211 research outputs found
Intermittent fasting interventions for the treatment of overweight and obesity in adults aged 18 years and over:a systematic review and meta-analysis
Objective:
To examine the effectiveness of intermittent energy restriction in the treatment for overweight and obesity in adults, when compared to usual care treatment or no treatment.
Introduction:
Intermittent energy restriction encompasses dietary approaches including intermittent fasting, alternate day fasting, and fasting for two days per week. Despite the recent popularity of intermittent energy restriction and associated weight loss claims, the supporting evidence base is limited.
Inclusion criteria:
This review included overweight or obese (BMI ≥25 kg/m2) adults (≥18 years). Intermittent energy restriction was defined as consumption of ≤800 kcal on at least one day, but no more than six days per week. Intermittent energy restriction interventions were compared to no treatment (ad libitum diet) or usual care (continuous energy restriction ∼25% of recommended energy intake). Included interventions had a minimum duration of 12 weeks from baseline to post outcome measurements. The types of studies included were randomized and pseudo-randomized controlled trials. The primary outcome of this review was change in body weight. Secondary outcomes included: i) anthropometric outcomes (change in BMI, waist circumference, fat mass, fat free mass); ii) cardio-metabolic outcomes (change in blood glucose and insulin, lipoprotein profiles and blood pressure); and iii) lifestyle outcomes: diet, physical activity, quality of life and adverse events.
Methods:
A systematic search was conducted from database inception to November 2015. The following electronic databases were searched: MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, ISRCTN registry, and anzctr.org.au for English language published studies, protocols and trials. Two independent reviewers evaluated the methodological quality of included studies using the standardized critical appraisal instruments from the Joanna Briggs Institute. Data were extracted from papers included in the review by two independent reviewers using the standardized data extraction tool from the Joanna Briggs Institute. Effect sizes were expressed as weighted mean differences and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated for meta-analyses.
Results:
Six studies were included in this review. The intermittent energy restriction regimens varied across studies and included alternate day fasting, fasting for two days, and up to four days per week. The duration of studies ranged from three to 12 months. Four studies included continuous energy restriction as a comparator intervention and two studies included a no treatment control intervention. Meta-analyses showed that intermittent energy restriction was more effective than no treatment for weight loss (−4.14 kg; 95% CI −6.30 kg to −1.99 kg; p ≤ 0.001). Although both treatment interventions achieved similar changes in body weight (approximately 7 kg), the pooled estimate for studies that investigated the effect of intermittent energy restriction in comparison to continuous energy restriction revealed no significant difference in weight loss (−1.03 kg; 95% CI −2.46 kg to 0.40 kg; p = 0.156).
Conclusions:
Intermittent energy restriction may be an effective strategy for the treatment of overweight and obesity. Intermittent energy restriction was comparable to continuous energy restriction for short term weight loss in overweight and obese adults. Intermittent energy restriction was shown to be more effective than no treatment, however, this should be interpreted cautiously due to the small number of studies and future research is warranted to confirm the findings of this review
A Layman's guide to SUSY GUTs
The determination of the most straightforward evidence for the existence of
the Superworld requires a guide for non-experts (especially experimental
physicists) for them to make their own judgement on the value of such
predictions. For this purpose we review the most basic results of Super-Grand
unification in a simple and clear way. We focus the attention on two specific
models and their predictions. These two models represent an example of a direct
comparison between a traditional unified-theory and a string-inspired approach
to the solution of the many open problems of the Standard Model. We emphasize
that viable models must satisfy {\em all} available experimental constraints
and be as simple as theoretically possible. The two well defined supergravity
models, and , can be described in terms of only a few
parameters (five and three respectively) instead of the more than twenty needed
in the MSSM model, \ie, the Minimal Supersymmetric extension of the Standard
Model. A case of special interest is the strict no-scale
supergravity where all predictions depend on only one parameter (plus the
top-quark mass). A general consequence of these analyses is that supersymmetric
particles can be at the verge of discovery, lurking around the corner at
present and near future facilities. This review should help anyone distinguish
between well motivated predictions and predictions based on arbitrary choices
of parameters in undefined models.Comment: 25 pages, Latex, 11 figures (not included), CERN-TH.7077/93,
CTP-TAMU-65/93. A complete ps file (1.31MB) with embedded figures is
available by request from [email protected]
Recommended from our members
The PNL high-transmission three-stage mass spectrometer
We have constructed a three-stage isotope-ratio mass spectrometer of unique ion-optical design that achieves high ion transmission efficiency and high abundance sensitivity. The spectrometer has tandem 90[degrees] -deflection magnets with boundaries 18[degrees] off normal. The magnet drift lengths are 1.48 times the 27-cm radius of deflection. This extended geometry gives mass dispersion equivalent to a 40-cm-radius magnet with normal boundaries. The first magnet renders the ion beam parallel in the vertical plane and provides a focus in the horizontal plane of mass dispersion. The second magnet brings the beam to a stigmatic focus. This novel ion-optical design gives 100% transmission without the need for intermediate focusing lenses. It also provides a 16% increase in mass resolution over the traditional tandem geometry with normal magnet boundaries. Complete transmission of ions is maintained through a third-stage cylindrical electric sector of 38-cm radius, which provides increased isotope-abundance sensitivity. The isotope-abundance sensitivity of the new mass spectrometer is an order of magnitude better than similar instruments with normal magnet boundaries. This is because the vertical focusing of the ion beam prevents ion scattering from the top and bottom of the flight tube. The measured values of the isotope-abundance sensitivity one-half mass unit away from the rhenium ion peaks at masses 185 and 187 are M [minus] 1/2 = (6.5 [plus minus] 0.5)[times] 0[sup [minus]10] M + 1/2 = (3.1 [plus minus] 0.8) [times] 10[sup [minus]10]. By extrapolation, the uranium isotope-abundance sensitivity is m [minus] 1 = 1 [times] 10[sup [minus]10]. Construction of the instrument was facilitated by using standard commercial mass spectrometer components
Comparison of experimental and calculated peak shapes for three cylindrical geometry FAIMS prototypes of differing electrode diameters
Compensation voltage (CV) peak shapes using a domed FAIMS with the inner electrode translated to various longitudinal positions
Intra-gastric balloon as an adjunct to lifestyle support in severely obese adolescents; Impact on weight, physical activity, cardio-respiratory fitness and psychosocial wellbeing.
