI], body round index [BRI], and visceral adiposity index [VAI]) and brachial-ankle wave velocity (ba-PWV) as an indicator of CVD risk, especially in the Korean population. Objective: To investigate the relationships between arterial stiffness (assessed using ba-PWV) and anthropometric parameters estimated on the basis of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), ABSI, BRI, and VAI, and to identify the indicators of obesity that best represents CVD risk. Methods: A total of 2,647 adults (1,474 men and 1,173 women) were recruited for this cross-sectional study. The correlations between the anthropometric indexes (BMI, WC, ABSI, BRI, and VAI) and mean ba-PWV were analyzed. A multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between each anthropometric and the presence of arterial stiffness. Results: We investigated the relationships between the obesity parameters and ba-PWV by adjusting the covariates (age, diabetes mellitus [DM], hypertension [HTN], and smoking status) related to the mean ba-PWV. In the multivariate regression analysis, ABSI (men: β =0.066, p<0.01; women: β =0.087, p<0.001) and VAI (men: β =0.067, p<0.01; women: β =0.136, p<0.001) were found to be significantly correlated with the mean ba-PWV in both men and women in Korea. Conclusion: Among the new obesity indices, ABSI and VAI were found to be significantly associated with arterial stiffness, represented by the mean ba-PWV, in both men and women in Korea. These results suggest that ABSI and VAI may be convenient, highly cost-effective, and simple assessment tools for obesity and CVD risk in clinical practice.

Studies suggest that Schisandra chinensis Baillon (Sc) may enhance muscle strength and mass because of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. We aimed to examine the effects and safety of consumption of Sc extract (SCe) for 12 wk on muscle strength and mass in older adults with relatively low muscle mass who do low-intensity exercise. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was performed in adults >50 y of age. Fifty-four participants were randomly assigned into 2 groups and, for 12 wk, received either 1 g SCe/d or a placebo. All participants were required to walk for 30-60 min/d for >3 d/wk during the trial period. At baseline and at 4 and 12 wk after treatment, the participants were examined for knee extension strength using Biodex isokinetic dynamometers, handgrip strengths, and body composition, and blood tests were performed. The Euro-QoL-5D (EQ-5D) questionnaire and the FFQ were administered at baseline and at 12 wk after treatment. Physical activity was assessed using a self-recorded daily exercise log and an accelerometer during the study. SCe supplementation over 12 wk caused a higher increase in right knee extensor strength by 10.2 Nm (95% CI: 3.7, 16.8 Nm; P = 0.003) and left knee extensor strength by 6.7 Nm (95% CI: 0.3, 13.1 Nm; P = 0.041) than did the placebo. However, no differences were observed in the muscle mass, anti-inflammatory markers, antioxidative markers, and EQ-5D score between the groups. None of the participants experienced adverse events. SCe supplementation may enhance skeletal muscle strength but not mass in older adults who perform low-intensity exercise. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03402308.

Ursolic acid (UA) is the major active component of the loquat leaf extract (LLE) and several previous studies have indicated that UA may have the ability to prevent skeletal muscle atrophy. Therefore, we conducted a randomized, double‐blind, and placebo‐controlled study to investigate the effects of the LLE on muscle strength, muscle mass, muscle function, and metabolic markers in healthy adults; the safety of the compound was also evaluated. We examined the peak torque/body weight at 60°/s knee extension, handgrip strength, skeletal muscle mass, physical performance, and metabolic parameters at baseline, as well as after 4 and 12 weeks of intervention. Either 500 mg of LLE (50.94 mg of UA) or a placebo was administered to fifty‐four healthy adults each day for 12 weeks; no differences in muscle strength, muscle mass, and physical performance were observed between the two groups. However, the right‐handgrip strength of female subjects in the LLE group was found to be significantly better than that of subjects in the control group (P = 0.047). Further studies are required to determine the optimal dose and duration of LLE supplementation to confirm the first‐stage study results for clinical application. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier is NCT02401113.