Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0028754 (obesity)
 124,988 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Obesity results from chronic deregulation of energy balance, which may in part be caused by stress. Our objective was to investigate the effect of acute and psychological stress on food intake, using the eating in the absence of hunger paradigm, in normal and overweight men and women (while taking dietary restraint and disinhibition into account). In 129 subjects (BMI = 24.5 +/- 3.4 kg/m(2) and age = 27.6 +/- 8.8 years), scores were determined on the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (dietary restraint = 7.2 +/- 4.4; disinhibition = 4.5 +/- 2.6; feeling of hunger = 3.9 +/- 2.6) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (trait score = 31.7 +/- 24.2). In a randomized crossover design, the "eating in absence of hunger" protocol was measured as a function of acute stress vs. a control task and of state anxiety scores. Energy intake from sweet foods (708.1 kJ vs. 599.4 kJ, P < 0.03) and total energy intake (965.2 kJ vs. 793.8 kJ, P < 0.01) were significantly higher in the stress condition compared to the control condition. Differences in energy intake between the stress and control condition were a function of increase in state anxiety scores during the stress task (Delta state anxiety scores) (R(2) = 0.05, P < 0.01). This positive relationship was stronger in subjects with high disinhibition scores (R(2) = 0.12, P < 0.05). Differences in state anxiety scores were a function of trait anxiety scores (R(2) = 0.07, P < 0.05). We conclude that acute psychological stress is associated with eating in the absence of hunger, especially in vulnerable individuals characterized by disinhibited eating behavior and sensitivity to chronic stress.
Obesity (Silver Spring) 2009 Jan
PMID:Acute stress-related changes in eating in the absence of hunger. 1899 72

The Thrifty Gene hypothesis theorizes that during evolution a set of genes has been selected to ensure survival in environments with limited food supply and marked seasonality. Contemporary environments have predictable and unlimited food availability, an attenuated seasonality due to artificial lighting, indoor heating during the winter and air conditioning during the summer, and promote sedentariness and overeating. In this setting the thrifty genes are constantly activated to enhance energy storage. Psychosocial stress and sleep deprivation are other features of modern societies. Stress-induced hypercortisolemia in the setting of unlimited food supply promotes adiposity. Modern man is becoming obese because these ancient mechanisms are efficiently promoting a positive energy balance. We propose that in today's plentifully provisioned societies, where sedentariness and mental stress have become typical traits, chronic activation of the neuroendocrine systems may contribute to the increased prevalence of obesity. We suggest that some of the yet unidentified thrifty genes may be linked to highly conserved energy sensing mechanisms (AMP kinase, mTOR kinase). These hypotheses are testable. Rural societies that are becoming rapidly industrialized and are witnessing a dramatic increase in obesity may provide a historical opportunity to conduct epidemiological studies of the thrifty genotype. In experimental settings, the effects of various forms of psychosocial stress in increasing metabolic efficiency and gene expression can be further tested.
 ...
PMID:The contribution of psychosocial stress to the obesity epidemic: an evolutionary approach. 1915 97

Nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ), an endogenous ligand for opioid receptor-like 1 (ORL1), is involved in various central functions, such as pain, psychological stress, locomotor activity, learning and memory, and feeding regulation. Of these functions, the role of N/OFQ in the regulation of feeding has been suggested by the fact that the central administration of N/OFQ leads to feeding behavior. However, the manner in which N/OFQ influences body weight control and subsequent obesity is unclear. To clarify the involvement of N/OFQ in the development of obesity, we evaluated the effects of intracerebroventricular infusion of N/OFQ on food intake and body weight in C57BL/6J mice that were fed a regular chow diet or moderately high-fat (MHF) diet (32.6% kcal fat). N/OFQ significantly increased food intake and body weight both in the regular diet- and MHF diet-fed mice, and these changes were more apparent in the MHF diet-fed mice. When we performed a pair-feeding study in N/OFQ intracerebroventricularly infused mice, N/OFQ did not cause body weight gain but increased white adipose tissue weight and plasma leptin, insulin, and cholesterol levels. N/OFQ reduced rectal temperature in pair-fed mice, in keeping with decreased UCP1 mRNA expression in brown adipose tissue. These results suggest that N/OFQ contributes to the development of obesity not only by inducing hyperphagia but also by decreasing energy expenditure.
 ...
PMID:Chronic intracerebroventricular infusion of nociceptin/orphanin FQ produces body weight gain by affecting both feeding and energy metabolism in mice. 1919 98

