The thermoneutral zone in women takes an "arctic" shift compared to men.

Conventionally, women are perceived to feel colder than men, but controlled comparisons are sparse. We measured the response of healthy, lean, young women and men to a range of ambient temperatures typical of the daily environment (17 to 31 °C). The Scholander model of thermoregulation defines the lower critical temperature as threshold of the thermoneutral zone, below which additional heat production is required to defend core body temperature. This parameter can be used to characterize the thermoregulatory phenotypes of endotherms on a spectrum from "arctic" to "tropical." We found that women had a cooler lower critical temperature (mean ± SD: 21.9 ± 1.3 °C vs. 22.9 ± 1.2 °C, P = 0.047), resembling an "arctic" shift compared to men. The more arctic profile of women was predominantly driven by higher insulation associated with more body fat compared to men, countering the lower basal metabolic rate associated with their smaller body size, which typically favors a "tropical" shift. We did not detect sex-based differences in secondary measures of thermoregulation including brown adipose tissue glucose uptake, muscle electrical activity, skin temperatures, cold-induced thermogenesis, or self-reported thermal comfort. In conclusion, the principal contributors to individual differences in human thermoregulation are physical attributes, including body size and composition, which may be partly mediated by sex.

Activin E-ACVR1C cross talk controls energy storage via suppression of adipose lipolysis in mice.

Body fat distribution is a heritable risk factor for cardiovascular and metabolic disease. In humans, rare Inhibin beta E (INHBE, activin E) loss-of-function variants are associated with a lower waist-to-hip ratio and protection from type 2 diabetes. Hepatic fatty acid sensing promotes INHBE expression during fasting and in obese individuals, yet it is unclear how the hepatokine activin E governs body shape and energy metabolism. Here, we uncover activin E as a regulator of adipose energy storage. By suppressing ß-agonist-induced lipolysis, activin E promotes fat accumulation and adipocyte hypertrophy and contributes to adipose dysfunction in mice. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that activin E elicits its effect on adipose tissue through ACVR1C, activating SMAD2/3 signaling and suppressing PPARG target genes. Conversely, loss of activin E or ACVR1C in mice increases fat utilization, lowers adiposity, and drives PPARG-regulated gene signatures indicative of healthy adipose function. Our studies identify activin E-ACVR1C as a metabolic rheostat promoting liver-adipose cross talk to restrain excessive fat breakdown and preserve fat mass during prolonged fasting, a mechanism that is maladaptive in obese individuals.

The Cross-Sectional Relation of Body Mass Index to Adiposity among 8- to 19-Year-Olds within Several Races and Ethnicities.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the screening ability of a high body mass index (BMI) for high adiposity among 8- to 19-year-olds. STUDY DESIGN: This cross-sectional study included 6454 National Health and Nutrition Survey participants from 2011 through 2018. Fat and lean mass were measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). We expressed adiposity as fat mass index (FMI, kg ÷ m2) and %fat. RESULTS: Based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 95th percentile, a high BMI correctly classified a high FMI for about 95% of participants in each racial and ethnic group. About 81% (Blacks) to 90% (Hispanics) of participants with a high BMI also had a high FMI. Further, children with a high BMI were 17 (Hispanics) to 46 (Blacks) times more likely to have a high FMI than those with a "normal" BMI. The screening ability of high BMI for high %fat was weaker because levels of %fat are influenced by both fat mass (numerator) and lean mass (denominator). CONCLUSIONS: Despite differences in body composition, a high BMI is a very good screening tool for identifying high FMI not only among White 8- to 19-year-olds but also among Asians, Blacks, and Hispanics. Compared with %fat, FMI is likely a better adiposity metric among children and adolescents.

