Sustained improvements in brain health and metabolic markers 24 months following bariatric surgery.

Obesity and its metabolic complications are associated with lower grey matter and white matter densities, whereas weight loss after bariatric surgery leads to an increase in both measures. These increases in grey and white matter density are significantly associated with post-operative weight loss and improvement of the metabolic/inflammatory profiles. While our recent studies demonstrated widespread increases in white matter density 4 and 12 months after bariatric surgery, it is not clear if these changes persist over time. The underlying mechanisms also remain unknown. In this regard, numerous studies demonstrate that the enlargement or hypertrophy of mature adipocytes, particularly in the visceral fat compartment, is an important marker of adipose tissue dysfunction and obesity-related cardiometabolic abnormalities. We aimed (i) to assess whether the increases in grey and white matter densities previously observed at 12 months are maintained 24 months after bariatric surgery; (ii) to examine the association between these structural brain changes and adiposity and metabolic markers 24 months after bariatric surgery; and (iii) to examine the association between abdominal adipocyte diameter at the time of surgery and post-surgery grey and white matter densities changes. Thirty-three participants undergoing bariatric surgery were recruited. Grey and white matter densities were assessed from T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans acquired prior to and 4, 12 and 24 months post-surgery using voxel-based morphometry. Omental and subcutaneous adipose tissue samples were collected during the surgical procedure. Omental and subcutaneous adipocyte diameters were measured by microscopy of fixed adipose tissue samples. Linear mixed-effects models were performed controlling for age, sex, surgery type, initial body mass index, and initial diabetic status. The average weight loss at 24 months was 33.6 ± 7.6%. A widespread increase in white matter density was observed 24 months post-surgery mainly in the cerebellum, brainstem and corpus callosum (P < 0.05, false discovery rate) as well as some regions in grey matter density. Greater omental adipocyte diameter at the time of surgery was associated with greater changes in total white matter density at 24 months (P = 0.008). A positive trend was observed between subcutaneous adipocyte diameter at the time of surgery and changes in total white matter density at 24 months (P = 0.05). Our results show prolonged increases in grey and white matter densities up to 24 months post-bariatric surgery. Greater preoperative omental adipocyte diameter is associated with greater increases in white matter density at 24 months, suggesting that individuals with excess visceral adiposity might benefit the most from surgery.

Systematic Review of Nutrient Profile Models Developed for Nutrition-Related Policies and Regulations Aimed at Noncommunicable Disease Prevention -An Update.

Nutrient profiling (NP) models are useful for characterizing the healthfulness of foods and for underpinning various nutrition-related public health strategies. Recently, there has been a rapid increase in the number of NP models developed by different organizations worldwide. A systematic review (SR) summarizing the key characteristics of NP models with applications in government-led nutrition policies was carried out in 2016 and published by Labonté et al. [4]. Given the continuous proliferation of NP models, the current study aimed to update this SR. Systematic searches were performed in databases of both the peer-reviewed (n = 7) and grey (n = 1) literature to identify publications related to NP published between May 2016 and September 2020. The full text of relevant publications was assessed independently by 2 reviewers to build a list of potential models. Each model was classified as "already identified in the original SR" or as "newly identified." The eligibility of the "newly identified" models, and of some models excluded from the previous SR because their details were not known at that time, were then assessed independently by 2 reviewers based on pre-established criteria. A total of 151 potential NP models were assessed for eligibility, of which 93 were "newly identified," 28 were originally excluded from the previous SR, and 30 were identified from additional online searches during the eligibility assessment stage. Twenty-six models met the inclusion criteria. Their most frequent applications were food labeling (n = 17) and regulation of food marketing to children (n = 7). They all included nutrients to limit, with sodium, saturated fat, and total sugars being the most frequently considered. Content or face validity testing was conducted for 11 (42%) of the included models. As NP models are increasingly used worldwide to support public health strategies, having an up-to-date resource listing them and detailing their characteristics is crucial. PROSPERO #CRD42021259041.

Trimester-Specific Serum Fructosamine in Association with Abdominal Adiposity, Insulin Resistance, and Inflammation in Healthy Pregnant Individuals.

This study aimed to (1) characterize the variations in serum fructosamine across trimesters and according to pre-pregnancy BMI (ppBMI), and (2) examine associations between fructosamine and adiposity/metabolic markers (ppBMI, first-trimester adiposity, leptin, glucose homeostasis, and inflammation measurements) during pregnancy. Serum fructosamine, albumin, fasting glucose and insulin, leptin, adiponectin, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations were measured at each trimester. In the first trimester, subcutaneous (SAT) and visceral (VAT) adipose tissue thicknesses were estimated by ultrasound. In the 101 healthy pregnant individuals included (age: 32.2 ± 3.5 y.o.; ppBMI: 25.5 ± 5.5 kg/m2), fructosamine concentrations decreased during pregnancy whereas albumin-corrected fructosamine concentrations increased (p < 0.0001 for both). Notably, fructosamine concentrations were inversely associated with ppBMI, first-trimester SAT, VAT, and leptin (r = −0.55, r = −0.61, r = −0.48, r = −0.47, respectively; p < 0.0001 for all), first-trimester fasting insulin and HOMA-IR (r = −0.46, r = −0.46; p < 0.0001 for both), and first-trimester IL-6 (r = −0.38, p < 0.01). However, once corrected for albumin, most of the correlations lost strength. Once adjusted for ppBMI, fructosamine concentrations were positively associated with third-trimester fasting glucose and CRP (r = 0.24, r = 0.27; p < 0.05 for both). In conclusion, serum fructosamine is inversely associated with adiposity before and during pregnancy, with markers of glucose homeostasis and inflammation, but the latter associations are partially influenced by albumin concentrations and ppBMI.