Active ghrelin and the postpartum

Postpartum depression (PPD) occurs in 10%–15% of women. The appetite hormone ghrelin, which fluctuates during pregnancy, is associated with depression in nonpregnant samples. Here, we examine the association between PPD and active ghrelin from pregnancy to postpartum. We additionally examine whether ghrelin changes from pregnancy to postpartum and differs between breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding women

Early treatment-related changes in diabetes and cardiovascular disease risk markers in first episode psychosis subjects

To examine prospective changes in cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type-2 diabetes risk factors in young adult first episode psychotic (FEP) patients treated with second generation antipsychotic medications

Dietary chromium supplementation for targeted treatment of diabetes patients with comorbid depression and binge eating

Dietary chromium supplementation for the treatment of diabetes remains controversial. The prevailing view that chromium supplementation for glucose regulation is unjustified has been based upon prior studies showing mixed, modest-sized effects in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Based on chromium's potential to improve insulin, dopamine, and serotonin function, we hypothesize that chromium has a greater glucoregulatory effect in individuals who have concurrent disturbances in dopamine and serotonin function – that is, complex patients with comorbid diabetes, depression, and binge eating. We propose, as suggested by the collective data to date, the need to go beyond the “one size fits all” approach to chromium supplementation and put forth a series of experiments designed to link physiological and neurobehavioral processes in the chromium response phenotype

Body image, aging, and identity in women over 50: The Gender and Body Image (GABI) study

We conducted a qualitative study of 1,849 women over age 50 to capture the thoughts, feelings, and attitudes that women at middle age have about their bodies and the experience of aging. Via an open-ended question online survey, four primary themes emerged: 1) the physical and psychological experience of aging; 2) the injustices, inequities, and challenges of aging; 3) the importance of self-care; and 4) a plea for recognition of the need to maintain a contributory role in society. Results highlight the complexities of women’s psychological and physical aspects of aging and point toward important topics worthy of further study in this growing population

Effect of Glycemic Load on Peptide-YY Levels in a Biracial Sample of Obese and Normal Weight Women

Black women suffer a disproportionately higher rate of obesity than their white counterparts. Reasons for this racial disparity may reflect underlying differences in the appetite suppressing peptide-YY (PYY). The PYY response to food is differentially influenced by macronutrient content but the effect of glycemic load on PYY response is unknown. This study examined whether glycemic load influences fasting and postprandial PYY levels and whether fasting and postprandial PYY levels are lower in obese black women compared to normal weight black women and to white women. Data were collected from 40 women (20 black, 20 white; 10 each normal weight vs. obese) at the University of North Carolina Clinical and Translational Research Center (CTRC). Participants completed in counterbalanced order two 4½-day weight-maintenance, mixed macronutrient high vs. low glycemic load diets followed by a test meal of identical composition. Total PYY levels were assessed before and after each test meal. Results show no differences in fasting PYY levels but significantly less postprandial PYY area under the curve (PYYAUC) in the group of obese black women compared to each other group (race × obesity interaction, P 0.27). These findings indicate that postprandial PYY secretion is not affected by glycemic load but is blunted in obese black women compared with normal weight black women and with white women; additionally, they begin to address whether blunted PYY secretion contributes uniquely to the pathogenesis of obesity in black women

The biology of binge eating

To examine the literature on binge eating to gain a better understanding of its biological foundations and their role in the eating disorders

Plasma, salivary, and urinary oxytocin in anorexia nervosa: A pilot study

While oxytocin (OT) has the potential to be an informative biomarker of social functioning in patients with eating disorders, the burden of invasive blood draws or lumbar punctures limits OT study. Salivary and urinary OT measurements may be advantageous, as they require less invasive sampling techniques which could be conducted in a wider variety of settings. Yet, the degree to which the concentration of OT in these fluids is correlated with blood levels is uncertain, as is the impact of vomiting on salivary secretion of OT. Therefore, we compared contemporaneously sampled OT concentration in blood, saliva, and urine from twenty women acutely ill with anorexia nervosa. Salivary OT was positively correlated with plasma OT in patients with no history of self-induced vomiting(r=0.89), but correlation was lower in those with recent history of self-induced vomiting(r=0.42). Urinary and plasma OT were not well-correlated(r=0.13), suggesting preliminarily that collection of plasma OT remains the method of choice. Self-induced vomiting in eating disorders may limit the applicability of salivary sampling for OT

Low-Glycemic Load Decreases Postprandial Insulin and Glucose and Increases Postprandial Ghrelin in White but Not Black Women

Alterations in appetite hormones favoring increased postprandial satiety have been implicated in both the glycemic control and potential weight-loss benefits of a low-glycemic diet. Racial differences exist in dietary glycemic load and appetite hormone concentrations. This study examined the impact of glycemic load on appetite hormones in 20 black women [10 normal weight, BMI = 22.8 ± 1.42 (mean ± SD); 10 obese, BMI = 35.1 ± 2.77] and 20 white women (10 normal weight, BMI = 22.9 ± 1.45; 10 obese, BMI = 34.3 ± 2.77). Each woman completed two 4.5-d weight-maintenance, mixed-macronutrient, high-glycemic vs. low-glycemic load diets that concluded with a test meal of identical composition. Blood samples collected before and serially for 3 h after each test meal were assayed for plasma ghrelin and serum insulin and glucose concentrations. Compared with the high-glycemic load meal, the low-glycemic load meal was associated with lower insulinAUC (P = 0.02), glucoseAUC (P = 0.01), and urge to eat ratings (P = 0.05) but with higher ghrelinAUC (P = 0.008). These results suggest the satiating effect of a low-glycemic load meal is not directly linked to enhanced postprandial suppression of ghrelin. Notably, these effects were significant among white but not black women, suggesting that black women may be less sensitive than white women to the glucoregulatory effects of a low-glycemic load. These findings add to a growing literature demonstrating racial differences in postprandial appetite hormone responses. If reproducible, these findings have implications for individualized diet prescription for the purposes of glucose or weight control in women

Binge-Eating Disorder in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

The best treatment options for binge-eating disorder are unclear

A double-blind, randomized pilot trial of chromium picolinate for binge eating disorder: Results of the Binge Eating and Chromium (BEACh) Study

Chromium treatment has been shown to improve mood, appetite, and glucose regulation in various psychiatric and medical patient populations. The authors propose that chromium may be useful in the treatment of binge eating disorder (BED)