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Biomedical subjects

James W Anderson

Publications and source records attributed to James W Anderson.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Weight loss with self-help compared with a structured commercial program: a randomized trial.

CONTEXT: Although commercial weight loss programs provide treatment to millions of clients, their efficacy has not been evaluated in rigorous long-term trials. OBJECTIVE: To compare weight loss and health benefits achieved and maintained through self-help weight loss vs with a structured commercial program. DESIGN AND SETTING: A 2-year, multicenter randomized clinical trial with clinic visits at 12, 26, 52, 78, and 104 weeks conducted at 6 academic research centers in the United States between January 1998 and January 2001. PARTICIPANTS: Overweight and obese men (n = 65) and women (n = 358) (body mass index, 27-40) aged 18 to 65 years. INTERVENTION: Random assignment to either a self-help program (n = 212) consisting of two 20-minute counseling sessions with a nutritionist and provision of self-help resources or to a commercial weight loss program (n = 211) consisting of a food plan, an activity plan, and a cognitive restructuring behavior modification plan, delivered at weekly meetings. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Weight change was the primary outcome measure. Secondary outcomes included waist circumference, body mass index, blood pressure, serum lipids, glucose, and insulin levels. RESULTS: At 2 years, 150 participants (71%) in the commercial group and 159 (75%) in the self-help group completed the study. In the intent-to-treat analysis, mean (SD) weight loss of participants in the commercial group was greater than in the self-help group at 1 year (-4.3 [6.1] kg vs -1.3 [6.1] kg, respectively; P<.001) and at 2 years (-2.9 [6.5] kg vs -0.2 [6.5] kg, respectively; P<.001). Waist circumference (P =.003) and body mass index (P<.001) decreased more in the commercial group. Changes in blood pressure, lipids, glucose, and insulin levels were related to changes in weight in both groups, but between-group differences in biological parameters were mainly nonsignificant by year 2. CONCLUSION: The structured commercial weight loss program provided modest weight loss but more than self-help over a 2-year period.

Adult↗

Whole grains protect against atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is the most common cause of death in most Western countries. Nutrition factors contribute importantly to this high risk for ASCVD. Favourable alterations in diet can reduce six of the nine major risk factors for ASCVD, i.e. high serum LDL-cholesterol levels, high fasting serum triacylglycerol levels, low HDL-cholesterol levels, hypertension, diabetes and obesity. Wholegrain foods may be one the healthiest choices individuals can make to lower the risk for ASCVD. Epidemiological studies indicate that individuals with higher levels (in the highest quintile) of whole-grain intake have a 29 % lower risk for ASCVD than individuals with lower levels (lowest quintile) of whole-grain intake. It is of interest that neither the highest levels of cereal fibre nor the highest levels of refined cereals provide appreciable protection against ASCVD. Generous intake of whole grains also provides protection from development of diabetes and obesity. Diets rich in wholegrain foods tend to decrease serum LDL-cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels as well as blood pressure while increasing serum HDL-cholesterol levels. Whole-grain intake may also favourably alter antioxidant status, serum homocysteine levels, vascular reactivity and the inflammatory state. Whole-grain components that appear to make major contributions to these protective effects are: dietary fibre; vitamins; minerals; antioxidants; phytosterols; other phytochemicals. Three servings of whole grains daily are recommended to provide these health benefits.

Antioxidants↗

Type 2 diabetes and the vegetarian diet.

Based on what is known of the components of plant-based diets and their effects from cohort studies, there is reason to believe that vegetarian diets would have advantages in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. At present there are few data on vegetarian diets in diabetes that do not in addition have weight loss or exercise components. Nevertheless, the use of whole-grain or traditionally processed cereals and legumes has been associated with improved glycemic control in both diabetic and insulin-resistant individuals. Long-term cohort studies have indicated that whole-grain consumption reduces the risk of both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In addition, nuts (eg, almonds), viscous fibers (eg, fibers from oats and barley), soy proteins, and plant sterols, which may be part of the vegetarian diet, reduce serum lipids. In combination, these plant food components may have a very significant impact on cardiovascular disease, one of the major complications of diabetes. Furthermore, substituting soy or other vegetable proteins for animal protein may also decrease renal hyperfiltration, proteinuria, and renal acid load and in the long term reduce the risk of developing renal disease in type 2 diabetes. The vegetarian diet, therefore, contains a portfolio of natural products and food forms of benefit for both the carbohydrate and lipid abnormalities in diabetes. It is anticipated that their combined use in vegetarian diets will produce very significant metabolic advantages for the prevention and treatment of diabetes and its complications.

