Search Results (667)

Background: Wild blueberries (WB), abundant in (poly)phenols such as anthocyanins and chlorogenic acids, have shown vascular benefits in several preclinical and epidemiological settings. However, evidence from human trials remains limited. This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover trial investigated the effects of the consumption of a WB drink on vascular reactivity and circulating adhesion molecules in healthy young adults. Methods: Participants received 300 mL of a WB drink (30 g of freeze-dried WB powder containing 740 mg total (poly)phenols, 460 mg total anthocyanins and 170 mg chlorogenic acid) or the same amount of a placebo (PL) drink. Blood pressure, heart rate, microvascular reactivity (i.e., reactive hyperemia index, RHI, lnRHI and FRHI) and arterial stiffness (i.e., augmentation index, AIx) were assessed at baseline and 2 h after consumption of the WB and PL drinks using Endo-PAT2000. In addition, plasma circulating adhesion molecules including vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), E-selectin, and cluster of differentiation 15 (CD 15 or Lewis x) were analyzed using ELISA. Results: Overall, analysis of variance did not show a significant effect of treatment on the modulation of markers of vascular function and adhesion molecules but revealed an effect of time, with an increase in terms of microvascular reactivity (RHI, p < 0.01; lnRHI, p < 0.05; FRHI, p < 0.001) and augmentation index (AIx, p < 0.01), and a reduction in the circulating levels of VCAM-1 (p < 0.001) following the intake of both WB and PL drinks. Conclusions: In conclusion, the intake of a WB drink failed to affect vascular function in young healthy subjects. Larger-scale and longer-term intervention studies, particularly in individuals at increased cardiovascular risk and in those with vascular dysfunction, are warranted to further explore the role of WB in modulating vascular reactivity. Full article

This experiment aimed to study the effects of thymol on the growth performance, blood biochemical indices, hormone levels, rumen fermentation parameters, and rumen microbial changes of Texel-Hazak sheep ewes. Thirty healthy young hybrid ewes were selected and randomly divided into two groups, 15 each: a control group (CG) and an experimental group (EG). Under the same feeding management conditions, the diet of the CG group was not treated in any way, while the basal diet of the EG group was supplemented with 30 mg/kg of thymol. The experiment lasted 72 days, including a 12-day adaptation phase and a 60-day formal feeding period. During the formal feeding period, each ewe was offered 2 kg of diet per day on an as-fed basis. The thymol dose for the EG was calculated based on this planned daily feed allowance and was thoroughly mixed into the concentrate portion, which was completely consumed during individual feeding. The results showed that adding 30 mg/kg thymol to the diet significantly increased total weight gain and average daily gain in ewes (p < 0.01), and significantly decreased the feed-to-gain ratio (p < 0.01). It also significantly increased plasma P4 levels (p < 0.05) and significantly decreased B levels (p < 0.01). Meanwhile, the 16S rRNA sequencing results further confirmed that thymol altered ruminal microbial diversity and the relative abundance of specific bacterial taxa. These results suggest that the addition of 30 mg/kg thymol to the diet may act as a nutritional regulator, providing important insights into improving physiological status and rumen health during the growth stage of Texel-Hazak replacement ewes. Full article

Background: Pes planus is a common foot deformity that may lead to both structural and functional consequences. This alteration in foot morphology has been associated with changes in neurosensory mechanisms such as proprioception and balance. This study aims to evaluate proprioception and balance parameters in young adults with pes planus by comparing them with healthy individuals. Methods: This case–control study, which had a quantitative and cross-sectional design, included a total of 90 volunteer university students aged 18–30. The presence of pes planus was assessed using the Navicular Drop Test. Proprioception assessment was performed using a digital goniometer to measure active and passive joint position sense, while balance assessment was performed using the Y Balance Test. Results: The groups were similar in terms of demographic and anthropometric characteristics (p > 0.05). In the proprioception assessment, a significant difference was observed in active joint position sense scores in individuals with pes planus (p = 0.032). In contrast, no significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of passive joint position sense (p = 0.769). According to the Y Balance Test results, no difference was observed in the anterior and posteromedial directions (p = 0.690 and p = 0.806). At the same time, the balance performance of individuals with pes planus was significantly lower in the posterolateral direction (p = 0.045). Conclusions: Young individuals with flexible pes planus showed differences in active joint position sense and balance performance in the posterolateral direction. This situation shows that pes planus may be associated with not only structural but also neurosensory functions. The findings highlight the importance of planning protective interventions early. In the future, there is a need for longitudinal studies conducted with larger and more heterogeneous samples, including rigid type pes planus. Full article

