Background
Insulin resistance contributes to the development of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Smoking leads to an increase in triglyceride levels, which, in turn, increases insulin resistance. Although the number of e-cigarette users has increased in recent years, few studies have investigated the association between ecigarette use and insulin resistance. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the association between e-cigarette use and insulin resistance using the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index in Korean adults.
Methods
This study included 4,404 healthy adults aged ≥20 years who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2019 and 2020. Participants were categorized as never-smokers or ecigarette users, and the TyG index was categorized into low- and high-TyG index groups according to the median value (9.22). A logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the association between e-cigarette smoking and insulin resistance.
Results
E-cigarette users had a higher TyG index than never smokers (e-cigarette: mean=3.95; never: mean=9.18; P<0.001). The e-cigarette users had a higher risk of being in the high TyG index group than never-smokers (odds ratio [OR], 1.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03–1.84). In the subgroup analysis stratified by sex, age, and body mass index, a higher OR for a high TyG index was observed in men (OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.03–2.08) and individuals aged 60 years or older (OR, 3.74; 95% CI, 1.14–12.30).
Conclusion
Our findings suggest that e-cigarette use is significantly associated with insulin resistance.

Background
Sleep duration is associated with hearing loss, especially presbycusis, which is the most common type of hearing loss; however, there is limited evidence regarding this association among the Korean population. We aimed to determine the relationship between sleep duration and high-frequency hearing loss in Korean adults aged ≥40 years.
Methods
We examined 5,547 Korean adults aged ≥40 years who completed audiometric tests and questionnaires regarding sleep duration during the 2010–2012 cycle of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Mild presbycusis was defined as >25 decibels (dB) and <40 dB, whereas moderate-to-severe presbycusis was defined as >40 dB pure tone averages at high frequencies (3,000, 4,000, and 6,000 Hz) for both ears. Additionally, the sleep duration was divided into quartiles. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using multivariable logistic regression after adjusting for covariates.
Results
The prevalence of presbycusis in South Korean adults was 62.1%, of which 61.4% showed moderate to severe presbycusis. The incidence of moderate-to-severe, but not mild, presbycusis showed a significant positive correlation with sleep duration.
Conclusion
Our findings suggest that sleep duration is associated with the prevalence of presbycusis.

Citations

• Joint association of sleep duration and depression with new-onset hearing loss: a national cohort study
  Fang Wang, Yu-Jun Xiong, Da-Ming Shao, Tian Lv, Shiqin Chen, Qian-Yuan Zhu
  Frontiers in Nutrition.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Sleep characteristics and hearing loss in middle-aged and older adults: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015–2018
  Kening Jiang, Adam P. Spira, Nicholas S. Reed, Frank R. Lin, Jennifer A. Deal
  Sleep Epidemiology.2024; 4: 100082.     CrossRef
• Age-related hearing loss and its potential drug candidates: a systematic review
  Shiyu Hu, Qingru Sun, Fei Xu, Ninghua Jiang, Jianli Gao
  Chinese Medicine.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef

Background
Although many studies have demonstrated that the first cigarette in the morning increases the prevalence of smoking-related morbidity, limited studies have examined the impact of time to first cigarette (TTFC) on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Thus, we assessed this relationship using nationally-representative data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VII-1 (2016).
Methods
We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from 577 current male smokers aged 30–59 years, after excluding those with a certain disease. Participants were divided into four categories according to TTFC (≤5 min, 6–30 min, 31–60 min, >60 min). HRQoL was measured using self-reported EuroQol-5 (EQ-5D). The relationship between TTFC and EQ-5D index was analyzed using a multivariate-adjusted generalized linear model to assess how HRQoL varies according to TTFC. After adjusting for confounders, a multivariate-adjusted logistic regression analysis was performed to identify which of the five dimensions of the EQ-5D affected the HRQoL according to TTFC.
Results
The generalized linear analysis indicated that as TTFC decreased (6–30 min, 31–60 min vs. >60 min), the EQ-5D index score decreased significantly (P=0.037). Shorter TTFC (≤5 min vs. >60 min) was associated with higher pain/discomfort (odds ratio [OR], 3.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.39–10.48) and anxiety/depression (OR, 7.58; 95% CI, 1.75–32.88).
Conclusion
Higher nicotine dependence was associated with impaired HRQoL. These results may be used to improve smoking cessation treatment outcomes.

Citations

• Current status of tobacco use, cessation and control policy in Korea
  Cheol Min Lee
  Journal of the Korean Medical Association.2022; 65(12): 789.     CrossRef

Background
Grip strength is a convenient method to measure muscle strength. Recently, relative handgrip strength (HGS) was recommended as a clinical predictor of metabolic health and disease, such as dyslipidemia, which is considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study was to characterize the association between relative HGS and dyslipidemia.
Methods
We included 6,027 adults (2,934 men, 3,093 women) aged 30–69 years who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2014 and 2015. Relative HGS was obtained by dividing the HGS by body mass index. Complex sampling analysis was conducted to compare the general characteristics of participants according to the quartiles of relative HGS. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between quartiles of relative HGS and dyslipidemia.
Results
After adjustment for age, prevalence of diabetes mellitus, prevalence of hypertension, alcohol consumption, smoking status, exercise, income, and education level, relative HGS was inversely associated with dyslipidemia in both men and women. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for dyslipidemia in quartiles 1, 2, and 3 relative to quartile 4 were 1.36 (1.00–1.83), 1.29 (0.98–1.70), 1.23 (0.95– 1.60) in men and 1.81 (1.30–2.50), 1.81 (1.32–2.47), 1.39 (1.07–1.81) in women, respectively.
Conclusion
Relative HGS was inversely associated with dyslipidemia risk in Korean adults. Muscle-strengthening exercise is recommended to enhance health outcomes.

