BACKGROUND & AIMS: OBJECTIVE:The epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes is evident in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, their associations have hardly been examined in this region. METHODS:A hospital-based case-control study in urban Ghana consisting of 1221 adults (542 cases and 679 controls) investigated the role of anthropometric parameters for diabetes. Logistic regression was used for analysis. The discriminative power and population-specific cut-off points for diabetes were identified by receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS:The strongest association with diabetes was observed for waist-to-hip ratio: age-adjusted odds ratios per 1 standard deviation difference were 1.95 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.64-2.31) in women and 1.40 [1.01-1.94] in men. Also, among women, the odds of diabetes increased with higher waist circumference (1.35 [1.17-1.57]) and waist-to-height ratio (1.29 [1.12-1.50]). Among men, this was not discernible. Rather, hip circumference was inversely related (0.69 [0.50-0.95]). Body mass index was neither associated with diabetes in women (1.01 [0.88-1.15]) nor in men (0.74 [0.52-1.04]). Among both genders, waist-to-hip ratio showed the best discriminative ability for diabetes in this population and the optimal cut-off points were ≥ 0.88 in women and ≥ 0.90 in men. Recommended cut-off points for body mass index and waist circumference had a poor predictive ability. CONCLUSION:Our findings suggest that measures of central rather than general obesity relate to type 2 diabetes in SSA. It remains to be verified from larger population-based epidemiological studies whether anthropometric targets of obesity prevention in SSA differ from those in developed countries.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Renal involvement in visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is very frequent but the pathogenesis of this nephropathy is poorly understood. In previous studies using dogs with VL we have detected new immunopathological elements in the glomeruli such as T cells and adhesion molecules. Although Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi-infected dogs and hamsters are considered to be good models for VL, their use is limited for immunopathologic studies. The use of isogenic mouse strains susceptible to L. (L.) chagasi infection was an alternative but, on the other hand, the renal lesions of these animals have not yet been characterized. Thus, our purpose in the present study was to characterize mice infected with L. (L.) chagasi as a suitable model to study VL nephropathy. Kidney samples were obtained from control mice (N = 12) and from BALB/c mice (N = 24) injected intraperitoneally with 20 million L. (L.) chagasi amastigotes 7, 15, and 30 days after injection and processed for histopathological studies and detection of IgG deposits. Glomerular hypercellularity was clearly visible and, upon Mason's trichrome and periodic acid methenamine silver staining, a pattern suggestive of mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis was observed in mice with VL. Time-dependent IgG deposits were also seen in infected mice. We consider L. (L.) chagasi-infected mice to be a suitable model for studies of the immunopathogenesis of glomerular lesions in VL.

背景与目标： : 肾脏受累于内脏利什曼病 (VL) 非常常见，但对这种肾病的发病机理知之甚少。在先前使用VL狗的研究中，我们已经在肾小球中检测到新的免疫病理元素，例如T细胞和粘附分子。尽管利什曼原虫 (Leishmania) chagasi感染的狗和仓鼠被认为是VL的良好模型，但它们的使用仅限于免疫病理学研究。使用易感L的等基因小鼠品系。(L.) chagasi感染是另一种选择，但另一方面，这些动物的肾脏病变尚未得到表征。因此，我们在本研究中的目的是表征感染L的小鼠。(L.) chagasi作为研究VL肾病的合适模型。从对照小鼠 (N = 12) 和腹腔注射2000万L的BALB/c小鼠 (N = 24) 获得肾脏样品。(L。) 注射后7、15和30天的chagasi amastigotes，并进行组织病理学研究和IgG沉积物检测。肾小球细胞增生清晰可见，在Mason的三色和高碘酸甲胺银染后，在VL小鼠中观察到提示系膜增生性肾小球肾炎的模式。在感染的小鼠中也看到了时间依赖性的IgG沉积物。我们认为L。(L。) chagasi感染的小鼠是研究VL肾小球病变免疫发病机理的合适模型。