 |
|
ESC Congress 2004: Body weight: How low is low enough for preventing heart disease?
August 31, 2004In most Western societies, more than half the adults are overweight and the prevalence of obesity in developing countries is also rising rapidly, which poses a considerable public health concern given the association of obesity with risk of cardiovascular diseases. Even individuals with normal body weight are still at increased risk of dying from ischaemic heart disease (IHD), according to the results presented at ESC 2004 of a large prospective study of a Chinese population with unusually low body weight.
The collaborative research team from both the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) and the University of Oxford in UK has studied over 220,000 adult men from 49 nationally representative areas throughout China for 10 years. At the initial survey during 1990-91, all participants had height and weight (and many other things) measured and were then monitored closely until year 2002 for cause-specific mortality, during which time 30,000 men died at age 40-79, including 7% from IHD.
Among those who are overweight cardiac and overall mortality increase with increasing body fatness usually measured by body mass index (BMI: weight in Kg divided by the square of height in meters), but substantial uncertainty has remained about the relationship of BMI to mortality within the range of BMI that is conventionally regarded as normal. This large 10-year study now shows that the relationship of BMI with IHD risk continues down to a level as low as 20 kg/m2. Above it the risk increased by 11% for each 2 kg/m2 increase in BMI and below it the association with IHD risk was reversed. The study also finds that within the "normal" range (20-25 kg/m2), lower BMI is associated with higher mortality from respiratory disease and certain cancer, and hence with little difference in overall mortality. Above or below the normal range, overall mortality was higher. However, due to the nature of its design, the study can not establish whether the excess risks associated with lower BMI of the deaths from certain non-IHD diseases were causal or not.
The mean BMI when the study started was 22 kg/m2, but only 10% of the men were overweight (BMI?25 kg/m2). Across the whole range of BMI levels studied, the mean blood pressure increased steadily with increasing BMI, which accounted for at least half of the positive association seen between BMI and IHD. Because this prospective study involves such large numbers of deaths among men with a normal BMI, its findings are statistically reliable. It does imply that for the prevention of IHD a modest reduction in the amount of body fat, even within the normal range of BMI distribution, would produce worthwhile reductions in risk, especially in populations with high incidence of IHD.
ZM Chen (Oxford, GB)
European Society of Cardiology (ESC)
The mean BMI when the study started was 22 kg/m2, but only 10% of the men were overweight (BMI?25 kg/m2). Across the whole range of BMI levels studied, the mean blood pressure increased steadily with increasing BMI, which accounted for at least half of the positive association seen between BMI and IHD. Because this prospective study involves such large numbers of deaths among men with a normal BMI, its findings are statistically reliable. It does imply that for the prevention of IHD a modest reduction in the amount of body fat, even within the normal range of BMI distribution, would produce worthwhile reductions in risk, especially in populations with high incidence of IHD.
ZM Chen (Oxford, GB)
European Society of Cardiology (ESC)
Obesity Current Events and Obesity News RSSObesity: Reviving the promise of leptin
The discovery more than a decade ago of leptin, an appetite-suppressing hormone secreted by fat tissue, generated headlines and great hopes for an effective treatment for obesity.
Low-carb diets prove better at controlling type 2 diabetes
In a six-month comparison of low-carb diets, one that encourages eating carbohydrates with the lowest-possible rating on the glycemic index leads to greater improvement in blood sugar control, according to Duke University Medical Center researchers.
Studies link maternity leave with fewer C-sections and increased breastfeeding
Two new studies led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, suggest that taking maternity leave before and after the birth of a baby is a good investment in terms of health benefits for both mothers and newborns.
Study links obesity to elevated risk of ovarian cancer
A new epidemiological study has found that among women who have never used menopausal hormone therapy, obese women are at an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer compared with women of normal weight.
Can't chalk it up to 'baby fat'
Despite recent widespread media attention given to studies that have indicated one-third of American children have a weight problem, a new study shows just one-third of children who are overweight or obese actually receive that diagnosis by a pediatrician.
Minimizing obesity's impact on ovarian cancer survival
Obesity affects health in several ways, but new research shows obesity can have minimal impact on ovarian cancer survival. A study by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Comprehensive Cancer Center found ovarian cancer survival rates are the same for obese and non-obese women if their chemotherapy doses are closely matched to individual weight.
Another reason to avoid high-fat diet -- it can disrupt our biological clock
Indulgence in a high-fat diet can not only lead to overweight because of excessive calorie intake, but also can affect the balance of circadian rhythms - everyone's 24-hour biological clock, Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers have shown.
