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Research advances at the Institute for Nutritional Sciences at Shanghai, China.
Chen, Y, Lin, X, Liu, Y, Xie, D, Fang, J, Le, Y, Ke, Z, Zhai, Q, Wang, H, Guo, F, et al
Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.). 2011;(5):428-39
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Abstract
Nutrition-related health issues have emerged as a major threat to public health since the rebirth of the economy in China starting in the 1980s. To meet this challenge, the Chinese Academy of Sciences established the Institute for Nutritional Sciences (INS) at Shanghai, China ≈ 8 y ago. The mission of the INS is to apply modern technologies and concepts in nutritional research to understand the molecular mechanism and provide means of intervention in the combat against nutrition-related diseases, including type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and many types of cancers. Through diligent and orchestrated efforts by INS scientists, graduate students, and research staff in the past few years, the INS has become the leading institution in China in the areas of basic nutritional research and metabolic regulation. Scientists at the INS have made important progress in many areas, including the characterization of genetic and nutritional properties of the Chinese population, metabolic control associated with nutrient sensing, molecular mechanisms underlying glucose and lipid metabolism, regulation of metabolism by adipokines and inflammatory pathways, disease intervention using functional foods or extracts of Chinese herbs, and many biological studies related to carcinogenesis. The INS will continue its efforts in understanding the optimal nutritional needs for Chinese people and the molecular causes associated with metabolic diseases, thus paving the way for effective and individualized intervention in the future. This review highlights the major research endeavors undertaken by INS scientists in recent years.
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Quality of reviews on sugar-sweetened beverages and health outcomes: a systematic review.
Weed, DL, Althuis, MD, Mink, PJ
The American journal of clinical nutrition. 2011;(5):1340-7
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Medical and public health decisions are informed by reviews, which makes the quality of reviews an important scientific concern. OBJECTIVE We systematically assessed the quality of published reviews on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and health, which is a controversial topic that is important to public health. DESIGN We performed a search of PubMed and Cochrane databases and a hand search of reference lists. Studies that were selected were published reviews and meta-analyses (June 2001 to June 2011) of epidemiologic studies of the relation between SSBs and obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and coronary heart disease. A standardized data-abstraction form was used. Review quality was assessed by using the validated instrument AMSTAR (assessment of multiple systematic reviews), which is a one-page tool with 11 questions. RESULTS Seventeen reviews met our inclusion and exclusion criteria: obesity or weight (16 reviews), diabetes (3 reviews), metabolic syndrome (3 reviews), and coronary heart disease (2 reviews). Authors frequently used a strictly narrative review (7 of 17 reviews). Only 6 of 17 reviews reported quantitative data in a table format. Overall, reviews of SSBs and health outcomes received moderately low-quality scores by the AMSTAR [mean: 4.4 points; median: 4 points; range: 1-8.5 points (out of a possible score of 11 points)]. AMSTAR scores were not related to the conclusions of authors (8 reviews reported an association with a mean AMSTAR score of 4.1 points; 9 reviews with equivocal conclusions scored 4.7 points; P value = 0.84). Less than one-third of published reviews reported a comprehensive literature search, listed included and excluded studies, or used duplicate study selection and data abstraction. CONCLUSION The comprehensive reporting of epidemiologic evidence and use of systematic methodologies to interpret evidence were underused in published reviews on SSBs and health.
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Salt sensitivity, insulin resistance, and public health in India.
Ganda, OP, Fonseca, VA
Endocrine practice : official journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. 2010;(6):940-4
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To provide a current overview of the worldwide prevalence and pattern of cardiovascular disease and discuss the role of sodium intake and salt sensitivity, with a focus on the Asian Indian population. METHODS An extensive search of the literature from PubMed and the Cochrane Library was undertaken. Moreover, the pathophysiologic basis of the relationship between sodium intake and insulin sensitivity in various populations was reviewed. RESULTS High blood pressure is the most common cause of cardiovascular disease and mortality globally. Although salt sensitivity is a frequent determinant of hypertension, a strong link between salt sensitivity and cardiovascular disease associated with insulin resistance has not received adequate attention. This may be particularly relevant to the public health challenges of increasing prevalences of obesity, diabetes, and cardiometabolic syndrome in India where, according to recent estimates, approximately 60% of the world's cases of cardiovascular disease occur and the salt consumption is among the highest in any large population. CONCLUSION There is evidence for a strong link between increased salt sensitivity and insulin resistance leading to metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. This relationship may be particularly relevant to the escalating epidemic of cardiovascular disease in the southern Asian Indian population. A broad-based community action to achieve at least a modest restriction of salt intake can yield important health benefits and is urgently needed.
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Evolution and variability in fitness test performance of Asian children and adolescents.
Macfarlane, DJ, Tomkinson, GR
Medicine and sport science. 2007;:143-167
Abstract
Although Asia represents well over half of the world's population, the comparative lack of resources and infrastructure in many of these countries is likely to have contributed to only sporadic data being available to examine secular changes and geographical variability in the fitness test performances of Asian children and adolescents. Given the concerns that currently exist in the development of childhood obesity including, in many Asian countries, knowledge on the secular changes in nutrition and physical fitness and activity would seem germane to developing proactive public health strategies. The aim of this study therefore was to summarize existing literature reporting explicitly on secular changes in the fitness test performance of Asian children and adolescents, and where possible, comment on the geographical variability of such performances. Using a meta-analytical strategy, this study summarizes the secular changes in power, speed and cardiovascular endurance test performance of over 23.5 million 6- to 19-year-olds from seven Asian countries, tested between 1917 and 2003. In addition, it summarizes the geographic variability in fitness test performance of Asian children and adolescents within, and outside of, Asia. There has been very little change in the power and speed test performances of Asian children and adolescents in recent decades, yet alarmingly, there have been consistent declines in cardiovascular endurance fitness performance across all studied Asian nations over the past 10-15 years. Given the association between cardiovascular endurance fitness and numerous degenerative conditions (e.g. diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndrome), recent declines in cardiovascular endurance fitness performance of Asian children and adolescents should be an issue of major concern for public health authorities throughout Asia.