The Troms? Study: body height, body mass index and fractures

Tall persons suffer more hip fractures than shorter persons, and high body mass index is associated with fewer hip and forearm fractures. We have studied the association between body height, body mass index and all non-vertebral fractures in a large, prospective, population-based study. The middle-aged population of Troms?, Norway, was invited to surveys in 1979/80, 1986/87 and 1994/95 (The Troms? Study). Of 16,676 invited to the first two surveys, 12,270 attended both times (74%). Height and weight were measured without shoes at the surveys, and all non-vertebral fractures in the period 1988-1995 were registered (922 persons with fractures) and verified by radiography. The risk of a low-energy fracture was found to be positively associated with increasing body height and with decreasing body mass index. Furthermore, men who had gained weight had a lower risk of hip fractures, and women who had gained weight had a lower risk of fractures in the lower extremities. High body height is thus a risk factor for fractures, and 1 in 4 low-energy fractures among women today might be ascribed to the increase in average stature since the turn of the century. Low body mass index is associated with a higher risk of fractures, but the association is probably too weak to have any clinical relevance in this age category.     

Inflammatory breast cancer and body mass index

PURPOSE: No studies have investigated the etiology of inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), the most lethal form of breast cancer. Because high body mass index (BMI) is associated with decreased risk of premenopausal breast cancer but increased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, we evaluated whether high BMI was a risk factor for IBC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a case-comparison study, we matched by ethnicity and registration date 68 IBC patients treated at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center from 1985 to 1996 with 143 patients with non-IBC and 134 patients with cancer at sites other than the breast or reproductive tract (non-breast cancer). The non-breast cancer group was used in lieu of a population-based, healthy control group, which was not available. RESULTS: IBC patients were younger at menarche and the time of their first live birth than non-IBC and non-breast cancer patients. The proportion of premenopausal IBC patients was higher than the proportion of premenopausal women in the comparison groups, although differences were not significant. There were no differences in height, but IBC patients were heavier (77.6 kg) than non-IBC (70.0 kg) and non-breast cancer patients (68.0 kg). After adjusting for other factors, women in the highest BMI tertile (BMI > 26.65 kg/m2) relative to the lowest tertile (BMI < 22.27) had significantly increased IBC risk (IBC v non-IBC, odds ratio [OR] = 2.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.05 to 5.73; IBC v non-breast cancer, OR = 4.52, 95% CI = 1.85 to 11.04). This association was not significantly modified by menopausal status and was independent of age at menarche, family history of breast cancer, gravidity, smoking status, and alcohol use. CONCLUSION: Our investigation showed that high BMI was significantly associated with an increased risk of IBC. This association did not vary by menopausal status, although IBC patients were more likely to be premenopausal. Confirming our findings and identifying other IBC risk factors may provide directions for future research on the aggressive nature of IBC.     

The Trp64Arg mutation of the beta3-adrenergic receptor is associated with hyperglycemia and current body mass index in Jamaican women

Helicobacter pylori is a major etiologic agent in gastroduodenal disorders. In this study, immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies to H. pylori antigens were evaluated in serum and gastric juice specimens obtained from patients with gastritis or peptic ulcers by utilizing antibody capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ACELISAs). Urease alpha subunit (UA), urease beta subunit (UB), the 66-kDa heat shock protein (HSP), and the 25-kDa protein (25K) were used as antigens for the ACELISAs. The antibody titers of the ACELISAs reflect the ratio of H. pylori-specific IgA to total IgA. The ratio is stable, although the antibody concentration fluctuates in gastric juice. By using ACELISAs it was possible to evaluate quantitatively not only serum IgA antibodies but also gastric juice secretory IgA (S-IgA) antibodies. In both serum IgA and gastric juice S-IgA ACELISAs, the titers of antibody to HSP and 25K were remarkably correlated with the histologic grade of gastritis, whereas those to UA and UB were not strongly correlated with histologic grade. Thus, it is useful for estimating the histologic grade of gastritis to quantify serum IgA and gastric juice S-IgA antibodies to HSP and 25K.     

