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PubMed1995

Examination of recombinant truncated mature human fibroblast collagenase by mass spectrometry: identification of differences with the published sequence and determination of stable isotope incorporation.

Human fibroblast collagenase belongs to a family of matrix metalloproteinases which have been implicated in a number of connective tissue disorders ranging from rheumatoid arthritis to tumor invasion. To examine the active site of this enzyme by biophysical studies, a 19 kDa recombinant truncated mature collagenase (mCL-t) was prepared. Electrospray ionization (ESI) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry have been utilized for the characterization of mCL-t. The molecular weights measured by these techniques identified the presence of two closely related protein components separated by approximately 100 Da. Edman sequence analysis demonstrated that the two protein components differ from each other by an amino terminal valine, consistent with the mass spectrometric data. In addition, the molecular weight of mCL-t determined by mass spectrometry did not agree with that calculated from the reported sequence. To identify the origin of this discrepancy, the DNA sequence of the mCL-t clone was examined. Several differences were noted between the DNA sequence of mCL-t and the published collagenase gene sequence. When these differences were taken into account, the measured molecular weights were found to be in good agreement with that calculated for the modified sequence. In separate experiments, both ESI and MALDI mass spectrometry have been used to determine molecular weights of mCL-t samples enriched with stable isotopes 15N and (15N + 13C). The measured molecular weights demonstrated a 97% (15N) and 99% (15N + 13C) incorporation of labeled isotopes in the two samples.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1987

Chronic pulmonary effects in guinea pigs from prolonged inhalation of cotton dust.

Inhalation of cotton dust has been associated with development of byssinosis. An animal model has been described recently in which guinea pigs exposed to cotton dust for a 6-week period demonstrated acute respiratory reactions consisting of increased breathing frequency, reduced tidal volume, and airflow fluctuations most prominent on the first day of exposure following a period without exposure, often referred to as a "Monday" response (Ellakkani et al., 1984). The current study examined the effects of cotton dust inhalation for 52 weeks in order to evaluate the animal model for ability to demonstrate more chronic effects of cotton dust exposure. Twenty guinea pigs were exposed to 21 mg/m3 cotton dust for 6 hr/day, 5 days/week, for 52 weeks. Twenty control animals received sham exposure. Parameters used to indicate chronic effects included respiratory measurements, weight gain, lung volume and weight, and histopathological evaluation. Respiratory measurements were taken while animals were breathing ambient air and also while breathing a mixture of 10% CO2, 20% O2, and 70% N2. Pulmonary effects were noted to change during the 12 months of exposure. For the first 3 months experimental animals displayed an increase in breathing frequency and a decrease in breathing volume measured as whole-body plethysmographic pressure. These effects were pronounced on the "Monday" of each week. During Months 3-6, reactions occurred on each day of exposure, although Monday responses were most severe. After 6 months, respiratory reactions were pronounced daily. Other indications of a chronic effect of exposure were increased lung volume, measured by water displacement, 15.0 +/- 3.3 ml (mean +/- SD) for the exposed group, compared with 9.8 +/- 2.0 ml for the controls; increased lung weight 9.4 +/- 1.5 g vs 7.0 +/- 0.8 g; and bronchiolar epithelial hyperplasia and hyperplasia of alveolar type II cells. Additionally, a histomorphometric study of the lungs performed by others (Coulombe et al., 1986) detected changes in the peripheral conducting airways, including increased thickness of bronchiolar epithelium and increased thickness of septa at the alveolar level, denoting chronic exposure. Taken together, these results indicated chronic respiratory effects in guinea pigs as a result of 52 weeks of continued exposure to cotton dust. The parallel in development of symptoms in guinea pigs and in humans exposed to cotton dust indicates that the guinea pig is a suitable model for byssinosis.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Self-reported weight and height in adolescents and their parents.