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: PURPOSE:Long-term evaluation of an empirically based program for the treatment of morbidly obese, low-income, minority adolescents. METHODS:In the first year, 150 participants received cognitive-behavior therapy, nutritional education, medical monitoring, and structured exercise training. Weights and heights were collected at follow-up. Successful and Less Successful groups were delineated based on change in body mass index z-scores. Medical record review provided weight and height data one year before treatment for a subset of participants (comparison group). Analyses of variance examined differences between groups. Discriminant function analyses examined predictors of success in the domains of socioeconomic status, individual factors and psychological functioning, family factors, and prior weight loss behaviors. Correlates of success were explored. RESULTS:Eighty-three adolescents participated in the follow-up, on average 23 months (SD = 3.8) after initial assessment. Nineteen (23%) participants achieved clinically meaningful weight change (-.70 z-scores or better). Discriminant function analyses, correlations, and direct comparisons showed that the Successful group, compared with the Less Successful group, on average, attended 50% more sessions over 84% more weeks, were heavier initially, had somewhat better critical weight control skills (e.g., self-monitoring) before and during the program, and were somewhat more psychologically and intellectually challenged before treatment. CONCLUSION:Although some of these very high risk adolescents made clinically significant progress, more intensive treatments, like long-term residential treatments and bariatric surgery, may produce even more favorable outcomes.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :The present study was designed to investigate the roles of P2X3 receptors in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons in colonic hypersensitivity and the effects of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) on P2X3 receptor activity and colonic hypersensitivity of diabetic rats. Streptozotocin (STZ) was used to induce diabetic model. Abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR) responding to colorectal distention (CRD) was recorded as colonic sensitivity. ATP-induced current density of colon-specific DRG (T13-L2 DRGs) neurons was measured with whole-cell patch clamp. The expression of P2X3Rs of T13-L2 DRGs was measured by western blot analysis. The results showed that AWR scores significantly increased after STZ injection. P2X3R expression and ATP current density of T13-L2 DRG neurons were enhanced in diabetic rats. Intraperitoneal injection with ALA once a day for 1 week remarkably reduced P2X3R expression and ATP current density in diabetic rats. Importantly, ALA treatment attenuated colonic hypersensitivity in diabetic rats. Our data suggest that STZ injection increases expression and function of P2X3 receptors of colon-specific DRG neurons, thus contributing to colonic hypersensitivity in diabetic rats. Administration of ALA attenuates diabetic colonic hypersensitivity, which is most likely mediated by suppressing expression and function of P2X3 receptors in DRGs of diabetic rats.

背景与目标： 本研究旨在研究背根神经节 (DRG) 神经元中P2X3受体在结肠超敏反应中的作用以及 α-硫辛酸 (ALA) 对糖尿病大鼠P2X3受体活性和结肠超敏反应的影响。链脲佐菌素 (STZ) 用于诱导糖尿病模型。对结直肠扩张 (CRD) 反应的腹部撤药反射 (AWR) 被记录为结肠敏感性。用全细胞膜片钳测量ATP诱导的结肠特异性DRG (T13-L2 DRGs) 神经元的电流密度。通过蛋白质印迹分析测量T13-L2 DRGs中P2X3Rs的表达。结果显示，注射STZ后AWR评分明显升高。糖尿病大鼠T13-L2 DRG神经元P2X3R表达和ATP电流密度增强。每天一次腹腔注射ALA，持续1周，可显着降低糖尿病大鼠的P2X3R表达和ATP电流密度。重要的是，ALA治疗可减轻糖尿病大鼠的结肠超敏反应。我们的数据表明，STZ注射可增加结肠特异性DRG神经元的P2X3受体的表达和功能，从而导致糖尿病大鼠的结肠超敏反应。ALA的给药可减轻糖尿病结肠超敏反应，这很可能是通过抑制糖尿病大鼠DRGs中P2X3受体的表达和功能来介导的。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Insulin resistance occurs under conditions of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. It was found to be accompanied by down-regulation of the insulin-responsive glucose transporter GLUT4. Decreased adipocyte GLUT4 caused secretion by adipocytes of the serum retinol-binding protein RBP4. Enhanced levels of serum RBP4 appeared to be the signal for the development of systemic insulin resistance both in experimental animals and in humans. In mice, increased levels of serum RBP4 led to impaired glucose uptake into skeletal muscle and increased glucose production by liver, whereas lowered serum RBP4 levels greatly enhanced insulin sensitivity. Thus, a link has been established between obesity and insulin resistance: RBP4, the vitamin A-transport protein secreted into the circulation by adipocytes.

