Annals of medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Nordic walking decreased circulating chemerin and leptin concentrations in middle-aged men with impaired glucose regulation.
Dysfunction of adipose tissue is one of the major factors leading to insulin resistance. Altered adipokine concentration is an early sign of adipose tissue dysfunction. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of exercise intervention on adipokine profile, glycemic control, and risk factors of the metabolic syndrome (MeS) in men with impaired glucose regulation (IGR). ⋯ Nordic walking intervention seems to decrease chemerin and leptin levels, and subjects in this intervention group achieved the most beneficial effects on components of MeS.
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There is a paucity of detailed information about the role of childhood food patterns or on the impact of individual nutrients on adulthood cardiovascular disease (CVD). We review here the reports that have investigated these questions in the Young Finns Study with its 3596 subjects at baseline, aged 3 to 18 years. All the participants filled in a food habit questionnaire, and half of them provided a 48-hour dietary recall interview. ⋯ These patterns remain relatively stable over the life-course and associate with cardiovascular risk factors and vascular markers of subclinical atherosclerosis. For example, a traditional dietary pattern characterized by low intakes of fruits and vegetables was associated with elevated increased adulthood IMT especially in men, whereas a diet with a high intake of vegetables was independently associated with increased arterial elasticity in both genders. Our findings and the current literature suggest that childhood nutrition has a significant role in the progression of CVD.
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Review
The relationship between bipolar disorder and type 2 diabetes: more than just co-morbid disorders.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rates are three times higher in patients with bipolar disorder (BD), compared to the general population. This is a major contributing factor to the elevated risk of cardiovascular mortality, the leading cause of death in bipolar patients. There may be shared pathophysiology linking the two disorders, including hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and mitochondrial dysfunction, common genetic links, and epigenetic interactions. ⋯ Glucose abnormalities in bipolar patients need to be screened for and treated. Metformin appears to have the best benefit/risk ratio, and the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and analogues also appear promising, although these agents have not been specifically studied in populations with mood disorders. Physicians need to be aware of the increased risk for T2DM and cardiovascular disease in bipolar patients, and appropriate prevention, screening, case finding, and treatment is recommended.
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Multiple factors including unhealthy living habits influence the life-maintaining functions of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and induce ER stress and metabolic abnormalities. The ER responds to the disturbances by activating mechanisms that increase the capacity to eliminate ER stress. This article elucidates the effects of ER activation that eliminates both ER stress and associated cardiovascular, type 2 diabetic (DM2), and other metabolic diseases. ⋯ The ER activation reduces the stress also by eliminating hepatic fat and converting saturated fatty acids (FAs) to unsaturated FAs. Cognitive processes require gene expression modification, and preclinical studies indicate that ER-activating therapy improves cognition. Promotion of healthy lifestyle choices and indicated therapies are key factors in the prevention and elimination of ER stress and associated global health problems.
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Within the Helsinki Birth Cohort, men who were tall when they were 7 years old lived for 5 years longer than men who were short. In the present analyses we examined two other influences known to be associated with lifespan: having children and educational attainment. We hypothesized that tall stature, the ability to have children, and high educational attainment reflect three aspects of biological fitness that are acquired during development. ⋯ We suggest that the associations between having children, educational attainment, and lifespan reflect two different aspects of biological fitness that are acquired during early development.