Cups Of Water Research Articles

Does the Recommendation to Drink 8 Cups of Water Per Day Promote Weight Loss?

Background Advice to increase water intake – typically to 8 cups per day – is frequently provided as part of a weight-reducing diet. However, there are limited experimental data regarding the effect of increased water intake on body weight, and virtually none in the pediatric age range. Objective: To conduct a pilot study comparing two standard weight loss diets, either with (Experimental) or without (Control) additional advice and behavioral support to increase habitual water intake to 8 cups per day. Methods: A 6-month RCT of 38 overweight and obese adolescents who consumed 蠄 4 cups of water per day at screening. The diet used for the Experimental and Control groups was identical, consisted of monthly dietary counseling with a registered dietitian, daily text messages, and a cookbook of recipes and health guides. Outcomes were assessed prior to randomization and at the end of the intervention period. Results: Reported water intake increased by 1.6±0.7 cups per day in the Experimental vs. Control group (P=0.03). Urine specific gravity, a biomeasure of hydration status, decreased significantly in the Experimental group (-0.007±0.003, P=0.012), but did not change in the Control group. BMI z-score did not differ between groups (-0.10±0.03 vs. -0.09±0.03; P=0.88, respectively). No significant group differences were seen in other cardiometabolic risk factors. Conclusion This pilot study provides preliminary evidence that advice to increase water intake to 8 cups per day, as part of a standard weight-reducing diet, does not produce additional weight reduction in adolescents. Research Support: New Balance Foundation, Airborne Cy Pres Fund, NIDDK Grant K24DK082730

Impact of a Nutrition and Health Education Program on Obese Children

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the Health Matters for Families Program, which is a nutrition and health education intervention on the dietary and general lifestyle habits of obese children and their families. This was a prospective cohort study that enrolled clinically diagnosed obese children between 4 and 17 years of age. The intervention was individualized, conducted within a local pediatric office setting, and consisted of 6 face‐to‐face sessions of nutrition and health education for obese children and their caregivers. The intervention utilized culturally tailored materials, behavioral goal setting, and a multi‐component focus, which cumulatively targeted child‐centered goals. Our preliminary results show that participation in physical activity (蠅 30 minutes per day) improved from baseline measures. Fruit and vegetable consumption also improved; consumption of 2‐3 servings of fruit daily increased by 47.6%, while a similar trend was observed for vegetable consumption. The proportion of children drinking at least 4 cups of water daily increased by approximately 10%, while consumption of sugar‐sweetened beverages declined. No significant change was observed in BMI‐for‐age during the follow‐up. Findings from this study may have a significant public health impact by informing the development of effective interventions to address the current obesity epidemic and poor dietary habits of children from minority and low‐income households. Additionally, this project provides foundational knowledge for clinical and community health researchers to develop and implement obesity interventions targeting medical outcomes and lifestyle changes in children.

Impact of a Shared Medical Appointment Lifestyle Intervention on Weight and Lipid Parameters in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes: A Clinical Pilot

