Showing papers on "Body mass index published in 1991"

Body mass index as a measure of body fatness: age- and sex-specific prediction formulas.

Abstract: In 1229 subjects, 521 males and 708 females, with a wide range in body mass index (BMI; 13.9-40.9 kg/m2), and an age range of 7-83 years, body composition was determined by densitometry and anthropometry. The relationship between densitometrically-determined body fat percentage (BF%) and BMI, taking age and sex (males = 1, females = 0) into account, was analysed. For children aged 15 years and younger, the relationship differed from that in adults, due to the height-related increase in BMI in children. In children the BF% could be predicted by the formula BF% = 1.51 x BMI-0.70 x age - 3.6 x sex + 1.4 (R2 0.38, SE of estimate (SEE) 4.4% BF%). In adults the prediction formula was: BF% = 1.20 x BMI + 0.23 x age - 10.8 x sex - 5.4 (R2 0.79, SEE = 4.1% BF%). Internal and external cross-validation of the prediction formulas showed that they gave valid estimates of body fat in males and females at all ages. In obese subjects however, the prediction formulas slightly overestimated the BF%. The prediction error is comparable to the prediction error obtained with other methods of estimating BF%, such as skinfold thickness measurements or bioelectrical impedance.

Body Mass Index variations: centiles from birth to 87 years.

Abstract: This report provides Body Mass Index (weight/height2) values for the French population from birth to the age of 87 years. BMI curves increase during the first year, decrease until the age of 6, increase again up to 65 years and decrease thereafter. These variations reflect the total changes of fat body mass during life. The 50th centile values of Wt/Ht2 at the ages of 20, 40, 60, 80 years are 21.5, 24.6, 25.4, 24.4 kg/m2 for men and 20.6, 22.6, 24.1, 23.4 kg/m2 for women. The values for the 3rd, 50th and 97th centiles in the middle years are approximately 18, 24 and 32 kg/m2. Graphs for these and four other percentiles are plotted against age, and two other graphs summarising the variation and skewness of the Wt/Ht2 distribution are provided to calculate exact percentiles and Z-scores for individuals.

Smoking cessation and severity of weight gain in a national cohort.

Abstract: Background. Many believe that the prospect of weight gain discourages smokers from quitting. Accurate estimates of the weight gain related to the cessation of smoking in the general population are not available, however. Methods. We related changes in body weight to changes in smoking status in adults 25 to 74 years of age who were weighed in the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES I, 1971 to 1975) and then weighed a second time in the NHANES I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study (1982 to 1984). The cohort included continuing smokers (748 men and 1137 women) and those who had quit smoking for a year or more (409 men and 359 women). Results. The mean weight gain attributable to the cessation of smoking, as adjusted for age, race, level of education, alcohol use, illnesses related to change in weight, base-line weight, and physical activity, was 2.8 kg in men and 3.8 kg in women. Major weight gain (>13 kg) occurred in 9.8 percent of the men and 13.4 percent of the women who qui...

Why Is Diabetes Mellitus a Stronger Risk Factor for Fatal Ischemic Heart Disease in Women Than in Men?: The Rancho Bernardo Study

Abstract: We report here the 14-year sex-specific effect of non—insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus on the risk of fatal ischemic heart disease in a geographically defined population of men and women aged 40 through 79 years. There were 207 men and 127 women who had diabetes at baseline based on medical history or fasting hyperglycemia. They were compared with 2137 adults who had fasting euglycemia and a negative personal and family history of diabetes. The relative hazard of ischemic heart disease death in diabetics vs nondiabetics was 1.8 in men and 3.3 in women, after adjusting for age, and 1.9 and 3.3, respectively, after adjusting for age, systolic blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass index, and cigarette smoking using the Cox regression model. The sex difference in the independent contribution of diabetes to fatal heart disease was largely explained by the persistently more favorable survival rate of women (than men) without diabetes. ( JAMA . 1991;265:627-631)

