Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the association between serum retinol and α-tocopherol levels and metabolic syndrome (MetS) using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Of the 24,269 individuals, 5885 adults (2672 men and 3213 women) were included. The prevalence of MetS and its components according to quartiles of serum retinol and α-tocopherol levels was calculated. Multivariate linear regression model was used to calculate the number of metabolic components according to serum vitamin levels. The association between serum vitamin levels and MetS with its components was assessed using multivariate logistic regression model. The prevalence of MetS was highest in Q4 and lowest in Q1 for both vitamins, regardless of sex. A dose-dependent association between serum retinol and α-tocopherol levels and MetS was observed. After adjustment for covariates, the odds ratio (OR) for MetS in Q4 compared to Q1 was 2.351 (95% CI: 1.748–3.163, Ptrend < 0.001) in the retinol group and 2.559 (95% CI: 1.953–3.353, Ptrend < 0.001) in α-tocopherol group. Among metabolic components, hypertriglyceridemia, high fasting glucose, and high blood pressure was positively associated with serum retinol and α-tocopherol levels. In conclusion, high serum retinol and α-tocopherol levels were associated with increased risk of MetS.
Highlights
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) refers to a cluster of medical conditions including hypertriglyceridemia, low level of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, hypertension, impaired fasting glucose, and central obesity simultaneously [1]
Mean retinol levels were higher in men than women, whereas mean α-tocopherol levels were higher in women than in men
Mean WC, TG, fasting glucose, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were greater in men than in women
Summary
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) refers to a cluster of medical conditions including hypertriglyceridemia, low level of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, hypertension, impaired fasting glucose, and central obesity simultaneously [1]. MetS is an important determinant for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, and increases overall mortality [2,3,4]. The prevalence of MetS reached nearly 20% among adults, and this number is continuously increasing [5]. In Korea, the prevalence of MetS increased from 24.9% in 1998 to 30.5% in 2013, and MetS is considered an emerging public health issue [6,7]. The pathophysiological mechanisms involved in MetS are intricate, central obesity and insulin resistance (IR) are widely accepted as key etiological factors of MetS [8]. Several factors such as age, alcohol consumption, smoking, and physical inactivity are associated with increased IR and risk of MetS [9,10,11,12]
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