Background: There is a growing awareness that lifestyle behavior modifications may reduce weight and the atherogenic dyslipidemia associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Objective: We pilot the effectiveness of a diabetes educational program combining shared medical appointments (SMAs) with an 8-week DVD-based diabetes education program emphasizing a plant-based diet in lowering weight and lipids in individuals with T2DM. This pilot also employed a nonrandomized convenience sample to explore which of the educational program's target behaviors were associated with the greatest risk factor reduction.Design: Forty-six adult patients with T2DM voluntarily self-selected to enroll in the educational quality improvement initiative run as part of a community clinical practice. Target behaviors measured weekly were (1) days with beans for breakfast, (2) days of exercise, (3) minutes of exercise per day, (4) days with light evening meals, (5) days with no evening meals, (6) days with no red meat, (7) days with plant-based diet, and (8) number of 8-ounce cups of water per day. Biometric measurements were taken at the beginning and end of the 2-month program. These included high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), total cholesterol, and triglycerides. Weight was measured weekly. Regression analysis was performed to identify which target behaviors were associated with changes in lipids and weight.Results: There was a statistically significant (F = 2.429; df = 8.21; p < 0.05) decrease in weight (mean −8.9 lbs, or 4.05 kg, or 4.1% body weight, p < 0.01) during the 8-week study period. There was a positive trend in all lipid parameters, but none reached statistical significance with this sample. Exploratory weighted least-squares regression found that weight loss in the study group was most associated with higher water consumption (t = 3.16; p < 0.01), days per week with no evening meal (t = 3.03; p < 0.01), and days per week consuming beans for breakfast (t = 2.06; p = 0.05.Conclusions: In this pilot study, the DVD-based educational program delivered as part of an SMA was associated with significant weight loss but insignificant lipid changes. Behavior changes most closely associated with weight loss were increasing water consumption, eliminating evening meals, and increasing the consumption of beans for breakfast. These potentially important findings in this small sample suggest the need for a randomized clinical trial with a larger and planned sample.

Effects of brewed green and black tea on inflammation, apoptosis and oxidation in men with prostate cancer (136.3)

Preclinical and epidemiologic studies suggest chemopreventive effects of green tea (GT) and black tea (BT) in prostate cancer. We conducted a phase II randomized controlled trial in which 93 men diagnosed with prostate cancer consumed six cups of brewed GT, BT or water (control) daily prior to radical prostatectomy (RP). GT consumption resulted in lower early pro‐apoptotic events (decreased Bcl‐2 staining (p=0.02)) and lower pro‐inflammatory nuclear staining of nuclear factor kappa B in prostatic tumor epithelial tissue compared to water consumption (p=0.03). Tea consumption did not affect proliferation (Ki67) and showed a non‐significant trend to decreased oxidant DNA damage (8OHdG) in the RP tissue. Tea polyphenols were detected in prostate tissue from 32 of 34 men consuming GT but not in the other groups. BT polyphenols (theaflavins) were not found in prostate tissue from men consuming BT and no significant changes in tissue biomarkers were observed in the BT group. Evidence of a systemic antioxidant effect was observed as a decrease in urinary 8OHdG only with GT consumption. GT, but not BT or water, also led to a small but statistically significant decrease in serum prostate‐specific antigen levels. Given the GT‐induced changes in inflammation, oxidation, and early apoptotic events, future studies are warranted to further examine the role of GT for prostate cancer prevention and treatment.Grant Funding Source: Supported by RO1CA116242 and P50CA092131

The Effects of High Intensity Short Rest Resistance Exercise on Muscle Damage Markers in Men and Women

Within and between sexes, universal load prescription (as assigned in extreme conditioning programs) creates extreme ranges in individual training intensities. Exercise intensity has been proposed to be the main factor determining the degree of muscle damage. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine markers of muscle damage in resistance-trained men (n = 9) and women (n = 9) from a high intensity (HI) short rest (SR) (HI/SR) resistance exercise protocol. The HI/SR consisted of a descending pyramid scheme starting at 10 repetitions, decreasing 1 repetition per set for the back squat, bench press, and deadlift, as fast as possible. Blood was drawn pre-exercise (pre), immediately postexercise (IP), 15 minutes postexercise (+15), 60 minutes postexercise (+60), and 24 hours postexercise (+24). Women demonstrated significant increases in interleukin 6 (IL-6; IP), creatine kinase (CK; +24), myoglobin (IP, +15, +60), and a greater relative increase when compared with men (+15, +60). Men demonstrated significant increases in myoglobin (IP, +15, +60, +24), IL-6 (IP, +15), CK (IP, +60, +24), and testosterone (IP, +15). There were significant sex interactions observed in CK (IP, +60, +24) and testosterone (IP, +15, +60, +24). Women completed the protocol faster (women: 34:04 ± 9:40 minutes, men: 39:22 ± 14:43 minutes), and at a slightly higher intensity (women: 70.1 ± 3.5%, men 68.8 ± 3.1%); however, men performed significantly more work (men: 14384.6 ± 1854.5 kg, women: 8774.7 ± 1612.7 kg). Overall, women demonstrated a faster inflammatory response with increased acute damage, whereas men demonstrated a greater prolonged damage response. Therefore, strength and conditioning professionals need to be aware of the level of stress imposed on individuals when creating such volitional high intensity metabolic type workouts and allow for adequate progression and recovery from such workouts.