Citations

• Association between handgrip strength and metabolic syndrome in relation to gender and adiposity among middle aged and older Saudi populations
  Shaea A. Alkahtani, Ghedeir M. Alshammari, Aishah Alzuwaydi, Abdulaziz Alfuhaid, Abeer A. Al-Masri, Rizwan Qaisar, Syed Shahid Habib
  The Aging Male.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Association Between Typologies of Sedentary Behavior and Muscle Strength, Gait Speed, and Balance in Community-Dwelling Older Adults
  Letícia Martins Cândido, Núbia Carelli Pereira de Avelar, Eleonora D’Orsi, Ana Cristina Rodrigues Lacerda, Vanessa Amaral Mendonça, Gabriella Tringali, Alessandro Sartorio, Ana Lúcia Danielewicz
  Journal of Aging and Physical Activity.2024; 32(2): 225.     CrossRef
• Predictors of the onset of low handgrip strength in Europe: a longitudinal study of 42,183 older adults from 15 countries
  Rizwan Qaisar, M. Azhar Hussain, Fabio Franzese, Asima Karim, Firdos Ahmad, Atif Awad, Abeer A. Al-Masri, Shaea A. Alkahtani
  Aging Clinical and Experimental Research.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Increasing muscular strength to improve cardiometabolic risk factors
  Patricio Lopez-Jaramillo, Jose P. Lopez-Lopez, Maria Camila Tole, Daniel D. Cohen
  Clínica e Investigación en Arteriosclerosis.2023; 35(3): 144.     CrossRef
• Association of absolute and relative hand grip strength with all-cause mortality among middle-aged and old-aged people
  Wonjeong Jeong, Jong Youn Moon, Jae-Hyun Kim
  BMC Geriatrics.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Identification of subgroups with poor lipid control among patients with dyslipidemia using decision tree analysis: the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2019 to 2021
  Hee Sun Kim, Seok Hee Jeong
  Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science.2023; 25(2): 131.     CrossRef
• Increasing muscular strength to improve cardiometabolic risk factors
  Patricio Lopez-Jaramillo, Jose P. Lopez-Lopez, Maria Camila Tole, Daniel D. Cohen
  Clínica e Investigación en Arteriosclerosis (English Edition).2023; 35(3): 144.     CrossRef
• Association between Relative Handgrip Strength and Insulin Resistance in Korean Elderly Men without Diabetes: Findings of the 2015 Korea National Health Nutrition Examination Survey
  Kwang-Chae Joo, Da-Hye Son, Jae-Min Park
  Korean Journal of Family Medicine.2022; 43(3): 199.     CrossRef
• Association Between C-Reactive Protein and Relative Handgrip Strength in Postmenopausal Korean Women Aged 45–80 Years: A Cross-Sectional Study
  Da-Hye Son, Seung-Ah Song, Yong-Jae Lee
  Clinical Interventions in Aging.2022; Volume 17: 971.     CrossRef
• Relationship Between Relative Grip Strength and Serum Total Cholesterol, High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol, Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol, and Triglyceride Levels in Korean Middle-Aged or Older Adults: A Panel Regression Model
  DooYong Park, Duck-Chul Lee, YeonSoo Kim
  Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders.2022; 20(9): 517.     CrossRef
• Stroke-Related Sarcopenia among Two Different Developing Countries with Diverse Ethnic Backgrounds (Cross-National Study in Egypt and China)
  Marwa Mohammed, Jianan Li
  Healthcare.2022; 10(11): 2336.     CrossRef
• Importance of Handgrip Strength as a Health Indicator in the Elderly
  Soo Young Kim
  Korean Journal of Family Medicine.2021; 42(1): 1.     CrossRef
• Handgrip Strength: An Irreplaceable Indicator of Muscle Function
  Sang Yoon Lee
  Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine.2021; 45(3): 167.     CrossRef
• Association between relative handgrip strength and abdominal obesity, type-2 diabetes and hypertension in a Mexican population
  Iris Paola Guzmán-Guzmán, Pedro Delgado-Floody, Ilse Adriana Gutiérrez-Pérez, Felipe Caamaño-Navarrete, Daniel Jerez-Mayorga, Óscar Zaragoza-García, Isela Parra-Rojas
  Nutrición Hospitalaria.2021;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Grip Strength as a Cardiometabolic Marker
  Jungun Lee
  Korean Journal of Family Medicine.2020; 41(5): 271.     CrossRef