Adult↗

Insulin resistance and cardiovascular events with low HDL cholesterol: the Veterans Affairs HDL Intervention Trial (VA-HIT).

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of insulin resistance and the benefit of the fibrate, gemfibrozil, on the incidence of major cardiovascular events in subjects with low HDL cholesterol and a broad range of triglyceride values who participated in the Veterans Affairs High Density Lipoprotein Intervention Trial (VA-HIT). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This intention-to-treat analysis, specified as a secondary objective in VA-HIT, determined using Cox proportional hazards models the 5-year combined incidence of nonfatal myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease (CHD) death, or stroke in relation to the presence or absence of insulin resistance (defined by the highest tertile of the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, HOMA-IR) in conjunction with lower and higher levels of HDL cholesterol and triglycerides. The study population consisted of 2,283 men with known coronary heart disease (CHD), treated with either placebo or gemfibrozil, who could be subdivided into groups with diabetes with or without insulin resistance, with no diabetes but insulin resistance, and with neither diabetes nor insulin resistance. RESULTS: With insulin resistance there was a significantly higher relative risk (RR) of a cardiovascular event both with diabetes (RR of 1.62 with 95% CI of 1.28-2.06) and without diabetes (RR of 1.43 with 95% CI of 1.03-1.98) than without insulin resistance. Throughout both lower and higher ranges of HDL cholesterol and triglycerides, the rate of new cardiovascular events and the reduction of events with gemfibrozil was greater in subjects with insulin resistance than without, despite the finding that an increase in HDL cholesterol and a decrease in triglycerides with gemfibrozil was less with insulin resistance than without insulin resistance. CONCLUSIONS: Results show that in VA-HIT the occurrence of a new cardiovascular event and the benefit of fibrate therapy was much less dependent on levels of HDL cholesterol or triglycerides than on the presence or absence of insulin resistance.

Body Constitution↗

Bupropion SR enhances weight loss: a 48-week double-blind, placebo- controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To critically examine the efficacy of bupropion SR for weight loss. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: This 24-week multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study randomized obese adults to placebo, bupropion SR 300, or 400 mg/d. Subjects were counseled on energy-restricted diets, meal replacements, and exercise. During a 24-week extension, placebo subjects were randomized to bupropion SR 300 or 400 mg/d in a double-blinded manner. RESULTS: Of 327 subjects enrolled, 227 completed 24 weeks; 192 completed 48 weeks. Percentage losses of initial body weight for subjects completing 24 weeks were 5.0%, 7.2%, and 10.1% for placebo, bupropion SR 300, and 400 mg/d, respectively. Compared with placebo, net weight losses were 2.2% (p = 0.0468) and 5.1% (p < 0.0001) for bupropion SR 300 and 400 mg/d, respectively. The percentages of subjects who lost >or=5% of initial body weight were 46%, 59%, and 83% (p vs. placebo < 0.0001) for placebo, bupropion SR 300, and 400 mg/d, respectively; weight losses of >or=10% were 20%, 33%, and 46% (p vs. placebo = 0.0008) for placebo, bupropion SR 300, and 400 mg/d, respectively. Withdrawals, changes in pulse and blood pressure did not differ significantly from placebo at 24 weeks. Subjects who completed 48 weeks maintained mean losses of initial body weight of 7.5% and 8.6% for bupropion SR 300 and 400 mg/d, respectively. DISCUSSION: Bupropion SR 300 and 400 mg/d were well-tolerated by obese adults and were associated with a 24-week weight loss of 7.2% and 10.1% and sustained weight losses at 48 weeks.

