View clinical trials related to Obesity, Abdominal.
Filter by:Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) prevail as the main cause of death in developed and developing countries and are among the most frequent causes of disabilities in Brazil and in the world. Economic alternatives have been studied to assist in reducing cardiovascular risk factors. Within this context, the Solanum menogena, whose fruit known as eggplant is widely consumed in Brazil, is being used in alternative medicine with the purpose to reduce the concentrations of cholesterol, glucose and promote loss of body weight. Aubergine (eggplant) stands out for its high fibre content (approximately 40%) and low fat content. In addition, it is popularly known for its functional properties, aiding in reducing the risk of coronary diseases. The purplish coloring of the eggplant peel is attributed to the large amount of flavonoids, which have antioxidant properties and contribute to the flavor of eggplant. The investigators hypothesis is that the eggplant flour associated with a restricted calorie diet has effect in reduction in waist circumference, reduction of body fat and increasing HDL-cholesterol; this way, contributing to the reduction of cardiovascular risk factors All participants will be informed about the research and they will have to sign a consent form. The volunteers will be divided into two groups: one group will receive a restricted-calorie diet and supplementation with eggplant flour; and the other will receive a diet plus a placebo for 120 days, being both groups evaluated monthly. In each consultation, evaluation of weight, body composition, fulfillment of the diet and blood pressure measurement will be performed. In addition, blood will also be collected in order to determine glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides, oxidized anti-LDL antibodies, 15-isoprostane and minerals (selenium, zinc, iron, manganese, magnesium and copper). The results will be analyzed by statistical program. The investigators expect that with the results obtained, the eggplant flour can be used as an ally in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
Childhood obesity is a major public health issue, and the identification of children who are at increased risk of health problems due to their obesity is a priority for modern health care. Abdominal fat is considered to be the most harmful in the body, and the development of reliable landmarks and procedures for the assessment of intra-abdominal visceral adipose tissue and total body fat in children will have a major impact on 1) the early identification of children at elevated health risk, 2) the proper prioritization of health care resources, and 3) the standardization of obesity surveillance procedures within and between countries.
People who originate from the Indian subcontinent known as South Asians are the fastest growing group of non-white Canadians. They suffer an excess prevalence of abdominal obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. They also develop these risk factors at significantly lower body weight and at younger ages compared to people of European origin. The purpose of SAHARA (South Asian HeArt Risk Assessment) Pilot, is to recruit 400 South Asians from Ontario, who use the internet, email and other multimedia devices. Among these participants the investigators will compare the effectiveness of a 6-month interactive multi-media health behaviour intervention to usual care in reducing cardiac risk factors. This intervention enables participants to set their health goals and provides health messaging and feedback designed to improve their smoking, dietary habits and physical activity. In addition, the investigators will test if knowledge of genetic risk for heart attack influences behaviour change and their heart health risk factor profile. The information generated from SAHARA will enable individuals, physicians, health professionals, and policy makers to develop risk factor modification programs to prevent cardiovascular disease in this high-risk group.
The purpose of the study is to examine whether a medication called acipimox can improve your body's mitochondria. Mitochondria are the "power house" of the cell and make energy for your body. Obesity is associated with increased risk for developing diabetes. However, the investigators do not know how obesity leads to diabetes. Previous studies have shown levels of fat in the blood (free fatty acids or FFA) are higher in obesity, and elevated FFA can affect how our body uses glucose and responds to insulin. Recent studies have shown that changes in mitochondria may be involved in the development of diabetes and may be affected by FFA. The investigators propose to improve the function of mitochondria in obese people with pre-diabetes by treating with acipimox, a medication which decreases FFA. The investigators will use state of the art techniques to evaluate the mitochondria, including a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique to measure function of mitochondria in muscle.
Dairy food contains a large amount of long-chain saturated fat, which traditionally has been linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, recent data indicates a more neutral role. Milk fat contains large amounts of medium-chain saturated fatty acids (MC-SFA), which may have beneficial effects on human health. In addition, milk proteins and in particular whey proteins have been shown to have a beneficial effect on glucose disposal as well as anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore dairy products have a potential role in the treatment of the metabolic abnormalities of metabolic syndrome (MeS). However, human data from intervention studies are lacking. Aims of this project is to explore and understand the influence on human health of both medium-chain saturated fatty acids from milk fat and bioactive milk proteins per se as well as their interaction and potential positive synergy on the MeS. The investigators hypothesize that whey protein and medium-chain saturated fatty acids improve insulin sensitivity, postprandial lipid metabolism, blood pressure and inflammatory stress in humans and that they possess preventive effects on the risk of developing CVD and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A total of 64 people with MeS or abdominal obesity will be included. The design is a randomized double-blinded, controlled parallel diet-intervention trial. Subjects are assigned one of four experimental diets for 12 weeks. The diets consist of either a diet with low levels of MC-SFA + whey protein (LF + whey), a diet high in MC-SFA + whey protein (HF + whey), a diet high in MC-SFA + casein protein (HF + casein) or a diets with low levels of MC-SFA + casein protein (LF + casein). The subjects are advised how to integrate the test foods in their habitual diet, which also continues unchanged. The subjects' energy intake is matched so they are kept weight stable throughout the study.