A randomized trial comparing bladder volume consistency during fractionated prostate radiation therapy

PurposeOrgan motion is a contributory factor to the variation in location of the prostate and organs at risk during a course of fractionated prostate radiation therapy (RT). A prospective randomized controlled trial was designed with the primary endpoint to provide evidence-based bladder-filling instructions to achieve a consistent bladder volume (BV) and thus reduce the bladder-related organ motion. The secondary endpoints were to assess the incidence of acute and late genitourinary (GU) and gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity for patients and patients’ satisfaction with the bladder-filling instructions. Methods and materialsOne hundred ten patients were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 bladder-filling protocols; 540 mL (3 cups) of water or 1080 mL (6 cups) of water, in a single institution trial. A portable ultrasound device, BladderScan BVI 6400 (Verathon Inc, Bothell, WA), measured BVs at treatment planning computed tomography (TPCT) scan and 3 times per week during RT. Maximum bladder dose and BV receiving ≥ 50, 60, and 70 Gy were recorded. Acute and late GU and GI toxicity were evaluated, as were patients’ comfort, perception of urinary symptoms, and quality of life (QoL). ResultsThere was significantly less BV variation in the 540 mL arm when compared with 1080 mL (median: 76 mL vs 105 mL, P = .003). Larger BVs on initial TPCT correlated with larger BV variations during RT (P < .0005). There were no statistically significant associations between arm and GU/GI toxicity, dose median comfort scores, or median QoL scores. ConclusionsThe 540 mL bladder-filling arm resulted in reproducible BVs throughout a course of RT, without any deterioration in QoL or increase in toxicities for prostate patients.

Compliance With National Nutrition Recommendations Among Breast Cancer Survivors in “Stepping Stone”

Compared with White breast cancer survivors, African American survivors are more likely to be overweight and obese. Differences in weight status may be attributed to differences in dietary intake; however, there is limited research pertaining to the dietary habits of African American breast cancer survivors. We compared baseline dietary intakes of 31 overweight and obese African American breast cancer survivors enrolled in a healthy lifestyle intervention to national dietary guidelines and also examined beverage intake habits. Dietary intake was assessed using the National Cancer Institute's Diet History Questionnaire and beverage intake was assessed using 3-day food intake records. Overall, the majority of survivors consumed the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables (71.0%) and red meat (83.9%); however, survivors exceeded national recommendations for energy intake from fat (64.5%), saturated fat (87.1%), and added sugars (77.4%). Few women met the guidelines for whole grain and fiber intake (6.5% and 35.5%, respectively). Additionally, survivors consumed ~10% of total energy intake from beverages alone and drank only ~3.5 cups of water daily. Current dietary guidelines for cancer survivors recommend consuming >5 servings per day of fruits and vegetables and broad guidelines regarding limiting discretionary fat and added sugars but do not specify beverage intake recommendations. Future dietary interventions in African American breast cancer survivors should focus on reducing intake from dietary fat and added sugar, as well as increasing whole grain consumption as a means for increasing daily fiber intake. Furthermore, substituting caloric beverages with water or noncaloric beverages may be a strategy to decrease caloric intake in African American breast cancer survivors. Nutrition information targeting these nutrients could be administered during treatments or doctor's visits as a means to prevent weight gain that often occurs following diagnosis.