Variability of Body Weight and Health Outcomes in the Framingham Population

Abstract: Background. Fluctuation in body weight is a common phenomenon, due in part to the high prevalence of dieting. In this study we examined the associations between variability in body weight and health end points in subjects participating in the Framingham Heart Study, which involves follow-up examinations every two years after entry. Methods. The degree of variability of body weight was expressed as the coefficient of variation of each subject's measured body-mass-index values at the first eight biennial examinations during the study and on their recalled weight at 25 years of age. Using the 32-year follow-up data, we analyzed total mortality, mortality from coronary heart disease, and morbidity due to coronary heart disease and cancer in relation to intraindividual variation in body weight, including only end points that occurred after the 10th biennial examination. We used age-adjusted proportional-hazards regression for the data analysis. Results. Subjects with highly variable body weights had i...

Standardized percentile curves of body-mass index for children and adolescents.

Abstract: Weight-for-height indexes are often used in the clinical assessment of obesity in children and adolescents. The direct measurement of adiposity, using hydrostatic weighing and other techniques, is not feasible in studies involving young children or with large numbers of older subjects. Ratios of weight relative to height, such as the body-mass index (weight/height), may be used as indirect measures of obesity and correlate with more direct measures of adiposity. Using data from the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Study, 1971 to 1974, standardized percentile curves of body-mass index for white children and adolescents were developed. These curves may be used to monitor the body-mass index of white children and adolescents longitudinally and for comparing an individual with others of the same sex and age.

Determinants of weight gain and overweight in adult Finns.

Abstract: We studied sociodemographic and behavioural factors as predictors of weight gain in 12,669 adult Finns examined twice with a median interval of 5.7 years. The association of these factors with the prevalence of obesity (body mass index greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2) was also studied in a subsequent cross-sectional survey of 5673 Finns. In uni- and multivariate analyses, the risk of substantial weight gain (greater than or equal to 5 kg/5 years) was greatest for persons with a low level of education, chronic diseases, little physical activity at leisure or heavy alcohol consumption, and for those who got married or quit smoking between the examinations. Parity and energy intake predicted weight gain in women. The prevalence of obesity was inversely associated with the level of education and physical activity, and positively associated with alcohol consumption in men and parity in women. There were no significant differences in the prevalence of obesity by smoking or marital status. The recognition of socioeconomic and behavioural factors as important determinants of weight gain and overweight helps the planning of effective treatment and preventive programmes tailored for subjects at highest risk of obesity.

Effect of obesity and body fat distribution on sex hormones and insulin in men

Abstract: To investigate the ralationship between body fat distribution, sex hormones, and hyperinsulinemia in male obesity, we examined 52 obese men (body mass index [BMI], 35.0 ± 6.1, mean ± SD) and 20 normal-weight controls. Their waist to hip circumference ratio (WHR), which was used as an index of fat distribution, was 0.985 ± 0.052 and 0.913 ± 0.061 (P < .005), respectively. Compared with controls, obese men presented significantly lower levels of total (357 ± 132 v 498 ± 142 ng/dL; P < .005) and free testosterone (14.2 ± 2.9 v 17.1 ± 2.6 pg/mL; P < .05) and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG; 41.7 ± 31.9 v 66.2 ± 18.6 nmol/L; P < .001) without any significant difference on the other sex steroid or on gonadotropin concentrations. Fasting and glucose-stimulated insulin and C-peptide levels were significantly higher in obese than in controls, and in obese with the WHR value greater than 0.97 (corresponding to the distribution median) than in those with WHR lower or equal to 0.97. BMI was negatively correlated with testosterone (P < .005), free testosterone (P < .01), and SHBG (P < .001) and positively with fasting (P < .001) and glucose-stimulated (P < .005) C-peptide concentrations, whereas no relationship was found between these variables and WHR values. On the contrary, WHR was significantly correlated with fasting and post-glucose insulin levels (P < .05), but not with those of sex steroids. The correlation coefficients did not change significantly after correction for BMI, age, and WHR values. Moreover, we found a significant negative correlation between insulin concentrations and SHBG or testosterone levels, regardless of the effect of BMI, WHR, and age. These results, therefore, suggest that in obese men, at variance with what was observed in obese women, sex steroid abnormalities mainly depend on the degree of obesity, whereas the degree of hyperinsulinemia seems to be more correlated with the type of body fat distribution. Moreover, they suggest the possibility that hyperinsulinemia may be involved in the regulation of sex hormone metabolism in obese men, by mechanisms that probably differ from those involved in the development of hyperandrogenism in obese women.

