Hidden Hunger of Vitamin E among Healthy College Students: A Cross- Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: College students may have a risk of fat-soluble vitamin deficiencies due to unhealthy dietary habits, especially for vitamin A and E. They are important members of the human antioxidant network; deficiencies of these vitamins may increase the risk of many critical diseases. OBJECTIVE: The current study was undertaken to determine the status of vitamin A and E in college students. METHODS: Healthy college students were recruited, and fasting blood samples of them were collected and used for determining serum levels of retinol and α-tocopherol by the HPLC method. RESULTS: We found that there was no vitamin A deficiency in college students. However, vitamin E deficiency existed in 34.5% of college students, especially in males. All the students had no vitamin E adequacy. In addition, our findings showed that BMI was inversely associated with serum α-- tocopherol, but not serum retinol. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that vitamin E deficiency in college students should be given more attention, and it is necessary to consider using vitamin E supplements.

Statin prescription strategies and atherogenic cholesterol goals attainment in Lebanese coronary artery disease patients.

Background Current guidelines recommend a low-density lipoprotein cholesterol goal of <1.8 mmol/L (<70 mg/dL) and a non high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) goal of <2.6 mmol/L (<00 mg/dL) for coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. Objective This study aimed to describe real-life statin prescription strategies and to assess their effectiveness in terms of LDL-C and non-HDL-C goals attainment in a cohort of CAD patients. Setting Outpatient cardiology specialty clinics located in main Lebanese cities. Methods This is a retrospective crosssectional study. Eligible patients were those who had established CAD, treated with statins and having complete follow-up lipid panel at least 3 months from statin prescription. The following statin prescription strategies were considered in data analysis: prescription of different intensity statin as monotherapy, prescription of a statin in combination with: a low fat diet, another lipid-altering agent and another lipidaltering agent plus a low fat diet. Main outcome measure LDL-C goal attainment for each of the statin prescription strategy. Results Of the 423 CAD statin-treated patients, only 38.5 and 36.6% attained their recommended LDL-C and non-HDL-C goals, respectively. Using a statin in combination with ezetimibe or with another lipid-altering agent plus a low fat diet were significantly associated with LDL-C and non-HDL-C goals attainment. Conclusion Improvement of statin prescription strategies, such as using regular and scheduled dosage of high-intensity statins and combining statin therapy with ezetimibe, is therefore required when managing patients with CAD.

Restricción calórica, un método eficaz, sencillo y saludable para perder peso / Caloric restriction, an effective, simple and healthy way to lose weight

Introducción: El modelo de Restricción Calórica (RC) pretende reducir el total de calorías ingeridas por semana. Las dos formas más usuales de alcanzar el déficit calórico deseado (% RC) son reducir la ingesta cada día o establecer unos días intermitentes de ayuno o restricción severa, donde el impacto de la restricción es más importante, tiene menor repercusión sobre la pérdida de masa muscular, y está más facilitada la adherencia al modelo de dieta. Se propone trabajar sobre un modelo de RC cercana al 40% del contenido calórico ordinario, intercalando 3 días de restricción severa (600-800Kcal) por semana con los restantes de ingesta habitual, durante un periodo de 6 semanas. Contenido de la investigación: Dieciocho sujetos sanos y físicamente activos, siguieron una pauta de restricción calórica (34,3 ± 15,4%) durante 6 semanas, en las que mantuvieron su actividad física regular. Al inicio y al final del experimento se determinó la composición corporal por densitometria (DEXA) y se cuantificó la pérdida de peso y su distribución en los diferentes tejidos. También se valoraron las consecuencias de la dieta en parámetros hematológicos y bioquímicos. Conclusiones: Se consigue una pérdida de peso considerable, principalmente a expensas de la masa grasa (de predominio androide), con un menor efecto sobre la masa libre de grasar, y existe una buena tolerancia y adherencia a la pauta propuesta. Consideramos la RC como una buena opción para el ajuste de peso en deportistas (AU)

Introduction: The Calorie Restriction (CR) model aims to reduce the total calories eaten per week. The two most common ways to achieve the desired caloric deficit (% CR) are to reduce intake every day or to establish intermittent fasting or severe restriction days, where the impact of the restriction is more important, has less impact on the loss of mass muscle, and adherence to the diet model is more facilitated. It is proposed to work on a CR model close to 40% of the normal caloric content, intercalating 3 days of severe restriction (600-800Kcal) per week with the rest of habitual intake, over a period of 6 weeks. Content of the research: Eighteen healthy and physically active subjects followed a caloric restriction pattern (34.3 ± 15.4%) for 6 weeks, in which they maintained their regular physical activity. At the beginning and at the end of the experiment the body composition by densitometry was determined and the weight loss and its distribution in the different tissues were quantified. The consequences of diet were also evaluated in hematological and biochemical parameters. Conclusions: A considerable weight loss is achieved, mainly at the expense of the fat mass (predominantly android), with a lower effect on the fat free mass, and there is a good tolerance and adherence to the proposed pattern. We consider CR as a good option for weight adjustment in athletes (AU)

Differential Effects of Pioglitazone in the Hippocampal CA1 Region Following Transient Forebrain Ischemia in Low- and High-Fat Diet-Fed Gerbils.