Physical Inactivity, Water Intake and Constipation as Risk Factors for Colorectal Cancer among Adults in Jordan

Physical activity has been found to play a role in cancer prevention. The purpose of this matched case-control study was to investigate the association between physical activity levels, water intake, constipation and colorectal cancer (CRC). Two hundred and thirty-two patients diagnosed with CRC (125 male, 107 female) were enrolled in this case-control study. Cases were matched to 271 population controls (137 male, 134 female). Drinking more than 4 cups of water daily decreased the risk of CRC by 33-42%; however, this effect was non-significant. Having constipation was found to be a significant risk factor for developing CRC with an OR=6.284 (95%CI=2.741-14.40). With reference to sedentary behavior, minimum activity (600-3000 Metabolic Equivalents Task (MET)) had 43% protection against CRC and the level of Health Enhancing Physical Activity OR was 0.58 (at 95%CI; 0.37-0.92). A significant negative association was found between CRC and physical activity levels expressed as both METs and MET-hours/week (p for trend=0.017 and 0.03, respectively). Among females, a significant trend of reduction in CRC by 62% was observed with increasing the level of physical activity expressed in MET (p for trend=0.04). The risk of CRC may be reduced by adopting a healthy lifestyle and practicing physically activity regularly, especially among females. Consuming adequate amounts of water and healthy bowel motility could also reduce the risk of CRC.

Food Supplement for Therapy of HCV

Hepatitis C is a progressing global health problem. The expense of the exciting regimen for treatment is not available for many patients. Herbal medicines have been used as complementary therapy in the treatment of liver diseases for a long time. Fifty one patients with hepatitis C have been seen in our outpatient clinic, with twelve patients as control. Patients were interviewed to obtain detailed clinical data before and after treatment. The herbal medicines used in the treatment of HCV are Milk Thistle, Phyllanthus, Garlic, Cinnamon, Parsley, Black seed and AKHY-J-25 (mixture of herbs). Every patient received single oral capsule of herbal preparations powder, in early morning on an empty stomach with two cups of water and simple breakfast after two hours, from three months to two years, and twelve patients as control received placebo. The results showed 20% of patients had no detectable HCV RNA in serum at 24 week treatment, 72.6% showed clinical and biochemical improvement with decline of HCV RNA to lower limit and 7.4% showed clinical and biochemical improvement without change in level of HCV RNA.

Abstract B67: Inhibition of NFκB and proapoptotic Effect of Green Tea in Prostate Tumor Tissue: A Phase II clinical Trial in Men with Prostate Cancer

