Prevalence of vitamin E inadequacy, dietary intake and sources of alpha-tocopherol, and predictors of alpha- and gamma-tocopherol status in adolescent girls in Central Mozambique.

An adequate alpha-tocopherol status is important for females at reproductive age. We studied the dietary intake and sources of alpha-tocopherol and alpha- and gamma-tocopherol status indicators in 14-19-year-old girls in Central Mozambique. We also explored factors associated with alpha- and gamma-tocopherol status.

Taxonomic signatures of cause-specific mortality risk in human gut microbiome.

The collection of fecal material and developments in sequencing technologies have enabled standardised and non-invasive gut microbiome profiling. Microbiome composition from several large cohorts have been cross-sectionally linked to various lifestyle factors and diseases. In spite of these advances, prospective associations between microbiome composition and health have remained uncharacterised due to the lack of sufficiently large and representative population cohorts with comprehensive follow-up data.

Carotenoid Intake and Serum Concentration in Young Finnish Children and Their Relation with Fruit and Vegetable Consumption.

Fruit and vegetable intake has been associated with a reduced risk of many chronic diseases. These foods are the main dietary source of carotenoids. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the associations between dietary intake and serum concentrations of α- and β-carotene in a sample of young Finnish children from the population-based birth cohort of the Type 1 Diabetes Prediction and Prevention (DIPP) Study.

Standardisation of laboratories engaged in lipid analyses of population health examination surveys.

Background: Reliable data on clinical biomarkers are necessary in order to assess the health risks of populations and especially in assessing long-term trends related to disease incidence.

Methods: Ten European laboratories participated in a two-phase quality control exercise of total cholesterol (TC) and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) analysis. The European Health Examination Survey Reference Laboratory prepared plasma batches for analysis, and provided target values for them.

Food and Nutrient Intake and Nutritional Status of Finnish Vegans and Non-Vegetarians.

Background: Vegetarian and vegan diets have become more popular among adolescents and young adults. However, few studies have investigated the nutritional status of vegans, who may be at risk of nutritional deficiencies.

Objective: To compare dietary intake and nutritional status of Finnish long-term vegans and non-vegetarians.

Poor micronutrient intake and status is a public health problem among adolescent Mozambican girls.

Micronutrient deficiencies can damage the health of adolescent girls and their offspring. There is a lack of population-based data on the micronutrient status of adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa. We conducted a cross-sectional, population-based study to examine the biochemical status, prevalence of deficiency, dietary intake, and food sources of selected micronutrients among adolescent girls in Central Mozambique.

Effects of nationwide addition of selenium to fertilizers on foods, and animal and human health in Finland: From deficiency to optimal selenium status of the population.

Despite different geological features the Nordic countries are generally selenium-poor areas. In each country various factors such as food importation and life-style determine the selenium (Se) intake. Due to an extremely low Se intake in the 1970s in Finland, 0.

Genome-wide association study on dimethylarginines reveals novel AGXT2 variants associated with heart rate variability but not with overall mortality.

Aims: The purpose of this study was to identify novel genetic variants influencing circulating asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) levels and to evaluate whether they have a prognostic value on cardiovascular mortality.

Methods And Results: We conducted a genome-wide association study on the methylarginine traits and investigated the predictive value of the new discovered variants on mortality. Our meta-analyses replicated the previously known locus for ADMA levels in DDAH1 (rs997251; P = 1.

The effect of proatherogenic pathogens on adipose tissue transcriptome and fatty acid distribution in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.

Background: Chronic infections have been demonstrated to maintain low-grade systemic inflammation and associate with atherosclerosis. We studied the inflammation- and lipid homeostasis-related effects of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa) and Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cpn) infections on the epididymal and inguinal adipose tissue (AT) transcriptomes and fatty acid distribution in apolipoprotein (apo) E-deficient mice. Chow-fed apoE-deficient mice were exposed to 1) chronic intranasal infection with C.

Vegetable and fruit consumption, education and plasma vitamin C concentration in Russian and Finnish Karelia, 1992-2002.

Objective: To examine (i) whether the consumption of fresh vegetables, fruit and berries is associated with plasma vitamin C concentration and (ii) educational differences in plasma vitamin C concentration in two neighbouring areas in Russia and Finland.

Design: Cross-sectional risk factor surveys in 1992, 1997 and 2002. Logistic regression analysis was applied to examine the associations of consumption of selected foods and education with plasma vitamin C concentration.

What have we learnt about high-density lipoprotein cholesterol measurements during 32 years? Experiences in Finland 1980-2012.

Background: High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is important in risk assessment for cardiovascular disease or metabolic syndrome; however, different direct HDL-C assays may lead to erroneous risk estimates and potentially misclassify people.

Methods: Data for 30-year HDL-C trends in Finland were obtained from the national FINRISK surveys during 1982-2012 (n=45766) taking into account biases from three external quality assessment programs (EQA). We also compared two different direct HDL-C and turbidimetric apolipoprotein A-I methods using 413 fresh serum samples.

Fatty acids in serum and diet--a canonical correlation analysis among toddlers.

Fatty acid concentrations in blood are potential biomarkers of dietary fat intake, but methodological studies among children are scarce. The large number of fatty acids and their complex interrelationships pose a special challenge in research on fatty acids. Our target was to assess the interrelationships between the total fatty acid profiles in diet and serum of young children.

The use of fasting vs. non-fasting triglyceride concentration for estimating the prevalence of high LDL-cholesterol and metabolic syndrome in population surveys.

