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Biomedical subjects

J Wurtman

Publications and source records attributed to J Wurtman.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Impact of hormone replacement therapy on the body mass and fat compositions of menopausal women: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to compare the body mass and fat compositions of menopausal women who were taking conventional doses of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with that of menopausal women who were not taking any hormones. DESIGN: The body fat composition of 169 healthy postmenopausal women was measured using a noninvasive handheld machine, the Electrolipograph (BioAnalogics ELG, Beaverton, OR, USA). Impedance to electrical flow in tissues is lower with increasing water content of the tissue. Information on HRT, lifestyle, diet, smoking, and alcohol was obtained from the medical record and by a telephone interview before women were invited to participate. HRT and non-HRT groups were compared. Multivariate linear regression, which included age, years since menopause, type of menopause, and use of HRT, was performed for each of the two major outcomes: body mass index (BMI) and percentage of body fat. RESULTS: Comparisons between subgroups showed a large number of significant differences reflecting differences in age since menopause, baseline BMIs, and baseline waist to hip ratios. In the regression model, however, the only factor significantly associated with lower fat and BMI was the use of HRT. Women who were taking HRT had significantly lower percentages of body fat (-4.8%; p < 0.001) and BMI (-2.6 kg/m2; p < 0.001) compared with nonusers. Age and duration and type of menopause were not significant predictors of weight and BMI in this group of postmenopausal women. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, HRT seems to be associated with a significant reduction in postmenopausal weight and fat mass gains. This may be an important mechanism by which HRT exerts its beneficial long-term effects on cardiovascular health.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1998

Aspartame: neuropsychologic and neurophysiologic evaluation of acute and chronic effects.

BACKGROUND: Neurobehavioral symptoms have been reported anecdotally with aspartame. OBJECTIVE: This study sought to determine whether aspartame can disrupt cognitive, neurophysiologic, or behavioral functioning in normal individuals. DESIGN: Forty-eight healthy volunteers completed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. The first month was aspartame free. Subjects then consumed sodas and capsules with placebo, aspartame, or sucrose for 20 d each. Order was randomized and subjects were assigned to either a high- (45 mg x kg body wt(-1) x d(-1)) or low- (15 mg x kg body wt(-1) x d(-1)) dose aspartame group. Neuropsychologic and laboratory testing was done on day 10 of each treatment period to determine possible acute effects and on day 20 for possible chronic effects. RESULTS: Plasma phenylalanine concentrations increased significantly during aspartame treatment. Neuropsychologic results; adverse experiences; amino acid, insulin, and glucose values; and electroencephalograms were compared by sex and by treatment. No significant differences were found for any dependent measure. CONCLUSION: Large daily doses of aspartame had no effect on neuropsychologic, neurophysiologic, or behavioral functioning in healthy young adults.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

The effect of a carbohydrate-rich beverage on mood, appetite, and cognitive function in women with premenstrual syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To test the efficacy of a specially-formulated, carbohydrate-rich beverage (one known to increase the serum ratio of tryptophan to other large neutral amino acids) on the mood, cognitive, and appetitive disturbances of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). METHODS: Twenty-four women with confirmed PMS were enrolled in a double-blind, crossover study to test the efficacy of the specially-formulated beverage compared with two other isocaloric products on PMS symptoms. The study was conducted over three menstrual cycles preceded by a 1-month placebo run-in. Patients were tested at home or work using an interactive computer-telephone system. Standardized measurements of mood, cognitive performance, and food cravings were made before and 30, 90, and 180 minutes after consumption of active and placebo beverages during the late luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. RESULTS: The experimental carbohydrate intervention significantly decreased self-reported depression, anger, confusion, and carbohydrate craving 90-180 minutes after intake. Memory word recognition was also improved significantly compared with scores obtained during the placebo run-in month (P < .05). The isocaloric placebo interventions had no significant effect on any of these measures. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the psychological and appetitive symptoms of PMS can be relieved after consuming a specially-formulated, carbohydrate-rich beverage known to increase serum tryptophan levels.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Effects of hormone replacement therapy on weight, body composition, fat distribution, and food intake in early postmenopausal women: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on body weight and composition, fat distribution, and food intake in women entering the climacteric. DESIGN: Prospective clinical study. SETTING: Outpatient menopause clinic at a tertiary medical center. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-three early postmenopausal women (44 to 54 years old) were prospectively studied for 1 year. They consisted of two groups: group A, 34 subjects who initiated continuous estrogen and progestin treatment (daily oral conjugated estrogen 0.625 mg and medroxyprogesterone acetate 2.5 mg), and group B, 29 women who refused hormonal therapy and served as controls. The age, menopausal status, initial anthropometric measurements (weight, body mass index [BMI], fat mass, and waist-to-hip girth ratio), and daily food intake (total caloric intake and food composition) were similar in both groups. INTERVENTIONS: Anthropometric measurements were performed before commencement of HRT use and after 12 months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Anthropometric measurements included BMI, waist-to-hip girth ratio, and body composition (the percentage of body fat and water) estimated by means of infrared interactance. Daily food intake was also recorded. RESULTS: The body weight and fat mass increased significantly in both the treatment (73.22 +/- 2.01 [mean +/- SE] to 75.57 +/- 1.12 kg) and the control group (71.45 +/- 3.11 to 73.51 +/- 1.23 kg). However, a significant shift from gynoid to android fat distribution was observed only in the control group (waist-to-hip ratio shifted from 0.80 +/- 0.01 to 0.85 +/- 0.01), whereas no significant change was observed in the treatment group (0.81 +/- 0.01 to 0.82 +/- 0.01). Caloric and macronutrient intake did not change in either group. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that continuous daily estrogen and progestin replacement therapy neither prevents nor increases early postmenopausal weight gain and fat accumulation. However, it does minimize the shift from gynoid to android fat distribution.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Efficacies of dexfenfluramine and fluoxetine in preventing weight gain after smoking cessation.

