scholarly journals Increased Scalp Hair Cortisol Concentrations in Obese Children

2014 ◽  
Vol 99 (1) ◽  
pp. 285-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margriet A. B. Veldhorst ◽  
Gerard Noppe ◽  
Mieke H. T. M. Jongejan ◽  
Chantine B. M. Kok ◽  
Selma Mekic ◽  
...  

Context: Pathologically increased cortisol exposure induces obesity, but it is not known whether relatively high cortisol within the physiological range is related to childhood obesity. Objective: The aim of the study was to compare hair cortisol concentrations between obese and normal-weight children. Design: We performed an observational case-control study. Participants: Twenty obese children (body mass index-SD score [BMI-SDS] > 2.3) and 20 age- and sex-matched normal-weight children (BMI-SDS < 1.1) aged 8–12 years were recruited. Main Outcome Measures: Scalp hair samples from the posterior vertex were collected, and hair cortisol concentrations were measured using ELISA. Body weight, height, and waist circumference were measured. From the obese children, additional data on blood pressure and blood lipid concentrations were collected. Results: In both groups, five boys and 15 girls were included; their mean age was 10.8 ± 1.3 vs 10.8 ± 1.2 years (obese vs normal weight; not significant). Body weight, BMI, BMI-SDS, and waist circumference were higher in the obese children compared with the normal-weight children (69.8 ± 17.2 vs 35.5 ± 7.2 kg; 29.6 ± 4.9 vs 16.4 ± 1.6 kg/m2; 3.4 ± 0.5 vs −0.2 ± 0.8 SDS; 94 ± 13 vs 62 ± 6 cm; P < .001 all). Hair cortisol concentration was higher in obese than normal-weight children (median [interquartile range], 25 [17, 32] vs 17 [13, 21] pg/mg; P < .05). Conclusions: Hair cortisol concentration, a measure for long-term cortisol exposure, was higher in obese children than normal-weight children. This suggests long-term activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis in obese children and may provide a novel target for treatment of obesity in children.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Höglin ◽  
Enya Van Poucke ◽  
Rebecca Katajamaa ◽  
Per Jensen ◽  
Elvar Theodorsson ◽  
...  

AbstractPreviously, we found that dogs belonging to the herding breed group, selected for human cooperation, synchronise their long-term stress levels with their owners. The aim of the current study was to investigate features that could influence long-term stress levels in ancient dog breeds, genetically closer to wolves, and dogs specifically selected to work independently of their owner. Twenty-four ancient breed dogs and 18 solitary hunting dogs were recruited and hair samples were obtained from both dogs and owners from which hair cortisol concentration (HCC) was analysed. Additionally, the owners completed lifestyle surveys, the Monash Dog Owner Relationship Scale (MDORS) on human–dog relationship, and both dog and owner personality questionnaires (Dog Personality questionnaire and Big Five Inventory survey). The results from the MDORS indicate that the subscale Perceived cost correlated to the dog HCC of tested breed groups: solitary hunting breeds (χ2 = 4.95, P = 0.026, β = 0.055), ancient breeds (χ2 = 2.74, P = 0.098, β = 0.027), and herding dogs included from a previous study (χ2 = 6.82, P = 0.009, β = − 0.061). The HCC of the solitary hunting dogs was also related to the owner personality traits Agreeableness (χ2 = 12.30, P < 0.001, β = − 0.060) and Openness (χ2 = 9.56, P = 0.002, β = 0.048) suggesting a more substantial influence of the owner on the solitary hunting dog’s HCC compared to the ancient breeds. No effect of owner HCC on dog HCC was found in either ancient or in solitary hunting breeds. Hence, the long-term stress synchronisation is likely to be a trait in breeds selected for human cooperation. In conclusion, dog HCC is often related to the owners’ personality, but is primarily influenced by the owner-dog relationship.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 3592
Author(s):  
Chong-Chi Chiu ◽  
Chung-Han Ho ◽  
Chao-Ming Hung ◽  
Chien-Ming Chao ◽  
Chih-Cheng Lai ◽  
...  

It has been acknowledged that excess body weight increases the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC); however, there is little evidence on the impact of body mass index (BMI) on CRC patients’ long-term oncologic results in Asian populations. We studied the influence of BMI on overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and CRC-specific survival rates in CRC patients from the administrative claims datasets of Taiwan using the Kaplan–Meier survival curves and the log-rank test to estimate the statistical differences among BMI groups. Underweight patients (<18.50 kg/m2) presented higher mortality (56.40%) and recurrence (5.34%) rates. Besides this, they had worse OS (aHR:1.61; 95% CI: 1.53–1.70; p-value: < 0.0001) and CRC-specific survival (aHR:1.52; 95% CI: 1.43–1.62; p-value: < 0.0001) rates compared with those of normal weight patients (18.50–24.99 kg/m2). On the contrary, CRC patients belonging to the overweight (25.00–29.99 kg/m2), class I obesity (30.00–34.99 kg/m2), and class II obesity (≥35.00 kg/m2) categories had better OS, DFS, and CRC-specific survival rates in the analysis than the patients in the normal weight category. Overweight patients consistently had the lowest mortality rate after a CRC diagnosis. The associations with being underweight may reflect a reverse causation. CRC patients should maintain a long-term healthy body weight.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. cou026-cou026 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Cattet ◽  
B. J. Macbeth ◽  
D. M. Janz ◽  
A. Zedrosser ◽  
J. E. Swenson ◽  
...  

PLoS ONE ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. e0213573 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofus C. Larsen ◽  
Jeanett F. Rohde ◽  
Nanna J. Olsen ◽  
Mina N. Händel ◽  
Maria Stougaard ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 179 (11) ◽  
pp. 1805-1812
Author(s):  
Marja H. Leppänen ◽  
Katri Sääksjärvi ◽  
Henna Vepsäläinen ◽  
Carola Ray ◽  
Pauliina Hiltunen ◽  
...  

