Publications by authors named "Vera de Wit-Verheggen"
Objective: Insulin resistance is characterized by ectopic fat accumulation leading to cardiac diastolic dysfunction and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The objective of this study was to determine whether treatment with the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα) agonist ciprofibrate has direct effects on cardiac and hepatic metabolism and can improve insulin sensitivity and cardiac function in insulin-resistant volunteers.
Methods: Ten insulin-resistant male volunteers received 100 mg/d of ciprofibrate and placebo for 5 weeks in a randomized double-blind crossover study.
Cardiac energy status, measured as phosphocreatine (PCr)/adenosine triphosphate (ATP) ratio with 31P-Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (31P-MRS) in vivo, is a prognostic factor in heart failure and is lowered in cardiometabolic disease. It has been suggested that, as oxidative phosphorylation is the major contributor to ATP synthesis, PCr/ATP ratio might be a reflection of cardiac mitochondrial function. The objective of the study was to investigate whether PCr/ATP ratios can be used as in vivo marker for cardiac mitochondrial function.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), there is an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD), even when corrected for atherosclerosis and other CVD risk factors. Diastolic dysfunction is one of the early changes in cardiac function that precedes the onset of cardiac failure, and it occurs already in the prediabetic state. It is clear that these changes are closely linked to alterations in cardiac metabolism; however, the exact etiology is unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Pericardial fat (PF) has been suggested to directly act on cardiomyocytes, leading to diastolic dysfunction. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a higher PF volume is associated with a lower diastolic function in healthy subjects.
Methods: 254 adults (40-70 years, BMI 18-35 kg/m, normal left ventricular ejection fraction), with (a)typical chest pain (otherwise healthy) from the cardiology outpatient clinic were retrospectively included in this study.
Article Synopsis
- Heat exposure might help improve how our bodies use sugar (glucose) and fat, especially in people who are a bit overweight.
- In a study with 11 overweight people, they spent 10 days in a warm environment, and afterward, their blood sugar levels and insulin responses got better.
- Interestingly, even though a specific protein (HSP72) didn’t change, the participants’ bodies became more efficient at burning fat and showed lower levels of certain fats and cholesterol in their blood.