Wider Waist Boosts Asthma Risk Aug 25, 2009
But it also found a 37 percent increased incidence of asthma among women with a waist circumference of 88 centimeters -- about 35 inches -- even if they were of normal weight. That finding was an offshoot of a study originally intended to look at factors related to breast cancer in women, said study author Julie Von Behren, a research associate at the Northern California Cancer Center. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Health)
Maybe Your BMI Doesn't Really Matter Aug 19, 2009
Waist circumference, for example, is an especially good measure for determining abdominal obesity, the type most associated with obesity-related diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Scott A. Lear of the School of Kinesiology at Simon Fraser University, in a 2005 letter to the editor of Clinical Chemistry, presented arguments in favor of waist circumference ... WHR has fallen out of favor as a measure of risk, and the American Heart Association Web site states that it is less accurate... (Click2Houston, TX)
Orexigen obesity drug meets goals in 3 studies Jul 22, 2009
Patients who took Contrave had significantly greater weight loss than those who took a placebo, and the drug reduced other risk factors like waist circumference, the company said ... Orexigen said the drug reduced risk factors including waist circumference, midsection fat and triglycerides and improved levels of "good" HDL cholesterol. (Yahoo News -- Pharmaceutical Industry News)
Experimental obesity drug showing promise Jul 21, 2009
Patients who took Contrave had significantly greater weight loss than those who took a placebo, and the drug also reduced other risk factors like waist circumference, the company said ... Orexigen said the drug reduced risk factors including waist circumference, midsection fat and triglycerides, and improved levels of "good" HDL cholesterol. (MSNBC -- Health)
Infants Should Be Screened For Hip Trouble Jul 18, 2009
A new study found that increased waist circumference and body mass index were associated with the risk of both knee and. . (Science Daily)
Two Dietary Oils, Two Sets Of Benefits For Older Women With Diabetes Jul 16, 2009
The dietary oils did not have significant effects on other health measurements, such as waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio and skinfold thickness measures of body fat, Belury noted. The CLA also did not appear to affect the variety of hormones involved in fat burning. (Science Daily)
India's overweight population up by 70m Jul 15, 2009
Indians also have lower thresholds for waist circumference measurements. Text Size. (India Times, India)
'Lower' Asian obesity threshold Jul 10, 2009
They also have lower thresholds for waist circumference measurements. The move has in effect led to an extra 70 million people being re-classified as overweight or obese. (BBC News -- UK)
Sleep duration is associated with variations in levels of inflammatory markers in women Jul 1, 2009
Men sleeping five hours or less were more likely to be in the lowest employment grade, to be unmarried, to have a higher body mass index and waist circumference, to have lower mental and physical health scores, to smoke and have a higher diastolic blood pressure. Women were more likely to be unmarried, have lower physical health scores, to smoke and have higher systolic blood pressure. (EurekAlert!)
Lap Band Weight Loss Surgery Reduces Teens' Risk Factors For Heart Disease, Diabetes Jun 23, 2009
Weight loss can reduce the risk factors that are part of the syndrome: abdominal obesity as shown by a large waist circumference (waistline), low HDL ("good") cholesterol, high triglycerides (fats in the blood), high blood pressure and high blood sugar ... Six months after the operation, patients had a statistically significant decrease in their body mass index (BMI, a measure of body fat) as well as their waist circumference and blood levels of C-reactive protein, a measure of inflammation that... (Science Daily)
Widely Used Body Fat Measurements Overestimate Fatness In African-Americans, Study Finds Jun 23, 2009
"Compared to Caucasians, African-Americans of the same age, gender, waist circumference, weight and height may have lower total and abdominal fat mass," said principal investigator and study leader Samuel Dagogo-Jack, MD, professor of medicine and chief, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis. "These findings argue for a review of the existing cutoffs for healthy BMI and waist circumference among African-Americans." ... The... (Science Daily)
Hormone Therapy Plus Physical Activity Reduce Belly Fat, Body Fat Percentage After Menopause Jun 20, 2009
They evaluated the women's cholesterol levels, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (a measure of abdominal fat) and percentage of body fat before and after 4 months of HRT. The women received estrogen plus progesterone therapy in either non-oral (nasal and vaginal) or low-dose oral preparations. For 6 consecutive days before starting HRT and 6 days at the end of HRT, women wore a pedometer to estimate their level of physical activity. (Science Daily)
Know Your Odds for Heart Failure Jun 16, 2009
