Sex differences in postprandial responses to different dairy products on lipoprotein subclasses: A randomised controlled cross-over trial

Men have earlier first-time event of CHD and higher postprandial TAG response compared with women. The aim of this exploratory sub-study was to investigate if intake of meals with the same amount of fat from different dairy products affects postprandial lipoprotein subclasses differently in healthy women and men. A total of thirty-three women and fourteen men were recruited to a randomised controlled cross-over study with four dairy meals consisting of butter, cheese, whipped cream or sour cream, corresponding to 45 g of fat (approximately 60 energy percent). Blood samples were taken at 0, 2, 4 and 6 h postprandially. Lipoprotein subclasses were measured using NMR and analysed using a linear mixed model. Sex had a significant impact on the response in M-VLDL (P=0·04), S-LDL (P=0·05), XL-HDL (P=0·009) and L-HDL (P=0·001) particle concentration (P), with women having an overall smaller increase in M-VLDL-P, a larger decrease in S-LDL-P and a larger increase in XL- and L-HDL-P compared with men, independent of meal. Men showed a decrease in XS-VLDL-P compared with women after intake of sour cream (P<0·01). In men only, XS-VLDL-P decreased after intake of sour cream compared with all other meals (v. butter: P=0·001; v. cheese: P=0·04; v. whipped cream: P=0·006). Meals with the same amount of fat from different dairy products induce different postprandial effects on lipoprotein subclass concentrations in men and women

Prevalence of genetically verified familial hypercholesterolemia among young (<45 years) Norwegian patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction

Background Patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) have an increased risk of premature myocardial infarction (MI). Objectives The objective of the study is to investigate the prevalence of FH among young patients hospitalized with acute MI. Methods Data were collected from medical charts of all patients aged 4.0 mmol/L (155 mg/dL). Results Of 9332 patients admitted with acute MI, 357 were aged 4.0 mmol/L (155 mg/dL). Of these, data from 52 patients genetically tested for FH were available. Eleven patients had genetically verified FH constituting 3.4% of the total eligible population (n = 328), 8.5% of those with indications for genetic testing (n = 130), and 21.2% of those actually tested (n = 52). A Dutch Lipid Clinic Network score for clinical FH diagnosis of “definite FH” identified only 5 of the 11 patients with positive genetic test (45%). Including a score of “probable FH” identified all patients with FH but also 17 of the 41 patients (41%) with a negative genetic test. Conclusion The prevalence of FH in young patients with acute MI was higher than in the general population. Routine evaluation of FH diagnosis among these patients could identify more patients with FH, thereby increasing the possibility of initiating early and adequate treatment also among affected relatives

Comparison of methods to identify individuals with obesity at increased risk of functional impairment among a population of home-dwelling older adults

Obesity is associated with increased muscle mass and muscle strength. Methods taking into account the total body mass to reveal obese older individuals at increased risk of functional impairment are needed. Therefore, we aimed to detect methods to identify obese older adults at increased risk of functional impairment. Home-dwelling older adults (n 417, ≥ 70 years of age) were included in this cross-sectional study. Sex-specific cut-off points for two obesity phenotypes (waist circumference (WC) and body fat mass (FM %)) were used to divide women and men into obese and non-obese groups, and within-sex comparisons were performed. Obese women and men, classified by both phenotypes, had similar absolute handgrip strength (HGS) but lower relative HGS (HGS/total body mass) (P < 0·001) than non-obese women and men, respectively. Women with increased WC and FM %, and men with increased WC had higher appendicular skeletal muscle mass (P < 0·001), lower muscle quality (HGS/upper appendicular muscle mass) (P < 0·001), and spent longer time on the stair climb test and the repeated sit-to-stand test (P < 0·05) than non-obese women and men, respectively. Absolute muscle strength was not able to discriminate between obese and non-obese older adults. However, relative muscle strength in particular, but also muscle quality and physical performance tests, where the total body mass was taken into account or served as an extra load, identified obese older adults at increased risk of functional impairment. Prospective studies are needed to determine clinically relevant cut-off points for relative HGS in particular

Comparison of methods to identify individuals with obesity at increased risk of functional impairment among a population of home-dwelling older adults

