Frank B. Hu

Bio: Frank B. Hu is an academic researcher from Harvard University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Type 2 diabetes & Diabetes mellitus. The author has an hindex of 250, co-authored 1675 publications receiving 253464 citations. Previous affiliations of Frank B. Hu include Southwest University & Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Prevalence of asthma and wheezing in public schoolchildren: association with maternal smoking during pregnancy.

Abstract: Background Asthma is the most common chronic disease in childhood. The prevalence of asthma is especially high in inner city children. The occurrence of asthma may be associated with many environmental factors, including involuntary exposure to maternal smoking. Objectives This study reports prevalence of asthma and wheezing in a sample of public school students in Chicago and examines the association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and childhood asthma. Methods A total of 705 fifth grade students from 13 public schools participated in the study. A slightly modified International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire was administered in classrooms to assess students' wheezing and asthma prevalence. Results Overall, 34.5% of children reported ever wheezing, 28.9% reported wheezing in the past year, 21.1% reported exercise-related wheezing in the past year, 23.6% reported physician-diagnosed asthma, 16.1% reported taking asthma or wheezing medication in the past 2 weeks, and 15.2% reported visiting emergency rooms for treatment of asthma in the past year. After adjusting for confounding variables in a logistic model, maternal smoking during pregnancy was significantly associated with children's asthma (adjusted odds ratio = 1.9; 95% confidence interval: 1.1 to 3.5). Conclusions This study reports high prevalence of asthma and wheezing among the students and suggests that maternal smoking during pregnancy may increase the risk of asthma in children.

Antihypertensive Medications and the Risk of Incident Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract: OBJECTIVE —The purpose of this study was to examine the association between the use of different classes of antihypertensive medications and the risk of incident type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS —We conducted a prospective study of three cohorts: the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) I and II and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS). Antihypertensive medication use was ascertained by biennial questionnaires. After excluding participants who reported a history of diabetes at baseline, 41,193 older women (NHS I), 14,151 younger women (NHS II), and 19,472 men (HPFS), all with hypertension, were followed for 8, 10, and 16 years, respectively. RESULTS —We documented 3,589 incident cases of diabetes. After adjustment for age, BMI, physical activity, the use of other antihypertensive medications, and other risk factors, the multivariate relative risk (RR) of incident diabetes in participants taking a thiazide diuretic compared with those not taking a thiazide was 1.20 (95% CI 1.08–1.33) in older women, 1.45 (1.17–1.79) in younger women, and 1.36 (1.17–1.58) in men. The multivariate RR in participants taking a β-blocker compared with those not taking a β-blocker was 1.32 (1.20–1.46) in older women and 1.20 (1.05–1.38) in men. ACE inhibitors and calcium channel blockers were not associated with risk. CONCLUSIONS —Thiazide diuretic and β-blocker use were independently associated with a higher risk of incident diabetes. Increased surveillance for diabetes in patients treated with these medications may be warranted.

Optimal body weight for health and longevity: bridging basic, clinical, and population research

Abstract: Summary Excess body weight and adiposity cause insulin resistance, inflammation, and numerous other alterations in metabolic and hormonal factors that promote atherosclerosis, tumorigenesis, neurodegeneration, and aging. Studies in both animals and humans have demonstrated a beneficial role of dietary restriction and leanness in promoting health and longevity. Epidemiological studies have found strong direct associations between increasing body mass index (BMI) and risks of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and several types of cancer, beginning from BMI of 20–21 kg m 2 . Although a recent meta-analysis suggests that overweight individuals have significantly lower overall mortality than normal-weight individuals, these data are likely to be an artifact produced by serious methodological problems, especially confounding by smoking, reverse causation due to existing chronic disease, and nonspecific loss of lean mass and function in the frail elderly. From a clinical and public health point of view, maintaining a healthy weight through diet and physical activity should remain the cornerstone in the prevention

