Annals of medicine
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Short sleep duration has been shown to be associated with elevated body mass index (BMI) in many epidemiological studies. Several pathways could link sleep deprivation to weight gain and obesity, including increased food intake, decreased energy expenditure, and changes in levels of appetite-regulating hormones, such as leptin and ghrelin. ⋯ In addition, shift-work, long working hours, and increased time commuting to and from work have also been hypothesized to favor weight gain and obesity-related metabolic disorders, because of their strong link to shorter sleep times. This article reviews the epidemiological, biological, and behavioral evidence linking sleep debt and obesity.
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Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are heterogeneous malignant bone marrow disorders diagnosed most often in elderly white persons. MDS have significant clinical consequences, including cytopenias leading to infection, bleeding, and death; and approximately one-third of cases progress to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Only one potentially curative therapy exists-allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT)-but this therapy is not widely used due to associated morbidity and mortality in elderly patients. ⋯ Therefore, we offer this comprehensive narrative update of MDS to inform the medical community treating the population at risk for MDS, with a focus on MDS epidemiology and clinical management in the United States. This review includes a brief historical background of MDS, provides an overview of the population burden of disease, discusses the molecular pathology of MDS, describes the clinical features and management of MDS, and discusses future directions in MDS research. Our objective is to inform general medicine practitioners and call attention to the need for translational research in MDS.
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The past few decades have witnessed a rapid rise in nutrition-related disorders such as obesity in the United States and over the world. Traditional nutrition research has associated various foods and nutrients with obesity. ⋯ In addition, compelling evidence has lent support to interactions between genetic variations and dietary factors in relation to obesity and weight change. Moreover, recently emerging data from other 'omics' studies such as epigenomics and metabolomics suggest that more complex interplays between the global features of human body and dietary factors may exist at multiple tiers in affecting individuals' susceptibility to obesity; and a concept of 'personalized nutrition' has been proposed to integrate this novel knowledge with traditional nutrition research, with the hope ultimately to endorse person-centric diet intervention to mitigate obesity and related disorders.
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The development of atherosclerosis is the major etiological factor causing cardiovascular disease and constitutes a lipid-induced, chronic inflammatory and autoimmune disease of the large arteries. A long-standing view of the protective role of B cells in atherosclerosis has been challenged by recent studies using B cell depletion in animal models. ⋯ B cells, in addition to having the unique ability to produce antibodies, are now recognized to play a number of important roles in the immune system, including cytokine production and direct regulation of T cell responses. This review summarizes current knowledge on B cell subsets and functions, and how these could distinctly influence atherosclerosis development.
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Humans as diurnal beings are active during the day and rest at night. This daily oscillation of behavior and physiology is driven by an endogenous circadian clock not environmental cues. In modern societies, changes in lifestyle have led to a frequent disruption of the endogenous circadian homeostasis leading to increased risk of various diseases including cancer. ⋯ In addition, disruption of circadian rhythm can disrupt the molecular clock in peripheral tissues in the absence of circadian gene mutations. Circadian disruption has recently been recognized as an independent cancer risk factor. Further study of the mechanism of clock-controlled tumor suppression will have a significant impact on human health by improving the efficiencies of cancer prevention and treatment.