Who are you kidding?
Overweight or obese moms who underestimate their weight status are more likely to over-gain during pregnancy. The research was carried out by a team of researchers led by Sharon Herring, MD, MPH, an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Public Health at Temple University.
Eating at buffets plus not exercising equals obesity in rural America
In small towns in the Midwestern United States, people who eat out often at buffets and cafeterias and who perceive their community to be unpleasant for physical activity are more likely to be obese.
Leptin's long-distance call to the pancreas
Rube Goldberg-the cartoonist who devised complex machines for simple tasks-would have smiled at one of leptin's mechanisms for curbing insulin release.
More Obesity Current Events and Obesity News Articles
 | Eating Disorders and Obesity, Second Edition: A Comprehensive Handbook This unique handbook presents and integrates virtually all that is currently known about eating disorders and obesity in one authoritative, accessible, and eminently practical volume. From leading international authorities, 112 concise chapters encapsulate the latest information on all pertinent topics, from biological, psychological, and social processes associated with risk, to clinical methods... |
 | Exodus from Obesity: The Guide to Long-Term Success After Weight Loss Surgery by Paula F. Peck In Exodus From Obesity, Paula F. Peck provides the information, encouragement and guidelines for maintaining long-term success after weight loss surgery. Ms. Peck interweaves intelligent discussion with humorous stories about herself and individuals that have faced diet after diet and ultimately chose the gastric bypass procedure. This book is a clear, easy-to-read guide for patients, potential... |
 | Obesity Epidemiology During the past twenty years there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States. An estimated thirty percent of adults in the US are obese; in 1980, only fifteen percent were. The issue is gaining greater attention with the CDC and with the public health world in general. This book will offer practical information about the methodology of epidemiologic studies of obesity,... |
 | Obesity: Etiology, Assessment, Treatment, and Prevention Obesity: Etiology, Assessment, Treatment, and Prevention is a comprehensive professional reference of weight management research and techniques. Featuring chapters from some of the world’s top specialists in the field of weight control, it provides the most current and accurate information available today for treating obesity. The textbook combines a literature review with practical... |
 | Handbook of Obesity Treatment The contemporary successor to the editors' earlier Obesity: Theory and Therapy, this comprehensive handbook guides mental health, medical, and allied health professionals through the process of planning and delivering individualized treatment services for those seeking help for obesity. Concise, extensively referenced chapters present foundational knowledge and review the full range of widely... |
 | Fat Politics: The Real Story behind America's Obesity Epidemic by J. Eric Oliver It seems almost daily we read newspaper articles and watch news reports exposing the growing epidemic of obesity in America. Our government tells us we are experiencing a major health crisis, with sixty percent of Americans classified as overweight, and one in four as obese. But how valid are these claims? In Fat Politics, J. Eric Oliver shows how a handful of doctors, government bureaucrats, and... |
 | Body Image, Eating Disorders, and Obesity in Youth: Assessment, Prevention, and Treatment by J. Kevin Thompson The physical and mental health consequences of body image problems, eating disorders, and obesity in children and adolescents can be serious and can extend into adulthood. But as the empirical data presented in this second edition of a landmark volume show, these disorders are preventable and treatable. Research in these three areas has exploded since the publication of the first edition of Body... |
 | The Politics of Stupid: The Cure for Obesity by Susan Powter Susan Powter is back with her finest work yet! The Politics of Stupid is a revolutionary weight-loss program that shows people how they can reclaim their bodies and their brains. From food manufacturers to huge government lobbies to the fitness and diet industries, Powter illuminates why obesity is epidemic, and why millions of people are suffering the unnecessary consequences of being overfat... |
 | Food Fight: The Inside Story of The Food Industry, America's Obesity Crisis, and What We Can Do About It by Kelly Brownell, Katherine Battle Horgen "The evergreen subject of American gluttony and sloth brings out the best in scientist-advocates, and the authors, while drawing on a mountain of statistics and studies, make their indictment both funny and appalling." --Publishers Weekly. "Brownell and Horgen uncover some of America's biggest diet hazards and how to avoid them."--Self magazine. "This is a fascinating, empowering must-read... |
 | Obesity Management in Family Practice by Thomas L. McKnight This book empowers the physician to effectively care for a chronic recurrent disease that until now has often gone untreated in the primary care setting. Most obesity treatment texts are written by obesity experts without family practice experience. This disconnect has resulted in books that have little feasible application for family physicians. Dr. McKnight’s text takes the current... |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |