Iron load and liver enzymes in 10- and 13-year-olds

Composition of Dietary Fatty Acids and Health Risks in Japanese Youths

In the overall composition of dietary fatty acids (FAs), the quantity of each FA is interrelated with that of others. We examined the associations between dietary FA composition and cardiometabolic risk in Japanese youths. Risk factors (anthropometric characteristics, serum lipid and liver enzyme levels, and blood pressure) were measured in 5485 junior-high-school students. Dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. The mean saturated FA (SFA), monounsaturated FA (MUFA), omega-6 polyunsaturated FAs (PUFAs), and omega-3 PUFAs intake were 9.6%E, 10.3%E, 6.3%E, and 1.1%E, respectively. In compositional regression analysis controlled for confounders, a high intake of omega-6 PUFAs relative to others was associated with low low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol levels (LDL-C; p = 0.003), and relative SFA intake was associated with high levels of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (p = 0.019). Relative omega-3 PUFAs intake was associated with low blood pressure (p = 0.005–0.034) but had unfavorable effects on adiposity and alanine transaminase. Substitutional models showed similar results for omega-6 PUFAs on LDL-C, but MUFA had inconsistent effects on risk factors. The results from the compositional data analysis were consistent with previous studies and clinical practice/knowledge. Focusing on increasing omega-6 PUFAs in Japanese youths could have favorable consequences in the long term.

Iron Status and Metabolically Unhealthy Obesity in Prepubertal Children

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the association of metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) and metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) with iron status markers in prepubertal children.

METHODS

Three hundred twelve prepubertal children with overweight and obesity from a pediatric general Spanish population were evaluated. MHO and MUO were defined as obesity with the absence or presence of metabolic syndrome components. Phenotypes of metabolically healthy overweight including obesity (MHOV) and metabolically unhealthy overweight including obesity (MUOV) were also studied and defined using the same criteria. Serum ferritin, transferrin, and blood hemoglobin levels were evaluated.

RESULTS

Prevalence rates of MHOV and MHO were 35% (n = 111/312) and 27.1% (n = 42/155), respectively. Ferritin and hemoglobin levels were higher in children with MUOV versus MHOV (P < 0.05). MUO was positively associated with ferritin (beta [95% CI] = 0.43 [0.05 to 0.81]) and hemoglobin levels (0.43 [0.05 to 0.81]). These associations remained significant independently of age, sex, C-reactive protein, physical activity, and BMI/waist z scores in bivariate linear regression models. In multivariable models, transaminase levels attenuated the association of MUO with ferritin and hemoglobin levels (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

MUOV and MUO are associated with higher ferritin and hemoglobin levels in prepubertal children affected by overweight and obesity. Increased circulating ferritin in MUO might be influenced by liver injury.

Second-hand tobacco smoke and children

Cigarette smoke contains harmful chemicals with hazardous adverse effects on almost every organ in the body of smokers as well as of nonsmokers exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). There has been increasing interest in the effects of passive smoking on the health of children. In order to detect the magnitude of passive smoking in children, parental questionnaires, measuring nicotine and cotinine body levels, and evaluating expired carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations, have been used. Passive smoking causes respiratory illness, asthma, poor growth, neurological disorders, and coronary heart diseases. Herein, we focused on the deleterious influences of passive smoking on immunity and liver. Besides, its effects on the concentrations of various biomarker levels related to the oxidant/antioxidant status were considered. Understanding these effects may help clinicians to counsel parents on smoking cessation and smoke exposure elimination. It may also help to develop interventions to improve the health of children. This review potentially demonstrated some nutraceuticals with a promising role in the prevention of smoking-related diseases.