Skeletal differences between black and white men and their relevance to body composition estimates

Skeletal differences exist between closely matched Black and White women, although it is unknown if similar differences also exist between Black and White men after controlling for age, body weight, and stature. The aim of this study was twofold: to test the hypothesis that Black men have greater bone mass, higher bone mineral density, and longer limbs compared to White men of similar age, weight, and height; and second, to establish if ethnic variation in skeletal characteristics has an impact on the models upon which three widely used methods for estimating total body fat are based. Twenty-four healthy Black men were matched by age (±5 years), height (±3 cm), and weight (±2 kg) to 24 healthy White men. Skeletal characteristics and body composition were studied using anatomical and compartment estimates derived by anthropometry, ³H₂O dilution, hydrodensitometry, whole-body ⁴⁰K counting, and dual photon systems. Black men had greater bone mineral mass (P = 0.007), higher bone density (P = 0.054), longer femurs (P = 0.002), longer anthropometric arm and thigh lengths (P = 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively), lower spine to femur ratio (P = 0.004), and similar spine length (P = 0.271) compared to White men. Total body fat and fat-free body mass (FFM) were estimated in the men using a four-compartment model. Black and White men had similar total body fat, K (TBK), water (TBW), and FFM. Density of FFM and TBK/FFM were also similar between Black and White men, suggesting that current two-compartment hydrodensitometry and TBK models for estimating fat may not require adjustments for ethnicity. The TBW/FFM ratio, which is the main assumed steady-state relation for the two-compartment TBW method of estimating fat, was modestly increased (P = 0.05) in Black men (x? ± SD, 0.744 ± 0.018) compared to White men (0.732 ± 0.021). These results confirm that Black and White men differ significantly in some skeletal characteristics and these differences have implications in the study of both osteoporosis and human body composition. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

“Aggressive” Feeding of Very Preterm Neonates and Body Mass Index at School Age

Introduction: The effects of “aggressive” neonatal feeding policies of very preterm neonates (VPN) and the risk of metabolic syndrome later in life remain questionable. We aimed to evaluate the effect of our “aggressive” nutrition policies of VPN during hospitalisation on body mass index (BMI) at ages 2 and 8 years. Materials and Methods: Eighty four VPN, who received “aggressive” nutrition during hospitalisation in an effort to minimise postnatal growth restriction (PGR) (group A), and 62 term neonates, as controls (group B), were enrolled in the study. Group A was further divided in four subgroups depending on the type (A1: fortified expressed breast milk and preterm formula; A2: exclusively preterm formula) and quantity of milk received (A3: maximum feeds 180–210 mL/kg/day; A4: maximum feeds 210 and up to 260 mL/kg/day). BMI was calculated at ages 2 and 8 years and plotted on the centile charts. Results: There was no significant difference in BMI between groups A and B at 2 and 8 years, respectively, in both absolute BMI values and their centile chart distribution. There was no significant difference in BMI at 2 and 8 years either between subgroups A1 and A2 or between subgroups A3 and A4. Conclusions: “Aggressive” and individualised feeding policy for VPN did not affect the BMI and obesity rates at ages of 2 and 8 years in our study population. The type and quantity of milk feeds had no impact on their BMI at school age. Further larger studies are needed to confirm our results.     

Solute-free water excretion and electrolyte-free water excretion are better terms than solute-free water clearance and electrolyte-free water clearance

International Urology and Nephrology -     

Unresectable colorectal-carcinoma - 10 years experience with patients treated with radical or palliative external-beam radiotherapy in Greece

Our analysis presents a group of 86 patients with unresectable colorectal cancer who were treated with radical or palliative external beam radiotherapy from 1979-1990 at the Radiation Oncology Department of Greek Anticancer Institute, St. Savvas Hospital, Athens. The dose applied to the tumor area was 20-50 Gy in 2-6 weeks. A CAT-scan guided boost field portal to the primary tumor bed and immediately adjacent nodes was also used. Irradiation was given with a Co-60 unit or a 6 MeV Linear Accelerator using a two, three or 4-field technique. Complete symptomatic relief was achieved in 90% of patients with rectal bleeding, 63% with pain and 37% with mucous discharge. Although the majority of our patients received a higher than 40Gy radiation dose, we have seen symptomatic relief in up to 90% of patients treated with 20-30 Gy in 2-3 weeks. However, the duration of improvement in symptomatic relief of our patients was better for those who had been given higher doses of radiation therapy. The radiation dose was sufficient to relieve symptoms in 40 patients (46.5%) for more than 12 months and in 20 patients (23.2%) for 8-12 months.     

Effects of terlipressin versus splenectomy on liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy in rats: What we know so far?

正To the editor:We read with great interest the article entitled "Comparative study of the effects of terlipressin versus splenectomy on liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy in rats" by Ulmer et al.[1].The aim of this study was to analyse the impact of terlipressin ver-     

Online 3-Dimensional Rendering of Optical Coherence Tomography Images for the Assessment of Bifurcation Intervention

Three-dimensional optical coherence tomography rendering has been suggested as a method providing additive information for the assessment of the result of percutaneous coronary intervention. However, rendering of such models is very time-consuming and cannot be performed online during the intervention. We present a case in which a new method for 3-dimensional rendering of optical coherence tomography images helped visualize the stent–vessel wall interaction, providing useful information that discouraged further intervention.     

Landscape structure and diseases profile: associating land use type composition with disease distribution

Human health and well-being presuppose environmental quality. Several studies have documented the indicative role of land use types in environmental quality. However, the exact role of land use composition on disease distribution has remained scientifically vague. We assessed the congruence of diseases’ distribution with land use composition, focusing on high environmental quality areas, defined as tranquil areas with view to indicating places offering well-being. Landscape composition is linked to the presence of diseases across 51 prefectures of Greece. Agricultural and natural land use types proved to be the main drivers of disease distribution. Tranquility demonstrated a strong negative correlation with population density, thus could be considered as a quantitative spatial index of life-quality. We concluded that the landscape context affects the dominance of diseases’ patterns. Special emphasis should be put on the role of tranquil areas in human health and the relative environmental health policies.     

Obesity and risk of malignant melanoma: A meta-analysis of cohort and case–control studies

Although obesity is an established risk factor for several cancer types, its possible role in the aetiology of malignant melanoma remains unclear. This meta-analysis aims to examine the association between obesity and melanoma risk, exploring any tentative gender-specific associations. After the identification of eligible studies, we estimated pooled effect estimates (odds ratios and relative risks), undertook a meta-regression analysis and analysed separately risk of malignant melanoma among males and females in relation to body mass index (BMI) and body surface area (BSA). Out of the 21 eligible articles, 11 used a case–control design encompassing 4460 cases/6342 controls; 10 used a cohort design whose total size comprised 7895 incident cases/6,368,671 subjects. Among males, the pooled effect estimate was 1.31 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.18–1.45) for overweight and 1.31 (95% CI: 1.19–1.44) for obese. Meta-regression revealed no significant slope, most probably due to the underlying plateau in effect estimates. Among females, no significant association was documented; the pooled effect estimate for overweight and obese subjects was 0.98 (95% CI: 0.92–1.05) and 0.99 (95% CI: 0.83–1.18), respectively. Noticeably, there was evidence for confounding between sunlight exposure and obesity in females. All results were reproducible upon analyses on BSA. In conclusion, overweight and obesity are associated with increased risk of malignant melanoma among males. Meticulous assessment of sunlight exposure is needed especially in women, since self limited public sun exposure may be prevalent among overweight or obese females. Higher-order associations between BMI and melanoma risk should be addressed and examined by the future studies.