Body image satisfaction, dieting beliefs, and weight loss behaviors in adolescent girls and boys.

Abstract: Body image and weight loss beliefs and behaviors were assessed in 341 female and 221 male high school students. Estimates of body dissatisfaction varied depending on the measurement strategy used. Despite having similar weight distributions around the expected norm, girls were significantly more dissatisfied with their bodies than boys. Body Mass Index was positively related to body dissatisfaction in girls and boys, while higher exercise levels were related to higher body satisfaction in boys. Nearly two-thirds of girls and boys believed being thinner would have an impact on their lives, but the majority of girls believed this would be positive while the majority of boys believed this would be negative. Thirteen percent of female subjects reported using one or more extreme weight loss behavior at least weekly. Beliefs regarding the effectiveness of different weight loss measures were assessed. Weight loss behaviors in this Australian sample appear similar to comparable U.S. samples.

Recovery from Osteopenia in Adolescent Girls with Anorexia Nervosa

Abstract: Osteopenia is a frequent complication of anorexia nervosa (AN). To determine whether the deficit in bone mineral changes during the course of this illness, we studied 15 adolescent patients prospectively for 12-16 months using dual photon absorptiometry of the spine and whole body. At follow-up, mean weight, height, and body mass index (BMI) had increased significantly, although 6 girls had further weight loss or minimal gain (less than 1.2 kg). Spontaneous menses occurred in 2 girls, and 3 others were given estrogen replacement. Bone mineral density of the lumbar spine did not change significantly (mean +/- SD, 0.836 +/- 0.137 vs. 0.855 +/- 0.096 g/cm2), while whole body bone mineral density increased (0.710 +/- 0.118 vs. 0.773 +/- 0.105; P less than 0.05). Despite gains in bone mineral, 8 patients had osteopenia of the spine and/or whole body. Changes in weight, height, and BMI were significant predictors of change in bone mineral density. Increased bone mass occurred with weight gain before return of menses; conversely, weight loss was associated with further decreases in bone density. In 1 patient who failed to gain weight, estrogen therapy resulted in increased spinal, but not whole body, bone mineral. We also studied a second group of 9 women who had recovered from AN during adolescence. All 9 had normal whole body bone mineral for age, but 3 had osteopenia of the lumbar spine. We conclude that osteopenia in adolescents with AN reflects bone loss, perhaps combined with decreased bone accretion. Weight rehabilitation results in increased bone mineral before the return of menses. Estrogen may have an independent effect on bone mass. The persistence of osteopenia after recovery indicates that deficits in bone mineral acquired during adolescence may not be completely reversible.

Relation of obesity and diet to sympathetic nervous system activity.

