Search

The article discusses the cardiovascular risks associated with childhood overweight or obesity, even if individuals achieve a normal weight in adulthood. Childhood weight problems have become a global epidemic, with millions of children and adolescents affected. Overweight or obesity in childhood is a major risk factor for various health issues, including cardiovascular disease. The study by He et al. analyzed data from individuals who were followed from childhood to adulthood and found that those who had overweight or obesity in childhood exhibited cardiovascular risk factors, which were accentuated if they continued to have weight issues in adulthood. However, individuals who achieved normal weight in young adulthood resolved most of the cardiometabolic risk factors. The article emphasizes the importance of weight loss at any age to reduce long-term cardiovascular risks and highlights the need for early interventions for childhood overweight or obesity. It also suggests that multidisciplinary approaches involving healthcare professionals from various fields are crucial for addressing the physical and mental health risks associated with childhood overweight or obesity. [Extracted from the article]

Climate change causes metrological events and extreme weather that are associated with the increase of multiple adverse health outcomes. The most common such health outcomes are infectious vector-borne, foodborne and [...]

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine BMI trajectories from birth throughout childhood, associations with health outcomes at age 13 years, and time frames during which early‐life BMI influenced adolescent health. Methods: Participants (1902, 44% male) reported perceived stress and psychosomatic symptoms and were examined for waist circumference (WC), systolic blood pressure (SBP), pulse wave velocity, and white blood cell counts (WBC). BMI trajectory was analyzed using group‐based trajectory modeling of retrospective data of weight/height from birth throughout childhood. The authors performed linear regression to assess associations between BMI trajectories and health outcomes at age 13 years, presented as estimated mean differences with 95% CI among trajectories. Results: Three BMI trajectories were identified: normal; moderate; and excessive gain. Adjusting for covariates, adolescents with excessive gain had higher WC (19.2 [95% CI: 18.4–20.0] cm), SBP (3.6 [95% CI: 2.4–4.4] mm Hg), WBC (0.7 [95% CI: 0.4–0.9] × 109/L), and stress (1.1 [95% CI: 0.2–1.9]) than adolescents with normal gain. Higher WC (6.4 [95% CI: 5.8–6.9] cm), SBP (1.8 [95% CI: 1.0–2.5] mm Hg), and stress (0.7 [95% CI: 0.1–1.2]) were found in adolescents with moderate versus normal gain. The association of early‐life BMI with SBP started around age 6 years with the excessive gain group, which was earlier than in the normal and moderate gain groups, in which it started at age 12 years. Conclusions: An excessive gain BMI trajectory from birth predicts cardiometabolic risk and stress in 13‐year‐old individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Author(s): Anna Mia Ekström [sup.1] , Camilla Berggren [sup.2] , Göran Tomson [sup.2] [sup.3] , Lawrence O. Gostin [sup.4] , Peter Friberg [sup.2] [sup.5] , Ole Petter Ottersen [sup.3] Author [...]

Aims: Mental health problems are common among Swedish adolescents and are sometimes referred to as 'stress-related'. The overall aim of this study is to do an analysis of subjective health complaints (SHCs) and perceived general stress among adolescents in Sweden, both their prevalence and association, by gender, migration background, family structure and socioeconomic conditions. Methods: Data from the baseline (comprising 2283 adolescents aged 13) of the STudy of Adolescence Resilience and Stress (STARS) study in Västra Götaland in Sweden were used. SHCs were measured by the Psychosomatic Problems Scale (PSP-scale) and self-reported stress was measured by Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Socioeconomic conditions were measured with the Family Affluence Scale (FAS) and the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status (SSS). Statistical analyses included Student's t -tests and ANOVAs of means, linear and logistic regression analyses and Pearson's correlations. Results: Social inequalities in both SHCs and self-reported stress were found; levels were higher among girls, adolescents living with one parent or in families with less favourable socioeconomic conditions. Self-reported stress and SHCs were found to be strongly correlated (r =0.70). Correlations with self-reported stress were stronger for psychological complaints (r =0.71) than for somatic complaints (r =0.52). Correlations did not vary with socioeconomic conditions of the family. Conclusions: SHCs do reflect general stress among adolescents, and it is appropriate to address the complaints as 'stress-related'. Measures to improve adolescents' mental health by reducing levels of SHCs should pay special attention to stressors in adolescents' daily lives and strengthening adolescent's coping resources and strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The compulsory educational context and school systems within the Nordic countries Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Norway share fundamental similarities, facilitating comparison across these countries. In this study, we describe and compare existing practices of recording, reporting, and utilizing school attendance data in four countries. In Sweden, Finland, and Norway there is a lack of national guidelines and agreements of how to record, report, and use school attendance data. Municipal autonomy has led to a variety of recording and reporting practices, which then lead to lack of comparable data and wider use of the data gathered. Denmark has a national registry of attendance data, and schools are required to report the data to municipal level. There are more specific guidelines regarding recording and reporting in Denmark compared to Sweden, Finland, and Norway. Problems with school non-attendance are well recognized in the North, but ways of recording and responding to absenteeism are still versatile. This leads to inconsistencies both within and between the countries. Due to variations of the way attendance is recorded, the quality of the national registry of data in Denmark can be questioned. A unified approach to inform research and practice to include formalized definitions of school absence in the Nordic Education Acts are suggested. It requires schools to record and report attendance data within a national register and finding a reliable way to differentiate problematic from non-problematic absenteeism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pharmacological interruption of the angiotensin II (ANG II) type 1 receptor signaling during nephrogenesis in rats perturbs renal tubular development. This study aimed to further investigate tubular developmental detects in neonatal rats subjected to ANG II inhibition with enalapril. We evaluated tubular ultrastructural changes using electron microscopy and estimated spectrophotometrically activity or concentrations of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), cytochromes a and c, which are components of mitochondrial respiratory chain, on postnatal days 2 and 9 (PD2 and PD9). Renal expression of sodiumpotassium adenosinetriphosphatase ([Na.sup.+]-[K.sup.+]-ATPase) and two reflectors of mitochondrial biogenesis [mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) and translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane 20 (TOM20)] also were studied using Western immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. Enalapril disrupted inner mitochondrial membranes of developing cortical and medullary tubular cells on PD2 and PD9. These findings were paralleled by impaired mitochondrial respiratory function, as revealed from the changes in components of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, such as decreased cytochrome c level in the cortex and medulla on PD2 and PD9, decreased cytochrome a level in the cortex and medulla on PD2, and diminished cortical SDH activity on PD2 and PD9. Moreover, tubular expression of the most active energy-consuming pump [Na.sup.+]-[K.sup.+]-ATPase was decreased by enalapril treatment. Renal expression of TFAM and TOM20 was not altered by neonatal enalapril treatment. Because nephrogenesis is a highly energy-demanding biological process, with the energy being utilized for renal growth and transport activities, the structural-functional alterations of the mitochondria induced by neonatal enalapril treatment may provide the propensity for the tubular developmental defect. renal development; cytochrome c; cytochrome a; succinate dehydrogenase; [Na.sup.+]-[K.sup.+]-adenosinetriphosphatase

