Which cytokine is the most related to weight loss-induced decrease in arterial stiffness in overweight and obese men?

Obesity and increased arterial stiffness are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. A well-known characteristic of obesity is the chronic low-grade inflammatory state, and it causes elevation of arterial stiffness. Weight-loss reduces arterial stiffness and inflammatory level in obese individuals. However, it is unclear which inflammatory factor is most related to weight loss-induce decreases in arterial stiffness in overweight and obese men. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine which circulating cytokine level has the most effect on decreasing arterial stiffness after lifestyle modification. Twenty overweight and obese men completed a 12-week period of lifestyle modifications (combination of aerobic exercise training and dietary modification). We measured brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) as an index of arterial stiffness, and circulating cytokine levels using comprehensive analysis. After the 12-week lifestyle modifications, body mass was markedly decreased. Also, baPWV and the levels of several circulating cytokines significantly decreased after the lifestyle modifications. We observed a positive correlation between changes in baPWV and circulating interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels. Furthermore, multiple liner regression analysis revealed that change in baPWV was significantly associated with that in IL-6 levels after consideration of changes in systolic blood pressure and body mass index. These results suggest that for overweight and obese men, a 12-week period of lifestyle modifications-induced a decrease in circulating cytokine levels (especially IL-6 levels), leads to decreased baPWV.

Inflammatory and metabolic responses to dietary intervention differ among individuals at distinct cardiometabolic risk levels.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of two interventions in breakfast with different fatty acid content on metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers in individuals at different cardiovascular risk levels. METHODS: This crossover clinical trial included 80 overweight participants who were grouped according to the presence of metabolic syndrome (MetS). The participants received two isocaloric breakfast interventions for 4 wk, with a 2-wk washout. The "Brazilian" breakfast was enriched with saturated fat, whereas the "modified" meal was enriched with unsaturated fatty acids and fibers. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to compare dietary data, and Student's t or Wilcoxon tests were used to compare clinical and inflammatory variables. A χ2 test was employed to compare frequencies. RESULTS: Frequencies of MetS increased after the Brazilian breakfast and decreased after the modified meal. Significant reduction in mean values of WC and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and elevation in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were detected at the end of the modified intervention. Participants with or without the MetS exhibited contrasting responses to the modified breakfast: respectively, significant changes in DBP levels (-3.7 ± 6.9 versus -0.5 ± 6.9 mm Hg; P < 0.05), plasma glucose (-3 ± 7.3 versus 3 ± 7.4 mg/dL; P < 0.05), and apolipoprotein-B (-0.1 ± 0.6 versus 0.2 ± 0.3 mg/mL; P < 0.05), interferon-γ (-0.6 ± 1.2 versus 0.1 ± 1.3 pg/mL; P < 0.05), and tumor necrosis factor-α concentrations (0.4 ± 3.6 versus -0.8 ± 2.8 pg/mL; P < 0.05) were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary intervention of small magnitude, for a short period, was able to improve traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease and inflammatory markers, as well as the frequency of MetS. Responses to dietary interventions of individuals at different levels of cardiovascular risk should be examined through different biomarkers.

Brazilian version of food cravings questionnaires: Psychometric properties and sex differences.

The Food Cravings Questionnaires, State (FCQ-State) and Trait (FCQ-Trait), are commonly used to assess food-craving behavior. This study aimed to develop and validate the Brazilian version of these questionnaires, and to explore potential gender differences in the trait version scores. Data were collected from (n = 611) undergraduate students. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to examine the questionnaires structure, and construct validity was assessed. The FCQ-State-Br and FCQ-Trait-Br presented good psychometric properties, adequate model fit, and internal consistency, in general and by gender. A conservation of original structure of the Food Cravings Questionnaires was verified in the Brazilian versions. A good performance in the evaluations concerning the discriminant and convergent validity seem to corroborate these structures. Overweight individuals showed an increase in food-craving behavior. In females, this increase occurred in the guilt dimension, whereas in males, the increase was in the lack of control dimension. In addition, female dieters presented higher scores on the guilt dimension compared with female non-dieters. FCQ-State-Br and FCQ-Trait-Br constitute valid instruments for measuring food-craving behavior in the Brazilian population. Moreover, these findings suggest that food cravings may be an important aspect to be considered in clinical management of overweight individuals, and may require a sex-specific approach.