背景与目标： 胰岛素抵抗发生在肥胖、代谢综合征和2型糖尿病的条件下。发现伴随着胰岛素反应性葡萄糖转运蛋白glut4的下调。脂肪细胞GLUT4的减少引起脂肪细胞分泌的血清视黄醇结合蛋白rbp4。在实验动物和人类中，血清RBP4水平的升高似乎是系统性胰岛素抵抗发展的信号。在小鼠中，血清RBP4水平升高导致骨骼肌葡萄糖摄取受损，肝脏葡萄糖产生增加，而血清RBP4水平降低则大大增强了胰岛素敏感性。因此，肥胖与胰岛素抵抗之间已经建立了联系: RBP4，即脂肪细胞分泌到循环中的维生素a转运蛋白。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: BACKGROUND:In Asia, obesity has reached epidemic proportions and physicians are likely to face a burden of obesity-related disorders, of which osteoarthritis of the knee is one. However, it is unclear whether obesity affects improvement of conventional TKAs in Asian patients. PURPOSE:We therefore asked whether obese patients with a BMI of 30 kg/m(2) or greater would have worse ROM and function after TKA compared with their nonobese counterparts and whether they would have less improvement preoperatively to postoperatively. METHODS:We retrospectively reviewed 369 patients who underwent TKAs from 2006 to 2010. We stratified patients into four groups: (1) 98 patients with BMIs less than 25 kg/m(2); (2) 158 patients with BMIs between 25 kg/m(2) and 29.9 kg/m(2); (3) 87 patients with BMIs between 30 kg/m(2) and 34.9 kg/m(2); and (4) 26 patients with BMIs greater than 35 kg/m(2). We then compared ROM, function score, Knee Society score, Oxford Knee Questionnaire, and SF-36 questionnaire(®) across the four groups at 6- and 12-month follow-ups. RESULTS:At the 6-month followup, we found a difference only in the ROM. At the 2-year followup, there were no differences in any functional scores across the four groups. Severely obese patients had greater improvement in postoperative ROM than the other groups but did not have any greater improvement in function. CONCLUSION:BMI had little clinical impact on short-term outcomes of conventional TKAs in Asian patients. The data suggest that BMI should not be used as a major determinant to exclude obese patients from surgery with the presumption of poorer outcomes.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: OBJECTIVES:Obesity prevalence is increasing worldwide and associated with a high health risk. Unfavourable psychological factors, lower self-ratings of health and worse health-related behaviour can be found in individuals with a low socioeconomic status (SES). Therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate whether normal weight vs. obese subjects with a high vs. low socioeconomic status (SES) differ with regard to self-perceived health, quality of life and health-related behaviour. METHODS:Data of the Austrian Health Interview Survey (ATHIS) 2006/07, precisely of 8015 subjects were analysed stratified by sex and adjusted by age concerning these outcomes. RESULTS:The results have shown that men and women with a low SES differ significantly from those with a high SES in terms of self-perceived health, quality of life, intensity of physical activities, alcohol consumption, and eating behaviour (men: p <0.001; women: p<0.001). A significant interaction between the body mass index (BMI) and SES occurred in men concerning quality of life in the domains physical (p<0.05) and psychological health (p<0.01), in women as to self-perceived health (p<0.01), quality of life in the domains physical health (p<0.01) and environment (p<0.05), as well as physical activities (p<0.01). CONCLUSION:The SES has a strong negative impact on health-related variables, especially in obese subjects, and therefore risk assessment in the primary health-care setting should include socioeconomic factors. Furthermore, a continued strong public health programme is required with an absolute priority placed on obese subjects of low SES.