Abstract: The hypothesis that dietary intake and obesity stimulate the sympathetic nervous system was investigated in a cross-sectional study of 572 men aged 43-85 years from the Normative Aging Study. Habitus was represented by body mass index, as a measure of overall adiposity, and by the ratio of abdomen-to-hip circumference (abdomen/hip ratio), as a measure of centripetal fat distribution. Sympathetic activity was assessed by measurement of 24-hour urinary norepinephrine excretion. Increased body mass index and total caloric intake were independently associated with increased 24-hour urinary norepinephrine excretion (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.0055, respectively). In addition, mean urinary norepinephrine excretion was higher in subjects classified as either hyperglycemic (serum fasting glucose greater than or equal to 113 mg/dl) and hyperinsulinemic (serum fasting insulin greater than or equal to 19 microIU/ml) (p = 0.0023) or in subjects classified as either hyperglycemic or hyperinsulinemic (p = 0.0063) than the mean urinary norepinephrine excretion in normal subjects. These relations were demonstrated to be independent of age, smoking status, and physical activity. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that insulin mediates sympathetic stimulation in response to dietary intake and increases sympathetic nervous system activity in the obese.

The effect of intensive endurance exercise training on body fat distribution in young and older men

Abstract: Little is known about the effects of exercise interventions on the distribution of central and/or intra-abdominal (IA) fat, and until now there were no studies in the elderly. Therefore, in this study we investigated the effects of an intensive g-month endurance training program on overall body composition (hydrostatic weighing), fat distribution (body circumferences), and specific fat depots (computed tomography [Cl), in healthy young (n = 13; age, 26.2 2 2.4 years) and older (n = 15; age, 67.5 2 5.6 years) men. At baseline, overall body composition was similar in the two groups, except for a 9% smaller fat free mass in the older men (P < .05). The thigh and arm circumferences were smaller (P = .OOl and P < .05, respectively), while the waist to hip ratio (WHR) was slightly greater in the older men (0.92 + 0.04 v 0.97 + 0.04, P < .Ol). Compared with the relatively small baseline differences in body composition and circumferences, CT showed the older men to have a twofold greater IA fat depot (P < .OOl), 46% less thigh subcutaneous (SC) fat (P < .Ol), and 21% less thigh muscle mass (P < .OOl). Following endurance (jog/bike) trainiqg, both the young (+16%, P < .OOl) and the older men (+22%, P < .OOl) significantly increased their maximal aerobic power (Vo,max). This was associated with small but significant decrements in weight, percent body fat, and fat mass (all P < .OOl) only in the older men. Similarly, small decrements were noted in the waist (P < .OOl) and chest (P < .Ol) circumferences, as well as the WHR (P < .05) in the older men alone. On CT, the older men had greater than 20% decrements in the three central (IA, abdominal SC and chest SC) fat depots (all P < .OOl), and a 9% increment in thigh muscle mass (P < .Ol). The young men demonstrated significant decreases in IA (- 17%, P < .05), abdominal SC (- 10%. P < .05), and thigh SC (-20%. P < .Ol) fat depots. Except in the chest SC depot, the absolute change in a depot following endurance training was related to the initial size of the depot. We conclude that older men, who have a more central distribution of adiposity at baseline, had a preferential loss of fat from the central fat depots. It is possible, therefore, that endurance training will also allow preferential loss of central fat in other populations of subjects at risk for obesity-related metabolic complications and might produce impressive improvement in metabolic abnormalities, despite only a small loss of weight and fat. Copyright 0 1991 by WA Saunders Company TH AGING there is a substantial decline in fat free mass; thus, an older individual who weighs the same as he/she did at a younger age, is likely to be “fatter.“’ Not only are the elderly fatter at any given weight or relative weight, they also have a more central distribution of adiposity.’ With rare exceptions,’ studies support the concept that the central distribution of fat in young and middle-aged individuals is a strong independent predictor of many obesity-related metabolic abnormalities, including (1) abnormal glucose tolerance, hyperinsulinemia, and diabetes mellitus4,5; (2) hyperlipidemia and reduced highdensity lipoprotein cholesterol concentration?; (3) hypertension’; (4) stroke’; (5) coronary artery disease7,Y; and (6) death.’ More recently, studies have focused on the intraabdominal (IA) fat depot as being uniquely important as a determinant of obesity-related complications.6.‘0 The importance of central obesity on the development of these same common age-related metabolic problems is less well studied. We have recently published data demonstrating that the absolute size of the IA fat depot, measured by computed tomography (CT), increases with age, and that a greater percentage of total adiposity resides in the IA depot even in healthy older men compared with young controls.” Despite the apparent importance of IA adiposity in obesity-related metabolic abnormalities and its possible importance in common age-related metabolic abnormalities, there is relatively little direct data on the effects of weight-reduction interventions (diet or exercise) on the IA fat depot.“,‘” In this study, we compared the effects of an intensive endurance exercise program on overall body composition, fat distribution, and specific fat depots in a group of 13 young male controls with a group of 15 healthy

