Obesity and low vitamin D are linked to risk of cancer and other diseases
Overweight or obese women with less-than-optimal levels of vitamin D who lose more than 15 percent of their body weight experience significant increases in circulating levels of this fat-soluble nutrient, according to a new study by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
"Since vitamin D is generally lower in persons with obesity, it is possible that low vitamin D could account, in part, for the link between obesity and diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes," said Caitlin Mason, Ph.D., lead author of the paper, published online May 25 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. "Determining whether weight loss helps change vitamin D status is important for understanding potential avenues for disease prevention," said Mason, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Hutchinson Center's Public Health Sciences Division.
According to the National Institutes of Health, vitamin D plays many important roles in the body. It promotes calcium absorption and is needed for bone growth and bone healing. Along with calcium, vitamin D helps protect older adults from osteoporosis. The nutrient also influences cell growth, neuromuscular and immune function, and reduces inflammation. Many gene-encoding proteins that regulate cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis (programmed cell death) are modulated in part by the vitamin.
The year-long study – one of the largest ever conducted to assess the effect of weight loss on vitamin D – involved 439 overweight-to-obese, sedentary, postmenopausal Seattle-area women, ages 50 to 75, who were randomly assigned to one of four groups: exercise only, diet only, exercise plus diet and no intervention.
Those who lost 5 percent to 10 percent of their body weight – equivalent to approximately 10 to 20 pounds for most of the women in the study – through diet and/or exercise saw a relatively small increase in blood levels of vitamin D (about 2.7 nanograms per milliliter, or ng/mL), whereas women who lost more than 15 percent of their weight experienced a nearly threefold increase in vitamin D (about 7.7 ng/mL), independent of dietary intake of the nutrient.
"We were surprised at the effect of weight loss greater than 15 percent on blood vitamin D levels," said senior author Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Hutchinson Center's Prevention Center and principal investigator of the study. "It appears that the relationship between weight loss and blood vitamin D is not linear but goes up dramatically with more weight loss. While weight loss of 5 percent to 10 percent is generally recommended to improve risk factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugars, our findings suggest that more weight loss might be necessary to meaningfully raise blood vitamin D levels."
About 70 percent of the participants had less-than-optimal levels of vitamin D when the study began; at baseline, the mean blood level of vitamin D among the study participants was 22.5 ng/mL. In addition, 12 percent of the women were at risk of vitamin D deficiency (blood levels of less than 12 ng/mL).
The optimal circulating range of vitamin D is thought to be between 20 and 50 ng/mL, according to a recent data review conducted by the Institute of Medicine, which found that blood levels under 20 ng/mL are inadequate for bone health and levels over 50 ng/mL are associated with potential adverse effects, such as an increased risk of developing kidney stones.
Vitamin D is naturally found in some foods, such as fatty fish, and is produced within the body when skin is exposed to sunlight. According to the Institute of Medicine, just 10 minutes of sun a day is enough to trigger adequate vitamin D production. The estimated average requirement via diet or supplementation is 400 international units per day for most adults.
"It is always best to discuss supplementation with your doctor, because circulating levels can vary a lot depending on factors such as age, weight, where you live, and how much time you spend outdoors," Mason said. Vitamin D levels tend to decrease as people age and are generally lower among those with dark skin.
It is thought that obese and overweight people have lower levels of vitamin D because the nutrient is stored in fat deposits. During weight loss, it is suspected that the vitamin D that is trapped in the fat tissue is released into the blood and available for use throughout the body.
"Vitamin D is found in several different forms in the body and its pathways of action are very complex, so the degree to which vitamin D becomes available to the body as a result of weight loss is not well understood," Mason cautioned.
A possible link between vitamin D deficiency and chronic diseases, including cancer and heart disease, is also not well established. "More targeted research ongoing at the Hutchinson Center and elsewhere aims to better understand whether vitamin D plays a specific role in the prevention of these chronic diseases," McTiernan said. To that end, McTiernan is recruiting Seattle-area obese and overweight postmenopausal women for a separate new study to assess the impact of vitamin D on weight loss and breast cancer risk factors.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Eat a Protein-Rich Breakfast to Reduce Food Cravings, Prevent Overeating Later
A University of Missouri researcher has found that eating a healthy breakfast, especially one high in protein, increases satiety and reduces hunger throughout the day. In addition, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) the researchers found that eating a protein-rich breakfast reduces the brain signals controlling food motivation and reward-driven eating behavior.
Eating healthy, protein-rich breakfasts, such as waffles made with protein powder, can be a simple strategy for improving appetite control and preventing overeating.
“Everyone knows that eating breakfast is important, but many people still don’t make it a priority,” said Heather Leidy, assistant professor in the MU Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology. “This research provides additional evidence that breakfast is a valuable strategy to control appetite and regulate food intake.”
