The interplay between inflammation, physical activity and metabolic syndrome in a remote male geriatric community in Southern Taiwan: the Tianliao Old People (TOP) study 03.
BACKGROUND
Both physical activity and inflammation are important in the pathophysiology of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Our study aim is to explore their associations in an elderly male (≥ 65 years old) cohort.


METHODS
We enrolled 309 elderly male residents (mean age: 74.4 ± 6.0 years) in a remote southern Taiwan community. The physical activity was recorded by a standard questionnaire. A high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) level > 3.0 mg/L indicated a high inflammatory status.


RESULTS
The total prevalence rate of MetS was 27.8% in this male geriatric cohort. Median hsCRP levels were significantly higher in the MetS group (1.60 ± 0.7 vs. 1.0 ± 0.3 mg/L, p < 0.01), and the risk of elevated hsCRP increased with escalating MetS components (p for trend < 0.001). The non-MetS group had higher amount of median weekly physical activity (183.1 ± 19.0 vs. 173.5 ± 10.6 MET-hr/week, p = 0.029), which was also higher among those with lower hsCRP levels (186.1 ± 14.1 vs. 167.8 ± 38.5 MET-hr/week, p = 0.013). Multivariate analysis showed that higher body mass index (ORs: 1.527, 95% CI: 1.319-1.768, p < 0.01) insulin (OR: 1.128, 95% CI: 1.045-1.218, p < 0.01) and physical activity (ORs: 0.997, 95% IC: 0.994-0.999, p < 0.05) were independent predictors of MetS, but not hsCRP level (p > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Reduced physical activity was one major pathophysiological MetS factor in our Asian geriatric participants.
Chia-Ling
CL
Chang
Po-Tseng
PT
Lee
Wei-Ting
WT
Chang
Chin-Sung
CS
Chang
Jyh-Hong
JH
Chen
Liang-Miin
LM
Tsai
Chih-Hsing
CH
Wu
Division of Cardiology, Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan. larry@mail.ncku.edu.tw.
Ping-Yen
PY
Liu