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.

Interleukin-13 drives metabolic conditioning of muscle to endurance exercise

Abstract: Repeated bouts of exercise condition muscle mitochondria to meet increased energy demand-an adaptive response associated with improved metabolic fitness. We found that the type 2 cytokine interleukin-13 (IL-13) is induced in exercising muscle, where it orchestrates metabolic reprogramming that preserves glycogen in favor of fatty acid oxidation and mitochondrial respiration. Exercise training-mediated mitochondrial biogenesis, running endurance, and beneficial glycemic effects were lost in Il13-/- mice. By contrast, enhanced muscle IL-13 signaling was sufficient to increase running distance, glucose tolerance, and mitochondrial activity similar to the effects of exercise training. In muscle, IL-13 acts through both its receptor IL-13Rα1 and the transcription factor Stat3. The genetic ablation of either of these downstream effectors reduced running capacity in mice. Thus, coordinated immunological and physiological responses mediate exercise-elicited metabolic adaptations that maximize muscle fuel economy.

Sex differences in the associations of obstructive sleep apnoea with epidemiological factors.

Abstract: Despite the well-known male predominance in the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), sex differences in the associations between OSA and a comprehensive range of epidemiological factors remain less clear. We examined the prevalence of self-reported OSA in 143 326 females (age 48–93 years) from the Nurses9 Health Study (NHS) and NHS-II and 22 896 males from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (age 65–101 years) in 2012–2013. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the sex-specific prevalence odds ratios (pOR) and 95% confidence intervals of OSA by demographic, anthropometric, lifestyle and comorbidity factors. The overall prevalence of self-reported OSA was 6.4% in females and 13.8% in males. After mutual adjustment, the associations of OSA with physical inactivity, hypertension and daytime sleepiness were stronger in females, whereas the associations with waist circumference and witnessed apnoea were stronger in males (p-heterogeneity versus other in females 0.85, 95% CI 0.81–0.89, and males 1.11, 0.99–1.25; p-heterogeneity Substantial sex differences exist in the associations with various factors, suggesting sex-specific mechanisms in OSA.

Associations of resistin with inflammatory and fibrinolytic markers, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome in middle-aged and older Chinese.

Abstract: Objective: Resistin increases insulin resistance (IR) in mice. However. the role of resistin in human disease remains controversial. We aimed to assess plasma resistin levels and their associations with inflammatory and fibrinolytic markers. IR and metabolic syndrome (MetS) among Chinese. Design and methods: Plasma resistin was measured in a population-based cross-sectional survey of 3193 Chinese aged front 50 to 70 years ill Beijing and Shanghai. Results: The median resistin concentration was 8.60 ng/ml (interquartile range, 5.78-14.00) among all participants, and it was higher ill women than ill men (P=0.008). Resistin was Correlated weakly With body mass index. waist circumference. high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (negatively). homeostatic model assessment of IR and tumor necrosis factor-alpha receptor 2 (TNFR2: r=0.04, 0.07. -0.09 and 0.06 respectively, all P<0.05), and more highly with C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)6 and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)l (r=0.12, 0.12 and 0.21 respectively, all P<0.001) only HDL cholesterol. CRP IL6. TNFR2. and PALI remained significantly, associated with resistin in multiple regression analysis (all P<0.0). Furthermore, elevated resistin levels were associated with the higher prevalence of IR and MetS. However. the significant relationships disappeared after adjustment for inflammatory and fibrinolylic markers especially PALI. Conclusions: This study suggests, that resistin is more strongly associated with inflammatory and fibrinolytic markers than with obesity or IR status. The associations of resistin with IR and MetS could largely be explained by inflammatory and fibrinolytic markers especially PALI levels.

Diet-dependent acid load and type 2 diabetes: pooled results from three prospective cohort studies.

Abstract: Studies suggest a potential link between low-grade metabolic acidosis and type 2 diabetes. A western dietary pattern increases daily acid load but the association between diet-dependent acid load and type 2 diabetes is still unclear. This study aimed to assess whether diet-dependent acid load is associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes. We examined the association between energy-adjusted net endogenous acid production (NEAP), potential renal acid load (PRAL) and animal protein-to-potassium ratio (A:P) on incident type 2 diabetes in 67,433 women from the Nurses’ Health Study, 84,310 women from the Nurses’ Health Study II and 35,743 men from the Health Professionals’ Follow-up Study who were free from type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer at baseline. Study-specific HRs were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models with time-varying covariates and were pooled using a random effects meta-analysis. We documented 15,305 cases of type 2 diabetes during 4,025,131 person-years of follow-up. After adjustment for diabetes risk factors, dietary NEAP, PRAL and A:P were positively associated with type 2 diabetes (pooled HR [95% CI] for highest (Q5) vs lowest quintile (Q1): 1.29 [1.22, 1.37], p trend <0.0001; 1.29 [1.22, 1.36], p trend <0.0001 and 1.32 [1.24, 1.40], p trend <0.0001 for NEAP, PRAL and A:P, respectively). These results were not fully explained by other dietary factors including glycaemic load and dietary quality (HR [95% CI] for Q5 vs Q1: 1.21 [1.09, 1.33], p trend <0.0001; 1.19 [1.08, 1.30] and 1.26 [1.17, 1.36], p trend <0.0001 for NEAP, PRAL and A:P, respectively). This study suggests that higher diet-dependent acid load is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. This association is not fully explained by diabetes risk factors and overall diet quality.

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 …