Background: Few studies have used nationally representative data to describe dietary trends and the related cardiometabolic mortality burden in China. Thus, we aimed to characterize the trends in disease-related dietary factors as well as their associated disease burden among Chinese adults from 1982 to 2012.

Background Poor diet quality is a major driver of both classical malnutrition and noncommunicable disease (NCD) and was responsible for 22% of adult deaths in 2017. Most countries face dual burdens of undernutrition and NCDs, yet no simple global standard metric exists for monitoring diet quality in populations and population subgroups. Objectives We aimed to develop an easy-to-use metric for nutrient adequacy and diet related NCD risk in diverse settings. Methods Using cross-sectional and cohort data from nonpregnant, nonlactating women of reproductive age in 10 African countries as well as China, India, Mexico, and the United States, we undertook secondary analyses to develop novel metrics of diet quality and to evaluate associations between metrics and nutrient intakes and adequacy, anthropometry, biomarkers, type 2 diabetes, and iteratively modified metric design to improve performance and to compare novel metric performance to that of existing metrics. Results We developed the Global Diet Quality Score (GDQS), a food-based metric incorporating a more comprehensive list of food groups than most existing diet metrics, and a simple means of scoring consumed amounts. In secondary analyses, the GDQS performed comparably with the Minimum Dietary Diversity - Women indicator in predicting an energy-adjusted aggregate measure of dietary protein, fiber, calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin A, folate, and vitamin B12 adequacy and with anthropometric and biochemical indicators of undernutrition (including underweight, anemia, and serum folate deficiency), and the GDQS also performed comparably or better than the Alternative Healthy Eating Index - 2010 in capturing NCD-related outcomes (including metabolic syndrome, change in weight and waist circumference, and incident type 2 diabetes). Conclusions The simplicity of the GDQS and its ability to capture both nutrient adequacy and diet-related NCD risk render it a promising candidate for global monitoring platforms. Research is warranted to validate methods to operationalize GDQS assessment in population surveys, including a novel application–based 24-h recall system developed as part of this project.

Long-term HRR induced by ivabradine improves diastolic LV function probably involving attenuated hypoxia, reduced remodeling, and/or preserved nitric oxide bioavailability, resulting from processes triggered early after HRR initiation: angiogenesis and/or preservation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression.

Maternal QI in obese dams during gestation and lactation reduced birth weight and postnatal BW gain in the offspring, and helped to improve insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism of the mature offspring via reducing ER stress and related inflammation in the liver and adipose tissue.

The present study was done to examine the status of dietary sodium intake and dietary sources of sodium among Chinese adults. Data were obtained from China National Nutrition and Health Surveillance (CNNHS) 2010-2012. All adults recruited in this study provided complete dietary data on three-day consecutive 24-h dietary recalls combining with the household weighing method. Sodium intake was adjusted for energy to 2000 kcal/day using the residual method. Average sodium intake was 5013 (95% Confidence Interval, CI: 4858, 5168) mg/day, and 92.6% of adults' sodium intake exceeded the standard in the Chinese proposed intake for preventing non-communicable chronic diseases (PI-NCD). The salt added to food was the main contributor to daily sodium intake, representing 69.2% of the total sodium consumption. The proportion of sodium from salt was different in some subgroups. The contribution ranged from 64.8% for those who came from urban areas aged 18-49 years old to 74.7% for those who came from rural areas with education levels of primary school or less, and sodium from soy sauce was the next highest contributor (8.2%). The proportion of the subjects with sodium intake contributed by flour products was higher in the north with 7.1% than the south with 1.4%. The average consumption of sodium among Chinese was more than the recommended amount, and salt was the main source of sodium.

Background: Zebrafish have become a valuable model for the study of developmental biology and human disease, such as cardiovascular disease. It is difficult to discriminate between disease-related and age-related alterations. Objective: This study was aimed to investigate the effects and potential mechanisms of age-related cardiac modifications in an older zebrafish population. Methods: In this study, we calculated the survival rate and measured the spinal curvature through the aging process. A swimming challenge test was performed and showed that swimming capacity and endurance dramatically dropped in older fish groups. Results: To find out the effect of stress on zebrafish during the aging process, we recorded electrocardiograms on zebrafish and showed that during stress, aging not only led to a significant reduction in heart rate, but also caused other age-related impairments, such as arrhythmias and ST-T depression. Echocardiography showed a marked increase in end-diastolic ventricular dimensions and in isovolumic relaxation time and a notably slower mean and peak velocity of the bulboventricular valve in older zebrafish, but stroke volume and cardiac output were not different in young and old zebrafish. Both nppa and nppb (cardiac fetal genes for natriuretic factor) expression detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis increased in older fish compared to the younger group. Histological staining revealed fibrosis within cardiomyocytes and an increase in ventricular myocardial density and a decrease in epicardial vessel dimensions in older fish hearts that may correlate with a deterioration of cardiac function and exercise capacity. Conclusion: These data suggest that cardiac functional modifications in zebrafish are comparable to those in humans and may partly be due to changes in the cardiovascular system including cardiac fetal gene reprogramming, myocardial density, and epicardial vessel dimensions.