Self-reported and measured weight and height were compared in a sample of adolescents aged 15 years (109 boys; 95 girls) and their parents (135 fathers; 190 mothers) recruited from secondary schools in the urban area of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. On average the adolescents' self-reported weight and height did not differ to a greater extent from the measured values than did that of their parents for their own weight and height but differences for individuals were much more variable. Self-reported weight was significantly underestimated and height over-estimated by both adolescents and parents. Body size had little effect on the extent of underestimation of weight and overestimation of height. The precision of reporting varied both with age and sex, while reporting bias in the parents, but not the adolescents', was influenced by father's occupation score. The educational level of the parents, however, had no statistically significant effect on reporting bias. The extent to which weight was underestimated and height overestimated was no greater than that observed in adults and suggests that group means reported for weight and height are likely to be as valid a measure of actual weight and height as in adults.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Influence of sociodemographic factors in the prevalence of obesity in Spain. The SEEDO'97 Study.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the influence of social and cultural factors in the prevalence of obesity in the Spanish adult population aged 25--60 y based on available population data. DESIGN: Pooled analysis of four cross-sectional nutrition surveys. SUBJECTS: A total of 5388 free-living subjects aged 25--60 y, respondents of the Nutritional Surveys carried out in four Spanish regions (Catalunya, Basque Country, Madrid and Valencia) from 1990 to 1994. The samples were pooled together and weighted to build a national random sample. MEASUREMENTS: Weight and height were measured on each individual by trained observers. Age, gender, educational level, occupation, habitat (rural/urban) and region were considered. Obesity was defined as body mass index > or = 30 kg/m(2). The protocol used in each survey was in accordance with the recommendations of the Spanish Society for the Study of Obesity (SEEDO). Logistic regression models were designed to analyse the influence of sociodemographic factors in the prevalence of obesity in men and women. RESULTS: The prevalence of obesity was higher in older age groups in men and women, odds ratio (OR) for every 10 y OR=1.40 (95% CI 1.39--1.41) for men and OR=1.86 (95% CI 1.85--1.87) for women. Logistic regression analysis adjusted for age showed higher obesity rates among low educated people, OR=1.80 (95% CI 1.78--1.81) in men and OR=2.36 (95% CI 2.29--2.42) in women (P<0.001). Among men the odds ratio for the prevalence of obesity in rural areas was OR=1.87 (95% CI 1.86--1.89), compared to cities. The geographical distribution showed higher obesity rates in the southeast. CONCLUSION: This study supports that obesity is a multifactorial problem. Older women with low educational level and low income seem to be the most susceptible group to weight gain. Therefore, Public Health Programs should consider this type of environmental factor when planning strategies aimed at preventing or reducing the problem of obesity in western societies.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Obesity among young Saudi female adults: a prevalence study on medical and nursing students.

The prevalence of obesity was examined among Saudi female medical and nursing students. The analysis was made on 222 students whose ages ranged from 18-25 years. Standard procedures for measuring weight, height and triceps skinfold measurements were conducted. The criteria for obesity used in the present study were: (i) body mass index (W/H2) in kg/m2 > or = 25 and (ii) triceps skinfold measurement of > or = 25 mm (> or = 85th percentile for ages 18-24 years). The prevalence rate of obesity by body mass index was found to be 30.6% with more girls falling in the Grade I (26.1%) than the Grade II (4.5%) category. Using the skinfold measurement as a standard, a smaller proportion (16.8%) of students was observed to be obese indicating variation in the sensitivity of the two indices as measures of body fatness. Irrespective of the method used for estimation, the prevalence of obesity in these young Saudi women was notably high and supports findings of earlier studies for a common occurrence of female obesity in this region. Preventive programmes for weight control and a healthy lifestyle among Saudi females should be emphasised from young adulthood or perhaps earlier.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Maternal age, parity and gestational age on the size of the newborn in Addis Ababa.

OBJECTIVE: To assess birthweight, length and head circumference of live births, and to examine the effect of maternal age, parity and gestational age on birth size of the live births. DESIGN: A prospective study. SETTING: Tikur Anbessa, Zewditu, Gandhi memorial and St. Pauls hospitals, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. SUBJECTS: Four thousand two hundred and six consecutive live births from July 1996 to January 1997. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Weight, length and head circumference of the newborns. RESULTS: Among the 4206 consecutive live births, 4047 were singleton and 159 were twins. Two thousand one hundred and sixty (51.7%) were males and 2046 (48.6%) were females. The mean birthweight of singleton live births was 3065 +/- 465 g, with modal group of 3000-4000 g. The incidence of low birthweight was 9.1%. The mean length for all singleton live births was 48.6 +/- 3.3 cm and modal group of 46-52 cm. The mean head circumference was 34.4 + 2.9 cm; modal group 31-37 cm. The incidence of low birthweight of the newborns was significantly higher for females, younger maternal age, primiparas and pre-term babies. On the multivariate analysis, gestational age and sex of the newborn respectively had significant effects on birthweight, length and head circumference of the neonates controlling for the other variables. On the other hand parity and maternal age had significant effects only on the birthweight of the neonates. CONCLUSION: This study has provided information on the effects of some of maternal characteristics on the size, particularly length and head circumference of newborns which were not given emphasis on previous birthweight studies. We suggest proper recording and analysis of birthweight, length and head circumferences be given importance for monitoring and evaluating maternal and child health programmes.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A longitudinal study of bone density in midlife women.

