Life Sciences Commons^™

Cardiovascular Health Is Associated With Physical Function Among Older Community Dwelling Men And Women., Yichen Jin, Toshiko Tanaka, Yan Ma, Stefania Bandinelli, Luigi Ferrucci, Sameera A Talegawkar

Exercise and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Age related decline in physical function is a significant concern affecting the quality of life of older individuals.

Methods

We examined the associations between baseline overall cardiovascular health (CVH), its components, and physical function in 906 men and women from the InCHIANTI cohort. Physical function was assessed using the Short Performance Physical Battery and poor physical function was defined as an Short Performance Physical Battery score less than 10. Overall CVH score, ranging from 0 to 12 in the cohort, was operationalized using adherence to ideal levels for health behaviors including smoking status, physical activity, body mass index, and …

Cardio-Metabolic Benefits Of Plant-Based Diets., Hana Kahleova, Susan Levin, Neal Barnard

Medicine Faculty Publications

Cardio-metabolic disease, namely ischemic heart disease, stroke, obesity, and type 2 diabetes, represent substantial health and economic burdens. Almost one half of cardio-metabolic deaths in the U.S. might be prevented through proper nutrition. Plant-based (vegetarian and vegan) diets are an effective strategy for improving nutrient intake. At the same time, they are associated with decreased all-cause mortality and decreased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and coronary heart disease. Evidence suggests that plant-based diets may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease events by an estimated 40% and the risk of cerebral vascular disease events by 29%. These diets also …

Sugar Price Supports And Taxation: A Public Health Policy Paradox, Abby Dilk, Dennis Savaiano

Student Works

Domestic US sugar production has been protected by government policy for the past 82 years, resulting in elevated domestic prices and an estimated annual (2013) $1.4 billion dollar “tax” on consumers. These elevated prices and the simultaneous federal support for domestic corn production have ensured a strong market for high-fructose corn syrup. Americans have dramatically increased their consumption of caloric sweeteners during the same period. Consumption of “empty” calories (ie, foods with low-nutrient/high-caloric density)—sugar and high-fructose corn syrup being the primary sources—is considered by most public health experts to be a key contributing factor to the rise in obesity. There …

Monthly Food Insecurity Assessment In Rural Mkushi District, Zambia: A Longitudinal Analysis., Muzi Na, Bess L Caswell, Sameera A Talegawkar, Amanda Palmer

Exercise and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Perception-based scales are widely used for household food insecurity (HFI) assessment but were only recently added in national surveys. The frequency of assessments needed to characterize dynamics in HFI over time is largely unknown. The study aims to examine longitudinal changes in monthly reported HFI at both population- and household-level.

METHODS: A total of 157 households in rural Mkushi District whose children were enrolled in the non-intervened arm of an efficacy trial of biofortified maize were included in the analysis. HFI was assessed by a validated 8-item perception-based Likert scale on a monthly basis from October 2012 to March …

The Need For Standardized Assessment Of Muscle Quality In Skeletal Muscle Function Deficit And Other Aging-Related Muscle Dysfunctions: A Symposium Report, Rosaly Correa De Araujo, Michael O. Harris-Love, Iva Miljkovic, Maren Fragala, Brian Anthony, Todd Manini

Exercise and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Publications

A growing body of scientific literature suggests that not only changes in skeletal muscle mass, but also other factors underpinning muscle quality, play a role in the decline in skeletal muscle function and impaired mobility associated with aging. A symposium on muscle quality and the need for standardized assessment was held on April 28, 2016 at the International Conference on Frailty and Sarcopenia Research in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The purpose of this symposium was to provide a venue for basic science and clinical researchers and expert clinicians to discuss muscle quality in the context of skeletal muscle function deficit and other …

Eccentric Exercise Program Design: A Periodization Model For Rehabilitation Applications, Michael O. Harris-Love, Bryant Seamon, Tomas I. Gonzales, Haniel J. Hernandez, Donte Pennington, Brian Hoover

Exercise and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Publications

The applied use of eccentric muscle actions for physical rehabilitation may utilize the framework of periodization. This approach may facilitate the safe introduction of eccentric exercise and appropriate management of the workload progression. The purpose of this data-driven Hypothesis and Theory paper is to present a periodization model for isokinetic eccentric strengthening of older adults in an outpatient rehabilitation setting. Exemplar and group data are used to describe the initial eccentric exercise prescription, structured familiarization procedures, workload progression algorithm, and feasibility of the exercise regimen. Twenty-four men (61.8 ±6.3 years of age) completed a 12-week isokinetic eccentric strengthening regimen involving …

