Short communication: Daily intake of 125 g of cheese for 2 weeks did not alter amount or distribution of serum lipids or desaturase indexes in healthy adults in an exploratory pilot study.

Regular cheese contains saturated fat, consumption of which may negatively influence the amount of serum lipids. The American Dietary Guidelines (https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/) recommend consumption of low-fat food. However, we observed a negative association between cheese intake and serum triglycerides and a positive association with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Cheese intake was also inversely related to metabolic syndrome and blunted the harmful association of intake of soft drinks with serum lipids. Cheese contains calcium and factors that may inhibit desaturases, thereby partly explaining why cheese might not have negative effects on serum lipids. Thus, opposing forces seem to govern the cheese effect but will any of these prevail? In an exploratory pilot study, 17 healthy subjects participated in a 4-wk crossover trial without washout. During the first 2 wk, 9 subjects were randomly assigned to add 125 g/d of regular cheese to their habitual diet. After 2 wk, cheese intake was discontinued and the subjects were instructed to return to their habitual diet. The other 8 subjects followed their habitual diet during the first 2 wk, and then added 125 g/d of cheese for the next 2 wk. Mean values (mmol/L) before and after 2 wk on habitual (cheese) diet were as follows: serum triglycerides: 0.91 (0.89) and 0.95 (0.91); total cholesterol: 5.25 (5.16) and 5.08 (5.24); low-density lipoprotein cholesterol: 3.18 (3.17) and 3.09 (3.22); and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol: 1.71 (1.64) and 1.61 (1.66). The fatty acid pattern in total serum lipids and desaturase indexes did not change significantly in response to high cheese intake. Thus, an appreciable increase in daily cheese intake for 2 wk may not alter concentrations of serum lipids, estimates of desaturases, or the distribution of serum fatty acids.

Non-invasive screening of diabetes risk by assessing abnormalities of sudomotor function.

BACKGROUND: The early detection of diabetes, and subsequent lifestyle intervention, may reduce the burden of diabetes and its complications. Several studies have identified a link between sudomotor dysfunction, insulin resistance, and pre-diabetes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of a new non-invasive device EZSCAN evaluating sudomotor function to detect pre-diabetes in a German population at risk for diabetes. METHODS AND FINDINGS: 200 German subjects at risk for diabetes (mean age 56±14 years, BMI 28.4±5.4 kg/m2) were measured for anthropometric data on inflammatory parameters, including high sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP). The subjects also underwent an oral glucose tolerance test with measurements of plasma glucose, insulin, proinsulin, C-peptide and free fatty acids during 2 h following glucose challenge. Indexes for sensitivity to insulin were calculated: SI using minimal model, HOMA-IR and Matsuda index. Based on the measurement of electrochemical sweat conductance, subjects were classified as no risk, moderate risk or high risk. According to this risk model classification, a significant difference was observed between OGTT-1 h (p=0.004), AUC glucose (p=0.011), AUC C-peptide (p<0.001), HOMA-IR (p=0.009), Matsuda (p=0.002), SI (p<0.001) and hs-CRP (p=0.025) after adjustment for age. Among the 54 subjects with impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance according to WHO classification, 37 had a moderate risk and 15 a high risk according to the EZSCAN risk model classification. Among the 12 subjects with newly diagnosed diabetes, 2 had a moderate risk and 10 a high risk according to the risk model classification. No adverse event was reported during or after the study. CONCLUSIONS: These results, in accordance with a previous study performed in India, show that EZSCAN could be developed as a screening tool for diabetes risk, and could help to improve diabetes screening strategies. Results obtained from an at-risk population would have to be confirmed in a larger population.

Assessment of small C-fiber status for screening of oxidative stress in patients at risk of diabetes.

Oxidized LDL (oxLDL), anti-oxLDL antibody (anti-oxLDL) and paraoxonase (PON1) are increasingly being reported to be associated with diabetic atherosclerosis. Oxidative stress could affect also small C-fibers innervating the sweat glands even in prediabetes. Hence it could be hypothesized that sweat dysfunction may be a predictor of oxidative stress status for early detection of diabetes. Ezscan, a new device, has recently been developed to measure the sweat function. Therefore, this study was aimed to determine the relevance of this Ezscan method to identify impairment in oxidative stress parameters. Plasma levels of oxLDL and anti-oxLDL were measured by enzyme immunoassay and ELISA respectively. Small C-fiber status was assessed by measurement of hand and foot sweat function with the help of Ezscan device and subsequent calculation of a risk score. Out of 82 subjects recruited in this study, 38 had impaired glucose tolerance and 6 had newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus. Ezscan risk score was significantly (p=0.004) correlated with oxLDL/anti-oxLDL ratio (0.32). Area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis for detection of oxLDL/anti-oxLDL ratio (>0.12) was 0.76. For an Ezscan risk score of 50%, the sensitivity and specificity were 68% and 71% respectively. After adjustment for age and BMI, PON1 activity showed significant difference among the 3 risk groups defined by Ezscan risk score. Based on these results it may be concluded that Ezscan could be a useful screening tool in daily practice to assess alterations in oxidative stress parameters in individuals at risk of developing diabetes.

Intention to change dietary habits, and weight loss among Norwegian-Pakistani women participating in a culturally adapted intervention.

The aim was to explore the relationships between degree of participation in a culturally adapted lifestyle intervention and stages of change for healthy eating and weight loss among Pakistani immigrant women in Norway. The intervention lasted 7 months and included 198 women, randomized into control and intervention groups. The odds of losing weight from baseline to follow-up, and being in action stages of change (compared to pre-action stages) with regard to intake of amount and type of fat, sugar and white flour at follow-up, increased significantly with number of group sessions attended. Those in action stage of reducing intake of fat and increasing intake of vegetables, as well as of reducing weight, were significantly more likely than others to have experienced weight loss at follow-up. Participation in the culturally adapted intervention was related to increase in intentions to change dietary behaviours and to weight loss.