High fructose intake is increasingly recognized as causative in development of prediabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The mechanisms underlying fructose-induced metabolic disturbances are unclear but are beginning to be unraveled. In contrast to metabolism of glucose, the breakdown of fructose leads to the generation of metabolites that stimulate hepatic de novo lipogenesis (DNL) and increased levels of both fasting and postprandial triglycerides. The key lipogenic transcription factor seems to be activated by fructose independently of insulin. However, it is still controversial whether fructose consumption increases DNL in man to the extent that it induces metabolic disturbances. Animal studies have shown that also the adipose tissue is responsive to fructose feeding fructose, and that high fructose-feeding induces insulin resistance and inflammation in the adipose tissue. The role of intestinal insulin resistance in fructose-induced dysmetabolism has not been studied in detail. The critical question is whether the metabolic disturbances are induced by calorie excess or by fructose per se.
In this project, the investigators will test the hypothesis that predominant (two to three times a week 60 min) strength training is more effective in reducing visceral fat mass than endurance training in obese patients.
Obesity is a major risk factor for the development of hypertension. Based on population studies, risk estimates indicate that at least two-thirds of the prevalence of hypertension can be directly attributed to obesity. Obesity per se is commonly associated with activation of the sympathetic nervous system with a predominant increase in sympathetic outflow to the kidneys and the peripheral vasculature and there is now conclusive evidence that heightened sympathetic nerve activity is a major contributor to the elevation in blood pressure associated with obesity, particularly in young subjects. In line with these findings, dietary weight loss has repeatedly been demonstrated to result in reduced sympathetic nerve activity and lower blood pressure levels. Several lines of evidence have well documented the significant role of SNS activation in obesity associated hypertension and target organ damage. Weight loss is the preferred treatment option for obesity and its consequences and reduces both SNS activation and blood pressure. In the real world however, weight loss maintenance is rarely achieved in obese patients highlighting the urgent need for alternative treatment strategies. Given the crucial involvement of SNS activation in various aspects of the obesity related increase in blood pressure, target organ damage and cardiovascular risk, the use of sympatho-inhibitory agents at an early stage is an obvious choice. The investigators therefore plan to examine the effects of the centrally sympatholytic agent moxonidine on blood pressure and the morning surge in blood pressure, sympathetic activity, regression of early target organ damage (heart, kidney and endothelium), metabolic and inflammatory markers in young obese subjects with hypertension in a randomized, double-blind clinical trial with the angiotensin receptor blocker irbesartan as an active comparator to achieve similar blood pressure reductions in both groups. The investigators hypothesize that moxonidine treatment will result in significant improvements in these outcome parameters and beneficial effects beyond simple blood pressure reduction. Findings from this study could pave the way for an early and pathophysiology- tailored treatment strategy of obesity related hypertension and its detrimental consequences.
In this randomized controlled trial, we will examine the effect of a 3-month exercise training (aerobic exercise versus resistance exercise) without calorie restriction on total and regional adiposity, ectopic fat in the liver and skeletal muscle, and risk of type 2 diabetes in overweight girls.
The main objectives of this study are to collect pilot data to assess feasibility (accrual, retention, compliance), to estimate the variability of outcome measures, and to obtain preliminary estimates of treatment efficacy based on group differences in body composition (decreases in ectopic fat stores while maintaining lean mass), cardio-metabolic risk factors including glucoregulatory function (glucose, insulin), inflammation (C-reactive protein, IL-6), blood pressure and lipids (HDL, LDL, TC, TG), and measures of physical function and muscle strength. While this is just a pilot study, randomization will be used so that the investigators can obtain a realistic estimate of accrual (which is often less in a randomized trial) and an unbiased estimate of treatment efficacy. The investigators will accomplish these objectives by conducting a 2-arm, 3-month randomized, clinical trial in 24 older (60-79), abdominally obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m2 and waist circumference ≥ 102 cm and ≥ 88 cm in men and women, respectively) men and women. Participants will be randomized to a soy-based or animal-based, 3-month, hypocaloric dietary intervention to achieve our specific aims: Primary Aim: To determine our ability to recruit and retain older, obese adults to a 3 month soy-based meal replacement weight loss intervention and assess the study participant's ability to adhere to the intervention protocol (weight, compliance logs, serum isoflavones). Secondary Aims: 1. To estimate the variability of and obtain preliminary estimates of the effect of the soy-based meal replacement on measures of body composition, including abdominal (total, subcutaneous and visceral fat), liver, and pericardial fat; anthropometrics (body weight, waist/hip circumference); and whole body fat and lean mass. 2. To estimate the variability of and obtain preliminary estimates of the effect of the soy-based meal replacement on biomarkers of cardiometabolic risk including glucoregulatory function (glucose, insulin), inflammation (C-reactive protein, IL-6), blood pressure and lipids (HDL, LDL, TC, TG). 3. To estimate the variability of and obtain preliminary estimates of the effect of the soy-based meal replacement on physical function (short physical performance battery, 400-m walk) and muscle strength (grip and knee extensor strength) and size (CT thigh muscle). 4. To document any adverse events associated with the soy-based meal replacement.