[Purpose]The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of aerobic exercise training on a high fat diet (HFD)-induced fatty liver and its metabolic complications in C57BL/6 mice.[Methods]Mice at 5-month old (n = 30) were randomly assigned to standard chow (SC + CON, n = 10) and high-fat diet (HFD, n = 20), and they were subjected to SC and HFD, respectively, for 23-week. After 15-week of HFD, mice in the HFD group were further assigned to HFD (HFD + CON, n = 10) or exercise training (HFD + EX, n = 10) groups. The HFD + EX mice were subjected to aerobic treadmill running during the last 8-week of the 23-week HFD course. Outcomes included hepatic steatosis, insulin resistance, and expression of genes involved in mitochondrial function and/or fatty oxidation as well as de novo lipogenesis and/or triacylglycerol (TAG) synthesis.[Results]Treadmill running ameliorated impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance secondary to the HFD. The beneficial effects of treadmill running were associated with enhanced molecular markers of mitochondrial function and/or fatty acids oxidation (i.e., PPARα and CPT1a mRNAs, pAMPK/AMPK, pACC, and SIRT1 protein) as well as suppressed expression of de novo lipogenesis and/or TAG synthesis (i.e., SREBP1c, lipin1 and FAS mRNAs) in the liver.[Conclusion]The current findings suggest that aerobic exercise training is an effective and non-pharmacological means to combat fatty liver and its metabolic complications in HFD-induced obese mice.

[Purpose]The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of 12-week walking exercise on abdominal fat, insulin resistance and serum cytokines in obese women.[Methods]Following baseline measurements, obese women (N = 20) who met obesity criterion of BMI at 25 kg/m2 or greater were randomly assigned to the control (n = 10) or exercise groups (n = 10). Women assigned to the exercise group participated in a walking exercise (with an intensity of 50-60% of predetermined VO2max, a frequency of 3 days per week and duration of 50-70 minutes targeting 400 kcal of energy expenditure per session) for 12 weeks, while women assigned to the control group maintained their sedentary lifestyle. After the 12-week walking intervention, post-test measurements were conducted using the same procedure as the baseline measurement. Analyses of variance with repeated measures were used to evaluate any significant time by group interactions for the measured variables.[Results]With respect to body fat parameters, significant time-by-group interactions were found in the abdominal subcutaneous (p = < 0.001) and visceral adipose tissues (p = 0.011). The exercise group had significant reductions in both subcutaneous and visceral adiposity, and the control group had no significant changes in those parameters. Similarly, there were significant time by group interactions in fasting glucose (p = 0.008), HOMA-IR (p = 0.029), serum TNF-α (p = 0.027), and IL-6 (p = 0.048) such that the exercise group had significant reductions in those parameters, with no such significant changes found in the control group. The exercise group also had a significant increase in serum adiponectin (p = 0.002), whereas the control group had no significant change in the parameter.[Conclusion]In summary, the current findings suggest that walking exercise can provide a safe and effective lifestyle strategy against abdominal obesity and serum insulin resistance markers in obese women.

Background: To investigate the association between involuntary weight loss (IWL) and late-life depression (LLD) in a population-based cohort study. Methods: Data (N=6945) obtained from the 2008 baseline and 2011 follow-up assessments of the Living Profiles of Older People Survey in Korea were used. Changed body weight between the 2008 and 2011 was classified into stable weight (<-5% ~ <+5%), lightweight loss (≥-5% ~ <-10%), moderate weight loss (≥-10%), lightweight gain (+≥5 ~ <+10%), and moderate weight gain (≥+10%). Results: Compared to the stable weight group, the moderate weight loss group had a higher risk of LLD (odds ratio=1.99, 95% confidence interval=1.61-2.46, P<0.001) even after adjustments for covariates, including age, BMI, education, income, life of solitude, smoking, physical activity, dependent aging, comorbidity, and cognitive function. Conclusion: IWL is significantly associated with LLD in Korean older adults, implying the prognostic importance of IWL for presenting mental health issues later in life.