Alcohol beverage drinking, diet and body mass index in a cross-sectional survey

OBJECTIVE: The study was carried out to determine the associations of alcohol beverage drinking with macronutrients, antioxidants, and body mass index. SETTING: Dietary subsample of the 1992 Finmonica cardiovascular risk factor survey in Finland; a cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS: 985 women and 863 men were drawn from the population register in the four monitoring areas. All subjects were 25-64 y of age. METHODS: The mailed questionnaire included questions covering socioeconomic factors, physical activity, smoking, and alcohol consumption. The diet was assessed using a three-day food record. RESULTS: The dietary differences between abstainers and alcohol consumers were more significant than between consumers of different alcoholic beverages. Among drinkers, fat intake as a percentage of energy was higher and carbohydrate intake was lower than among abstainers. Those who preferred wine, however, had the highest vitamin C intake; female wine drinkers also had the highest carotenoid intake. With the exception of those who mainly preferred spirits, alcohol energy was not added to the diet but seemed to substitute food items both in men and women. Despite the similar total daily energy intakes, daily energy expenditure, and physical activity index, male drinkers were leaner than abstainers. In women, the proportion of underreporters of energy intake increased with increasing alcohol consumption, and the association between alcohol and body mass index was similar to that in men after the exclusion of underreporters. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol consumers were leaner than abstainers, and wine drinkers in particular had more antioxidants in their diet.     

The relationship between body mass and cigarette smoking using a biochemical index of smoking exposure

This study evaluated the relationship between smoking and body mass using objective indices of both smoking exposure (COHb) and body mass. The subjects were 4240 adults who participated in the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES II). Measurements of dietary intake, physical activity, demographics, body mass index (BMI) and blood carboxy-haemoglobin (COHb) were used in these analyses. After controlling for covariables of body mass, the results indicated that smokers displayed a significantly lower mass compared with non-smokers. Smokers with higher levels of COHb had lower BMIs than smokers at lower COHb levels. White smokers had lower BMIs with increasing COHb exposure whereas black smokers had BMIs at high COHb exposure similar to those of non-smokers. Results indicated that smokers weighed less than non-smokers and that the weight control 'benefits' of smoking were most pronounced in white subjects who were heavy smokers.     

Body mass index course in asymptomatic HIV-infected homosexual men and the predictive value of a decrease of body mass index for progression to AIDS

The King syndrome is characterized by a Noonan-like phenotype, the presence of a nonspecific myopathy and a predisposition to malignant hyperthermia. In some families, mild physical manifestations of the phenotype and/or elevated serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK) in relatives suggest the presence of an autosomal dominant myopathy with variable expressivity. We summarize the cases of 14 previously reported patients and describe a new patient, a 7-year-old girl, with the King syndrome and the unique findings of diaphragmatic eventration, tethered spinal cord, and severe paucity of type 2 skeletal muscle fibers. It has been proposed that the King syndrome represents a common phenotype that may result from several different slowly progressive congenital myopathies. This hypothesis, and the phenotypic overlap between the King and Noonan syndromes are discussed in light of the findings in this new patient.     

Time perspective in socioeconomic inequalities in smoking and body mass index.

Objective: To determine if time perspective plays a mediating role in the relationship between socio-economic position (SEP) and both smoking and body mass index (BMI). Design: 2000 adults aged 18 years and over were randomly selected from the edited electoral register for the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, England and sent a postal questionnaire. Two reminders were sent. Main outcome measures: Socio-economic position was measured using the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) of the area of residence. Time perspective was measured using the Consideration of Future Consequences Scale (CFCS). Smoking and BMI were self-reported. Results: Full data was available for 804 individuals (response rate: 40.2%). After controlling for age, gender and health status, IMD was significantly associated with BMI, smoking status and CFCS score (p     

A longitudinal study of body mass index and lens opacities. The Framingham Studies