In the study, Leidy assessed physiological hunger and satiety by measuring perceived appetite sensations and hormonal markers in combination with psychological reward-driven motivation to eat, using fMRI to identify brain activation in specific regions related to food motivation and reward.
MU researchers assessed hunger and satiety by measuring appetite sensations and hormonal markers in combination with reward-driven motivation to eat, using fMRI technology to identify brain activity related to food motivation and reward.
The researchers decided to target ‘breakfast-skipping’ teens for two reasons, Leidy said. First, breakfast skipping has been strongly associated with unhealthy snacking, overeating (especially at night), weight gain and obesity. Second, approximately 60 percent of adolescents skip breakfast on a daily basis.
For three weeks, the teens either continued to skip breakfast or consumed 500-calorie breakfast meals containing cereal and milk (which contained normal quantities of protein) or higher protein meals prepared as Belgium waffles, syrup and yogurt. At the end of each week, the volunteers completed appetite and satiety questionnaires. Right before lunch, the volunteers completed a brain scan, using fMRI, to identify brain activation responses.
Compared to breakfast skipping, both breakfast meals led to increased fullness and reductions in hunger throughout morning. fMRI results showed that brain activation in regions controlling food motivation and reward was reduced prior to lunch time when breakfast was consumed in the morning. Additionally, the higher protein breakfast led to even greater changes in appetite, satiety and reward-driven eating behavior compared to the normal protein breakfast.
“Incorporating a healthy breakfast containing protein-rich foods can be a simple strategy for people to stay satisfied longer, and therefore, be less prone to snacking,” Leidy said. “People reach for convenient snack foods to satisfy their hunger between meals, but these foods are almost always high in sugar and fat and add a substantial amount of calories to the diet. These findings suggest that a protein-rich breakfast might be an effective strategy to improve appetite control and prevent overeating in young people.”
The article, “Neural Responses to Visual Food Stimuli after a Normal vs. Higher Protein Breakfast in Breakfast-Skipping Teens…” has recently been published online in Obesity.
Eat a Protein-Rich Breakfast to Reduce Food Cravings, Prevent Overeating Later, MU Researcher Finds from MU News Bureau on Vimeo.
Eating healthy, protein-rich breakfasts, such as waffles made with protein powder, can be a simple strategy for improving appetite control and preventing overeating.
“Everyone knows that eating breakfast is important, but many people still don’t make it a priority,” said Heather Leidy, assistant professor in the MU Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology. “This research provides additional evidence that breakfast is a valuable strategy to control appetite and regulate food intake.”
In the study, Leidy assessed physiological hunger and satiety by measuring perceived appetite sensations and hormonal markers in combination with psychological reward-driven motivation to eat, using fMRI to identify brain activation in specific regions related to food motivation and reward.
MU researchers assessed hunger and satiety by measuring appetite sensations and hormonal markers in combination with reward-driven motivation to eat, using fMRI technology to identify brain activity related to food motivation and reward.
The researchers decided to target ‘breakfast-skipping’ teens for two reasons, Leidy said. First, breakfast skipping has been strongly associated with unhealthy snacking, overeating (especially at night), weight gain and obesity. Second, approximately 60 percent of adolescents skip breakfast on a daily basis.
For three weeks, the teens either continued to skip breakfast or consumed 500-calorie breakfast meals containing cereal and milk (which contained normal quantities of protein) or higher protein meals prepared as Belgium waffles, syrup and yogurt. At the end of each week, the volunteers completed appetite and satiety questionnaires. Right before lunch, the volunteers completed a brain scan, using fMRI, to identify brain activation responses.
Compared to breakfast skipping, both breakfast meals led to increased fullness and reductions in hunger throughout morning. fMRI results showed that brain activation in regions controlling food motivation and reward was reduced prior to lunch time when breakfast was consumed in the morning. Additionally, the higher protein breakfast led to even greater changes in appetite, satiety and reward-driven eating behavior compared to the normal protein breakfast.
“Incorporating a healthy breakfast containing protein-rich foods can be a simple strategy for people to stay satisfied longer, and therefore, be less prone to snacking,” Leidy said. “People reach for convenient snack foods to satisfy their hunger between meals, but these foods are almost always high in sugar and fat and add a substantial amount of calories to the diet. These findings suggest that a protein-rich breakfast might be an effective strategy to improve appetite control and prevent overeating in young people.”
The article, “Neural Responses to Visual Food Stimuli after a Normal vs. Higher Protein Breakfast in Breakfast-Skipping Teens…” has recently been published online in Obesity.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Can Going to Work Make You Fat?
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A recent article by Sue Shellenbarger, The Battle of the Office Candy Jar (April 12, 2011, Wall Street Journal) raises a serious question: Although office snacks might boost morale are they also sabotaging your health? The conclusion: Based on increases in sick days, apparently the answer is yes.
