Article
Pediatrics
Pat R. Vehrs, Gilbert W. Fellingham, Angela McAferty, Laurel Kelsey
Summary: This study examines the trends in body fat percentage and body mass index percentile rank among 12- to 17-year-old children, as well as the relationship between the two. The study finds that girls have higher body fat percentage and fat mass, but lower fat-free mass compared to boys of the same age. For a given body mass index, girls tend to have higher body fat percentage and lower fat-free mass. The study highlights the importance of using other measures of body composition to assess children's adiposity.
Article
Biology
Anitha Jeyagurunathan, Edimansyah Abdin, Saleha Shafie, Rajeswari Sambasivam, Zhang Yunjue, Boon Yiang Chua, Janhavi Ajit Vaingankar, Swapna Verma, Tang Wern Ee, Siow Ann Chong, Mythily Subramaniam
Summary: This study aimed to establish the prevalence and risk factors of asthma in a multiethnic adult population using data from the Singapore Mental Health Study 2016. The study found that Malay and Indian ethnicities, ex-smokers, and those who were overweight or obese were more likely to be associated with asthma, while participants belonging to the age group of 35 years and above, and males were less likely to have lifetime asthma.
YALE JOURNAL OF BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Nora A. AlFaris, Naseem M. Alshwaiyat, Hana Alkhalidy, Reham I. Alagal, Jozaa Z. AlTamimi, Nora M. AlKehayez
Summary: This study investigated the prevalence of breakfast skipping among middle-aged men in Saudi Arabia and found a relatively high rate of breakfast skipping. Nationality and weight status were identified as predictors of breakfast skipping.
FRONTIERS IN NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jozaa Z. AlTamimi, Reham I. Alagal, Nora M. AlKehayez, Naseem M. Alshwaiyat, Hamid A. Al-Jamal, Nora A. AlFaris
Summary: Regular physical activity is crucial for optimal health, while physical inactivity is linked to higher risk for chronic diseases. This study examines the physical activity levels and factors associated with physical inactivity among a multi-ethnic population of young men living in Saudi Arabia. The findings reveal a relatively high prevalence of physical inactivity in this population, with notable disparities among participants from different countries.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Radwan Kassir, Pierre Gimet, David Hupin, Claire Boutet, Jean-Claude Barthelemy, Frederic Roche, Sebastien Celle
Summary: This study aims to explore the relationship between the brain and obesity, using two different measures of obesity (BMI and BFI). The results show that in the elderly population, the relationship between the brain and obesity may differ from that in younger subjects. Higher BMI and BFI are associated with increased grey matter volume in the left cerebellum and increased white matter volume in the cerebellum and near the right medial orbital gyrus. This suggests that the cerebellum may be one of the key structures related to obesity.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Ajay Prakash, Brandilyn A. Peters, Emilia Cobbs, Dia Beggs, Heesun Choi, Huilin Li, Richard B. Hayes, Jiyoung Ahn
Summary: The study found that smoking significantly alters the composition of the fecal microbiome, different from never smokers. Enriched and depleted taxa in smokers are consistent across different populations. Additionally, taxa enriched in smokers are positively correlated with the inferred abundance of pathways related to smoking-associated toxin breakdown and response to reactive oxygen species (ROS).
CANCER EPIDEMIOLOGY BIOMARKERS & PREVENTION
(2021)
Article
Hematology
Eric K. Broni, Oluseye Ogunmoroti, Renato Quispe, Ty Sweeney, Bhavya Varma, Oluwaseun E. Fashanu, Pamela L. Lutsey, Matthew Allison, Moyses Szklo, Chiadi E. Ndumele, Erin D. Michos
Summary: Obesity leads to adipocyte hypertrophy and adipokine dysregulation and is an independent risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, the association between adipokines and VTE is not well established. This study aimed to examine whether adipokines are associated with increased risk of incident VTE. The findings showed that higher resistin levels were independently associated with greater risk of incident VTE.