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Obesity has been shown to impair muscle blood flow in humans. Vasodilatory control mechanisms such as metabolic control, myogenic mechanisms, conducted vasodilation, and release of endothelium-derived factors may be impaired in obesity due to insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, inflammation, oxidative stress, and endothelial dysfunction. The physiological importance of these blood flow control mechanisms has predominately been determined during the increase in blood flow (functional hyperemia) that occurs in response to the increased metabolism associated with exercise. This review examines the mechanisms by which functional hyperemia may be impaired in obesity and indicates areas where further studies are needed. The most extensively studied area of obesity-induced changes in muscle blood flow has been the role of endothelium-derived mediators during resting blood flow and exercise-induced hyperemia. Elevations in oxidative stress alter endothelium-derived factors, resulting in impaired vasodilatory responses. Alterations in metabolic and conducted vasodilatory regulation of blood flow have not been extensively studied in obesity, providing a potential area of research.

背景与目标： : 肥胖已被证明会损害人类的肌肉血流。在肥胖中，由于胰岛素抵抗，高血糖，血脂异常，炎症，氧化应激和内皮功能障碍，可能会损害血管舒张控制机制，例如代谢控制，肌源性机制，进行的血管舒张和内皮衍生因子的释放。这些血流控制机制的生理重要性主要是在与运动相关的新陈代谢增加引起的血流量增加 (功能性充血) 期间确定的。这篇综述探讨了肥胖中功能性充血可能受损的机制，并指出了需要进一步研究的领域。肥胖引起的肌肉血流变化的最广泛研究领域是内皮衍生介质在静息血流和运动引起的充血中的作用。氧化应激升高会改变内皮衍生因子，导致血管舒张反应受损。在肥胖症中，代谢的改变和血流的血管舒张调节尚未得到广泛研究，这提供了一个潜在的研究领域。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :The aim of the present study was to test the influence of obesity and the presence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) on the expression of ten housekeeping genes and of the 18S rRNA in a group of human adipose tissue samples from the omental and subcutaneous depot. Adipose tissue biopsies were obtained by laparoscopic surgery from lean and obese patients. After the extraction, mRNA levels in adipose tissue samples were quantified by real-time PCR using the commercial HUMAN ENDOGENOUS CONTROL PLATES. From the genes analyzed, 18S rRNA exhibited the most stable expression levels in both depots regardless of the pathophysiological conditions of obesity and obesity-associated T2DM. Contrarily, GAPD was the gene with the highest variation in its expression levels, being upregulated (8.0-fold) in the obese group and downregulated (3.5-fold) in obesity-associated T2DM. Our results show that 18S rRNA may be the most suitable gene for normalization in expression studies performed in human adipose tissue samples obtained from patients suffering from obesity and/or obesity-associated T2DM, whereas GAPD is less appropriate for comparison purposes under these circumstances.