It has been shown that just the sight or smell of candy, cookies, donuts and other sugary sweet concoctions triggers a desire to eat some. Since most of us are lugging around excess body-fat, this kind of morale booster is not helping our diet efforts and may inadvertently contribute to increasing sick days and perhaps anxiety, listlessness or moodiness when the resulting sugar rush wears off.
People often think they can work off these snacks with a little extra exercise or activity. However, the article accurately points out that just 2 pieces of candy each workday totals about 480 calories and explains that a person weighing 160 pounds would need to walk 157 minutes; ballroom dance 132; golf (carrying clubs) 88 minutes; backpack 56 minutes; or run fast for 29 minutes just to burn off those extra calories. Warning: You don’t even want to know the amount of exercise it would take to burn off most donuts and cookies! In addition, these sugary treats wreak havoc with our bodies, spiking insulin levels and making fat burning impossible.
“We’ve all been conditioned to view sugary foods as ‘treats’ when maybe we need to view them as drugs,” say co-authors Dian Griesel, Ph.D. and Tom Griesel of TurboCharged: Accelerate Your Fat Burning Metabolism, Get Lean Fast and Leave Diet and Exercise Rules in the Dust (BSH, 2011).
Their reasoning has a strong foundation. Sugar is after all another white crystalline powder. It was originally smuggled in from the Far East and was sold at the equivalent of $12,000 per pound. Its early users soon became addicted. Gradually its use spread throughout the population. At first it was a luxury for the rich, but gradually it was produced in large quantities at cheaper prices so that anyone could afford it. The health of all its users deteriorated rapidly. Not only did they suffer physically from the use of this drug, but their mental and emotional states were disturbed. They became irritable, sickly, obese and borderline schizophrenic. The white powder was not cocaine or heroin—it was and is sugar.
Tom Griesel points out, “Today the average American eats his or her weight in sugar every year. The typical person eats 50 teaspoons of sugar EVERY day—most of it hidden in processed and packaged foods. We believe more health problems can be traced to sugar use than any other single item eaten today.”
“Sugar is a totally useless, destructive, addictive drug that is responsible for many debilitating diseases like obesity, heart disease, hypoglycemia, diabetes, and tooth decay to name a few,” says Dian Griesel.
Why is its use tolerated? We show little sympathy for pushers of cocaine, heroin or amphetamines and other white powder drugs. Why then are food manufacturers allowed to dose their products with a sweet white poison that kills more people than all the illegal drugs combined?
The Griesels explain: “Sugar is a cheap additive and food filler. As prices of raw materials have increased, manufacturers of convenience and packaged foods add more and more sugar, including significant quantities of very unhealthy high fructose corn syrup. As consumers, we must realize that sugar by any name is a convenient an inexpensive extender for manufacturing convenience—BUT its consumption is detrimental to our long term health and well being.”
Do everyone in your office a favor: Discourage unhealthy office snacking and start bringing fresh fruits for the office snack bowl. Encourage your co-workers to do the same. Another great idea? Start an office pool for a biggest loser contest. Winning money and some healthy competition are always great motivators. You will all feel and look better along with being healthier as a result.
A recent article by Sue Shellenbarger, The Battle of the Office Candy Jar (April 12, 2011, Wall Street Journal) raises a serious question: Although office snacks might boost morale are they also sabotaging your health? The conclusion: Based on increases in sick days, apparently the answer is yes.
It has been shown that just the sight or smell of candy, cookies, donuts and other sugary sweet concoctions triggers a desire to eat some. Since most of us are lugging around excess body-fat, this kind of morale booster is not helping our diet efforts and may inadvertently contribute to increasing sick days and perhaps anxiety, listlessness or moodiness when the resulting sugar rush wears off.
People often think they can work off these snacks with a little extra exercise or activity. However, the article accurately points out that just 2 pieces of candy each workday totals about 480 calories and explains that a person weighing 160 pounds would need to walk 157 minutes; ballroom dance 132; golf (carrying clubs) 88 minutes; backpack 56 minutes; or run fast for 29 minutes just to burn off those extra calories. Warning: You don’t even want to know the amount of exercise it would take to burn off most donuts and cookies! In addition, these sugary treats wreak havoc with our bodies, spiking insulin levels and making fat burning impossible.
“We’ve all been conditioned to view sugary foods as ‘treats’ when maybe we need to view them as drugs,” say co-authors Dian Griesel, Ph.D. and Tom Griesel of TurboCharged: Accelerate Your Fat Burning Metabolism, Get Lean Fast and Leave Diet and Exercise Rules in the Dust (BSH, 2011).
