Associations of insulin resistance with cardiovascular risk factors and inflammatory cytokines in normal-weight Hispanic women.

Objective: To investigate the associations of markers of insulin resistance with cardiovascular disease risk factors and inflammation in young, normal-weight, Hispanic women.

Research Design And Methods: Seventy-one normal-weight (BMI <25 kg/m(2)) Hispanic women (age, 20-39 years) participated in a fasting blood draw for glucose, insulin, lipids, and inflammatory markers; a glucose tolerance test; anthropometric and blood pressure measurements; body composition by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry; and measurements of cardiorespiratory fitness via Vo2max and daily physical activity by accelerometer. RESULTS Six percent of participants had impaired fasting glucose, 14% had impaired glucose tolerance, and 48% had at least one cardiovascular disease risk factor.

Physical activity recommendations and cardiovascular disease risk factors in young Hispanic women.

Despite the benefits associated with regular physical activity, there is little epidemiological evidence to support positive health outcomes when meeting physical activity guidelines in high-risk ethnic groups, such as Hispanic women. We compared cardiovascular disease risk factors between young Hispanic women who meet and those who do not meet current physical activity guidelines. Height, weight, waist circumference, and blood pressure were measured in 60 Hispanic women aged 20-39 years.

Cardiac function and arteriovenous oxygen difference during exercise in obese adults.

The purpose of this study was to assess cardiac function and arteriovenous oxygen difference (a-vO(2) difference) at rest and during exercise in young, normal-weight (n = 20), and obese (n = 12) men and women who were matched for age and fitness level. Participants were assessed for body composition, peak oxygen consumption (VO(2peak)), and cardiac variables (thoracic bioimpedance)-cardiac index (CI), cardiac output (Q), stroke volume (SV), heart rate (HR), and ejection fraction (EF)-at rest and during cycling exercise at 65% of VO(2peak). Differences between groups were assessed with multivariate ANOVA and mixed-model ANOVA with repeated measures controlling for sex.

Acculturation and metabolic syndrome risk factors in young Mexican and Mexican-American women.

Little is known about effects of acculturation on disease risk in young Mexican and Mexican-American women living in a border community. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between acculturation and features of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Mexican and Mexican-American women (n = 60) living in the largest US-Mexico border community. Acculturation was measured by the short acculturation scale for Hispanics and birthplace.

Physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and metabolic syndrome in young Mexican and Mexican-American women.

Young adult women have had the greatest increase in prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) over time, and prevalence is highest in Hispanic women, compared with women of other ethnicities. Factors contributing to the high prevalence of MetS in Hispanic women are unknown. This study was conducted to determine if physical activity or fitness were associated with individual features of MetS in young Mexican and Mexican-American women, and if the associations were independent of fat mass.

Cardiac response to exercise in young, normal weight and overweight men and women.

Overweight and obesity are associated with hemodynamic changes at rest. Whether these changes are mirrored during exercise is uncertain. We compared cardiac output (Q) and stroke volume (SV) in 12 overweight (OW) and 12 normal weight (NW) adults at rest and during exercise.