The effect of hyperlipidemia and body fat distribution on subclinical left ventricular function in obesity: a cardiovascular magnetic resonance study.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is often associated with multiple comorbidities. However, whether obese subjects with hyperlipidemia in the absence of other complications have worse cardiac indices than metabolically healthy obese subjects is unclear. Therefore, we aimed to determine the effect of hyperlipidemia on subclinical left ventricular (LV) function in obesity and to evaluate the association of cardiac parameters with body fat distribution. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-two adults were recruited and divided into 3 groups: obesity with hyperlipidemia (n = 24, 14 males), obesity without hyperlipidemia (n = 25, 13 males), and c ntrols (n = 43, 25 males). LV strain parameters (peak strain (PS), peak diastolic strain rate (PDSR), peak systolic strain rate) derived from cardiovascular magnetic resonance tissue tracking were measured and compared. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometer was used to measure body fat distribution. Correlations of hyperlipidemia and body fat distribution with LV strain were assessed by multivariable linear regression. RESULTS: Obese individuals with preserved LV ejection fraction showed lower global LV longitudinal, circumferential, and radial PS and longitudinal and circumferential PDSR than controls (all P < 0.05). Among obese patients, those with hyperlipidemia had lower longitudinal PS and PDSR and circumferential PDSR than those without hyperlipidemia (- 12.8 ± 2.9% vs. - 14.2 ± 2.7%, 0.8 ± 0.1 s-1 vs. 0.9 ± 0.3 s-1, 1.2 ± 0.2 s-1 vs. 1.4 ± 0.2 s-1; all P < 0.05). Multivariable linear regression demonstrated that hyperlipidemia was independently associated with circumferential PDSR (ß = - 0.477, P < 0.05) in obesity after controlling for growth differences, other cardiovascular risk factors, and central fat distribution. In addition, android fat had an independently negative relationship with longitudinal and radial PS (ß = - 0.486 and ß = - 0.408, respectively; all P < 0.05); and visceral fat was negatively associated with longitudinal PDSR (ß = - 0.563, P < 0.05). Differently, gynoid fat was positively correlated with circumferential PS and PDSR and radial PDSR (ß = 0.490, ß = 0.481, and ß = 0.413, respectively; all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Hyperlipidemia is independently associated with subclinical LV diastolic dysfunction in obesity. Central fat distribution (android and visceral fat) has a negative association, while peripheral fat distribution (gynoid fat) has a positive association on subclinical LV function. These results suggest that appropriate management of hyperlipidemia may be beneficial for obese patients, and that the differentiation of fat distribution in different regions may facilitate the precise management of obese patients. Clinical trials registration Effect of lifestyle intervention on metabolism of obese patients based on smart phone software (ChiCTR1900026476).

Clinical features of fallers and non-fallers: finding best-performing combinations of physical performance measurements to discriminate physical impairments between fallers and non-fallers among older adults with and without osteoporosis.

Is osteoporosis related to worst outcomes after fall accidents? After a fall accident, there were no differences in walking and balance between individuals with/without osteoporosis. Gains in fat tissue, higher pain, and difficulty to walk were related to previous falls, regardless of osteoporosis. PURPOSE: Impairments are expected after an accidental fall in the older age; whoever, it is still unclear if patients suffering from osteoporosis are in higher risks of fall accidents and if such accidents would cause worst outcomes compared with older adults without osteoporosis. The objective of this study was to discriminate fallers and non-fallers via a combination of physical performance measurements of older adults (65 + years) with and without osteoporosis. METHODS: Older adults (n = 116) were screened for a previous fall accident and tested during (i) quiet stance; (ii) single- and dual-task walking; (iii) 8-Foot Up-and-Go; (iv) Mini BESTest; (v) 2-min step-in-place and (vi) 30-s chair stand. Evaluation of average daily pain intensity and total body fat% were obtained. RESULTS: Forty-four subjects (38%) reported a previous fall accident. There was, however, no association between osteoporosis and previous fall. Fallers had a higher daily pain intensity, higher body fat%, slower walking speed during a cognitive dual-task test and worse performance at the 8-Foot Up-and-Go test and the Mini BESTest compared to non-fallers. CONCLUSIONS: Although the presence of osteoporosis might not increase the risk of fall accidents, healthcare professionals should expect that accidental falls in older adults are associated with higher body fat%, higher daily pain intensity and problems performing daily activities such as walking.