Molecular Alterations In Skeletal Muscle In Rheumatoid Arthritis Are Related To Disease Activity, Physical Inactivity, And Disability., Kim M Huffman, Ryan Jessee, Brian Andonian, Brittany N Davis, Rachel Narowski, Janet L Huebner, Virginia B Kraus, Julie Mccracken, Brian F Gilmore, K Noelle Tune, Milton Campbell, Timothy R Koves, Deborah M Muoio, Monica J Hubal, William E Kraus

Exercise and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: To identify molecular alterations in skeletal muscle in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that may contribute to ongoing disability in RA.

METHODS: Persons with seropositive or erosive RA (n = 51) and control subjects matched for age, gender, race, body mass index (BMI), and physical activity (n = 51) underwent assessment of disease activity, disability, pain, physical activity and thigh muscle biopsies. Muscle tissue was used for measurement of pro-inflammatory markers, transcriptomics, and comprehensive profiling of metabolic intermediates. Groups were compared using mixed models. Bivariate associations were assessed with Spearman correlation.

RESULTS: Compared to controls, patients with RA had 75% greater …

Using Xbox Kinect Motion Capture Technology To Improve Clinical Rehabilitation Outcomes For Balance And Cardiovascular Health In An Individual With Chronic Tbi, Shane Chanpimol, Bryant A. Seamon, Haniel J. Hernandez, Michael O. Harris-Love, Marc R. Blackman

Exercise and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Motion capture virtual reality-based rehabilitation has become more common. However, therapists face challenges to the implementation of virtual reality (VR) in clinical settings. Use of motion capture technology such as the Xbox Kinect may provide a useful rehabilitation tool for the treatment of postural instability and cardiovascular deconditioning in individuals with chronic severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a Kinect-based VR intervention using commercially available motion capture games on balance outcomes for an individual with chronic TBI. The secondary purpose was to assess the feasibility of this intervention …

Multifactorial Examination Of Sex-Differences In Head Injuries And Concussions Among Collegiate Soccer Players: Ncaa Iss, 2004–2009, Avinash Chandran, Mary Barron, Beverly Westerman, Loretta Dipietro

Exercise and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

While head injuries and concussions are major concerns among soccer players, the multifactorial nature of head injury observations in this group remains relatively undefined. We aim to extend previous analyses and examine sex-differences in the incidence of head injuries, odds of head injuries within an injured sample, and severity of head injuries, among collegiate soccer players between 2004 and 2009.

Methods

Data collected within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Injury Surveillance System (ISS) between the years of 2004 and 2009, were analyzed in this study. Unadjusted rate ratios (RR), compared incidence rates between categories of sex, injury mechanism, …

Press-Pulse: A Novel Therapeutic Strategy For The Metabolic Management Of Cancer, Thomas Seyfried, George Yu, Joseph Maroon, Dominic D'Agostino

Urology Faculty Publications

Background

A shift from respiration to fermentation is a common metabolic hallmark of cancer cells. As a result, glucose and glutamine become the prime fuels for driving the dysregulated growth of tumors. The simultaneous occurrence of “Press-Pulse” disturbances was considered the mechanism responsible for reduction of organic populations during prior evolutionary epochs. Press disturbances produce chronic stress, while pulse disturbances produce acute stress on populations. It was only when both disturbances coincide that population reduction occurred.

Methods

This general concept can be applied to the management of cancer by creating chronic metabolic stresses on tumor cell energy metabolism (press disturbance) …

The World Health Organization Fetal Growth Charts: A Multinational Longitudinal Study Of Ultrasound Biometric Measurements And Estimated Fetal Weight., Torvid Kiserud, Gilda Piaggio, Guillermo Carroli, Mariana Widmer, José Carvalho, Lisa Neerup Jensen, Sameera A Talegawkar, +Several Additional Authors

Exercise and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Perinatal mortality and morbidity continue to be major global health challenges strongly associated with prematurity and reduced fetal growth, an issue of further interest given the mounting evidence that fetal growth in general is linked to degrees of risk of common noncommunicable diseases in adulthood. Against this background, WHO made it a high priority to provide the present fetal growth charts for estimated fetal weight (EFW) and common ultrasound biometric measurements intended for worldwide use.

METHODS AND FINDINGS: We conducted a multinational prospective observational longitudinal study of fetal growth in low-risk singleton pregnancies of women of high or middle …