Waist circumference can be a good measure of obesity risk, Lewis said, with fat around the middle being the worst. "Studies show that a person with an apple shape has a greater risk than someone who looks like a pear," she explained. (MEDLINEplus)
Natural Hormone Offers Hope For Treatment Of The Metabolic Syndrome Jun 16, 2009
A diagnosis of the metabolic syndrome comes from having at least three of the following: increased waist circumference (abdominal obesity), low HDL ("good") cholesterol, high triglycerides (fats in the blood), high blood pressure and high blood glucose (blood sugar). The renin-angiotensin system and its key player, the hormone angiotensin II, normally help control blood pressure, but when overactive, this hormone likely contributes to the development of obesity and the metabolic syndrome. (Science Daily)
Many Overweight Kids Not Getting a Good Night's Sleep Jun 5, 2009
Those with sleep-disordered breathing tended to have a larger body-mass index and a higher waist circumference relative to their peers. Unlike in adults, a large neck circumference was not a predictor of sleep-disordered breathing in children, the study authors note in their report in the June issue of SLEEP.. (MEDLINEplus)
More than a bad night's sleep May 21, 2009
Most of these also had a larger waist circumference, which researchers found, along with higher BMI, to be significantly associated with sleep apnea ... "Doctors who have obese patients with type 2 diabetes need to be aware of the possibility of sleep apnea, even if no symptoms are present, especially in cases where the patient has a high BMI or waist circumference," said Foster. (EurekAlert!)
Heart Disease Patients Carrying Extra Pounds Do Better, Live Longer May 20, 2009
Other indices that have been used less commonly, but possibly with more predictive power include body fatness, waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and weight-to-height ratio. "Clinicians should emphasize to patients the importance of achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, as well as benefits that can be obtained from restricting their intake of calories and getting regular exercise of 30 to 40 minutes on most, if not all, days," said Dr. Lavie. (Science Daily)
Essentialis Meets Primary Endpoint in Phase 2b Trial of DCCR for Treatment of Hypertriglyceridemia and is Granted Extensive Patent Coverage in the US May 18, 2009
Weight and waist circumference reduction, blood pressure lowering, LFT and insulin resistance improvements were also demonstrated. DCCR was generally well tolerated, and most of the AEs were mild to moderate, resolving without sequelae. (PR Newswire)
A DASH of prevention can protect your heart May 14, 2009
Metabolic syndrome is a clustering of risk factors in one person including elevated waist circumference, high blood pressure, elevated blood triglycerides (fats) and blood glucose, and low HDL (good) cholesterol. Having the syndrome is thought to double one's risk of heart attack. (Globe and Mail)
McAllister: Nutrient-dense nuts good for snacking May 7, 2009
As a bonus, the almond-eating dieters enjoyed significantly greater reductions in waist circumference and blood-pressure readings. Nuts are tasty, filling and portable, which makes them perfect for snacking. (Green Valley News & Sun, AZ)
Majority Of New Cases Of Diabetes In Older U.S. Adults Could Be Prevented By Following Modestly Healthier Lifestyles Apr 29, 2009
The lifestyle factors that were examined included physical activity, diet, smoking habits, alcohol use, and amount of body fat (as determined by body mass index and waist circumference) ... Their body mass index and waist circumference were measured ... Other low-risk characteristics included whether participants had never smoked; consumed up to two alcoholic drinks per day (modest alcohol consumption has been shown to be a protective factor against diabetes); and were not overweight (defined by... (Science Daily)
Bigger Waist Means Bigger Risk For Heart Apr 14, 2009
"By any measure -- BMI, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio or waist-to-height ratio -- our findings showed that excess body weight was associated with higher rates of heart failure," said Emily Levitan, the study's first author. Even among women with the same BMI -- 25, in the normal range -- a waist that was 10 centimeters larger raised the risk of heart failure 15 percent. (Click2Houston, TX)
Linking waistline size with risk of heart failure Apr 13, 2009
Researchers from Boston and Sweden, led by Emily Levitan of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, studied about 80,000 Swedish men and women over 45 who supplied their height, weight, and waist circumference. After seven years, the researchers counted how many people had been hospitalized for heart failure, a condition causing fatigue and weakness because the heart cannot pump enough blood throughout the body. (Boston Globe)
Waist Size Found To Be Predictor Of Heart Failure In Both Men And Women Apr 10, 2009
