No effect of exercise on insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, insulin and glucose in young women participating in a 16-week randomized controlled trial

Introduction: Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and IGF binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) have been associated with increased risk of breast cancer. Methods: We report our findings on the effects of 16 weeks of aerobic exercise on IGF axis proteins, insulin, glucose and insulin resistance of 319 young sedentary women. Demographics, health surveys, body composition, dietary intake and blood samples were collected at baseline and 16 weeks. IGF-1 and IGF binding proteins 1, 2, and 3 were measured by ELISA’s. Results: Exercise adherence was 88% and the dropout rates for the exercise and control groups were 21.7% and 14.5%, respectively. There was a small significant change from baseline in IGFBP-3 concentrations. IGFBP-3 levels decreased in controls and increased in exercisers. The between group difference was significant. No other changes were noted. Conclusion: Sixteen weeks of exercise had minimum or no effect on IGF proteins of young women. Impact: Our study supports findings from previous studies conducted in older populations and raises the question of what type of intervention is needed to change circulating levels of IGF proteins in humans

Food Frequency Questionnaires and Overnight Urines Are Valid Indicators of Daidzein and Genistein Intake in U.S. Women Relative to Multiple 24-h Urine Samples

Data regarding convenient, valid methods for measuring U.S. isoflavone intake are limited. We evaluated a soy food questionnaire (SFQ), the Willett food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), and overnight urine samples relative to excretion in 24-h urine samples. We also described intake among women in a high-risk program for breast or ovarian cancer. Between April 2002 and June 2003, 451 women aged 30 to 50 yr with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer completed the SFQ and FFQ. Of them, 27 provided four 24-h and overnight urine specimens. In these women, 24-h sample measures were correlated with SFQ estimates of daidzein (Spearman r = .48) and genistein (r = .54) intake, moderately correlated with the Willett FFQ (daidzein r = .38, genistein r = .33), and strongly correlated with overnight urine excretion (daidzein r = .84, genistein r = 0.93). Among all 451 SFQ respondents, mean (median) daidzein and genistein intakes were 2.8 (0.24) and 3.9 (0.30) mg/day. Primary sources of both were soymilk, soy nuts, and tofu.We conclude that targeted soy food questionnaires, comprehensive FFQs, and multiple overnight urines are all reasonable options for assessing isoflavone intake in epidemiologic studies

Seaweed and Soy: Companion Foods in Asian Cuisine and Their Effects on Thyroid Function in American Women

Seaweeds and soy are two commonly eaten foods in Asia. Both have been reported to affect thyroid function, seaweed because of its iodine content and soy because of its goitrogenic effect. Twenty-five healthy postmenopausal women (mean age 58 years) completed a double-blinded randomized crossover study. Ten capsules (5 g/day) of placebo or seaweed (Alaria exculenta), providing 475 ug of iodine/day, were consumed daily for 7 weeks. A powdered soy protein isolate (Solae Co., St. Louis, MO) providing 2 mg of isoflavones/kg of body weight, was given daily during the last week of each treatment arm. On average, this provided 141.3 mg of isoflavones/day and 67.5 g of protein/day. Blood samples and 48-hour urine samples were collected before and after each intervention period, and urinary I/C (ug of iodine/g of creatinine) and serum thyroxine, free thyroxine index, total triiodothyronine, and thyroidstimulating hormone (TSH) were measured. Seaweed ingestion increased I/C concentrations (P \u3c .0001) and serum TSH (P \u3c .0001) (1.69 +/- 0.22 vs. 2.19 +/- 0.22 uU/mL, mean +/- SE). Soy supplementation did not affect thyroid end points. Seven weeks of 5 g/day seaweed supplementation was associated with a small but statistically significant increase in TSH. Soy protein isolate supplementation was not associated with changes in serum thyroid hormone concentrations

Serum IGF-1 Concentrations Change With Soy and Seaweed Supplements in Healthy Postmenopausal American Women

Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is an anabolic hormone important for growth and development. However, high-circulating serum concentrations in adults are associated with increased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. Nutritional status and specific foods influence serum IGF-1 concentrations. Breast cancer incidence is typically low in Asian countries where soy is commonly consumed. Paradoxically, soy supplement trials in American women have reported significant increases in IGF-1. Seaweed also is consumed regularly in Asian countries where breast cancer risk is low. We investigated the possibility that seaweed could modify soy-associated increases in IGF-1 in American women. Thirty healthy postmenopausal women (mean age 58 yr) participated in this 14-wk double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover clinical trial. Participants consumed 5 g/day placebo or seaweed (Alaria esculenta) in capsules for 7 wk. During the 7th wk, a high-soy protein isolate powder was added (2 mg/kg body weight aglycone equivalent isoflavones). Overnight fasting blood samples were collected after each intervention period. Soy significantly increased serum IGF-1 concentrations compared to the placebo (21.2 nmol/L for soy vs. 16.9 nmol/L for placebo; P = 0.0001). The combination of seaweed and soy significantly reduced this increase by about 40% (21.2 nmol/L for soy alone vs. 19.4 nmol/L; P = 0.01). Concurrent seaweed and soy consumption may be important in modifying the effect of soy on IGF-1 serum concentrations