Obesity is associated with increased muscle mass and muscle strength. Methods taking into account the total body mass to reveal obese older individuals at increased risk of functional impairment are needed. Therefore, we aimed to detect methods to identify obese older adults at increased risk of functional impairment. Home-dwelling older adults (n 417, ≥ 70 years of age) were included in this cross-sectional study. Sex-specific cut-off points for two obesity phenotypes (waist circumference (WC) and body fat mass (FM %)) were used to divide women and men into obese and non-obese groups, and within-sex comparisons were performed. Obese women and men, classified by both phenotypes, had similar absolute handgrip strength (HGS) but lower relative HGS (HGS/total body mass) (P < 0·001) than non-obese women and men, respectively. Women with increased WC and FM %, and men with increased WC had higher appendicular skeletal muscle mass (P < 0·001), lower muscle quality (HGS/upper appendicular muscle mass) (P < 0·001), and spent longer time on the stair climb test and the repeated sit-to-stand test (P < 0·05) than non-obese women and men, respectively. Absolute muscle strength was not able to discriminate between obese and non-obese older adults. However, relative muscle strength in particular, but also muscle quality and physical performance tests, where the total body mass was taken into account or served as an extra load, identified obese older adults at increased risk of functional impairment. Prospective studies are needed to determine clinically relevant cut-off points for relative HGS in particular

Infant cholesterol and glycated hemoglobin concentrations vary widely - associations with breastfeeding, infant diet and maternal biomarkers

Aim: Elevated total cholesterol (TC) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) are risk factors for cardiovascular disease however little is known about their determinants in infants. We aimed to describe TC and HbA1c concentrations in infants aged 8-14 months, and explore the relation between infant TC, HbA1c, breastfeeding, infant diet, and maternal TC and HbA1c. Methods: In this cross-sectional pilot study, mothers of infants aged 6 and 12 months were invited to complete a food frequency questionnaire and to take home-based dried blood spot samples from themselves and their infants. Results: Among the 143 included infants, the mean (SD, range) concentration was 4.1 (0.8, 2.3-6.6) mmol/L for TC and 4.9 (0.4, 3.7-6.0) % for HbA1c. There was no significant difference between age groups or sexes. There was a positive relation between TC concentrations of all infants and mothers (B=0.30 unadjusted, B=0.32 adjusted, P<0.001 for both), and a negative relation between infant TC and intake of unsaturated fatty acids in the oldest age group (B=-0.09, P=0.03 unadjusted, B=-0.08, P=0.06 adjusted). Infant HbA1c was not significantly related to diet or maternal HbA1c. Conclusion: TC and HbA1c concentrations varied widely among infants aged 8-14 months. Infant TC was associated with macronutrient intake and maternal TC

Intake of fermented dairy products induces a less pro-inflammatory postprandial peripheral blood mononuclear cell gene expression response than non-fermented dairy products: A randomized controlled cross-over trial

Scope - It is aimed to investigate how intake of high‐fat meals composed of different dairy products with a similar fat content affects postprandial peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) expression of inflammation‐related genes, as well as circulating inflammatory markers and metabolites. Methods and results - Healthy subjects (n = 47) consume four different high‐fat meals composed of either butter, cheese, whipped cream, or sour cream in a randomized controlled cross‐over study. Fasting and postprandial PBMC gene expression, plasma metabolites, and circulating inflammatory markers are measured. Using a linear mixed model, it is found that expression of genes related to lymphocyte activation, cytokine signaling, chemokine signaling, and cell adhesion is differentially altered between the four meals. In general, intake of the fermented products cheese and sour cream reduces, while intake of the non‐fermented products butter and whipped cream increases, expression of these genes. Plasma amino acid concentrations increase after intake of cheese compared to the other meals, and the amino acid changes correlate with several of the differentially altered genes. Conclusion - Intake of fermented dairy products, especially cheese, induces a less inflammatory postprandial PBMC gene expression response than non‐fermented dairy products. These findings may partly explain inconsistent findings in studies on health effects of dairy products

Dairy products influence gut hormone secretion and appetite differently: A randomized controlled crossover trial