OBJECTIVES: Chlorpromazine is a known modulator of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha production. TNF-alpha is thought to be a key mediator in the development of the multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). We investigated the effect of chlorpromazine on the development of zymosan-induced MODS in mice and on plasma TNF-alpha concentrations and production capacity of TNF-alpha by peritoneal cells. DESIGN: Prospective, controlled laboratory study on zymosan-induced generalized inflammation in mice. SETTING: Animal research laboratory. SUBJECTS: C57BL/6 mice received daily doses (4 mg/kg body weight) of chlorpromazine, beginning 2 days before or 5 days after zymosan administration. In additional groups, the daily chlorpromazine dose of 4 mg/kg started 5 days after zymosan was increased 2 days later to 8 or 16 mg/kg/day. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The animals were monitored for survival, condition, body weight, and body temperature. Twelve days after zymosan was administered, all surviving animals were killed to obtain plasma, organs, and peritoneal cells. Plasma concentrations of TNF-alpha and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated production of TNF-alpha by peritoneal cells were measured. Organ weights were recorded as an indicator for organ damage. Although survival was not improved when the animals were treated with chlorpromazine, the chlorpromazine-treated survivors showed improved body weight and temperature when compared with the animals receiving zymosan only. Also, the organ weights and lung damage improved significantly in the treated group. Chlorpromazine was most effective when started before zymosan administration. When administered afterward, clinical improvement declined with the dose. In all cases, circulating TNF-alpha and production of TNF-alpha by peritoneal macrophages were lowered toward control values. CONCLUSION: Chlorpromazine mitigates the development of zymosan-induced MODS, possibly by reducing macrophage TNF-alpha production.     

Plasma lipid response to hypolipidemic diets in young healthy non-obese men varies with body mass index

Lipid response to dietary fat is highly variable among individuals of a population. The aim of this study was to establish whether being overweight is one of the factors that determines this response. Forty-one non-obese healthy men were divided into two groups according to body mass index as follows: controls, <25 kg/m2; overweight, >25 kg/m2 but <30 kg/m2. After consuming a saturated fat-rich diet (SAT diet: 38% fat, 20% saturated) for 4 wk, subjects were switched to a low fat diet [National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP)-I diet: 28% fat, 10% saturated] for 4 wk and then to a monounsaturated fat-rich diet (MUFA diet: 38% fat, 22% monounsaturated) for 4 wk. Data were analyzed by Student's t test and two-way ANOVA for repeated measures. After consuming the NCEP-I diet, the overweight subjects had a smaller decrease relative to the SAT diet period in plasma total cholesterol [-0.30 vs. -0.67 mmol/L (-7 vs. -16%), P < 0.02] and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol concentrations [-0.24 vs. -0.55 mmol/L (-9 vs. -21%), P < 0.04] than controls. However, in the overweight subjects, the MUFA diet produced a greater decrease in plasma triglycerides than in the controls relative to the SAT diet period [-0.36 vs. -0.03 mmol/L (-26 vs. -4%), P < 0.006] and to the NCEP-I diet period [-0.29 vs. 0. 01 mmol/L (-22 vs. 1%), P < 0.01). Plasma cholesterol concentrations changed to a lesser extent, and triglyceride concentration to a greater extent, in overweight but non-obese young men than in those of normal weight in response to changes in dietary fat composition. Our data suggest that in the diet treatment of obese hyperlipemic subjects, it is more important for them to lose weight than to change the fat composition of their diets.     

Cyclamate consumption in Catalonia, Spain (1992): relationship with the body mass index

The dietary intake of cyclamate was evaluated in the north-east of Spain in 1992. In a random sample of the Catalan population consisting of 2450 people aged 6-75 years, two 24-h recalls at different seasons were collected; the amount and type of all foods, drinks and drugs consumed were obtained and the total daily intake of cyclamate was expressed in mg/kg body weight (bw), as the average of both 24-h recalls. Eighteen percent of the population consumed cyclamate, and the highest percentage was in men aged 35-44 years (33%). Average daily intake of cyclamate was 0.44 mg/kg bw in the whole population and 2.44 mg/kg bw among consumers. Subjects following a diet reported highest intakes, especially diabetics, and only 0.16% of the sample studied had levels above the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI). Among consumers, the intake of cyclamate was negatively correlated with Body Mass Index (BMI). The results show the pattern of cyclamate intake in the Spanish population.     

