Guanidinoacetic acid in human nutrition: Beyond creatine synthesis.

Guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) is a nutrient that has been used in human nutrition since the early 1950s. Recommended for its role in creatine biosynthesis, GAA demonstrated beneficial energy-boosting effects in various clinical conditions. Dietary GAA has also been suggested to trigger several creatine-independent mechanisms.

Creatine consumption and liver disease manifestations in individuals aged 12 years and over.

Despite the overwhelming safety evidence concerning creatine intake in various settings, there is still incomplete information whether dietary creatine affects liver health at the population level. The main aim of this cross-sectional population-based study was to evaluate the association between creatine intake through regular diet and liver disease manifestations, including liver fibrosis and hepatic steatosis, among individuals aged 12 years and over, using open-source data from the 2017-2018 U.S.

Association of overweight and obesity with cardiovascular risk factors in patients with atherosclerotic diseases.

Background: The aim of this study was to compare demographic, clinical and biochemical characteristics, including inflammatory markers, according to the nutritional status of patients with verified atherosclerotic disease.

Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 1045 consecutive patients with verified carotid disease or peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Anthropometric parameters and data on cardiovascular risk factors and therapy for hypertension and hyperlipidemia were collected for all participants.

The prevalence of polyvascular disease in patients with carotid artery disease and peripheral artery disease.

Background: Cardiovascular disease remains the major cause of mortality in the Western World.

Aims: We aimed to assess the prevalence of polyvascular disease in patients with carotid artery disease and peripheral artery disease (PAD), and to determine the risk profile of patients with polyvascular disease.

Methods: The study included 1045 consecutive patients presenting to our department with carotid disease or PAD.

Guidelines-Driven Educational Intervention Promotes Healthy Lifestyle Among Adolescents and Adults: A Serbian National Longitudinal Study.

The effectiveness of short-term focused educational programs to change health behaviors across large populations seems to be poorly described so far. The main aim of the present study was to evaluate an age-specific 45-min educational program, designed in accordance with the current U.S.

Thinness in young schoolchildren in Serbia: another case of the double burden of malnutrition?

Objective: Thinness is rarely highlighted or regularly monitored among children in developed countries although it may be rather frequent and pose a significant risk to children's health. We aimed to describe the prevalence of mild, moderate and severe thinness among young Serbian schoolchildren.

Design: Cross-sectional study of schoolchildren aged 6-9 years.

WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative in Serbia: a prevalence of overweight and obesity among 6-9-year-old school children.

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) is a public health program established in order to understand the progress of the obesity epidemic in young populations and gain inter-country comparisons within the European region, yet the data from a number of East European countries, including Serbia, were not available then. Therefore, the main aim of this cross-sectional study was to collect data about the prevalence of overweight and obesity among 6-9-year-old school children in Serbia according to the standardized protocol during the Fourth COSI Implementation Round.

Methods: From September 2015 to November 2015, 5102 first- and second-grade primary-school children (age 7.

Nutrition labelling of pre-packaged foods in Belgrade, Serbia: current situation.

Objective: To determine the presence of nutrition labels on pre-packaged food products, as well as to analyse the types of presentation.

Design: This was a descriptive study. The following characteristics were analysed: (i) presence and placement of the nutrition declaration (either as front-of-pack (FOP) or back-of-pack (BOP)); (ii) content of the presented information; (iii) presence of nutrition and health claims; and (iv) legibility of the written information.

Sex differences of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with symptomatic carotid disease.

Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases, especially heart disease and stroke are the cause of more than a half of the total number of deaths in Serbia.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to determine sex differences of atherosclerotic risk factors in patients with symptomatic carotid disease.

Methods: The cross-sectional study, involving 657 consecutive patients with verified carotid atherosclerotic disease, was performed in Belgrade, Serbia.

Relationship between abdominal obesity and other cardiovascular risk factors: cross sectional study of patients with symptomatic carotid disease.

Introduction: Obesity, particularly visceral obesity, is considered one of major risk factors for cardiovascular events.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate relationship between abdominal obesity and other cardiovascular risk factors.

Methods: The cross-sectional study involved 657 consecutive patients with verified carotid atherosclerosis.

Eating disorders.

Eating disorders are considered chronic diseases of civilization. The most studied and well known are anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Anorexia is considered one of the most common psychiatric problems of girls in puberty and adolescence.

Relationship between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and risk factors in patients with peripheral arterial disease--a cross-sectional study.

We investigated whether patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) with various serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) differ in the frequency of atherosclerotic risk factors. Among 388 patients, hsCRP levels were (1) low, <1 mg/L, in 41 (10.6%) participants; (2) medium, from 1 to 3 mg/L, in 152 (39.

Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in patients with carotid disease according to NHLBI/AHA and IDF criteria: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been related to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Different criteria for diagnosis of MetS have been recommended, but there is no agreement about which criteria are best to use. The aim of the present study was to investigate agreement between the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, American Heart Association (NHLBI/AHA) and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) definitions of MetS in patients with symptomatic carotid disease and to compare the frequency of cardiovascular risk factor in patients with MetS diagnosed by these two sets of criteria.