Selected Dietary Flavonoids Are Associated with Markers of Inflammation and Endothelial Dysfunction in U.S. Women

Abstract: Flavonoids show antiinflammatory effects in vitro and human intervention studies have suggested beneficial effects of flavonoid-rich foods on biomarkers of inflammation and endothelial function. In the present study, we assessed the relationship between flavonoid intake and biomarkers of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in a cross-sectional study of participants from the Nurses’ Health Study cohort. Intake of 6 flavonoid subclasses (flavonols, flavones, flavanones, flavan-3-ols, anthocyanidins, and polymeric flavonoids) was assessed using a FFQ administered in 1990. Also, the main food sources of these flavonoids were examined. Blood samples were collected in 1989‐1990 and plasma Creactive protein (CRP), IL-6, IL-18, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor-2, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, soluble vascular adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), and E-selectin were measured in 1194‐1598 women. Multivariateadjusted geometric means of plasma IL-8 were lower for women in the highest intake quintile of flavones, flavanones, and total flavonoids compared with those in the lowest quintiles by 9% (Q1: 264 ng/L, Q5: 241 ng/L; P-trend = 0.019), 11% (Q1: 273 ng/L, Q5: 244 ng/L; P-trend = 0.011), and 8% (Q1: 276 ng/L Q5: 55 ng/L; P-trend = 0.034), respectively. Multivariate-adjusted geometric means for women in the highest intake quintile of flavonol compared with those in the lowest quintile was 4% lower for sVCAM-1 (Q1: 578 mg/L, Q5: 557 mg/L; P-trend = 0.012). Among flavonoid-rich foods, higher intake of grapefruit was significantly associated with lower concentrations of CRP and sTNF-R2. In summary, higher intakes of selected flavonoid subclasses were associated with modestly lower concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers. In particular, flavonoids typically found in citrus fruits were modestly associated with lower plasma IL-18 concentrations. J. Nutr. doi: 10.3945/jn.110.133843.

Vitamin D Deficiency

Abstract: Once foods in the United States were fortified with vitamin D, rickets appeared to have been conquered, and many considered major health problems from vitamin D deficiency resolved. But vitamin D deficiency is common. This review considers the role of vitamin D in skeletal and nonskeletal health and suggests strategies for the prevention and treatment of vitamin D deficiency.

Diagnosis and Management of the Metabolic Syndrome An American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Scientific Statement

Abstract: The metabolic syndrome has received increased attention in the past few years. This statement from the American Heart Association (AHA) and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) is intended to provide up-to-date guidance for professionals on the diagnosis and management of the metabolic syndrome in adults. The metabolic syndrome is a constellation of interrelated risk factors of metabolic origin— metabolic risk factors —that appear to directly promote the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).1 Patients with the metabolic syndrome also are at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. Another set of conditions, the underlying risk factors , give rise to the metabolic risk factors. In the past few years, several expert groups have attempted to set forth simple diagnostic criteria to be used in clinical practice to identify patients who manifest the multiple components of the metabolic syndrome. These criteria have varied somewhat in specific elements, but in general they include a combination of both underlying and metabolic risk factors. The most widely recognized of the metabolic risk factors are atherogenic dyslipidemia, elevated blood pressure, and elevated plasma glucose. Individuals with these characteristics commonly manifest a prothrombotic state and a pro-inflammatory state as well. Atherogenic dyslipidemia consists of an aggregation of lipoprotein abnormalities including elevated serum triglyceride and apolipoprotein B (apoB), increased small LDL particles, and a reduced level of HDL cholesterol (HDL-C). The metabolic syndrome is often referred to as if it were a discrete entity with a single cause. Available data suggest that it truly is a syndrome, ie, a grouping of ASCVD risk factors, but one that probably has more than one cause. Regardless of cause, the syndrome identifies individuals at an elevated risk for ASCVD. The magnitude of the increased risk can vary according to which components of the syndrome are …