Associations between diet quality and anthropometric measures in white postmenopausal women

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship between diet and anthropometric measures in postmenopausal women. Data collected from 937 women enrolled in the Minnesota Green Tea Trial (NTC00917735) were used for this analysis. Dietary intake and health-related data were collected via questionnaires. Body weight, height, and waist circumference (WC) were measured by the study staff. The mean age of participants was 59.8 years and mean WC was 83 cm. Approximately 30% of the participants had WC greater than 88 cm. Healthy Eating Index-2015 score was 72.6 and the Dietary Inflammatory Index score was 0. Intakes of whole grains, dairy, protein, sodium, and saturated fat did not meet the dietary guidelines. Only 12.5% consumed the recommended daily amount of calcium (mean intake = 765 mg/day). When calcium supplements were considered, only 35.2% of the participants had adequate intakes, even though 68.9% reported taking a calcium supplement. We found that age and number of medications taken were significantly associated with waist circumference (p = 0.005). Women who reported taking two or more medications had greater WC (85 cm) compared to women who reported not taking any medications (82.2 cm), p = 0.002. Our findings suggest that achieving adequate calcium and vitamin D intake may be challenging to postmenopausal women

Associations between polymorphisms in phase II enzymes and circulating sex-steroid hormones in white postmenopausal women

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in enzymes that metabolize sex steroid hormones were associated with the blood levels of these hormones in postmenopausal women and if the use of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) could modify this association. METHODS: Baseline data were collected from 932 postmenopausal women enrolled in the Minnesota Green Tea Trial. Participants filled out a questionnaire about their demographics, lifestyle factors, and medical and reproductive history. Free, bioavailable, and total serum levels of reproductive hormones were measured through liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. For genotyping of UGT1A1 (rs10928303), UGT1A4 (rs10929301, rs11673726), UGT1A6 (rs1105879, rs2070959, rs6759892), UGT1A8 (rs10167119), UGT2B7 (rs7439366), and SULT1A1 (rs9282861, rs1968752), mass spectrometry based on multiplex methods and TaqMan assays were performed. Adjusted linear models were fit to assess the associations between SNPs and blood hormones using age, body mass index (BMI), and MHT as covariates. RESULTS: The mean age was 59.8 years, and the mean BMI was 25.1 kg/m(2). Past or recent use of MHT was reported by 41.2% of the participants. SNPs in SULT1A1 (rs1968752 and rs9282861) and UGT1A4 (rs11673726) genes were significantly associated with estrone levels, whereas SNPs in UGT1A6 (rs6759892) and UGT1A8 (rs10167119) genes were significantly associated with bioavailable estradiol levels. CONCLUSIONS: There was no evidence that MHT use modified the association between SNPs and sex-steroid hormone levels; however, further studies are needed to establish the potential clinical significance of UGT1A4 (rs11673726), UGT1A6 (rs6759892), and UGT1A8 (rs10167119) SNPs and the modulation of hormone levels in postmenopausal women

Plasma F2-isoprostanes are positively associated with glycemic load, but inversely associated with dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids and insoluble fiber in postmenopausal women

Background: Dietary factors, such as antioxidant nutrients, contribute significantly to the maintenance of an appropriate balance between antioxidant defense and free radical production in the body. Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the relation between oxidative stress as assessed by plasma F2- isoprostane (IsoP) concentration, glycemic load (GL), glycemic index (GI), intake of antioxidant nutrients, dietary fiber, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Methods: This study was a cross-sectional secondary analysis of baseline data collected from a random sample of 269 postmenopausal women participating in the Minnesota Green Tea Trial. GL, GI, and dietary variables were calculated from the diet history questionnaire. Subjects filled out surveys about the use of anti-inflammatory drugs and physical activity. Plasma IsoP concentration was assessed by GC-mass spectrometry. IsoP concentrations were compared across quartiles of GL, GI, insoluble fiber, PUFAs, and antioxidant nutrients with the use of linear regression. Results: Antioxidant supplement intake, including zinc, copper, vitamin C and vitamin E, was reported by \u3e 60% of the participants. Mean intake of PUFAs was 12.5 g. Mean plasma IsoP concentrations increased from 34 to 36.7 pg/mL in the lowest quartiles of GL and GI, respectively, to 45.2 and 41.6 pg/mL, respectively, in the highest quartiles (P-trend = 0.0014 for GL and P-trend = 0.0379 for GI), whereasmean IsoP concentrations decreased from41.8 pg/mL in the lowest quartile of PUFAs to 34.9 pg/mL in the highest quartile (P-trend = 0.0416). Similarly, mean IsoP concentrations decreased from 44.4 pg/mL in the lowest quartile of insoluble fiber to 36 pg/mL in the highest quartile (P-trend = 0.0243) after adjustment for potential confounders. Conclusions: We concluded that dietary PUFAs and insoluble fiber are inversely associated with oxidative stress whereas GL and GI are positively associated with oxidative stress in postmenopausal women

