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Biomedical subjects

G S Berenson

Publications and source records attributed to G S Berenson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Influence of lipoprotein lipase gene Ser447Stop and beta1-adrenergic receptor gene Arg389Gly polymorphisms and their interaction on obesity from childhood to adulthood: the Bogalusa Heart Study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) Ser447Stop and beta1-adrenergic receptor (ADRB1) Arg389Gly gene polymorphisms, individually and in combination, on obesity from childhood to adulthood. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: A community-based cohort of 1331 subjects (30% black and 70% white subjects) was followed over an average period of 23 years from childhood (age range: 4-17 years) to adulthood (age range:18-44 years). MEASUREMENT: Body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) and LPL Ser447Stop and the ADRB1 Arg389Gly genotypes. RESULTS: The frequency of the ADRB1 Gly389 allele was 0.25 in white subjects vs 0.39 in black subjects (P < 0.001); 0.08 vs 0.05 (P = 0.280) for the LPL Stop447 allele. There was no association between the LPL Stop447 allele and BMI among white and black subjects either in childhood and adulthood levels or annual change from childhood to adulthood. The ADRB1 Gly389 allele was associated with lower BMI only in black adults (P = 0.017). Further, the interaction effect of the LPL Stop447 allele and ADRB1 Gly389 allele on adult BMI or its annual change was significant in white subjects and in the total sample (P = 0.03-0.006). Childhood values tended to show a similar trend. Having both ADRB1 Gly389 allele and LPL Stop447 allele was associated with 71% (95% confidence interval: 26-89%) less odds for developing obesity from childhood to adulthood after adjusting for age, race, sex, and childhood BMI. CONCLUSION: While Gly389 allele of the ADRB1 gene lowers obesity in black subjects, this allele in conjunction with Stop447 allele of the LPL gene lowers obesity in adults and attenuates the development of obesity from childhood to adulthood. These findings underscore the importance of gene-gene interaction in the assessment of genetic influences on complex traits such as obesity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Tracking of overweight status from childhood to young adulthood: the Bogalusa Heart Study.

OBJECTIVE: To understand tracking of overweight status from childhood to young adulthood in a biracial sample. DESIGN: A longitudinal sample was created from cross-sectional surveys at two time points, childhood (baseline) and young adulthood (follow-up). SETTING: Bogalusa Heart Study, Louisiana, United States of America. SUBJECTS: A total of 841 young adults, 19-35 years (68% Euro-Americans (EA), 32% African-Americans (AA)) were studied. The same subjects had also participated in one of the five cross-sectional surveys at childhood (9-11 years). METHODS: Body mass index (BMI) was used to determine overweight status as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention standards. Change in the BMI status from childhood to young adulthood was used to group the participants into the following categories: normal weight to normal weight (NW-NW); normal weight to overweight (NW-OW); overweight to normal weight (OW-NW); and overweight to overweight (OW-OW). Tracking of overweight was defined by (1) correlations between baseline and follow-up BMI, (2) Cohen's kappa concordance test to determine the strength of tracking in BMI quartiles and (3) the percentage of individuals who remained in the same overweight status group from baseline to follow-up. RESULTS: From baseline to follow-up, the percentage of participants who were overweight increased from 24.7 to 57.7%. A total of 35.2% of the children shifted from normal weight in childhood to overweight in young adulthood (P < 0.0005). Baseline BMI was positively correlated with follow-up BMI (r = 0.66, P < 0.0005). A total of 61.9% of the participants in the highest BMI quartile in childhood remained in the highest BMI quartile in young adulthood. The strength of tracking in BMI quartiles was 27% for EA men (P < 0.0005), 23% for EA women (P < 0.0005), 27% for AA men (P<0.0005) and 35% for AA women (P < 0.0005). A total of 53.7% of the EA women remained in the NW-NW category and 31.2% of the AA women remained in the OW-OW category. The percentage tracking (NW-NW and OW-OW) was 72.8% in EA women, 59.6% in AA men, 59.5% in AA women and 48.8% in EA men (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Childhood overweight tracked into young adulthood in this sample and the tracking of NW-NW and OW-OW was the most prominent among the EA women.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Origins of the "black/white" difference in blood pressure: roles of birth weight, postnatal growth, early blood pressure, and adolescent body size: the Bogalusa heart study.