Background: This study examined the relationship of physical activity (PA) combined with lower-body muscle strength to late-life depression and cognitive impairment in 10,097 participants (6062 females) ≥ 65 years of age. Methods: Exposures were PA, sit-to-stand test (STST), and depressive symptoms. Outcome was cognitive performance. Results: Depressed individuals had an increased risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI; odds ratio (OR), adjusted OR = 1.845 and 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.580–2.154, p < 0.001) compared with non-depressed individuals. Individuals who had insufficient PA and a poor STST and either insufficient PA or a poor STST had an increased risk of MCI (adjusted OR = 1.329 and 95% CI = 1.209–1.46, p < 0.001 and adjusted OR = 2.822 and 95% CI = 2.488–3.200, p < 0001, respectively) compared with individuals who had sufficient PA and a good STST. A significant moderation effect of PA combined with lower-body muscle strength on the relationship between depression and cognitive function was observed (β = −1.3923; 95% CI = −2.1505 to −0.6341, p < 0.003). Conclusions: The negative effect of late-life depression on cognitive function was incremental in the order of sufficient PA and a good STST, insufficient PA or a poor STST, and insufficient PA and a poor STST.

Background This population-based cross-sectional study examined the associations between physical activity (PA) and lower body muscle strength (LBMS) with late-life depression in a representative sample of older Korean adults aged 65 years and older. Methods The data used in the current study (n = 10,097/60% women) were extracted from the 2020 Korea Longitudinal Study on Aging, which is a nationwide population-based survey conducted in Korea. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Geriatric Depression Scale Short-Form. PA and LBMS were evaluated with a self-reported questionnaire and the 5 times sit-to-stand test, respectively. Covariates include age, gender, body mass index, education level, smoking status, alcohol intake, and comorbidity. Results Insufficient PA had higher odds of depression (odds ratio [OR] = 1.201, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.035–1.393, p = 0.016), even after adjustments for all covariates, compared to sufficient PA. Poor LBMS had higher odds of depression (OR = 2.173, 95% CI = 1.821–2.593, p < 0.001), even after adjustments for all covariates, compared to good LBMS. Particularly, a significant moderation effect of LBMS on the relationship between PA and depressive symptoms was observed (β = 0.3514 and 95% CI = 0.1294 ~ 0.5733, p < 0.001). Individuals with poor LBMS had a greater odd of depression associated with physical inactivity compared to their counterparts with good LBMS. Conclusions The results of this study support the importance of promoting muscular strength through regular exercise as a preventive strategy against late-life depression in Korean adults.

PURPOSE: This study investigated the relationships of smartphone usage with spinal curvature and neck or shoulder pain in a sample of school children.METHODS: Participants were elementary school children (152 boys, 156 girls). Spinal parameters such as trunk inclination (TI), kyphotic angle (KA), and fleche cervical (FC) were measured with a spine and posture analyzer (DIERS Formetric 4D). In addition, smartphone addiction score (SAS), experience of neck or shoulder pain, postural habits, and lifestyle risk factors were assessed with a standardized questionnaire. Children were classified as good- and poor-posture group according to cervical postures while using a smartphone and as low, medium, and high-risk group according to the SAS levels. Logistic regression was used to determine the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of pain experience.RESULTS: With respect to postures, children with poor posture had significantly higher values of TI, FC, and pain experience than children with good posture children. Children with poor posture had a significantly higher risk of neck or shoulder pain (OR=6.51, 95% CI=3.63-11.67, <i>p</i><.001) compared with children with good posture (OR=1). With respect to the severity of smartphone addiction, there were significant incremental trends in KA, FC, and pain experience according to the SAS-based subgroups (from low to high-risk group). The medium- and high-risk groups had significantly higher risks of neck or shoulder pain (OR=4.77, 95% CI=1.93-11.78, <i>p</i><.001 and OR=16.51, 95% CI=6.40-42.54, respectively) compared with the low-risk group (OR=1).CONCLUSIONS: The current findings suggest that smartphone addiction and poor posture are two modifiable risk factors in determining the severity of spinal curvature and risk of neck and shoulder pain in school children.

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