Obese Males Research Articles

Abstract 12288: Sex Differences in Cardiac Adaptation to Obesity During Adolescence: A Role of Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing

Introduction: Heart size is known to increase in obese individuals as a physiological adaptation. Cardiac hypertrophy is also regarded as a risk factor for future adult cardiovascular disease. Sex differences of cardiac adaptation to obesity during adolescence are poorly understood. Hypothesis: Physiological cardiac responses to obesity are different between male and female adolescents. Methods: Anthropometric measurements, left ventricular mass index (LVMI; g/m 2.7 ), and cardiopulmonary exercise testing parameters were analyzed. Peak oxygen consumption (VO2), ventilatory anaerobic threshold (VAT), and submaximal sloop parameters including ΔVO2/Δheart rate (HR) and ΔHR/Δwork rate (WR) were obtained. Data are shown as mean ± standard deviation. * denotes weight-indexed value. Results: Table 1 showed enrolled obese adolescents (19 males and 40 females). ΔVO2/ΔHR and ΔHR/ΔWR are surrogates of stroke volume and HR-dependency, respectively. Males showed significantly higher pVO2, pVO2*, VAT*, ΔVO2/ΔHR, and ΔVO2*/ΔHR but lower ΔHR/ΔWR and ΔHR/ΔWR* than females, suggesting males had higher peak exercise performance, higher stroke volume, and lower HR-dependency than females. Significant correlation was noted between LVMI and VAT* only in males (p = 0.045) and between LVMI and body mass index (BMI) only in females (p = 0.006), suggesting cardiac hypertrophy may not effectively contribute to exercise performance in females (Figure 1). Cardiac hypertrophy assessed by LVMI presented different physiological significance between obese males and females. Conclusions: Cardiac adaptation to obesity occurs differently between males and females during adolescence.

The Second Case of Bardet-Biedl syndrome from Iraq: An educational article and expert opinion

Background: Bardet-Biedl syndrome and Laurence-Moon syndrome are rare autosomal recessive disorders with a similar phenotype. They are characterized by the gradual development of phenotype which includes cone-rod retinal dystrophy, obesity, and hypogonadism in males. Other associated abnormalities include learning disability and renal abnormalities. The two conditions are differentiated clinically by the presence of spasticity and the absence of polydactyly in Laurence-Moon syndrome. In 2002, we reported the first patient with Bardet-Biedl syndrome. The boy had polydactyly, obesity, retinal degeneration, and was hospitalized at the University Hospital in Al-Kadhimiyia because of the development of chronic renal failure. Patients and methods: The case of a 9-year-old obese Kurdish girl who had polydactyly of the hands and feet associated with reduced visual acuity is described.Results: A 9-year-old obese Kurdish girl had polydactyly of the hand and feet associated with reduced visual acuity that was attributed to myopia which was partially corrected with eye glasses. The parents were unrelated, and her younger 5-year sister had polydactyly of the feet only. No other family member known to have polydactyly. Both sisters had their extra-digits removed surgically. The girl was studying at fourth grade primary school and the parents reported no learning disability. Fundoscopy showed normal optic disc and periphery of the retina. The presence of retinitis pigmentosa was excluded. However, the foveal reflex was reported to be abnormal by the oophthalmologist. Electroretinography showed evidence of cone-rod dystrophy.Conclusion: The second case of Bardet-Biedl syndrome from Iraq is reported. The current evidence-based expert opinion suggests the use of long tem supplementation of citicoline, co-enzyme Q10 and lutein with hope of retarding the progression to blindness.

