Relation of weight and rate of increase in weight during childhood and adolescence to body size, blood pressure, fasting insulin, and lipids in young adults. The Minneapolis Children's Blood Pressure Study.
(33/19326)
BACKGROUND: Weight gain is of concern during early development because adult obesity and its cardiovascular consequences appear to have their origins during childhood. Insulin resistance is known to be related to obesity. Thus, weight gain beginning in childhood may influence the development of insulin-induced cardiovascular risk during adulthood. METHODS AND RESULTS: We monitored 679 individuals from 7.7+/-0.1 years of age with repeated measures of height, weight, and systolic blood pressure (SBP) until 23.6+/-0.2 years of age, when blood samples were obtained for measurements of insulin and lipids. Initial childhood weight, body mass index (BMI), and height were significantly correlated with young adult weight, BMI, and height and with fasting insulin, lipids, and SBP. The increases in weight and BMI but not height during childhood were significantly related to the young adult levels of insulin, lipids, and SBP. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that weight gain in excess of normal growth during childhood is a determinant of adult cardiovascular risk. The finding in multiple linear regression analysis that weight gain during childhood rather than the childhood weight at 7.7 years of age is significantly related to young adult risk factors suggests that a reduction in weight gain could reduce subsequent levels of cardiovascular risk. (+info)
Serum levels of ochratoxin A in healthy adults in Tuscany: correlation with individual characteristics and between repeat measurements.
(34/19326)
Ochratoxin A (OTA), a mycotoxin widely contaminating staple foods and beverages, has been classified as a "possible human carcinogen (Group 2B)" by the IARC. Serum levels of OTA were measured in a group of 138 healthy adults (age, 35-65 years) living in the area surrounding Florence (Tuscany, central Italy) and detected in all but four samples (97%). After the exclusion of one subject with a peak value of 57.2 ng/ml, OTA levels ranged between 0.12 and 2.84 ng/ml, with mean and median values of 0.56 and 0.48 ng/ml, respectively. OTA levels were significantly higher in men than in women (0.64 versus 0.50) and correlated positively with height. A strong association was found with the season in which blood samples were obtained, with summer values higher than autumn values. On the other hand, OTA levels tended to be negatively associated with blood pressure, either systolic or diastolic; no association was evident with age, weight, body mass index, and smoking history. The associations with height and season persisted in a multivariate regression analysis. A subgroup of subjects provided a repeat blood sample approximately 1 year later. The Spearman correlation coefficient between 68 pairs of original and repeat measurements was practically null (r = 0.05). Only two subjects (2.9%) had OTA levels of >1 ng/ml on both occasions. These results suggest that OTA contamination is widespread in foods consumed by this population, in agreement with previous reports from Italy and other countries. A strong seasonal variation, which possibly differs from year to year, was observed. OTA serum levels are a short-term biomarker with a high within-subject variability; therefore they have limited use at the individual level but can be used to characterize populations or subgroups of subjects. Additional analyses are needed to explore the dietary determinants of OTA levels in this population. (+info)
Normal spontaneous and stimulated GH levels despite decreased IGF-I concentrations in cystic fibrosis patients.
(35/19326)
OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to investigate whether patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) are GH resistant with increased GH release and decreased concentrations of IGF-I as a result of malabsorption, increased catabolism and impaired glucose tolerance. DESIGN: Twenty CF patients were included, ten with normal glucose tolerance (five male, five female, median age 25.5 years (range 20-31)) and ten with diabetes mellitus (five male, five female, median age 25.3 years (range 17-45). Twenty healthy individuals served as controls (ten male, ten female, median age 28.4 years (range 18-36)). METHODS: GH status was evaluated by 12h spontaneous GH release during the night time, arginine-stimulated GH release and the basal concentrations of IGF-I and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3). Twelve hour spontaneous GH profiles were estimated using a constant blood withdrawal technique with sampling every 30min and the Pulsar method was used for the analysis of profiles. RESULTS: No significant differences were found in spontaneous and stimulated GH release in CF patients compared with healthy controls, whereas IGF-I and IGFBP-3 were significantly decreased in CF patients compared with healthy controls. The combination of reduced IGF-I and IGFBP-3 with normal GH release points to a relative GH resistance or a disturbance in the pituitary axis in patients with CF. The spontaneous GH release, the stimulated GH release and the basal concentrations of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 were not significantly different in diabetic CF patients compared with CF patients with normal glucose tolerance and the presence of diabetes mellitus was not consistent with increased GH resistance in CF patients. CONCLUSION: CF patients with normal glucose tolerance and diabetic CF patients had normal GH release and decreased concentrations of IGF-I indicating a relative GH resistance. (+info)
Visual cues to female physical attractiveness.
(36/19326)
Evolutionary psychology suggests that a woman's sexual attractiveness is based on cues of health and reproductive potential. In recent years, research has focused on the ratio of the width of the waist to the width of the hips (the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). A low WHR (i.e. a curvaceous body) is believed to correspond to the optimal fat distribution for high fertility, and so this shape should be highly attractive. In this paper we present evidence that weight scaled for height (the body mass index (BMI)) is the primary determinant of sexual attractiveness rather than WHR. BMI is also strongly linked to health and reproductive potential. Furthermore, we show how covariation of apparent BMI and WHR in previous studies led to the overestimation of the importance of WHR in the perception of female attractiveness. Finally, we show how visual cues, such as the perimeter-area ratio (PAR), can provide an accurate and reliable index of an individual's BMI and could be used by an observer to differentiate between potential partners. (+info)
Prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes and abnormalities of carbohydrate metabolism in a U.S. Army population.