背景与目标： : 本研究的目的是测试肥胖和2型糖尿病 (T2DM) 的存在对来自网膜和皮下仓库的一组人类脂肪组织样品中十个管家基因和18S rRNA表达的影响。脂肪组织活检是通过腹腔镜手术从瘦和肥胖患者中获得的。提取后，使用商业人类内源性对照板通过实时PCR定量脂肪组织样品中的mRNA水平。从分析的基因来看，无论肥胖和肥胖相关的T2DM的病理生理状况如何，18S rRNA在两个仓库中均表现出最稳定的表达水平。相反，GAPD是其表达水平变化最高的基因，在肥胖组中上调 (8.0倍)，在肥胖相关的T2DM中下调 (3.5倍)。我们的结果表明，在从肥胖和/或肥胖相关的T2DM患者获得的人脂肪组织样本中进行的表达研究中，18S rRNA可能是最适合标准化的基因，而在这些情况下，GAPD不太适合用于比较目的。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: OBJECTIVE:We determined the longitudinal association of glucose metabolism with retinopathy in a sample of the Australian population. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS:The Australian Diabetes Obesity and Lifestyle (AusDiab) study is a national, longitudinal study of adults aged > or =25 years from 42 randomly selected areas of Australia. Retinopathy was assessed at baseline in 1999-2000 and 5 years later in 2004-2005 in participants identified as having diabetes (based on self-report and oral glucose tolerance test) and impaired glucose metabolism and in a random sample with normal glucose tolerance. Complete retinal data were available for 1,192 participants. Photographs were graded at two time points according to a simplified version of the Wisconsin grading system. RESULTS:The 5-year incidences of retinopathy were 13.9 and 3.0% among those with known and newly diagnosed diabetes at baseline, respectively. Of those who developed incident newly diagnosed diabetes at follow-up, 11.9% had retinopathy at baseline compared with 5.6% of those who did not progress to incident newly diagnosed diabetes (P = 0.037). After adjustment for factors identified as risk factors for diabetes, individuals with retinopathy signs at baseline were twice as likely to develop incident newly diagnosed diabetes compared with those who did not have retinopathy signs at baseline. CONCLUSIONS:The 5-year incidence of retinopathy was 13.9% among individuals with known diabetes. Nondiabetic individuals with retinopathy signs at baseline had a twofold higher risk of developing incident newly diagnosed diabetes 5 years later. This result provides further evidence that mild retinopathy signs may be a preclinical marker of underlying microvascular disease and future diabetes risk.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :This study was designed to evaluate the effects of maternal obesity and diabetes mellitus on the risk of nonchromosomal congenital defects. We used data from 22,951 pregnant women enrolled in a prospective cohort study of early prenatal exposures and pregnancy outcome. The relative risks [prevalence ratios (PRs)] of major nonchromosomal congenital defects associated with obesity and diabetes, alone or in combination, were calculated using multiple logistic regression analysis. In this study, in the absence of diabetes, obese women (body mass index > or =28) had no higher risk, overall, of having an offspring with a major defect [PR = 0.95; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.62-1.5]. Their offspring, however, did have a higher prevalence of certain types of defects, including orofacial clefts; club foot; cardiac septal defects; and, to a lesser extent, hydrocephaly and abdominal wall defects. Women with pre-existing or gestational diabetes who were not obese also had no excess risk overall of having offspring affected by a major defect (PR = 0.98; 95% CI = 0.43-2.2), although they did have a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal defects. The pregnancies of women who were both obese and diabetic were 3.1 times as likely (95% CI = 1.2-7.6) to result in an offspring with a defect than were those of nonobese, nondiabetic women, which suggests that obesity and diabetes mellitus may act synergistically in the pathogenesis of congenital anomalies. The defects were largely craniofacial or musculoskeletal.

