This study examines the relative importance of fitness versus fatness in predicting mortality in elderly populations aged 70 years and over, and whether fitness may account for the 'paradoxical' relationship between better survival and increasing weight. Four thousand community-living Chinese men and women aged 65 years or over were recruited and stratified so that approximately 33% were in each of the age groups: 65-69, 70-74, and 75 or above. Medical history, height, weight, waist-hip ratio, body composition using DEXA, and walking speed were obtained. They were followed up for a mean of 7.0 years to ascertain death. Compared with the high fitness category, those in the moderate and low categories have a 43% and 68% increased risk of mortality at 7 years adjusting for multiple confounders. When mortality risk according to various fatness indicators was examined, only the lowest quartile of BMI, BFI, and FLMR conferred statistically significant increased risk. Fitness categories were significantly associated with all fatness indicators. The finding of fewer people in the high fitness category among the highest quartiles of other fatness indicators suggests that fitness is not the underlying mechanism for the obesity paradox. Within each quartile of fatness indicator, there was a significant trend towards reduced mortality with increasing fitness. In conclusion, the study confirms the beneficial effects of cardiorespiratory fitness on mortality but does not explain the 'obesity paradox'. The findings underscore the importance of maintaining physical fitness through exercise and re-confirm the importance of weight maintenance in reducing mortality risk.

AFLP profiles characteristic to Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolius were generated using primers E-AGG/M-CAA. P. ginseng samples from different farms in China and Korea are homogeneous genetically [similarity index (SI) = 0.88-0.99], whereas samples of P. quinquefolius from different sources are much more heterogeneous (SI = 0.64-0.96). Detailed analysis of one of the polymorphic bands in P. ginseng led to the identification of a minisatellite Pg2, which contains eight repeats of 5'-AGGACTCATCACATTGTTACTC. The minisatellite DNA was consequently used in directed amplification minisatellite region DNA analysis to authenticate the two ginsengs.

BackgroundSeveral studies have simultaneously examined physical activity (PA) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) with metabolic syndrome (MS). However, the independent roles of both PA and CRF with MS are less firmly established. The combined contributions of PA and CRF with MS are less studied, particularly among Chinese women. There is uncertainty over the extent to which metabolically healthy but overweight/obese individuals have a higher CRF level.MethodsThe sample included 184 Chinese women aged 55 to 69 years with available metabolic data and lifestyle factors. PA was assessed by self-reported questionnaire; CRF was assessed by maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) during a symptom-limited maximal exercise test on a cycle ergometer. Metabolically healthy/abnormal was defined on the basis of absence or presence of MS. Overweight was defined as a body mass index (BMI) of ≥ 23 kg/m2 and obese was defined as a BMI of ≥ 25 kg/m2.ResultsThe prevalence of MS was 21.7%. PA was inversely associated with the prevalence of MS after adjustment for age, BMI, and dietary total calories intake, but the association was eliminated after further adjustment for CRF. CRF was inversely associated with the prevalence of MS independent of age, BMI, and dietary total calories intake, and the association remained significant after further adjustment for PA. In the PA and CRF combined analysis, compared with those in the lowest tertile of PA (inactive) and lowest tertile of CRF (unfit), the OR (95%CI) of having MS was 0.31 (0.09–1.06) for subjects in the higher tertiles (2nd–3rd) of PA (active) but were unfit, 0.23 (0.06–0.88) for subjects who were inactive but in the higher tertiles (2nd–3rd) of CRF (fit), and 0.14 (0.04–0.45) for subjects who were active and fit. Metabolically healthy but overweight/obese subjects had a higher CRF level than their metabolically abnormal and overweight/obese peers. However, the difference did not reach statistically significance.ConclusionsCRF has greater association with the prevalence of MS compared with PA in Chinese midlife women. The interrelationships between CRF, obesity, and MS needs further study.

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