O039 A Novel Approach to Quantify Breathing effort in Obstructive Sleep Apnoea

Abstract Introduction Breathing effort is an important component of obstructed breathing and determinant of arousal in obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). However, relative effects of hypopnoea versus apnoea on effort and work of breathing (WOB) are largely unknown. This study applied a novel modelling approach to quantify breathing effort, WOB and obstruction severity to evaluate differences between hypopnoea and apnoea events in OSA. Methods 1659 apnoea and hypopnea events from six obese males (BMI: 30-41 kg/m2; age: 34-56 years; AHI: 31-114 events/hr) with severe OSA were evaluated using conventional sleep measures and a 3-compartment (nasal, collapsible upper airway and lungs) respiratory mechanics model using mask airflow and pressure, and oesophageal and epiglottic pressures. Attempted airflow and WOB, and WOB loss to obstruction (attempted minus measured WOB), were estimated breath-by-breath via the model for comparisons between hypopnoea and apnoea events and sleep stages. Results The model explained most of the variance in attempted flow (Pearson r= 0.91 [95% CI 0.71 to 0.98]). Compared to hypopnoea events, WOB loss during obstructive apnoeas was 3.5 [95%CI 1.7 to 5.4] times higher. WOB losses were also higher during deep versus N2 sleep. Visualising breath-by-breath WOB loss revealed a significant number of flow- limited breaths not detected using traditional human scoring. Over 30% of breaths not classified as hypopnoeas or apnoeas exhibited WOB loss higher than for hypopnoea events. Conclusions Respiratory mechanics modelling is useful to assess breathing effort and upper airway obstruction severity and could provide novel mechanistic insights into sleep-related breathing problems and treatment outcomes.

Prevalence and Factors of Overweight and Obesity among Medical Personnel in a District Hospital

Background: In 2022, the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Thailand reached 47.8%, marking a rise from 34.7% in 2016, the second highest in ASEAN following Malaysia. Furthermore, there is high obesity among healthcare workers. Objective: To investigate the prevalence rate and factors affecting overweight and obesity among medical personnel. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study was designed. The sample size of 169 medical personnel working at a district hospital was included in the present study. Age over 20 years old and informed consent was required in the inclusion criteria. Weight, height, and body mass index (BMI) through self-reports for assessing obesity. A 5-level scale of eating behavior and the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) with a reliability of 0.79 to 0.93 were used to collect the data in September and October 2022. Logistic Regression was used to analyze the data. Results: The prevalence of overweight was 14.79%, (BMI of 23.0 to 24.9 kg/m²) and 40.24% obesity (BMI of 25.0 kg/m² or greater), with more obesity in males than females. The factors associated with obesity were male gender, increasing age, occupation, job position, poor eating behavior, and moving of body while working less than six hours/shift (p<0.05). The findings from the multivariate analysis factors for obesity revealed male gender (AOR 7.99, 95% CI 2.74 to 23.25), age 50 to 58 years (AOR 17.48, 95% CI 2.30 to 133.04), nurse (AOR 0.39, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.91), and poor eating behavior (AOR 3.22, 95% CI 1.46 to 7.08) were associated with obesity. Conclusion: The prevalence of overweight and obesity among health personnel is higher than the prevalence in Thailand and the main factors are shift working, eating behavior, and less moving. The present study finding can be useful in planning the program and practical policies on decreasing obesity in the future. Keywords: Prevalence; Overweight; Obesity; Medical personnel; Eating behavior; Physical activity

Estimation of Some Biochemical Tests in the Serum of Obese Men with Normal Blood Pressure and High Blood Pressure

Obesity is a medical word that refers to a state in which a person's body fat levels are excessively high. Obesity is linked to a variety of health issues in humans, like the emergence of hypertension. This study aimed to look at the blood glucose concentration, urea, creatinine, and lipid profile factors in obese and hypertension-overweight men's sera. The study included 75 people who were evenly divided into three groups: healthy controls, normotensive obese people, and hypertension-obese people. When comparing obese males to controls, there was a significant increase (P<0.01) in blood glucose, urea, creatinine, cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) although only triglycerides (TGs) and VLDL-C were substantially different in hypertension obese versus normotensive obese. Compared to controls, Obese men had significantly lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). High levels of triglycerides (TGs) and Very Low-density Lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL) in hypertensive obese males show they play a role in hypertension problems. Keywords: Obesity, Hypertension, Urea, Creatinine, lipid profile.

Life-course social disparities in body mass index trajectories across adulthood: cohort study evidence from China health and nutrition survey

