Since ancient times, licorice, the root of Glycyrrhiza glabra, has been known to have a wide spectrum of therapeutic effects. Glycyrrhizin is cleaved to glycyrrhizic acid, which is subsequently converted to glycyrrhetic acid by human intestinal microflora. Glycyrrhetic acid is a potent inhibitor of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD) and performs a range of corticosteroid-like activities. The pharmacologic effects of licorice contribute to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, anti-allergenic, and antimicrobial properties. Licorice has been used to treat liver disease, gastrointestinal disorders, oral disease, and various skin disorders and has been used in gum, candy, herbs, alcoholic beverages, and food supplements. Licorice and its extracts, especially glycyrrhizin, can be taken orally, through the skin (in the form of gels and oils), and intravenously. Licorice demonstrates mineralocorticoid-like activity not only by inhibiting 11β-HSD2, but also by binding to a mineralocorticoid receptor, leading to potentially adverse risks of mineralocorticoid-like overactivity. Chronic use of licorice can lead to hypokalemia and hypertension, and some people are more sensitive to licorice exposure. Based on clinical trials, this review summarizes the positive effects of licorice and other reported side effects.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening can effectively reduce disease-related mortality by detecting CRC at earlier stages. We have previously demonstrated that the presence of SDC2 methylation in stool DNA is significantly associated with the occurrence of CRC regardless of clinical stage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical performance of stool DNA-based SDC2 methylation test for CRC. Aberrant SDC2 methylation in stool-derived DNA was measured by linear target enrichment (LTE)-quantitative methylation-specific real-time PCR (qMSP). Duplicate reactions of meSDC2 LTE-qMSP test were performed for stool samples obtained from CRC patients representing all stages (0–IV) and asymptomatic individuals who were subsequently underwent colonoscopy examination. To determine the diagnostic value of test in CRC and control groups, sensitivity and specificity were evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Of 585 subjects who could be evaluated, 245 had CRC, 44 had various sizes of adenomatous polyps, and 245 had negative colonoscopy results. Stool DNA-based meSDC2 LTE-qMSP showed an overall sensitivity of 90.2% with AUC of 0.902 in detecting CRC (0–IV) not associated with tumor stage, location, sex, or age (P > 0.05), with a specificity of 90.2%. Sensitivity for detecting early stages (0-II) was 89.1% (114/128). This test also detected 66.7% (2/3) and 24.4% (10/41) of advanced and non-advanced adenomas, respectively. Results of this study validated the capability of stool DNA based-SDC2 methylation test by LTE-qMSP for early detection of CRC patient with high specificity. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03146520 , Registered 10 May 2017, Retrospectively registered; however, control arm was prospectively registered.

Postmenopausal women are vulnerable to aging and oxidative stress due to reduced estrogen. Previous studies have shown that Korean red ginseng (KRG) has beneficial effects on aging and antioxidant capacity. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of KRG on biological aging and antioxidant capacity in postmenopausal women. This study conducted a double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial. The participants were randomly administered KRG or a placebo, and the following metrics were measured: mitochondria DNA (mtDNA) copy number as an indicator of biological aging and, total antioxidant status (TAS) as a marker of antioxidant capacity. Clinical symptoms of fatigue, as measured by the fatigue severity scale, were assessed before and after KRG administration. There were 63 participants, of whom 33 received KRG and 30 received a placebo. The mtDNA copy number (KRG group: 1.58 ± 2.05, placebo group: 0.28 ± 2.36, p = 0.023) and TAS (KRG group: 0.11 ± 0.25 mmol/L, placebo group: −0.04 ± 0.16 mmol/L, p = 0.011) increased and the fatigue severity scale (KRG group: −7 ± 12, placebo group: −1 ± 11, p = 0.033) decreased significantly more in the KRG group than the placebo group. KRG significantly increased the mtDNA copy number, total antioxidant status, and improved symptoms of fatigue in postmenopausal women.

Background and Aims: The fatty liver index (FLI) is a simple and non-invasive method for the diagnosis of fatty liver disease with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) as well as liver-related mortality. We examined the association between FLI and 10-year CVD risk as determined by the Framingham risk score. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 7,240 individuals aged 30 to 69 years who underwent a health examination between 2015 and 2017. The FLI was calculated using an algorithm based on triglyceride, γ-glutamyltransferase, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference. Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses were performed to assess independent relationships between the FLI and Framingham risk score after adjusting for confounding variables. Results: The overall prevalence of fatty liver disease among study participants as assessed by an FLI ≥ 60 was 19.7%. Compared with non-hepatic steatosis (FLI < 30), the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for a high Framingham 10-year CVD risk ≥ 10% in individuals with hepatic steatosis (FLI ≥ 60) was 2.56 (1.97–3.33) after adjusting for age, gender, fasting plasma glucose, high-density and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood pressure, C-reactive protein, regular exercise, alcohol-drinking, and current smoking. Conclusions: The FLI was positively and independently associated with a Framingham 10-year CVD risk in the general Korean population. Our findings suggest that the FLI, a simple, useful, and economical index, may be an indicator of CVD events.

Background: Chronic kidney disease(CKD) is a major public health issue and is highly prevalent in the general population. Leptin is an adipose tissue-derived endocrine factor that has been associated with several metabolic factors involved in cardiovascular diseases. Several studies have investigated the association between leptin and renal diseases so far. But the results are conflicting between the studies. The objective of our study was to verify the direct association of serum leptin level with CKD development. Methods: This prospective cohort study included 2646 adult aged 40–70 without CKD in the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study(KoGES) across South Korea from November 2005 to February 2012. The primary outcome was the development of CKD as defined by National Kidney Foundation Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI). Multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis was done to assess the independent associations, for with the incident of CKD as the dependent variable, in tertiles of leptin values. Results: Among 1100 men and 1546 women with 2.8 mean years of follow-up, incidence of CKD was 18(1.63%) for men and 50(3.23%) for women. In the multivariate logistic regression models, individuals in the highest serum leptin tertile showed significant associations with risk of CKD after adjustment compared to the lowest tertiles in the population. The crude odds ratio for trend was 2.95(p = 0.004) for men. After adjusting for age, baseline eGFR variables showed correlation with statistical significance (OR for trend = 2.25, p = 0.037) for men. The same trends were also seen observed in all population and women also, but no statistical significance was found. Conclusions: Higher plasma leptin levels are associated with the incidence of CKD, independent of traditional factors such as age, baseline eGFR. Our results suggest that leptin may partly explain part of the reported association between obesity and kidney disease.