This study focuses on the role of sex steroids on the libido, sexual life, emotional and physiological heart of men of all ages. Sex steroids play a significant role throughout a man's life, with a gradual decline in old age. The foetal testis secretes testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone at about nine weeks gestation. At puberty, testosterone increases dramatically in boys. Changes in weight and height of boys across this period are associated with increasing testosterone concentration and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). Romantic thoughts, fantasy, and sexual pleasure-seeking behaviour in adolescents are associated with exposure to high androgens secretion. Thus, the libido and sexual life of a man is initiated and maintained by testosterone and SHBG. Lower testosterone levels are associated with erectile dysfunction among other risk factors: diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, psychological stress and obesity. Men with proven coronary atherosclerosis have lower levels of testosterone and SHBG, which have negative correlation with very low-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, body mass index and body fat mass. These are some of the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Thus, in men, endogenous sex steroids impart beneficial effects on the heart. How exactly endogenous sex steroids act on the heart is not clear. Further study is needed to understand the interaction between endogenous sex steroids, higher centers in the brain and the heart of a man.
 ...
PMID:Hormonal profiles behind the heart of a man. 1965 70

Stress can be a primary or secondary contributor to ill health via excessive and sustained sympathetic arousal leading to ischemic heart disease, hypertension, stroke, obesity, and mental ill health, or through related behaviors such as smoking, substance abuse, and over or inappropriate eating; or as a contextual variable in terms of risk factor and lifestyle outcome. In addition, psychosocial stress can impair recovery from any pathological insult or injury. Most assessments of stress relate to life events, and both past and current life stressors, acute and chronic, play a major role. However, beyond the impact of stressors, it is the reported state of feeling stressed that is the critical predictor of ill health. This article describes stress and its correlates, discusses models of stress, and presents the nine-item Psychological Stress Measure (PSM-9). This tool is aimed directly at the state of feeling stressed, is suited for assessing stress clinically in the general population and serving as an outcome measure. The tool is valid and reliable and easy to administer in health care settings; it has a normal distribution, which makes it a very sensitive-to-change instrument in repeated measures to document progress.
 ...
PMID:Psychological Stress Measure (PSM-9): integration of an evidence-based approach to assessment, monitoring, and evaluation of stress in physical therapy practice. 1984 68

The high prevalence of diabetes in African-American (AA) women has been widely assumed to be related to the greater prevalence of obesity in this group. Catecholamine release acting on central adipose tissue has been proposed to be a contributing factor. The aim of this article was to examine the interaction of plasma catecholamines and central adiposity on fasting and nonfasting glucose levels in two separate samples. In both studies, the women were healthy, nondiabetic of similar age. In addition, both studies assessed plasma epinephrine (EPI) and norepinephrine (NOREPI) levels collected at three time points. In study 1, catecholamines were measured during a standardized laboratory mental stress task and in study 2, they were measured during the initial phase (10 min) of an intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT). Results from both studies revealed significant effects of EPI on fasting glucose in the obese women. In study 1, mean EPI levels were significantly related to fasting glucose in AA women with high trunk fat (beta = 0.60, P < 0.001). Because high BMI was associated with high trunk fat in women, we used BMI >30 as a proxy for high trunk fat (>32%) in study 2. In study 2, EPI response to the glucose bolus was a strong predictor of fasting glucose in AA women with BMI >30 (beta = 0.75, P < 0.003). We conclude that the effect of central adiposity on fasting glucose may be moderated by plasma EPI. This suggests that adrenal medullary activity could play a role in the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes.
Obesity (Silver Spring) 2010 Sep
PMID:Plasma epinephrine predicts fasting glucose in centrally obese African-American women. 2030 86

