INTRODUCTION intragastric balloons provide early satiety and thereby induce short-term weight loss. The aim of this study was to evaluate safety and short and medium-term effectiveness of gastric balloons associated to hypocaloric diet in obesity. MATERIAL AND METHODS from May 2004 to June 2011 91 obese patients, body mass index (BMI) 45.2 +/- 7.2 kg/m2 were prospectively followed after endos...

Ameliorative potential of antioxidants –vitamins C and E on blood profile of Clarias gariepinus fed diets contaminated with varied levels of fumonisin B1 (FB1) was evaluated. Fusarium cultured maize containing FB1 were used to formulate diets containing approximately 2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 mg FB1/kg constituting diets 2, 3, and 4, respectively and other nine diets constituting Diets 5 - 13 with the ...

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of sarcopenia in a population of obese older women and to assess the effect of a diet moderately rich in proteins on lean mass in sarcopenic obese older women. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 1,030 females, >65 years old, body mass index >30 kg/m(2), were investigated about their nutritional status. Muscle mass (MM) was estimated according to the Janssen...

Myostatin, a negative regulator of muscle mass, is elevated during disuse and starvation. Mammalian hibernation presents a unique scenario, where animals are hypocaloric and in torpor, but the extent of muscle protein loss is minimized. We hypothesized that myostatin expression, which is usually increased early in disuse and under hypocaloric conditions, could be suppressed in this unique model...

Type 2 diabetes and obesity are associated with an enhanced release of a number of adipocytokines. Hyperinsulinemia, frequently present in type 2 diabetes and obesity, might be one of the drivers of the enhanced production of adipocytokines. The aim of this study was to investigate the interstitial levels of cytokines in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SCAT) in response to hyperinsulinemia and the...

Because chronic L-arginine supplementation improves insulin sensitivity and endothelial function in nonobese type 2 diabetic patients, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a long-term oral L-arginine therapy on adipose fat mass (FM) and muscle free-fat mass (FFM) distribution, daily glucose levels, insulin sensitivity, endothelial function, oxidative stress, and adipokine releas...

D. Rodríguez-Puyol, Sección de Nefrología, Hospital Universitario de Alcalá de Henares, Campus Universitario, Carretera de Alcalá-Meco S/n, E-28880 Madrid (Spain) Dear Sir, Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis has been described associated to massive obesity [1]. Although its pathogenesis is not clear, hyperfiltration has been advocated as a plausible explanation. We describe a case in which prot...

BACKGROUND The major metabolic complications of obesity and type 2 diabetes may be prevented and managed with dietary modification. The use of sweeteners that provide little or no calories may help to achieve this objective. METHODS We did a systematic review and network meta-analysis of the comparative effectiveness of sweetener additives using Bayesian techniques. MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL a...

BACKGROUND A intragenic biallelic polymorphism (1359 G/A) of the CB1 gene resulting in the substitution of the G to A at nucleotide position 1359 in codon 435 (Thr), was reported as a common polymorphism in Caucasian populations. Intervention studies with this polymorphism have not been realized. OBJECTIVE We decided to investigate the role of the polymorphism (G1359A) of CB1 receptor gene on...

BACKGROUND Evidence on whether healthy diets are more expensive than current diets is mixed due to lack of robust methodology. The aim of this study was to develop a novel methodology to model the cost differential between healthy and current diets and apply it in New Zealand. METHODS Prices of common foods were collected from 15 supermarkets, 15 fruit/vegetable stores and from the Food Price...