The Relationship Between Weight Loss and Health-related Quality of Life in a Serbian Population.

We examined changes in weight-specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and the relation to weight loss in a Serbian population undergoing diet-induced weight loss treatment. HRQOL was assessed at intake and after 1 year using the Impact of Weight on Quality of Life-Lite (IWQOL-Lite) questionnaire. Study sample consists of 135 obese patients.

Relationship between sociodemographic, anthropometric and biochemical characteristics and degree of peripheral arterial disease.

Introduction: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a severe atherosclerotic condition. The relationship between various risk factors and severity of PAD, measured by Ankle Brachial Index (ABI), has been the subject of a relatively small number of studies.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate whether there was any relationship between severity of PAD, expressed as ABI, and anthropometric, clinical and biochemical characteristics of patients, including inflammatory markers.

Relationship between education and atherosclerotic disease risk factors in patients with peripheral arterial disease.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate whether different levels of education are associated with different atherosclerotic disease risk factors.

Methods: The cross-sectional study, involving 388 consecutive patients with verified peripheral arterial disease, was performed in Belgrade. Formal education level was used as a proxy for socioeconomic status.

Presence of different forms of compensatory behaviours among eating disordered patients.

Introduction: Eating disorders indicate unhealthy habits in nutrition and/or behaviour in the feeding and maintaining of body weight. The main characteristic of these diseases is changed behaviour in nutrition, either as an intentional restriction of food, namely extreme dieting or overeating, i.e.

Nutritional status in patients with active inflammatory bowel disease: prevalence of malnutrition and methods for routine nutritional assessment.

Background And Aim: Malnutrition is a common feature of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). There are numerous methods for the assessment of nutritional status, but the gold standard has not yet been established. The aims of the study were to estimate the prevalence of undernutrition and to evaluate methods for routine nutritional assessment of active IBD patients.

[Richard Morton (1637-1698)--the distinguished physician of the 17th century].

Richard Morton was a distinguished physician of the 17th century. He was born in Suffolk, England, on July 30th 1637. Morton published three works but his landmark paper was "Phthisiologia, seu exercitationes de phthisi, tribus libris comprehensae" published in 1689, dedicated to William III.

[Therapeutic options for treatment of cardiometabolic risk].

Introduction: Numerous epidemiological and clinical studies have shown that increased amounts of fat mass, especially intra-abdominal adipose tissue are associated with various metabolic abnormalities. Dysregulation of adipocytokines secreted by adipose tissue may play an important role in the development of the obesity-associated metabolic syndrome, resulting in insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and vascular disease. The cardiometabolic risk describes the clustering of risk factors including dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, hypertension, prothrombotic and proinflammatory state, associated with an increased risk for development of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Frequency and characteristics of metabolic syndrome in patients with symptomatic carotid atherosclerosis.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with increased risk of carotid atherosclerosis.

Aim: To estimate the frequency of MetS in patients with symptomatic carotid atherosclerotic disease, and to compare clinical, biochemical and ultrasonographic characteristics of patients with and without MetS.

Material And Methods: Cross-sectional study of 657 consecutive patients (412 males) with symptomatic carotid atherosclerotic disease.

Relationship between peripheral arterial disease and metabolic syndrome.

The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among 388 patients with peripheral arterial disease, to determine the relationship between the number of metabolic syndrome components (metabolic syndrome score) and the degree of established and some of the emerging vascular risk factors, and to estimate whether there was any relationship of metabolic syndrome score and other vascular risk factors with the severity of peripheral arterial disease clinical manifestations. Metabolic syndrome was present in 59.8% of the patients with peripheral arterial disease.

Association of socioeconomic status measured by education and risk factors for carotid atherosclerosis: cross-sectional study.

Aim: To investigate the association between socioeconomic status and metabolic syndrome, lifestyle, clinical and biochemical characteristics, and inflammatory markers as risk factors for carotid atherosclerotic disease.

Methods: This cross-sectional study, involving 657 consecutive patients with verified carotid atherosclerotic disease, was performed in Belgrade, Serbia, during the period 2006-2007. Formal education level was used as a proxy for socioeconomic status.

Increased activity of interleukin-23/interleukin-17 proinflammatory axis in obese women.

Objective: To compare the concentrations of cytokines belonging to Th17 axis (interleukin (IL)-17 and IL-23) and Th1 axis (IL-12 and interferon (IFN)-gamma) in obese and lean women, and to investigate their relationships with the proinflammatory adipokine leptin, proinflammatory cytokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and anthropometric and metabolic parameters of obesity.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Subjects: Twenty-six obese women (age 20-52 years, body mass index (BMI): 30-48 kg/m(2)) and 20 healthy lean women (age 23-46 years, BMI: 18-25 kg/m(2)).

Alternative methods of nutritional status assessment in adolescents.

The main objective of this cross-sectional study was to determine the validity of the silhouette rating scale and reported values of height and weight in assessing weight status in a group of adolescents. 245 adolescents, students of the Belgrade elementary school, aged 11-14 (12.33 +/- 0.