Improvement in insulin sensitivity following a 1-year lifestyle intervention program in viscerally obese men: contribution of abdominal adiposity.

The objectives of the study were to quantify the effect of a 1-year healthy eating-physical activity/exercise lifestyle modification program on insulin sensitivity in viscerally obese men classified according to their glucose tolerance status and to evaluate the respective contributions of changes in body fat distribution vs changes in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) to the improvements in indices of plasma glucose/insulin homeostasis. Abdominally obese, dyslipidemic men (waist circumference ≥90 cm, triglycerides ≥1.69 mmol/L, and/or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol <1.

Short sleep duration preferentially increases abdominal adiposity in adults: preliminary evidence.

Unlabelled: What is already known about this subject •  The evidence that short sleep duration is another determinant of obesity is accumulating. •  Lack of sleep has been reported to constitute a metabolic stressor, with increased cortisol concentrations as the end product. What this study adds •  This is the first study to show that short sleep duration is associated with a preferential increase in abdominal adiposity in adults.

Hypertriglyceridemic waist: a simple clinical phenotype associated with coronary artery disease in women.

The aim of the present study was to compare the ability of the hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype and the National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III) clinical criteria to predict coronary artery disease (CAD) risk in a sample of women. We studied 254 women among whom the presence/absence of CAD was assessed by angiography. The hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype was defined as having both a high waist circumference (≥85 cm) and increased fasting triglyceride levels (≥1.

[Divisibility of warfarin and fluindione tablets tested in elderly patients and their family circle].

Background: Vitamin K antagonist tablets are often split to fractionate the dose by elderly patients. We performed a study in order to assess the divisibility of one dosage strength of score-lined warfarin and of score-lined fluindione.

Methods: Due to a recent change in the pharmaceutical form of fluindione in order to improve the divisibility, the study was performed over 2 different periods (with the « old » and with the « new » pharmaceutical form).

[Sugar-sweetened beverages and cardiometabolic risk].

The observation of parallel increase in the prevalence of obesity and consumption of sweet beverages has drawn the attention of the scientific community on the possibility of a link between these tendencies at the population level. Clinical and epidemiological evidence support the possibility of a relationship between consumption of sweet beverages and the occurrence of obesity and diabetes. The precise mechanisms of these associations need further clarification.

Longer sleep duration associates with lower adiposity gain in adult short sleepers.

The objective of this longitudinal, observational study was to verify whether a favorable change in sleep duration over 6 years could impact objective indicators of adiposity in adults aged 18-64 years. Short-duration sleepers (≤6 h per day; n=43) at baseline were divided into two groups: (i) those who increased their sleep duration to a 'healthy' length of 7-8 h per day at year 6 (mean increase: 1.52±0.

Interactions between dietary fat intake and FASN genetic variation influence LDL peak particle diameter.

Background: The small, dense LDL phenotype is associated with an increased cardiovascular disease risk. A genome-wide scan performed on the Quebec Family Study (QFS) revealed a quantitative trait locus for LDL peak particle diameter (LDL-PPD) on the 17q21 region. A positional candidate gene - the fatty acid synthase gene (FASN) - encodes a key enzyme in the biogenesis of membrane lipids.

Effect of rimonabant on carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) progression in patients with abdominal obesity and metabolic syndrome: the AUDITOR Trial.

Objective: The aim of this trial was to determine whether obese patients benefit from treatment with rimonabant in terms of progression of carotid atherosclerosis. Rimonabant, a selective cannabinoid-1 receptor blocker, reduces body weight and improves cardiometabolic risk factors in patients who are obese.

Design, Setting, Patients, Interventions And Results: A prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (Atherosclerosis Underlying Development assessed by Intima-media Thickness in patients On Rimonabant (AUDITOR)) randomised 661 patients with abdominal obesity and metabolic syndrome to rimonabant or placebo for 30 months of treatment.

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein lowering with atorvastatin in patients of South Asian compared with European origin: insights from the Achieve Cholesterol Targets Fast with Atorvastatin Stratified Titration (ACTFAST) study.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of atorvastatin in patients of South Asian versus European origin who participated in the Achieve Cholesterol Targets Fast with Atorvastatin Stratified Titration (ACTFAST) study. ACTFAST was a 12-week prospective, open-label study in patients at high risk for atherosclerosis (European origin, n = 1978; South Asian origin, n = 64). Compared with patients of European origin, patients of South Asian origin were younger, were less likely to smoke, and had lower body mass index, systolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides.

Hypoadiponectinemia is associated with valvular inflammation and faster disease progression in patients with aortic stenosis.

Objectives: Adiponectin is a protein secreted by adipocytes which has anti-inflammatory properties. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between adiponectinemia and the hemodynamic progression of aortic stenosis (AS) as well as the degree of inflammation in the valve explanted at the time of aortic valve replacement (AVR).

Methods: The plasma level of adiponectin was measured in 122 patients undergoing AVR.

Adiponectin and risk of coronary heart disease in apparently healthy men and women (from the EPIC-Norfolk Prospective Population Study).

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the association between adiponectin levels and incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD). We performed a prospective case-control analysis nested in the EPIC-Norfolk cohort. Participants were apparently healthy men and women 45 to 79 years of age who developed fatal or nonfatal CHD during an average follow-up period of 7.

Adiposity and pulmonary function: relationship with body fat distribution and systemic inflammation.

Purpose: Obesity is associated with changes in pulmonary function and increased systemic inflammation. We explored the relationships among adiposity, body fat distribution indices, serum inflammatory markers and pulmonary function.

Methods: This was a post-hoc cross-sectional analysis that included subjects who had previously participated in randomized studies on obesity at our centre.