BACKGROUND: The determinants of differences in blood pressure that emerge in adolescence between black Americans of predominantly African descent and white Americans of predominantly European descent are unknown. One hypothesis is related to intrauterine and early childhood growth. The role of early blood pressure itself is also unclear. We tested whether differences in birth weight and in carefully standardized subsequent measures of weight, height, and blood pressure from 0 to 4 or 5 years were related to black/white differences in blood pressure in adolescence. METHODS AND RESULTS: Two Bogalusa cohorts who had complete follow-up data on birth weights and early childhood and adolescent anthropometric and blood pressure measures were pooled. One hundred eighty-five children (48 black and 47 white boys and 41 black and 49 white girls) were followed up and studied after 15 to 17 years. Birth weights were a mean 443 and 282 g lower in black boys and girls, respectively, than in whites (P<0.001). Blood pressures in adolescence were 3.4/1.9 and 1.7/0.6 mm Hg higher, respectively, and tracked from early childhood. In regression analyses, birth weight accounted for the ethnic difference in adolescent blood pressure, which was also independently predicted, in decreasing impact order, by adolescent height, adolescent body mass index, and systolic blood pressure at 4 to 5 years and inversely by growth from 0 to 4 to 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: If these results can be replicated in larger and independent samples, they suggest that efforts to improve intrauterine growth in black infants as well as lessen weight gain in adolescence might substantially reduce excess high blood pressure/hypertension in this ethnic group.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Cardiovascular risk factors in youth with implications for aging: the Bogalusa Heart Study.

Evidence that cardiovascular (C-V) risk factors are identifiable in childhood and are predictive of future C-V risk is now irrefutable. That levels of C-V risk factors track or persist over time is important, since such phenomenon confers a life-long burden of C-V risk and indicates subtle and progressive changes in the C-V system. C-V risk factors occur often in constellation and central obesity and the attendant insulin resistance/hyperinsulinemia underlie the comorbid conditions of dyslipidemia, hypertension, thrombosis, and inflammation, among others. Autopsy studies and non-invasive subclinical C-V imaging studies in youth clearly link the multiple risk factor burdens to adverse C-V system changes. The application of multiple risk factors profiling in young individuals in conjunction with non-invasive measurements of vascular changes can promote successful aging and encourage preventive cardiology beginning in early life.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Correlates of carotid artery stiffness in young adults: The Bogalusa Heart Study.

Decreased arterial elasticity, an independent risk factor for cardiovascular (C-V) disease, is associated with C-V risk factors in middle-aged and older individuals. However, information is limited in this regard in young adults. This aspect was examined in a community-based sample of 516 black and white subjects aged 25-38 years (71% white, 39% male). The common carotid artery elasticity was measured from M-mode ultrasonography as Peterson's elastic modulus (Ep) and relative wall thickness-adjusted Young's elastic modulus (YEM). Blacks and males had higher Ep (P < 0.05); males had higher YEM (P < 0.0001); and blacks had higher wall thickness (P < 0.01). For the entire sample adjusted for race and gender both Ep and YEM correlated significantly (P < 0.05-0.0001) with age, BMI, waist, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, heart rate, product of heart rate and pulse pressure, triglycerides, total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol ratio, insulin and glucose. In a multivariate regression model that included hemodynamic variables, systolic blood pressure, product of heart rate and pulse pressure, age, triglycerides, BMI, and male gender (for YEM only) were independent correlates of Ep (R2 = 0.38) and YEM (R2 = 0.25). When the hemodynamic variables were excluded from the model, age, triglycerides, BMI, black race (Ep only), male gender, parental history of hypertension, HDL cholesterol (inverse association), and insulin (marginal significance) remained independent correlates of Ep (R2 = 0.20) and YEM (R2 = 16). Both Ep and YEM increased (P for trend P < 0.0001) with increasing number of independent continuous risk factors (defined as values above or below the age, race, and gender-specific extreme quintiles) that were retained in the regression models. The observed increasing arterial stiffness (or decreased elasticity) with increasing number of risk factors related to insulin resistance syndrome in free-living, asymptomatic young adults has important implications for prevention.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

The relation of obesity throughout life to carotid intima-media thickness in adulthood: the Bogalusa Heart Study.

