Association between WHO cut-offs for childhood overweight and obesity and cardiometabolic risk

Abstract Objective To examine the association between cardiovascular risk and childhood overweight and obesity using the BMI cut-offs recommended by the WHO. Design Children were classified as normal weight, overweight and obese according to the WHO BMI-for-age reference. Blood pressure, lipids, glucose, insulin, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and uric acid levels were compared across BMI groups. ANOVA and tests of linearity were used to assess overall mean differences across groups. Crude and adjusted odds ratios were calculated for adverse plasma levels of biochemical variables. Setting Paediatric care centres. Subjects Children (n 149) aged 8-18 years. Results About 37 %, 22 % and 41 % of children were classified respectively as normal weight, overweight and obese. There were significant linear mean differences between BMI groups in systolic blood pressure, HDL-cholesterol, TAG, insulin, HOMA-IR and uric acid. Obese children were 10·6 times more likely than normal-weight children to have hypertension; OR for other associations were 60·2 (high insulin), 39·5 (HOMA-IR), 27·9 (TAG), 16·0 (HDL-cholesterol), 4·3 (LDL-cholesterol) and 3·6 (uric acid). Overweight children were more likely than normal-weight children to have hypertension (OR = 3·5), high insulin (OR = 28·2), high HOMA-IR (OR = 23·3) and high TAG (OR = 16·1). Nearly 92 % and 57 % of the obese and overweight children, respectively, had one or more risk factor. Conclusions Obesity and overweight defined using the WHO BMI-for-age cut-offs identified children with higher metabolic and vascular risk. These results emphasize the importance of prevention of overweight and obesity in childhood to reduce cardiovascular ris

Effect of chronic exercise on myocardial electrophysiological heterogeneity and stability. Role of intrinsic cholinergic neurons: A study in the isolated rabbit heart

