Browsing by Author "Cortez-Pinto, Helena"
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- Body composition and body fat distribution are related to cardiac autonomic control in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patientsPublication . Pimenta, Nuno; Santa-Clara, Helena; Cortez-Pinto, Helena; Silva-Nunes, José; Rosado, Maria da Lapa; Sousa, Pedro J.; Calé, Rita; Melo, Xavier; Sardinha, Luís B.; Fernhall, BoBACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Heart rate recovery (HRR), a cardiac autonomic control marker, was shown to be related to body composition (BC), yet this was not tested in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients. The aim of this study was to determine if, and to what extent, markers of BC and body fat (BF) distribution are related to cardiac autonomic control in NAFLD patients. SUBJECTS/METHODS: BC was assessed with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in 28 NAFLD patients (19 men, 51±13 years, and 9 women, 47±13 years). BF depots ratios were calculated to assess BF distribution. Subjects’ HRR was recorded 1 (HRR1) and 2 min (HRR2) immediately after a maximum graded exercise test. RESULTS: BC and BF distribution were related to HRR; particularly weight, trunk BF and trunk BF-to-appendicular BF ratio showed a negative relation with HRR1 (r 1⁄4 0.613, r 1⁄4 0.597 and r 1⁄4 0.547, respectively, Po0.01) and HRR2 (r 1⁄4 0.484, r 1⁄4 0.446, Po0.05, and r 1⁄4 0.590, Po0.01, respectively). Age seems to be related to both HRR1 and HRR2 except when controlled for BF distribution. The preferred model in multiple regression should include trunk BF-to-appendicular BF ratio and BF to predict HRR1 (r2 1⁄4 0.549; Po0.05), and trunk BF-to-appendicular BF ratio alone to predict HRR2 (r2 1⁄4 0.430; Po0.001). CONCLUSIONS: BC and BF distribution were related to HRR in NAFLD patients. Trunk BF-to-appendicular BF ratio was the best independent predictor of HRR and therefore may be best related to cardiovascular increased risk, and possibly act as a mediator in age-related cardiac autonomic control variation.
- Waist-to-height ratio is independently related to whole and central body fat, regardless of the waist circumference measurement protocol, in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patientsPublication . Pimenta, Nuno; Cortez-Pinto, Helena; Melo, Xavier; Silva-Nunes, José; Sardinha, Luís; Santa-Clara, HelenaBackground: Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) has been reported as a prefer-able risk related body fat (BF) marker, although no standardised waistcircumference measurement protocol (WCmp) has been proposed. Thepresent study aimed to investigate whether the use of a different WCmpaffects the strength of relationship between WHtR and both whole andcentral BF in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients.Methods: BF was assessed with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in28 NAFLD patients [19 males, mean (SD) 51 (13) years and nine females,47 (13) years]. All subjects also underwent anthropometric evaluationincluding height and waist circumference (WC) measurement using fourdifferent WCmp (WC1, minimal waist; WC2, iliac crest; WC3, mid-distancebetween iliac crest and lowest rib; WC4, at the umbilicus) and WHtR wascalculated using each WC measurements (WHtR1, WHtR2, WHtR3 andWHtR4, respectively). Partial correlations were conducted to assess the rela-tion of WHtR and DXA assessed BF.Results: All WHtR were particularly correlated with central BF, includingabdominal BF (r = 0.80, r = 0.84, r = 0.84 and r = 0.78, respectively, forWHtR1, WHtR2, WHtR3 and WHtR4) and central abdominal BF (r = 0.72,r = 0.77, r = 0.76 and r = 0.71, respectively, for WHtR1, WHtR2, WHtR3and WHtR4), after controlling for age, sex and body mass index. There wereno differences between the correlation coefficients obtained between allstudied WHtR and each whole and central BF variable.Conclusions: Waist-to-height ratio was found a suitable BF marker in thepresent sample of NAFLD patients and the strength of the relationshipbetween WHtR and both whole and central BF was not altered by usingdifferent WCmp in the present sample of NAFLD patients.
- Waist-to-Hip Ratio is Related to Body Fat Content and Distribution Regardless of the Waist Circumference Measurement Protocol, in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease PatientsPublication . Pimenta, Nuno; Santa-Clara, Helena; Melo, Xavier; Cortez-Pinto, Helena; Silva Nunes, José António; Sardinha, LuisCentral accumulation and distribution of body fat (BF) is an important cardiometabolic risk factor. Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), commonly elevated in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients, has been endorsed as a risk related marker of central BF content and distribution, but no standardized waist circumference measurement protocol (WCmp) has been proposed. We aimed to investigate whether using different WCmp affects the strength of association between WHR and BF content and distribution in NAFLD patients. BF was assessed with Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) in 28 NAFLD patients (19 males, 51 ± 13 yrs, and 9 females, 47 ± 13 yrs). Waist circumference (WC) was measured using four different WCmp (WC1: minimal waist; WC2: iliac crest; WC3: mid-distance between iliac crest and lowest rib; WC4: at the umbilicus) and WHR was calculated accordingly (WHR1, WHR2, WHR3 and WHR4, respectively). High WHR was found in up to 84.6% of subjects, depending on the WHR considered. With the exception of WHR1, all WHR correlated well with abdominal BF (r=0.47 for WHR1; r=0.59 for WHR2 and WHR3; r=0.58 for WHR4) and BF distribution (r=0.45 for WHR1; r=0.56 for WHR2 and WHR3; r=0.51 for WHR4), controlling for age, sex and body mass index (BMI). WHR2 and WHR3 diagnosed exactly the same prevalence of high WHR (76.9%). The present study confirms the strong relation between WHR and central BF, regardless of WCmp used, in NAFLD patients. WHR2 and WHR3 seemed preferable for use in clinical practice, interchangeably, for the diagnosis of high WHR in NAFLD patients.