Identification and management of cardiometabolic risk in Canada: a position paper by the cardiometabolic risk working group (executive summary).

With the objectives of clarifying the concepts related to "cardiometabolic risk," "metabolic syndrome" and "risk stratification" and presenting practical strategies to identify and reduce cardiovascular risk in multiethnic patient populations, the Cardiometabolic Working Group presents an executive summary of a detailed analysis and position paper that offers a comprehensive and consolidated approach to the identification and management of cardiometabolic risk. The above concepts overlap and relate to the atherogenic process and development of type 2 diabetes. However, there is confusion about what these terms mean and how they can best be used to improve our understanding of cardiovascular disease treatment and prevention.

Cardiometabolic risk in Canada: a detailed analysis and position paper by the cardiometabolic risk working group.

The concepts of "cardiometabolic risk," "metabolic syndrome," and "risk stratification" overlap and relate to the atherogenic process and development of type 2 diabetes. There is confusion about what these terms mean and how they can best be used to improve our understanding of cardiovascular disease treatment and prevention. With the objectives of clarifying these concepts and presenting practical strategies to identify and reduce cardiovascular risk in multiethnic patient populations, the Cardiometabolic Working Group reviewed the evidence related to emerging cardiovascular risk factors and Canadian guideline recommendations in order to present a detailed analysis and consolidated approach to the identification and management of cardiometabolic risk.

Physical activity, metabolic syndrome, and coronary risk: the EPIC-Norfolk prospective population study.

Objective: We investigated the association between physical activity, metabolic syndrome (MS), and the risk of future coronary heart disease (CHD) and mortality due to CHD in middle-aged men and women.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Subjects: A total of 10,134 men and women aged 45-79 years at baseline, were selected from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Norfolk cohort.

Prevention of atherosclerosis in overweight/obese patients. - In need of novel multi-targeted approaches-.

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions and complications related to obesity contribute substantially to both healthcare costs and mortality. Obesity, particularly when accompanied by an excess of visceral/ectopic fat, is a major risk factor for diseases ranging from insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular disease. The epidemic proportions reached by obesity has made these conditions a global problem in human health.

Contributions of cardiorespiratory fitness and visceral adiposity to six-year changes in cardiometabolic risk markers in apparently healthy men and women.

Context: Both excess visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and low cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) levels are associated with a deteriorated cardiometabolic risk profile.

Objective: The aim of the study was to examine the respective contributions of changes in VAT accumulation vs. changes in CRF to 6-yr longitudinal changes in cardiometabolic risk markers.

Investigation of LRP8 gene in 1p31 QTL linked to LDL peak particle diameter in the Quebec family study.

The small, dense LDL phenotype is associated with an increased cardiovascular disease risk. A genome-wide scan performed on 236 nuclear families of the Quebec Family Study (QFS) revealed a quantitative trait locus affecting LDL peak particle diameter (LDL-PPD) and density on the 1p31 region. This region contains the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 8 (LRP8) gene.

Usefulness of hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype in type 2 diabetes mellitus to predict the presence of coronary artery disease as assessed by computed tomographic coronary angiography.

The present study tested whether in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) the combination of increased waist circumference and increased plasma triglyceride (TG) levels can predict the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD) as assessed by multidetector computed tomographic coronary angiography (CTA). In 202 patients with type 2 DM who were clinically referred for CTA, waist circumference and TG levels were measured. Patients were divided into 4 groups according to waist circumference measurements and TG levels.

Risk factors for adult overweight and obesity: the importance of looking beyond the 'big two'.

Objective: To compare two traditional (high dietary lipid intake and non-participation in high-intensity physical exercise, namely the 'Big Two' factors) versus three nontraditional (short sleep duration, high disinhibition eating behavior, and low dietary calcium intake) risk factors as predictors of excess body weight and overweight/obesity development.

Method: Adult participants aged 18-64 years of the Quebec Family Study were selected for cross-sectional (n = 537) and longitudinal (n = 283; 6-year follow-up period) analyses. The main outcome measure was overweight/obesity, defined as a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m(2).

Rimonabant for prevention of cardiovascular events (CRESCENDO): a randomised, multicentre, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Blockade of the endocannabinoid receptor reduces obesity and improves metabolic abnormalities such as triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, and fasting blood glucose. We assessed whether rimonabant would improve major vascular event-free survival.

Methods: This double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was undertaken in 974 hospitals in 42 countries.

Lipid assessment, metabolic syndrome and coronary heart disease risk.

Background: Although the total to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (TC/HDL-C) has been used for decades to identify individuals at risk for coronary heart disease (CHD), apolipoprotein-based (apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A-I [apoB/apoA-I]) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR)-based lipoprotein concentrations (low-density lipoprotein(NMR) /high-density lipoprotein(NMR) [LDL(NMR) /HDL(NMR)]) may also be useful for CHD risk stratification.

Materials And Methods: In a case-control study conducted within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Norfolk study population, 870 individuals who developed CHD during a 6-year follow-up were matched to 1659 controls on the basis of gender, age and enrollment time. LDL(NMR) and HDL(NMR) were measured by proton NMR spectroscopy.

Sugar-sweetened beverages and risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis.

Objective: Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), which include soft drinks, fruit drinks, iced tea, and energy and vitamin water drinks has risen across the globe. Regular consumption of SSBs has been associated with weight gain and risk of overweight and obesity, but the role of SSBs in the development of related chronic metabolic diseases, such as metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, has not been quantitatively reviewed.

Research Design And Methods: We searched the MEDLINE database up to May 2010 for prospective cohort studies of SSB intake and risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.