Association between body fat decrease during the first year after diagnosis and the prognosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: CT-based body composition analysis.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic role of changes in body fat in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) remains underexplored. We investigated the association between changes in body fat during the first year post-diagnosis and outcomes in patients with IPF. METHODS: This single-center, retrospective study included IPF patients with chest CT scan and pulmonary function test (PFT) at diagnosis and a one-year follow-up between January 2010 and December 2020. The fat area (cm2, sum of subcutaneous and visceral fat) and muscle area (cm2) at the T12-L1 level were obtained from chest CT images using a fully automatic deep learning-based software. Changes in the body composition were dichotomized using thresholds dividing the lowest quartile and others, respectively (fat area: -52.3 cm2, muscle area: -7.4 cm2). Multivariable Cox regression analyses adjusted for PFT result and IPF extent on CT images and the log-rank test were performed to assess the association between the fat area change during the first year post-diagnosis and the composite outcome of death or lung transplantation. RESULTS: In total, 307 IPF patients (69.3 ± 8.1 years; 238 men) were included. During the first year post-diagnosis, fat area, muscle area, and body mass index (BMI) changed by -15.4 cm2, -1 cm2, and - 0.4 kg/m2, respectively. During a median follow-up of 47 months, 146 patients had the composite outcome (47.6%). In Cox regression analyses, a change in the fat area < -52.3 cm2 was associated with composite outcome incidence in models adjusted with baseline clinical variables (hazard ratio [HR], 1.566, P = .022; HR, 1.503, P = .036 in a model including gender, age, and physiology [GAP] index). This prognostic value was consistent when adjusted with one-year changes in clinical variables (HR, 1.495; P = .030). However, the change in BMI during the first year was not a significant prognostic factor (P = .941). Patients with a change in fat area exceeding this threshold experienced the composite outcome more frequently than their counterparts (58.4% vs. 43.9%; P = .007). CONCLUSION: A ≥ 52.3 cm2 decrease in fat area, automatically measured using deep learning technique, at T12-L1 in one year post-diagnosis was an independent poor prognostic factor in IPF patients.

Urinary Equol and Equol-Predicting Microbial Genera Are Favorably Associated with Body Fat Measures among Chinese Adults.

BACKGROUND: Many studies have investigated the intake of dietary isoflavones in relation to obesity risk, whereas the association using objective biomarkers of isoflavones, particularly equol (a gut-derived metabolite of daidzein with greater bioavailability than other isoflavones) has been less studied. In addition, the associations between equol and gut microbiota profile at the population level remain to be fully characterized. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to identify equol-predicting microbial species and to investigate the associations of equol-predicting microbial species and urinary excretion of isoflavones including glycitein, genistein, daidzein, and equol with diverse obesity markers in free living-individuals. METHODS: In this 1-y longitudinal study of 754 community-dwelling adults, urinary isoflavones, fecal microbiota, height, weight, and circumferences of waist and hip were measured at baseline and again after 1 y. Liver fat [indicated by the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP)] and other body composition were also measured after 1 y. Linear models and linear mixed-effects models were used to analyze the associations for single measure and repeated measures, respectively. RESULTS: Among 305 participants (median age: 50 y, IQR, 37-59 y) including 138 males and 167 females, higher urinary excretion of equol was associated with lower CAP (ß = -0.013, P < 0.001) and body fat mass (ß= -0.014, P = 0.046). No association was found between any other urinary isoflavones and obesity markers (all P > 0.05). We identified 21 bacterial genera whose relative abundance were positively associated with urinary equol concentrations (all Pfalsediscovery rate < 0.05), and constructed an equol-predicting microbial score to reflect the overall equol-producing potential of host gut microbiota. This score was inversely associated with CAP (ß = -0.040, P = 0.011). CONCLUSIONS: High urinary equol concentrations and equol-predicting microbial species could be favorably associated with liver fat and other obesity markers.

Body Fat Depletion: the Yin Paradigm for Treating Type 2 Diabetes.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To highlight that body fat depletion (the Yin paradigm) with glucose-lowering treatments (the Yang paradigm) are associated with metabolic benefits for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). RECENT FINDINGS: The sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor-mediated sodium/glucose deprivation can directly improve glycemic control and kidney outcome in patients with T2DM. The glucose deprivation might also promote systemic fatty acid ß-oxidation to deplete ectopic/visceral fat and thereby contribute to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. As with metabolic surgery, bioengineered incretin-based medications with potent anorexigenic and insulinotropic efficacy can significantly reduce blood glucose as well as body weight (especially in the ectopic/visceral fat depots). The latter effects could be a key contributor to their cardiovascular-renal protective effects. In addition to a healthy diet, the newer glucose-lowering medications, with body fat reduction effects, should be prioritized when treating patients with T2DM, especially for those with established cardiovascular/renal risks or diseases.