Adherence to the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research cancer prevention recommendations and breast cancer risk in the Cancer de Màma (CAMA) study.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the association between adherence to the recommendations of the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) and breast cancer (BC) risk in the Cancer de Màma (CAMA) study in a Mexican population. DESIGN: Population-based case-control study. SUBJECTS: Incident BC cases (n 1000) and controls (n 1074) matched on age, region and health-care system were recruited. SETTING: In-person interviews were conducted to assess BC risk factors and habitual diet was assessed with an FFQ. Conformity to the WCRF/AICR recommendations was evaluated through a score incorporating seven WCRF/AICR components (body fatness, physical activity, foods and drinks that promote weight gain, plant foods, animal foods, alcoholic drinks and breast-feeding), with high scores indicating adherence to the WCRF/AICR recommendations. RESULTS: No statistically significant associations between WCRF/AICR score and risk of BC were observed. After excluding BMI from the WCRF/AICR score, the top quartile was associated with a decreased BC risk overall, with ORQ4-Q1=0.68 (95% CI 0.49, 0.92, P trend=0.03), and among postmenopausal women, with ORQ4-Q1=0.60 (95% CI 0.39, 0.94, P trend=0.03). Inverse associations were observed between BMI and risk of BC overall and among premenopausal women, with OR=0.57 (95% CI 0.42, 0.76, P trend <0.01) and 0.48 (95% CI 0.31, 0.73, P trend<0.01), respectively. Physical activity level was inversely associated with BC risk. CONCLUSIONS: The WCRF/AICR index was not related with BC risk in the CAMA study. A combination of six components excluding BMI showed strong protective associations, particularly in postmenopausal women. Further prospective studies are required to clarify the role of adherence to WCRF/AICR recommendations, particularly with respect to BMI, in the Mexican population.

Using technology to promote postpartum weight loss in urban, low-income mothers: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of a technology-based weight loss intervention for urban, low-income mothers. METHODS: Eighteen obese, ethnic minority, socioeconomically disadvantaged mothers in the first year after childbirth were randomly assigned to either: 1) technology-based intervention, which included empirically supported behavior-change strategies, daily skills, and self-monitoring text messages with personalized feedback, biweekly counseling calls from a health coach, and access to a Facebook support group, or 2) usual-care control. RESULTS: After 14 weeks of treatment, the technology-based intervention participants had significantly greater weight loss (-2.9 ± 3.6 kg) than usual care (0.5 ± 2.3 kg; adjusted mean difference: -3.2 kg, 95% confidence interval -6.2 to -0.1 kg, P = .04). One-third of intervention participants (3 of 9) and no control participants lost > 5% of their initial body weight at follow up. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Results suggest the potential for using technology to deliver a postpartum weight loss intervention among low-income racial/ethnic minorities.

Intuitive eating practices among African-American women living with type 2 diabetes: a qualitative study.

Intuitive eating programs that improve self-efficacy and dietary habits could enhance glycemic control in African-American women with type 2 diabetes. The goal of our study was to investigate how current eating practices and beliefs of African-American women living with diabetes aligned with intuitive eating concepts. African-American women with type 2 diabetes referred for diabetes education class during 2009-2012 were recruited for a qualitative study using focus groups for data collection. Verbatim group transcriptions were analyzed by two independent reviewers for themes using a combined inductive-deductive approach. Participants (n=35) had an average age 52±9 years, mean body mass index 39±7, and mean time with a type 2 diabetes diagnosis of 10±10 years. Participants' self-reported dietary practices were poorly aligned with intuitive eating concepts. The women reported a lack of self-control with food and regularly eating in the absence of hunger, yet stated that the determinant factor for when to stop eating was to recognize a feeling of fullness. Participants reported knowing they were full when they felt physically uncomfortable or actually became sick. Women frequently cited the belief that individuals with diabetes have to follow a different diet than that recommended for the general public. Many women also discussed diabetes-related stigma from family/friends, and often did not tell others about their diabetes diagnosis. These findings demonstrate that intuitive eating techniques are not currently applied by the women in this sample. Future studies should assess the influence of intuitive eating interventions on dietary habits among low-income African-American women with type 2 diabetes.

Low compliance with dietary recommendations for food intake among adults.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: To assess the adherence to the national dietary recommendations and to identify factors contributing to dietary compliance in Switzerland. METHODS: Population-based cross-sectional study in Lausanne, Switzerland (CoLaus study), 2009-2012. Dietary intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Participants were dichotomized according to whether they followed the national recommendations for fruits, vegetables, meat, fish and dairy products. RESULTS: Data from 4371 participants (54% women, mean age ± SD: 57.6 ± 10.5 years) were analyzed. Compliance with the recommendations was low: only 39.4%, 7.1%, 61.3%, 66.4%, and 8.4% complied with the Swiss recommendations for fruit (≥2/day), vegetables (≥3/day), meat (≤5/week), fish (≥1/week) and dairy products (≥3/day), respectively. In multivariate analyses, gender, age, smoking status, Swiss-born status, education, being on a diet and body mass index were associated with dietary compliance, while no difference was found between women before and after menopause. Factors specifically associated with fruits, vegetables, meat, fish or dairy products recommendations were identified. CONCLUSION: The low degree of compliance with dietary recommendations calls for a continued effort to increase the population awareness of the importance of a healthy and balanced diet, especially for vegetables and dairy products. This study identified determinants that should guide this effort.