JOURNAL OF THROMBOSIS AND HAEMOSTASIS
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Kulapong Jayanama, Olga Theou, Judith Godin, Andrea Mayo, Leah Cahill, Kenneth Rockwood
Summary: This study found that BMI is associated with frailty, and being overweight or obese is related to higher levels of frailty. Higher body fat percentage is associated with higher frailty, partially mediating the relationship between BMI and frailty.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Matthew J. Singleton, Charles A. German, Mercedes Carnethon, Elsayed Z. Soliman, Alain G. Bertoni, Joseph Yeboah
Summary: The study found that obesity is associated with an increased risk of incident atrial fibrillation, with a J-shaped relationship between BMI and AF risk. However, this relationship varies by race/ethnicity, with Chinese-American participants having a more pronounced increased risk of AF with higher BMI, while Black participants have minimal increased risk. Further exploration of the differential effects of BMI by race/ethnicity on cardiovascular outcomes is needed.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Paivi E. Korhonen, Tuija Mikkola, Hannu Kautiainen, Johan G. Eriksson
Summary: This study found that both fat mass and lean mass index are positively associated with blood pressure levels, independently of other factors. Lean body mass is shown to be an important determinant of blood pressure levels, with a magnitude similar to fat mass. Excess muscle mass may not be beneficial to cardiovascular health.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Yik Weng Yew, Theresia Mina, Hong Kiat Ng, Benjamin Chih Chiang Lam, Elio Riboli, Eng Sing Lee, Jimmy Lee, Joanne Ngeow, Paul Elliott, Steven Tien Guan Thng, John C. Chambers, Marie Loh
Summary: This study aims to establish the association between obesity and skin physiology measurements and investigates whether obesity may play a possible causal role on skin barrier dysfunction. The results show a strong association between BMI and TEWL and skin pH, with suggestive evidence of a possible causal relationship. It highlights the potential impact of obesity on skin barrier function and the opportunity for prevention.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBESITY
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Nora A. AlFaris, Naseem M. Alshwaiyat, Jozaa Z. AlTamimi, Reham I. Alagal, Hamid A. Al-Jamal, Nora M. AlKehayez
Summary: This study investigated the levels of physical inactivity and factors related to it among middle-aged men in Saudi Arabia. The study found that the prevalence of physical inactivity is relatively high, and there are significant differences based on nationality, sociodemographic variables, and body weight status.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Israel Gotsman, Andre Keren, Offer Amir, Donna R. Zwas
Summary: The study found that increased body composition indices, including body mass index, fat-free mass index, and fat mass index, were associated with better survival in patients with heart failure. The strongest association was seen with fat-free mass index, showing a graded increase in survival.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Navin Suthahar, Kan Wang, Victor W. Zwartkruis, Stephan J. L. Bakker, Silvio E. Inzucchi, Tim R. Eijgenraam, Fariba Ahmadizar, Eric G. Sijbrands, Ron T. Gansevoort, Lyanne M. Kieneker, Dirk J. van Veldhuisen, Maryam Kavousi, Rudolf A. de Boer
Summary: Relative fat mass (RFM), a novel anthropometric equation based on height and waist measurements, is strongly associated with incident type-2 diabetes (T2D) and shows potential as a predictor of future diabetes risk in the general population, outperforming BMI, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Azimatun Noor Aizuddin, Chee Mun Chan, A. Rahman Anwar, Yee Xien Ong, Kok-Yong Chin
Summary: This study suggests that defining obesity based on body fat percentage (BF%) rather than traditional BMI can more accurately identify individuals with excess body fat and at risk for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). A new BMI cutoff point of 24.8 kg/m(2) shows higher sensitivity in detecting high adiposity and hypertension compared to the standard cutoff of 27.5 kg/m(2).