OBJECTIVE: Although obese children are at increased risk for coronary heart disease in later life, it is not clear if this association results from the persistence of childhood obesity into adulthood. We examined the relation of adiposity at various ages to the carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) at age 35 y. DESIGN: Prior to the determination of IMT by B-mode ultrasound, subjects (203 men, 310 women) had, on average, six measurements of body mass index (BMI) and triceps skinfold thickness (TSF) between the ages of 4 and 35 y. Mixed regression models for longitudinal data were used to assess the relation of these characteristics to adult IMT. RESULTS: Overall, adult IMT was associated with levels of both BMI and TSF (P<0.001), with the magnitudes of the associations with childhood adiposity comparable to those with adult levels of BMI and TSF. Furthermore, adult obesity modified the association between childhood adiposity and IMT: high IMT levels were seen only among overweight (BMI > or =95th percentile) children who became obese (BMI > or =30 kg/m2) adults (P<0.01 for linear trend). In contrast, IMT levels were not elevated among (1) overweight children who were not obese in adulthood, or among (2) thinner children who became obese adults. CONCLUSIONS: These results emphasize the adverse, cumulative effects of childhood-onset obesity that persists into adulthood. Since many overweight children become obese adults, the prevention of childhood obesity should be emphasized.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed2004

Inter-relationships among childhood BMI, childhood height, and adult obesity: the Bogalusa Heart Study.

OBJECTIVE: Although the body mass index (BMI, mass index, kg/m2) is widely used as a surrogate measure of adiposity, it is moderately associated (r approximately 0.3) with height among children. We examined whether the resulting preferential classification of taller children as overweight is appropriate. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analyses of children (ages, 3-17 y) examined the relation of height to adiposity (as assessed by BMI and skinfold thicknesses) and fasting levels of insulin. Longitudinal analyses examined the relation of childhood height and weight-height indices to adult (mean age, 25 y) levels of adiposity and fasting insulin. SUBJECTS: Children (n=11,406) and adults (n=2911) who had participated in the Bogalusa Heart Study. MEASUREMENTS: We constructed three weight-height indices: BMI, W/H3, and W/Hp. The triceps and subscapular skinfolds, as well as fasting levels of insulin, were also measured. RESULTS: The classification of children as overweight (BMI-for-age > or =95th percentile) varied markedly by height, with a 10-fold difference in the prevalence of overweight across quintiles of height between the ages of 3 and 10 y. Childhood height, however, was also related to skinfold thicknesses and insulin levels, and all associations were modified in a similar manner by age. Furthermore, childhood height was related to adult adiposity, and of the three childhood weight-height indices, BMI showed the strongest associations with adult adiposity. CONCLUSIONS: Because BMI reflects the positive association between height and adiposity among children, it is a better weight-height index than is either W/H3 or W/Hp.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

An autosomal genome scan for loci influencing longitudinal burden of body mass index from childhood to young adulthood in white sibships: The Bogalusa Heart Study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine genetic loci linked to a long-term burden and trend of obesity traits, such as body mass index (BMI), from childhood to adulthood. DESIGN: : Longitudinal study using serial measurements of BMI from childhood. SUBJECTS: A total of 782 unselected white siblings (representing 521 full and 39 half sib-pairs) from 342 families enrolled in the Bogalusa Heart Study. MEASUREMENTS: A total of 357 microsatellite markers with an average spacing of 9.0 cM spanning the 22 autosomal chromosomes were typed. A quadratic growth curve was developed using a random effects model based on serial measurements of BMI from childhood to adulthood. The serial changes in BMI were measured in terms of long-term burden (area under the curve (AUC) divided by follow-up years) and the long-term trend (incremental AUC, calculated as total AUC-baseline AUC). RESULTS: Heritability estimates of long-term measures were 0.78 for total AUC and 0.43 for incremental AUC. In a variance-component-based multipoint linkage analysis with SOLAR, linkage to the long-term measures of BMI was observed on chromosomes 1, 5, 7, 12, 13 and 18. For total AUC, LOD scores were 3.0 at 110 cM on chromosome 12, 2.9 at 26 cM and 2.4 at 52 cM on chromosome 7, and 2.2 at 126 cM on chromosome 5. For incremental AUC, LOD scores were 2.9 at 26 cM, 2.1 at 97 cM and 2.3 at 110 cM on chromosome 12, 2.2 at 69 cM on chromosome 7, 2.2 at 91 cM and 2.5 at 150 cM on chromosome 1, 2.0 at 119 cM on chromosome 5, 2.0 at 54 cM on chromosome 13 and 2.0 at 7 cM on chromosome 18. Several important obesity-related candidate genes are located in the regions or near the markers showing positive linkage. CONCLUSION: Linkage evidence found in this study indicates that regions on these chromosomes might harbor genetic loci that affect the propensity to develop obesity from childhood.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Differences in body shape representations among young adults from a biracial (Black-White), semirural community: the Bogalusa Heart Study.

In this study, the authors examined body image perception and body mass index (weight (kg)/height (m)(2)) among race-gender groups in a biracial (Black-White) population of young adults in Bogalusa, Louisiana. A mail-out survey was completed in 1994 by 3,698 (65%) participants aged 18.5-35 years in the Bogalusa Heart Study (mean age = 27.6 years). As part of the survey, body image perception was determined in terms of body shape representations from a figure rating scale. A body image discrepancy score was calculated from the difference between z-standardized values of body image perception and body mass index. A stepwise proportional odds model including the covariates income, employment, education, and physical activity was used to identify factors influencing lower perception of body shape. Mean body mass index was highest among Black females (p < 0.001). The odds of having a lower perception of body shape (vs. body mass index) were 1.72 times higher in Blacks (p < 0.001), 0.80 times lower in persons who were currently employed (p < 0.001), and 0.86 times lower in persons with a higher education (p = 0.032). Gender, income, and physical activity were not found to be significant predictors of body image perception (p > 0.05). The authors conclude that significant differences exist within racial groups concerning body image perception in relation to overweight status among young adults. This has implications for prevention and education programs.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Longitudinal changes in risk variables underlying metabolic Syndrome X from childhood to young adulthood in female subjects with a history of early menarche: the Bogalusa Heart Study.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the longitudinal changes in adiposity and related risk variables of Syndrome X from childhood to young adulthood with respect to early onset of menarche. DESIGN: Community-based longitudinal cohort of female subject (65% white, 35% blacks subjects) who participated in two or more surveys from childhood to young adulthood and had reported their menarcheal age (<12 y, n=437 vs > or =12 y, n=1042). RESULTS: In childhood (5-11 y), adolescence (12-18 y), and young adulthood (19-37 y), females with early menarche displayed significantly higher body mass index (BMI) and triceps skinfold thickness; higher stature in childhood and adolescence; higher fasting insulin and homeostasis model assessment index of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in childhood and adulthood; and higher fasting glucose in adulthood. Blood pressure and lipoprotein variables showed no early menarche-related differences. Longitudinal rates of change in BMI (P=0.002), triceps skinfold thickness (P=0.05), insulin (P=0.09), and HOMA-IR (P=0.05) were positive and faster among female subjects with early menarche; fasting glucose decreased slowly in this group (P=0.006). In a multivariate analysis, body fatness and insulin related independently to early menarche (P<0.001). This association was stronger in white subjects (P=0.0008). In adulthood, the prevalence of clustering of three to four risk factors of syndrome X (highest quartile of: (1) BMI, (2) fasting insulin, (3) systolic or mean arterial pressure, and (4) total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol or triglycerides to HDL cholesterol ratio specific for age, race, and study year) was higher among those with early menarche (10.7 vs 6.2%, P=0.002). The odds for developing such clustering in adulthood among those with early menarche was 1.54 (95% CI=1.14-2.07), regardless of race. CONCLUSION: Early menarche is characterized by excess body fatness and insulin beginning in early childhood and higher prevalence of clustering of adverse levels of risk variables of metabolic Syndrome X in young adulthood.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Influence of the beta2-adrenergic receptor Arg16Gly polymorphism on longitudinal changes in obesity from childhood through young adulthood in a biracial cohort: the Bogalusa Heart Study.

