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Biomedical subjects

F Contaldo

Publications and source records attributed to F Contaldo.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Regional obesity and serum lipids in European women born in 1948. A multicenter study.

In five different cities in four European countries, women born in 1948 were randomly selected. Anthropometric measurements (i.e. circumferences and skinfolds) were taken. Serum lipids were determined in one laboratory. Different levels of waist circumferences gave different averages and distribution of waist/hip ratio, which confirms the need of precise standardization of these measurements. Women in southern parts of Europe were more overweight than in Northern Europe (partly due to selection bias in Naples) and, when adjusted for that, southern women had a more central distribution of fat (higher waist/thigh, lower triceps/subscapula). When data were pooled, circumference ratios were positively correlated with triglycerides and total cholesterol and negatively with HDL cholesterol. Occupation of husband and body mass index were associated with fat distribution and triglycerides and HDL cholesterol. In multiple regression fat distribution was still correlated with serum lipids but differences in serum lipids between countries did not diminish.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Cardiovascular risk factors and age of onset of obesity in severely obese patients.

Aim of this study was to evaluate whether the age of onset of obesity might affect the prevalence of CV risk factors in severely obese patients. Five hundred forty-five (385 F aged 42.3 +/- 7.1 yrs, BMI 47.3 +/- 5.1 w/h2 and 160 M of 39.0 +/- 1.1 yrs and BMI of 41.8 +/- 5.3 w/h2) severely obese patients hospitalized in the Metabolic Unit between 1972 and 1985 were subdivided in four classes according to the age of onset of obesity. Severely obese women with maturity onset obesity (i.e. onset greater than or equal to 20 yrs) (MOO) had higher (p less than or equal to .01) serum glucose (118 vs 103 mg/dl) and triglyceride (167 vs 126 mg/dl) than those with early onset obesity (EOO) (i.e. onset less than or equal to 3 yrs) with the same age, BMI and smoking habits. Similar trend was also found in men. In males arterial blood pressure was found to be higher (p less than or equal to .01) in EOO than in MOO (SBP = 152 vs 133 mmHg and DBP = 92 vs 83 mmHg). Similar trend was found in females. In conclusion age of onset of obesity may, at least in part, affect the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in severe obesity.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Mortality rate, causes and predictive factors of death in severely obese patients.

Several studies have investigated the relationship between obesity and mortality or cardiovascular disease (CVD) reporting conflicting results. The very few data collected on extremely obese patients have shown an increased mortality in these patients compared to the general population. Two hundred and sixtyfour (182 f, 82 m) severely obese patients (BMI greater than or equal to 35 w/h2) living in Southern Italy (hospitalized from 1972 to 1985 in our Metabolic Unit for a weight reduction program) were followed-up for a mean period of 7.1 years. Twentynine (20f, 9m) deaths were recorded during the follow-up. Higher mortality was found at all ages and in both sexes in these patients when compared to the general italian population. The excess mortality reached its peak in the age range 25-54 yrs (observed/expected mortality rate was 6.9 in females and 4.32 in males) diminishing by aging in both sexes (3.52 in females and 1.56 in males in age range 55-72 yrs). Death from CV disease was found more frequent than in the general italian population but it was unable to fully explain the excess mortality. Predictive factors of mortality were: in females age, BMI, and serum glucose and in males only age. In conclusion severely obese patients living in Southern Italy have a very high mortality rate. The excess mortality is not fully explained by cardiovascular disease.

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMed1987

Protein balance during very-low-calorie diets for the treatment of severe obesity.

Very-low-calorie diets (less than 500 kcal/day; VLCD) are widely used for the treatment of severe obesity. We report the effects of such diets, consisting of proteins only or proteins and carbohydrates (CH), on nitrogen balance and protein nutritional status of morbidly obese patients. Cumulative nitrogen loss, serum albumin, transferrin, prealbumin (PA) and retinol-binding protein (RBP) concentrations, and plasma amino acid profile were determined in two groups of obese patients: 5 subjects (3 women, 2 men: BMI 55.3 +/- 2.2 kg/m2) subjected for 4 weeks to a protein VLCD (40 g protein + 2 g fat) and 7 others (4 women, 3 men: BMI 45.6 +/- 2.8 kg/m2) received for the same length of time a protein + CH VLCD (34 g protein + 26 g CH). Nitrogen balance was determined weekly whilst plasma and serum variables were measured on days 0, 3, 5, 10, 20 and 28 of treatment. Nitrogen balance did not significantly differ between the two groups of patients throughout the treatment. Serum PA and RBP concentrations decreased from day 5 and day 10, respectively, in both groups. Plasma amino acids showed a similar pattern in the protein and protein + CH groups. Alanine gradually decreased below baseline values; after a peak value on day 5, branched-chain amino acids (valine, leucine, isoleucine) returned to baseline values in both groups. In conclusion, in severely obese patients subjected to VLCD, nitrogen balance, labile protein concentrations and plasma amino acid profile are not significantly affected by adding CH to proteins.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Effect of dietary fibre on postprandial thermogenesis.