Their reasoning has a strong foundation. Sugar is after all another white crystalline powder. It was originally smuggled in from the Far East and was sold at the equivalent of $12,000 per pound. Its early users soon became addicted. Gradually its use spread throughout the population. At first it was a luxury for the rich, but gradually it was produced in large quantities at cheaper prices so that anyone could afford it. The health of all its users deteriorated rapidly. Not only did they suffer physically from the use of this drug, but their mental and emotional states were disturbed. They became irritable, sickly, obese and borderline schizophrenic. The white powder was not cocaine or heroin—it was and is sugar.
Tom Griesel points out, “Today the average American eats his or her weight in sugar every year. The typical person eats 50 teaspoons of sugar EVERY day—most of it hidden in processed and packaged foods. We believe more health problems can be traced to sugar use than any other single item eaten today.”
“Sugar is a totally useless, destructive, addictive drug that is responsible for many debilitating diseases like obesity, heart disease, hypoglycemia, diabetes, and tooth decay to name a few,” says Dian Griesel.
Why is its use tolerated? We show little sympathy for pushers of cocaine, heroin or amphetamines and other white powder drugs. Why then are food manufacturers allowed to dose their products with a sweet white poison that kills more people than all the illegal drugs combined?
The Griesels explain: “Sugar is a cheap additive and food filler. As prices of raw materials have increased, manufacturers of convenience and packaged foods add more and more sugar, including significant quantities of very unhealthy high fructose corn syrup. As consumers, we must realize that sugar by any name is a convenient an inexpensive extender for manufacturing convenience—BUT its consumption is detrimental to our long term health and well being.”
Do everyone in your office a favor: Discourage unhealthy office snacking and start bringing fresh fruits for the office snack bowl. Encourage your co-workers to do the same. Another great idea? Start an office pool for a biggest loser contest. Winning money and some healthy competition are always great motivators. You will all feel and look better along with being healthier as a result.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Will liposuction will get rid of that fat forever?
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What new research shows
Liposuction has become one of the most popular plastic surgeries in the country. It has been around since 1974 and there are now more than 450,000 operations a year. But does the fat come back? A recent study by Teri L. Hernandez, PhD, RN and Robert H. Eckel, MD, at the University of Colorado School of Medicine have found that the fat eventually returns within one year, and is redistributed to other areas of the body, especially the upper abdomen. There was further redistribution around the shoulders and triceps of the arms.
"The fact that fat returned is of great interest to us as scientists. It supports the idea that levels of body fat are very tightly regulated by mechanisms we have yet to uncover," said Eckel. "This was the hypothesis we were testing and it was confirmed. In rodents when fat is removed it returns, and after weight loss in humans most everyone regains the weight. We think the brain somehow knows how much fat is on board and responds in a manner to regulate that weight. That's why preventing obesity is so important".
The study was a difficult one to execute because fat must be measured precisely with expensive scans that require multiple resources and considerable manpower. The University of Colorado is one of a handful of institutions that could facilitate this type of highly controlled study. Obesity researchers said that they are not surprised the fat came back. Data in animal models have shown that after surgical removal of fat, it tends to return to other areas. The liposuction study performed at the University of Colorado is the first randomized controlled trial in humans.
"We must emphasize that liposuction surgery is not a weight loss procedure. Our research participants are wonderful women who sought to change their shape through liposuction. Despite fat returning, their cosmetic shape benefit was retained and they have been very happy with their surgery results," said Hernandez.
What new research shows
Liposuction has become one of the most popular plastic surgeries in the country. It has been around since 1974 and there are now more than 450,000 operations a year. But does the fat come back? A recent study by Teri L. Hernandez, PhD, RN and Robert H. Eckel, MD, at the University of Colorado School of Medicine have found that the fat eventually returns within one year, and is redistributed to other areas of the body, especially the upper abdomen. There was further redistribution around the shoulders and triceps of the arms.
"The fact that fat returned is of great interest to us as scientists. It supports the idea that levels of body fat are very tightly regulated by mechanisms we have yet to uncover," said Eckel. "This was the hypothesis we were testing and it was confirmed. In rodents when fat is removed it returns, and after weight loss in humans most everyone regains the weight. We think the brain somehow knows how much fat is on board and responds in a manner to regulate that weight. That's why preventing obesity is so important".
The study was a difficult one to execute because fat must be measured precisely with expensive scans that require multiple resources and considerable manpower. The University of Colorado is one of a handful of institutions that could facilitate this type of highly controlled study. Obesity researchers said that they are not surprised the fat came back. Data in animal models have shown that after surgical removal of fat, it tends to return to other areas. The liposuction study performed at the University of Colorado is the first randomized controlled trial in humans.