In the present study, we investigated the effects of pioglitazone (PGZ) in the hippocampal CA1 region of low- or high-fat diet (LFD or HFD) fed gerbils after transient forebrain ischemia. After 8 weeks of LFD or HFD feeding, PGZ (30 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally administered to the gerbils, following which ischemia was induced by occlusion of the bilateral common carotid arteries for 5 min. Administration of PGZ significantly reduced the ischemia-induced hyperactivity 1 day after ischemia/reperfusion in both LFD- and HFD-fed gerbils. At 4 days after ischemia/reperfusion, the neurons were significantly reduced and microglial activation was observed in the hippocampal CA1 region in LFD- and HFD-fed gerbils. The microglial activation was more prominent in the HFD-fed gerbils compared to the LFD-fed gerbils. Administration of PGZ ameliorated ischemia-induced neuronal death and microglial activation in the hippocampal CA1 region 4 days after ischemia/reperfusion in the LFD-fed gerbils, but not in the HFD-gerbils. At 6 h after ischemia/reperfusion, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interlukin-1ß (IL-1ß) levels were significantly increased in the hippocampal homogenates of LFD-fed group compared to control group, and HFD feeding further increased TNF-α and IL-1ß levels. PGZ treatment significantly ameliorated the increase of TNF-α and IL-1ß levels in LFD-fed gerbils, not in the HFD-fed gerbils. At 12 h after ischemia/reperfusion, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in hippocampal homogenates were significantly increased in the LFD-fed group compared to the control group, and HFD feeding significantly showed relatively reduction in SOD activity and increase in MDA level. PGZ administration significantly reduced the increase in MDA levels 12 h after ischemia/reperfusion in the LFD-fed gerbils, but not in the HFD-fed gerbils. These results suggest that PGZ ameliorates the neuronal damage induced by ischemia by maintaining the TNF-α, IL-1ß, SOD and MDA levels in LFD-fed gerbils. In addition, HFD feeding affects the modulation of these parameters in the hippocampus after transient forebrain ischemia.

Moderate dietary weight loss reduces myocardial steatosis in obese and overweight women.

BACKGROUND: Excessive myocardial triglyceride (MTG) content in obesity and type 2 diabetes is associated with impaired cardiac function. Previous studies suggest that MTG could be mobilized through lifestyle interventions. We assessed influences of moderate dietary weight loss in non diabetic obese and overweight women on MTG content and cardiac function. METHODS: We selected a subgroup of 38 women from the B-SMART study population. The B-SMART study compared weight loss and associated metabolic and cardiovascular markers with reduced-carbohydrate and reduced-fat hypocaloric diets. Selected subjects had completed a cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) scan including imaging and proton spectroscopy to assess cardiac structure and function as well as MTG content. RESULTS: An average weight reduction of 5.4 ± 4.3 kg at six months was associated with a relative decrease of MTG of 25% (from 0.72 ± 0.29% at baseline to 0.54 ± 0.23% at follow-up, p<0.001). The response was similar with carbohydrate and fat restriction. Diastolic function expressed as ratio of peak filling rate in E- and A-Phase (PFRE/PFRA) was unchanged. Reductions of left atrial size (from 21.9 ± 4.0 cm(2) to 20.0 ± 3.7 cm(2), p=0.002), the normalized ratio of PFRE and early diastolic lengthening velocity PLV (from 8.2 ± 2.6 to 7.5 ± 2.5, p<0.001) and fat free mass (from 55.1 ± 6.9 kg to 52.7 ± 6.5 kg, p=0.007) reflected altered cardiac volume loading after diet, but did not correlate to MTG content. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate dietary weight loss significantly reduced MTG content in women with uncomplicated overweight or obesity. Macronutrient composition of the diet did not significantly affect the extent of MTG reduction.