The effect of fibre on postprandial thermogenesis was evaluated in seven healthy males (age 29.6 +/- 3.6 years, BMI 24.6 +/- 0.6 kg/m2) after they had ingested three isocaloric meals with different fibre contents: low fibre (Lfb) containing 8 g. dietary fibre; glucomannan (Glc), which was Lfb supplemented with 6 g glucomannan, a pectin-like fibre; and high fibre (Hfb) containing 26 g dietary fibre. Postprandial thermogenesis, evaluated for 6 h after the ingestion of food, was higher after the Lfb (82.3 +/- 5.4 kcal) than after the Hfb and Glc meals (69.4 +/- 6.8 and 61.4 +/- 8.4 kcal, respectively). Glucose and insulin responses were depressed over the first 2 h after the Hfb and Glc meals as compared to the Lfb meal. However, these differences disappeared when the whole 6 h postprandial period was considered. No major effects of the different fibre contents of the meals on postprandial triglyceride and FFA levels were detected. These results demonstrate that the fibre content of meals, besides the well known effect on energy intake, may also affect energy expenditure.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Nutritional status of the elderly in Naples.

Nutritional status (anthropometry, food habits, thiamin and riboflavin status) has been evaluated in 136 (70 males and 66 females) free living healthy elderly individuals (age range 65-69 yrs) from the district of San Carlo Arena that can be considered representative of the sociocultural and economic level of the city of Naples. By assuming as reference values those of middle aged individuals, 50 percent of elderly men and 85 percent of elderly women showed different degree of excess body fat. As far as food habits are concerned legumes, vegetables and fruit daily intake was quite high whilst alcohol consumption was low. Furthermore milk and eggs intake was low and infrequent. Although prevalence of excess body weight was high, total daily energy intake was found to be equal or slightly above dietary recommendations for the elderly. Diet composition showed a high protein intake whilst CHO and fat intake was slightly below recommendations. Micronutrients' intake was insufficient for calcium in 10 percent of both males and females and for iron in 20 percent of men and 40 percent of women. Niacin intake was low in about 50 percent of both men and women. Thiamin nutritional status was found low in 20 percent of men and women and riboflavin status in 40 percent of men and 20 percent of women. In conclusion obesity and overweight are very frequent in an urbanized sample of free living healthy elderly individuals of Naples. On the other hand serum calcium and iron and some vitamin deficiency is not uncommon. The composition of the diet seems to be also poor in some micronutrients.

Aged↗
PubMed1987

Reduced regulatory thermogenesis in pregnant and ovariectomized women.

Diet-induced thermogenesis has been evaluated in five ovariectomized young women, five late pregnant (at the 8th month of pregnancy) and five age matched lean control women. Post-prandial thermogenesis was tested after a 900 Kcal mixed meal. Although pregnant (p less than 0.05) and ovariectomized showed a basal metabolic rate higher than control females, both groups had a significantly lower post-prandial thermogenesis when compared to the lean one (p less than 0.05). It is concluded that post-prandial thermogenesis is depressed in pregnant and ovariectomized females and that this condition may facilitate, at least in predisposed adult women, the development of obesity.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Reduced cold-induced thermogenesis in familial human obesity.

It is well known that cold and diet-induced thermogenesis, which is mediated in small rodents by the hypothalamic-noradrenergic fibers-brown adipose tissue axis, is impaired in genetically obese mice. To test whether these adaptive mechanisms are also impaired in obese humans, 12 young males who were otherwise healthy (6 lean and 6 obese) were examined. The obese subjects had an early-onset type of obesity with a strong family history of it as well. Deep body temperature was measured by using a deep body thermometer furnished with three thermocouples. They were respectively placed on the sternum, on the interscapular area immediately under the neck (HIS), and on the 4th intercostal space (LIS) in order to study core temperature as well as heat production where brown adipose tissue could also be present in adults. Both lean and obese subjects were kept in a thermoneutral environment (28 degrees C) until they reached a steady-state body temperature and then rapidly transferred into a cold room (6-8 degrees C) where they remained up to 60 min. Body temperature decreased in both groups, but the decrease was more marked in the obese individuals on the sternum (P less than 0.01), on HIS (P less than 0.05) and on LIS (P less than 0.05) when compared to lean individuals. In conclusion, cold-induced thermogenesis is impaired in familial early-onset human obesity and in genetically obese mice.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Body fat distribution and cardiovascular risk in middle-aged people in southern Italy.

