Effect of probiotics on glucose levels and weight gain in mice exposed to low doses of malathion

INTRODUCTION

Owing to its ability to reduce the toxicity of environmental pollutants that are risk factors for diabetes and obesity, the use of probiotic bacteria might aid the treatment of these diseases.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effects of chronic exposure to low-dose malathion on weight and glucose levels in mice, as well as to evaluate the protective role of a probiotic supplement.

METHODS

Weight and serum glucose levels of four groups of mice (control, malathion-exposed [10 ppm], probiotics and malathion + probiotics) were determined every 10 days for 180 days.

RESULTS

Malathion administration induced an increase in weight and glucose levels in the malathion group mice in comparison with the other groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Consumption of food contaminated with malathion residues increases glucose levels and favors weight gain, while consumption of probiotics reduces the effects generated by residues in food.

Real-life effects of adding weekly subcutaneous semaglutide to insulin for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus

OBJECTIVES

This work aims to determine the real-life anthropometric and analytical benefits of adding subcutaneous semaglutide to previous insulin treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes.

METHODS

This is a descriptive, retrospective, open-label study describing the clinical and anthropometric characteristics of 117 patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes followed-up on in the Endocrinology and Nutrition outpatient clinic of the Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias for 53 weeks after starting treatment with subcutaneous semaglutide (October-December 2019). All patients were on previous insulin treatment with or without oral antidiabetics.

RESULTS

Of the 117 initial patients, 17 did not complete the study due to adverse effects (nausea, vomiting), the physician's decision, or loss to follow-up. Twelve months (week 53) after starting semaglutide, there was a decrease in HbA1c of 0.74% (95% CI 0.59-1.14, p < 0.05) as well as 3.61 kg of weight loss (95% CI 2.30-4.92, p < 0.05) and a decline in total insulin of 15.88 IU (95% CI 10.98-20.74, p < 0.05) from baseline figures. In patients without prior GLP-1 receptor analogs (GLP-1ra), the effect in terms of a reduction in HbA1c, weight, and the total insulin dose was statistically significant. However, in patients pre-treated with GLP-1ra only had improvements in terms of weight loss. No serious adverse events were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

The addition of subcutaneous semaglutide to prior insulin treatment with or without oral antidiabetics safely led to a decrease in HbA1c, weight, and the insulin dose. This effect is greater in GLP-1ra naive patients.

[Impact of dapagliflozin on cardiovascular risk factors. Beyond glycemic control]

Sodium-glucose transport protein 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are a new class of oral hypoglycemic agents that increase urinary glucose excretion independently of insulin secretion, although an apparently simple mechanism, but with multiple metabolic effects. Dapagliflozin was the first SGLT2 inhibitor marketed in Europe in 2012 for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes, and consequently, with the greatest clinical experience. The results of different clinical trials and real-life studies have demonstrated its effectiveness in glycemic control, as they reduce glycosylated hemoglobin, while achieving a decrease in body weight and blood pressure, among others, providing a comprehensive metabolic protection.

GLP1 analogues among patients with overweight or obesity during lockdown

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

One of the potential negative effects of a lockdown are changes in dietary and lifestyle patterns, which can lead to weight gain. Our objective was to assess the changes on dietary habits and eating patterns in a lockdown situation and their impact on weight. We aimed to determine whether the treatment with GLP1 analogues (aGLP1) could impact on these parameters.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

100 overweight/obese patients were consecutively recruited for a review at the end of the lockdown. A structured interview was designed to see changes in dietary habits, routines and exercise.

RESULTS

52% patients gained weight during lockdown. The percentage of subjects with an active history of depression or anxiety was higher among the group of patients who gained weight. The percentage of patients who worsened their hyperphagia was higher in those who gained weight (71.2% vs. 10.6%; P<0.0001); similar results were observed with binge eating (92% vs. 10.6%; p<0.0001) and cravings, both sweet and salty (69.2% vs. 21.3% and 69.2% vs. 14.9%; p<0.0001 and p<0.0001 respectively). Of the 48 patients who did not gain weight, 30 were under aGLP1 treatment (61.7%). The worsening of abnormal eating patterns was lower among patients treated with aGLP-1.

CONCLUSIONS

A lockdown is a vulnerable period to gain weight, especially in those patients with a psychopathological history. aGLP1 manage to control emotional eating, making them a valuable therapeutic option.

Height and weight progression patterns in Mexican children aged between 6 and 12 years and differences with Ramos-Galván growth charts 40 years later

Introduction

Children and adolescents weight and height are a reflection of the health status and socioeconomic development of a population.

Objective

To evaluate height and weight progression patterns of Mexican children and compare them with Dr. Ramos-Galván growth charts 40 years later.

Method

Cross-sectional survey conducted on the population of the National Physical Activation Program "Ponte al 100", which includes boys and girls aged six to 12 years.

Results

43,670 boys and 44,103 girls were assessed, stratified by gender and age. The height progression pattern between six and 12 years was 21 cm in males and 22 cm in females, whereas the weight progression pattern was 9.86 and 10.05 kg, respectively, for males and females. The proportion of six- and 12-year-old boys who were overweight was 11.2 and 9 %, while 14.7 and 15 % were obese. The proportion of six- and 12-year-old girls who were overweight was 8.2 and 9.1 %, whereas 21.7 and 13.3 %, respectively, were obese. When the obtained values were compared with those of Dr. Ramos Galván growth charts for boys and girls, the average difference was 2 cm.