背景与目标： : 本研究旨在评估母亲肥胖和糖尿病对非染色体先天性缺陷风险的影响。我们使用了来自22,951名参加产前早期暴露和妊娠结局的前瞻性队列研究的孕妇的数据。使用多元logistic回归分析计算单独或合并与肥胖和糖尿病相关的主要非染色体先天性缺陷的相对风险 [患病率 (PRs)]。在这项研究中，在没有糖尿病的情况下，肥胖妇女 (体重指数> 或 = 28) 总体上没有较高的风险，其后代具有重大缺陷 [PR = 0.95; 95% 置信区间 (CI) = 0.62-1.5]。但是，他们的后代确实存在某些类型的缺陷，包括口面部裂隙; 俱乐部足; 心脏间隔缺损; 以及在较小程度上的脑积水和腹壁缺损。既往或未肥胖的妊娠糖尿病女性也没有患主要缺陷 (PR = 0.98; 95% CI = 0.43-2.2) 的额外风险，尽管她们的肌肉骨骼缺陷患病率较高。肥胖和糖尿病妇女的怀孕导致后代缺陷的可能性是非肥胖，非糖尿病妇女的3.1倍 (95% CI = 1.2-7.6)，这表明肥胖和糖尿病可能协同作用在先天性异常的发病机理中。缺陷主要是颅面或肌肉骨骼。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Excessive uptake of fatty acids and glucose by adipose tissue triggers adipocyte dysfunction and infiltration of immune cells. Altered metabolic homeostasis in adipose tissue promotes insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Inflammatory and metabolic processes are mediated by certain proteolytic enzymes that share a common cellular target, protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2). This study showed that human and rat obesity correlated in vivo with increased expression of PAR2 in adipose tissue, primarily in stromal vascular cells (SVCs) including macrophages. PAR2 was expressed more than other PARs on human macrophages and was increased by dietary fatty acids (palmitic, stearic, and myristic). A novel PAR2 antagonist, GB88 (5-isoxazoyl-Cha-Ile-spiroindene-1,4-piperidine), given orally at 10 mg/kg/d (wk 8-16) reduced body weight by ∼10% in obese rats fed a high-carbohydrate high-fat (HCHF) diet for 16 wk, and strongly attenuated adiposity, adipose tissue inflammation, infiltrated macrophages and mast cells, insulin resistance, and cardiac fibrosis and remodeling; while reversing liver and pancreatic dysfunction and normalizing secretion of PAR2-directed glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in MIN6 β cells. In summary, PAR2 is a new biomarker for obesity, and its expression is stimulated by dietary fatty acids; PAR2 is a substantial contributor to inflammatory and metabolic dysfunction; and a PAR2 antagonist inhibits diet-induced obesity and inflammatory, metabolic, and cardiovascular dysfunction.

背景与目标： 脂肪组织摄取过多的脂肪酸和葡萄糖会引发脂肪细胞功能障碍和免疫细胞浸润。脂肪组织代谢稳态的改变促进胰岛素抵抗，2型糖尿病，高血压和心血管疾病。炎症和代谢过程由某些蛋白水解酶介导，这些蛋白水解酶具有共同的细胞靶标，蛋白酶激活受体2 (PAR2)。这项研究表明，人和大鼠肥胖与脂肪组织中PAR2的表达增加有关，主要是在包括巨噬细胞在内的基质血管细胞 (svc) 中。PAR2在人巨噬细胞上的表达高于其他PARs，并通过饮食脂肪酸 (棕榈酸，硬脂酸和肉豆蔻酸) 增加。一种新型的PAR2拮抗剂GB88 (5-isoxazoyl-Cha-Ile-spiroindene-1，4-哌啶)，以10 mg/kg/d (wk 8-16) 口服，在喂养高碳水化合物高脂 (HCHF) 饮食16周的肥胖大鼠中，体重降低10%，并强烈减弱肥胖，脂肪组织炎症，浸润的巨噬细胞和肥大细胞，胰岛素抵抗以及心脏纤维化和重塑; 同时逆转肝和胰腺功能障碍并使min6β 细胞中PAR2-directed葡萄糖刺激的胰岛素分泌正常化。总而言之，PAR2是肥胖的新生物标志物，其表达受到饮食脂肪酸的刺激; PAR2是炎症和代谢功能障碍的重要贡献者; PAR2拮抗剂抑制饮食诱导的肥胖以及炎症，代谢和心血管功能障碍。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: OBJECTIVE:The visceral fat area (VFA) was measured, and the relationships between the VFA and the body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure, and indices of lipid and sugar metabolism were evaluated. METHODS:The subjects included 607 consecutive patients who underwent VFA examinations using computed tomography (CT) scans. In addition to the routine examination parameters, the levels of adiponectin and homeostasis model assessment as an index of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were measured in all subjects, and the levels of malondialdehyde-modified low-density lipoprotein (MDA-LDL), remnant-like particles (RLP), lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)), apolipoprotein (Apo) AI, ApoB and ApoE were measured in 270 subjects. RESULTS:In both men and women, the VFA showed significant positive correlations with the age, BMI, waist circumference, subcutaneous fat area, visceral fat area/subcutaneous fat area (v/s) ratio, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, the fasting blood sugar (FBS), the hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), triglyceride (TG), uric acid, HOMA-IR and ApoB and the ApoB/LDLC ratio and significant negative correlations with the levels of HDLC and adiponectin. The levels of the