Association of the body adiposity index (BAI) with metabolic risk factors in young and older overweight and obese women.

PURPOSE: Body adiposity index (BAI) is a novel index for the assessment of percentage fat mass (FM%). We tested the association between BAI and metabolic outcomes in overweight and obese women of different ages. METHODS: 260 young women (24.7 ± 5.3 years, 31.0 ± 5.0 kg/m(2)) and 328 older women (66.9 ± 4.6 years, 34.8 ± 4.7 kg/m(2)) were recruited. BAI was calculated using hip circumference and height. Bioimpedance analysis was used to measure FM%. Metabolic risk was assessed using a composite z score integrating standardised measurements of fasting glucose, total cholesterol, liver enzymes and triglycerides. RESULTS: The association between BAI and FM% was modest in both young (r = 0.56, p < 0.001) and older (r = 0.49, p < 0.001) groups. BAI was directly associated with metabolic risk in young women (r = 0.29, p < 0.001), whereas it showed a weak, inverse association in the older group (r = -0.14, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: BAI validity needs to be re-assessed in older individuals for better definition of its predictive accuracy

Effects of physical exercise associated with a diet enriched with natural antioxidants on cerebral hypoperfusion and reperfusion injury in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Oxidative stress is implicated in the pathogenesis of arterial hypertension. The reduction in the bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO) causes endothelial dysfunction, altering the functions of cerebral blood vessels. Physical exercise and intake of antioxidants improve the redox state, increasing the vascular NO production and/or the decrease in NO scavenging by reactive oxygen species (ROS). The present study was aimed at assessing the effects of physical exercise associated with a diet enriched with antioxidants from the Annurca apple in preventing the microvascular damage due to cerebral hypoperfusion and reperfusion injury in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). The rat pial microcirculation was investigated by intravital fluorescence microscopy through a parietal closed cranial window. As expected, SHRs subjected to physical exercise or an antioxidants-enriched diet showed a reduction of microvascular permeability, ROS formation, and leukocyte adhesion to venular walls, with a major effect of the antioxidants-enriched diet, when compared to untreated SHRs. Moreover, capillary perfusion was preserved by both treatments in comparison with untreated SHRs. Unexpectedly, the combined treatments did not induce higher effects than the single treatment. In conclusion, our results support the efficacy of physical activity or antioxidant supplement in reducing the microvascular alterations due to hypertension and ascribe to an antioxidants-enriched diet effective microvascular protection in SHRs

Prevalenza della sarcopenia in una popolazione napoletana di anziani obesi e trattamento nutrizionale

Background: A reduction in muscle mass (MM), known as sarcopenia, and an increase in fat mass is one of the most striking and consistent changes associated with obesity in aging. Sarcopenia should be evaluated in older patients who present declines in physical activity and strength. A careful weight management may be useful to reduce fat mass and to preserve muscle mass in sarcopenic obese old patients. Objective: The main purpose of our study was to diagnose sarcopenia in obese older peoples and to assess the effect of a diet moderately rich in proteins on lean mass loss in sarcopenic obese older patients. Material and Methods: 1814 patients (1301 females, 20-75 years old) were enrolled in the study to determine new cut-off of muscle mass index (MMI) to evaluate sarcopenia. 1272 subjects (1030 females - age > 65 years; BMI > 30 Kg/m2) were recruited to verify the effect of a diet moderately rich in proteins (1,2 g/Kg/die) on lean mass loss in sarcopenic obese older patients. Nutritional status was assessed and MM was estimated. MMI was calculated as: MM/height2 in all populations. Results: MMI was significantly different in males and females, according to obese and normalweight conditions, as well as age. New MMI cut-off were calculated (as MMI – 2SD) in all groups. In particular, in obese adult men MMI cut-off was 8,54 Kg/m2, while it was 7,89 Kg/m2 in normalweight adult men. MMI cut-off was 7,28 Kg/m2 in obese adult women and 6,79 Kg/m2 in normalweight adult women. According to obese-derived MMI cut-off scores, 104 obese older women (out of 1030) and 9 obese older men (out of 242) were classified as sarcopenic. After dieting (1,2 g/Kg/die of proteins), significant reductions in BMI were detected in all sarcopenic populations (Females: 30,26 ± 0,02 vs 31,05 ± 0,03 Kg/m2; Males: 29,2 ± 0,4 vs 30,20 ± 0,03 Kg/m2, p < 0,01 vs baseline). MMI showed a significant increase in sarcopenic obese older women (7,13 ± 0,01 vs 6,96 ± 0,01 Kg/m2, p<0,01 vs baseline), but not in sarcopenic obese older men (8,8 ± 0,3 vs 8,27 ± 0,04 Kg/m2). Moreover, AMA did not present significant variations in all sarcopenic groups (Females: 43,11 ± 0,04 vs 43,59 ± 0,05 cm2; Males: 53,2 ± 4,0 vs 51,9 ± 3,3 cm2). Conclusions: MMI was significantly different in males and females, comparing obese and normalweight groups. In particular, MMI in our obese patients was higher than in normalweight peoples. New cut-off, derived from obese adult population, may be useful to estimate sarcopenia in obese older peoples. Diet moderately rich in proteins appeared to preserve muscle mass in sarcopenic subjects. Therefore, adequate protein intake could contribute to prevent lean mass loss associated with weight loss in obese older patients