Improved DNA-repair parameters in PHA-stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes of human subjects with low body mass index

Effects of spinal cord transection on the synaptology of zebrafish spinal motoneurons were studied. The transection was made at the level of the 14th vertebra and the synaptology of motoneuron somata and dendrites was analysed at the level of the 21st to the 23rd vertebrae at one month and three months after transection. Horseradish peroxidase, applied to the myotomal muscle, was used to label motoneuron somata and dendritic branches in central and in lateral areas of the neuropil (referred to as central and lateral dendritic profiles). Boutons impinging on motoneurons were classified according to the morphology of the vesicles. We discerned R-boutons with spherical vesicles, F-boutons with flat vesicles and DC-boutons with at least one dense core vesicle. The apposition lengths of R-, F- and DC-boutons and the circumference of labelled profiles were determined to assess the proportional covering of boutons on somata and dendrites. Ratio's of covering with R- and F-boutons (R/F ratio) for somata, central and lateral dendritic profiles were 1.1, 2.1, and 2.1 in control fish and 0.5, 0.5 and 0.9 in lesioned fish at one month after transection, respectively. The total covering of motoneurons in lesioned fish was decreased by 20% on somata and by 30% on lateral dendritic profiles, whereas central dendritic profiles did not change significantly. At three months after transection the R/F ratio's for somata, central and lateral dendritic profiles were 0.5, 0.7 and 0.6, respectively. The total covering on somata and central and lateral dendritic profiles was at control levels. The anatomical aspects of the changes in synaptology indicate that in control fish 50 to 60% of the R-boutons on the motoneuron surface originate from descending axons. In contrast, almost all F-boutons seem to be from local origin.     

Depression in adults with type 2 diabetes: The role of adherence, body mass index, and self-efficacy.

Considerable evidence links depression with the development and worsening of diabetes, but the factors contributing to this link have not been established. The authors examined the role of adherence, body mass index (BMI), and self-efficacy. Adult patients with Type 2 diabetes (N = 56) completed self-report measures of diet and exercise adherence, diet and exercise self-efficacy, and depression. BMI was obtained from medical records. Path and mediation analyses indicated that both adherence and BMI independently contributed to self-efficacy. Self-efficacy mediated both the association between adherence and depression and the association between BMI and depression. These findings are consistent with the proposal that lower self-efficacy in reaction to adherence failure and higher BMI contributes to depression in adults with diabetes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Maternal smoking, body mass index, and neural tube defects

The Swedish health registries were used to investigate a possible effect on the incidence of neural tube defects (NTDs) of maternal smoking and maternal body mass index (BMI) (kg/m2). Among 1,199,701 infants born in 1983-1993 with known smoking exposure in early pregnancy, 621 infants with NTDs were selected. After controlling for year of birth, maternal age, parity, education level, BMI, and immigrant status (yes/no), a highly significant, protective effect of maternal smoking on the incidence of NTDs was found. The adjusted odds ratios (OR) and (95% confidence intervals (CI)) for maternal smoking among infants with NTDs (total), anencephaly, and spina bifida were 0.75 (0.61-0.91), 0.49 (0.28-0.85), and 0.76 (0.61-0.95), respectively. A protective dose-response effect of smoking was indicated but was not statistically significant. The association between NTDs and maternal BMI found in earlier studies was supported. Women with BMI >26.0 were found to be at higher risk of having an infant with NTD compared with women in other BMI classes (adjusted OR=1.35, 95% CI 1.00-1.83). For women with BMI > or =29, the corresponding odds ratio was 1.29 (0.81-2.05). No obvious explanation was found, either for the detected association between NTDs and BMI, or for the protective effect of maternal smoking.     