Fat accumulation in striped hamsters (Cricetulus barabensis) reflects the temperature of prior cold acclimation.

BACKGROUND: Proper adjustments of metabolic thermogenesis play an important role in thermoregulation in endotherm to cope with cold and/or warm ambient temperatures, however its roles in energy balance and fat accumulation remain uncertain. Our study aimed to investigate the effect of previous cold exposure (10 and 0 °C) on the energy budgets and fat accumulation in the striped hamsters (Cricetulus barabensis) in response to warm acclimation. The body mass, energy intake, resting metabolic rate (RMR) and nonshivering thermogenesis (NST), serum thyroid hormone levels (THs: T3 and T4), and the activity of brown adipose tissue (BAT), indicated by cytochrome c oxidase (COX) activity and uncoupling protein 1 (ucp1) expression, were measured following exposure to the cold (10 °C and 0 °C) and transition to the warm temperature (30 °C). RESULTS: The hamsters at 10 °C and 0 °C showed significant increases in energy intake, RMR and NST, and a considerable reduction in body fat than their counterparts kept at 21 °C. After being transferred from cold to warm temperature, the hamsters consumed less food, and decreased RMR and NST, but they significantly increased body fat content. Interestingly, the hamsters that were previously exposed to the colder temperature showed significantly more fat accumulation after transition to the warm. Serum T3 levels, BAT COX activity and ucp1 mRNA expression were significantly increased following cold exposure, and were considerably decreased after transition to the warm. Furthermore, body fat content was negatively correlated with serum T3 levels, BAT COX activity and UCP1 expression. CONCLUSION: The data suggest that the positive energy balance resulting from the decreased RMR and NST in BAT under the transition from the cold to the warm plays important roles in inducing fat accumulation. The extent of fat accumulation in the warm appears to reflect the temperature of the previous cold acclimation.

Adiposity indicators exhibit depot- and sex-specific associations with multimorbidity onset: A cohort study of the UK Biobank.

AIM: This study investigated the depot- and sex-specific associations of adiposity indicators with incident multimorbidity and comorbidity pairs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We selected 382 678 adults without multimorbidity (≥2 chronic diseases) at baseline from the UK Biobank. General obesity, abdominal obesity and body fat percentage indices were measured. RESULTS: Cox proportional hazard regression analyses of general obesity indices revealed that for every one-unit increase in body mass index, the risk of incident multimorbidity increased by 5.2% (95% confidence interval 5.0%-5.4%). A dose-response relationship was observed between general obesity degrees and incident multimorbidity. The analysis of abdominal obesity indices showed that for every 0.1 increment in waist-to-height ratio and waist-to-hip ratio, the risk of incident multimorbidity increased by 42.0% (37.9%-46.2%) and 27.9% (25.7%-30.0%), respectively. Central obesity, as defined by waist circumference, contributed to a 23.2% increased risk of incident multimorbidity. Hip circumference and hip-to-height ratio had protective effects on multimorbidity onset. Consistent findings were observed for males and females. Body fat percentage elevated 3% (0.2%-5.9%) and 5.3% (1.1%-9.7%) risks of incident multimorbidity in all adults and females, respectively. Arm fat percentages elevated 5.3% (0.8%-9.9%) and 19.4% (11.0%-28.5%) risks of incident multimorbidity in all adults and males, respectively. The general obesity indices, waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, waist-to-hip ratio and central obesity increased the onset of comorbidity pairs, whereas hip circumference and hip-to-height ratio decreased the onset of comorbidity pairs. These adiposity indicators mainly affect diabetes mellitus-related comorbidity onset in males and hypertensive-related comorbidity onset in females. CONCLUSIONS: Adiposity indicators are predictors of multimorbidity and comorbidity pairs and represent a promising approach for intervention.

Exploring causal effects of gut microbiota and metabolites on body fat percentage using two-sample Mendelian randomization.