A longitudinal study of 386 healthy Black and White women aged 35-60 years was conducted to determine the effects of physical activity and other related factors on lumbar bone mineral density over 24 months. Bone mineral density of the lumbar spine, L2-L4, was measured using dual energy x-ray (Hologic 1000). Physical activity levels in three dimensions (leisure, household, and occupational) from both a lifelong and current perspective were obtained by questionnaire. Body mass index was calculated from measured weight in kilograms divided by measured height in meters squared. Calcium, caffeine, and alcohol intake was estimated using a food frequency questionnaire. Age, race, and smoking were determined by self-report. Radioimmunoassays of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and estradiol were used to validate self-reports of menopausal status. Multiple regression analysis revealed that race, age, weight, FSH, calcium, and years of tobacco intake formed the best model at baseline (r(2) = 0.32) and at 24 months (r(2) = 0.303). Physical activity was not a significant predictor for bone mineral density at either time point. There were cross-sectional changes of bone mineral density with race, age, and menopausal status. Black women had significantly higher bone mineral density than White women. However, an age-related decline in bone mineral density was exhibited in both Black and White women. Perimenopausal women had significantly lower bone mineral density as compared with premenopausal women. Furthermore 37 (9.6%) women at baseline and 34 (11%) at 24 months were designated at risk for fracture.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

PubMedDate not supplied

High prevalence of overweight and short stature among Head Start children in Massachusetts.

The Head Start Program measures children's heights and weights to screen for growth problems such as obesity, wasting, and short stature. At present, little public health use is made of these data. In this paper, the authors present serial cross-sectional nutrition surveillance data from Massachusetts Head Start Programs. Nonrandom samples of local Head Start Programs provided annual screening data from 1988 to 1991 on an average of 2,664 children per year. Height and weight measurements were compared with National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) reference populations. On average, 87 percent of the children were 36 to 59 months of age and 51 percent were white. From 7.3 to 8.8 percent of children were below the 5th percentile of height for age each year, and from 1.2 to 3.3 percent were underweight, with weight below the 5th percentile for height (P < 0.05 compared with NCHS population). In each year overweight (weight for height above the 95th percentile) was most prevalent, ranging from 9.6 percent to 13.3 percent (P < 0.05 compared with NCHS) and demonstrating a statistically significant upward trend over the 4 years of study (chi-square = 9.21, P < 0.01). The prevalence of overweight and short stature varied by race and ethnicity. A statistically significant upward trend in overweight was seen among Hispanic children (chi-square = 5.99, P < 0.05). Also, children who were 48 months of age or older were more likely than younger children to be overweight (P < 0.05). The prevalence of short stature did not vary significantly by year, sex, or age. The authors conclude that children attending Head Start Programs in Massachusetts are at risk for short stature and are at increasing risk of obesity. These risks vary by race and ethnicity. Further research is needed to determine the generalizability of these findings to other regions and to evaluate social and behavioral correlates of poor nutrition outcomes among Head Start children.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2006

Associations between daily food intake and excess adiposity in Irish adults: towards the development of food-based dietary guidelines for reducing the prevalence of overweight and obesity.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of obesity has nearly doubled in Ireland since 1990 and over half of the population has a large waist circumference (WC). No food-based, dietary guidelines exist in Ireland for a reduction in the prevalence of body fat or obesity. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between daily food intake and categories of body mass index and WC for the development of dietary guidelines to combat obesity. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of a random representative sample of 1379 adults aged 18-64 years from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. MEASUREMENTS: Weight, height and WC were measured according to standard procedures. Diet was assessed using a 7-day food diary from which 28 food groups were generated and entered into logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Higher mean daily consumption of most of the 28 food groups was associated with an increased likelihood of being classified as obese or at waist action level 2, compared to normal weight and normal WC. The strongest associations were found for savoury snacks, butter and full fat spreads. Contrary to popular opinion, not one individual food group but rather a combination of many foods was associated with excess adiposity. CONCLUSIONS: Body mass index and WC in adults are strongly influenced by the amount of food consumed. Public health policies for a reduction in body fat and obesity may be more effective if the emphasis is placed on a reduction of food and beverages consumed as opposed to the traditional dietary recommendations for macronutrients.