recruiting older patients with peripheral arterial

disease: evaluating challenges and strategie

Long-term supplementation of green tea extract does not modify adiposity or bone mineral density in a randomized trial of overweight and obese postmenopausal women

Background: Green tea extract (GTE) consumption has been linked to favorable changes in adiposity and bone mineral density (BMD), although it is unknown if these effects are due to green tea catechins or caffeine. The catechol-Omethyltransferase (COMT) genotype may also modify these associations. Objective: We examined the impact of decaffeinated GTE on body composition (using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) and obesity-associated hormones. Methods: The Minnesota Green Tea Trial was a 12-mo randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in 937 postmenopausal women (aged 50-70 y) assigned to receive either GTE containing 843 mg (2)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate or placebo. This substudy was conducted in 121 overweight/obese participants [body mass index (BMI) (kg/m2) $25.0]. Results: Therewere no differences in changes in BMI (20.13 6 0.11 compared with -0.05 ± 0.11; P = 0.61), total fatmass (-0.30 ± 0.16 compared with -0.12 ± 0.15 kg; P = 0.40), percentage of body fat (-0.15% ± 0.17% compared with 20.15% ± 0.16%; P = 0.99), or BMD (20.006 ± 0.002 compared with -0.003 ± 0.002 g/cm2; P = 0.49) over 12 mo between women taking GTE (n = 61) and those taking a placebo (n = 60). Interactions were observed between treatment and time for gynoid percentage of fat (%fat) and tissue%fat. Gynoid%fat increased frombaseline tomonth 12 in the placebo group as baseline BMI increased and decreased over time as baseline BMI increased in the GTE group (P-interaction = 0.02). Tissue %fat increased from baseline to month 12 in the placebo group as baseline BMI increased. In the GTE group, tissue %fat decreased during the intervention as baseline BMI increased (P-interaction = 0.04). No changeswere seen in circulating leptin, ghrelin, adiponectin, or insulin concentrations. COMT genotype did not modify the effect of GTE on any variable. Conclusions: Decaffeinated GTE was not associated with overall reductions in adiposity or improvements in BMD in overweight/obese postmenopausal women. However, GTE may be beneficial for reduction in tissue and gynoid%fat in individuals with higher BMI. This clinical trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00917735

Plasma F 2 -isoprostanes Are Positively Associated with Glycemic Load, but Inversely Associated with Dietary Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Insoluble Fiber in Postmenopausal Women

Background: Dietary factors, such as antioxidant nutrients, contribute significantly to the maintenance of an appropriate balance between antioxidant defense and free radical production in the body. Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the relation between oxidative stress as assessed by plasma F2- isoprostane (IsoP) concentration, glycemic load (GL), glycemic index (GI), intake of antioxidant nutrients, dietary fiber, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Methods: This study was a cross-sectional secondary analysis of baseline data collected from a random sample of 269 postmenopausal women participating in the Minnesota Green Tea Trial. GL, GI, and dietary variables were calculated from the diet history questionnaire. Subjects filled out surveys about the use of anti-inflammatory drugs and physical activity. Plasma IsoP concentration was assessed by GC-mass spectrometry. IsoP concentrations were compared across quartiles of GL, GI, insoluble fiber, PUFAs, and antioxidant nutrients with the use of linear regression. Results: Antioxidant supplement intake, including zinc, copper, vitamin C and vitamin E, was reported by \u3e 60% of the participants. Mean intake of PUFAs was 12.5 g. Mean plasma IsoP concentrations increased from 34 to 36.7 pg/mL in the lowest quartiles of GL and GI, respectively, to 45.2 and 41.6 pg/mL, respectively, in the highest quartiles (P-trend = 0.0014 for GL and P-trend = 0.0379 for GI), whereasmean IsoP concentrations decreased from41.8 pg/mL in the lowest quartile of PUFAs to 34.9 pg/mL in the highest quartile (P-trend = 0.0416). Similarly, mean IsoP concentrations decreased from 44.4 pg/mL in the lowest quartile of insoluble fiber to 36 pg/mL in the highest quartile (P-trend = 0.0243) after adjustment for potential confounders. Conclusions: We concluded that dietary PUFAs and insoluble fiber are inversely associated with oxidative stress whereas GL and GI are positively associated with oxidative stress in postmenopausal women