Dietary protein intake in sarcopenic obese older women

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of sarcopenia in a population of obese older women and to assess the effect of a diet moderately rich in proteins on lean mass in sarcopenic obese older women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1,030 females, >65 years old, body mass index >30 kg/m(2), were investigated about their nutritional status. Muscle mass (MM) was estimated according to the Janssen equation (MM =0.401× height(2)/resistance measured at 50 kHz +3.825× sex −0.071× age +5.102). Sarcopenia was defined according to the MM index, MM/height2 (kg/m(2)), as two standard deviations lower than the obesity-derived cutoff score (7.3 kg/m(2)). A food-frequency questionnaire was used to measure participants’ usual food intake during the previous 3 months. Moreover, a group of sarcopenic obese older women (n=104) was divided in two subgroups: the first (normal protein intake [NPI], n=50) administered with a hypocaloric diet (0.8 g/kg desirable body weight/day of proteins), and the second treated with a hypocaloric diet containing 1.2 g/kg desirable body weight/day of proteins (high protein intake [HPI], n=54), for 3 months. Dietary ingestion was estimated according to a daily food diary, self-administered, and three reports of nonconsecutive 24-hour recall every month during the follow-up. RESULTS: The 104 women were classified as sarcopenic. After dieting, significant reductions in body mass index were detected (NPI 30.7±1.3 vs 32.0±2.3 kg/m(2), HPI 30.26±0.90 vs 31.05±2.90 kg/m(2); P<0.01 vs baseline). The MM index presented significant variations in the NPI as well as in the HPI sarcopenic group (NPI 6.98±0.1 vs 7.10±0.2 kg/m(2), HPI 7.13±0.4 vs 6.96±0.1 kg/m(2); P<0.01 vs baseline). CONCLUSION: A diet moderately rich in proteins was able to preserve MM in sarcopenic women. Therefore, adequate protein intake could contribute to the prevention of lean-mass loss associated with weight reduction in obese older people

Effects of oleuropein and pinoresinol on microvascular damage induced by hypoperfusion and reperfusion in rat pial circulation

Objective: The present study was aimed to assess the in vivo acute effects of oleuropein or/and pinoresinol, polyphenols widely diffused in natural sources, on rat pial microvascular responses during transient BCCAO and reperfusion. Methods: Rat pial microcirculation was visualized by fluorescence microscopy through a closed cranial window. Pial arterioles were classified into five orders of branching. Capillaries were assigned order 0, the smallest arterioles order 1 and the largest ones order 5. Results: Rats subjected to BCCAO and reperfusion showed: arteriolar diameter decrease, microvascular leakage, leukocyte adhesion in venules, and reduction in capillary perfusion. Pretreatment with oleuropein or pinoresinol, a higher dose before BCCAO determined dilation in all arteriolar orders RE. Microvascular leakage was reduced as well as leukocyte adhesion and ROS formation, while capillary perfusion was protected. Inhibition of endothelium nitric oxide synthase prior to oleuropein or pinoresinol reduced the effect of these polyphenols on pial arteriolar diameter and leakage. These substances, administered together, prevented microvascular damage to a larger extent. Conclusion: Oleuropein and pinoresinol were both able to protect pial microcirculation from I-reperfusion injury, to increase nitric oxide release and to reduce oxidative stress preserving pial blood flow distribution