Socioeconomic and racial/ethnic differentials of C-reactive protein levels: a systematic review of population-based studies

Background:Socioeconomic and racial/ethnic factors strongly influence cardiovascular disease outcomes and risk factors. C-reactive protein (CRP), a non-specific marker of inflammation, is associated with cardiovascular risk, and knowledge about its distribution in the population may help direct preventive efforts. A systematic review was undertaken to critically assess CRP levels according to socioeconomic and racial/ethnic factors. Methods:Medline was searched through December 2006 for population-based studies examining CRP levels among adults with respect to indicators of socioeconomic position (SEP) and/or race/ethnicity. Bibliographies from located studies were scanned and 26 experts in the field were contacted for unpublished work. Results:Thirty-two relevant articles were located. Cross-sectional (n = 20) and cohort studies (n = 11) were included, as was the control group of one trial. CRP levels were examined with respect to SEP and race/ethnicity in 25 and 15 analyses, respectively. Of 20 studies that were unadjusted or adjusted for demographic variables, 19 found inverse associations between CRP levels and SEP. Of 15 similar studies, 14 found differences between racial/ethnic groups such that whites had the lowest while blacks, Hispanics and South Asians had the highest CRP levels. Most studies also included adjustment for potential mediating variables in the causal chain between SEP or race/ethnicity and CRP. Most of these studies showed attenuated but still significant associations. Conclusion: Increasing poverty and non-white race was associated with elevated CRP levels among adults. Most analyses in the literature are underestimating the true effects of racial/ethnic and socioeconomic factors due to adjustment for mediating factors

THE EFFECTS OF A NOVEL EXERCISE TRAINING SUIT ON CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS, BODY COMPOSITION AND LEG STRENGTH

ABSTRACT The Effects of a Novel Exercise Training Suit on Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Body Composition and Leg Strength Trevor Michael Curry The physiological responses to physical activity or exercise using external load carriage systems (LCS) in the form of weighted personal protective equipment, backpacks, or vests have biomechanical and human performance implications. It remains unclear whether a new unique LCS in the form of a weighted (5.45 kg) full-bodied exercise suit can induce greater improvements in performance and body composition. Twenty-one healthy males (20±3 years; 24.9±3.6 body mass index (BMI); 25.1±6.4% total percentage body fat ( % fat); 120.1±17.3 kg lean mass; 146.2±35.4 kg leg press 1-repetition max; 1.25±0.14 g·cm-2 bone mineral density; 49.5±8.53 mLO2·kg-1·min-1 maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max)) were matched for VO2max and physical characteristics before being randomly allocated into an aerobic exercise intervention with or without the exercise suit using a treadmill at the Cal Poly Recreation Center. Participants jogged at 60%-70% of their maximum heart rate for 30 min three times a week on nonconsecutive days for six weeks. Weight was recorded before and after each session while heart rates, blood pressures, and tympanic membrane temperatures were recorded incrementally during each session. Thereafter, VO2max and the same physical characteristics were measured and used to analyze the changes before and after the 6-week program. The results indicate that there was no difference for the change in any of the variables measured during and between the exercise intervention. Future studies examining the effect of the exercise suit on these variables should strongly consider larger sample sizes and other subpopulations to gain the statistical power to measure the effects of the exercise suit

Pathways from Food Insecurity to Health Outcomes among California University Students

The prevalence of food insecurity (FI) among college students is alarmingly high, yet the impact on student health has not been well investigated. The aim of the current study was to examine the simultaneous relationships between food insecurity and health-related outcomes including body mass index (BMI) and overall health in a college student population. Randomly sampled students in the University of California 10 campus system were invited to participate in an online survey in spring 2015. The analytic sample size was 8705 graduate and undergraduate students. Data were collected on FI in the past year, daily servings of fruits and vegetables (FV), number of days in the past week of enough sleep and moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA), height and weight, self-rated health, and student characteristics. Using path analysis, mediated pathways between FI, BMI, and poor health were examined through FV intake, number of days of MVPA and enough sleep. Analyses controlled for student characteristics. Mean BMI was 23.6 kg/m2 (SD, 5.0), and average self-rated health was good. FI was directly and indirectly related to higher BMI and poor health through three pathways. First, FI was related to fewer days of enough sleep, which in turn was related to increased BMI and poor health. Second, FI was related to fewer days of MVPA, which in turn was related to increased BMI and poor health. Third, FI was related to fewer daily servings of FV, which in turn was related to poor health. FI is associated with poor health behaviors among college students, which may contribute to higher weight status and poor health. These findings highlight the importance of food security for a healthy college experience.University of California (UC) Office of the President's Global Food InitiativeOpen access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