BackgroundThe social disparities in obesity may originate in early life or in adulthood, and the associations of socioeconomic position (SEP) with obesity could alter over time. It is unclear how lifetime-specific and life-course SEP influence adult obesity development in China.MethodsBased on the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS), three SEP-related indicators, including the father’s occupational position and the participant’s education and occupational position, were obtained. The life-course socioeconomic changes and a cumulative SEP score were established to represent the life-course SEP of the participants in the study. The growth mixture modeling was used to identify BMI trajectories in adulthood. Multinomial logistic regression was adopted to assess the associations between SEP and adult BMI trajectories.ResultsA total of 3,138 participants were included in the study. A positive correlation was found between the paternal occupational position, the participants’ occupational position, education, and obesity in males, whereas an inverse correlation was observed among females. Males who experienced social upward mobility or remained stable high SEP during the follow-up had 2.31 and 2.52-fold risks of progressive obesity compared to those with a stable-low SEP. Among females, stable high SEP in both childhood and adulthood was associated with lower risks of progressive obesity (OR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.43–0.94). Higher risks of obesity were associated with the life-course cumulative SEP score among males, while the opposite relationship was observed among females.ConclusionsThe associations between life-course SEP and BMI development trajectories differed significantly by gender. Special emphasis should be placed on males experiencing upward and stable high socioeconomic change.

THU131 Functional Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism And Failure To Thrive In A Poorly Controlled Type 1 Diabetes Patient

Abstract Disclosure: P. Rakhra: None. V. Wright: None. I. Athanassaki: None. Background: Multiple reports exist of obese males with type 2 diabetes linked to hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. We report a rare case of poorly controlled type 1 diabetes leading to functional hypogonadotropic hypogonadism as well as failure to thrive. Clinical Case: A 16-year-old Caucasian male with type 1 diabetes, antibody positive, diagnosed at 3 years of age presented in severe diabetic ketoacidosis. Patient had been lost to follow-up and had not had a clinic visit in over three years. He had reportedly been using a family member’s Tresiba and over the counter Humulin in the interim. Upon presentation, his hemoglobin A1c was found to be 11.8%. It was last documented at greater than 14%. He was also at less than the first percentile for height and weight, with a BMI of 16 kg/m2. His mid-parental height was 68.5 inches (25 – 50th percentile). His physical exam was remarkable for Tanner III pubic hair with 12 cc testicular volume bilaterally. Biochemical analysis revealed LH was in pubertal range of 0.5 mIU/mL (0.2 – 2.3 mIU/mL), low FSH <0.7 mIU/mL (0.7 – 6.2 mIU/mL), and low testosterone 7.7 ng/dL (200 – 1036 ng/dL). IGF-1 was low at 49 ng/mL (230 – 769 ng/mL) and low IGF-BP3 at 2.6 mg/L (3.1 – 8.9 mg/L). Bone age per the standards of Greulich and Pyle was delayed at 14 years with a predicted adult height of 68 inches. Associated conditions known to cause failure to thrive in patients with diabetes, such as adrenal insufficiency, hyperthyroidism, and celiac disease were ruled out. ACTH stimulation test revealed cortisol peak of 24.6 ug/dL (>18.0 ug/dL). TSH was normal 2.474 mIU/mL (0.5 – 3.4 mIU/mL) and normal Free T4 0.8 ng/dL (0.8 – 2 ng/dL). Mauriac syndrome was considered however, patient lacked any Cushingoid features, did not have hepatomegaly on exam, and had normal liver function tests. A brain/pituitary MRI was performed prior to discharge and was found to be normal, ruling out concerns for a central lesion causing delayed puberty. Patient was able to gain weight during the admission with intensive insulin management. However, he remains less than the first percentile for height and weight. A growth hormone stimulation test (with clonidine and arginine) was performed outpatient. Patient was primed with estrace prior to the test and results revealed a peak of 15.0 ng/mL (>10 ng/mL) ruling out concerns for growth hormone deficiency. Conclusion: We report this case to highlight that although uncommon in the developed world, delayed puberty and growth failure are known but rare complications of poorly controlled type 1 diabetes. Presentation: Thursday, June 15, 2023

Pharmacological Effects of Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 (FGF21) оn Carbohydrate-Lipid Metabolism: Sex Dependence

Abstract—Fibroblast growth factor (FGF21) is a hepatic hormone that helps the adapt to various metabolic stresses. The review considers some unresolved issues related to the physiological activity of this unique metabolic regulator, summarizes the basic knowledge about the pharmacological properties of FGF21, and highlights sex differences in their manifestation in the correction of obesity. The results are summarized showing that the effectiveness of using FGF21 for the treatment of obesity depends on the etiology of obesity and sex. The necessity of studying the mechanisms underlying sex differences in the action of FGF21 for its successful use in the treatment of obesity in males and females is emphasized.

Genetic polymorphism of Pro12Ala in type 2 diabetes mellitus: Role in inflammation linked to Insulin resistance.

Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor gamma 2 (PPARγ2) belongs to nuclear receptor superfamily and plays a role in adipocyte differentiation and inflammation. Evidences suggest that inflammatory processes hold key to insulin resistance and PPARγ2 has also been implicated. PPARγ2 exhibits gene polymorphism. The Ala allele of Pro12Ala polymorphism (rs1801282) is associated with a reduced risk for insulin resistance. We attempted the study in overweight and obese males to generate evidences linking insulin resistance, inflammatory mediators, and gene polymorphism of PPARγ2 in overweight and obese males. The conventional biochemical parameters were estimated using established methods. Adiponectin and Haptoglobin were quantitated by ELISA, whereas Ferritin and hs-CRP were by chemi-luminescence. Indices of insulin sensitivity /Insulin resistance were computed based on established formulae. Gene analysis was based on PCR and RFLP. Appropriate statistical analysis was enabled to project gene polymorphism.The heterozygous variant (CG) was around 8 and 38 percent respectively in overweight and obese males. The G Allele was 3.89% and 18.82%. The wild type and heterozygous variant of PPARγ2 depicted significance with haptoglobin, whereas adiponectin showed significance in the wild type. Chi-square test was performed to assess the relation between polymorphic genotypes and ferritin emerged significant. Indices of insulin resistance showed different characteristics with wild type and heterozygous variant ofPPARγ2 gene polymorphism. The inflammatory mediators (hs-CRP, Ferritin, Haptoglobin and adiponectin) exhibited variegated characteristics with the wild type and heterozygous variant of PPARγ2, thus pointing to the nexus among insulin resistance, inflammation, and adipocyte differentiation.

Sex differences in obesity-induced renal lipid accumulation revealed by lipidomics: a role of adiponectin/AMPK axis

BackgroundSex differences have been observed in the development of obesity-related complications in patients, as well as in animal models. Accumulating evidence suggests that sex-dependent regulation of lipid metabolism contributes to sex-specific physiopathology. Lipid accumulation in the renal tissue has been shown to play a major role in the pathogenesis of obesity-induced kidney injury. Unlike in males, the physiopathology of the disease has been poorly described in females, particularly regarding the lipid metabolism adaptation.MethodsHere, we compared the lipid profile changes in the kidneys of female and male mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) or low-fat diet (LFD) by lipidomics and correlated them with pathophysiological changes.ResultsWe showed that HFD-fed female mice were protected from insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis compared to males, despite similar body weight gains. Females were particularly protected from renal dysfunction, oxidative stress, and tubular lipid accumulation. Both HFD-fed male and female mice presented dyslipidemia, but lipidomic analysis highlighted differential renal lipid profiles. While both sexes presented similar neutral lipid accumulation with obesity, only males showed increased levels of ceramides and phospholipids. Remarkably, protection against renal lipotoxicity in females was associated with enhanced renal adiponectin and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling. Circulating adiponectin and its renal receptor levels were significantly lower in obese males, but were maintained in females. This observation correlated with the maintained basal AMPK activity in obese female mice compared to males.ConclusionsCollectively, our findings suggest that female mice are protected from obesity-induced renal dysfunction and lipotoxicity associated with enhanced adiponectin and AMPK signaling compared to males.

Factors Contributing to the Change in Overweight/Obesity Prevalence Among Indian Adults: A multivariate decomposition analysis of data from the National Family Health Surveys.

Concerns over the escalating burden of non-communicable diseases call for the redressal of behavioral risk factors like increased body mass index. Most studies have failed to quantify the contribution of socio-demographic characteristics in a linear trend. The present study aims to estimate the current prevalence of overweight and obesity in Indian adults and the contribution of different socio-demographic factors to the increasing prevalence. We carried out a secondary data analysis of two National Family Health Survey (NFHS) rounds. The final sample includes 558,122 women and 84,477 men from round 4, and 574,099 women and 74,761 men were included from round 5, using a multi-stage stratified random sampling approach. Overweight/obesity was our primary dependent variable. Weighted bivariate analysis was used to ascertain the prevalence, and the adjusted odds ratios were computed to ascertain the potential predictors. The contribution of different factors towards rising burden over two time points was estimated using multivariate decomposition analysis for non-linear response models. Overall weighted prevalence of overweight and obesity in males and females per NFHS-5 was 44.02% and 41.16%, respectively, compared to 37.71% and 36.14% in NFHS-4. Decomposition analyses depict that the proportion of obesity increased by 6.37% and 5.10% points among men and women, respectively, over the two rounds. Compositional differences of participants (endowment) attributed to 16.54 and 49.90% differences, and the difference in coefficient or effect accounted for 83.46 and 50.10%, respectively, of the increase in the prevalence. The most significant factors contributing to increased prevalence were age, improving socio-economic status, smoking, unclean cooking fuel, and diabetes. The incremental rise in such a short period, mainly attributed to the effect of socio-demographic variables, is concerning. Policy interventions should prioritize health advocacy programs and aggressively target behavioral modifications while preparing the health systems to manage the people living with obesity.

