Triglyceride-glucose index is associated with poor sleep quality in apparently healthy subjects: A cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the association between the triglyceride glucose index (TyG index) and sleep quality and to establish a cut-off value for the TyG index based on the prevalence of subjects with insulin resistance (IR). Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study involved Brazilian health professionals (20-59 years). A total of 138 subjects answered the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality questionnaire to evaluate sleep quality. They were categorized into two groups: good sleep quality (global score ≤ 5 points) and poor sleep quality (global score ≥ 6 points). Also, we classified the subjects as having a high (>8.08 or >4.38) or low TyG index (≤8.08 or ≤4.38). Results: The majority of the subjects (70%) with high TyG index values (>8.08 or >4.38) reported poor sleep quality (p ≤ 0.001). Those with poor sleep quality had a 1.44-fold higher prevalence of IR (TyG index >8.08 or >4.38) compared to those with good sleep quality, regardless of sex, total cholesterol, LDL/HDL ratio, insulin, complement C3, CRP, and adiponectin (p ≤ 0.001). Conclusion: Our data showed a positive and significant association between the TyG index and poor sleep quality. Thus, these findings support the association between poor sleep quality and IR.

Coffee and Tea Group Contribute the Most to the Dietary Total Antioxidant Capacity of Older Adults: A Population Study in a Medium-Sized Brazilian City.

OBJECTIVE: The dietary total antioxidant capacity (TAC) has been proposed as a suitable tool to estimate the dietary antioxidant intake. However, the main foods/groups that contribute to the dietary TAC of older adults are poorly studied. We aimed to estimate the dietary TAC and to identify the main foods/groups that contribute to the dietary TAC of older adults in a medium-sized Brazilian city. METHODS: A cross-sectional population-based survey with older adults (≥60 years old) was conducted in Viçosa, Brazil. The assessment tool for food consumption was the recall of habitual consumption. A database with ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) values for foods to evaluate the dietary TAC was used. RESULTS: We evaluated 620 older adults in which the majority were women. The dietary TAC mean was 11.9 (7.1) mmol/d (food only) adjusted by energy. Besides, when supplements were considered the dietary TAC increased to 35.2 (215.9) mmol/d. The food groups that contributed the most to the dietary TAC were coffee and tea, vegetables, and fruits and juices. The coffee and tea group explained most of the variability of dietary TAC (58.3%). CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that the older adults studied had a relatively low dietary TAC consumption. The coffee and tea were the food group that contribute the most to the dietary TAC. Our data show the need to implement national strategies aimed at improving the quality of the diet of older adults. We highlight the need to increase the consumption of different food groups and, consequently, the intake of different compounds with antioxidant capacity, which will contribute to a better dietary TAC with possible positive health effects.

Postprandial Lipid Response to High-Saturated and High-Monounsaturated Fat Meals in Normal-Weight or Overweight Women.

PURPOSE: We evaluated postprandial response of the lipid metabolism markers after the intake of a high-saturated fat (HSM) or high-monounsaturated fat meal (HMM). METHODS: A randomized, controlled and acute intervention study included 63 women (age 26.9 ± 6.1 years): 35 normal weight (NW) and 28 overweight (OW) (total body fat [TBF] 24.7 ± 3.9% and 36.6 ± 3.9%, respectively). After 12 hours of fasting, each subject was given one of the two test meals standardized, including 2 muffins and water (HSM, 42.1% of saturated fat acid, or HMM, 34.5% of monounsaturated fat acid). Plasma fatty acid profile and concentrations of apolipoproteins A1 and B100, complement C3, and triacylglycerols were analyzed during fasting and at 2, 3, and 5 postprandial hours. RESULTS: Among the markers studied, the triacylglycerol (TAG) and complement C3 were significantly higher in the OW group, compared to NW. The increment in the C3 concentration was higher after HSM intake, compared with HMM (iAUC = 4365.5 ± 5477.4 vs. 1215.2 ± 882.4; p = 0.006), with no differences between groups. After 5 hours postprandial, plasma oleic acid values remained high compared with the fasting value in the NW group, but not in the OW group (26.0 ± 4.2 vs 23.7 ± 3.9%; p < 0.001). Women with high percentage of total plasma saturated fatty acids (SFA) at the beginning of the intervention had higher incremental area under the curve (iAUC) for the palmitic, stearic, and total fatty acids (p < 0.005). Those women with a high percentage of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) showed lower iAUC values for the same fatty acid profile (p < 0.005). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the effect of the HSM on postprandial increment of C3 concentration, suggesting another mechanism for saturated fat metabolism. The postprandial response to HSM appears to be the mediated by baseline lipid profile of the individuals, while the response to HMM was correlated to the weight status.

A filogênese da linguagem: novas abordagens de antigas questões / The phylogenesis of language: new approaches of old questions

A filogênese e a antropogênese da linguagem tornam-se elementos fundamentais para conhecimento anatômico e fisiológico dos mecanismos da comunicação humana, bem como suas aplicações clínicas. Durante o processo de desenvolvimento primata, importantes transformações no corpo do animal, notadamente na cabeça, ocorreram a partir da vida arborícola com implicações importantes na gênese da linguagem. A aquisição de uma postura semi-vertical do corpo, o uso exploratórios das mãos e o desenvolvimento da visão em detrimento da olfação permitiram o crescimento craniano e o aumento do encéfalo. Com o retorno do primata ao chão e o desenvolvimento da bipedia nos Australopithecus, ocorreu progressivo crescimento em leque das regiões frontais, parietais e temporais, permitindo o desenvolvimento simultâneo dos centros neuroanatômicos de linguagem, expressão facial e atividade motora manual.