total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC), non-HDLC, MDA-LDL and Lp(a) and the ApoB/ApoAI ratio were not correlated with the VFA in either men or women. The RLP exhibited a significant positive correlation with the VFA in women. CONCLUSION:The VFA exhibited high positive correlations with the waist circumference, blood pressure and TG level and a negative correlation with the HDLC level, regardless of gender, supporting the validity of the present diagnostic method for evaluating metabolic syndrome (MS). Although the LDLC level is not included in the diagnostic criteria for MS, the positive correlations between the VFA and the ApoB level and ApoB/LDLC ratio observed in both men and women indicate qualitative abnormalities of lipoproteins, such as an increase in the amount of small dense LDL. Measuring the levels of apolipoproteins in addition to lipoproteins during health screening is therefore useful for evaluating of atherogenicity.

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BACKGROUND & AIMS: AIM:This study investigates the prevalence of disturbed eating behaviours in children and adolescents initiating obesity treatment, and how the prevalence varies with age, sex and body mass index (BMI) standard deviation score (SDS). Secondly, it examines whether the presence of disturbed eating behaviours at enrolment is associated with the degree of weight loss after 12 months of treatment. METHODS:A total of 3621 patients aged 3-18 years enrolled in a multidisciplinary obesity treatment programme were studied. Follow-up data after a median of 12.4 months were available for 2055 patients. Upon entry, patients were assessed for the following disturbed eating behaviours: meal skipping, emotional eating, overeating and rapid eating. Height and weight were measured at baseline and follow-up. RESULTS:At enrolment, median age was 11.4 years, median BMI SDS was 2.87, and 82.2% of patients exhibited one or more disturbed eating behaviours. The prevalence of meal skipping, emotional eating and rapid eating increased with age (P < 0.01). Patients who reported overeating or rapid eating exhibited a 0.06-0.11 higher BMI SDS at enrolment than patients without these disturbed eating behaviours (P < 0.02). After 1 year of treatment, BMI SDS was reduced in 75.7% of patients, and the median reduction was 0.24 (95% confidence interval: 0.22-0.27). Overeating was associated with a higher degree of weight loss, while meal skipping, emotional eating and rapid eating did not associate with the degree of weight loss at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS:Disturbed eating behaviours were highly prevalent in children and adolescents with overweight or obesity, and varied with age and sex. After 1 year of treatment, the degree of obesity improved, regardless of the presence of disturbed eating behaviours at treatment initiation.

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BACKGROUND & AIMS: OBJECTIVE:Auriculotherapy is based on the stimulation of reflex points in the ear. However, little is known about its weight-reducing effects. The aim of the present systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the effects of auriculotherapy on weight and/or (BMI) reduction in overweight or patients with obesity. METHODS:Twelve articles were selected for systematic review. Four randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating weight reduction and five investigating BMI reduction were selected for the meta-analyzes. RESULTS:The results revealed an association between auriculotherapy and weight reduction (WMD, 1.507; 95% CI, 0.606-2.407; p < 0.000). Auriculotherapy was also significantly associated with BMI reduction (WMD, 0.865; 95% CI, 0.533-1.196; p < 0.004). CONCLUSIONS:We found that auriculotherapy was effective in reducing weight and/or BMI in overweight or patients with obesity. However, the findings should be interpreted with caution due to heterogeneity.

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