Obesity risk factors in British Labrador retrievers: Effect of sex, neuter status, age, chocolate coat colour and food motivation.

Canine obesity is a complex disease affected by genetic, endocrine and environmental factors. It is associated with reduced lifespan and many comorbidities. Prevalence differs by breed, with Labrador retrievers at high risk. Past data on how biological risk factors impact weight gain have been contradictory, possibly because they were obtained from genetically heterogeneous populations. We investigated risk factors for canine obesity in a population of British Labrador retrievers (n = 521) with high-quality data on obesity, weight, owner-reported food motivation and related characteristics. We used linear regression to assess known and novel risk factors for obesity. We found that neutering increased obesity in males (p < 0.001) but not females (p = 0.37). Older age was associated with obesity in female Labradors (p = 0.013) but not males (p = 0.49). We identified two new risk factors for obesity in Labrador retrievers: chocolate coat colour (p < 0.001) and high food motivation (p < 0.001). Strategic recruitment to collect both obese and lean dogs means this cohort is not suitable for assessing obesity prevalence in UK Labrador retrievers. Studying this genetically homogeneous population informs our knowledge of common risk factors for obesity and expands those relevant to Labrador retrievers.

Atherogenic Index of Plasma is a Novel Biomarker Associated with Obesity in the Adult Males

The atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) is a vital parameter for dyslipidemia and its associated diseases and assessing cardiac risk. Several anthropometric parameters have been used to reflect obesity-associated risk, but body mass index (BMI) and waist/ hip (W/H) ratio are the most common. Our study aimed to evaluate the correlation between AIP and BMI, waist/ hip W/H ratio and its advantage in predicting dyslipidemia among obese males. The study includes 869 healthy Iraqi males, 415 obese and 454 non-obese males. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) body mass index was 33.00 ± 2.76 kg/m2 for the obese males and 22.49 ± 1.21kg/m2 for the non-obese males. AIP, BMI, W/H and lipid levels were estimated. The study demonstrated that AIP level was significantly correlated with both BMI, Pearson Correlation 0.295** and W/H ratio, Pearson Correlation 0.297**. The study revealed that AIP was significantly and positively associated with BMI and W/H ratio among the study population. Keywords: Obesity; Lipid; Atherogenic index of plasma; Males

Exploring Weight Loss Preferences Among Obese Males: An Age-Group Analysis

This study investigates preferences for weight loss attributes among obese individuals. The global rise in obesity, with over 1.9 billion adults classified as overweight and 650 million as obese, has prompted concerns about its health impacts. Developing countries face increased obesity risks due to factors such as unhealthy dietary habits, sedentary lifestyles, limited healthcare access, and financial constraints. In India alone, more than 135 million individuals are affected by obesity, a condition characterized by excess body fat beyond normal requirements. Various weight loss attributes, including diets, physical activities, pills, and surgeries, are explored. The objectives of the recent study are to assess Body Mass Index (BMI) among different age groups of male obese individuals and to understand their preferences for weight loss attributes. Descriptive research methodology is adopted to analyze data from a sample of 80 participants. Findings reveal that adolescents primarily prefer dietary changes (95%), while adults and elders favor gym activities (35%). Pills are a lesser-preferred option across age groups. This study provides insights into age-related weight loss preferences among obese males. In conclusion, the global rise in obesity mandates concerted efforts to curtail its cascading health implications. The prevalence of obesity across age groups underscores the need for tailored interventions that account for diverse preferences and attributes. Addressing obesity entails fostering healthier dietary choices, promoting physical activity, and embracing comprehensive weight loss programs. Initiatives like the Reweight program offer promising avenues for combating this epidemic.

