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Query: UMLS:C0028754 (obesity)
 124,988 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The authors conducted this study to evaluate the efficacy of a health check-up program and the health status of health care workers at Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University. The authors reviewed all yearly-check up charts of personnel who worked at Srinagarind Hospital from 2002 to 2003 including history taking, physical examination, and laboratory testings. There were 606 office workers and 1,024 nursing staff enrolled The mean ages of both groups were 38.9 and 36.5 years old, respectively. The office workers visited physicians significantly more often than the nursing staff (553 of 606 vs 271 of 1,024; p-value = 0.00). Obesity was found much more in office workers (127 of 472 versus 129 of 749). There were significant differences between the groups on impaired fasting plasma glucose, DM, HT, high cholesterol level, high triglyceride level, and significant elevation of ALT or AST (all p-value = 0.00). In the obese group, there was also a significantly higher number of cases who had high blood pressure, defined as IFG or DM, high cholesterol level, and high triglyceride level (p-value = 0.00) except the significant elevation of ALT or AST level. Cases of obesity with significant elevation of hepatic enzyme had many atherosclerotic risk factors. Therefore, metabolic derangements are the important problem for health care workers.
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PMID:Health status of health care workers at Srinagarind Hospital: experience from the Annual Health Check-up Program. 1647 Nov 10

Many cases of hepatopathy including deaths have frequently occurred after ingestion of Chinese dietary supplements for weight loss containing N-nitrosofenfluramine (N-fen), a nitroso derivative of fenfluramine (Fen), which was used for the treatment of obesity in the United States. Since Fen decreases appetite by decreasing the serotonin level and exhibits an antibiotic effect, N-fen may have been added, expecting a similar effect. Thus, we synthesized N-fen and orally administered it to mice, and investigated its effect on the liver as well as on the cerebral serotonin nervous system to investigate whether N-fen exhibits an anorectic effect. Three doses of N-fen were orally administered once daily to mice for 1 week. No significant changes in body weight, food intake, and general condition were noted. The liver and kidney weights were significantly increased. On blood chemistry, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase activities were increased, and total bilirubin and albumin were slightly decreased. On histopathological examination, acidophilic changes and mild cellular swelling were noted in the liver. The liver drug-metabolizing enzyme (P-450) level was significantly higher. The effect of N-fen on the serotonin (5HT) nervous system was examined by quantitative autoradiography of the mouse brain, and it was found that N-fen did not decrease the 5HT nerve activity. Effects of reuptake and release of monoamine neurotransmitters [dopamine (DA), 5HT, and norepinephrine (NE)] were investigated. N-fen inhibited a little 5HT reuptake, and did not inhibit reuptakes of DA and NE. Moreover, N-fen did not affect release of the three monoamines. The above findings suggested that N-fen did not exhibit a serotonin nerve fiber-mediated anorectic effect in mice, but induced hepatopathy.
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PMID:Effects of N-nitrosofenfluramine, a component of Chinese dietary supplement for weight loss, on CD-1 mice. 1651 44

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic liver disease that has been shown to progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. This article reviews the prevalence of NAFLD and the factors associated this disorder, and with the more advanced stages of NAFLD, including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and fibrosis. In the general population, the estimated prevalence ranges from 3% to 24%, with most estimates in the 6% to 14% range. NAFLD is extremely common among patients undergoing bariatric surgery, ranging from 84% to 96%. In these patients, 25% to 55% have NASH, 34% to 47% have fibrosis, and 2% to 12% have bridging fibrosis or cirrhosis. NAFLD appears to be most strongly associated with obesity, and insulin resistance states including diabetes and with other features of the metabolic syndrome, such as high triglycerides and low HDL. It appears to be more common in men, and it increases with increasing age and after menopause. Some data suggest that Mexican Americans are more likely to have NAFLD and blacks are less likely compared with non-Hispanic whites. More advanced stages of NAFLD are associated with older age, higher body mass index, diabetes, hypertension, high triglycerides, and/or insulin resistance. An AST/ALT ratio greater >1 may also indicate more severe disease. Although hepatocellular carcinoma can occur in the setting of NAFLD, the risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma in the setting of NAFLD have not been established. More prospective studies are needed to determine the true risk factors for the development and progression of NAFLD to help identify patients at highest risk who might benefit from treatment trials.
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PMID:The epidemiology of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in adults. 1654 Jul 68