Abstract Background: Green tea polyphenols (GTPs) have been shown to play a role in the regulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis and inflammation in prostate cancer cells in vitro and in animal models using human prostate cancer cell xenografts. While there is extensive epidemiological and basic scientific evidence for these effects of GTPs, data from human intervention studies is much more limited. Objective: We conducted a phase II intervention study to evaluate the anticarcinogenic effects of green tea in prostate cancer by administering green tea in men prior to prostatectomy. Design: 79 men, diagnosed with prostate cancer and scheduled for prostatectomy, were randomized to either 6 cups of brewed green tea or water daily for 3-8 weeks prior to surgery. 67 men (GT group, N=34; control group, N=33) completed the intervention. Blood and urine samples were collected before and after the intervention and sections of prostate tissue were frozen as OCT blocks following the pathology evaluation. Serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) concentration was determined by ELISA assay and prostate tissue PSA protein concentration was measured by Western blot. The prostate concentration of GTPs and their metabolites was measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with CoulArray electrochemical detection. The protein expression of Ki67 (proliferation), Bcl2, Bax (apoptosis) and nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) (inflammation) were determined by immunostaining in prostate tissue of confirmed tumor areas. Results: Statistical analysis within each treatment arm showed that the serum PSA concentration was significantly decreased in the GT group (final vs. baseline blood) (P&amp;lt;0.01), while no change was observed in the control group. Prostate tissue PSA protein expression was lower in men consuming GT compared to water control (p=0.06). Bioactive GTPs including epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and its methyl metabolite 4″-O-methyl EGCG and epicatechin gallate (ECG) were detected in prostate tissue from 31 of 34 men consuming GT but were absent in prostates in the control group. Intranuclear NFκB staining was decreased significantly while there was no change in cytoplasmic NFκB staining in prostate tumors from men drinking GT by comparison to tumors from the control group. The ratio of cytoplasmic staining of pro-apoptotic Bax to Bcl-2 was increased significantly while cytoplasmic Bcl2 and Bax staining were not changed. Nuclear Ki67 staining was not changed with GT consumption. Conclusion: Green tea consumption may contribute to the inhibition of prostate tumor growth through reducing inflammation and stimulating apoptosis. Analyses of additional markers are needed to confirm these findings. Citation Format: Susanne M. Henning, Piwen Wang, William J. Aronson, Catherine L. Carpenter, David Heber. Inhibition of NFκB and proapoptotic effect of green tea in prostate tumor tissue: A phase II clinical trial in men with prostate cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2012 Oct 16-19; Anaheim, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Prev Res 2012;5(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B67.

Abstract B68: Antioxidant activity of green tea: A phase II clinical trial in men with prostate cancer

Abstract Background: Green tea (GT) contains green tea polyphenols (GTPs) which have been shown to play a role in the regulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis in prostate cancer cells in vitro and in animal models using human prostate cancer cell xenografts. GTPs are also potent scavengers of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which play a role in tumorigenesis. While there is extensive epidemiological and basic science evidence for these effects of GTPs, data from human intervention studies is much more limited. Objective: We conducted a phase II intervention study to evaluate the anticarcinogenic and antioxidant effects of green tea in prostate cancer by administering green tea in men prior to prostatectomy. Design: 79 men, diagnosed with prostate cancer and scheduled for prostatectomy, were randomized to either 6 cups of brewed green tea (GT group, N=34) or water (control group, N=33) daily for 3-8 weeks prior to surgery. 67 men completed the intervention. Blood and urine samples were collected before and after the intervention, and a section of prostate tissue was obtained following the pathology evaluation. Serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) concentration was determined by ELISA assay and prostate tissue PSA protein concentration was measured by Western blot. The prostate concentration of GTPs and their metabolites was measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with CoulArray electrochemical detection. The concentration of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), a biomarker for oxidative DNA damage, was measured in urine by HPLC. In addition, gene expression of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase were determined in normal and tumor prostate tissue using real-time quantitative PCR. Results: Statistical analysis within each treatment arm showed that the serum PSA concentration significantly decreased in the GT group (final vs. baseline blood) (P&amp;lt;0.01), while no change was observed in the control group. The comparison of percent change in serum PSA between GT and control group showed a decreasing trend (p=0.085). Prostate tissue PSA protein expression was lower in men consuming GT compared to water control (p=0.06). The major bioactive component of GTPs, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and its methyl metabolite 4″-O-methyl EGCG were found in prostate tissue in similar amounts, along with a small amount of epicatechin gallate. As compared to the pre-intervention level there was a significant decrease in urinary 8-OHdG concentration after GT intervention (83 vs. 50 nmol/g creatinine), while there was no change in the control group (54 vs. 55 nmol/g creatinine). Gene expression of SOD (p=0.087) and catalase (p=0.15) in the prostate tumor tissue normalized to normal prostate tissue in each individual showed a decreasing trend in men consuming GT as compared to the water control. Conclusion: The consumption of 6 cups of GT provided antioxidant protection, which may contribute to an inhibitory effect on prostate tumor growth in humans. Large-scale human intervention studies are needed to confirm these findings. Citation Format: Piwen Wang, William Aronson, Narine Abgaryan, Catherine L. Carpenter, Jaydutt V. Vadgama, David Heber, Susanne M. Henning. Antioxidant activity of green tea: A phase II clinical trial in men with prostate cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2012 Oct 16-19; Anaheim, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Prev Res 2012;5(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B68.