Little is known about how dairy products with different nutrient contents and food matrices affect appetite sensation and gut hormone secretion. The objective of this study was to investigate how appetite sensation and gut hormone secretion in healthy adults are affected by meals with the same amount of fat but from different dairy products. Forty-seven healthy adults (70% women) were recruited to a randomized controlled crossover study with 4 dairy meals consisting of butter, cheese, whipped cream, or sour cream, corresponding to 45 g (approximately 60 energy percent) of fat. Plasma samples were collected for analysis of cholecystokinin (CCK), pancreatic polypeptide (PP), peptide YY (PYY), and ghrelin concentrations at 0, 2, 4, and 6 h after the meals and analyzed as the incremental area under the curve (iAUC0–6h) in a mixed model. Hunger, satiety, and appetite sensations were measured with a visual analog scale (VAS) immediately after finishing the meals and at 4 and 6 h postprandially. Intake of cheese induced a higher level of plasma PP-iAUC0–6h compared with butter or whipped cream, and a higher level of plasma CCK-iAUC0–6h compared with whipped cream. Intake of whipped cream increased VAS appetite at 4 h compared with cheese or sour cream, and at 6 h compared with cheese or butter. No significant meal effect was found for hunger, satiety, plasma PYY, or plasma ghrelin concentration. Intake of cheese increased postprandial plasma PP and CCK concentrations and decreased appetite compared with whipped cream but not with sour cream. These findings encourage further investigations of how different dairy products affect gut hormone secretion and appetite sensation

Meals with Similar Fat Content from Different Dairy Products Induce Different Postprandial Triglyceride Responses in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Controlled Cross-Over Trial

Postprandial lipemia is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Dairy products differ in nutrient content and food matrix, and little is known about how different dairy products affect postprandial triglyceride (TG) concentrations. We investigated the effect of meals with similar amounts of fat from different dairy products on postprandial TG concentrations over 6 h in healthy adults. A randomized controlled cross-over study was performed on 47 subjects (30% men), with median (25th–75th percentile) age of 32 (25–46) y and body mass index of 23.6 (21.0–25.8) kg/m2. Meals included 1 of butter, cheese, whipped cream, or sour cream, corresponding to 45 g of fat (approximately 60 energy%). Serum concentrations of TGs (primary outcome), and total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL cholesterol), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL cholesterol), insulin, glucose, non-esterified fatty acids, and plasma glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (secondary outcomes) were measured before the meal and 2, 4, and 6 h postprandially. Incremental AUC (iAUC) was calculated for the responses, and data were analyzed using a linear mixed model. Sour cream induced a 61% larger TG-iAUC0–6 h compared to whipped cream (P &lt; 0.001), a 53% larger TG-iAUC0–6 h compared to butter (P &lt; 0.001), and a 23% larger TG-iAUC0–6 h compared to cheese (P = 0.05). No differences in TG-iAUC0–6 h between the other meals were observed. Intake of sour cream induced a larger HDL cholesterol-iAUC0–6 h compared to cheese (P = 0.01). Intake of cheese induced a 124% larger insulin iAUC0–6 h compared to butter (P = 0.006). No other meal effects were observed. High-fat meals containing similar amount of fat from different dairy products induce different postprandial effects on serum TGs, HDL cholesterol, and insulin in healthy adults. The potential mechanisms and clinical impact of our findings remain to be further elucidated. The study was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02836106

Reduced plasma concentration of branched-chain amino acids in sarcopenic older subjects: a cross-sectional study

Branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) are essential amino acids that are necessary for muscle mass maintenance. Little is known about the plasma concentrations of BCAA and the protein intake in relation to sarcopenia. We aimed to compare the non-fasting plasma concentrations of the BCAA and the dietary protein intake between sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic older adults. Norwegian older home-dwelling adults (≥70 years) were invited to a cross-sectional study with no other exclusion criteria than age. Sarcopenic subjects were defined by the diagnostic criteria by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People. Non-fasting plasma concentrations of eight amino acids were quantified using NMR spectroscopy. Protein intake was assessed using 2×24-h dietary recalls. In this study, ninety out of 417 subjects (22 %) were sarcopenic, and more women (32 %) than men (11 %) were sarcopenic (P&lt;0·0001). Sex-adjusted non-fasting plasma concentrations of leucine and isoleucine, and the absolute intake of protein (g/d), were significantly lower among the sarcopenic subjects, when compared with non-sarcopenic subjects (P=0·003, P=0·026 and P=0·003, respectively). A similar protein intake was observed in the two groups when adjusted for body weight (BW) and sex (1·1 g protein/kg BW per d; P=0·50). We show that sarcopenia is associated with reduced non-fasting plasma concentration of the BCAA leucine and isoleucine, and lower absolute intake of protein. More studies are needed to clarify the clinical relevance of these findings, related to maintenance of muscle mass and prevention of sarcopenia