Background: Body composition changes with ageing can influence the adiponectin concentration. However, the component of body composition that is associated with adiponectin concentrations in older adults remains unclear.Methods: There were 152 males and 168 females aged 65 years or older that participated in the 2010 Hallym Aging Study (HAS). Body composition (assessed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry; DXA), anthropometric parameters and adiponectin were obtained from all participants. Multivariate linear regression models assessed the association of body fat percentage, regional muscle and bone mineral contents of body composition and waist/height ratio with adiponectin concentration. Age, albumin, testosterone concentration and metabolic parameters were considered as confounding factors.Results: In correlation analysis, age was positively associated with adiponectin in males (P < 0.01), but not in females. Fasting glucose, albumin, arm skeletal muscle mass and bone mineral content were negatively associated with adiponectin in males (P < 0.05). Testosterone and leg bone mineral content were negatively associated with adiponectin in females (P < 0.05). In multivariate linear regression models, body fat percentage and albumin (P < 0.05) were negatively associated with adiponectin, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (P < 0.001) and age (P < 0.01) were positively associated with adiponectin in older males. In older females, the only factors that correlated significantly with adiponectin concentration were the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (P < 0.001) and HDL-C (P < 0.05). The waist/height ratio and bone mineral content were not associated with adiponectin in either gender.Conclusion: Plasma adiponectin levels correlated negatively with body fat percentage in older males but not in older females. The differential results between older males and females suggest that certain gender-specific mechanisms may affect the association between adiponectin and age-related body composition changes.

Kim DH, et al. J Korean Med Sci. 2020 Feb;35(12):e137. https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2020.35.e137

Background: The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) is increasing sharply in Korea, and evidence has suggested the role of dietary methyl supply and

Previous studies reported mixed results regarding the association between cognition and body weight in late life. We evaluated the relationships between cognitive function and body composition among community-dwelling older adults. Three hundred twenty subjects (≥65 years, women 53%) with available data of cognitive function and body composition from 2010 Hallym Aging Study. Cognitive function was assessed using Korean Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE). Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) was used for measuring body composition including body fat and lean body mass. Anthropometric measurements and laboratory data were collected in clinical examination. Body composition variables were divided into sex-specific tertiles, and examined by multivariable logistic regression. Among female, the highest tertile group of fat mass and second tertile group of total lean body mass were associated with lower risk for cognitive impairment compared to the respective first tertile groups (odds ratios, 0.23 and 0.09, respectively; 95% confidence intervals, 0.04–0.88 and 0.01–0.44, respectively) after adjusting for confounding factors. In male, higher arm bone mineral content was associated with lower risk for cognitive impairment, but significance was lost after adjusting for adiponectin, age, and education. Higher fat mass and lean body mass were associated with lower risk of cognitive impairment in older women. These observations suggest that body fat and lean mass later in life might be beneficial for cognition.

This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI)—the most severe mental health problem among South Korean adolescents in 2019. The participants were students from 12 middle and seven high schools in a single city in the metropolitan area in South Korea. A cluster-random sampling method was used—one class per school year at each middle and high schools. Every student in the selected classes was investigated. The final number of selected classes and students were as follows: 36 classes, 1074 students at middle schools; 35 classes, 873 students at high school. Data were obtained using a self-administered online questionnaire. The 12-month prevalence of NSSI was 8.8% among Korean adolescents, 2.85 times higher for female than male students (13.4% vs. 4.7%). For the school grade, the multivariable-adjusted odds ratio [mOR] was 3.89 times (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.35–11.26) higher for the group with the highest school records compared with the middle group for male students, while such pattern was not observed among female students (mOR 1.11, 95% CI 0.54–2.26). The risks for NSSI were higher among female students with lower economic status, compared with those with higher economic status (mOR 4.16, 95% CI 1.43–12.05). In contrast, economic status did not indicate higher risk among male students (mOR 1.43, 95% CI 0.42–4.84). This study suggests that the risk for NSSI among adolescent students may be different according to gender and comprehensive interventions from schools against NSSI may need a gender-sensitive approach in South Korea.