AIM: The relationship between the gut microbiota, metabolites and body fat percentage (BFP) remains unexplored. We systematically assessed the causal relationships between gut microbiota, metabolites and BFP using Mendelian randomization analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with gut microbiota, blood metabolites and BFP were screened via a genome-wide association study enrolling individuals of European descent. Summary data from genome-wide association studies were extracted from the MiBioGen consortium and the UK Biobank. The inverse variance-weighted model was the primary method used to estimate these causal relationships. Sensitivity analyses were performed using pleiotropy, Mendelian randomization-Egger regression, heterogeneity tests and leave-one-out tests. RESULTS: In the aspect of phyla, classes, orders, families and genera, we observed that o_Bifidobacteriales [ß = -0.05; 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.07 to -0.03; false discovery rate (FDR) = 2.76 × 10-3], f_Bifidobacteriaceae (ß = -0.05; 95% CI: -0.07 to -0.07; FDR = 2.76 × 10-3), p_Actinobacteria (ß = -0.06; 95% CI: -0.09 to -0.03; FDR = 6.36 × 10-3), c_Actinobacteria (ß = -0.05; 95% CI: -0.08 to -0.02; FDR = 1.06 × 10-2), g_Bifidobacterium (ß = -0.05; 95% CI: -0.07 to -0.02; FDR = 1.85 × 10-2), g_Ruminiclostridium9 (ß = -0.03; 95% CI: -0.06 to -0.01; FDR = 4.81 × 10-2) were negatively associated with BFP. G_Olsenella (ß = 0.02; 95% CI: 0.01-0.03; FDR = 2.16 × 10-2) was positively associated with BFP. Among the gut microbiotas, f_Bifidobacteriales, o_Bifidobacteriales, c_Actinobacteria and p_Actinobacteria were shown to be significantly associated with BFP in the validated dataset. In the aspect of metabolites, we only observed that valine (ß = 0.77; 95% CI: 0.5-1.04; FDR = 8.65 × 10-6) was associated with BFP. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple gut microbiota and metabolites were strongly associated with an increased BFP. Further studies are required to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this putative causality. In addition, BFP, a key indicator of obesity, suggests that obesity-related interventions can be developed from gut microbiota and metabolite perspectives.

Linear and non-linear relationships between body fat mass distribution and bone mineral density in adults: The NHANES, 2011-2018.

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between body fat mass and bone mineral density (BMD) remains controversial. This research aimed to explore the linear or non-linear relationship between body fat mass and BMD among adults in the United States. METHODS: This cross-sectional study identified adults aged 18 years or older in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2011 to 2018. After adjusting for covariates, linear relationships between body fat mass and BMD in different genders were tested by generalized linear models, and potential non-linear relationships were explored by generalized additive models and piecewise linear regression models. RESULTS: The research included 4691 (57.9% of the total sample) males and 3417 (42.1% the of total sample) females. In both males and females, we found a negative association between android or total body fat mass and lumbar spine BMD and a positive association between appendicular, android, gynoid, or total body fat mass and whole body BMD (all P < 0.05). The relationships between body fat mass in all regions and lumbar spine BMD were U-shaped in males and inverted U-shaped in females (all Pnon-linear < 0.05). Inverted U-shaped relationships existed between body fat mass in all regions and whole body BMD in females (all Pnon-linear < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Body fat mass was negatively and linearly associated with lumbar spine BMD, but positively associated with whole body BMD. Body fat mass had a U-shaped relationship with lumbar spine BMD in males and an inverted U-shaped association with lumbar spine and whole body BMD in females.

Body composition estimation from mobile phone three-dimensional imaging: evaluation of the USA army one-site method.