Renal Endocannabinoid Dysregulation in Obesity-Induced Chronic Kidney Disease in Humans.

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) regulates various physiological processes, including energy homeostasis and kidney function. ECS upregulation in obese animals and humans suggests a potential link to obesity-induced chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, obesity-induced ECS changes in the kidney are mainly studied in rodents, leaving the impact on obese humans unknown. In this study, a total of 21 lean and obese males (38-71 years) underwent a kidney biopsy. Biochemical analysis, histology, and endocannabinoid (eCB) assessment were performed on kidney tissue and blood samples. Correlations between different parameters were evaluated using a comprehensive matrix. The obese group exhibited kidney damage, reflected in morphological changes, and elevated kidney injury and fibrotic markers. While serum eCB levels were similar between the lean and obese groups, kidney eCB analysis revealed higher anandamide in obese patients. Obese individuals also exhibited reduced expression of cannabinoid-1 receptor (CB1R) in the kidney, along with increased activity of eCB synthesizing and degrading enzymes. Correlation analysis highlighted connections between renal eCBs, kidney injury markers, obesity, and related pathologies. In summary, this study investigates obesity's impact on renal eCB "tone" in humans, providing insights into the ECS's role in obesity-induced CKD. Our findings enhance the understanding of the intricate interplay among obesity, the ECS, and kidney function.

The Role of Gender Differences and Menopause in Obesity-Related Renal Disease, Renal Inflammation and Lipotoxicity.

The pathogenesis of obesity-related-renal disease is unknown. Menopause can promote renal disease in obese women, but this interaction is unclear. In a previous study, we observed that obese male and female mice developed albuminuria, hyperfiltration, and glomerulomegaly, and these changes were more severe in those obese ovariectomized females. In this study, we also evaluated renal inflammation and lipotoxicity in that animal model. For six months, 43 males and 36 females C57BL6/J mice were randomized to standard diet (SD) or high fat diet (HFD). A group of female animals on SD or HFD was ovariectomized to simulate menopause. We evaluated cytokines: NF-κβ p65, IL-1β, MCP-1, TNF-α, total lipid content, lipid classes, and fatty acid profile in total lipid and individual lipid classes in renal tissue and urine. We found that obese males and females showed higher NF-kβ p-65, TNF-α and MCP-1 in renal tissue, and obese females ovariectomized had higher IL-1β and TNF-α compared with not-ovariectomized. Also, obese animals showed lower proinflammatory and higher anti-inflammatory fatty acids in kidney total lipids, while obese females ovariectomized had a more exacerbated pattern. In brief, obesity induces inflammation and an unbalanced lipidic profile in renal tissue. This pattern seems to be enhanced in obesity after menopause.

Weight Loss and Sexual Activity in Adult Obese Individuals: Establishing a Causal Link

Abstract Obesity may not only be linked to undesirable health outcomes but also to limitations in sexual life. The present paper aims to assess whether there is a causal relationship between weight loss and sexual activity in adult obese individuals. To address the endogeneity of weight loss that is likely to result in biased estimation results, the analysis is based on data from a randomized field experiment. In this experiment, financial weight-loss rewards were offered to a random subgroup of participants and can be used as an exogenous source of weight variation in an instrumental variables approach. Estimation results indicate that for obese males losing weight, both the probability of being involved in a sexual relationship and the frequency of sexual intercourse increases. The same pattern of results is found when pooling both sexes in the sample. Due to the small share of women in the sample, the analysis yields no reliable results specifically for females.

Adaptive restraint design for a diverse population through machine learning.