Powdered, Essence or Brewed?: Making and Cooking with Coffee in Australia in the 1950s and 1960s

Powdered, Essence or Brewed?: Making and Cooking with Coffee in Australia in the 1950s and 1960s

Nutrition and food safety and influence factors for lower grade pupils in 2 counties in West China

To explore the knowledge of, attitude to and practice in nutrition and food safety, the influence factors, and to provide reference for relevant health education programs. A total of 510 randomly selected students from Grade 1 to 3 randomly selected were surveyed by a nutrition and food safety questionnaire in Huize of Yunnan Province and Zhen'an of Shaanxi Province. Multiple-linear regression was used to analyze the influence factors of nutrition and food safety. The correct answer rate on nutrition and food safety knowledge of the pupils from Grade 1 to 3 was 74.4%. Nutrition and food safety knowledge score was 11.16±2.51, but only 7.8% of the students correctly answered "How much water should we drink every day". Students who agreed that it is necessary to learn nutrition and food safety knowledge in school accounted for 78.6% and 73.9%, respectively. At least half of the students showed correct behaviors in 7 aspects. The students who ate beans and meat daily or regularly accounted for 28.4% and 34.9%, but only 9.2% of the students drank more than 7 cups of water daily. The multiple-linear regression showed that the major influence factors were the area, grade, status of lodge and singleton. Education is needed for students to form better dietary habits, especially those in low grades, non-singleton, and in board schools.

Abstract 3651: Reducing Incidence of Hospital Acquired Pneumonia After Acute Stroke Through Implementation Of Simple Bedside Swallow Assessment

The incidence of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) has been estimated to occur in acute stroke patients with rates reported as high as approximately 10 - 25%. Mechanical ventilation, multiple infarct locations, dysphagia and abnormal chest x-ray findings all contribute to increased risk for dysphagia and ultimately development of pneumonia. Because fatality rates of 20 - 45% have been reported in HAP, stroke care nurses are urged to comply with guidelines recommending implementation of simple bedside swallow assessments to identify high risk patients and institute appropriate nursing interventions to avoid development of the potentially fatal complication of stroke related pneumonia. A retrospective review of 493 patients admitted to the stroke service of a community hospital was performed to determine incidence of hospital acquired pneumonia in acute stroke patients. The sample of patients were admitted through the emergency department and depending on the severity of stroke, were admitted to either an ICU or step-down unit bed. The simple bedside swallow screen was completed by an emergency department nurse. The patient was not allowed anything by mouth until the assessment was completed. If the assessment revealed the patient had a competent level of cognition, ability to adequately handle secretion in a sitting position, and maintain a venous pulse oxygenation of greater than 94%, the patient was asked to swallow three sequential one ounce medicine cups of water. If coughing, choking, drooling, or oxygen desaturation was assessed, the patient was maintained nothing by mouth until a formal swallow evaluation was completed by a speech therapist. During the period of 1/1/09 - 7/30/11, this hospital’s annual incidence of HAP in the post stroke patient was found to be significantly less than nationally published incidence. The diagnosis of HAP was based upon Center for Disease Control Guidelines for Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia. The patients reported as developing HAP met the criteria of having a primary discharge of stroke and a secondary discharge diagnosis of hospital acquired pneumonia. This community hospital’s mean incidence of hospital acquired pneumonia over the total 31 month study period was 3.6%. A simple bedside swallow screen performed by competent emergency department nurses to detect swallowing difficulty quickly and accurately in stroke patients prior to administering anything by mouth, has achieved the goal of identifying patients at high risk for dysphagia and avoiding the potential complication of hospital acquired pneumonia.