Conclusions

No secular height or weight increase within the last 40 years was documented.

[Is the individual motivational interviewing effective in overweight and obesity treatment? A systematic review]

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the effectiveness of individual motivational interviewing (MI) in the ambulatory treatment of the overweight and obese.

DESIGN

The protocol of this systematic review is registered in PROSPERO N° CDR42017058814.

DATABASES

EBSCO-CINAHL, Pubmed, Scielo, PsycoINFO from 2010 to 2017.

STUDY SELECTION

We included studies with overweight and obese adult participants, randomized trial and case control studies, with MI being applied individually and face to face, with primary or secondary results in changes in body composition (weight or BMI), published in English or Spanish, with available text and in peer-reviewed journals.

DATA EXTRACTION

We obtained anthropometric, behavioral, psychosocial, and other variables as effects of MI. In addition, we collected descriptive variables of the interventions.

RESULTS

Eleven articles were included in this revision. There is a great variability between the studies in terms of population, kind of intervention, and time of follow-up. In most of them, some effect was observed in reducing bodyweight, reaching a maximum of 7kg in the group that received the MI. There are positive variations in psychosocial and metabolic variables in the studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Individual MI interventions have a modest effect on the variation of bodyweight, and could have a positive impact on behavioral, psychosocial, and other variables. More studies are needed to elucidate the best form of MI application with regard to effectiveness on different variables. The primary healthcare system is in an advantageous position for generating fruitful research on this motivational strategy.

The influence of obesity and weight gain on quality of life according to the SF-36 for individuals of the dynamic follow-up cohort of the University of Navarra

BACKGROUND

The health-related quality of life is an important element for the comprehensive assessment of overweight and obesity.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the impact of obesity and weight gain on the health-related quality of life of the dynamic cohort of the Follow-up Program of the University of Navarra.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The analysis included 10,033 participants of the prospective dynamic cohort of the Follow-up Project of the University of Navarra, with a response rate of approximately 90%. The quality of life was measured with the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) (0, worst quality of life; 100, best quality of life). The statistical analysis was performed with generalized lineal models (mean of each SF-36 domain and 95% CI). A difference of 3 points was considered clinically relevant.

RESULTS

The SF-36 analysis showed that physical function, general health and the physical component summary were inferior in individuals with excess weight and obesity at the start of the study, compared with individuals with normal weight. The study population with unchanged excess weight or obesity after 2 years of follow-up presented lower scores on the SF-36 domains corresponding to physical function, body pain, physical component summary and general health than individuals who maintained the normal weight category according to BMI (kg/m²).

CONCLUSIONS

Obesity appears to be associated with a negative impact on health-related quality of life, affecting the physical area more significantly than the psychosocial.

Quality of anthropometric measurements in Spanish Intensive Care Units (The CAMIES Study)

INTRODUCTION

Real body weight and height are essential data to be obtained in all critically ill patients (CIP), due to their influence in the designing of therapies and monitoring. Visual estimation is a very inaccurate practice. No precise descriptions of anthropometric measurements among CIP are available in the clinical practice guides.

OBJECTIVE

To describe anthropometric quality in CIP, health professional perception of such quality, and its influencing factors.

DESIGN

Computer-assisted telephone or self-interviewing.

SETTING

Doctors and nurses of all Spanish Intensive Care Units (ICU) attending adults.

RELEVANT VARIABLES

Anthropometric practices were described in detail, along with the proclivity to obtain real measurements, and the influence of professional experience, the number of ICU beds, and the health professional group involved.

RESULTS

A total of 481 questionnaires were collected from 176 hospitals (36.8% from physicians). The availability of measuring tools is limited (weight 68.7% - height 76.7%), with no relation to the number of ICU beds (weight P=.343, height P=.61). Visual estimation was the most frequent way of obtaining measurements (weight 65.9% - height 64.8%), even when measuring tools were available. Willingness to take real measurements was very low, especially among physicians, and professional experience was associated to increased rejection (P<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Visually estimated measurements exceed real measurements in the routine practice of Spanish ICUs. Measurement tools are not widely available in the ICU, and even when available, their use is not guaranteed. The surveyed population does not view anthropometric measures as being important for clinical practice. An effort should be made by scientific societies to promote reliable anthropometric practice in Spanish ICUs.

Body mass index reference charts for individuals with Down syndrome aged 2-18 years

OBJECTIVE

To develop Brazilian growth charts for body mass index (BMI-for-age) for individuals with Down syndrome (DS). The secondary objective was to compare the BMI-for-age with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention standards (CDC).

METHODS

A retrospective and cross-sectional growth study of 706 youth with DS (56.7% males) was performed in 51 centers in São Paulo state, Brazil. Weight and height were used to calculate the BMI (kg/m²). The LMS method was applied to construct the growth charts. Z-scores were based on the CDC 2000 growth standards.

RESULTS

The BMI-for-age reference charts showed excellent goodness of fit statistics for boys and girls with DS aged 2-18 years. At 2 years of age, the mean BMI Z-scores of boys and girls with DS were lower compared to those of the CDC (Z-score=-0.2). In contrast, children with DS aged 3-18 years had higher mean Z-scores for BMI-for-age when compared to those of the CDC (Z-scores=+0.2 to +1.3).

CONCLUSIONS

The BMI of Brazilian youth with DS differs from those references established by CDC. These are the first Brazilian BMI-for-age charts for individuals with DS and will hopefully guide clinicians and parents in the evaluation and management of the nutritional status in children and adolescents with DS in Brazil.