9, 2009) Adding to the growing evidence that a person's waist size is an important indicator of heart health, a study led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has found that larger waist circumference is associated with increased risk of heart failure in middle-aged and older populations of men and women ... The researchers examined two Swedish population-based studies, the Swedish Mammography Cohort (made up of 36,873 women aged 48 to 83) and the Cohort of Swedish... (Science Daily)
Obesity Linked to Heart Failure Risk Apr 9, 2009
A gender difference emerged from the study of waist circumference in men and women. In women, BMI was associated with heart failure risk only among those who were fattest at the waist. (MEDLINEplus)
Large Waist Predicts Heart Failure Risk Apr 9, 2009
For both men and women, Levitan and her team found, the risk of being hospitalized with or dying from heart failure rose with BMI and waist circumference. For every additional BMI point, the risk of heart failure hospitalization or death increased by 3% in women and 7% in men, while a 10-centimeter increase in waist size boosted risk by 19% in women and 30% in men. (Newsmax)
Obesity Boosts Gum Disease Risk Apr 7, 2009
Waist circumference was linked to a higher risk of gum disease, too. Men with a waist of 40 inches or more -- considered a risk for heart disease -- had a 19 percent higher risk of getting gum disease than those with a waist under 40 inches. (MEDLINEplus)
Obesity Takes Years off Your Life Mar 19, 2009
Men with the largest waist circumference had more than double the risk of death, and women with the largest waist circumference increased their risk of death by 78 percent. HealthDay. (MEDLINEplus)
Metabolic And Neurological Disorders May Share Common Risk Factors Mar 16, 2009
Participants' adiposity (fat level) was assessed by body mass index, waist circumference, sagittal diameter (distance between the back and the highest point of the abdomen), total fat mass and subcutaneous (beneath the skin) and visceral fat (fat between the internal organs) measured by computed tomography. Men whose measurements were higher were more likely to experience declines in scores on a cognitive functioning test administered at the beginning of the study and again after three, five and... (Science Daily)
Control your DNA destiny Mar 13, 2009
9 (); and shoot for a waist circumference of less than 35 inches. When it comes to cholesterol, your LDL, bad, cholesterol should be less than 100; your HDL, good, cholesterol above 50; and your triglycerides below 150. (MSNBC -- Health)
Overweight Preschoolers Raise Their Heart Disease Risk Mar 13, 2009
They found that children with high BMIs and large waist circumferences were more likely to have elevated levels of C-reactive protein and lower levels of HDL cholesterol than children of normal weight ... "Overall, as waist circumference and body-mass index increases, HDL cholesterol decreases and C-reactive protein increases," said study author Sarah Messiah, a research assistant professor at the University of Miami ... Elevated BMI and waist circumference significantly predicted higher... (MEDLINEplus)
Neck Fat a Measure of Heart Risk Mar 13, 2009
"When you measure waist circumference, you look at visceral fat in the abdomen. Here you're looking at visceral fat in another area of the body.". "The study makes good sense to me," said Dr. Kirk Garratt, director of interventional cardiovascular research at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. (MEDLINEplus)
Framingham Heart Study launches new project to develop blood tests for heart disease Mar 13, 2009
Metabolic syndrome is diagnosed in individuals who have at least three of the following: overweight or obesity with large waist circumference; high blood pressure; high levels of triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood); low levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol; and high blood sugar, which can be an early sign of diabetes. "This partnership will help us bolster new discoveries about heart disease risk factors by applying the latest technology to data collected by Framingham researchers, while... (EurekAlert! -- Business News)
Big Waist Size Linked To Decreased Lung Function Mar 9, 2009
8, 2009) There's more bad news for people who carry excess weight around their waists: Not only is abdominal obesity associated with diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and a host of other health problems collectively known as "metabolic syndrome," a new study has found that a high waist circumference is strongly associated with decreased lung function independent of smoking history, sex, body mass index (BMI) and other complicating factors ... The study analyzed health information on... (Science Daily)
Heartache harder on women Mar 6, 2009
As part of the study, couples visited a university clinic where they underwent medical testing including measurements for waist circumference, blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose and triglycerides. Participants also answered questions aimed at identifying symptoms of depression, which many researchers believe contributes to metabolic syndrome, which, in turn, can lead to heart disease. (Globe and Mail)
Study finds belly fat makes breathing harder Mar 6, 2009