Within the USA military, monitoring body composition is an essential component of predicting physical performance and establishing soldier readiness. The purpose of this study was to explore mobile phone three-dimensional optical imaging (3DO), a user-friendly technology capable of rapidly obtaining reliable anthropometric measurements and to determine the validity of the new Army one-site body fat equations using 3DO-derived abdominal circumference. Ninety-six participants (51 F, 45 M; age: 23·7 ± 6·5 years; BMI: 24·7 ± 4·1 kg/m2) were assessed using 3DO, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and a 4-compartment model (4C). The validity of the Army equations using 3DO abdominal circumference was compared with 4C and DXA estimates. Compared with the 4C model, the Army equation overestimated BF% and fat mass (FM) by 1·3 ± 4·8 % and 0·9 ± 3·4 kg, respectively, while fat-free mass (FFM) was underestimated by 0·9 ± 3·4 kg (P < 0·01 for each). Values from DXA and Army equation were similar for BF%, FM and FFM (constant errors between -0·1 and 0·1 units; P ≥ 0·82 for each). In both comparisons, notable proportional bias was observed with slope coefficients of -0·08 to -0·43. Additionally, limits of agreement were 9·5-10·2 % for BF% and 6·8-7·8 kg for FM and FFM. Overall, while group-level performance of the one-site Army equation was acceptable, it exhibited notable proportional bias when compared with laboratory criterion methods and wide limits of agreement, indicating potential concerns when applied to individuals. 3DO may provide opportunities for the development of more advanced, automated digital anthropometric body fat estimation in military settings.

Association between body roundness index (BRI) and gallstones: results of the 2017-2020 national health and nutrition examination survey (NHANES).

BACKGROUND: Gallstones are associated with obesity, and the BRI is a new obesity index that more accurately reflects body fat and visceral fat levels. The relationship between BRI and gallstone risk is currently unknown, and we aimed to explore the relationship between BRI and gallstone prevalence. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted utilizing data from the 2017-2020 NHANES involving a total of 5297 participants. To assess the association between BRI and gallstones, we used logistic regression analysis, subgroup analysis, and interaction terms. In addition, we performed restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis and threshold effects analysis to characterize nonlinear relationships. We assessed the ability of BRI and Body mass index (BMI) to identify gallstones using receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis and area under the curve (AUC), and compared them using the Delong test. RESULTS: Of the 5297 participants aged 20 years and older included in the study, 575 had gallstones. In fully adjusted models, a positive association between BRI and gallstone prevalence was observed (OR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.12-1.20, P < 0.0001). Individuals in the highest quartile of BRI had a 204% increased risk of gallstones compared with those in the lowest quartile (OR = 3.04, 95% CI: 2.19-4.22, P < 0.0001). The correlation between BRI and gallstones persisted in subgroup analyses. RCS analyses showed a nonlinear relationship between BRI and gallstones. The inflection point was further found to be 3.96, and the correlation between BRI and gallstones was found both before and after the inflection point. ROC analysis showed that BRI (AUC = 0.667) was a stronger predictor of gallstones than BMI (AUC = 0.634). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated BRI is associated with an increased risk of gallstones in the U.S. population, and BRI is a stronger predictor of gallstones than BMI. Maintaining an appropriate BRI is recommended to reduce the incidence of gallstones.

Dietary patterns and adiposity over time - analysis of the ELSA-Brasil.

PURPOSE: Combining different statistical methods to identify dietary patterns (DP) may provide new insights on how diet is associated with adiposity. This study investigated the association of DP derived from three data-driven methods and adiposity indicators over time. METHODS: This study used data from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). DP were identified at baseline applying three statistical methods: Factor Analysis (FA), Treelet Transform (TT), and Reduced Rank Regression (RRR). The association between DP and adiposity indicators (weight, body mass index, waist circumference, body fat percentage and fat mass index) over the period of 8.2 years of follow-up was assessed by linear mixed-models. RESULTS: Convenience DP, marked by unhealthy food groups, was associated with higher adiposity over the follow-up period, regardless of the method applied. The DP identified by TT and marked by high consumption of rice and beans was associated with lower adiposity, whereas the similar DP identified by FA, but additionally characterised by consumption of poultry and red meat was associated with higher adiposity. Prudent DP, marked by plant-based food groups and fish, identified by FA was associated with lower adiposity across the median follow-up time. CONCLUSION: Applying different methods to identify DP showed that a convenience DP was associated with higher adiposity independent of the method applied. We also identified the nuances within adherence to a Brazilian traditional dietary pattern characterised by the consumption of rice and beans, that only when combined with reduced consumption of animal protein and unhealthy foods was associated with lower adiposity over time.