Background: Eating behaviors and psychological processes related to food consumption are increasingly recognized as key factors of successful adherence to a healthy dietary pattern. In this context, mindful eating and adherence to the Mediterranean Diet have emerged as models promoting beneficial health outcomes, whereas orthorexia nervosa, characterized by an obsessive focus on eating healthy foods, often leads to dietary inadequacies. Here, we investigated the association among mindful eating, adherence to the Mediterranean Diet, orthorexia nervosa and BMI in a cohort of university students. Methods: A sample of 518 Italian university students completed an online survey assessing general and sociodemographic characteristics, the adherence to the Mediterranean Diet pattern by MEDAS and MEDLIFE, the orthorexia tendency by ORTO-15 test and the degree of mindful eating by the Mind-Eat Scale. Students’ t-test, chi-square test, Pearson’s correlation, and K-means cluster analysis were used for analyses. Results: The participants had a mean BMI of 23.08 ± 3.51, with 69% normal-weight and 25% overweight/obese individuals, showing statistically significant sex differences. Mean Mind-Eat, MEDAS, MEDLIFE and ORTO-15 scores were 3.22 ± 0.46, 8.81 ± 2.35, 3.06 ± 1.14 and 38.31 ± 5.94, respectively. Men scored significantly higher than women in all categories, except for the MEDAS score, where no sex-related differences were observed. Interestingly, the Mind-Eat score was positively associated with ORTO-15 (r = 0.24, p < 0.0001), MEDAS (r = 0.23, p < 0.0001), and MEDLIFE (r = 0.11, p = 0.01) scores. Three clusters were derived, distinguishing optimal (cluster 2), intermediate (cluster 1) and poor (cluster 3) eating profiles, showing sex differences. BMI was significantly lower in cluster 2 than in cluster 3. Conclusions: Our results suggest that integrating psychological and dietary indicators of eating behavior may help identify young adults with less favorable weight-related profiles. Full article

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of human pegivirus type 1 (HPgV-1) among healthy individuals, type 2 diabetes patients, and cancer patients in Taizhou, Jiangsu, China. A total of 2872 participants, including 2052 healthy individuals, 373 type 2 diabetes patients, and 447 cancer patients, were enrolled at Taizhou Fourth People’s Hospital between 2022 and 2024. Serum samples were collected from each participant, and HPgV-1 RNA was detected using a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. The positive rates were compared across the three groups. The age range of healthy individuals was 5–91 years, while that of type 2 diabetes and cancer patients was 25–85 years and 34–91 years, respectively. The prevalence of HPgV-1 among healthy individuals was 15.3% (313/2052), which was significantly higher than that in type 2 diabetes patients (11.0%, 41/373, p < 0.05) and cancer patients (9.2%, 41/447, p < 0.001). In healthy individuals, the prevalence of HPgV-1 increased from childhood to young adulthood, peaking in the 19–40 years age group, followed by a decline after 40 years of age, indicating an age-related pattern. Similarly, HPgV-1 load increased from childhood to adulthood. No significant gender differences in HPgV-1 prevalence were observed across the three cohorts. In conclusion, HPgV-1 infection exhibits an age-dependent prevalence, with the lowest rate in children and adolescents and the highest in young adults (19–40 years). The significantly lower prevalence of HPgV-1 in type 2 diabetes and cancer patients raises the intriguing question of whether HPgV-1 infection may play a protective or contributory role in the pathogenesis of diabetes and cancers. Full article