Age as independent determinant of glucose tolerance.

Abstract: It has been proposed that the decline in glucose tolerance with age is not a primary aging effect but is secondary to a combination of other age-associated characteristics, i.e., disease, medication, obesity, central and upper-body fat deposition, and inactivity. To test this hypothesis, we first eliminated from analysis the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging participants with identifiable diseases or medications known to influence glucose tolerance. Seven hundred forty-three men and women, aged 17–92 yr, remained for analysis. As indices of fatness, body mass index and percent body fat were determined. As indices of body fat distribution, waist-hip ratio and subscapular triceps skin-fold ratio were calculated. As indices of fitness, physical activity level, determined by detailed questionnaire, and maximum 02 consumption were calculated. We tested whether the effect of age on glucose tolerance remains when data were adjusted for fatness, fitness, and fat distribution; 2-h glucose values were 6.61, 6.78, and 7.83 mM for young (17–39 yr), middle-aged (40–59 yr), and old (60–92 yr) men and 6.22, 6.22, and 7.28 mM for the three groups of women, respectively. The differences between the young and middle-aged groups were not significant, but the old groups had significantly higher values than young or middle-aged groups. Fatness, fitness, and fat distribution can account for the decline in glucose tolerance from the young adult to the middle-aged years. However, age remains a significant determinant of the further decline in glucose tolerance of healthy old subjects.

Low sex-hormone-binding globulin concentration as independent risk factor for development of NIDDM. 12-yr follow-up of population study of women in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Abstract: Serum sex-hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) concentrations were evaluated as risk factors for the development of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), myocardial infarction, stroke, and premature death in a prospective study of 1462 randomly selected women, aged 38-60 yr, over 12 yr of observation. In multivariate analysis, taking only age into consideration as a confounding factor, low initial concentration of SHBG was significantly correlated to the incidence of NIDDM and stroke, and high initial concentration of CBG was correlated to the incidence of NIDDM. There were also significant correlations between SHBG and CBG concentrations on one hand and possible risk factors for the end points studied, such as serum triglycerides, serum cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, body mass, body mass index, waist/hip ratio, smoking habits, and systolic blood pressure, on the other. When these possible confounders, in addition to age, were taken into consideration in multivariate analyses, only the inverse significant correlation between SHBG and NIDDM remained. The increased incidence of diabetes was confined to the lowest quintile of SHBG values, where it was 5-fold higher than in the remaining group. This incidence was further increased to 8- and 11-fold in the lowest 10 and 5% of the values, respectively. We conclude that SHBG is a uniquely strong independent risk factor for the development of NIDDM in women.

Abdominal Obesity and Physical Inactivity as Risk Factors for NIDDM and Impaired Glucose Tolerance in Indian, Creole, and Chinese Mauritians