Relationship between body mass index and transvaginal ultrasonographic endometrial thickness in postmenopausal women

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and transvaginal ultrasonographic endometrial thickness. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred and twelve postmenopausal Japanese women (mean age, 62.1+/-8.0 years; range 47-85) with histologically proven normal endometrium and with endometrial thickness more than 1.0 mm were studied. Baseline characteristics including age, years since menopause, and BMI were recorded for each subject. The relationship between sonographic endometrial thickness and baseline characteristics was assessed in each subject. RESULTS: BMI was significantly correlated with endometrial thickness (r=0.40, p<0.001), but age and years since menopause were not correlated. On stepwise regression analysis only BMI was still associated with endometrial thickness (R2=0.16, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Sonographic endometrial thickness differs with BMI in postmenopausal women. Higher BMI is associated with greater endometrial thickness.     

Seasonal weight loss and metabolic adaptation in rural Beninese women: the relationship with body mass index

A large variation in seasonal weight loss between individuals exists in rural communities in developing countries. Therefore, it was investigated whether some individuals show a metabolic adaptation and, through that, prevent large body-weight losses during the preharvest season. Basal metabolic rate (BMR), energy intake and physical activity level (PAL) of rural Beninese women were measured in three seasons. Groups of subjects were: women with a body mass index (BMI) < 18 (n 18), and a BMI > 23 (n 16), and women who had shown small (n 18) and large (n 15) preharvest weight loss. All groups of subjects decreased energy intake during the preharvest season by 0.66-1.09 MJ/d. PAL did not show significant seasonal changes in any of the four groups. Only subjects with a BMI < 18 decreased BMR during the preharvest season with 2.9 (SD 6.7) J/kg per min (P < 0.05), with a decrease of 0.8 (SD 1.4) kg (P < 0.05) in body weight. In very thin women with a BMI < 17 (n 5) BMR expressed per unit body weight decreased even more during the preharvest season (by 12%).     

Body mass index in young adults: Associations with parental body size and education in the CARDIA Study

OBJECTIVES: Associations of parental education, parental body size, and offspring's education with body mass index and 7-year change in body mass index were examined among participants in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. METHODS: CARDIA is a study of coronary artery disease risk factors in 5115 Black and White persons aged 18 to 30 at baseline. Analyses of covariance were carried out with body mass index and change in body mass index as the dependent variables, and with parental education, parental body size, and participant education as the major independent variables. RESULTS: Father's body size was positively associated with participant's baseline body mass index among Black men, White men, and White women. Mother's body size was positively associated with baseline body mass index among all race-sex groups, and with change in body mass index among White women. Father's education was inversely associated with baseline body mass index among Black men and White women, and with change among White women. CONCLUSIONS: Parental education may influence body mass index and changes in young adulthood, especially among White women. Such associations may be both genetic and environmental and may be important for obesity prevention efforts.     

In defense of a body mass index of 25 as the cut-off point for defining overweight

A dermoid cyst occurring within the parotid gland of a 37-year-old Chinese man is reported. The diagnostic difficulties, histopathological features and pathogenesis are considered.     

Development of fat tissue and body mass index from infancy to adulthood

This paper gives a short overview of our recent research on changes in the body mass index (BMI) or in body fat for children studied longitudinally from birth to adulthood. The BMI shows characteristic changes in childhood and adolescence which are different from those known for skeletal growth. A period of loss of BMI from 1 to 6 years is followed by a pubertal spurt which is larger in females than in males. Fat shows a dramatic increase in the 1st year, and velocity is higher for girls than for boys after 3 years of age. At puberty there is a pre-pubertal and a post-pubertal spurt in total body fat or in arm fat and a dip in between. Those heavy or fat as adults have a qualitatively similar pattern of developmental changes, but much more accentuated fluctuations. The analysis relies on new statistical techniques.