Abstract Screen time is increasing rapidly in young children. The aim of this study was to examine associations of long-term stress and temperament with screen time in Finnish preschool children and the moderating role of socioeconomic status. Cross-sectional DAGIS data were utilized. Long-term stress was assessed using hair cortisol concentration, indicating values of the past 2 months. Temperament was reported by the parents using the Children’s Behavior Questionnaire (the Very Short Form), and three broad temperament dimensions were constructed: surgency, negative affectivity, and effortful control. Screen time was reported by the parents over 7 days. The highest education level in the household was used as an indicator of socioeconomic status. In total, 779 children (mean age, 4.7 ± 0.9 years, 52% boys) were included in the study. Of the temperament dimensions, a higher effortful control was associated with less screen time (B = − 6.70, p = 0.002). There was no evidence for an association between hair cortisol concentration and screen time nor a moderating role of socioeconomic status in the associations (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Our findings indicate that preschool children with a higher score in effortful control had less screen time. Because effortful control reflects general self-regulatory abilities, promoting these skills may be effective in reducing screen time in young children. What is Known: • Screen time has increased rapidly during the last decades, and higher screen time has been linked with numerous adverse health consequences in children. • There are no previous studies investigating associations of long-term stress and temperament with screen time in young children. What is New: • Of the temperament dimensions, effortful control was associated with higher screen time in preschool children, but there was no association found between long-term stress and screen time. • Since effortful control reflects general self-regulatory abilities, promoting these skills may be effective in reducing screen time in young children.


2015 ◽  
Vol 143 ◽  
pp. 154-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeppe S. Christensen ◽  
Ole Raaschou-Nielsen ◽  
Anne Tjønneland ◽  
Rikke B. Nordsborg ◽  
Steen S. Jensen ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Kjølbæk ◽  
Janne K. Lorenzen ◽  
Lesli H. Larsen ◽  
Arne Astrup

AbstractThe aim of the present study was to investigate the associations between the habitual Ca intake and faecal fat and energy excretion as well as blood lipid profile in free-living normal-weight and overweight individuals. The participants were enrolled for an 8-d period where data from a 7-d diet registration (days 1–7), a 5-d faeces collection (days 3–7), a 2-d urine collection (days 5–7), and anthropometric measurements and a fasting blood sample (day 8) were collected. Analyses showed that dietary Ca intake (g/10 MJ per d) was positively associated with excretion of faecal fat (P = 0·004) and energy (P = 0·031) when adjusted for BMI, age, sex and intake of Ca-containing supplements. However, after adjustment for intake of fibre, the effect of Ca intake disappeared. Nevertheless, total cholesterol (CHOL) and LDL-CHOL concentrations were associated negatively with Ca intake (β −0·62 (95 % CI −0·96, −0·28) mmol/l, P < 0·001, and β −0·49 (95 % CI −0·78, −0·20) mmol/l, P = 0·001, respectively, per 1000 mg/10 MJ per d increase in Ca intake). In conclusion, incorporation of Ca-rich food products in a habitual diet was associated with reduced total CHOL and LDL-CHOL concentrations, which may lower the risk of CVD in the long term.


Author(s):  
Evelyn E Bartling-John ◽  
Kimberley A Phillips

Common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) are a valuable research model for the study of neuroscience and the biologicimpact of aging due to their adaptivity, physiologic characteristics, and ease of handling for experimental manipulations. Quantification of cortisol in hair provides a noninvasive, retrospective biomarker of hypothalamics-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)axis activity and information on animal wellbeing, including responses to environmental and social stimuli. To obtain valid and reliable measurements of long-term HPA activity, we investigated the variability of cortisol concentration in the hair depending on the body region of marmosets. Hair was collected from the back and tail of 9 adult common marmosets during annual health screenings (male n = 3; female n = 6) and these samples were analyzed for cortisol via methanol extraction and enzyme immunoassay. We found that hair cortisol concentration differed between the tail and back regions, with the tail samples having a significantly higher cortisol concentration. These results indicate intraindividual and interindividual comparisons of hair cortisol concentration should use hair obtained from the same body region in marmosets.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agata Grzyb ◽  
Małgorzata Domagalska-Szopa ◽  
Andrzej Siwiec ◽  
Ilona Kwiecień-Czerwieniec ◽  
Andrzej Szopa

Background: One of the objective methods of assessing the level of cardiopulmonary capacity in overweight and obese children and adolescents is cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET).Aims: The purpose of present study is an evaluation of aerobic capacity in high body mass index (BMI) children and adolescents by comparing them with a normal weight control group by CPET.Methods and Procedures: The subjects were recruited from participants of the Program of Treatment for Overweight and Obese Children organized by a local pediatric rehabilitation center in Poland. Based on BMI for age and gender, two validation groups were selected: (1) a group of overweight children (n = 49) and (2) a group of obese children (n = 48). The study included also 53 normal weight participants as a reference group (REF). The study consisted of two parts: anthropometric measurements and CPET. The Godfrey protocol for CPET was applied.Outcomes and Results: In this study, obese children and adolescents showed similar absolute VO2peak values in liters per minute (1.64 L/min) compared to overweight children (1.48 L/min), but significantly higher than children with normal body weight (1.39 L/min). The obese children and adolescents presented lower VO2peak in relation to body weight (25.44 ml/kg/min) compared to their peers with normal body weight (36.5 ml/kg/min), and overweight children (29.18 ml/kg/min).Conclusion and Implications: The main finding of our study was recognition of significant differences between cardiopulmonary capacity parameters in obese children in comparison not only to normal weight peers, but to overweight, too.


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