(37/19326)
OBJECTIVE: The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) reported that 4.3-6.3% of adult Americans have undiagnosed diabetes. 15.6% have impaired glucose tolerance, and 10.1% have impaired fasting glucose. By design, NHANES III excluded people in the U.S. military. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, and impaired fasting glucose among U.S. Army soldiers. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A 2-h, 75-g oral glucose tolerance test was performed on a prospective, consecutive sample of 625 asymptomatic soldiers presenting to a U.S. Army medical clinic for physical examinations. Age of subjects was 32 +/- 9 years (mean +/- SD), and 81.0% of subjects were male. BMI was 26.2 +/- 3.7 kg/m2. Race/ethnicity categories included Caucasian (54.4%), African-American (24.4%), Hispanic (17.4%), and other (3.7%). A family history of diabetes was reported by 25.4% of the subjects, and the number of exercise sessions per week was 4.0 +/- 1.5. RESULTS: The prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes was 3 of 625 (0.5%) (95% CI, 0.1-1.4): impaired glucose tolerance, 11 of 598 (1.8%) (0.9-3.3); and impaired fasting glucose 6 of 585 (1.0%) (0.4-2.2). CONCLUSIONS: In this low-diabetes risk U.S. Army population, the prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, and impaired fasting glucose were 0.5, 1.8, and 1.0%, respectively. The prevalence rates found in this study are approximately one-tenth of those found in NHANES III. (+info)
Alcohol consumption and breast cancer oestrogen and progesterone receptor status.
(38/19326)
We examined the role of alcohol on the risk of breast cancer by the joint oestrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) status of the tumour using data from two case-control studies conducted in Los Angeles County, USA. Eligible premenopausal patients were 733 women aged < or =40 years and first diagnosed from 1 July 1983 to 1 January 1989. Eligible postmenopausal patients were 1169 women aged 55-64 years and first diagnosed from 1 March 1987 to 31 December 89. Patients were identified by the University of Southern California Cancer Surveillance Program. Neighbourhood controls were individually matched to patients by parity (premenopausal patients) and birth date (+/-3 years). ER and PR status were obtained from medical records for 424 premenopausal and 760 postmenopausal patients. The analyses included 714 premenopausal and 1091 postmenopausal control subjects. Alcohol use was generally not associated with premenopausal risk of breast cancer, regardless of hormone-receptor status. Among the postmenopausal women, those who consumed, on average, > or =27 g of alcohol/d experienced an odds ratio (OR) of 1.76 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.14-2.71] for ER-positive/PR-positive breast cancer relative to women who reported no alcohol consumption. Alcohol use was less clearly associated with risk of other receptor types among postmenopausal women. These data suggest that alcohol may preferentially increase risk of ER-positive/PR-positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women. (+info)
Body weight and weight gain during adult life in men in relation to coronary heart disease and mortality. A prospective population study.
(39/19326)
AIMS: To assess the risk of death from coronary disease, and all causes associated with body mass index and weight gain from age 20 to middle age. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study, 6874 men aged 47 to 55 years at baseline and free of a history of myocardial infarction were followed with respect to mortality from coronary disease and from all causes over an average follow-up of 19.7 years, and with respect to non-fatal myocardial infarction for 11.8 years. High body mass index predicted death from coronary disease, but only at levels above 27.5 m.kg-2. Men with stable weight (defined as +/- 4% change from age 20) had the lowest death rate from coronary disease and the lowest risk of non-fatal myocardial infarction. Relative risk of coronary death increased with increasing weight gain, from 1.57 (1.14-2.15) (after adjustment for age, physical activity, and smoking) in the group who gained 4 to 10%, to 2.76 (1.97-3.85) in men with a weight gain of more than 35% (P for trend 0.0001), compared to men who remained stable. After further adjustment for serum cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, and diabetes, relative risks were reduced but still significantly elevated in all weight gain groups (P for trend 0.004). Data concerning non-fatal myocardial infarction were available for the first 11.8 years and showed a relative risk of 3.35 (2.05-5.47) after adjustment for age, physical activity, and smoking in men with a weight gain of more than 35%. CONCLUSION: Weight gain from age 20, even a very moderate increase, is strongly associated with an increased risk of coronary death and non-fatal myocardial infarction. (+info)
The contributions of oestrogen and growth factors to increased adrenal androgen secretion in polycystic ovary syndrome.
(40/19326)
Adrenal hyperandrogenism is prevalent in many women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), although the expression of this enhanced secretion may be heterogeneous. Since no single factor acts in isolation, this study was performed to assess the influence of oestradiol (total and unbound), insulin, insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I, IGF-II and the binding proteins IGFBP-I, and IGFBP-3, on basal and adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) stimulated adrenal androgen secretion in 25 women with PCOS and 10 matched ovulatory controls. Women with PCOS exhibited elevations of all androgens as well as unbound oestradiol, insulin and non-IGFBP-1 bound IGF-I. Positive correlations were noted between oestrogen and basal and ACTH stimulated delta 5 adrenal androgens. Serum IGF-I was only correlated with basal dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S), while insulin exhibited a strong correlation with the delta 4 pathway and androstenedione formation in particular. This correlation was also confirmed by dividing the PCOS group into those women with and without hyperinsulinaemia. The activity of 17,20 lyase favouring androstenedione was increased in the hyperinsulinaemic women. By multivariate analyses, body mass index did not influence these findings. Although there are inherent difficulties in making major conclusions based on correlative analyses, it is suggested that oestrogen may have a greater influence on enhancing delta 5 adrenal androgen secretion, and insulin a greater effect on the delta 4 pathway. In turn, the relative importance of these influences may contribute to the heterogeneous nature of adrenal hyperandrogenism in PCOS. (+info)