"We must emphasize that liposuction surgery is not a weight loss procedure. Our research participants are wonderful women who sought to change their shape through liposuction. Despite fat returning, their cosmetic shape benefit was retained and they have been very happy with their surgery results," said Hernandez.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Being tall, obese may significantly increase risk of blood clots in deep veins
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The combination of being tall and obese, particularly in men, may substantially raise the risk of developing potentially dangerous blood clots in veins deep in the body.
If you’re tall, you can reduce your risk by maintaining a healthy weight.
DALLAS, April 28, 2011 — Being tall and obese may increase your risk for potentially dangerous blood clots, according to new research in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Obesity is a well-known risk factor for clots in deep veins (usually in the legs) and for pulmonary embolism, a clot in blood vessels of the lungs that can result in sudden death or strain on the heart. Together, the two conditions are called venous thromboembolism (VTE).
Compared with short (5 feet, 7.7 inches or less) and normal-weight men (body mass index < 25kg/m2), the age-adjusted risk of VTE was:
· 5.28 times higher in obese and tall men
· 2.57 times higher in normal-weight and tall men (at least 5 feet, 11.7 inches tall)
· 2.11 times higher in obese and short men
The amount of risk conferred by being both obese and tall was comparable to other known risk factors for VTE, including pregnancy, the use of oral contraceptives, and carrying one gene for an inherited predisposition to clotting called Factor V Leiden.
Compared with short (5 feet, 2.6 inches or less) normal-weight women, the age-adjusted risk of VTE was:
· 2.77 times higher in obese and tall women
· 1.83 times higher in obese and short women
· Not increased in normal-weight and tall women (more than 5 feet, 6 inches)
“We believe that we observed the increased risk in tall and normal-weight men, but not women, because most women do not get sufficiently tall,” said Sigrid K. Braekkan, Ph.D., senior study author and a researcher in the Hematological Research Group at the University of Tromsø in Norway. “The risk may be present in very tall women, but there were too few to investigate this properly.”
Researchers said more studies are needed to determine the mechanisms of the association between tall stature, excess weight and the combination on the risk of VTEs.
“In tall people the blood must be pumped a longer distance by the calf-muscle pump, which may cause reduced flow in the legs and thereby raise the risk of clotting,” Braekkan said.
“Understanding and preventing VTE is important because even the first occurrence may be fatal. Obesity, in combination with other VTE risk factors, has been shown to substantially increase the risk, so we wanted to assess the combined effects of tall stature and obesity.”
The research team analyzed data from the Tromsø study, which conducts periodic health surveys of adults 25-97 years old in the Norwegian town. Researchers collected height and obesity measures on 26,714 men and women followed a median of 12.5 years between 1994 and 2007. During that time, 461 VTEs occurred.
Obesity causes increased pressure in the abdomen, which may reduce the ability of the calf-muscle pump to return the blood from the legs. “Obesity is also linked to a state of constant low-grade inflammation, and inflammation may render blood more susceptible to clotting,” Braekkan said.
Physicians should consider people’s height and weight as they assess their overall risk for dangerous clots, researchers said.
“Since body height is not easy to modify, the most important thing is to stay slim, especially if you are tall,” Braekkan said.
The researchers previously found a strikingly similar rise in clot risk along with height in American men, and believe that the height cut-offs would apply to Caucasian populations in other regions.
In the United States, more than 275,000 people each year are hospitalized with deep vein clots or pulmonary embolism, according to the American Heart Association.
Ω
The combination of being tall and obese, particularly in men, may substantially raise the risk of developing potentially dangerous blood clots in veins deep in the body.
If you’re tall, you can reduce your risk by maintaining a healthy weight.
DALLAS, April 28, 2011 — Being tall and obese may increase your risk for potentially dangerous blood clots, according to new research in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Obesity is a well-known risk factor for clots in deep veins (usually in the legs) and for pulmonary embolism, a clot in blood vessels of the lungs that can result in sudden death or strain on the heart. Together, the two conditions are called venous thromboembolism (VTE).
Compared with short (5 feet, 7.7 inches or less) and normal-weight men (body mass index < 25kg/m2), the age-adjusted risk of VTE was:
· 5.28 times higher in obese and tall men
· 2.57 times higher in normal-weight and tall men (at least 5 feet, 11.7 inches tall)
· 2.11 times higher in obese and short men
The amount of risk conferred by being both obese and tall was comparable to other known risk factors for VTE, including pregnancy, the use of oral contraceptives, and carrying one gene for an inherited predisposition to clotting called Factor V Leiden.
Compared with short (5 feet, 2.6 inches or less) normal-weight women, the age-adjusted risk of VTE was:
· 2.77 times higher in obese and tall women
· 1.83 times higher in obese and short women
· Not increased in normal-weight and tall women (more than 5 feet, 6 inches)
“We believe that we observed the increased risk in tall and normal-weight men, but not women, because most women do not get sufficiently tall,” said Sigrid K. Braekkan, Ph.D., senior study author and a researcher in the Hematological Research Group at the University of Tromsø in Norway. “The risk may be present in very tall women, but there were too few to investigate this properly.”