BACKGROUND: The beta2-adrenergic receptor (ADRB2) plays a major role in regulating energy expenditure by stimulating lipid metabolism in human adipose tissue. Polymorphisms in the ADRB2 gene have been associated with obesity and various weight-related traits in cross-sectional studies of adults, but little is known about the effects of the ADRB2 gene on childhood obesity or the propensity to gain weight over time. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of a polymorphism in codon 16 (Arg16-->Gly) of the ADRB2 gene, which has been associated with a decrease in beta2-receptor density and efficiency, on longitudinal changes in obesity from childhood to young adulthood in a biracial cohort. DESIGN: Seven cross-sectional screenings of children and five cross-sectional screenings of young adults who were previously examined as children produced longitudinal data from childhood to young adulthood. METHODS: Height, weight and subscapular and triceps skinfolds were measured by trained examiners following identical protocols over the course of the study. Gender- and age-stratified analyses using random coefficients models were used to examine longitudinal genetic effects on obesity in 1151 African-American and Caucasian males and females who attended an average of six examinations over a 24 y period from childhood to young adulthood. RESULTS: Age-stratified analyses showed no clear genetic relationships with changes in obesity measures over time in females, but an age-dependent association was observed in males, where the relationship between the Arg16Gly polymorphism and obesity became stronger with age. In males who were 4-9 y of age at the beginning of the study in 1973, body mass index (BMI) was 4% higher in Gly/Gly and Arg/Gly males compared to those with Arg/Arg by 26 y of age. Subscapular skinfold measurements in Gly/Gly males became significantly different from Arg/Arg males (20% higher) by age 20. In the oldest male cohort (10-14 y of age in 1973), BMI increased at a significantly greater rate (0.4%/y) in males carrying the Gly16 form of the receptor relative to Arg/Arg males. BMI was significantly different between homozygous genotypes by approximately 26 y of age, and reached 8% higher in Gly/Gly males by age 32. Subscapular skinfolds also increased at a significantly greater rate (2%/y) in Gly/Gly males compared to Arg/Arg males, becoming significantly different (27%) by approximately 22 y of age and reaching a maximum difference of 50% by age 32. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that the beta2-adrenergic receptor is associated with the propensity to gain weight from childhood to young adulthood in males. An increased understanding of genetic influences on the development of obesity may improve the effectiveness of interventions designed to reduce excess body weight and help define the role of genetic factors in diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Alleles↗
PubMed2002

Tracking of serum lipids and lipoproteins from childhood to dyslipidemia in adults: the Bogalusa Heart Study.

Our data demonstrate that serum lipid and lipoprotein levels continue to track from childhood into young adulthood. The persistence and clustering of multiple CVD risk factors from childhood to adulthood and the impact of obesity in this regard point to the need for preventive measures aimed at developing healthy lifestyles early in life. Adverse levels of LDL-C in childhood persist over time, progress to adult dyslipidemias, and relate to obesity and hypertension as well. NCEP guidelines which classify CVD risk on the basis of LDL-C level, are helpful in targeting individuals at risk early in life.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Distribution and cardiovascular risk correlates of serum triglycerides in young adults from a biracial community: the Bogalusa Heart Study.