In human obesity, white adipose tissue (WAT) is enriched in macrophages. How macrophage infiltration in WAT contributes to the complications of obesity is unknown. This study tested the hypothesis that recruitment of macrophages in omental WAT is associated with hepatic damage in obese patients. Paired biopsies of subcutaneous and omental WAT and a liver biopsy were collected during gastric surgery in 46 obese women and 9 obese men (BMI 47.9 +/- 0.93 kg/m(2)). The number of HAM56+ macrophages in WAT was quantified microscopically, and correlations with clinical and biological parameters and histological liver pathology were investigated. There were twice as many macrophages in omental as in subcutaneous WAT (P<0.0001). After adjustment for age, omental WAT macrophage infiltration was correlated to fasting glucose and insulin, quantitative insulin sensitivity check index, triglycerides, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase. We propose an easy equation to estimate the amount of macrophages in omental WAT. Increased macrophage accumulation specifically in omental WAT was associated with hepatic fibroinflammatory lesions (P=0.01). The best predictive model for the severity of hepatic damage includes adiponectinemia, AST, and omental WAT macrophages. These data suggest that the presence of macrophages in omental WAT participates in the cellular mechanisms favoring hepatic fibroinflammatory lesions in obese patients.
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PMID:Increased infiltration of macrophages in omental adipose tissue is associated with marked hepatic lesions in morbid human obesity. 1673 17

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a common condition associated with metabolic syndrome. It is the most common cause of elevated liver enzymes in U.S. adults, and is diagnosed after ruling out other causes of steatosis (fatty infiltration of liver), particularly infectious hepatitis and alcohol abuse. Liver biopsy may be considered if greater diagnostic and prognostic certainty is desired, particularly in patients with diabetes, patients who are morbidly obese, and in patients with an aspartate transaminase to alanine transaminase ratio greater than one, because these patients are at risk of having more advanced disease. Weight loss is the primary treatment for obese patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Medications used to treat insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia, and obesity have been shown to improve transaminase levels, steatosis, and histologic findings. However, no treatments have been shown to affect patient-oriented outcomes.
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PMID:Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. 1677 Sep 27

In adults, serum uric acid levels are positively correlated with body mass index (BMI) and hyperuricemia is considered to be a common lifestyle disorder related with obesity. However, the relation of serum uric acid levels with obesity has not been elucidated in children and adolescents. Serum uric acid levels were determined in 1,729 healthy children, consisted of 923 boys and 806 girls, aged 9.1 - 15.0 years. The incidence of hyperuricemia (defined as more than 7.0 mg/dl) in boys and girls were 8.8% and 0.6%, respectively. In 1,281 children out of all subjects, including 684 boys and 597 girls, height, weight, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase were also determined and the correlations between serum uric acid levels and obesity were analyzed. BMI is popularly used as a standard indicator of obesity in adults. However, BMI increases without fat accumulation as children grow. In Japan, percentage of overweight (POW) is usually used as an alternative indicator for obesity. In general, children are evaluated as obesity, when POW is equal to or more than 20% (>or= 20%). Serum uric acid levels are positively correlated with obesity-related indicators, BMI and POW, in both boys and girls. Serum uric acid levels of the subjects with high POW (>or= 20%) are significantly higher than those of the subjects with low POW (< 20%) in both boys and girls. These results suggest that serum uric acid levels are significantly increased with obesity and could be used as one of obesity-related indicators even in early adolescence.
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PMID:Serum uric acid as an obesity-related indicator in early adolescence. 1677 73

