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Coping Strategies Influence Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Chronic Psychological Stress: A Post Hoc Analysis of A Randomized Pilot Study.
Armborst, D, Bitterlich, N, Alteheld, B, Rösler, D, Metzner, C, Siener, R
Nutrients. 2021;14(1)
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Chronic psychological stress is increasingly recognized as a significant contributor to mental and physiological disorders in modern societies. The individual response to chronic stressors and resulting disorders depends on numerous factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the cardiometabolic risk profile in participants with ‘high’ and ‘very high’ chronic stress loads and the impact of positive and negative coping factors used. This study is a post hoc analysis of a randomised pilot study. For this analysis, baseline data were available for 62 chronic psychologically stressed participants, of whom 61 participants (43 women and 18 men) were included in the intention-to-treat (ITT) population. Results indicate that: - perceiving high chronic stress is significantly associated with the criteria of the metabolic syndrome. - on the contrary, a very high perceived chronic stress load seemed to be rather associated with mental health risk than with cardiometabolic risk. - inflammation and oxidative stress markers significantly correlated with cardiometabolic risk parameters. - stress load can be coped with in diverse ways and that the coping strategy is crucial for cardiometabolic risk. Authors conclude that long-term studies are necessary to examine further adaptations to chronic stress and to evaluate individual stress-management strategies.
Abstract
Chronic psychological stress can result in physiological and mental health risks via the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, sympathoadrenal activity and emotion-focused coping strategies. The impact of different stress loads on cardiometabolic risk is poorly understood. This post hoc analysis of a randomized pilot study was conducted on 61 participants (18-65 years of age) with perceived chronic stress. The Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ30), Psychological Neurological Questionnaire (PNF), anthropometric, clinical and blood parameters were assessed. Subjects were assigned to 'high stress' (HS; PSQ30 score: 0.573 ± 0.057) and 'very high stress' (VHS; PSQ30 score: 0.771 ± 0.069) groups based on the PSQ30. Morning salivary cortisol and CRP were elevated in both groups. Visceral adiposity, elevated blood pressure and metabolic syndrome were significantly more frequent in the HS group vs. the VHS group. The fatty liver index (FLI) was higher (p = 0.045), while the PNF score was lower (p < 0.001) in the HS group. The HS group was comprised of more smokers (p = 0.016). Energy intake and physical activity levels were similar in both groups. Thus, high chronic stress was related to visceral adiposity, FLI, elevated blood pressure and metabolic syndrome in the HS group, while very high chronic stress was associated with psychological-neurological symptoms and a lower cardiometabolic risk in the VHS group, probably due to different coping strategies.
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Effect of a weight-loss stabilization following a weight reduction with or without meal replacement on cardiometabolic risk in overweight women. A randomized controlled trial.
Armborst, D, Metzner, C, Bitterlich, N, Lemperle, M, Siener, R
International journal of food sciences and nutrition. 2019;(4):453-466
Abstract
The objective of this study was to examine the effect of a 3-month weight-loss-stabilization phase (phase 2) following a successful 3-month weight-loss phase (phase 1), including a conventional energy-restricted diet with (MR) or without (C) meal replacement, on the cardiometabolic risk profile in 80 overweight women. In phase 2, both groups continued to significantly reduce weight and sustained the significant decreases in waist circumference and LDL-C. During the study, folic acid concentration significantly increased in the MR-group, while homocysteine concentration significantly worsened in the C-group. After 6 months, the number of women with hypertriglyceridemic waist was significantly reduced in both the groups, however with metabolic syndrome and metabolically unhealthy abdominal obesity (MUHAO) only in the MR-group. In conclusion, both strategies were equally effective for weight loss and weight-loss stabilization. The micronutrient supplementation with MR seemed to have an additional beneficial impact on the cardiometabolic risk in the MR-group versus the C-group.
3.
Impact of a Specific Amino Acid Composition with Micronutrients on Well-Being in Subjects with Chronic Psychological Stress and Exhaustion Conditions: A Pilot Study.
Armborst, D, Metzner, C, Alteheld, B, Bitterlich, N, Rösler, D, Siener, R
Nutrients. 2018;(5)
Abstract
Chronic work-life stress leads to dysfunction of the hypothalamus⁻pituitary⁻adrenal axis, the autonomic nervous system, and the serotonergic system, with resultant impairment of overall well-being. Aim of the study was to improve perceived stress by a specific amino acid composition with micronutrients in the verum versus placebo group. A total of 59 participants (18⁻65 years) with self-reported perceived chronic stress and exhaustion conditions participated in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. The Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ30), amino acid profile, anthropometric, clinical, blood, urine parameters, and dietary intake were assessed. After 12 weeks, the verum group achieved significantly greater improvements in the total PSQ30 score compared with the placebo group. In the verum group, serum taurine concentration, folic acid concentration, urinary magnesium excretion, and the ratio of l-tryptophan to the sum of competing amino acids rose significantly. In the placebo group, serum concentrations of serotonin, protein, and magnesium decreased significantly, whereas the cardiometabolic risk parameters body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, and waist-to-height ratio increased significantly. Compared with placebo, the verum supplementation resulted in a higher improvement in perceived stress. Beneficial effects on the serotonergic system and preventive effects on magnesium homeostasis and some cardiometabolic risk factors were supposed. Additional effects might be caused by the optimized food intake.