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C Albala

Publications and source records attributed to C Albala.

42 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
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Plasma leptin and insulin levels in Aymara natives from Chile.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of plasma leptin levels with respect to obesity, gender, age and insulin levels in the native Aymara population. The Aymara natives live at high altitudes in isolated regions in the north of Chile, and they maintain distinctive genetic and cultural characteristics. Plasma leptin and insulin levels were correlated with body mass index (BMI), sex and age in a sample of 147 adult Aymara subjects who participated in a cross-sectional study. Multivariate analysis showed significant differences in leptin levels (dependent variable: natural log of leptin) by gender (p < 0.0001), and by BMI (p < 0.001), without significant statistical interaction between gender and BMI. The effect of age achieved statistical significance in the multivariate analysis (p = 0.02). Gender, BMI and insulin are independently associated with plasma leptin levels. On the other hand, the multivariate analysis of the plasma insulin concentration (dependent variable: natural log of insulin levels) shows that insulin is strongly associated with BMI (p < 0.0001), although non-statistically significant differences of insulin levels by sex (p = 0.07) or age (p = 0.9) were detected at alpha 0.05 level. Thus, in the special ecosystem where the Aymara population live, a strong and independent association between sex, obesity and insulin levels with plasma leptin levels has been detected.

Altitude↗
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[Some recent determinants of breast feeding in Chile].

Four factors that could explain in great part breast milk production difficulties in Chilean mothers are analyzed according to recent studies. Maternal nutritional status, positively influences breast milk volume and duration, thus adequate weight increment during pregnancy should be encouraged. Maternal work has been negatively correlated with breast-feeding duration in various local studies, by the contrary post-partum rest and direct care of infant show protective effects. Mothers that smoke during pregnancy and lactation have shorter breast-feeding periods than non smokers, meanwhile the latter have lower malnutrition rates. Elimination of health team practices that interfered with physiological lactation have increased breast-feeding time. New programs in this regard are encouraged. The presence at the national level of each of the four determinants is discussed according to available data.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