Waist circumference to height ratio predicts inflammatory risk in children

<p><b>Background:</b> The increase in obesity, especially the increase of visceral fat, has been directly associated with health risk. Additionally, a waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) (0.5) has been proposed as an indicator of early health risk.</p> <p><b>Aims:</b> To test the association between anthropometric measurements and inflammatory mRNA expression and to evaluate the effectiveness of WHtR to predict inflammatory risk in children.</p> <p><b>Subjects and methods:</b> Anthropometric measurements and fasting blood samples were collected in 94 Brazilian children (46 boys) aged 9–11 years. Children were identified as being at inflammatory risk based on cytokine mRNA expression levels at and above the 75th percentile. Inflammatory cytokine mRNA expression levels were determined through buff-coat using real-time polymerase chain reaction.</p> <p><b>Results:</b> Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and WHtR showed moderate-to-strong association with inflammatory cytokine mRNA gene expression. WHtR = 0.51 was the most accurate cut-off point in distinguishing children at inflammatory risk. Compared with children with WHtR <0.51, children with a WHtR ≥0.51 presented an odds ratio of 2.643 (95% CI = 1.749–3.994) for both diagnosed IL-6 and MCP-1 above the 75th percentile and 2.796 (95% CI = 1.802–4.338) for TNF-<i>α</i> above the 75th percentile. WHtR = 0.50 presented the same values of sensitivity and odds ratio and ∼7% lower specificity compared to WHtR = 0.51.</p> <p><b>Conclusion:</b> Anthropometric measurements have shown a moderate-to-strong association with the mRNA expression of inflammatory genes and a WHtR of 0.5 could serve as a cut-off point, suggesting increased risk of inflammatory responses.</p

Waist circumference percentile in children from municipalities of developed and developing countries

<div><p>Abstract Aims: to design reference percentile curves of waist circumference (WC) in children aged 6-10 from municipalities of developed (Portugal) and developing (Brazil) countries and to compare these results with other international references. Methods: this cross-sectional study enrolled a 6-10-year-old probability sampling. Univariate analysis of covariance adjusted by height was carried out to test the main effects of age, sex, countries, and interactions. WC percentile curves were performed with the LMS Chart Maker. Results: The sample comprised 6,475 children. Portuguese children presented a curvilinear increase in WC curves and Brazilian WC curves have shown a linear increase with age both for boys and girls. Overweight and obesity prevalence was 15.9 % and 4.7 % for Portuguese children and 12.9 % 4.5% for Brazilian children, respectively. There was a main effect (p<0.0001) for age and countries, and an interaction effect for sex*age (p=0.001) and countries*age (p<0.0001). Portuguese boys and girls have shown higher values for the 50th, 75th, and 95th percentiles than Brazilian boys and girls. Conclusions: WC reference percentile curves were drawn for 6-10-year-old Portuguese and Brazilian children. Portuguese children have higher WC values than Brazilian children and other children from developed countries.</p></div

Exercise training reverse autonomic dysfunction and hypertension in rats fed with high-fat diet

<div><p>Abstract AIMS We evaluated whether exercise training ameliorates cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction in obesity-induced by high-fat diet (HFD) in rats. METHODS Wistar male rats were assigned in normal diet, sedentary (ND-S) and trained (ND-T) and HFD, sedentary (HFD-S) and trained (HFD-T). Blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), HR variability (HRV), BP variability (BPV), cardiac baroreflex and cardiac autonomic tonus were assessed. RESULTS HFD-S showed higher bodyweight increase (19.4%) compared to all other groups (HFD-T: 13.2%, ND-S: 14% and ND-T: 12.4%). Relative epididymal, retroperitoneal and visceral fat was also greater in HFD-S compared to all other groups. Resting bradycardia in ND-T (339.5±10.6 bpm) and HFD-T (341.0 ± 9.4 bpm) was more pronounced than ND-S (438.4 ± 6.3 bpm; p<0.05) and HFD-S (448.5 ± 18.7 bpm; p<0.05). The HFD-T group showed lower systolic (125.3 ( 1.9 mmHg), diastolic (88.5 ( 2.0 mmHg) and mean BP (100.3 ± 2.5 mmHg) in comparison with HFD-S (153.8 ( 3.7; 103.5 ( 2.6 and 120.5 ± 3.7 mmHg; p<0.05, respectively). Lower variance of HRV and higher variance of diastolic BPV was observed in HFD-S compared to other groups while sympathetic modulation of HRV and BPV was higher in HFD-S, as well as the LF/HF ratio. HFD-T showed a decrease in sympathetic tonus compared to HFD-S. ND-T and HFD-T showed higher cardiac vagal tonus than respective sedentary groups. Analysis showed an association between visceral fat, sympathetic activity and BP. CONCLUSIONS HFD induces hypertension and is associated with autonomic imbalance in rats, while exercise training may reverse these harmful changes.</p></div