Abstract: Objective We wanted to determine whether obesity, abdominal fat distribution, and physical inactivity act similarly and independently as risk factors for noninsulin- dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in Hindu and Muslim Asian Indians, African-origin Creoles, and Chinese Mauritians. Research Design and Methods We examined a population-based random cluster sample of 5080 adult subjects from the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. Glucose tolerance was assessed with a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test and World Health Organization criteria. Results Univariate data and multiple logistic regression models indicated that age, family history of diabetes, body mass index (BMI), waisthip ratio (WHR), and physical inactivity conveyed similar risk for NIDDM (and IGT) in each ethnic group. After adjusting for all other factors, Hindu ethnicity conferred additional risk for NIDDM (but not IGT) in men, but in women there were no clear ethnic differences. Although BMI and WHR were independently significant risk factors, WHR conveyed relatively stronger risk for NIDDM than BMI in women, whereas the converse was true in men. For ethnic groups combined, the independent odds ratios for IGT associated with moderate and low physical activity scores (relative to high) were 1.56 and 1.71 ( P P P P Conclusions These data indicate that BMI, abdominally distributed fat, and physical inactivity are important independent risk factors for both IGT and NIDDM in diverse ethnic groups. Attributable risk fractions for Mauritius suggest that populationwide modification of levels of these risk factors could potentially result in substantially lower occurrence of NIDDM (and IGT). Such interventions should be attempted in high-risk populations.

Nutritional epidemiology of postmenopausal breast cancer in western New York.

Abstract: The authors studied 439 postmenopausal breast cancer cases, identified in hospitals throughout western New York, with an interview schedule that considered frequency and amount ingested of 172 foods and provided data for an estimate of total calories ingested. These were compared with age-matched controls comprising a random sample of the same communities as the cases. The extensive interviews, requiring 2.0 hours on average to administer, also covered alcohol ingestion, Quetelet index, and a wide variety of reproductive factors. The authors found, as have most investigators over the past 25 years, that risk increased with increases in age at first pregnancy, decreased with increases in numbers of children and pregnancies, and increased in those with history of benign breast disease and in those with female relatives previously affected with breast cancer. Risk adjusted for potential confounders was highest among women with the lowest ingestion of carotene or a substance correlated with its ingestion. Risk was not associated with retinol ingestion. It increased with increases in Quetelet index. Fat intake, whether studied in terms of quantity or the proportion of total calories derived from fat, was not associated with risk of breast cancer. Our analyses of these factors were adjusted for age, education, and the reproductive history traits described above.

Incidence and risk factors for gout in white men

Abstract: Objective. —To identify potentially modifiable risk factors for the development of gout. Design. —Longitudinal cohort study (The Johns Hopkins Precursors Study). Participants. —Of 1337 eligible medical students, 1271 (95%) received a standardized medical examination and questionnaire during medical school. The participants were predominantly male (91%), white (97%), and young (median age, 22 years) at cohort entry. Outcome Measure. —The development of gout. Results. —Sixty cases of gout (47 primary and 13 secondary) were identified among 1216 men; none occurred among 121 women ( P =.01). The cumulative incidence of all gout was 8.6% among men (95% confidence interval, 5.9% to 11.3%). Body mass index at age 35 years ( P =.01), excessive weight gain (>1.88 kg/m 2 ) between cohort entry and age 35 years ( P =.007), and development of hypertension ( P =.004) were significant risk factors for all gout in univariate analysis. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models confirmed the association of body mass index at age 35 years (relative risk [RR] = 1.12; P =.02), excessive weight gain (RR = 2.07; P =.02), and hypertension (RR = 3.26; P =.002) as risk factors for all gout. Hypertension, however, was not a significant risk factor for primary gout. Conclusions. —Obesity, excessive weight gain in young adulthood, and hypertension are risk factors for the development of gout. Prevention of obesity and hypertension may decrease the incidence of and morbidity from gout; studies of weight reduction in the primary and secondary prevention of gout are indicated. ( JAMA . 1991;266:3004-3007)