Adiposity↗

PubMed2005

Predictors of body mass index and associations with cardiovascular risk factors in Australian children: a prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine predictors of body mass index (BMI) at the age of 8 y in a prospective study of Australian children. DESIGN: Longitudinal survey of a cohort of Australian children followed from the 16th week of gestation to 8 y. SUBJECTS: In total, 741 boys and 689 girls who attended the survey as 8 y olds. MEASUREMENTS: Weight and height, blood pressure measured by automated oscillometry, fasting blood lipids and glucose. Questionnaire assessment of activity and diet. RESULTS: Proportions of overweight including obesity in boys and girls were, respectively, 22 and 25% at 1 y, 14 and 14% at 3 y, 13 and 18% at 5 y and 15 and 20% at 8 y. At the age of 1, 3, 6 and 8 y, children with overweight including obesity showed significantly more adverse cardiovascular risk factors. Blood pressure (BP) was significantly higher by 2/3 mmHg (systolic/diastolic) at 1 y, 3/2 mmHg at 3 y, 4/2 mmHg at 5 y and 6/2 mmHg at 8 y; HDL was significantly lower (P=0.002) by 8% and triglycerides were significantly higher by 27% (P<0.001). In multivariate regression, BMI at the age of 8 y was significantly predicted positively by birth weight, mother's BMI and hours spent in watching television at the time of the survey of 6 y olds. Mothers being ex-smokers or non smokers and children being 'slightly active' and 'active' negatively predicted BMI in 8 y olds. In a subset of 298 children with information about fathers, paternal BMI was an additional independent predictor. Maternal or paternal overweight including obesity each independently increased risk of overweight including obesity at the age of 8 y three-fold. A food factor with consumption of cereals and breads as the major components derived from a Food Frequency Questionnaire in a subset of 340 children was also an independent negative predictor of BMI in multivariate models. CONCLUSION: The increasing rate of overweight including obesity, particularly in girls, is associated with an increase in cardiovascular risk factors very early in life. Improvement of health-related behaviours within the family and a focus on promotion of activity in children should be priorities in achieving weight control.

Birth Weight↗

PubMed2006

Development of adiposity in adolescence: five year longitudinal study of an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse sample of young people in Britain.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the developmental trajectory of obesity in adolescence in relation to sex, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. DESIGN: Five year longitudinal cohort study of a socioeconomically and ethnically diverse sample of school students aged 11-12 years at baseline. SETTING: 36 London schools recruited to the study in 1999 by a stratified random sampling procedure. PARTICIPANTS: 5863 students participated in one or more years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Weight, height, and waist circumference measured annually by trained researchers; overweight and obesity defined according to International Obesity Task Force criteria; adiposity and central adiposity indexed by body mass index (BMI) and waist standard deviation scores relative to 1990 British reference values. RESULTS: In school year 7 (age 11-12), the prevalence of overweight and obesity combined was almost 25%, with higher rates in girls (29%) and students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds (31%) and the highest rates in black girls (38%). Prevalence of obesity increased over the five years of the study at the expense of overweight, but no reduction occurred in the proportion of students with BMIs in the healthy range. Waist circumferences were high compared with 1990 norms at age 11 (by 0.79 SD in boys and by 1.15 SD in girls) and increased further over time. Both BMI and waist circumference tracked strongly over the five years. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of overweight and obesity was high in London school students, with significant socioeconomic and ethnic inequalities. Little evidence was found of new cases of overweight or obesity emerging over adolescence, but few obese or overweight adolescents reduced to a healthy weight. The results indicate that persistent obesity is established before age 11 and highlight the need to target efforts to prevent obesity in the early years.

Adipose Tissue↗

PubMed1990

Direction of weight change in recurrent depression. Consistency across episodes.