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is known to play an important role in hepatic fibrosis. ET-1 is also a mediator that is elevated in conditions such as insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, and endothelial cell dysfunction. In this study, we investigated whether ET-1 has a role in determining the severity of liver fibrosis in NASH. Also, the relation between ALT levels, obesity, diabetes, and AST/ALT ratio and fibrosis and ET-1 level was sought. A total of 92 patients were enrolled in the study. The patients were categorized into three groups: group 1, patients with elevated transaminase levels who were diagnosed as NASH by liver biopsy (n=40); group II, patients with only hepatosteatosis determined by biopsy but having elevated transaminase levels (n=12); and group III, patients with hepatosteatosis observed by ultrasonography, having normal transaminase levels (n=40). The serum ET-1 level was measured by an appropriate ELISA kit for all patients. Mean serum ET-1 level was statistically significantly higher in the NASH group compared to the other two groups (15.56+/-4.63 vs 6.75+/-2.46 and 5.74+/-2.34 micromol/L; P < 0.01). Mean serum ET-1 levels in NASH patients with grade I, grade II, and grade IV fibrosis were 14.06+/-0.92, 17.70+/-2.32, and 20.40+/-1.40 micromol/L, respectively. None of the patients were identified as grade III fibrosis. It was found that the serum ET-1 level showed a statistically significant increase as fibrosis severity increased in NASH patients (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the serum ET-1 level is higher in NASH patients compared to patients having only steatosis. There appears to be a correlation between severity of fibrosis and serum ET-1 level in NASH patients. It has been found that NASH patients having a twofold increase in their ALT levels had higher ET-1 levels and a more severe grade of fibrosis.
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PMID:The serum endothelin-1 level in steatosis and NASH, and its relation with severity of liver fibrosis. 1742 33

Obesity is considered to be epidemic worldwide. Stopping further progression interdisciplinary, outpatient intervention therapy programs for obese children have become increasingly important. FITOC (Freiburg Intervention Trial for Obese Children) consists of a combination of organized sports, behavioral therapy and nutritional advice. The effectiveness of the therapy is determined on the basis of anthropometrical and physical performance data. The purpose of this report is to give a differentiated view of the motor abilities of obese children and to describe changes in the course of the therapy program FITOC. Data were collected on n = 49 obese children (BMI > 97th percentile) aged 8 - 12 in a pretest at the beginning and posttest at the end of the intensive phase of the therapy. These data were compared with an age-matched German reference group. Besides the General Sports-Motor Test (Allgemeiner Sportmotorischer Test [AST]), the BMI-SDS values, the body fat mass (FM %) and the aerobic capacity (Watt/kg body weight) were recorded. In the pretest, the running exercise results and the aerobic capacity checked ranged significantly below the values of the reference group. The performance in the coordinative tests of the AST was differentiated. The medicine-ball toss was significantly above average of the reference group. In the posttest, the BMI-SDS values and the body fat mass (% FM) decreased (p < 0.001) and the aerobic capacity improved (p < 0.001). Performance in all motor abilities tests improved and the difference between the strength of the obese children and the strength of the reference group decreased. This study demonstrates that in obese children weight-bearing activities are below average but not all motor abilities.
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PMID:Motor abilities and aerobic fitness of obese children. 1749 79

The aim of the present investigation was determine whether a standardized Hibiscus sabdariffa calyces aqueous extract has an effect on body weight in an obese animal model induced by the administration of monosodium glutamate. Hibiscus sabdariffa aqueous extract, containing 33.64 mg of total anthocyanins per each 120 mg of extract, was orally administered (120 mg/kg/day) for 60 days to healthy and obese mice, and body weight gain, food and liquid intake, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), cholesterol, and triglycerides levels were measured. Hibiscus sabdariffa administration significantly reduced body weight gain in obese mice and increased liquid intake in healthy and obese mice. ALT levels were significantly increased on the 15th and 45th days in obese mice, but AST levels did not show significant changes. Mortality was not observed in the Hibiscus sabdariffa treated groups. Triglycerides and cholesterol levels showed non-significant reductions in animals treated with Hibiscus sabdariffa. Our data confirm the anti-obesity effect of Hibiscus sabdariffa reported by the Mexican population.
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PMID:Effect of Hibiscus sabdariffa on obesity in MSG mice. 1776 18

Biochemical traits such as plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT) and uric acid are associated with obesity, and with risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Each is subject to genetic influences, but little is known about changes in genetic and environmental influences on these traits over time. We investigated the contribution of genetic and environmental influences to variation in these biochemical traits in adolescent twins and their nontwin siblings from 965 twin families. Twins were studied at ages 12, 14 and 16 years. Multivariate genetic models that included effects of age and sex were fitted to determine whether the same or different genetic or environmental factors influence each trait at different ages. Results showed that the genetic factors influencing AST, ALT, GGT and uric acid change over time during adolescence, and that the magnitude of these effects differs between males and females. The nonshared environment effects were generally time specific. There are developmental changes in genes affecting these traits during adolescence.
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PMID:A longitudinal genetic study of uric acid and liver enzymes in adolescent twins. 1790 17


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