Nanfang Li

BACKGROUND: Chinese Uygur, Kazakh, Mongolian and Han populations represent >90% of the total population of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and their genetic backgrounds, customs, culture, and food consumption are different. The effect of ethnic differences on cardiovascular disease risk factors (CRFs; hypertension, obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, smoking) can be striking but is rarely studied. We report here the findings of the relationship among these ethnic groups and their CRFs ...

BACKGROUND: Hypertension affects > 18.8% of adults in China. Indeed, hypertension is the most prevalent risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality worldwide. Genetic variation is thought to contribute to the etiology of hypertension. NEDD4L is a candidate gene for hypertension, both functionally and genetically. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship between the variation in NEDD4L and essential hypertension in Kazakh, which is a relatively ...

Hypertension is a common global health problem including China. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and awareness of hypertension, and evaluate risk factors associated with hypertension among multi-ethnic population in northwest China using a random sampling cross-sectional data.A cross-sectional survey was conducted between 2014 and 2015 as part of a nationwide survey using stratified four-stage random sampling in Xinjiang. Hypertension was defined as mean systolic blood pressure ...

BACKGROUND: Even through narrowing of the upper-airway plays an important role in the generation of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the peripheral airways is implicated in pre-obese and obese OSA patients, as a result of decreased lung volume and increased lung elastic recoil pressure, which, in turn, may aggravate upper-airway collapsibility.

METHODS: A total of 263 male (n = 193) and female (n = 70) subjects who were obese to various degrees without a history of lung diseases and an ...

Background: Hypertension is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease. Distribution of hypertension and related factors among multiethnic population in Northwest China remains scarce. The aim was to determine prevalence, awareness, treatment, control, and risk factors associated with hypertension among multiethnic population in Northwest China.

Methods: We conducted a blood pressure (BP) screening project covering a third of adults in Emin Xinjiang, Northwest China, during 2014-2016. ...

BACKGROUND: Since the control rate of blood pressure is lower in mainland China, the aim of this study is to investigate the proportion of secondary causes and coexisting diseases of hypertension in hypertensive patients.

METHODS: Data on consecutive patients with hypertension who visited the Hypertension Center. Diseases were detected using an established strict screening protocol.

RESULTS: Detection rate of secondary causes and coexisting diseases of hypertension was 39.5% among 3003 ...

Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is a complex chronic inflammatory respiratory disease with multiple pathogenic factors and high morbidity and mortality. Serum levels of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α), and surfactant protein D (SPD) were investigated in OSAHS patients, to determine their clinical significance and correlation with the pathogenesis. Patients were classified into a mild and moderate OSAHS group (n = 25) and severe OSAHS ...

PurposePrevious studies have shown that surfactant proteins are affected by oxygen concentration and mechanic stretches, although the alteration of serum surfactant proteins in individuals with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is still unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine whether serum concentrations of surfactant proteins A and D are altered and related to hypopnea index (HI) in OSA.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study. Consecutive 140 males, suspicious of OSA, were ...

BACKGROUND: To examine trends in serum lipids in population in Northwestern Xinjiang between 1998 and 2015 and to provide clues for future prevention.

METHODS: We enrolled 5,142 adults aged ≥30 years from seven independent cross-sectional studies conducted in 1998-2000, 2007-2008, and 2015. Blood lipid profiles, such as total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), were measured.

RESULTS: The mean ...

Uncertainty remains about the association of hypertension with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in less-developed areas.This is a cross-sectional survey conducted in Xinjiang, a less-developed region in China between April and October 2019. We used multi-stage stratified sampling method to obtain study population aged ≥45 years, and we analyzed complete data for 3282 subjects. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to assess cognitive function. MCI is defined as an MMSE ...

BACKGROUND: High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a kind of proinflammatory mediator to stimulate the innate and adaptive immune system and participates in a number of acute and chronic inflammatory processes after sterile injury or microbial invasion. HMGB1 has been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of many autoimmune diseases. However, the results are contradictory or inconclusive among these findings. The aim of this study was to investigate whether serum/plasma HMGB1 levels ...

OBJECTIVE: Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a prevalent phenomenon in adults, and although cohort studies have reported an association between EDS and adverse health outcomes, the results are inconclusive. This meta-analysis summarizes the evidence from longitudinal cohort studies on the relationship between EDS and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or all-cause mortality.

DESIGN: A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies was conducted.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: We ...

BackgroundSurfactant proteins B and C are mainly synthesized, secreted by alveolar type II cells, and affected by hypoxia and mechanical stretches. We hypothesized that their serum levels might be altered by intermittent hypoxia and swing of intrathoracic pressure of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).MethodsConsecutive 140 middle-aged males, suspicious of OSA determined by polysomnography, were studied. Surfactant proteins B and C were determined by ELISA.ResultsSurfactant protein B ...

Few attention has been directed to the potential effects of intermittent hypoxia experienced in obstructive sleep apnea on the integrity and permeability of intestinal barrier, particularly in adults. Therefore, we evaluated alteration in serum d-lactate concentration in middle-aged males with obstructive sleep apnea to value permeability of intestinal barrier. In this current cross-sectional study, consecutive 159 males were studied. Obstructive sleep apnea was determined by ...

Background: Hypertension is a global problem, for which high-altitude residents exhibit higher burden. Hypertension in Tajik nomads from Pamirs with an average altitude above 4000 m remains less studied. We aimed to determine the prevalence, awareness, treatment, control, and risk factors associated with hypertension among Tajik population in Pamirs.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between August and September 2015 using stratified three-stage random sampling in Taxkorgan ...