Researchers said more studies are needed to determine the mechanisms of the association between tall stature, excess weight and the combination on the risk of VTEs.
“In tall people the blood must be pumped a longer distance by the calf-muscle pump, which may cause reduced flow in the legs and thereby raise the risk of clotting,” Braekkan said.
“Understanding and preventing VTE is important because even the first occurrence may be fatal. Obesity, in combination with other VTE risk factors, has been shown to substantially increase the risk, so we wanted to assess the combined effects of tall stature and obesity.”
The research team analyzed data from the Tromsø study, which conducts periodic health surveys of adults 25-97 years old in the Norwegian town. Researchers collected height and obesity measures on 26,714 men and women followed a median of 12.5 years between 1994 and 2007. During that time, 461 VTEs occurred.
Obesity causes increased pressure in the abdomen, which may reduce the ability of the calf-muscle pump to return the blood from the legs. “Obesity is also linked to a state of constant low-grade inflammation, and inflammation may render blood more susceptible to clotting,” Braekkan said.
Physicians should consider people’s height and weight as they assess their overall risk for dangerous clots, researchers said.
“Since body height is not easy to modify, the most important thing is to stay slim, especially if you are tall,” Braekkan said.
The researchers previously found a strikingly similar rise in clot risk along with height in American men, and believe that the height cut-offs would apply to Caucasian populations in other regions.
In the United States, more than 275,000 people each year are hospitalized with deep vein clots or pulmonary embolism, according to the American Heart Association.
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Packing on the Pounds in Middle Age Linked to Dementia
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According to a new study, being overweight or obese during middle age may increase the risk of certain dementias. The research is published in the May 3, 2011, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
"Currently, 1.6 billion adults are overweight or obese worldwide and over 50 percent of adults in the United States and Europe fit into this category," said study author Weili Xu, MD, PhD, with the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden. "Our results contribute to the growing evidence that controlling body weight or losing weight in middle age could reduce your risk of dementia."
Researchers studied information from the Swedish Twin Registry on 8,534 twins age 65 or older. Of those, 350 were diagnosed with dementia and 114 had possible dementia. Information on participant's height and weight had been taken 30 years earlier.
Participants were grouped according to their body mass index (BMI), a measure of total body fat: underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese. Being overweight was defined as having a body mass index between 25 and 30 and obesity was defined as a body mass index of higher than 30. In the study, 2,541 twins, or nearly 30 percent, were either overweight or obese during middle age.
The study found that people who were overweight or obese at midlife had an 80 percent higher risk of developing dementia, Alzheimer's disease or vascular dementia in late life compared to people with normal BMI. The results remained the same after considering other factors, such as education, diabetes and vascular disease. A total of 26 percent of those with no dementia had been overweight in midlife, compared to 36 percent of those with questionable dementia and 39 percent of those with diagnosed dementia. Three percent of those with no dementia had been obese in midlife, compared to five percent of those with questionable dementia and seven percent of those with diagnosed dementia.
The researchers also analyzed the data in twin pairs where one twin had dementia and one twin did not and found that there was no longer a significant relationship between overweight and obesity and dementia in midlife. "This suggests that early life environmental factors and genetic factors may contribute to the link between midlife overweight and dementia," Xu said.
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According to a new study, being overweight or obese during middle age may increase the risk of certain dementias. The research is published in the May 3, 2011, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
"Currently, 1.6 billion adults are overweight or obese worldwide and over 50 percent of adults in the United States and Europe fit into this category," said study author Weili Xu, MD, PhD, with the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden. "Our results contribute to the growing evidence that controlling body weight or losing weight in middle age could reduce your risk of dementia."
Researchers studied information from the Swedish Twin Registry on 8,534 twins age 65 or older. Of those, 350 were diagnosed with dementia and 114 had possible dementia. Information on participant's height and weight had been taken 30 years earlier.
Participants were grouped according to their body mass index (BMI), a measure of total body fat: underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese. Being overweight was defined as having a body mass index between 25 and 30 and obesity was defined as a body mass index of higher than 30. In the study, 2,541 twins, or nearly 30 percent, were either overweight or obese during middle age.
The study found that people who were overweight or obese at midlife had an 80 percent higher risk of developing dementia, Alzheimer's disease or vascular dementia in late life compared to people with normal BMI. The results remained the same after considering other factors, such as education, diabetes and vascular disease. A total of 26 percent of those with no dementia had been overweight in midlife, compared to 36 percent of those with questionable dementia and 39 percent of those with diagnosed dementia. Three percent of those with no dementia had been obese in midlife, compared to five percent of those with questionable dementia and seven percent of those with diagnosed dementia.
