Background: This study investigated the dose-response relationship between alcohol consumption and CVD incidence, conducting a meta-analysis of studies focusing on residents from local communities. Further, we examined whether light to moderate alcohol consumption had a protective effect on CVD incidence through a sub-group analysis. Methods: This study conducted a meta-analysis of the relationship between alcohol consumption and CVD incidence, selecting journals published up to December 2017. The alcohol consumption level was classified into non-consumers, light (0.01–10.0 g/day), light to moderate (10.1–20.0 g/day), moderate (20.1–40.0 g/day), moderate to high (40.1–60.0 g/day), and high (> 60.0 g/day) groups. The sub-group analysis was conducted according to the number of comorbidities and age. Results: Seven articles were selected in total for the meta-analysis. The mean Newcastle-Ottawa scale score was 8.14 points, suggesting studies were of high quality. There was a J-shaped dose-response relationship between alcohol consumption level and CVD incidence only in men. In general, light to moderate and moderate consumption lowered CVD incidence (Relative risk (RR) [95% confidence interval (CI)] was 0.68 [0.57–0.81] and 0.72 [0.58–0.90], respectively). In men with 3–4 comorbidities, there were no protective effects of light to moderate and moderate consumption on CVD incidence. In either groups of only men or men and women there were protective effects of light to moderate and moderate consumption on CVD incidence only in those aged between 41 and 65. Discussion: We found that light to moderate and moderate alcohol consumption had a protective effect on CVD incidence, there was no protective effect either in those with at least three comorbidities or people aged 40 or younger. Conclusions: We conclude that not all local community residents experience a protective effect of light to moderate consumption on CVD incidence. As such, it is necessary to recommend a moderate amount of drinking or less for each individual.

Cigarette smoking increases the risk of atherosclerosis, which often develops as vascular calcification on radiologic examinations. This study evaluated the relationship between smoking-related factors and incidental abdominal aorta calcification (AAC) detected by computed tomography (CT) among middle-aged and elderly men. We assessed the abdominal CT findings of 218 men aged 40 to 81 years who underwent health checkups. The associations between smoking factors and AAC were analyzed using logistic regression analysis to adjust for confounding variables such as age, lifestyle factors, and chronic diseases. Adjusting for confounding variables, the risk of AAC was significantly increased in association with smoking for at least 20 years (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 5.22; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.82-14.93), smoking 10+ pack-years (10-20 pack-years: AOR, 4.54; 95% CI, 1.07-5.68; >20 pack-years: AOR, 5.28; 95% CI, 2.10-13.31), and a history of smoking (former smoker: AOR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.07-5.68; current smoker: AOR, 5.05; 95% CI, 2.08-12.26). In terms of the daily smoking amount, even a low smoking level increased the risk of AAC. These findings suggest that smoking for 20+ years, smoking 10+ pack-years, and even a low level of smoking daily increases the likelihood of developing AAC. Clinicians should recommend that patients quit smoking and stress the importance of smoking duration when promoting health in middle-aged and elderly patients.

BackgroundThis study's objective was to demonstrate pharmacokinetic (PK) similarity and safety of denosumab biosimilar, CT-P41, and United States-licensed reference denosumab (US-denosumab) in healthy male Asian adults, considering also pharmacodynamic (PD) outcomes.Research design and methodsThis double-blind, two-arm, parallel-group, Phase 1 study randomized (1:1) healthy males to a single (60-mg) subcutaneous dose of CT-P41 or US-denosumab. Primary endpoints were area under the concentration - time curve (AUC) from time zero to infinity (AUC0-inf), AUC from time zero to the last quantifiable concentration (AUC0-last), and maximum serum concentration (Cmax). PK equivalence was determined if 90% confidence intervals (CIs) for ratios of geometric least-squares means (gLSMs) were within the predefined 80-125% equivalence margin. Secondary PK, PD, safety, and immunogenicity outcomes were also evaluated.ResultsOf 154 participants randomized (76 CT-P41; 78 US-denosumab), 151 received study drug (74 CT-P41; 77 US-denosumab). Primary and secondary PK results, PD results, safety, and immunogenicity were comparable between groups. Ninety percent CIs for ratios of gLSMs were within the predefined equivalence margin for AUC0-inf (100.4-114.7), AUC0-last (99.9-114.3), and Cmax (95.2-107.3).ConclusionsFollowing a single dose in healthy males, CT-P41 demonstrated PK equivalence with US-denosumab.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov: NCT06037395

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between body mass index (BMI) and self-rated health (SRH) in older adults aged over 65 years while examining the influence of self-perceived body image (SBI) and sex.METHODS: Raw data were obtained from the Korea Community Health Survey, which included BMI measurements of Koreans aged over 65 years (n=59,628). Non-linear relationships between BMI and SRH were analyzed separately for each sex using restricted cubic splines while controlling for SBI and other confounding variables.RESULTS: Men showed a reverse J-shaped association, while women showed a J-shaped association between BMI and poor SRH. However, including SBI in the model changed this association for men to an inverted U-shape showing a negative direction, with the highest risk of poor SRH observed in the underweight to overweight range. For women, a nearly linear positive relationship was observed. Regardless of BMI, those who perceived their weight as not “exactly the right weight” had a higher risk of poor SRH than those who perceived their weight as “exactly the right weight” in both men and women. Older men who thought they were much too fat or too thin had similar highest risks of poor SRH, whereas older women who thought they were too thin had the highest risk of poor SRH.CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study emphasize the importance of considering sex and body image perceptions when assessing the relationship between BMI and SRH in older adults, especially in men.

The interaction between statins and omega-3 fatty acids remains controversial. The aim of this phase 1 trial was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of drug-drug interaction between atorvastatin and omega-3 fatty acids. Treatments were once-daily oral administrations of omega-3 (4 g), atorvastatin (40 mg), and both for 14 days, 7 days, and 14 days, respectively, with washout periods. The concentrations of atorvastatin, 2-OH-atorvastatin, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) were determined with LC-MS/MS. Parameters of DHA and EPA were analyzed after baseline correction. A total of 37 subjects completed the study without any major violations. The geometric mean ratios (GMRs) and 90% confidence intervals (CIs) of the co-administration of a single drug for the area under the concentration–time curve during the dosing interval at steady state of atorvastatin, 2-OH-atorvastatin, DHA, and EPA were 1.042 (0.971–1.118), 1.185 (1.113–1.262), 0.157 (0.091–0.271), and 0.557 (0.396–0.784), respectively. The GMRs (90% Cis) for the co-administration at steady state of atorvastatin, 2-OH-atorvastatin, DHA, and EPA were 1.150 (0.990–1.335), 1.301 (1.2707–1.1401), 0.320 (0.243–0.422), and 0.589 (0.487–0.712), respectively. The 90% CIs for most primary endpoints were outside the range of typical bioequivalence, indicating a pharmacokinetic interaction between atorvastatin and omega-3.