Adolescent↗

Pulses and lipaemia, short- and long-term effect: potential in the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in most developed countries. Most CVD deaths are preventable through life-style measures such as diet, exercise and avoidance of cigarette smoking. Decreased intake of saturated fat and cholesterol and increased intake of cholesterol-reducing foods, such as pulses, deserve a high priority for activities designed to prevent CVD. Epidemiological and observational studies indicate that habitual intakes of large amounts of dietary fibre or of vegetables are associated with significantly lower rates of CVD. Studies over four decades document the hypocholesterolaemic effect of pulses and soyabeans. We performed a meta-analysis of eleven clinical trials that examined the effects of pulses (not including soyabeans) on serum lipoproteins. Intake of non-soya pulses was associated with these changes: fasting serum cholesterol, -7.2 %, 95 % CI -5.8, -8.6 %; LDL-cholesterol, -6.2 %, 95 % CI -2.8, -9.5 %; HDL-cholesterol, +2.6 %, 95 % CI +6.3, -1.0 %; triacylglycerols, -16.6 %, 95 % CI -11.8 %, -21.5 %; and body weight, -0.9 %, 95 % CI +2.2 %, -4.1 %. The hypocholesterolaemic effects of pulses appear related, in estimated order of importance, to these factors: soluble dietary fibre, vegetable protein, oligosaccharides, isoflavones, phospholipids and fatty acids, saponins and other factors. Intake of pulses may also reduce risk for CVD by favourable effects on blood pressure, glycaemia and risk for diabetes, and risk for obesity. Overall, the available evidence indicates that regular consumption of pulses may have important protective effects on risk for CVD.

Body Weight↗

Effect of orlistat in overweight and obese patients with type 2 diabetes treated with metformin.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of orlistat, a gastrointestinal lipase inhibitor, on body weight, glycemic control, and cardiovascular risk factors in metformin-treated type 2 diabetic patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A 1-year multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 120 mg orlistat t.i.d. (n = 249) or placebo (n = 254) combined with a reduced-calorie diet was conducted in overweight and obese patients with suboptimal control of type 2 diabetes. RESULTS: After 1 year of treatment, mean (+/-SE) weight loss was greater in the orlistat than in the placebo group (-4.6 +/- 0.3% vs. -1.7 +/- 0.3% of baseline wt, P < 0.001). Orlistat treatment caused a greater improvement in glycemic control than placebo, as evidenced by a greater reduction in serum HbA(1c), adjusted for changes in metformin and sulfonylurea therapy (-0.90 +/- 0.08 vs. -0.61 +/- 0.08, P = 0.014); a greater proportion of patients achieving decreases in HbA(1c) of > or = 0.5 and > or = 1.0% (both P < 0.01); and a greater reduction in fasting serum glucose (-2.0 +/- 0.2 vs. -0.7 +/- 0.2 mmol/l, P = 0.001). Compared with the placebo group, patients treated with orlistat also had greater decreases in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure (all P < 0.05). Although more subjects treated with orlistat experienced gastrointestinal side effects than placebo (83 vs. 62%, P < 0.05), more subjects in the placebo group withdrew prematurely from the study than in the orlistat group (44 vs. 35%, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Orlistat is a useful adjunctive treatment for producing weight loss and improving glycemic control, serum lipid levels, and blood pressure in obese patients with type 2 diabetes who are being treated with metformin.

Adult↗

Diabetes, plasma insulin, and cardiovascular disease: subgroup analysis from the Department of Veterans Affairs high-density lipoprotein intervention trial (VA-HIT).

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus, impaired fasting glucose level, or insulin resistance are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. OBJECTIVES: To determine the efficacy of gemfibrozil in subjects with varying levels of glucose tolerance or hyperinsulinemia and to examine the association between diabetes status and glucose and insulin levels and risk of cardiovascular outcomes. METHODS: Subgroup analyses from the Department of Veterans Affairs High-Density Lipoprotein Intervention Trial, a randomized controlled trial that enrolled 2531 men with coronary heart disease (CHD), a high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level of 40 mg/dL or less (</=1.04 mmol/L), and a low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level of 140 mg/dL or less (</=3.63 mmol/L). Subjects received either gemfibrozil (1200 mg/d) or matching placebo and were followed up for an average of 5.1 years. In this article, we report the composite end point (CHD death, stroke, or myocardial infarction). RESULTS: Compared with those with a normal fasting glucose level, risk was increased in subjects with known diabetes (hazard ratio [HR], 1.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.44-2.43; P =.001) and those with newly diagnosed diabetes (HR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.10-2.68; P =.02). In persons without diabetes, a fasting plasma insulin level of 39 micro U/mL or greater (>/=271 pmol/L) was associated with a 31% increased risk of events (P =.03). Gemfibrozil was effective in persons with diabetes (risk reduction for composite end point, 32%; P =.004). The reduction in CHD death was 41% (HR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.39-0.91; P =.02). Among individuals without diabetes, gemfibrozil was most efficacious for those in the highest fasting plasma insulin level quartile (risk reduction, 35%; P =.04). CONCLUSION: In men with CHD and a low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, gemfibrozil use was associated with a reduction in major cardiovascular events in persons with diabetes and in nondiabetic subjects with a high fasting plasma insulin level.

Aged↗