Menstrual cycle characteristics and reproductive hormone levels in women exposed to atrazine in drinking water

Atrazine is the most commonly used herbicide in the U.S. and a wide-spread groundwater contaminant. Epidemiologic and laboratory evidence exists that atrazine disrupts reproductive health and hormone secretion. We examined the relationship between exposure to atrazine in drinking water and menstrual cycle function including reproductive hormone levels.Women 18–40 years old residing in agricultural communities where atrazine is used extensively (Illinois) and sparingly (Vermont) answered a questionnaire (n=102), maintained menstrual cycle diaries (n=67), and provided daily urine samples for analyses of luteinizing hormone (LH), and estradiol and progesterone metabolites (n=35). Markers of exposures included state of residence, atrazine and chlorotriazine concentrations in tap water, municipal water and urine, and estimated dose from water consumption.Women who lived in Illinois were more likely to report menstrual cycle length irregularity (odds ratio (OR)=4.69; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.58–13.95) and more than 6 weeks between periods (OR=6.16; 95% CI: 1.29–29.38) than those who lived in Vermont. Consumption of >2 cups of unfiltered Illinois water daily was associated with increased risk of irregular periods (OR=5.73; 95% CI: 1.58–20.77). Estimated “dose” of atrazine and chlorotriazine from tap water was inversely related to mean mid-luteal estradiol metabolite. Atrazine “dose” from municipal concentrations was directly related to follicular phase length and inversely related to mean mid-luteal progesterone metabolite levels.We present preliminary evidence that atrazine exposure, at levels below the US EPA MCL, is associated with increased menstrual cycle irregularity, longer follicular phases, and decreased levels of menstrual cycle endocrine biomarkers of infertile ovulatory cycles.

Strawberries decrease atherosclerotic markers in subjects with metabolic syndrome

Strawberries have been reported to be potent antioxidants and reduce cardiovascular risk factors, such as elevated blood pressure, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and inflammation in limited studies. We hypothesized that freeze-dried strawberry supplementation will improve blood pressure, impaired glucose, dyslipidemia, or circulating adhesion molecules in obese subjects with metabolic syndrome, thereby lowering cardiovascular risk factors in these subjects. Twenty-seven subjects with metabolic syndrome (2 males and 25 females; body mass index, 37.5 +/- 2.15 kg/m(2); age, 47.0 +/- 3.0 years [means +/- SE]) consumed 4 cups of freeze-dried strawberry beverage (50 g freeze-dried strawberries approximately 3 cups fresh strawberries) or equivalent amounts of fluids (controls, 4 cups of water) daily for 8 weeks in a randomized controlled trial. Anthropometrics and blood pressure measurements, assessment of dietary intakes, and fasting blood draws were conducted at screen and 8 weeks of the study. Strawberry supplementation significantly decreased total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (5.8 +/- 0.2 to 5.2 +/- 0.2 mmol/L and 3.5 +/- 0.2 to 3.1 +/- 0.1 mmol/L, respectively [means +/- SE], P < .05) and small low-density lipoprotein particles using nuclear magnetic resonance-determined lipoprotein subclass profile vs controls at 8 weeks (794.6 +/- 94.0 to 681.8 +/- 86.0 nmol/L [means +/- SE], P < .05). Strawberry supplementation further decreased circulating levels of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 vs controls at 8 weeks (272.7 +/- 17.4 to 223.0 +/- 14.0 ng/mL [means +/- SE], P < .05). Serum glucose, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood pressure, and waist circumference were not affected. Thus, short-term freeze-dried strawberry supplementation improved selected atherosclerotic risk factors, including dyslipidemia and circulating adhesion molecules in subjects with metabolic syndrome, and these results need confirmation in future trials.