Background: For practical reasons it is not easy to obtain fasting samples in large population health surveys. Non-fasting triglyceride (Tg) values are difficult to interpret. The authors compared the accuracy of statistically corrected non-fasting Tg values with true fasting values and estimated the misclassification of subjects with high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and the metabolic syndrome.

Apolipoprotein A-I, apolipoprotein B, and apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A-I ratio: reference intervals compared with values in different pathophysiological conditions from the FINRISK 2007 study.

Background: In addition to traditional measurements of serum lipid levels, apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), apolipoprotein B (apoB), and apoB/apoA-I ratio may add more value to risk assessment guidelines for cardiovascular disease.

Methods: We calculated reference intervals for apoA-I, apoB, and apoB/apoA-I ratio using a reference sample (n=2828) from the FINRISK 2007 study.

Results: The reference intervals for apoA-I were 1.

Levels of asymmetrical dimethylarginine are predictive of brachial artery flow-mediated dilation 6 years later. The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study.

Aim: Plasma asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is a novel risk factor for atherosclerosis and has been observed to associate with endothelial function in cross-section studies. In the present study our aim was to investigate whether plasma ADMA levels are predictive of brachial artery endothelial function in a prospective setting.

Methods And Results: Using ultrasound we measured brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) both in 2001 and 2007 in 1808 healthy subjects aged 24-39 years at baseline.

Bioavailability of various polyphenols from a diet containing moderate amounts of berries.

Berries are a rich source of various polyphenols. The objective of this study was to investigate the bioavailability of polyphenols from berries. Middle-aged subjects (n = 72) consumed moderate amounts of berry or control products for 8 weeks in a randomized, placebo-controlled dietary intervention trial.

ADMA concentration changes across the menstrual cycle and during oral contraceptive use: the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) levels during different menstrual cycle phases in young adult women with or without oral contraceptive (OC) use.

Design And Methods: The subjects (n=1079) originated from a large population-based, prospective cohort study conducted in Finland. Plasma ADMA, symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA), L-arginine, C-reactive protein, creatinine, and brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) were measured.

Chlamydial and periodontal pathogens induce hepatic inflammation and fatty acid imbalance in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.

Periodontitis and Chlamydia pneumoniae infection are independent risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of C. pneumoniae and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans infection on hepatic inflammation and lipid homeostasis of apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.

Tracking of plasma antibodies against Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis during 15 years.

Background: Plasma antibody measurements of antibody levels to periodontal pathogens may be used to support diagnosis, disease activity, classification, and prognosis of periodontitis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term stability of plasma antibody levels against Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis.

Design: Plasma immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody levels against the pathogens were analyzed annually during 15 years from 21 voluntary subjects, whose periodontal status was not known at the point of selection.

Systematic error of serum triglyceride measurements during three decades and the effect of fasting on serum triglycerides in population studies.

Background: An uncontrolled systematic error in serum biomarkers may be a serious problem when comparing their trends both within and between populations. The aim of the study was to assess which factors are responsible for systematic errors in the measurement of serum triglycerides (Tg) and the effect of fasting on serum triglycerides in Finnish population surveys.

Methods: Data on precision and accuracy during 30 years for serum triglycerides were documented from participation in 492 rounds of five different external quality assessment (EQA) programs.

Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) has a role in regulating systemic vascular tone in young healthy subjects: the cardiovascular risk in young Finns study.

Background: This study was designed to evaluate whether plasma asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) has any role in predicting hemodynamic responses in clinically healthy young subjects. ADMA, as an endogenous nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor, has been demonstrated to associate with hypertension and vascular reactivity in experimental but not undoubtedly in physiological settings.

Methods: A total of 199 subjects aged 31.

Plasma ascorbic acid preparation and storage for epidemiological studies using TCA precipitation.

Objectives: To introduce a procedure to validate an ascorbic acid method using trichloroacetic acid (TCA) for plasma stabilization at different storage temperatures.

Methods: EDTA and heparin plasma were precipitated with TCA (1:5) containing 0.54 mol/L EDTA, or without.

Favorable effects of berry consumption on platelet function, blood pressure, and HDL cholesterol.

Background: Berries are a particularly rich source of polyphenols. They also contain other bioactive substances, such as vitamin C. Previous studies indicated that the consumption of polyphenol-rich foods (eg, cocoa, tea, and red wine) may induce beneficial changes in pathways related to cardiovascular health.

Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation and asymmetrical dimethylarginine in the cardiovascular risk in young Finns study.

Background: Elevated asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA) is a novel risk factor for atherosclerosis that may impair endothelial function by interfering with endothelial nitric oxide synthesis. To gain insight into the effects of ADMA on systemic endothelial function, we examined the association between ADMA and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in a large population of young adults.

Methods And Results: Plasma ADMA and brachial FMD, as well as conventional cardiovascular risk factors, were measured in 2096 white adults aged 24 to 39 years.

Tomato juice decreases LDL cholesterol levels and increases LDL resistance to oxidation.

High dietary intakes of tomato products are often associated with a reduced risk of CVD, but the atheroprotective mechanisms have not been established. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of increased dietary intake of tomato products on plasma lipids and LDL oxidation. The diet intervention included a baseline period, a 3-week low tomato diet (no tomato products allowed) and a 3-week high tomato diet (400 ml tomato juice and 30 mg tomato ketchup daily).