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GENERAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Carlos A. Camargo, John Sluyter, Alistair W. Stewart, Kay-Tee Khaw, Carlene M. M. Lawes, Les Toop, Debbie Waayer, Robert Scragg
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Z. Malihi, Z. Wu, C. M. M. Lawes, J. Sluyter, D. Waayer, L. Toop, K. -T Khaw, C. A. Camargo, R. Scragg
JOURNAL OF STEROID BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Clara Yieh Lin Chong, David Orr, Lindsay D. Plank, Tommi Vatanen, Justin M. O'Sullivan, Rinki Murphy
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Zhenqiang Wu, Joanna Broad, John Sluyter, Debbie Waayer, Carlos A. Camargo, Robert Scragg
Summary: The study found that monthly 100,000 IU vitamin D-3 supplementation did not reduce the risk of diverticular disease hospitalization in the general population, but may have some effect in participants with lower baseline 25(OH)D levels. Further randomized controlled trials are needed to investigate the impact of vitamin D supplementation on diverticular disease in individuals with low 25(OH)D levels.
CLINICAL NUTRITION
(2021)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Carlos A. Camargo, Les Toop, John Sluyter, Carlene M. M. Lawes, Debbie Waayer, Kay-Tee Khaw, Adrian R. Martineau, Robert Scragg
Summary: Randomized controlled trials have shown that vitamin D supplementation may not have an overall impact on the risk of exacerbations of asthma or COPD, but may have a potential benefit for individuals with severe vitamin D deficiency.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
John D. Sluyter, Yoshihiko Raita, Kohei Hasegawa, Ian R. Reid, Robert Scragg, Carlos A. Camargo
Summary: Using machine learning models to predict vitamin D deficiency showed higher accuracy in predicting 25(OH)D <25 nmol/L compared to traditional models, suggesting a potential role for machine learning models in participant selection for vitamin D supplement trials.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM
(2022)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Angela Beros, John Sluyter, Robert Keith Rhodes Scragg
Summary: Evidence on the association of arterial stiffness with cardiac autonomic neuropathy and peripheral neuropathy is still limited. This review examines 60 studies and finds that arterial stiffness is generally higher in individuals with neuropathy, as measured by pulse wave velocity, pulse pressure, and augmentation index. However, the temporality of the association remains unclear due to the limited number of cohort studies. Overall, increased arterial stiffness is linked to CAN and PN.
BMJ OPEN DIABETES RESEARCH & CARE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
John Zhiyong Yang, Jichao Zhao, Reza Nemati, Xavier Yin, Kevin Haokun He, Lindsay Plank, Rinki Murphy, Jun Lu
Summary: This study developed a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) that accurately measures pancreatic volume and fat fraction based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The retrospective study involved both diabetic patients and healthy participants, and the DCNN achieved high similarity coefficients (DSC) compared to results from specialists. The study provides a new framework for measuring intra-pancreatic fat volume and fat deposition.
Article
Primary Health Care
Machaela Tepai, Vili Nosa, Josephine Herman, Yin Yin May, Atefeh Kiadarbandsari, John Sluyter
Summary: The prevalence of diabetes in the Cook Islands is high, and more pregnant women are being diagnosed with gestational diabetes. However, inadequate information systems and lack of reliable data make it difficult to prioritize effective preventative and treatment measures. This can lead to complications and further burden the society and healthcare system.
JOURNAL OF PRIMARY HEALTH CARE
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Robert Scragg, John D. Sluyter
Summary: The findings from large randomized controlled trials on vitamin D supplementation for nonskeletal diseases are mixed, showing limited effects on hard-disease endpoints but potential benefits for intermediate outcomes in individuals with vitamin D deficiency. These results suggest a population-based approach to preventing vitamin D deficiency through fortification rather than targeted screening and supplementation.
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
John D. Sluyter, JoAnn E. Manson, Robert Scragg
Summary: Meta-analyses show that observational evidence suggests a link between low vitamin D status and higher cancer risk, while randomized trials indicate that vitamin D supplementation reduces total cancer mortality but not cancer incidence. However, trials lack sufficient data on site-specific common cancers and participants with vitamin D deficiency.