BACKGROUND: Severe adolescent obesity (BMI>99.6th centile) is a significant public health challenge. Current non-invasive treatments, including community-based lifestyle interventions, are often of limited effectiveness in this population, with NICE guidelines suggesting the use of bariatric surgery as the last line of treatment (NICE, 2013). Health professionals are understandably reluctant to commission bariatric surgery and as an alternative, the use of an intra-gastric balloon as an adjunct to a lifestyle programme might offer a reversible, potentially safer and less invasive option.
OBJECTIVES: Explore the use of an intra-gastric balloon as an adjunct to a lifestyle support programme, to promote weight loss in severely obese adolescents. Outcomes included Weight loss, Waist and Hip measurements, psychosocial outcomes including health related quality of life and physical self-perceptions, physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness.
METHOD: Non-randomised pilot study. Results: 12 severely obese adolescents (5 males, 7 females; mean age 15yrs; BMI >3.5 s.d.; puberty stage 4 or more) and their families were recruited. Mean weight loss at 12 months (n=9) was 3.05 kg±14.69; d=0.002, P=0.550, and a BMI Z-score (n=12) change of 0.2 s.d.; d=0.7, P=0.002 was observed at 6 months with a large effect, but was not sustained at 12 months (mean change 0.1 s.d.; d=0.3, P=0.146 ) At 24 months (n=10) there was a weight gain from baseline of +9.9 kg±1.21 (d=0.4; P=0.433). Adolescent and parent HRQoL scores exceeded the minimal clinical important difference between baseline and 12 months for all domains but showed some decline at 24 months.
CONCLUSION: An intra-gastric balloon as an adjunct to a lifestyle support programme represents a safe and well tolerated treatment approach in severely obese adolescents, with short-term effects on weight change. Improvements in psychosocial health, physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness were maintained at 12 months, with varying results at 24 months
FAIMS operation for realistic gas flow profile and asymmetric waveforms including electronic noise and ripple
An international comparison of Retinopathy of Prematurity grading performance within the Benefits of Oxygen Saturation Targeting (BOOST) II trials. International variation in ROP grading.
PurposeTo investigate whether the observed international differences in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) treatment rates within the Benefits of Oxygen Saturation Targeting (BOOST) II trials might have been caused by international variation in ROP disease grading.MethodsGroups of BOOST II trial ophthalmologists in UK, Australia, and New Zealand (ANZ), and an international reference group (INT) used a web based system to grade a selection of RetCam images of ROP acquired during the BOOST II UK trial. Rates of decisions to treat, plus disease grading, ROP stage grading, ROP zone grading, inter-observer variation within groups and intra-observer variation within groups were measured.ResultsForty-two eye examinations were graded. UK ophthalmologists diagnosed treat-requiring ROP more frequently than ANZ ophthalmologists, 13.9 (3.49) compared to 9.4 (4.46) eye examinations, P=0.038. UK ophthalmologists diagnosed plus disease more frequently than ANZ ophthalmologists, 14.1 (6.23) compared to 8.5 (3.24) eye examinations, P=0.021. ANZ ophthalmologists diagnosed stage 2 ROP more frequently than UK ophthalmologists, 20.2 (5.8) compared to 12.7 (7.1) eye examinations, P=0.026. There were no other significant differences in the grading of ROP stage or zone. Inter-observer variation was higher within the UK group than within the ANZ group. Intra-observer variation was low in both groups.ConclusionsWe have found evidence of international variation in the diagnosis of treatment-requiring ROP. Improved standardisation of the diagnosis of treatment-requiring ROP is required. Measures might include improved training in the grading of ROP, using an international approach, and further development of ROP image analysis software.Eye advance online publication, 28 July 2017; doi:10.1038/eye.2017.150
- …