Acute effect of smoking and smoking abstinence on energy intake and appetite-related hormones blood concentrations.

The effect of smoking on energy balance and the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. The aim of the present study is to examine the acute effect of smoking and its abstinence on energy intake, subjective feelings of appetite and related hormones. Fourteen healthy smokers participated in a randomized, crossover study consisting of two trials: the Cigarette trial (participants smoked two cigarettes of their brand within 15min) and the Sham trial (they were asked to hold the cigarette as smoking, but without lighting it). After 45min the participants were offered an ad libitum variety of snacks, and their intake was recorded. Blood samples were taken at fasting, before the ad libitum meal and 1h after and were analyzed for obestatin, ghrelin, glucagon-like peptide-1, cholecystokinin and insulin levels. Subjective feelings of hunger, satiety and desired to eat, as well as smoking craving were evaluated by visual analog scales. Mean energy intake at the ad libitum meal was 825±310kcal in the Sham trial and 673±245kcal in the Cigarette trial (p=0.010). No significant intervention effects were observed for the reported appetite feelings or the appetite-related hormones levels. In conclusion, smoking was found to have an acute effect on dietary intake; this was not explained by changes in the hormonal levels that were evaluated. More research is needed to confirm these results in more prolonged periods of abstinence and explore other pathways through which smoking and its abstinence affect energy balance.

[Exercised-induced asthma in soccer players ages from 8 to 13 years]. / Anstrengungsinduziertes Asthma bei Fussballspielern im Alter von 8 bis 13 Jahren.

The purpose of this study was the detection of exercise induced asthma in soccer players aged 8-13 years. Thirty boys, 8-13 years old participated in the study. They were coming from an athletic team of north of Thessaloniki. The study included clinical examination, administration of a respiratory health questionnaire and the exercise -- free running -- test with spirometric measurements. Spirometric measurements were performed by using a microspirometer, before exercise and 2, 5, 10, 15 and 30 min after a 6 min free running exercise (80 - 90 % max heart rate). The highest forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV (1)) value before exercise was compared with the lowest of post exercise values. The results showed a decline in FEV (1) > 15 % in 12 out of 30 children. Particularly, decline in FEV (1) was present in 1 (11 %) out of 9 children with free personal medical history but positive family history for asthma, in 3 (25 %) out of 12 children with allergies, and in 8 (89 %) out of 9 children with asthma. Symptoms were reported by 9 of 12 children with fall in FEV (1) > 15 %, during the 6 min exercise test, who had no symptoms during the soccer games. Identification of EIA by exercise challenge test in young athletes is a useful component for the diagnosis of bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Similar studies should be performed on older and younger athletes who participate in different sports and games.