[EN] A study has been made of the effect of chronic exercise on myocardial electrophysiological heterogeneity and stability, as well as of the role of cholinergic neurons in these changes. Determinations in hearts from untrained and trained rabbits on a treadmill were performed. The hearts were isolated and perfused. A pacing electrode and a recording multielectrode were located in the left ventricle. The parameters determined during induced VF, before and after atropine (1 mu M), were: fibrillatory cycle length (VV), ventricular functional refractory period (FRPVF), normalized energy (NE) of the fibrillatory signal and its coefficient of variation (CV), and electrical ventricular activation complexity, as an approach to myocardial heterogeneity and stability. The VV interval was longer in the trained group than in the control group both prior to atropine (78 +/- 10 vs. 68 +/- 10 ms) and after atropine (76 +/- 8 vs. 67 +/- 10 ms). Likewise, FRPVF was longer in the trained group than in the control group both prior to and after atropine (53 +/- 8 vs. 42 +/- 7 ms and 50 +/- 6 vs. 40 +/- 6 ms, respectively), and atropine did not modify FRPVF. The CV of FRPVF was lower in the trained group than in the control group prior to atropine (12.5 +/- 1.5% vs. 15.1 +/- 3.8%) and, decreased after atropine (15.1 +/- 3.8% vs. 12.2 +/- 2.4%) in the control group. The trained group showed higher NE values before (0.40 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.36 +/- 0.05) and after atropine (0.37 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.34 +/- 0.06; p = 0.08). Training decreased the CV of NE both before (23.3 +/- 2% vs. 25.2 +/- 4%; p = 0.08) and after parasympathetic blockade (22.6 +/- 1% vs. 26.1 +/- 5%). Cholinergic blockade did not modify these parameters within the control and trained groups. Activation complexity was lower in the trained than in the control animals before atropine (34 +/- 8 vs. 41 +/- 5), and increased after atropine in the control group (41 +/- 5 vs. 48 +/- 9, respectively). Thus, training decreases the intrinsic heterogeneity of the myocardium, increases electrophysiological stability, and prevents some modifications due to muscarinic block.This research was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, (DEP2007-73234-C03-01 to AMA), http://www.mecd.gob.es/portada-mecd/; and the Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO 2010/093 to FJC, and FPI/2008/003 to MZ), http://www.gva.es/va/inicio/presentacion; jsessionid=ydprbDQZTsCTz85W1Such-Miquel, L.; Brines-Ferrando, L.; Alberola, A.; Zarzoso Muñoz, M.; Chorro Gasco, FJ.; Guerrero-Martínez, JF.; Parra-Giraldo, G.... (2018). Effect of chronic exercise on myocardial electrophysiological heterogeneity and stability. Role of intrinsic cholinergic neurons: A study in the isolated rabbit heart. 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N., & Quindry, J. C. (2014). Mechanisms of Exercise-Induced Cardioprotection. Physiology, 29(1), 27-38. doi:10.1152/physiol.00030.2013Hull, S. S., Vanoli, E., Adamson, P. B., Verrier, R. L., Foreman, R. D., & Schwartz, P. J. (1994). Exercise training confers anticipatory protection from sudden death during acute myocardial ischemia. Circulation, 89(2), 548-552. doi:10.1161/01.cir.89.2.548Hajnal, Á., Nagy, O., Litvai, Á., Papp, J., Parratt, J. R., & Végh, Á. (2005). Nitric oxide involvement in the delayed antiarrhythmic effect of treadmill exercise in dogs. Life Sciences, 77(16), 1960-1971. doi:10.1016/j.lfs.2005.02.015Such, L., Alberola, A. M., Such-Miquel, L., López, L., Trapero, I., Pelechano, F., … Chorro, F. J. (2008). Effects of chronic exercise on myocardial refractoriness: a study on isolated rabbit heart. Acta Physiologica, 193(4), 331-339. doi:10.1111/j.1748-1716.2008.01851.xZarzoso, M., Such-Miquel, L., Parra, G., Brines-Ferrando, L., Such, L., Chorro, F. J., … Alberola, A. (2011). The training-induced changes on automatism, conduction and myocardial refractoriness are not mediated by parasympathetic postganglionic neurons activity. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 112(6), 2185-2193. doi:10.1007/s00421-011-2189-4Billman, G. E. (2009). Cardiac autonomic neural remodeling and susceptibility to sudden cardiac death: effect of endurance exercise training. American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology, 297(4), H1171-H1193. doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00534.2009HAN, J., & MOE, G. K. (1964). Nonuniform Recovery of Excitability in Ventricular Muscle. Circulation Research, 14(1), 44-60. doi:10.1161/01.res.14.1.44Beaumont, E., Salavatian, S., Southerland, E. M., Vinet, A., Jacquemet, V., Armour, J. A., & Ardell, J. L. (2013). Network interactions within the canine intrinsic cardiac nervous system: implications for reflex control of regional cardiac function. The Journal of Physiology, 591(18), 4515-4533. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2013.259382Armour, J. A. (2008). Potential clinical relevance of the ‘little brain’ on the mammalian heart. Experimental Physiology, 93(2), 165-176. doi:10.1113/expphysiol.2007.041178Abramochkin, D. V., Nurullin, L. F., Borodinova, A. A., Tarasova, N. V., Sukhova, G. S., Nikolsky, E. E., & Rosenshtraukh, L. V. (2009). Non-quantal release of acetylcholine from parasympathetic nerve terminals in the right atrium of rats. Experimental Physiology, 95(2), 265-273. doi:10.1113/expphysiol.2009.050302CHORRO, F. J., CANOVES, J., GUERRERO, J., MAINAR, L., SANCHIS, J., SORIA, E., … LOPEZ-MERINO, V. (2000). Opposite Effects of Myocardial Stretch and Verapamil on the Complexity of the Ventricular Fibrillatory Pattern: An Experimental Study. Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology, 23(11), 1594-1603. doi:10.1046/j.1460-9592.2000.01594.xSuch, L., Rodriguez, A., Alberola, A., Lopez, L., Ruiz, R., Artal, L., … Chorro, F. J. (2002). Intrinsic changes on automatism, conduction, and refractoriness by exercise in isolated rabbit heart. Journal of Applied Physiology, 92(1), 225-229. doi:10.1152/jappl.2002.92.1.225Duytschaever, M., Mast, F., Killian, M., Blaauw, Y., Wijffels, M., & Allessie, M. (2001). Methods for Determining the Refractory Period and Excitable Gap During Persistent Atrial Fibrillation in the Goat. Circulation, 104(8), 957-962. doi:10.1161/hc3401.093156Wijffels, M. C. E. F., Kirchhof, C. J. H. J., Dorland, R., & Allessie, M. A. (1995). Atrial Fibrillation Begets Atrial Fibrillation. Circulation, 92(7), 1954-1968. doi:10.1161/01.cir.92.7.1954Zaitsev, A. V., Berenfeld, O., Mironov, S. F., Jalife, J., & Pertsov, A. M. (2000). Distribution of Excitation Frequencies on the Epicardial and Endocardial Surfaces of Fibrillating Ventricular Wall of the Sheep Heart. Circulation Research, 86(4), 408-417. doi:10.1161/01.res.86.4.408Armour, J. A., Collier, K., Kember, G., & Ardell, J. L. (1998). 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Martian Atmospheric Aerosols Composition and Distribution Retrievals During the First Martian Year of NOMAD/TGO Solar Occultation Measurements: 2. Extended Results, End of MY 34 and First Half of MY 35

