Effect of food intake on echocardiographic measurements in healthy elderly.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates whether food intake affects systolic and diastolic echocardiographic measurements in healthy seniors. METHODS: Thirty healthy subjects 65-70 years of age were investigated with echocardiography, at fasting and then 30, 90, and 180 min after a meal. RESULTS: After 30 min the biggest changes were seen in left ventricular wall stress and myocardial performance index with a decrease of 45% and 33%, respectively, compared to fasting values. Significant (p < .05) increases also were seen in left ventricular stroke volume, left ventricular cardiac output, left ventricular cardiac index, left ventricular outflow velocity-time integral, peak of early diastolic (E) and late diastolic (A) mitral flow velocities, the E/A ratio, pulsed tissue Doppler peak systolic (s') and early (e') and late (a') diastolic velocities, pulmonary vein peak velocities in systole (S) and diastole (D), mitral annular plane systolic excursion (MAPSE), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), and global longitudinal strain (GLS) (increases ranging 6%-19%). After 90 min there remained a decrease in wall stress and myocardial performance index of 31% and 17%, respectively, and smaller, but still significant, changes could be seen in left ventricular stroke volume, left ventricular outflow velocity-time integral, MAPSE (lateral), TAPSE, GLS, and a few pulsed tissue Doppler peak systolic velocities and late diastolic velocities. An increase also could be seen in deceleration time of E-wave (DT). After 180 min, all variables except DT were back at baseline or below. No significant changes were seen in S/D ratio, lateral early diastolic velocity (e' lateral) and E/e'ratio. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that food intake affects commonly used echocardiographic parameters, both systolic and diastolic, in healthy seniors. With a few exceptions, the changes seen in the older population were less pronounced than previous studies in younger subjects.

Effect of food intake on myocardial performance index.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial performance index (MPI) has been investigated in a variety of populations, but the effect of food intake has not been evaluated. We assessed whether myocardial performance index is affected by food intake in healthy subjects. METHODS: Twenty-three healthy subjects aged 25.6 ± 4.5 years were investigated. MPI was measured before, 30 min after, and 110 min after a standardized meal. RESULTS: MPI decreased significantly (P < 0.05) from fasting values 30 min after the meal, and had almost returned to baseline after 110 min. MPI decreased from 0.28 ± 0.06 (fasting) to 0.20 ± 0.07 30 min after eating. At 110 min after eating the index value was almost back to the baseline value 0.26 ± 0.06. (P = 0.15). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that myocardial performance index is affected by food intake in healthy subjects.

Effect of food intake on left ventricular wall stress.

OBJECTIVE: Left ventricular wall stress has been investigated in a variety of populations, but the effect of food intake has not been evaluated. We assessed whether left ventricular wall stress is affected by food intake in healthy subjects. METHODS: Twenty-three healthy subjects aged 25.6 ± 4.5 years were investigated. Meridional end-systolic wall stress (ESS) and circumferential end-systolic wall stress (cESS) were measured before, 30 minutes after, and 110 minutes after a standardised meal. RESULTS: Both ESS and cESS decreased significantly (P < 0.001) from fasting values 30 minutes after the meal, and had not returned to baseline after 110 minutes. ESS decreased from 65 ± 16 kdynes/cm2 (fasting) to 44 ± 12 kdynes/cm2 30 minutes after, and to 58 ± 13 kdynes/cm2 110 minutes after eating. cESS decreased from 98 ± 24 kdynes/cm2 to 67 ± 18 kdynes/cm2 30 minutes after, and to 87 ± 19 kdynes/cm2 110 minutes after the meal. CONCLUSION: This study shows that left ventricular wall stress is affected by food intake in healthy subjects.

Effect of food intake on 92 biomarkers for cardiovascular disease.

OBJECTIVE: The present study evaluates the effect of food intake on 92 biomarkers for cardiovascular disease (CVD). METHODS: Twenty two healthy subjects (11 male and 11 female aged 25.9±4.2 years) were investigated. A total of 92 biomarkers were measured before a standardized meal as well as 30 and 120 minutes afterwards with the Proseek Multiplex CVD III kit. RESULTS: The levels for eight biomarkers decreased significantly (P<0.05) 30 minutes after food intake. The levels for seven biomarkers remained significantly decreased 120 minutes after food intake. Nine biomarker decreased significantly at 120 minutes after food intake. The changes were between 4-30%, most commonly around 5%. Only six biomarkers showed a difference of 10% or more due to food intake. The biggest differences were observed for Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1 (30%); Azurocidin, Cystatin-B, and Myeloperoxidase (13%); Monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (11%); and Myeloblastin (10%), all 120 minutes after food intake. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that food intake affects several different CVD biomarkers, but the effect is predominantly modest. Timing of blood sampling in relation to food intake, therefore, appears not to be a major concern. Further studies are warranted in older healthy subjects and in patients with various cardiac diseases to determine whether the findings are reproducible.

Effect of food intake on left and right ventricular systolic tissue Doppler measurements.

Systolic tissue Doppler measurements (s') have been used to measure the velocity in myocardial motion and are a valuable tool for evaluating the systolic function of the left and right ventricles. Digestion of food is known to significantly alter hemodynamics and may therefore affect s'. The effect of food intake on s' parameters has not yet been studied. We assessed whether s' is affected by food intake. Nineteen healthy subjects aged 26·2 ± 4·2 years were investigated. s' was measured with pulsed tissue Doppler imaging in the right and left ventricles before the subjects ate a standardized meal and also 30 and 110 min after the meal. Three measurements were taken in each projection, and a mean value was calculated for each. s' increased significantly (P<0·05) from fasting to 30 min after food intake in every measured site except in the left inferolateral wall (P = 0·15, NS). Several, but not all, variables returned to base value 110 min after food intake. This study shows that food intake affects the tissue Doppler variables used to evaluate systolic heart function. Further studies are needed in older healthy subjects and older subjects with various cardiovascular diseases.

A novel panel of biomarkers predicts radioresistance in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

PURPOSE: Global gene expression analysis was performed on pre-treatment biopsies from patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) to discover biomarkers that can predict outcome of radiation based therapy. METHODS: We initially evaluated RNA expression using cDNA microarray analysis of 38 patients that received radiotherapy (RT). The five strongest candidates (VEGF, BCL-2, CLAUDIN-4, YAP-1 and c-MET) were then analysed in pre-treatment biopsies in a second group of 86 patients who received radiation based treatment using immunohistochemical staining (IHC), prepared by tissue microarray. RESULTS: In the first population, 13 of 38 (34%) had no (NR) or partial response (PR) to RT. cDNA microarrays revealed 60 genes that were linked to response to therapy. In the second series, 12 of 86 patients (14%) experienced NR or PR to CRT. Cause specific survival (CSS) and recurrence free survival (RFS) at 2 years was 85% and 90% and at 3 years 81% and 84%, respectively. Biomarkers predictive for NR/PR were increased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) (p=0.02), Yes-associated protein (YAP-1) (p<0.01), CLAUDIN-4 (p<0.01), c-MET (p<0.01) and BCL-2 (p=0.02). Biomarkers predictive of poor RFS were YAP-1 (p=0.01) and BCL-2 (p<0.01). Biomarkers predictive of poor CSS were YAP-1 (p=0.04), VEGF (p=0.03) and CLAUDIN-4 (p=0.03). Furthermore, when YAP-1 and c-MET expression levels were combined the prediction of radio-resistance was increased. CONCLUSION: All five biomarkers were predictive of poor response to radiation based therapy. In particular, YAP-1 and c-MET have synergistic power and could be used to make treatment decisions.