We tested whether 14 wk of dexfenfluramine (30 mg) or fluoxetine (40 mg) treatment would prevent weight gain after subjects quit smoking. Normal-weight women (n = 144) were randomly assigned to drug or placebo on a double-blind basis for 2 wk before quitting smoking and 12 wk thereafter. The fluoxetine group had more dropouts (28/49, 57.1%) than the dexfenfluramine group (17/47, 36.2%), with an intermediate number of dropouts from the placebo group (21/48, 43.8%). All groups gained weight during treatment, but their amount and pattern of weight gain differed. In the first month after quitting smoking, the placebo group gained more weight than either the dexfenfluramine or fluoxetine group (P < 0.05). By 2 mo postcessation, dexfenfluramine still suppressed weight gain in comparison with placebo (P < 0.05); weight gain with fluoxetine was not differentiable from either dexfenfluramine or placebo. By 3 mo postcessation, the dexfenfluramine group had gained 1.0 +/- 0.7 kg, significantly less than either the placebo (3.5 +/- 0.7 kg) or fluoxetine (2.7 +/- 0.5 kg) groups. Three months after drug discontinuation, formerly medicated, but not placebo patients, showed additional weight gain, eliminating differences between groups. Results indicate that weight gain, an adverse accompaniment of smoking cessation, can be minimized to some degree by serotoninergic drugs, although only for the duration of drug treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Dexfenfluramine, fluoxetine, and weight loss among female carbohydrate cravers.

The consumption of excess calories as carbohydrates (CHO)-rich, protein-poor snacks characterizes the overeating of obese CHO cravers, premenstrual women, patients with Seasonal Affective Disorder, and former smokers. This specific appetite for CHOs may involve brain serotonin, as the synthesis and release of this neurotransmitter can increase following consumption of CHO-rich foods. To examine whether weight loss produced by serotoninergic drugs involves a selective reduction in CHO intake, obese females who consumed at least 30% of their daily calories from CHO-rich snacks were treated with dexfenfluramine ([DF] 15 mg b.i.d.); fluoxetine ([FL] 20 mg t.i.d.); or placebo (PL) for 12 weeks. Weekly weight loss for 25 of 29 PL completers was 0.22 kg +/- 0.06 (mean +/- SEM); for 21 of 28 DF completers, 0.56 +/- 0.08 kg; and for 18 of 30 FL completers, 0.58 +/- 0.09 kg (PL < DF = FL; p = .039). Seven FL subjects, 2 PL subjects, and 1 DF subject withdrew from the study due to side effects; other withdrawals were due to intercurrent illness or personal problems. Prior to treatment, subjects consumed over 40% of their daily CHO intake from snacks. Both of the drugs selectively decreased CHO snack intake (p < 0.05); DF, but not FL, also decreased meal CHO intake (p < .025). These results suggest that weight loss following treatment with serotoninergic drugs may relate to a selective decrease in CHO appetite.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Weight gain and withdrawal symptoms after smoking cessation: a preventive intervention using d-fenfluramine.

