Danish medical journal
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Danish medical journal · Jul 2014
ReviewOffspring body size and metabolic profile - effects of lifestyle intervention in obese pregnant women.
Worldwide, the prevalence of obesity has reached epidemic proportions. In Denmark one third of all pregnant women are overweight and 12 % are obese. Perhaps even more concerning, a dramatic rise in the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity has also been evident over recent decades. ⋯ Our studies (paper I and III) on birth abdominal circumference show that abdominal size at birth is a good predictor of later adverse metabolic profile. Abdominal circumference at birth may reflect visceral adiposity and this measurement together with birth weight are strongly associated to later adverse metabolic outcome. Future studies should be performed in other populations to confirm this.
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Danish medical journal · Jul 2014
ReviewPrognostic interactions between cardiovascular risk factors.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) still remains the leading cause of death worldwide, especially in Europe where the prevalence of hypertension is 60% higher compared with the United States and Canada and the clustering of hypertension and the metabolic disorders central adiposity, dyslipidemia and dysglycemia, known as the metabolic syndrome (MetS), affects 25% of the population. Despite the great initiatives of many primary prevention strategies, risk factor control is still poor. In an attempt to optimize risk factor control, two issues among others have been of great debate in the past decade: (1) the superiority of systolic blood pressure (SBP) as a risk factor in the elderly; and (2) the clinical relevance of MetS. However, in order to further elucidate these issues, we need to get a deeper understanding of how the cardiovascular risk factors interact with one another. Thus, prognostic interactions were used in the present PhD thesis to test the following hypotheses: Primary hypotheses: (1) The superiority of SBP over diastolic blood pressure (DBP) as a risk factor occurs at an earlier age if an individual presents with other cardiovascular risk factors. (2) The prevalence and prognostic significance of MetS differ according to age and gender. The first hypothesis is explored in paper 1 (for the endpoint fatal and nonfatal (total) stroke) and paper II (for mortality from coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and all-causes), while the second hypothesis is explored in paper III (for total CHD, total stroke, and CVD mortality). ⋯ The present thesis elucidates through prognostic interactions the complex interplay between cardiovascular risk factors. Our results indicate the independent prognostic superiority of SBP in elderly Europeans, and only for stroke mortality risk this prognostic superiority of SBP was influenced by other cardiovascular risk factors such that it was established at an earlier age. The prevalence and prognostic significance of MetS differed according to both age and gender. In women, MetS was associated with higher relative event risks and the MetS associated relative CHD risk decreased with advancing age.
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Danish medical journal · Jul 2014
ReviewMetabolism and insulin signaling in common metabolic disorders and inherited insulin resistance.
Type 2 diabetes, obesity and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are common metabolic disorders which are observed with increasing prevalences, and which are caused by a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors, including increased calorie intake and physical inactivity. These metabolic disorders are all characterized by reduced plasma adiponectin and insulin resistance in peripheral tissues. Quantitatively skeletal muscle is the major site of insulin resistance. ⋯ The results from these studies demonstrate that the well-established abnormalities in insulin action on glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis are reflected by defects in insulin signaling to these cellular processes in type 2 diabetes, obesity, and PCOS, and as expected also in inherited insulin resistance caused by a mutation in INSR. In common metabolic disorders, low plasma adiponectin may contribute to insulin resistance and defects in insulin signaling, whereas in inherited insulin resistance a normal plasma adiponectin and reduced insulin clearance could contribute to maintain a sufficient activation of the insulin signaling cascade. The insight gained from these studies have improved our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying insulin resistance in skeletal muscle of humans, and can form the basis for further studies, which can lead to the development of treatment that more directly targets insulin resistance, and hence reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
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Breast milk has many advantages over formula for infants in developed and developing countries alike. Despite intentions of breastfeeding, some women develop insufficient lactation. Treatment options traditionally include breastfeeding education and pharmacotherapy. ⋯ Despite lack of evidence, half of the Danish obstetric departments and neonatal wards use metoclopramide and syntocinon for insufficient lactation. Domperidone might provide an alternative, but no departments reported its use. Management of insufficient lactation should always be initiated by counselling and education. Only when these treatment options are exhausted should pharmacotherapy with a suitable medication be considered.
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Danish medical journal · Jul 2014
Increased mortality in the elderly after emergency abdominal surgery.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relation between preoperative delay and mortality in surgical patients undergoing primary emergency laparotomy (PEL) in an unselected, well-described patient cohort in a university hospital setting. ⋯ Acute admission and emergency laparotomy is associated with a very high mortality, especially in elderly patients. However, delay in the surgical treatment exceeding six hours is not associated with a higher mortality. There may be a considerable potential for improving care and management in these patients through a more systematic approach.