Background/Objectives: Prediction is a fundamental mechanism of language comprehension, enabling readers to generate expectations about upcoming words during sentence processing. Event-related potentials (ERPs), particularly the N400 and P300, provide sensitive electrophysiological markers of semantic integration and expectancy-related processing. However, the contributions of individual sentence elements to semantic prediction and the influence of sex differences on these processes remain poorly understood. Methods: Forty-six healthy right-handed young adults (23 females) performed a semantic decision task with six-word Spanish sentences ending in congruent or incongruent final words while EEG activity was recorded. ERP components associated with anticipatory and integrative stages of sentence processing were analyzed during the sequential presentation of sentence words. Behavioral performance and sex-related ERP differences were assessed using repeated-measures ANOVAs and correlational analyses. Results: Behavioral findings showed that males committed significantly more errors in detecting semantic incongruities, although overall performance exceeded 92%. Congruent sentence endings elicited a centro-parietal P300, whereas incongruent endings produced a robust N400 followed by a late positive component (LPC). Sex differences emerged, beginning at the third word of the sentence. Males exhibited greater P2 amplitudes and a larger anticipatory P300-like positivity preceding the final word, whereas females showed enhanced N2 and N400 negativities associated with contextual processing and semantic incongruity. Correlations between anticipatory ERP activity and later semantic components supported functional continuity between predictive and integrative stages of language processing. Despite earlier differences, males and females exhibited comparable LPC amplitudes, suggesting convergence during later elaborative processing stages. Conclusions: These findings support predictive models of language comprehension by demonstrating that semantic expectations are progressively constructed throughout sentence processing. Sex-related ERP differences were observed across anticipatory, attentional, and semantic integration stages, indicating quantitative and stage-specific neurophysiological variations rather than qualitatively distinct language-processing strategies. Full article

Background: BMI is widely used for obesity classification, yet it does not adequately reflect adiposity distribution and related metabolic risk. Normal-weight obesity (NWO), defined as excess adiposity despite normal BMI, has emerged as a clinically relevant phenotype associated with increased cardiometabolic risk. However, its prevalence and implications in young populations remain insufficiently characterized. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of normal-weight obesity and its association with cardiometabolic risk markers in a cohort of young adults undergoing occupational health assessments. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 12,874 adults aged 22–30 years undergoing routine occupational health assessments. NWO was defined using a strict criterion (normal BMI with a waist-to-height ratio ≥ 0.5) and an expanded definition including additional adiposity markers derived from body fat percentage and visceral fat estimates. Anthropometric, adiposity-related, biochemical, and lifestyle data were collected using standardized protocols. Multivariable logistic regression models adjusted for age and sex were used to assess associations between NWO and cardiometabolic risk markers. Results: Among individuals with normal BMI (n = 9290), the prevalence of NWO was 1.79% (n = 166) using the strict definition and 2.30% (n = 214) with the expanded definition. Compared with metabolically healthy normal-weight individuals, those with NWO exhibited higher triglycerides, fasting glucose, and atherogenic lipid indices, along with lower HDL cholesterol (all p < 0.05). In multivariable analyses, NWO was independently associated with elevated triglycerides (OR 4.99; 95% CI 2.90–8.58), an unfavorable triglyceride-to-HDL ratio (OR 7.44; 95% CI 5.19–10.65), and impaired fasting glucose (OR 3.87; 95% CI 2.19–6.82). Associations were consistent across sensitivity and sex-stratified analyses. Conclusions: Normal-weight obesity is present in a measurable proportion of young adults and is associated with an unfavorable cardiometabolic profile despite normal BMI. The triglyceride-to-HDL ratio was consistently associated with normal-weight obesity and showed marked differences across adiposity-defined phenotypes. These findings highlight the limitations of BMI-based classification alone and suggest that additional anthropometric and metabolic markers may help identify individuals with less favorable cardiometabolic characteristics. Full article

Background/Objectives: Functional biomarkers of vascular stiffness (FBM-VS) may serve as an effective tool for predicting and monitoring the effectiveness of preventive strategies against accelerated vascular ageing in healthy populations within the framework of P4 medicine. The aim of this study was to perform a comparative analysis of a standardized to hydrostatic column height passive head-up tilt test (stHUTT) and a simplified supine-to-sitting test (SST) for measuring FBM-VS in a paired sample of young healthy subjects. Materials and Methods: This observational cross-sectional study included 95 healthy adults aged 18–20 years (54 women and 41 men). Brachial–ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) was measured in three positions: baseline supine position (baPWV_b), during stHUTT (baPWV_st), and after transitioning to a sitting position (baPWV_sit). The functional reserve of orthostatic circulatory regulation (FR) and the functional reserve coefficient (FRC) were calculated for the stHUTT (FR_st and FRC_st) and during the supine-to-sitting test (FR_sit and FRC_sit). Results: The results showed unidirectional orthostatic changes in baPWV during both tests (significant increase compared to baseline supine values): baPWV_st and baPWV_sit in stHUTT and during the SST increased from 8.6 [8.1; 9.1] m/s to 13.4 [12.1; 14.4] m/s and to 15.2 [13.4; 16.1] m/s (p < 0.001), respectively. FBM-VS values in the SST were higher compared to stHUTT: FR_sit = 6.4 [5.25; 7.75] m/s vs. FR_st = 4.85 [3.7; 5.75] m/s (p < 0.001), and FRC_sit = 0.74 [0.59;0.9] vs. FRC_st = 0.55 [0.45; 0.68] (p < 0.001). The variance of these parameters was also significantly higher in the SST. Spearman rank correlation analysis demonstrated significant positive correlations between biomarkers measured during both orthostatic tests. Conclusions: The supine-to-sitting test may be used for the personalized quantitative assessment of FBM-VS in healthy populations. To assess their prognostic value and to provide personalized long-term monitoring to control the effectiveness of preventive measures against vascular ageing in healthy individuals, a prospective cohort study is required. Full article