Using population-based simulations and machine-learning algorithms to develop an adaptive restraint system that accounts for occupant anthropometry variations to further enhance safety balance throughout the whole population. Two thousand MADYMO full frontal impact crash simulations at 35 mph using two validated vehicle/restraint models representing a sedan and an SUV along with a parametric occupant model were conducted based on the maximal projection design of experiments, which considers varying occupant covariates (sex, stature, and body mass index) and vehicle restraint design variables (three for airbag, three for safety belt, and one for knee bolster). A Gaussian-process-based surrogate model was trained to rapidly predict occupant injury risks and the associated uncertainties. An optimization framework was formulated to seek the optimal adaptive restraint design policy that minimizes the population injury risk across a wide range of occupant sizes and shapes while maintaining a low difference in injury risks among different occupant subgroups. The effectiveness of the proposed method was tested by comparing the population-wise injury risks under the adaptive design policy and the traditional state-of-the-art design. Compared to the traditional state-of-the-art design for midsize males, the optimal design policy shows the potential to further reduce the joint injury risk (combining head, chest, and lower extremity injury risks) among the whole population in the sedan and SUV models. Specifically, the two subgroups of vulnerable occupants including tall obese males and short obese females had higher reductions in injury risks. This study lays out a method to adaptively adjust vehicle restraint systems to improve safety balance. This is the first study where population-based crash simulations and machine-learning methods are used to optimize adaptive restraint designs for a diverse population. Nevertheless, this study shows the high injury risks associated with obese and female occupants, which can be mitigated via restraint adaptability.

Putative causal inference for the relationship between obesity and sex hormones in males: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.

Obesity is a chronic disease with a high prevalence rate and is an established risk factor for human health. Body mass index (BMI) is a common and primary indicator used in assessing obesity. This work aims to investigate the putative causal relationship among BMI, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), bioavailable testosterone (BioT), and estradiol levels. We conducted a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study, using single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) strongly associated with BMI, SHBG, BioT, and estradiol as instrumental variables. All SNPs were identified from the genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data of large sample studies recruiting more than 150,000 European adult male individuals. The inverse-variance-weighted (IVW) approach was used as a primary algorithm for putative causal estimation. Genetically predicted elevated BMI was associated with decreased SHBG (IVW, β = -0.103, 95% confidence interval [CI] [-0.113 to -0.092], P = 1.50 × 10-77) and BioT levels (IVW, β = -0.139, 95% CI [-0.165 to -0.113], P = 9.54 × 10-26) and high estradiol levels (IVW, β = 0.014, 95% CI [0.009-0.019], P = 2.19 × 10-7). Increased SHBG levels were causally associated with low BMI (IVW, β = -0.051, 95% CI [-0.098 to -0.005], P = 0.030) and BioT (IVW, β = -0.126, 95% CI [-0.175 to -0.077], P = 5.97 × 10-7) and high estradiol levels (IVW, β = 0.046, 95% CI [0.035-0.056], P = 6.51 × 10-17). Conversely, no evidence of an effect of estradiol imbalance on SHBG levels (IVW, β = 1.035, 95% CI [-0.854 to 2.926], P = 0.283) and BMI (IVW, β = 0.091, 95% CI [-0.094 to 0.276], P = 0.336) was obtained. However, increased BioT levels were causally associated with lower SHBG levels (IVW, β = -0.044, 95% CI [-0.061 to -0.026], P = 8.76 × 10-7), not BMI (IVW, β = -0.006, 95% CI [-0.035 to 0.023], P = 0.679). The findings support a network putative causal relationship among BMI, SHBG, BioT, and estradiol. SHBG, BioT, and estradiol may partly mediate the effect of obesity on male health. Reasonably modulating BioT and estradiol, especially SHBG, facilitated the attenuation of the harmful effects of obesity on male health.

The Role of Transferrin, Iron and Some Biochemical Variables in Obese Males

The condition of obesity is a persistent ailment characterized by the atypical or excessive buildup of adipose tissue, resulting in compromised well-being and an elevated likelihood of morbidity and chronic health issues. The global incidence of individuals with obesity and overweight conditions has been on the rise for numerous decades. The goal of the study is to identify the relationship between body mass index (BMI), insulin, transferrin, iron, and lipid profile in obese males. Ninety males were recruited into the study; forty participants were assigned to the obese group were have BMI&gt;30 kg/m2, twenty to overweight group were have BMI between 25-30 kg/m2, and another thirty to the control group were have slow BMI&lt;25 kg/m2. The serum Transferrin, serum fasting insulin, serum iron, lipid profile and fasting glucose was evaluated in each of studied groups. The Obese group showed significant increase of the serum insulin concentration compared with the control group (16.77±7.68 vs. 11.7 ±2.79, p &lt;0.001). As well as in transferrin and lipid profile significant change was detected. No prominent differences were detected in the three groups in iron and glucose concentration. Investigation of serum transferrin can be participated in future as iron deficiency marker in obese subject in conjugation with serum iron and serum ferritin.