US acculturation is associated with health behaviors and obesity, but not their change, with a hotel-based intervention among Asian-Pacific Islanders.

BACKGROUND: Immigration to the United States has been associated with obesity, yet the relationship of acculturation to obesity and energy balance (ie, physical activity/dietary intake) in adults is a complex issue. Limited longitudinal data are available on immigrant Asians and Pacific Islanders. DESIGN: Analyses were conducted on baseline data and change data from baseline to 24 months in the hotel-based cluster-randomized Work, Weight and Wellness trial involving 15 control and 15 intervention hotels on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. SAMPLE: Participants were adult employees of predominantly Asian and Pacific Islander ancestry who were assessed one or more times over the course of 24 months. The full sample consisted of 4,236 hotel workers (about 40% of hotel workforce) at baseline, 3,502 hotel workers at Year 1 and 2,963 hotel workers at the 24-month follow up. One thousand one hundred fifteen hotel workers had at least two measurements, and were included in the analysis. INTERVENTION: The Work, Weight, and Wellness trial was designed to promote weight loss via motivation and support for increases in physical activity and increased access to and consumption of healthy low-fat/low-energy foods. The measure of acculturation consisted of a score that was a compilation of a participant's age when he or she immigrated to the United States, country of birth, language spoken at home, and years of education. STATISTICAL ANALYSES: We used mixed effect regression models for cross-sectional baseline models and longitudinal multilevel regression analysis of change in diet and physical activity behaviors and obesity over time using a random intercept. Estimates of the intervention effect are expressed as an annual rate of change for all study outcomes. RESULTS: At baseline acculturation was positively associated with body mass index; physical activity level; and fruit, meat, and sweetened drink intake level. In analyses of change across 24 months, acculturation did not significantly influence change in dietary intake or indexes of obesity (ie, body mass index or waist-to-height ratio). However physical activity increased significantly more in the intervention group during the course of the intervention compared with the control group, which decreased activity, when sociodemographic factors (including acculturation) and food intake behavior were controlled for.

Weight control behaviors among overweight, normal weight and underweight adolescents in Palestine: findings from the national study of Palestinian schoolchildren (HBSC-WBG2004).

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study is to examine the relationship between weight-control behaviors and self-reported sociodemographic characteristics, weight status, and perception of body weight in a large, representative sample of adolescents in the West Bank and Gaza Strip territories of Palestine. METHOD: Self-report measures of sociodemographic characteristics, body weight perception, height and weight, and weight-control behaviors were completed by 8,885 male and female students aged 12-18 years from 405 randomly selected schools as part of the 2003/2004 Palestinian Health Behavior in School-aged Children Study (HBSC). RESULTS: In both genders, dieting to lose weight was common among adolescents and significantly higher among overweight than among underweight or normal weight adolescents. Extreme weight-control behaviors (vomiting, diet pills, or laxatives) and smoking were more common among boys than girls, and extreme weight-control behaviors were particularly common among underweight boys. Older adolescents were less likely than younger adolescents to engage in weight-control behaviors. Perception of body weight as too fat was an influential factor in following an unhealthy diet to lose weight. DISCUSSION: Practices to control weight, particularly extreme and unhealthy weight-control behaviors, are common among adolescents in the Palestinian territories. These findings suggest the need to design appropriate prevention and early intervention programs for adolescents in Palestine.

Prospective association between dieting and smoking initiation among adolescents.

PURPOSE: To examine the relation between dieting and smoking initiation among adolescents. DESIGN: Prospective data from a nationally representative study were used. SETTING: Two waves (1994 to 1996) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. SUBJECTS: The sample included 7795 non-Latino Caucasian and non-Latino African-American adolescents. MEASURES: Dieting status was the independent variable and trying smoking and initiation of regular smoking were the dependent variables. Covariates included age, ethnicity, overweight status, false self-perception about being overweight, and availability of cigarettes at home. ANALYSIS: Logistic regression and latent transition analyses were used. RESULTS: Females had a higher prevalence of dieting (55%) when compared with males (25%). Dieting initiation was a significant predictor for initiation of regular smoking among females (OR = 1.94, p = .010), but not among males. Inactive dieting was a significant predictor among males (OR = 1.74, p = .031), but not among females. Compared to nondieters, initiating and consistent female dieters reported a higher probability of transitioning to having tried regular smoking, although results from logistic regression suggested that the association between consistent dieting and initiation of regular smoking was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: There is a positive relation between initiating dieting and initiating regular smoking among females, but among males it is the inactive dieters who show a positive relationship. Results illustrate the importance of examining the association between dieting and the initiation of regular smoking.