The Relationship between Muscle Mass and Muscle Strength in the Elderly

Abstract: To determine the extent that muscle mass is predictive of muscle strength in the elderly, anthropomorphic estimates of muscle area and impedance measurements of muscle mass and peak isometric muscle strength were obtained in a relatively healthy older population over 65 years of age (mean age = 71.7; n = 218). Midarm muscle area correlated strongly with upper arm strength (r = 0.68, P less than 0.0001) while midthigh muscle area had a much lower correlation with thigh muscle strength (r = 0.29, P less than 0.0001). These muscle area calculations also include bone area. Lean body mass calculated by bioelectric impedance correlated highly with cumulative muscle strength measured by summing all muscle groups (r = 0.79, P less than 0.0001). To determine whether aging alters muscle strength per unit of muscle mass, additional middle-aged subjects were included, and three groups, middle-aged (55-64) (n = 78), young-old (65-74) (n = 161), and old-old (75+) (n = 57), were compared. A significant age-related trend of decreasing muscle strength per unit of lean body mass was noted. It is concluded that although muscle mass correlates with muscle strength in a healthy older population, use of simple age-independent clinical measurements of body mass should not be used to predict muscle strength.

BEACHES: an observational system for assessing children's eating and physical activity behaviors and associated events.

Abstract: An integrated system for coding direct observations of children's dietary and physical activity behaviors was developed. Associated environmental events were also coded, including physical location, antecedents, and consequences. To assess the instrument's reliability and validity, 42 children, aged 4 to 8 years, were observed for 8 consecutive weeks at home and at school. Results indicated that four 60-min observations at home produced relatively stable estimates for most of the 10 dimensions. Interobserver reliabilities during live and videotaped observations were high, with the exception of "consequences" categories that occurred in less than 1% of observed intervals. Evidence of validity was provided by findings that antecedents were associated with respective dietary and physical activity behaviors. The five physical activity categories were validated by heartrate monitoring in a second study. The Behaviors of Eating and Activity for Children's Health Evaluation System is appropriate for studying influences on diet and physical activity in children in a variety of settings.

Inverse Association Between Fish Intake and Risk of Glucose Intolerance in Normoglycemic Elderly Men and Women

Abstract: Objective To examine the association of fish intake with the subsequent risk of impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes mellitus (glucose intolerance). Research Design and Methods In 1971, information about food intake was obtained by the cross-check dietary history method on 175 men and women aged 64-87 yr who were normoglycemic and free of clinical diabetes. During the follow-up period from 1972 to 1975, an oral glucose tolerance test was performed annually, and in 59 of 175 elderly people a diagnosis of glucose intolerance was made at least once. Results In 1971, ~ 60% of the subjects usually ate fish, with a mean daily intake of 24.2 g. In fish eaters, the incidence of glucose intolerance was significantly lower compared with nonfish eaters (odds ratio [OR] 0.40, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.21-0.77). With logistic regression analysis, this inverse association could not be explained by taking into account age and sex or possible confounding baseline characteristics, such as the prevalence of myocardial infarction, body mass index, energy intake per kilogram body weight, or intake of carbohydrates (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.23-0.93). Baseline characteristics of the oral glucose tolerance test and serum triglyceride levels could also not account for this result. Conclusions These results suggest that, in an elderly population, the habitual consumption of a small amount of fish may protect against the development of impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes mellitus.

Risk factors for developing non-insulin dependent diabetes: a 10 year follow up of men in Uppsala.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE--To analyse anthropometric and metabolic characteristics as risk factors for development of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus in middle aged normoglycaemic men. DESIGN--Prospective population study based on data collected in a health survey and follow up 10 years later. SETTING--Uppsala, a middle sized city in Sweden. SUBJECTS--2322 men aged 47-53, of whom 1860 attended the follow up 7-14 years later, at which time they were aged 56-64. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Incidence of non-insulin dependent diabetes. RESULTS--In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, variations of 1 SD from the mean of the group that remained euglycaemic were used to calculate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Blood glucose concentration 60 minutes after the start of an intravenous glucose tolerance test (odds ratio = 5.93, 95% confidence interval 3.05 to 11.5), fasting serum insulin concentration (2.12, 1.54 to 2.93), acute insulin increment at an intravenous glucose tolerance test (1.71, 1.21 to 2.43), body mass index (1.41, 1.01 to 1.97), and systolic blood pressure (1.23, 0.97 to 1.56) were independent predictors of diabetes. In addition, the use of antihypertensive drugs at follow up (selective or unselective beta blocking agents, thiazides, or hydralazine) was an independent risk factor (1.70, 1.11 to 2.60). CONCLUSIONS--Metabolic and anthropometric characteristics associated with or reflecting insulin resistance as well as a poor acute insulin response to glucose challenge were important predictors of future diabetes in middle aged men. Antihypertensive drugs were found to constitute a further, iatrogenic risk factor.