Systemic immunity-inflammation index is associated with body fat distribution among U.S. adults: evidence from national health and nutrition examination survey 2011-2018.

OBJECTIVE: The systemic immunity-inflammation index (SII) is a newly developed biomarker that provides an integrated measure of inflammation in the body. We aim to evaluate the relationship between SII and body fat distribution. METHODS: Adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2018 were included. The SII was computed using lymphocyte (LC), neutrophil (NC), and platelet (PC) counts as its components. Body fat distribution was assessed by (total, android, gynoid) percentage fat, total abdominal fat area, subcutaneous adipose tissue area, visceral adipose tissue area, and the ratio of visceral to subcutaneous adipose tissue area (V/S ratio). Multivariable weighted linear regression and subgroup analysis were use to examine the relationships between fat distribution and SII. Restricted cubic splines (RCS) and threshold effect analysis were used to examine analyze nonlinear associations. RESULTS: After exclusions, a total of 11,192 adults with a weighted mean age of 38.46 ± 0.26 years were studied. In multivariable weighted linear regression, each level increase in log2SII was associated with increased of 0.23 SDs total percentage fat (95% CI = 0.03, 0.43) and 0.26 SDs android percentage fat (95% CI = 0.06, 0.47). Besides, the subgroup analysis showed that the positive association between SII and android percentage fat was mainly among obese individuals (BMI > 30 kg/m2) and non-obese individuals without DM or hypertension. Meanwhile, the relationship between SII and the V/S ratio was found to be significant in the female subgroup, the obese subgroup, individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and those without diabetes mellitus. Finally, SII exhibited an inverted U-shaped relationship with total percentage fat, android percent fat and total abdominal fat. Accordingly, threshold effect analysis indicated a positive association between lower SII levels and total percentage fat, android percentage fat and total abdominal fat area. CONCLUSIONS: In the nationwide study, it was observed that the SII exhibited a significant correlation with higher levels of body fat, specifically android fat. This association was particularly noticeable within specific subgroups of the population.

Abdominal obesity is associated with increased worsening renal function risk in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

BACKGROUND: Worsening renal function (WRF) is a frequent comorbidity of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). However, its relationship with abdominal obesity in terms of HFpEF remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the value of waist circumference (WC) and body mass index (BMI) in predicting WRF and examine the correlation between abdominal obesity and the risk of WRF in the HFpEF population. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Treatment of Preserved Cardiac Function Heart Failure with an Aldosterone Antagonist trial. Abdominal obesity was defined as WC ≥ 102 cm for men and ≥ 88 cm for women. WRF was defined as doubling of serum creatinine concentration from baseline. Restricted cubic splines and receiver operating characteristic curves were used to evaluate the value of WC and BMI in predicting WRF. Cumulative incidence curves and cox proportional-hazards models were used to compare patients with and without abdominal obesity. RESULTS: We included 2,806 patients with HFpEF in our study (abdominal obesity, n: 2,065). Although baseline creatinine concentrations did not differ, patients with abdominal obesity had higher concentrations during a median follow-up time of 40.9 months. Unlike BMI, WC exhibited a steady linear association with WRF and was a superior WRF predictor. Patients with abdominal obesity exhibited a higher risk of WRF after multivariable adjustment (hazard ratio: 1.632; 95% confidence interval: 1.015-2.621; P: 0.043). CONCLUSIONS: Abdominal obesity is associated with an increased risk of WRF in the HFpEF population. TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: https://beta. CLINICALTRIALS: gov . Unique identifier: NCT00094302.

Morphological changes and their associations with clinical parameters in children with nephropathic cystinosis and chronic kidney disease prior to kidney replacement therapy over 25 years.

