Tulane University

About: Tulane University is a education organization based out in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Blood pressure. The organization has 24478 authors who have published 47205 publications receiving 1944993 citations. The organization is also known as: University of Louisiana.

Prevalence of diabetes and impaired fasting glucose in the Chinese adult population: International Collaborative Study of Cardiovascular Disease in Asia (InterASIA)

Abstract: To estimate the prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes and impaired fasting glucose in the general adult population of China. The International Collaborative Study of Cardiovascular Disease in ASIA, conducted from 2000 to 2001, included a nationally representative sample of 15 540 adults, aged 35 to 74 years. An overnight fasting blood specimen was collected to measure serum glucose and information on history of diabetes and use of hypoglycaemic medications was obtained by a standard questionnaire. Undiagnosed diabetes (fasting glucose ≥7.0 mmol/l) and impaired fasting glucose (6.1–6.9 mmol/l) were defined using the American Diabetes Association criteria. Prevalence of self-reported diagnosed diabetes, undiagnosed diabetes, and impaired fasting glucose in Chinese adults were 1.3%, 4.2%, and 7.3%, respectively. Overall, 5.2% or 12.7 million men and 5.8% or 13.3 million women in China aged 35 to 74 years had diabetes (self-reported diagnosis plus undiagnosed diabetes). The age-standardized prevalence of diabetes was higher in residents of northern compared to southern China (7.4% vs 5.4%, p<0.001) and in those living in urban compared to rural areas (7.8% vs 5.1%, p<0.001). Our results show that the prevalence of diabetes in the adult population in China is much higher than previously reported. Three out of every four diabetes patients are undiagnosed, indicative of a lack of population-based screening programmmes and a relatively rapid and recent increase in incidence of diabetes. These results indicate that diabetes has become a major public health problem in China and underscore the need for national strategies aimed at prevention and treatment of diabetes.

Tracking of overweight status from childhood to young adulthood: the Bogalusa Heart Study

Abstract: To understand tracking of overweight status from childhood to young adulthood in a biracial sample. A longitudinal sample was created from cross-sectional surveys at two time points, childhood (baseline) and young adulthood (follow-up). Bogalusa Heart Study, Louisiana, United States of America. A total of 841 young adults, 19–35 years (68% Euro-Americans (EA), 32% African-Americans (AA)) were studied. The same subjects had also participated in one of the five cross-sectional surveys at childhood (9–11 years). Body mass index (BMI) was used to determine overweight status as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention standards. Change in the BMI status from childhood to young adulthood was used to group the participants into the following categories: normal weight to normal weight (NW-NW); normal weight to overweight (NW-OW); overweight to normal weight (OW-NW); and overweight to overweight (OW-OW). Tracking of overweight was defined by (1) correlations between baseline and follow-up BMI, (2) Cohen's kappa concordance test to determine the strength of tracking in BMI quartiles and (3) the percentage of individuals who remained in the same overweight status group from baseline to follow-up. From baseline to follow-up, the percentage of participants who were overweight increased from 24.7 to 57.7%. A total of 35.2% of the children shifted from normal weight in childhood to overweight in young adulthood (P<0.0005). Baseline BMI was positively correlated with follow-up BMI (r=0.66, P<0.0005). A total of 61.9% of the participants in the highest BMI quartile in childhood remained in the highest BMI quartile in young adulthood. The strength of tracking in BMI quartiles was 27% for EA men (P<0.0005), 23% for EA women (P<0.0005), 27% for AA men (P<0.0005) and 35% for AA women (P<0.0005). A total of 53.7% of the EA women remained in the NW-NW category and 31.2% of the AA women remained in the OW-OW category. The percentage tracking (NW-NW and OW-OW) was 72.8% in EA women, 59.6% in AA men, 59.5% in AA women and 48.8% in EA men (P<0.0001). Childhood overweight tracked into young adulthood in this sample and the tracking of NW-NW and OW-OW was the most prominent among the EA women.

Persistence of multiple cardiovascular risk clustering related to syndrome X from childhood to young adulthood. The Bogalusa Heart Study.

Abstract: Background: Cardiovascular risk factors are known to persist over time and to cluster both in childhood and adulthood. Less is known about the persistence of clustering of multiple cardiovascular risk factors comprising adverse levels of systolic blood pressure, the ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and plasma insulin from childhood to young adulthood. Methods: In a community study of cardiovascular risk, 1176 individuals (52% female, 44% black) aged 5 through 17 years at baseline were followed up for 8 years. Results: Calculated as sum of the race-, sex-, and age-specific rankings of systolic blood pressure, insulin level, and total to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio, the multiple risk index was shown to track in all four race-sex groups (year 1 vsyear 8 correlations,.54 to.67). The magnitude of the overall multiple risk index tracking correlation (r=.64) was significantly stronger than that noted for individual risk factors (r=.34 to.57). Among subjects who were initially in the highest quintile of the multiple risk index, 61% remained there 8 years later. Tracking of the multiple risk index increased progressively with age and ponderal index (weight-[height3]). In a stepwise regression analysis, baseline multiple risk index score, baseline ponderal index, change in ponderal index, and change in height were predictive of the multiple risk index score on follow-up. These predictors explained 45% to 60% of the variability in multiple risk index scores among the race-sex groups. Conclusions: The persistence of multiple cardiovascular risk clustering from childhood to adulthood and the impact of obesity in this regard point to the need for preventive measures aimed at developing healthy lifestyles early in life. (Arch Intern Med. 1994;154:1842-1847)

Stem/progenitor cells from bone marrow decrease neuronal death in global ischemia by modulation of inflammatory/immune responses

Abstract: Human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) were injected into the hippocampus of adult mice 1 day after transient global ischemia. The hMSCs both improved neurologic function and markedly decreased neuronal cell death of the hippocampus. Microarray assays indicated that ischemia up-regulated 586 mouse genes. The hMSCs persisted for 10% of the ischemia-induced genes, most of which were involved in inflammatory and immune responses. The hMSCs also up-regulated three mouse genes, including the neuroprotective gene Ym1 that is expressed by activated microglia/macrophages. In addition, the transcriptomes of the hMSC changed with up-regulation of 170 human genes and down-regulation of 54 human genes. Protein assays of the hippocampus demonstrated increased expression in microglia/macrophages of Ym1, the cell survival factor insulin-like growth factor 1, galectin-3, cytokines reflective of a type 2 T cell immune bias, and the major histocompatibility complex II. The observed beneficial effects of hMSCs were largely explained by their modulation of inflammatory and immune responses, apparently by alternative activation of microglia and/or macrophages.