The reactivity hypothesis implicates exaggerated cardiovascular reactions to acute psychological stress in the development of hypertension and other cardiovascular disease outcomes. However, cardiovascular reactivity has also been suggested as a mediator between a variety of psychosocial and behavioural risk factors and cardiovascular disease. Data from various analyses of the West of Scotland Twenty-07 study are discussed together, and caution against over-stretching the original reactivity hypothesis. Blood pressure and heart rate were assessed at rest and during an acute mental arithmetic stress task. First, depression, though a putative risk factor for cardiovascular disease, does not appear to confer this risk via exaggerated reactivity, as it was negatively related to reactivity. Second, obesity, another risk factor, was also associated with blunted rather than heightened reactivity. Finally, lower reactivity was related to poorer self-reported health. Similar associations emerged from both cross-sectional and prospective analyses. These seemingly paradoxical results are discussed in terms of implications for the reactivity hypothesis.
 ...
PMID:Blunted cardiovascular reactivity relates to depression, obesity, and self-reported health. 2034 24

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent angiogenic growth factor that has been shown to play a significant role in neovascularization during inflammation in atherosclerotic plaques, formation of collateral vessels to an area of ischemic myocardium and neovascularization at the edges of a myocardial infarction during its repair. Interleukin-4 (IL-4) has important role in immune cell chemotaxis, formation of endothelial cell adhesion molecules and has numerous anti-inflammatory effects which prevent the complications of atherosclerosis, the primary cause of coronary heart disease (CHD). In this study, we have analyzed the effect of 1154 A/G polymorphism of VEGF and 70 bp VNTR polymorphism of intron 3 in IL-4 genes in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients (n = 300) and their age matched controls (n = 300). To analyze polymorphic alleles, ARMS-PCR and RFLP techniques were used. Multiple logistic regression analysis was carried out with statistical software. GG genotype was associated with a decreased risk of development of CHD (OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.12-0.38, P < 0.001). However, A allele showed an increased risk whereas G allele decreased the risk of CHD with diabetes mellitus, hypertension, chronic mental stress and positive familial history of myocardial infarction (MI)/CHD. GG genotype was found to have protective effect with alcohol intake (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.14-0.82, P < 0.01) and central obesity (OR 0.15, 95% CI 0.04-0.56, P < 0.001). GG genotype of VEGF has also shown significant association with IL-4 (P2P2 and P1P2) genotypes.
 ...
PMID:VEGF and IL-4 gene variability and its association with the risk of coronary heart disease in north Indian population. 2036 98

Obesity carries a unique disease burden on women and is influenced by a variety of biological, hormonal, environmental, and cultural factors. Reproductive transitions, such as pregnancy and menopause, increase the risk for obesity. Psychologically, obese women experience greater weight-related stigma and discrimination and are at increased risk for depression than obese men. Women are also particularly susceptible to psychological stress, sleep debt, and lack of physical activity, all of which are risk factors for the development of excess weight. Obesity risk is increased among women with psychiatric disorders and those who use certain psychotropic medications. Obesity treatment should take into consideration degree of obesity, health risks, past weight loss attempts, and individual differences in motivation and readiness for treatment.
 ...
PMID:Obesity in women. 2038 45

The current synthesis of the 'hygiene hypothesis' suggests that the recent increase in chronic inflammatory disorders is at least partly attributable to immunodysregulation resulting from lack of exposure to microorganisms that have evolved an essential role in the establishment of the immune system. This document provides a background for discussion of the following propositions. 1. The essential role of these organisms is an example of 'evolved dependence'. 2. The most relevant organisms are those that co-evolved with mammals, and already accompanied early hominids in the Paleolithic. 3. More recently evolved 'childhood infections' are not likely to have evolved this role, and recent epidemiology supports this contention. 4. This mechanism is interacting with other modern environmental changes that also lead to enhanced inflammatory responses [inappropriate diet, obesity, psychological stress, vitamin D deficiency, pollution (dioxins), etc.]. 5. The range of chronic inflammatory disorders that is affected is potentially larger than usually assumed [allergies, autoimmunity, inflammatory bowel disease, but also vascular disease, some cancers, depression/anxiety (when accompanied by raised inflammatory cytokines), and perhaps neurodegenerative disorders and type 2 diabetes].
 ...
PMID:99th Dahlem conference on infection, inflammation and chronic inflammatory disorders: darwinian medicine and the 'hygiene' or 'old friends' hypothesis. 2041 54


<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>