BACKGROUND: Infantile nephropathic cystinosis (INC) is a rare lysosomal storage disorder, mostly and often firstly affecting the kidneys, together with impaired disharmonious growth and rickets, eventually resulting in progressive chronic kidney disease (CKD). With the introduction of cysteamine therapy, most pediatric patients reach adulthood with no need for kidney replacement therapy. Still, detailed changes in INC patients' clinical and morphological presentation over the past decades have not yet been thoroughly investigated. METHODS: Two groups with a respective total of 64 children with INC and 302 children with CKD, both treated conservatively and aged 2 to 18 years, were prospectively observed in the time span from 1998 to 2022 with 1186 combined annual clinical and morphological examinations clustered into two measurement periods (1998 to 2015 and ≥ 2016). RESULTS: In INC patients, thoracic proportion indices remained markedly increased, whereas body fat stores remained decreased over the past 25 years (+ 1 vs. below ± 0 z-score, respectively). Their CKD peers presented with overall improved growth, general harmonization of body proportions, and improved body fat stores, while INC patients only presented with an isolated significant increase in leg length over time (∆0.36 z-score). eGFR adjusted for age did not significantly change over the past 25 years in both groups. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) showed a significant decrease in CKD patients over time, while remaining above normal levels in INC patients. CONCLUSIONS: Disproportionate thoracic shape and impaired body fat stores remain the most characteristic morphological traits in INC patients over the past 25 years, while causal mechanisms remain unclear.

Multivariate resting-state functional connectomes predict and characterize obesity phenotypes.

The univariate obesity-brain associations have been extensively explored, while little is known about the multivariate associations between obesity and resting-state functional connectivity. We therefore utilized machine learning and resting-state functional connectivity to develop and validate predictive models of 4 obesity phenotypes (i.e. body fat percentage, body mass index, waist circumference, and waist-height ratio) in 3 large neuroimaging datasets (n = 2,992). Preliminary evidence suggested that the resting-state functional connectomes effectively predicted obesity/weight status defined by each obesity phenotype with good generalizability to longitudinal and independent datasets. However, the differences between resting-state functional connectivity patterns characterizing different obesity phenotypes indicated that the obesity-brain associations varied according to the type of measure of obesity. The shared structure among resting-state functional connectivity patterns revealed reproducible neuroimaging biomarkers of obesity, primarily comprising the connectomes within the visual cortex and between the visual cortex and inferior parietal lobule, visual cortex and orbital gyrus, and amygdala and orbital gyrus, which further suggested that the dysfunctions in the perception, attention and value encoding of visual information (e.g. visual food cues) and abnormalities in the reward circuit may act as crucial neurobiological bases of obesity. The recruitment of multiple obesity phenotypes is indispensable in future studies seeking reproducible obesity-brain associations.

EDC mixtures during pregnancy and body fat at 7 years of age in a Swedish cohort, the SELMA study.

BACKGROUND: Some endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC), are "obesogens" and have been associated with overweight and obesity in children. Daily exposure to different classes of EDCs demands for research with mixtures approach. OBJECTIVES: This study evaluates the association, considering sex-specific effects, between prenatal exposure to EDC mixture and children's body fat at seven years of age. METHODS: A total of 26 EDCs were assessed in prenatal urine and serum samples from first trimester in pregnancy from 737 mother-child pairs participating in the Swedish Environmental Longitudinal, Mother and child, Asthma and allergy (SELMA) study. An indicator for children's "overall body fat" was calculated, using principal component analysis (PCA), based on BMI, percent body fat, waist, and skinfolds measured at seven years of age. Weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression was used to assess associations between EDC mixture and children's body fat. RESULTS: Principal component (PC1) represented 83.6 % of the variance, suitable as indicator for children's "overall body fat", with positive loadings of 0.40-0.42 for each body fat measure. A significant interaction term, WQS*sex, confirmed associations in the opposite direction for boys and girls. Higher prenatal exposure to EDC mixture was borderline significant with more "overall body fat" for boys (Mean ß = 0.20; 95 % CI: -0.13, 0.53) and less for girls (Mean ß = -0.23; 95 % CI: -0.58, 0.13). Also, higher prenatal exposure to EDC mixture was borderline significant with more percent body fat (standardized score) for boys (Mean ß = 0.09; 95 % CI: -0.04, 0.21) and less for girls (Mean ß = -0.10 (-0.26, 0.05). The chemicals of concern included bisphenols, phthalates, PFAS, PAH, and pesticides with different patterns for boys and girls. DISCUSSION: Borderline significant associations were found between prenatal exposure to a mixture of EDCs and children's body fat. The associations in opposite directions suggests that prenatal exposure to EDCs may present sex-specific effects on children's body fat.