Optimizing peak bone mass in early life is one of key preventive strategies against osteoporosis. Fructus ligustri lucidi (FLL), the fruit of Ligustrum lucidum Ait., is a commonly prescribed herb in many kidney-tonifying traditional Chinese medicinal formulas to alleviate osteoporosis. Previously, FLL extracts have been shown to have osteoprotective effect in aged or ovariectomized rats. In the present study, we investigated the effects of FLL ethanol extract on bone mineral density (BMD) and mechanical properties in growing male rats and explored the underlying mechanisms. Male weaning Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into four groups and orally administrated for 4 months an AIN-93G formula-based diet supplementing with different doses of FLL ethanol extract (0.40, 0.65, and 0.90 %) or vehicle control, respectively. Then calcium balance, serum level of Ca, P, 25(OH)2D3, 1,25(OH)2D3, osteocalcin (OCN), C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX-I), and parathyroid hormone, bone microarchitecture, and calcium absorption-related genes expression in duodenum and kidney were analyzed. The results demonstrated that FLL ethanol extract increased BMD of growing rats and improved their bone microarchitecture and mechanical properties. FLL ethanol extract altered bone turnover, as evidenced by increasing a bone formation maker, OCN, and decreasing a bone resorption maker, CTX-I. Intriguingly, both Ca absorption and Ca retention rate were elevated by FLL ethanol extract treatment, possibly through the mechanisms of up-regulating the transcriptions of calcitropic genes in kidney (1α-hydroxylase) and duodenum (vitamin D receptor, calcium transporter calbindin-D9k, and transient receptor potential vanilloid 6). In conclusion, FLL ethanol extract increased bone mass gain and improved bone properties via modulating bone turnover and up-regulating calcium absorption-related gene expression in kidney and duodenum, which could then activate 1,25(OH)2D3-dependent calcium transport in male growing rats.

Background: China’s diet transition might offer guidance to undeveloped countries on the way to prosperity. This report describes the trends and disparities in energy and macronutrient composition among Chinese adults, and between subpopulations. Methods: Data for the current study were obtained from the 1982, 1992, 2002, and 2010–2012 China National Nutrition Survey (CNNS) rounds, which were nationally representative cross-sectional surveys. We applied 24-h dietary recall and food weighing to assess dietary intake. Results: There were 204,877 participants aged 20 years or older included in the current analysis. From 1982 to 2012, the estimated energy intake declined from 2614.7 kcal to 2063.9 kcal. The trend in the estimated percentage of energy intake from fat showed a spike. It increased from 16.3% to 33.1% (1992 vs. 1982 difference, 7.6%; 95% CI 7.4% to 7.7%; 2002 vs. 1992 difference, 7.7%; 95% CI 7.6% to 7.9%; 2012 vs. 2002 difference, 1.6%; 95% CI 1.4% to 1.7%; p < 0.01 for trend). The trends coincided in all the subgroups (all p < 0.01 for trend) except for the subgroup of those educated over 15 years, whose percentage of energy intake from fat declined from 37.4% to 36.6% (2012 vs. 2002 difference, −0.8%; 95% CI −1.6% to 0.0%). The estimated percentage of energy intake from carbohydrates declined from 74.0% to 55.0%. The ranges of the estimated percentage of energy intake from fat, within population subgroups stratified by education level, area and Gross national product (GNP) level, were narrowed. Conclusions: Quick improvements in society and the economy effectively curbed undernutrition, but easily triggered overnutrition. Disparities persistently existed between different subpopulations, while the gaps would narrow if comprehensive efforts were made. Education might be a promising way to prevent overnutrition during prosperous progress. The low-social profile populations require specific interventions so as to avoid further disease burdens.