Skinfold thickness, % body fat content, body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, plasma glucose, serum cholesterol and triglycerides have been measured in 132 middle-aged men (mean age 39.8 +/- 9.9, range 20-59 yr) and in 114 middle-aged women (mean age 39.1 +/- 9.3, range 20-59 yr). Anthropometric data were related to blood pressure and biochemical parameters by using a straight-line regression analysis. Body mass index, % body fat content, subscapular and suprailiac skinfold thickness, consideral as indicative of splanchnic fat distribution, were positively correlated to blood pressure, plasma glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides. Triceps skinfold thickness, an index of peripheral fat distribution, showed weaker or no correlation with these parameters. These preliminary observations in the Neapolitan area support the hypothesis that, in addition to body mass index and % body fat content, preferential splanchnic fat distribution is associated with cardiovascular risk factors.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1986

Post prandial thermogenesis in different pathophysiological conditions.

Post Prandial Thermogenesis (PPT) is defined as the net increase in energy expenditure following the ingestion of a meal whereas diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT) indicates the overall influence of nutrients on energy expenditure. This paper reviews available data on PPT under specific clinical and dietetic conditions, e.g. the findings on PPT from pregnant and ovariectomized women, for elderly people, or the effects after MCT or LCT supplemented meals. PPT can be considered a suitable method to evaluate possible abnormalities of regulatory thermogenesis under certain clinical conditions and for the study of the acute effects of dietary components on energy expenditure.

Aging↗
PubMed1985

Pathophysiological interrelations of obesity, impaired glucose tolerance, and arterial hypertension.

There is a large amount of epidemiological and clinical evidence for associations among obesity, impaired glucose tolerance, and arterial hypertension; nevertheless, the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying these associations have not yet been elucidated. In this article, some working hypotheses are discussed, and original data are presented from two studies focusing on these pathophysiological interrelations. A case-control study of obese normotensive and hypertensive patients, matched for sex, age, and degree of overweight, has shown that obese patients with associated arterial hypertension have higher fasting serum insulin levels and reduced glucose tolerance compared with their normotensive peers. A second study compared subjects with impaired glucose tolerance with a control group of clinically healthy individuals of comparable sex, age, and body mass index, and it revealed that impaired glucose tolerance is associated with significantly higher blood pressure levels, independent of body weight. The results of the two studies together suggest that the association between hypertension and impaired glucose tolerance is independent of overweight; they also give some support to the hypothesis that hyperinsulinemia may contribute to the development of high blood pressure in obese patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Evaluation of the hypocholesterolemic effect of vegetable proteins.

The hypocholesterolemic effect of dietary vegetable proteins was studied by comparing egg-white protein and fava bean protein concentrate in one normal and seven hypercholesterolemic (six type II A, one II B) persons; five completed the crossover design. To maintain stable body weight, subjects were kept on an isocaloric diet (20% protein, 48% carbohydrate (CH), 32% fat, P/S = 2) for 1 month and then hospitalized for two consecutive 18-day periods while receiving an isocaloric diet of different composition (15% protein, 50% CH, 26% fat, P/S = 2). Women were provided 50 g and men 70 g daily of egg-white or fava bean protein concentrate during the two crossover periods. Hematocrit and fasting plasma or serum were analyzed every 3 days for glucose, insulin, uric acid, creatinine, total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterols, and for total and VLDL triglyceride. Dietary adequacy of both proteins was evaluated by measuring plasma concentration of prealbumin, transferrin, and retinol-binding globulin. Insulin and hematocrit did not show any change, nor did any other biochemical variables show significant differences when results were compared at the end of each crossover period. Compared with baseline, fasting plasma glucose significantly decreased on the fava bean diet. Serum total and LDL cholesterol decreased during both diets but were statistically significant only on the egg-white diet. Serum HDL cholesterol significantly decreased only on the fava bean diet. Serum total and VLDL triglyceride did not show any significant change. Labile plasma protein concentration was significantly reduced only on the fava bean diet. In conclusion, the fava bean diet did not show a significant effect on lowering serum total and LDL cholesterol. Such an effect was mild but significant on the egg-white diet, compared with baseline.

Adult↗