The researchers analyzed health information about 120,000 people in France, assessing demographic background, smoking history, alcohol consumption, as well as lung function with respect to a measure of obesity known as body mass index, waist circumference and other measures of metabolic health ... The researchers defined abdominal obesity as having a waist circumference of greater than 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men. (Yahoo News)
Georgetowns employees learn about heart disease Mar 5, 2009
This cutting-edge program, facilitated by MIIA s nutrition specialist, Sandra Sarni, RD, LDN, and medical director, Judith Lytle, MD, starts and ends with private weigh-ins including BMI, waist circumference, and blood pressure measurements; lipid profile and glucose screenings. Twenty-nine Georgetown employees and their spouses are learning about nutrition, preparing and cooking foods, lifestyle-friendly exercise, stress reduction and relaxation. (Georgetown Record, MA)
Bits & pieces Feb 21, 2009
Health indicator numbers such as body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure, blood cholesterol and suger levels can help you determine your risk. Learn your personal numbers and work with your doctor to improve those in dangerous ranges and maintain the healthy ones. (W. Yellowstone News, MT)
Type 2 Diabetes Linked to Diet Soda Feb 17, 2009
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of findings known to increase the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease and is also known as Syndrome X. Metabolic syndrome includes insulin resistance or actual Type 2 diabetes, low HDL, elevated triglycerides and central obesity (high waist circumference). Two previous studies have shown a positive correlation between diet soda and and Type 2 diabetes. (Natural News.com)
Belly Fat Linked to Risk of Migraines Feb 14, 2009
Waist circumference was found to be a better predictor of migraine activity than general in both men and women up until age 55 ... The survey included measurements of both abdominal obesity, measured by waist circumference, and overall obesity, as determined by (BMI). (WebMD)
Have Migraine? Bigger Waistline May Be Linked Feb 14, 2009
For the study, abdominal obesity was measured by waist circumference or the total size around the waist. Total body obesity was also measured. (Science Daily)
Losing Weight Can Cure Obstructive Sleep Apnea In Overweight Patients, Study Shows Feb 10, 2009
Furthermore, Dr. Tuomilehto observed, "The greater the change in body weight or waist circumference, the greater was the improvement in OSA." In fact, mild OSA was objectively cured in 88 percent of the patients who lost more than 33 pounds, a statistic that declined with the amount of weight lost. Only in 62 percent of those who lost between 11 and 33 pounds were objectively cured of their OSA, as were 38 percent of those who lost between zero and 11 pounds, and only 11 percent of those who had... (Science Daily)
International Journal of Obesity Feb 8, 2009
Read how a child's are associated with a larger waist circumference and weight gain. this article is FREE. (Nature News Service)
Mediterranean Diet Enriched with Nuts Cuts Heart Risks Feb 7, 2009
But the number of people with large waist circumference, high triglycerides or high blood pressure significantly decreased in the Mediterranean diet/mixed nuts group compared with the control group. This suggests that the Mediterranean diet with mixed nuts improves certain features of metabolic syndrome, such as oxygen-related cell damage, insulin resistance, and chronic inflammation, the researchers said. (MEDLINEplus)
Metabolic Syndrome Tied to Greater Depression Risk Feb 7, 2009
The findings are important, Dr. James A. Dunbar of the Flinders and Deakins Universities in Victoria and colleagues say, because depressed people may have a harder time making the changes in lifestyle that are necessary to reverse the syndrome, which includes large waist circumference, high blood pressure, high blood sugar with probable insulin resistance, high triglyceride levels and low levels of HDL or "good" cholesterol. Past research has suggested a link between metabolic syndrome and... (MEDLINEplus)
Diet, Exercise Cuts Kids' Risk for Metabolic Syndrome Feb 7, 2009
Metabolic syndrome in adults occurs when they have at least three risk factors from among abdominal obesity (waist circumference more than 35 inches for women; 40 inches for men); low HDL ("good") cholesterol; high triglycerides; high fasting glucose; and high blood pressure. Although sometimes difficult to diagnosis in children, similar clustering can appear in childhood. (MEDLINEplus)
Excess Weight Ups Risk of Death, No Matter Where it Collects Feb 7, 2009
"We found that a large waist circumference is related to a higher risk of death even for individuals who have the same BMI [body mass index, a ratio of weight to height]," said the study's lead author, Dr. Tobias Pischon, of the German Institute of Human Nutrition ... When the researchers factored in abdominal fat, they found that men with the largest waist circumference had more than double the risk of death, and women with the largest waist circumference increased their risk of death by 78... (MEDLINEplus)