The researchers also analyzed the data in twin pairs where one twin had dementia and one twin did not and found that there was no longer a significant relationship between overweight and obesity and dementia in midlife. "This suggests that early life environmental factors and genetic factors may contribute to the link between midlife overweight and dementia," Xu said.
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Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Pistachios beat pretzels as a weight-wise snack
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First study of its kind finds greater weight management support in pistachio versus pretzel snackers
When it comes to healthy snacking and weight management, a new study bolsters the long-held view that not all calories are created equal. According to nutrition researchers at UCLA, choosing to snack on pistachios rather than pretzels as part of a healthy diet not only supports your body mass index (BMI) goals, but can support heart health too.
The study, recently published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition is especially significant in today's diet as snack foods account for more than a quarter of the total caloric intake among Americans.
"This study is important because it's the first of its kind to show that pistachios can be part of a successful weight management program," said Dr. David Heber, MD, PhD, director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition. "Snackers often think pretzels are a better choice for weight management compared to a nut like pistachios just because they are lower in fat. This study debunks that myth."
Research Weighs In
In this 12-week randomized study, 52 overweight subjects were placed on a 500-calorie deficit diet and were assigned to either a pistachio snack or pretzel snack group. The pistachio group included a daily snack of 240 calories (about 75 pistachios) and the pretzel group, a two ounce snack of similar caloric value totaling 220 calories.
The results showed that the pistachio group had better success with supporting their body mass index (BMI) goals compared to the pretzel group and that pistachios can help support heart health too, proving that pistachios can be included in a healthy diet, even for those who are managing their weight. Interestingly, with the pistachio group, 30 percent of total calories came from fat compared to the pretzel group providing 20 percent. Almost 90 percent of the fat found in pistachios is the healthy unsaturated type.
First study of its kind finds greater weight management support in pistachio versus pretzel snackers
When it comes to healthy snacking and weight management, a new study bolsters the long-held view that not all calories are created equal. According to nutrition researchers at UCLA, choosing to snack on pistachios rather than pretzels as part of a healthy diet not only supports your body mass index (BMI) goals, but can support heart health too.
The study, recently published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition is especially significant in today's diet as snack foods account for more than a quarter of the total caloric intake among Americans.
"This study is important because it's the first of its kind to show that pistachios can be part of a successful weight management program," said Dr. David Heber, MD, PhD, director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition. "Snackers often think pretzels are a better choice for weight management compared to a nut like pistachios just because they are lower in fat. This study debunks that myth."
Research Weighs In
In this 12-week randomized study, 52 overweight subjects were placed on a 500-calorie deficit diet and were assigned to either a pistachio snack or pretzel snack group. The pistachio group included a daily snack of 240 calories (about 75 pistachios) and the pretzel group, a two ounce snack of similar caloric value totaling 220 calories.
The results showed that the pistachio group had better success with supporting their body mass index (BMI) goals compared to the pretzel group and that pistachios can help support heart health too, proving that pistachios can be included in a healthy diet, even for those who are managing their weight. Interestingly, with the pistachio group, 30 percent of total calories came from fat compared to the pretzel group providing 20 percent. Almost 90 percent of the fat found in pistachios is the healthy unsaturated type.
Night owls at risk for weight gain and bad diet
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People who go to bed late and sleep late eat more fast food and weigh more
Staying up late every night and sleeping in is a habit that could put you at risk for gaining weight. People who go to bed late and sleep late eat more calories in the evening, more fast food, fewer fruits and vegetables and weigh more than people who go to sleep earlier and wake up earlier, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study.
Late sleepers consumed 248 more calories a day, twice as much fast food and half as many fruits and vegetables as those with earlier sleep times, according to the study. They also drank more full-calorie sodas. The late sleepers consumed the extra calories during dinner and later in the evening when everyone else was asleep. They also had a higher body mass index, a measure of body weight, than normal sleepers.
The study is one of the first in the United States to explore the relationship between the circadian timing of sleeping and waking, dietary behavior and body mass index. The study was published online in the journal Obesity and is expected to appear in a late summer print issue.
"The extra daily calories can mean a significant amount of weight gain – two pounds per month – if they are not balanced by more physical activity," said co-lead author Kelly Glazer Baron, a health psychologist and a neurology instructor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
"We don't know if late sleepers consume the extra calories because they prefer more high-calorie foods or because there are less healthful options at night," said co-lead author Kathryn Reid, research assistant professor in neurology at the Feinberg School.
The study shows not only are the number of calories you eat important, but also when you eat them -- and that's linked to when you sleep and when you wake up, noted senior author Phyllis Zee, M.D., professor of neurology and director of the Sleep and Circadian Rhythms Research Program at Feinberg and medical director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Feinberg and Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
"Human circadian rhythms in sleep and metabolism are synchronized to the daily rotation of the earth, so that when the sun goes down you are supposed to be sleeping, not eating," Zee said. "When sleep and eating are not aligned with the body's internal clock, it can lead to changes in appetite and metabolism, which could lead to weight gain."