Las grasas saturadas no incrementan el riesgo cardiovascular / The origin of low-fat diet: the fallacy of the lipidic hypothesis

Por más de 30 años comer saludablemente fue sinónimo de una dieta baja en grasas. A partir de la década de 1950, con la influencia del Dr. Ancel Keys, se responsabilizó a la grasa de la dieta, especialmente la saturada, de los altos niveles de enfermedad cardiovascular que se observan en las poblaciones con hábitos de vida occidental. La reducción en el contenido de grasa saturada en la dieta tiene su fundamento en la hipótesis lipídica, que postula que la disminución del consumo de grasas saturadas reduce los niveles de colesterol plasmático y, en consecuencia, la tasa de enfermedad coronaria. Esta hipótesis fue adoptada por muchas sociedades científicas e incluso por instituciones gubernamentales para redactar recomendaciones dietarias que estigmatizan la grasa de origen animal, especialmente la de la carne de vaca. Sin embargo, la información científica proveniente de los estudios epidemiológicos y ensayos clínicos no demostró que la grasa saturada incremente el riesgo de enfermedad vascular. Aún así, la dieta hipograsa, conocida por muchos como cardiodieta, compuesta principalmente por 50% de su valor calórico por hidratos de carbono y no más del 10% de grasas saturadas, se ha difundido extensamente y es considerada actualmente como modelo de alimentación saludable.

Las grasas saturadas no incrementan el riesgo cardiovascular / The origin of low-fat diet: the fallacy of the lipidic hypothesis

Por más de 30 años comer saludablemente fue sinónimo de una dieta baja en grasas. A partir de la década de 1950, con la influencia del Dr. Ancel Keys, se responsabilizó a la grasa de la dieta, especialmente la saturada, de los altos niveles de enfermedad cardiovascular que se observan en las poblaciones con hábitos de vida occidental. La reducción en el contenido de grasa saturada en la dieta tiene su fundamento en la hipótesis lipídica, que postula que la disminución del consumo de grasas saturadas reduce los niveles de colesterol plasmático y, en consecuencia, la tasa de enfermedad coronaria. Esta hipótesis fue adoptada por muchas sociedades científicas e incluso por instituciones gubernamentales para redactar recomendaciones dietarias que estigmatizan la grasa de origen animal, especialmente la de la carne de vaca. Sin embargo, la información científica proveniente de los estudios epidemiológicos y ensayos clínicos no demostró que la grasa saturada incremente el riesgo de enfermedad vascular. Aún así, la dieta hipograsa, conocida por muchos como cardiodieta, compuesta principalmente por 50% de su valor calórico por hidratos de carbono y no más del 10% de grasas saturadas, se ha difundido extensamente y es considerada actualmente como modelo de alimentación saludable.(AU)

Trying to lose weight: diet strategies among Americans with overweight or obesity in 1996 and 2003.

BACKGROUND: Health professionals recommend that individuals with overweight and obesity lose weight by reducing energy intake while maintaining a healthful diet. This study was designed to examine trends in weight loss attempts and strategies for adults with overweight or obesity among different sociodemographic groups. METHODS: Data from the 1996 and 2003 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System were used to estimate changes in weight loss attempts and strategies across population groups. Data were analyzed in 2009. RESULTS: Slightly more adults with overweight or obesity attempted weight loss in 2003 compared to 1996. There were substantial changes in the diet approaches reported: rates of those using energy restriction to lose weight doubled between 1996 and 2003, whereas low-fat dieting decreased by one third. Hispanic and less-educated adults did not shift away from low-fat diets. Attempted weight loss was associated with higher fruit and vegetable consumption for most population groups. CONCLUSIONS: Increasingly more adults with overweight or obesity tried to lose weight through energy reduction, but some at-risk groups did not follow this beneficial trend between 1996 and 2003. Dietetics practitioners and public health campaigns should target such groups with concrete recommendations to reduce energy intake while maintaining a healthful diet, including adequate consumption of fruit and vegetables.

Ten-year increase in the prevalence of obesity and reduction in fat intake in Brazilian women aged 35 years and older.

BACKGROUND: Data from two population-based surveys conducted in 1995 and 2005 in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil were examined to determine changes in the prevalence of obesity and macronutrient intake among women according to socio-economic level. METHODS: Weight and height were measured, and food intake was based on a food-frequency questionnaire. A probabilistic sample of about 1000 women aged 35 years or older participated in each survey. RESULTS: Prevalence of obesity (BMI>30 kg/m(2)) increased in the 10-year period (17-24%), as well as energy intake (2.408-2.912 kcal) (p<0.0001). These changes were largely dependent on education, but not on income. Over the 10-year period, there was an increase in carbohydrate intake adjusted for energy, although lipid intake decreased among those women of low education but not among the more educated women. An overall reduction in the intake of cholesterol was also observed (273 mg vs 212 mg; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: In line with an advertised reduction in fat intake, Brazilian women at greatest risk of obesity had a reduction in fat intake and cholesterol, and increased intake of carbohydrate. This group needs to be given a clear message regarding energy reduction in order to curb the obesity epidemic.

Sex differences in dieting trends, eating habits, and nutrition beliefs of a group of midwestern college students.