Intensified conventional insulin treatment retards the microvascular complications of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM): the Stockholm Diabetes Intervention Study (SDIS) after 5 years.

Abstract: Ninety-six patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and non-proliferative retinopathy were randomized to intensified conventional treatment (ICT) (n = 44) or regular treatment (RT) (n = 52), and followed up for 5 years. HbA1c decreased from 9.5 +/- 0.2% (mean value +/- SEM) to 7.2 +/- 0.1% in the ICT group, and from 9.4 +/- 0.2% to 8.7 +/- 0.1% in the RT group (difference between the groups, P less than 0.001). Retinopathy increased in both groups (P less than 0.001), but after 5 years it was worse in the RT group (P less than 0.05). The urinary albumin excretion rate was higher in the RT group than in the ICT group after 5 years (239.9 +/- 129.7 micrograms min-1 vs. 46.0 +/- 26.1 micrograms min-1, P less than 0.05). Eight RT patients developed manifest nephropathy, compared with none in the ICT group (P less than 0.01). After 5 years the conduction velocities of the sural (P less than 0.05), peroneal (P less than 0.01) and tibial (P less than 0.001) nerves were lower in the RT group. The respiratory sinus arrhythmia was 12.1 +/- 1.2 beats min-1 in the RT group and 16.7 +/- 1.4 beats min-1 in the ICT group at the end of the study (P less than 0.01). The increases in retinopathy (P less than 0.01), nephropathy (P less than 0.01) and neuropathy (P less than 0.001) were all related to the mean HbA1c value during the study. Smoking habits only influenced the progression of retinopathy (P less than 0.05). Serious hypoglycaemia occurred in 34 ICT patients and 29 RT patients (242 and 98 episodes, respectively) (P less than 0.05). Whereas weight was stable in the RT group, the body mass index increased by 5.8% in the ICT group (P less than 0.01). In conclusion, microvascular complications of diabetes were retarded by intensified conventional insulin treatment. However, such treatment increased the frequency of serious hypoglycaemia, and led to an increase in body weight.

Risk factors for early carotid atherosclerosis in middle-aged French women.

Abstract: The prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis and of its risk factors was examined in 517 apparently healthy French women, aged 45-54 years. Early phases of carotid atherosclerosis were assessed by B-mode ultrasonography. An intimal-medial thickening was found in 30.4% of the women and atheromatous plaques in 8.7%. The prevalence rate of carotid atherosclerosis increased with age, smoking, and postmenopausal status. However, after adjustment for the effect of age, postmenopausal women did not have more atherosclerotic lesions than did premenopausal women. No significant associations were found between carotid atherosclerosis and triglyceride, apolipoprotein A-I, body mass index, blood glucose, fibrinogen, plasma viscosity, or hematocrit. The mean age-adjusted levels of total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoprotein B, and systolic and diastolic blood pressures significantly increased with the severity of carotid atherosclerosis, whereas high density lipoprotein cholesterol significantly decreased. Multiple regression analysis showed that age, smoking, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (or apolipoprotein B), and systolic (or diastolic) blood pressure were significantly and independently related to the severity of carotid atherosclerosis. In conclusion, the association of early carotid lesions with major cardiovascular risk factors suggests that carotid atherosclerosis may be used as a marker of the general atherosclerotic process.