Elevated serum triglyceride level is increasingly being recognized as an important indicator of cardiovascular risk. The distribution and correlates of serum triglycerides were examined in a biracial (black-white) community-based sample of 1342 young adults (30% black) aged 20-37 years. Triglyceride levels showed significant race (white>black) and sex (male>female) differences. Black females, despite their relatively increased body fatness, had lowest triglyceride levels. In terms of conjoint trait of dyslipidemia based on the National Cholesterol Education Program cutpoints, 9% of white males displayed high triglyceride (> or =200 mg/dl) in combination with low high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol (<35 mg/dl). In comparison, none of the black females fell into this category. Serum triglycerides even at levels between 100 and 150 mg/dl were significantly adversely associated with risk variables of insulin resistance syndrome such as adiposity and visceral fatness measures, HDL-cholesterol, insulin, and systolic blood pressure, especially among whites. Visceral fatness as measured by waist circumference (except black males) and insulin were the major predictors of triglyceride levels. Overall, triglyceride levels above 150 mg/dl were associated with increased risk of hypertension (odds ratio (OR)=1.8, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.8-3.0), type 2 diabetes (OR=3.1, CI=1.4-6.9), parental history of hypertension (OR=1.3, CI=1.0-1.8) and parental history of type 2 diabetes (OR=1.7, CI=1.2-2.3). Thus, serum triglyceride levels may be valuable in the assessment of cardiovascular risk during young adulthood.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Influence of lipoprotein lipase serine 447 stop polymorphism on tracking of triglycerides and HDL cholesterol from childhood to adulthood and familial risk of coronary artery disease: the Bogalusa heart study.

The effects of the lipoprotein lipase (LPL) Serine 447 Stop (S447X) polymorphism on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) and triglycerides (TG) have been demonstrated. However, little is known about its effect on the tracking of HDLC and TG over time and familial risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). This aspect was examined in black and white individuals (n=829) aged 5-18 year at baseline, followed on average 18.8 yr. The frequency of the X447 allele was lower in Blacks than Whites (0.043 vs. 0.087, P=0.002). Carriers vs. noncarriers of the X447 allele had lower TG (99.3 vs 122.1 mg/dl, P<0.01) and higher HDLC (51.1 vs. 49.7 mg/dl, P<0.05) in adulthood, but not in childhood. The trends in genotype-specific means of childhood and adulthood levels of HDLC and TG in sex or race subgroups were similar to those in the total sample. With respect to tracking over time, of those in the bottom quartile of HDLC in childhood, 46.1% of the noncarriers vs. 23.1% of the carriers remained in this lowest quartile into adulthood (P=0.03); corresponding values for the top quartile of HDLC were 37.5% for the noncarriers vs. 57.1% for the carriers (P=0.03). Although TG tended to track better among the carriers in the bottom quartile and among the noncarriers in the top quartile, this trend was not significant. Carriers showed lower prevalence of parental history of CAD than noncarriers (6.9% vs. 14.1%, P=0.02) independently of lipoprotein variables, adiposity, blood pressure, age, sex and race. Thus, the X447 allele of the LPL gene is associated with an increase in HDLC and a decrease in TG in adults, tracking of HDLC since childhood, and a lower family history of CAD.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Distribution and correlates of lipoproteins and their subclasses in black and white young adults. The Bogalusa Heart Study.

Lipoprotein subclasses vary in CAD risk potential, but their distribution and correlates are not well documented in black and white young adults. A subsample of 449 (32%) young adults (67% white, 58% female) aged 20-37 years examined in the Bogalusa Heart Study had lipoprotein subclasses measured in terms of cholesterol by vertical spin density-gradient ultracentrifugation. LDL subclass pattern was characterized as either predominantly LDL(1) (large, buoyant), LDL(2) (intermediate) or LDL(3) (small, dense). Whites had significantly higher levels of VLDL, VLDL(3), and LDL and lower levels of HDL(2) and HDL(3) than blacks. White females had significantly higher levels of HDL(2) than white males. Visceral fatness, measured as waist circumference, and race were the major contributors to the explained variance (6-22%) of these lipoproteins, with adverse trends seen among whites and persons with large waist circumferences. Sex (males>females), waist circumference (positive), HDL(2) (negative), and HDL(3) (positive) were the predictor variables for the likelihood of having the LDL(3) pattern. When glucose and insulin were included in the multivariate analysis, insulin (positive), sex (males>females), HDL(2) (negative) and HDL(3) (positive) became significant predictors of LDL(3) pattern. Positive parental history of CAD was associated with LDL (P=0.009) in white males, and HDL(2) (P=0.008) and LDL(3) subclass pattern (P=0.038) in white females; whereas none in blacks. The observed correlates of lipoprotein subclasses and patterns need to be considered in estimating CAD risk in young adults.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Plasma renin activity and insulin resistance in African American and white children: the Bogalusa Heart Study.