The direction and extent of weight change during two separate episodes of severe, unipolar depression were assessed in 53 (unmedicated) outpatients in the Pittsburgh (Pa) study of maintenance therapy of depression. There was a high concordance (45 of 53 patients) of direction of self-reported weight change during the two episodes. Twenty-three patients lost weight during both episodes, 17 gained weight, and 5 showed no change. The extent of weight change between the two episodes was highly correlated. Self-reported weight change corresponded closely to measured weight changes in a large sample of the study population. Changes in appetite paralleled those in body weight. Duration of the episode and body mass index were related to the weight change, but two features of depression with which weight loss in depression has been associated (the endogenous character of the depression and it severity) were not. Direction and extent of weight change in unipolar depression appear to be stable patient characteristics across episodes and are thus potential markers for subtypes of depression. This stability of weight change is in sharp contrast to the lack of stability of the endogenous subtype in consecutive episodes of major depression.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Weight perception and weight-related sociocultural and behavioral factors in Chinese adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Rapid economic development accompanied by imported Western media, advertising, fashion, and lifestyle in mainland China has resulted in shifts in cultural beliefs and beauty ideals in adolescents. The present study focused on understanding relationships among weight perception and weight-related sociocultural and behavioral factors in Chinese adolescents. METHODS: Data collected in 2002 from 6863 middle and high school students and their parents from four large cities in mainland China were used. Weight status was determined by measured weight and height. Weight perception, media exposure, attitudes, and health behaviors were assessed by a structured questionnaire survey. RESULTS: Boys were more likely to describe themselves as either too thin or relatively thin than girls (37.32% vs. 18.79%), while girls more often considered themselves either relatively heavy or too heavy than boys (50.83% vs. 26.54%). Girls who were actually normal or underweight were more likely than boys to describe themselves as either relatively heavy or very heavy (41.6% vs. 11.6%), while boys who were actually normal or overweight were more likely than girls to believe themselves as underweight (30.9% vs. 15.7%). Girls who were frequently exposed to media from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, and placed high value on their physical appearance, were more likely to be dissatisfied with their body weight, which in turn were more likely to restrict consumption of certain foods, smoke cigarettes, and drink alcohol. Similar results were not observed in boys. CONCLUSIONS: Weight dissatisfaction was prevalent in Chinese adolescents and was significantly related to media exposure, attitudes towards physical appearance, and adoption of certain health-risk behaviors in girls. Our findings underscore the importance of sociocultural influences in shaping realistic body image and have implications for prevention and early intervention for establishing health behavioral practices during adolescence.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

Randomized multicenter trial documenting the efficacy and safety of a lactose-free and a lactose-containing formula for term infants.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a new lactose-free infant formula. DESIGN: Randomized, prospective, double-blind, controlled, outpatient, multicenter, parallel 12-week trial. SETTING: Ambulatory-care facilities of the participating centers. SUBJECTS: 137 healthy term infants (approximately 7 days old at the time of study enrollment). INTERVENTION: Healthy term infants, whose mothers had decided not to breast-feed, were randomly assigned 1 of the 2 study formulas. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Weight, length, and occipitofrontal circumference measurements were obtained at baseline and when the infant was 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks old. Formula acceptance and tolerance were also assessed at weeks 2, 4, 8, and 12. Serum albumin concentration, creatirune level, and blood urea nitrogen were determined at baseline and week 12. Adverse events were assessed throughout the study. STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: Each baseline anthropometric and laboratory variable was analyzed for comparability between groups using the Student t test and was also analyzed using a repeated-measures analysis of variance method. Covariance analysis was applied to the final laboratory data using the respective baseline data as covariates. Decisions about equality of mean responses to formula effects were based on the .05 level of significance in all cases. RESULTS: One hundred four infants completed the study. No significant differences between the 2 formula groups were noted for any of the growth and blood parameters. APPLICATIONS: This new formula is an effective and safe lactose-free nutrition alternative for infants who require such a diet.

Anthropometry↗

PubMed2003

A weak, short metal-metal bond in a chromium(II) amidinate complex.

Treatment of chromium(II) chloride with 2 equiv of Li[tBuNC(CH3)NtBu], Li[iPrNC(CH3)NiPr], or Li[tBuNC(CH3)NEt] (prepared from the corresponding carbodiimides and methyllithium) afforded Cr[tBuNC(CH3)NtBu]2 (1, 50%), Cr[iPrNC(CH3)NiPr]2 (2, 54%), and [Cr(tBuNC(CH3)NEt)2]2 (3, 58%) as deep blue, purple, and amber or metallic green crystals, respectively. Cr[tBuNC(CH3)NtBu]2 and Cr[iPrNC(CH3)NiPr]2 possess monomeric structures in the solid state with tetrahedral and square planar geometries about the chromium centers, respectively. [Cr(tBuNC(CH3)NEt)2]2 exists as a dimer in the solid state, with two mu2-amidinate ligands, two eta2-amidinate ligands, and a chromium-chromium bond length of 1.9601(12) A. [Cr(tBuNC(CH3)NEt)2]2 is diamagnetic in the solid state, as determined by magnetic susceptibility measurement and CP/MAS 13C NMR spectroscopy. However, [Cr(tBuNC(CH3)NEt)2]2 dissociates into paramagnetic monomers in solution, as determined by observation of extremely broad peaks in the 1H NMR spectra in cyclohexane-d12 and benzene-d6, a solution magnetic moment measurement, and by solution molecular weight measurements in benzene. The combined results suggest that the chromium-chromium bond strength in [Cr(tBuNC(CH3)NEt)2]2 is weak and cannot exceed the difference in solvation energies between the dimer and two monomers, plus any increase in metal-nitrogen bond strengths in the monomers.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2003