The influence of persistent pathogens on circulating levels of inflammatory markers: a cross-sectional analysis from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Background: Systemic inflammation is linked to cardiovascular risk, but the influence of persistent pathogens, which are conventionally dichotomously categorized, on circulating levels of inflammatory markers is not clear. Antibody levels of pathogens have not been examined in relation to inflammation. Methods: Using data from a subsample of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, we examined circulating levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen in relation to five common persistent pathogens: cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus-1, Hepatitis A virus, Helicobacter pylori and Chlamydia pneumoniae. We tested the hypothesis that the number of seropositive pathogens (based on conventional cut-off points) would not be as sensitive a marker of inflammation as immune response measured by antibody levels to pathogens. Results: High antibody response to multiple pathogens showed graded and significant associations with IL-6 (p \u3c 0.001), CRP (p = 0.04) and fibrinogen (p = 0.001), whereas seropositive pathogen burden did not. In multiple linear regression models, high antibody response to multiple pathogens maintained a positive association only with IL-6 (4.4% per pathogen exhibiting high antibody response, 95% CI 0.0-8.9). Conclusions: High antibody response to pathogens was a more consistent marker of inflammatory outcomes compared to seropositivity alone and high antibody response to multiple pathogens was a stronger marker compared to any single pathogen

Micronesia: Steps in the Right Direction

As I watch the hazy orange sun sink into the still blue sea overlooking Chuuk lagoon, I marked the end of another seemingly ordinary day in the Federated States of Micronesia. But this October day was special—it marked the beginning of a promising new era in Chuuk’s fight against HIV and AIDS. For the past few months, several proceedings had set into motion a cascade of events that would ultimately (hopefully) benefit and educate the people of Chuuk state

A Nutrition Education Intervention Using NOVA Is More Effective Than MyPlate Alone: A Proof-of-Concept Randomized Controlled Trial

The ability to classify foods based on level of processing, not only conventional MyPlate food groups, might be a useful tool for consumers faced with a wide array of highly processed food products of varying nutritional value. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of a proof-of-concept nutrition education intervention on nutrition knowledge, assessed by correct classification of foods according to MyPlate food groups, MyPlate ‘limit’ status (for fat, sugar, sodium), and level of processing (NOVA categories). We utilized a randomized, controlled design to examine the impact of a MyPlate vs. combined MyPlate + NOVA intervention vs. control group. Intervention groups received educational flyers via email and participants were assessed using electronic baseline and follow-up surveys. The MyPlate + NOVA intervention group performed at least as well as the MyPlate group on classifying conventional food groups and ‘limit’ status. Moreover, the MyPlate + NOVA group far outperformed the other groups on classifying NOVA categories. Longer-term trials are needed, but our results suggest that NOVA principles may be more easily understood and applied than those of MyPlate. Education strategies focusing on level of food processing may be effective in the context of the modern food environment

Childhood Poverty and Abdominal Obesity in Adulthood: A Systematic Review

Adverse socioeconomic conditions in childhood can have lasting effects on health, but evidence is lacking from prospective studies concerning the effects of early poverty on abdominal obesity in adulthood. Cross-sectional studies in adults from middle and high-income countries show that current socioeconomic status is inversely related to obesity in women, but the pattern in men is not consistent. A systematic review was undertaken to assess the influence of early socioeconomic status on waist circumference, hip circumference, and waist-hip ratio in adulthood. Thirteen relevant articles were located (five cross-sectional and eight cohort), including only one from a middle-income country and the remainder from high-income settings. In all the studies, childhood poverty was associated with higher levels of abdominal obesity in women. In men, the associations were weaker, and no clear pattern emerged