The research findings could be relevant to people who are not very successful in losing weight, Zee said. "The study suggests regulating the timing of eating and sleep could improve the effectiveness of weight management programs," she said.
The findings also have relevance for night-shift workers, who eat at the wrong time of day related to their bodies' circadian rhythms. "It's midnight, but they're eating lunch," Zee said. "Their risk for obesity as well as cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and gastrointestinal disorders is higher."
The study included 51 people (23 late sleepers and 28 normal sleepers) who were an average age of 30. Late sleepers went to sleep at an average time of 3:45 a.m., awoke by 10:45 a.m., ate breakfast at noon, lunch at 2:30 p.m., dinner at 8:15 p.m. and a final meal at 10 p.m. Normal sleepers on average were up by 8 a.m., ate breakfast by 9 a.m., lunch at 1 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m., a last snack at 8:30 p.m. and were asleep by 12:30 a.m.
Participants in the study recorded their eating and sleep in logs and wore a wrist actigraph, which monitors sleep and activity cycles, for at least seven days.
Late sleepers function in society by finding jobs where they can make their own hours, Baron noted, such as academics or consultants. "They find niches where they can live this lifestyle, or they just get by with less sleep," she said.
Northwestern researchers are planning a series of studies to test the findings in a larger community and to understand the biological mechanisms that link the relationship between circadian rhythms, sleep timing and metabolism.
People who go to bed late and sleep late eat more fast food and weigh more
Staying up late every night and sleeping in is a habit that could put you at risk for gaining weight. People who go to bed late and sleep late eat more calories in the evening, more fast food, fewer fruits and vegetables and weigh more than people who go to sleep earlier and wake up earlier, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study.
Late sleepers consumed 248 more calories a day, twice as much fast food and half as many fruits and vegetables as those with earlier sleep times, according to the study. They also drank more full-calorie sodas. The late sleepers consumed the extra calories during dinner and later in the evening when everyone else was asleep. They also had a higher body mass index, a measure of body weight, than normal sleepers.
The study is one of the first in the United States to explore the relationship between the circadian timing of sleeping and waking, dietary behavior and body mass index. The study was published online in the journal Obesity and is expected to appear in a late summer print issue.
"The extra daily calories can mean a significant amount of weight gain – two pounds per month – if they are not balanced by more physical activity," said co-lead author Kelly Glazer Baron, a health psychologist and a neurology instructor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
"We don't know if late sleepers consume the extra calories because they prefer more high-calorie foods or because there are less healthful options at night," said co-lead author Kathryn Reid, research assistant professor in neurology at the Feinberg School.
The study shows not only are the number of calories you eat important, but also when you eat them -- and that's linked to when you sleep and when you wake up, noted senior author Phyllis Zee, M.D., professor of neurology and director of the Sleep and Circadian Rhythms Research Program at Feinberg and medical director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Feinberg and Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
"Human circadian rhythms in sleep and metabolism are synchronized to the daily rotation of the earth, so that when the sun goes down you are supposed to be sleeping, not eating," Zee said. "When sleep and eating are not aligned with the body's internal clock, it can lead to changes in appetite and metabolism, which could lead to weight gain."
The research findings could be relevant to people who are not very successful in losing weight, Zee said. "The study suggests regulating the timing of eating and sleep could improve the effectiveness of weight management programs," she said.
The findings also have relevance for night-shift workers, who eat at the wrong time of day related to their bodies' circadian rhythms. "It's midnight, but they're eating lunch," Zee said. "Their risk for obesity as well as cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and gastrointestinal disorders is higher."
The study included 51 people (23 late sleepers and 28 normal sleepers) who were an average age of 30. Late sleepers went to sleep at an average time of 3:45 a.m., awoke by 10:45 a.m., ate breakfast at noon, lunch at 2:30 p.m., dinner at 8:15 p.m. and a final meal at 10 p.m. Normal sleepers on average were up by 8 a.m., ate breakfast by 9 a.m., lunch at 1 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m., a last snack at 8:30 p.m. and were asleep by 12:30 a.m.
Participants in the study recorded their eating and sleep in logs and wore a wrist actigraph, which monitors sleep and activity cycles, for at least seven days.
Late sleepers function in society by finding jobs where they can make their own hours, Baron noted, such as academics or consultants. "They find niches where they can live this lifestyle, or they just get by with less sleep," she said.
Northwestern researchers are planning a series of studies to test the findings in a larger community and to understand the biological mechanisms that link the relationship between circadian rhythms, sleep timing and metabolism.
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