Effects of biofeedback on trunk sway during dual tasking in the healthy young and elderly

We examined the effect of biofeedback of trunk sway on balance control while walking and performing a simultaneous cognitive or motor task. Thirteen healthy elderly (mean age (±S.E.M.) 70.8±2.0 years) and 16 healthy young (mean age 21.5±0.7 years) subjects performed three gait tasks while wearing body-worn gyroscopes, mounted at L1-3, to measure trunk sway. The gait tasks were walking normally, walking and counting backwards in 7's, and walking while carrying a tray with cups of water. Differences in trunk sway were examined when subjects performed the gait tasks with or without a head mounted actuator system which provided subjects with vibro-tactile, auditory and visual biofeedback of trunk sway. In the young, trunk pitch (fore-aft) angles, and trunk roll (sideways) and pitch angular velocities were significantly reduced using biofeedback across all three gait tasks. In the elderly, the same angle and angular velocities were also significantly reduced while walking normally. During walking while carrying a tray, only trunk sway velocities were significantly reduced, whereas no improvements were seen for walking while counting backwards. Counting backwards ability significantly improved with feedback. Young participants were able to perform a dual task during gait and employ biofeedback to reduce trunk sway. Elderly participants were not able to reduce sway using biofeedback during the cognitive task but were able to reduce sway velocities with biofeedback during the motor task.

The effect of a cognitive or motor task on gait parameters of diabetic patients, with and without neuropathy

To compare gait parameters of older people with diabetes and no peripheral neuropathy (DM) and people with diabetes and diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and to investigate the effect of a secondary motor or cognitive task on their gait. Thirty subjects were recruited: 15 with DPN (mean age 69 +/- 3.0 years) and 15 with diabetes and no neuropathy (70 +/- 2.9 years). The temporal and spatial parameters of gait were determined using the GAITRite walkway. Subjects undertook four walks: under normal walking conditions (single task); four times while simultaneously undertaking an additional motor task, carrying a tray with cups of water (dual task); and four times whilst undertaking a cognitive dual task, counting backwards in sevens. This arithmetic task was also completed sitting. For all gait variables, there was a statistically significant difference between the groups. Subjects with DPN walked more slowly and with smaller steps compared with those with DM. In general, the secondary task had a significant and adverse effect on the gait parameters and this effect was greater for those with DPN in both absolute and relative terms. Both groups had poorer arithmetic ability when walking compared with sitting. Patients with DPN have different gait parameters to diabetic patients without neuropathy. Problems with divided attention when walking were more evident in the DPN group and may increase their risk of falls.

All the Residents Win in This Marathon

All the Residents Win in This Marathon

Acute effects of tea on fasting and non-fasting plasma total homocysteine concentrations in human subjects

Plasma total homocysteine concentrations (tHcy) are a putative risk factor for CVD. Tea is a rich dietary source of polyphenols and caffeine, both of which may raise tHcy. However, it is possible that much of any effect is transitory and may be influenced by the consumption of food. Our objective was to investigate the acute effect of tea, at a dose representative of ordinary population intakes, on tHcy and to determine whether consumption of a meal influences the magnitude of any effect. Measurements of tHcy were performed in twenty participants at baseline and 3.5 h after drinking three cups of black tea or hot water (consumed at time 0, 1.5 and 3 h) with and without a meal: a total of four treatments administered in random order. Drinking tea resulted in an acute increase in tHcy (0-30 (95 % CI 0.04, 0.56) micromol/l, P=0.022). The meal resulted in an acute decrease in tHcy (-0.42 (95 % CI -0.68, -0.16) micromol/l, P=0.002). There was no interaction between tea and meal on tHcy (P=0.40); that is, the effect of tea on tHcy was not different in the fasting and non-fasting state. Our results suggest that drinking black tea can cause a small acute increase in tHcy and that this effect is not enhanced in the non-fasting state. Given that results of population studies have generally shown a negative association between tea intake and tHcy, the significance of these findings to CVD risk remains uncertain.