Directly measured food intake in 31 overweight female smokers to test whether (a) calorie and carbohydrate intakes increase after smoking cessation and (b) double-blind d-fenfluramine (30 mg), a serotonin-releasing drug, suppresses weight gain, overeating, and dysphoric mood associated with stopping smoking. Placebo-treated patients grew dysphoric after smoking withdrawal and ate 300 kcal/day more from 2 to 28 days after, showing a 3.5-lb weight gain. Fat and protein intakes did not change, but carbohydrate intake increased (30% to 40%). D-fenfluramine prevented postcessation dysphoria. Although drug-treated patients ate more carbohydrate snacks just after quitting, they returned to baseline by 4 weeks, showing a 1.8-lb weight loss. Agents that enhance brain serotonin-mediated neurotransmission may help prevent weight gain, overeating, and dysphoric mood after smoking withdrawal.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Bulimia in obese individuals. Relationship to normal-weight bulimia.

We compared 23 obese subjects meeting DSM-III criteria for bulimia with 47 obese nonbulimic subjects and 47 normal-weight bulimic subjects using structured diagnostic interviews. The obese bulimic subjects were similar to the normal-weight bulimic subjects but different from the nonbulimic obese subjects in exhibiting a high lifetime rate of major affective disorder. However, the obese bulimic subjects were much less likely than the normal-weight bulimic subjects to use self-induced vomiting as a method of purging. These results suggest that obese individuals with bulimic symptoms may constitute a sizable but little-recognized population. Further studies will be required, however, to assess whether the syndrome of bulimia in obesity represents a valid diagnostic entity.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

d-Fenfluramine selectively suppresses carbohydrate snacking by obese subjects.

Twenty obese inpatients who claimed to crave carbohydrate-rich foods were given d-fenfluramine (15 mg p.o., twice daily) or its placebo, double-blind, for two consecutive eight-day periods. Food choices were measured on treatment days 1, 7, and 8 by giving the subjects access to unlimited portions of six isocaloric meal foods (three high in carbohydrate and three high in protein) and of 10 isocaloric snack foods (five high in protein and five high in carbohydrate) available 24 hours a day in a computerized vending machine. d-fenfluramine reduced mealtime calorie intake by only 16% (from 1940 +/- 94 to 1630 +/- 92; p < .001), mealtime carbohydrate by 22%, and had no significant effect on mealtime protein consumption; in contrast, snack calorie intake was reduced by 41% (from 707 +/- 97 to 414 +/- 46; p < .001), and snack carbohydrate intake by the same proportion. The mean number of carbohydrate-rich snacks consumed per day decreased from 5.8 +/- 0.8 to 3.4 +/- 0.4 (p < .01), while that of protein-rich snacks failed to change signficantly (i.e., from 0.7 +/- 0.2 to 0.5 +/- 0.2).

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Control of carbohydrate intake in young and adult animals.

The ability of specific brain neurons to synthesize, and release, their neurotransmitters, can change each time eating occurs. Studies in animals of drug-induced increase in serotonin transmission led to the conclusion that serotonin selectively decreases carbohydate intake but permits protein consumption to remain unchanged. The implications of this are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

D-amphetamine disaggregates brain polysomes via a dopaminergic mechanism.

Brain polysomes are disaggregated in rats given moderate to large doses of d-amphetamine sulfate; this response is rapid in onset, lasts for at least 4-6 hr, and varies with the age of the animal. Pretreatment with a dopamine receptor blocking agent, haloperidol or pimozide, blocks the amphetamine-induced disaggregation.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of protein and carbohydrate meals on mood and performance: interactions with sex and age.

Normal adult subjects (n = 184) consumed a high-protein or high-carbohydrate meal. Two hours later their mood and performance were tested. The effects of meal composition on mood were different for men and women, and for older and younger subjects. Females, but not males, reported greater sleepiness after a carbohydrate as opposed to a protein meal. Male subjects, but not females, reported greater calmness after a carbohydrate as opposed to a protein meal. Older subjects responded differently to meals depending upon the time of day when these were consumed. When meals were eaten for breakfast (but not for lunch) individuals 40 yr of age or older felt more tense and less calm after a protein than after a carbohydrate meal. Although older subjects reported subjective discomfort after a morning protein meal, they displayed objective performance impairments after a carbohydrate lunch. Subjects 40 yr of age or older were impaired on a test of sustained selective attention (dichotic shadowing) after consuming a high-carbohydrate lunch. The shadowing impairment after carbohydrate consumption was as pronounced without distraction as with distraction and resulted mostly from increased omission errors. Our findings suggest negative effects on concentration when older subjects consume a high-carbohydrate, low-protein lunch. These negative effects of carbohydrate consumption appear to arise predominantly from lapses of attention rather than from intrusion of distractors.

Adolescent↗