Introduction: A major health issue in individuals living at high-altitude regions is an increase in the number of red blood cells (RBCs). This condition generates a series of physiological alterations including the nervous system, where damage can occur due to increased blood viscosity. This increased viscosity, in turn, could compromise oxygen uptake, potentially linked to a degree of cognitive impairment. Objective: To determine the association between exposure to chronic hypoxia and sleep quality with the degree of cognitive impairment in a young adult population residing at different altitude levels. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 200 apparently healthy subjects (aged 21–26 years) permanently residing in four Peruvian cities: Lima (154 m), Arequipa (2335 m), Puno (3820 m), and La Rinconada (5100 m) (n = 50 per location). Physiological profiles (SpO₂, blood pressure, heart rate, hemoglobin, and hematocrit) were measured. Cognitive impairment and sleep quality were evaluated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Sex-stratified hierarchical multiple linear regression models with bootstrapping were utilized for independent correlation analysis. Results: Hemoglobin levels gradually increased with altitude, peaking at 19.47 ± 3.01 g/dL in La Rinconada, while SpO₂ decreased to 81.64%. Moderate-to-severe cognitive impairment was exclusively restricted to the extreme altitude population of La Rinconada, where only 10% of subjects remained unaffected. In the sex-stratified multivariate regression, residency in La Rinconada initially served as a robust negative predictor of MoCA scores among women (β = −5.52, p < 0.001); however, this geographical effect lost statistical significance after adjusting for biological variables in Model 2 (β = −4.72, p = 0.178). In the fully adjusted models, neither individual hemoglobin levels nor SpO₂ fluctuations displayed an independent linear association with cognitive performance in either sex (p > 0.05). Sleep quality was poor across cohorts but showed no significant association with cognitive impairment (p = 0.174). Conclusions: Chronic exposure to severe hypoxia (>5000 m) is associated with a greater presence of cognitive impairment, which is largely accounted for by individual physiological adaptations rather than isolated, linear effects of independent hematological or subjective sleep parameters. Full article

Background/Objectives: Limited research has evaluated the association between the triglyceride-to-high-density lipoprotein (TG/HDL) ratio and premature coronary artery disease (PCAD), particularly in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association of the TG/HDL ratio with PCAD and to assess its sensitivity and specificity in a young Saudi population. Methods: This comparative retrospective case–control study utilized data collected from patients’ electronic medical records at King Saud University Medical City (KSUMC) between 2015 and 2023. The vessel score and Gensini score were used to evaluate the severity of coronary occlusion. The study population was divided into two groups: (1) a healthy control group consisting of blood bank donors, selected to exclude individuals with chronic diseases such as metabolic disorders and hypertension, with no evidence of coronary artery disease and aged ≤50 years (as confirmed by a cardiologist to rule out cardiovascular disease); and (2) patients with PCAD, aged ≤51 years, who underwent selective coronary angiography using the standard hospital procedure (right femoral artery approach). Coronary angiographic images were evaluated using right and left oblique views with cranial and caudal angulations. Results: A total of 898 subjects were included in the study, comprising 440 healthy controls and 458 patients with PCAD. Higher HbA1c levels were significantly associated with PCAD (adjusted OR = 13.03, 95% CI [7.32, 23.18], p < 0.001). Importantly, the TG/HDL ratio, the primary biomarker of interest, remained significantly associated with PCAD after full adjustment. Each unit increase in the TG/HDL ratio was associated with more than a threefold increase in the odds of PCAD (adjusted OR = 3.39, 95% CI [2.22, 5.16], p < 0.001), independent of age, sex, BMI, HbA1c, smoking, and total cholesterol levels. Among females, the TG/HDL ratio demonstrated an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.796, with an optimal cut-off value of 0.91, yielding 77.8% sensitivity and 71.4% specificity. Among males, the TG/HDL ratio yielded an AUC of 0.786, with a higher optimal cut-off value of 1.09 providing 73.4% sensitivity and 65.4% specificity. Conclusions: Our study indicates that the TG/HDL ratio and HbA1c are significantly associated with PCAD in young Saudi male and female populations, demonstrating good sensitivity and specificity. Females exhibited a lower cut-off value than males. Smoking and elevated cholesterol levels were also identified as prominent risk factors. However, the TG/HDL ratio did not distinguish between moderate and severe coronary stenosis, as assessed by the Gensini score. Full article