A novel soy-based meal replacement formula for weight loss among obese individuals: a randomized controlled clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of a low calorie soy-based meal replacement program for the treatment of obesity. DESIGN: A 12-week prospective randomized controlled clinical trial. SETTING: Outpatient weight control research unit. SUBJECTS: One hundred obese (28<BMI<or=41 kg/m(2)) volunteers between the ages of 35 and 65 y. Seventy-four participants completed the trial. INTERVENTION: Participants were randomized to either the meal replacement treatment group (n=50; 240 g/day, 1200 kcal/day) or control group (n=50). Both groups at baseline received a single dietary counseling session and a pamphlet describing weight loss practices. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Weight, body fat, serum lipid concentrations. RESULTS: : By intent-to-treat analysis, the treatment group lost significantly more weight than the control group (7.00 vs 2.90 kg; P<0.001) and had a greater change in total (22.5 vs 6.8 mg/dl; P=0.013) and LDL cholesterol (21.2 vs 7.1 mg/dl; P<0.009). Among completers only, the treatment group again lost more weight (7.1 kg; n=37 vs 2.9 kg; n=37; P=0.0001) and had a greater reduction in total cholesterol (26.1 mg/dl; n=37 vs 6.7 mg/dl; P=0.0012) and a greater change in LDL cholesterol (21.6 vs 5.5 mg/dl; P=0.0025). (For any given degree of weight loss, the reduction in LDL cholesterol was significantly greater in the treatment group.) Treatment was well tolerated and no serious side effects were detected. CONCLUSIONS: Use of this soy-based meal replacement formula was effective in lowering body weight, fat mass and in reducing LDL cholesterol beyond what could be expected given the weight lost.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

Self-reported weight and height.

The error in self-reported weight and height compared with measured weight and height was evaluated in a nationally representative sample of 11,284 adults aged 20-74 y from the second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 1976-1980. Although weight and height were reported, on the average, with small errors, self-reported weight and height are unreliable in important population subgroups. Errors in self-reporting weight were directly related to a person's overweight status--bias and unreliability in self-report increased directly with the magnitude of overweight. Errors in self-reported weight were greater in overweight females than in overweight males. Race, age, and end-digit preference were ancillary predictors of reporting error in weight. Errors in self-reporting height were related to a person's age--bias and unreliability in self-reporting increased directly with age after age 45 y. Overweight status was also a predictor of reporting error in height.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Protecting the myocardium: a role for the beta2 adrenergic receptor in the heart.

OBJECTIVE: The sympathetic nervous system enhances cardiac muscle function by activating beta adrenergic receptors (betaARs). Recent studies suggest that chronic betaAR stimulation is detrimental, however, and that it may play a role in the clinical deterioration of patients with congestive heart failure. To examine the impact of chronic beta1AR and beta2AR subtype stimulation individually, we studied the cardiovascular effects of catecholamine infusions in betaAR subtype knockout mice (beta1KO, beta2KO). DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, experimental study. SETTING: Animal research laboratory. SUBJECTS: beta1KO and beta2KO mice and wild-type controls. INTERVENTIONS: The animals were subjected to 2 wks of continuous infusion of the betaAR agonist isoproterenol. Analyses of cardiac function and structure were performed during and 3 days after completion of the infusions. Functional studies included graded exercise treadmill testing, in vivo assessments of left ventricular function using Mikro-Tip catheter transducers, right ventricular pressure measurements, and analyses of organ weight to body weight ratios. Structural studies included heart weight measurements, assessments of myocyte ultrastructure using electron microscopy, and in situ terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated biotin-dUTP nick-end labeling staining to quantitate myocyte apoptosis. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We found that isoproterenol-treated beta2KO mice experienced greater mortality rates (p =.001, chi-square test using Fisher's exact method) and increased myocyte apoptosis at 3- and 7-day time points (p =.04 and p =.0007, respectively, two-way analysis of variance). CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that in vivo beta2AR activation is antiapoptotic and contributes to myocardial protection.

Adrenergic beta-Agonists↗