This is the second part of Stolzenbach et al. (2023, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JE007276), named hereafter Paper I, extends the period to the end of MY 34 and the first half of MY 35. This encompasses the end phase of the MY 34 Global Dust Storm (GDS), the MY 34 C-Storm, the Aphelion Cloud Belt (ACB) season of MY 35, and an unusual early dust event of MY 35 from L$_S$ 30° to L$_S$ 55°. The end of MY 34 overall aerosol size distribution shows the same parameters for dust and water ice to what was seen during the MY 34 GDS. Interestingly, the layered water ice vertical structure of MY 34 GDS disappears. The MY 34 C-Storm maintains condition like the MY 34 GDS. A high latitude layer of bigger water ice particles, close to 1 μm, is seen from 50 to 60 km. This layered structure is linked to an enhanced meridional transport characteristic of high intensity dust event which put the MY 34 C-Storm as particularly intense compared to non-GDS years C-Storms as previously suggested by Holmes et al. (2021, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2021.117109). Surprisingly, MY 35 began with an unusually large dust event (Kass et al., 2020, https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2020AGUFMP039…01K) found in the Northern hemisphere during L$_S$ 35° to L$_S$ 50°. During this dust event, the altitude of aerosol first detection is roughly equal to 20 km. This is close to the values encountered during the MY 34 GDS, its decay phase and the C-Storm of the same year. Nonetheless, no vertical layered structure was observed

Martian Atmospheric Aerosols Composition and Distribution Retrievals During the First Martian Year of NOMAD/TGO Solar Occultation Measurements: 1. Methodology and Application to the MY 34 Global Dust Storm

Since the beginning of the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) science operations in April 2018, its instrument “Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery” (NOMAD) supplies detailed observations of the IR spectrums of the Martian atmosphere. We developed a procedure that allows us to evaluate the composition and distribution\u27s parameters of the atmospheric Martian aerosols. We use a retrieval program (RCP) in conjunction with a radiative forward model (KOPRA) to evaluate the vertical profile of aerosol extinction from NOMAD measurements. We then apply a model/data fitting strategy of the aerosol extinction. In this first article, we describe the method used to evaluate the parameters representing the Martian aerosol composition and size distribution. MY 34 GDS showed a peak intensity from L$_S$ 190° to 210°. During this period, the aerosol content rises multiple scale height, reaching altitudes up to 100 km. The lowermost altitude of aerosol\u27s detection during NOMAD observation rises up to 30 km. Dust aerosols r$_{eff}$ were observed to be close to 1 μm and its ν$_{eff}$ lower than 0.2. Water ice aerosols r$_{eff}$ were observed to be submicron with a ν$_{eff}$ lower than 0.2. The vertical aerosol structure can be divided in two parts. The lower layers are represented by higher r$_{eff}$ than the upper layers. The change between the lower and upper layers is very steep, taking only few kilometers. The decaying phase of the GDS, LS 210°–260°, shows a decrease in altitude of the aerosol content but no meaningful difference in the observed aerosol\u27s size distribution parameters

Martian Atmospheric Aerosols Composition and Distribution Retrievals During the First Martian Year of NOMAD/TGO Solar Occultation Measurements: 2. Extended Results, End of MY 34 and First Half of MY 35

