Mechanisms of action and effects of the administration of Coenzyme Q10 on metabolic syndrome

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an essential component of the mitochondrial electron transport chain responsible for different functions, among them its action as an antioxidant compound. Low CoQ10 levels are related to inflammatory processes and oxidative stress, factors implicated in atherosclerosis, obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD), as well as metabolic syndrome (MS). MS is a disease characterized by cardiovascular risk factors linked to obesity, dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia. NAFLD is recognized as a hepatic manifestation of MS and, together with the latter, has a high incidence in the world population. Recent investigations have underscored the positive effects of CoQ10 supplementation on the treatment of obesity, oxidative stress, MS, and NAFLD. The objective of the present study was to analyze the evidence of the effects of CoQ10 supplementation on MS and NAFLD and to provide a general view of the mechanisms of action of CoQ10 in both diseases. Keywords: Metabolic syndrome, Coenzyme Q10, Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, Oxidative stress, Inflammatio

Increase in the prevalence of abdominal obesity in Brazilian school children (2000–2015)

Introduction: The prevalence of overweight and obese children and adolescents is a public health concern. Few studies have critically evaluated this problem in a Brazilian population, despite the growth of community-based programs to combat childhood obesity in this country. Objective: To study the anthropometrics of Brazilian adolescents over a fifteen-year period. Methods: In a cross-sectional analysis, we investigated the anthropometric status of male and female adolescents in Brazil. The anthropometric data and nutritional status of 595 schoolchildren in the year 2000 were compared to 636 schoolchildren in 2015. Results: We found a significant increase in the prevalence of overweight or obese adolescents in 2015 compared to 2000 (23.4% vs. 18.3%, p = .027). A sub-analysis stratified by sex showed that this increase only occurred in females. No statistically significant difference was observed in body mass index between the groups. Waist circumference (73.5 cm vs. 77 cm, p < .001) and the prevalence of abdominal obesity (30% vs. 47.9%, p < .001) were significantly greater in 2015, regardless of sex. Conclusion: Overweight or obese children, as well as abdominal obesity were more prevalent in 2015 than in preceding decades. This is a worrying trend as abdominal obesity increases the risk for cardiometabolic morbidity and mortality in adult life

Mechanisms of action and effects of the administration of Coenzyme Q10 on metabolic syndrome

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an essential component of the mitochondrial electron transport chain responsible for different functions, among them its action as an antioxidant compound. Low CoQ10 levels are related to inflammatory processes and oxidative stress, factors implicated in atherosclerosis, obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD), as well as metabolic syndrome (MS). MS is a disease characterized by cardiovascular risk factors linked to obesity, dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia. NAFLD is recognized as a hepatic manifestation of MS and, together with the latter, has a high incidence in the world population. Recent investigations have underscored the positive effects of CoQ10 supplementation on the treatment of obesity, oxidative stress, MS, and NAFLD. The objective of the present study was to analyze the evidence of the effects of CoQ10 supplementation on MS and NAFLD and to provide a general view of the mechanisms of action of CoQ10 in both diseases. Keywords: Metabolic syndrome, Coenzyme Q10, Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, Oxidative stress, Inflammatio

Avaliação da ingestão dietética de cálcio em indivíduos adultos portadores de hipertensão arterial idiopática

Foi estudada a relação entre a ingestão dietética de cálcio e os demais parâmetros alimentares e antropométricos em 60 indivíduos adultos, portadores de hipertensão arterial idiopática (10 homens e 50 mulheres), com média etária de 48,6 anos, seguidos no Centro de Hipertensão Arterial do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu (SP), Brasil. Foram utilizados três métodos diferentes de inquérito aumentar em três diferentes ocasiões: recordatório de 24h, questionário de freqüência alimentar, dirigido para ingestão de cálcio, e registro alimentar de 3 dias. As médias de ingestão de cálcio, extraídas desses inquéritos, foram semelhantes, mostrando que, em relação á ingestão de cálcio, esses métodos de inquérito alimentar podem ser utilizados indistintamente com o objetivo de se mensurar à ingestão de cálcio de um grupo de indivíduos. Além da ingestão de cálcio, foi avaliada a ingestão protéico-calórica e de diversos outros nutrientes, assim como realizada a antropometria desse grupo de hipertensos em três ocasiões diferentes, com intervalos variando de duas semanas a 15 meses. Quando comparado a um grupo de referência local, constituído de indivíduos sadios, com média etária semelhante, o grupo de hipertensos mostrou ter menor ingestão média de cálcio. Comparados por sexo, os homens dos dois grupos exibiram perfis nutricional e antropométrico semelhantes. em relação às mulheres, houve diferenças quanto à ingestão protéico-calórica, o que se supõe ser devido à ingestão menor do leite e derivados entre as hipertensas. Estas estavam mais pesadas que as mulheres do grupo de referências, à custa de maior massa muscular, provavelmente devido a maior atividade física. Concluiu-se que o cálcio dietético foi o principal item alimentar que distinguiu hipertensos de normotensos. Como existem estudos clínicos comprovando o efeito benéfico da suplementação de cálcio na redução dos níveis pressóricos de indivíduos hipertensos, sugere-se a repetição deste tipo de trabalho, em outros locais, visando ao embasamento de programa nacional de suplementação de cálcio dietético entre indivíduos hipertensos idiopáticos.The calcium-intake relationship with other alimentary and anthropometric variables was investigates in a group of 60 adult (19-75 year-old) subjects, 50 females and 10 males, with essential arterial hypertension (DAP > 90 mmHg). The calcium intake was assessed by three different protocols: 24-hour food intake recall, food-frequency questionaire and 3 day self-food intake register, repeated along with anthropometric measurements on three different occasions (2-15 month-intervals). The calcium intake assessed by the three methods, as well as the anthropometric data, were statistically similar on all three occasions. The mean data were then compared with those form the control, composed of 75 healthy subjects matched with the hypertensive group by age and sex. The patients ingested less calcium (mean ± SD) than the controls on the daily (517 ± 271 x 740 ± 353mg/d) and body-weight (8.1 ± 5.0 x 11.4 ± 5.9mg/kg/d) basis. Among the males the calcium intake was the only difference found between groups and could be attributed to the lower intake of calcium-rich foods. The hypertensive females showed also higher lean-body mass (Body-mass index and armmuscle circunference). Thus the calcium intake discriminated both groups being associated with changes in other nutritional parameters only in females