Sex differences and lifestyle factors such as physical activity play an important role in cardiovascular autonomic regulation. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a widely used marker of cardiac autonomic modulation and cardiovascular health. However, the combined influence of sex and physical activity levels on HRV in young, healthy adults has not been sufficiently explored. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of sex and a physically active lifestyle on HRV in men and women. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a cohort of young, healthy adults aged 18–30 and categorized into four groups based on: physically active men (AM; n = 37), sedentary men (SM; n = 44), and physically active women (AW; n = 31) and sedentary women (SW; n = 40). Regarding the impact of lifestyle, the AM group exhibited 41% higher total variance (VAR-RR) and 34% higher RMSSD (a parasympathetic index) than the SM group. The AW exhibited 74% and 78% higher VAR-RR and RMSSD, respectively, compared to the SW. Furthermore, the physically active groups (AM and AW) displayed a 75% and 50% lower LF/HF ratio, respectively, compared to their sedentary counterparts. Interestingly, the LF/HF ratio was 66% higher, and the RMSSD was 20% lower in the AM group than in the AW group. HRV indices demonstrated large to very large effect sizes. In conclusion, these findings demonstrate significantly advantage in cardiac autonomic modulation among physically active individuals and women. Together, these results reinforce the roles of female sex and an active lifestyle as important protective factors for cardiovascular health. Full article

Background: Exercise training is known to improve metabolic health in individuals with obesity; however, its role in facilitating transitions between metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) and metabolically healthy obesity (MHO), as well as the associated metabolic adaptations, remains incompletely understood. Methods: A total of 84 young adults with obesity were enrolled and classified MUO (n = 55) or MHO (n = 29) based on baseline metabolic profiles. All participants completed an 8-week supervised exercise intervention. Anthropometric parameters, body composition, cardiometabolic markers, and VO₂max were assessed before and after the intervention. Targeted metabolomics of 30 amino acid-related metabolites was performed in the MHO-R (remained MHO) and MUO-C (conversion from MUO to MHO) groups to explore exercise-associated metabolic adaptations following intervention. Results: Exercise training improved cardiometabolic risk profiles, including reductions in adiposity and improvements in insulin resistance-related markers. A proportion of participants transitioned from metabolically unhealthy to metabolically healthy obesity following the intervention. No significant between-group differences in amino acid metabolite changes were observed between MHO-R and MUO-C groups. Exploratory metabolomic analyses identified exercise-responsive alterations in amino acid-related metabolites, particularly involving arginine biosynthesis and histidine metabolism. Conclusions: Combined aerobic and resistance training is associated with improvements in metabolic health and phenotype transition in young adults with obesity. Observed alterations in arginine and histidine metabolism may reflect metabolic adaptations to exercise rather than transition-specific or causal mechanisms underlying phenotype conversion. Full article