The influence of sex on dietary trends, eating habits, and nutrition self-assessment and beliefs of a group of college students at a large Midwestern university was investigated. A questionnaire was completed by 105 male and 181 female undergraduate students. Men had significantly higher (P<0.0001) height, weight, and body mass index values. Significantly higher percentages of women than men had tried a low-fat diet (P=0.0075) and a low-carbohydrate diet (P=0.0285). Significantly lower percentages of women than men had never tried a diet (P=0.0173). Significantly higher percentages of women than men reported gaining nutrition knowledge from family (P=0.0033) and magazines/newspapers (P=0.0345). Significantly higher percentages of women than men agreed that they had too much sugar in their diets (P=0.0157), that it is important to limit carbohydrate consumption (P=0.0077), that it is important to limit the amount of fat consumed to lose weight (P=0.0194), and that they needed to lose weight (P<0.0001). It is important to eat a variety of foods for good health according to 94.4% of subjects. Sex differences existed in these college students with regard to anthropometric measurements, certain choices of diets, some sources of nutrition knowledge, and some nutrition beliefs.

[Margarine's trans-fatty acid composition: modifications during the last decades and new trends]. / Contenido en ácidos grasos trans de las margarinas: evolución en las últimas décadas y tendencias actuales.

Trans fatty acids isomers are formed during the hydrogenation process used in the food industry to harden oils. In the last decades there has been a great controversy about the consumption of margarine due to the levels of trans fatty acids they contain. While in the eighties consumption of margarines was considered healthy, during the nineties several studies indicated that consumption of 18:1t increased LDL-cholesterol levels and decreased HDL-cholesterol level, and was related with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. The publicity about the unfavourable effects of trans fatty acid consumption seems to have influenced margarine producers to reduce the trans fatty acid content of margarines. Meanwhile USA has adopted a new legislation about trans fatty acid labelling. In Europe, Dinamarca has limited the maximum level of trans fatty acids allowed in food products.

Hipertensión arterial en el paciente dislipidémico / Hypertension in the dyslipidemic patient

La asociación entre hipertensión arterial y dislipidemia es frecuente y entre ellas pueden existir relaciones patogénicas. El estudio diagnóstico de estos pacientes debe incluir historia clínica y exploración, analítica de sangre y orina y electrocardiograma, y en algunos casos otras pruebas opcionales, con objeto de detectar factores de riesgo cardiovascular, posibles lesiones de órganos diana y trastornos clínicos asociados para poder evaluar el riesgo cardiovascular global en cada caso. El tratamiento obliga siempre a seguir medidas de dieta y género de vida que consigan reducción de peso, proporción adecuada de grasas saturadas e insaturadas en la dieta, reducción de la ingesta de sal, supresión del tabaco, reducción de bebidas alcohólicas y hábito de ejercicio físico aeróbico. En algunos casos se precisará tratamiento antihipertensivo y/o hipolipidemiante. Hay que tener en cuenta en este caso los posibles efectos metabólicos de diuréticos clásicos en altas dosis, así como los betabloqueantes clásicos y no cardioselectivos. Las dosis bajas de diuréticos y los betabloqueantes que disminuyen las resistencias vasculares sistémicas reducen la presión arterial sin producir efectos metabólicos adversos. Son idóneos los inhibidores de la enzima de conversión de angiotensina, bloqueantes de los receptores de angiotensina y los calcioantagonistas (evitando dihidropiridinas de acción rápida). Es preciso un seguimiento con control periódico de estos pacientes (AU)

Impact of receiving blood cholesterol test results on dietary change.

INTRODUCTION: The study objective was to determine the impact of receiving results of a blood cholesterol test on changes in dietary behaviors among individuals participating in a Health Risk Appraisal Program. METHODS: This randomized trial of maintenance employees at six hospitals included two groups: Group 1 received their blood cholesterol test results at the pretest; Group 2 received results only at the posttest (16-20 weeks later). The pretest interview included (1) a 24-hour dietary recall; (2) an evaluation of dietary behaviors and suggestions on how to change; (3) height, weight, and blood cholesterol measurement. Five hundred employees participated, and 429 eligible employees completed both pretest and posttest interviews. RESULTS: Blood cholesterol levels decreased by 4.8% (P < .001) and saturated fat intake decreased by 7.4% (P < .05). Regression analyses indicated that individuals more likely to have lowered saturated fat intake had higher pretest saturated fat intakes, had a family history of high blood cholesterol, and were light-maintenance employees (P < .05); no other variables were associated (receiving blood cholesterol test results, previous blood cholesterol test, pretest blood cholesterol levels, personal history of heart disease, BMI, age, gender, tobacco/alcohol use). Among subjects with normal cholesterol levels, those not receiving blood test results reduced saturated fat intake more than those receiving test results; both groups had similar saturated fat intakes (> 12%) greater than recommended intake (< 10%). CONCLUSIONS: Screening programs should include an assessment of saturated fat intake as screening for blood cholesterol may provide normocholesterolemic subjects with a false sense of security.