This is the second part of Stolzenbach et al. (2023, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JE007276), named hereafter Paper I, extends the period to the end of MY 34 and the first half of MY 35. This encompasses the end phase of the MY 34 Global Dust Storm (GDS), the MY 34 C‐Storm, the Aphelion Cloud Belt (ACB) season of MY 35, and an unusual early dust event of MY 35 from LS 30° to LS 55°. The end of MY 34 overall aerosol size distribution shows the same parameters for dust and water ice to what was seen during the MY 34 GDS. Interestingly, the layered water ice vertical structure of MY 34 GDS disappears. The MY 34 C‐Storm maintains condition like the MY 34 GDS. A high latitude layer of bigger water ice particles, close to 1 μm, is seen from 50 to 60 km. This layered structure is linked to an enhanced meridional transport characteristic of high intensity dust event which put the MY 34 C‐Storm as particularly intense compared to non‐GDS years C‐Storms as previously suggested by Holmes et al. (2021, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2021.117109). Surprisingly, MY 35 began with an unusually large dust event (Kass et al., 2020, https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2020AGUFMP039…01K) found in the Northern hemisphere during LS 35° to LS 50°. During this dust event, the altitude of aerosol first detection is roughly equal to 20 km. This is close to the values encountered during the MY 34 GDS, its decay phase and the C‐Storm of the same year. Nonetheless, no vertical layered structure was observed

Martian Atmospheric Aerosols Composition and Distribution Retrievals During the First Martian Year of NOMAD/TGO Solar Occultation Measurements: 1. Methodology and Application to the MY 34 Global Dust Storm

Since the beginning of the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) science operations in April 2018, its instrument “Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery” (NOMAD) supplies detailed observations of the IR spectrums of the Martian atmosphere. We developed a procedure that allows us to evaluate the composition and distribution's parameters of the atmospheric Martian aerosols. We use a retrieval program (RCP) in conjunction with a radiative forward model (KOPRA) to evaluate the vertical profile of aerosol extinction from NOMAD measurements. We then apply a model/data fitting strategy of the aerosol extinction. In this first article, we describe the method used to evaluate the parameters representing the Martian aerosol composition and size distribution. MY 34 GDS showed a peak intensity from LS 190° to 210°. During this period, the aerosol content rises multiple scale height, reaching altitudes up to 100 km. The lowermost altitude of aerosol's detection during NOMAD observation rises up to 30 km. Dust aerosols reff were observed to be close to 1 μm and its νeff lower than 0.2. Water ice aerosols reff were observed to be submicron with a νeff lower than 0.2. The vertical aerosol structure can be divided in two parts. The lower layers are represented by higher reff than the upper layers. The change between the lower and upper layers is very steep, taking only few kilometers. The decaying phase of the GDS, LS 210°–260°, shows a decrease in altitude of the aerosol content but no meaningful difference in the observed aerosol's size distribution parameters

Retrieval of Martian atmospheric CO vertical profiles from NOMAD observations during the 1st year of TGO operations

We present CO density profiles up to about 100 km in the Martian atmosphere obtained for the first time from retrievals of solar occultation measurements by the Nadir and Occultation for Mars Discovery (NOMAD) onboard ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO). CO is an important trace gas on Mars, as it is controlled by CO2 photolysis, chemical reaction with the OH radicals, and the global dynamics. However, the measurements of CO vertical profiles have been elusive until the arrival of TGO. We show how the NOMAD CO variations describe very well the Mars general circulation. We observe a depletion of CO in the upper troposphere and mesosphere during the peak period, LS = 190°–200°, more pronounced over the northern latitudes, confirming a similar result recently reported by ACS onboard TGO. However, in the lower troposphere around 20 km, and at least at high latitudes of the S. hemisphere, NOMAD CO mixing ratios increase over 1500 ppmv during the GDS (Global Dust Storm) onset. This might be related to the downwelling branch of the Hadley circulation. A subsequent increase in tropospheric CO is observed during the decay phase of the GDS around LS = 210° − −250° when the dust loading is still high. This could be associated with a reduction in the amount of OH radicals in the lower atmosphere due to lack of solar insolation. Once the GDS is over, CO steadily decreases globally during the southern summer season. A couple of distinct CO patterns associated with the Summer solstice and equinox circulation are reported and discussed

Dedicatòria de Francisco Brines a José Agustín Goytisolo

La paraula 'buena' està subratllada.A José Agustín, tan buena persona, desde la admiración y el cariño de Paco

Donde muere la muerte

Poema inedito de Francisco Brine