Background: Prolonged intermittent fasting is associated with metabolic and immune adaptation; however, the extent to which transcriptional immune responses translate into systemic inflammatory changes, and how these processes relate to autophagy, senescence-associated signaling, and inflammasome regulation, remains incompletely understood. Methods: This study represents a secondary integrative analysis of a previously characterized cohort of healthy young men undergoing Ramadan fasting. Longitudinal data across four time points (T1–T4) were re-analyzed, integrating targeted mRNA profiling of autophagy-, senescence-, and inflammasome-related genes with circulating cytokines and clinical parameters. Baseline-stratified regression and exploratory clustering were applied to assess inter-individual variability. Results: Fasting was associated with modest reductions in body weight (−1.78 ± 1.44 kg, FDR < 0.001) and BMI (−0.56 ± 0.47 kg/m², FDR < 0.001), without hemodynamic instability. Autophagy-related transcripts (ULK1, ATG5) were upregulated, while senescence markers showed divergent regulation (p53↑, p21↓). Inflammasome-related genes (NLRP3, IL1B) increased at the transcriptional level; however, circulating IL-1β and IL-6 remained stable and TNFα decreased (FDR < 0.001), indicating dissociation between transcriptional priming and systemic cytokine output. ΔNLRP3 was inversely associated with baseline expression (β = −1.88, R² = 0.31, p = 0.0056), suggesting baseline-dependent transcriptional responsiveness. Responses followed a continuous spectrum rather than discrete subtypes. Conclusions: Prolonged intermittent fasting is associated with coordinated immunometabolic remodeling characterized by transcriptional changes in autophagy-, senescence-, and inflammasome-related pathways, without systemic inflammatory escalation. Inflammasome-related responses appear baseline-dependent, suggesting graded immunological responsiveness rather than a uniform activation. These findings are hypothesis-generating and support the interpretation of fasting as a graded immunometabolic modulator rather than a uniform pro-inflammatory stimulus within the limitations of a secondary exploratory analysis. Full article

Background/Objectives: Bone tissue undergoes continuous remodelling processes that are closely controlled by mechanical stimuli and metabolic as well as inflammatory factors. Although the beneficial effects of regular physical activity on skeletal health are well documented, the response of bone turnover markers to a single maximal intensity exercise—particularly depending on training level—still remains ambiguous. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of a single physical exercise unit at maximum intensity on changes in selected biochemical markers specific for bone tissue, connective tissue remodelling and systemic stress response in young men. Methods: The study comprised 34 healthy men aged 20–25 years, divided into two groups: experimental (training, n = 15) and control (non-training, n = 19). The test was performed on a mechanical treadmill with a gradually increasing load (until subjective feeling of fatigue). Blood samples were collected before and 60 min following the test, and then assessed for the concentration of selected bone turnover markers, including bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BSP), C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX-I), deoxypyridinoline (DPD), hydroxyproline (GEN HYP) and haptoglobin (HPT). Results: In the group of training individuals, a significant decrease in BSP concentration was observed after physical exercise (p = 0.003). CTX-I concentration was significantly lower in training individuals compared to their non-training peers, regardless of measurement time (p < 0.001). Furthermore, a significant increase in GEN HYP concentration was observed after exercise in both groups (p = 0.033). For the remaining analysed markers, including DPD and HPT, no significant changes were demonstrated post-exercise. Conclusions: A single bout of maximal intensity exercise induces short-term, marker-specific changes in bone turnover dependent on training level, which reflect an early metabolic response of the musculoskeletal system rather than direct structural adaptation of the bone tissue. Full article

Background/Objectives: Angiogenic T (Tang) cells support endothelial repair and vascular homeostasis. This cross-sectional study compared circulating Tang cell levels in young adults with T1DM vs. healthy controls, and assessed associations between Tang cells and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) metrics. Methods: Sixty-five young adults with T1DM and 55 healthy controls were enrolled at the University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli,” Naples, Italy. Clinical and biochemical data were collected. Tang cells (CD3⁺CD31⁺CD184⁺) were quantified by flow cytometry as absolute counts and percentage of CD3⁺ T cells. In T1DM, CGM metrics from the preceding 14 days were analyzed, including time in range (TIR), time above range (TAR), and time below range (TBR). Results: Individuals with T1DM had higher fasting glucose and HbA1c than controls. Total CD3⁺ T cell counts were lower in T1DM. Tang cells were significantly reduced in T1DM both as absolute number and percentage (21% [10–31] vs. 48% [39–62]; p < 0.001). In multivariable analyses, Tang cell percentage was positively associated with TIR and inversely associated with HbA1c and TAR. Conclusions: Young adults with T1DM exhibit significantly reduced circulating Tang cells. Associations with CGM metrics support a link between real-world glucose control and endothelial vascular health. Full article