Recent studies have suggested that the renin-angiotensin system is a feature of the insulin resistance syndrome. However, whether such a relationship occurs in childhood and in both African Americans and whites is not clear. We examined this issue in a sample of 264 African American and white children aged 7 to 16 years who participated in a cross-sectional survey of the Bogalusa Heart Study (n = 3,524). Children were selected using a stratified random sampling procedure based on race-, age-, and sex-specific percentiles of diastolic blood pressure. Whites had higher plasma renin activity than African Americans (7.1 +/- 3.6 ng/mL/h v 5.3 +/- 3.5 ng/mL/h, P < .01). Renin activity correlated with blood pressure (BP) (r = 0.21, P < .05) and insulin resistance index defined by post-glucose 1-h insulin X 1-h glucose (r = 0.19, P < .05) only in white children. Other components of insulin resistance syndrome (percent body fat, systolic blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides) showed no relation to renin in both races using univariate analyses. The distribution of insulin resistance index and renin activity among children with elevated BP (above 90th percentile) showed that the percentage of children with both high insulin resistance index and renin values was significantly greater in whites than in African Americans (45.6% v 23.3%, P < .05). A multivariate factor analysis of risk variables of insulin resistance syndrome resulted in clusters of BP/adiposity (factor 1), lipids/adiposity (factor 2), and insulin resistance/renin/adiposity (factor 3) in white children, with adiposity linking the three factors. However, a different pattern emerged in African American children for factor 2 and factor 3, and renin was not part of the cluster in any of the three factors. These observations suggest that renin may be a component of insulin resistance syndrome detectable in early life only in whites.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Combined effects of endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphism (G894T) and insulin resistance status on blood pressure and familial risk of hypertension in young adults: the Bogalusa Heart Study.

Impaired endothelial function with decreased nitric oxide production is shared by insulin resistance and essential hypertension. Although there are limited data on the association between the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) G894T polymorphism and hypertension, information is absent on the combined effects of eNOS G894T genotype and insulin resistance status on blood pressure (BP) levels and the familial risk of hypertension. This aspect was examined in a community-based sample of 1021 unrelated African American and white young adults aged 19 to 38 years. African Americans displayed a lower frequency of the T894 allele than whites (0.105 v 0.324, P < .001). After adjusting for sex, age, and body mass index (BMI), noncarriers versus carriers of the T894 allele had significantly higher systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP) BP and mean arterial pressure (MAP) levels (111.7 v 109.2 mm Hg for SBP; 73.6 v 72.3 mm Hg for DBP; 86.3 v 84.6 mm Hg for MAP), with both African Americans and whites showing similar trends. This association was modulated by insulin resistance status, measured by the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA IR) using fasting insulin and glucose. Subjects with high insulin resistance (above the median HOMA IR) showed significantly greater differences in BP levels between noncarriers and carriers of the T894 allele. Furthermore, the G894T genotype and insulin resistance also showed a combined effect on the prevalence of parental hypertension, a measure of familial risk, with noncarriers versus carriers in the high insulin resistance group showing higher prevalence (70.5% v 51.3%, P = .006, adjusted for race). Thus, the allelic variation (G894T) in the eNOS gene locus in conjunction with insulin resistance may be one factor contributing to the predisposition to hypertension.

Adolescent↗