Neonatal RAS inhibition changes the phenotype of the developing thick ascending limb of Henle. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 286: F1144-F1153, 2004. First published February 10, 2004; 10.1152/ajprenal. 00236.2003.--Pharmacological interruption of angiotensin II type 1 (A[T.sub.1] receptor signaling during nephrogenesis in rats perturbs renal tubular development. Perturbed tubulogenesis may contribute to longterm impairment of urinary concentrating ability, which is the main functional irreversible defect. The aim of this study was to further characterize tubular developmental deficits in neonatal rats, focusing on the thick ascending limb of Henle (TALH), known to undergo profound developmental changes and to be involved in urine-concentrating mechanisms. We have carried out immunohistochemistry and Western immunoblotting using antibodies directed against the major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC II) molecule and different TALH-specific markers, namely, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), TammHorsfall glycoprotein (THP), and the bumetanide-sensitive [Na.sup.+]-[K.sup.+]2 [Cl.sup.-] cotransporter (BSC-1/NKCC2). Immunohistochemistry demonstrated expression of MHC II, COX-2, THP, and BSC-1/NKCC2 proteins in normally developing TALH cells. The A[T.sub.1]Freceptor antagonist losartan abolished MHC II expression exclusively in the developing TALH cells. Increased expression of COX-2 and THP was observed in the TALH cells of losartan-treated rats. Western immunoblotting confirmed increases in cortical and medullary COX-2 and THP abundance and revealed a decrease in cortical BSC-1/NKCC2 abundance in response to losartan treatment. We conclude that neonatal losartan treatment causes significant changes in the phenotype of the developing TALH in the rat. renal development; A[T.sub.1] receptor blockade; major histocompatibility complex class II molecule; cyclooxygenase-2; Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein; bumetanide-sensitive sodium-potassium-chloride cotransporter

Aims: There is an urgent need to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent mental health and health behaviours. To date, there are no such studies on Swedish adolescents. As COVID-19 emerged in the middle of our ongoing 2-year follow-up examination of the Study of Adolescence Resilience and Stress, we had the unique opportunity to use the corona outbreak as a 'natural experiment' to study the impact of COVID-19 on 15-year-old adolescents in Sweden. Methods: Adolescents (baseline age 13.6±0.4 years) were recruited from schools in western Sweden (during the COVID-19 outbreak schools were kept open for those under 16 years of age). The COVID-19 pandemic reached Sweden on 31 January 2020. A total of 1316 adolescents answered the 2-year follow-up survey before (unexposed to COVID-19 pandemic, controls) and 584 after 1 February 2020 (COVID19-exposed). Data on stress, psychosomatic symptoms, happiness, relationships with parents and peers, school and health behaviours were collected. Results: Adolescents reported higher levels of stress and psychosomatic symptoms and lower levels of happiness at follow-up compared to baseline. These changes occurred to a similar extent in both the control and COVID-19-exposed groups. Likewise, the COVID-19-exposed group showed no deterioration in peer relations or relations with parents versus controls. We did not find any significant differences between groups regarding sleep duration and physical activity. Conclusions: Swedish adolescents exposed to COVID-19 during most of 2020 showed no differences in longitudinal changes in mental health, relationships with parents and peers, and health behaviours compared to those not exposed to COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measuring the amount of plasma free metanephrines appears to be the best diagnostic test for identifying patients who have an adrenal gland tumor called a pheochromocytoma. This was the conclusion of researchers who measured plasma free metanephrines, plasma catecholamines, urinary catecholamines, urinary total and fractionated metanephrines, and urinary vanillylmandelic acid in a study of 858 patients., Context Diagnosis of pheochromocytoma depends on biochemical evidence of catecholamine production by the tumor. However, the best test to establish the diagnosis has not been determined. Objective To determine the biochemical test or combination of tests that provides the best method for diagnosis of pheochromocytoma. Design, Setting, and Participants Multicenter cohort study of patients tested for pheochromocytoma at 4 referral centers between 1994 and 2001. The analysis included 214 patients in whom the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma was confirmed and 644 patients who were determined to not have the tumor. Main Outcome Measures Test sensitivity and specificity, receiver operating characteristic curves, and positive and negative predictive values at different pretest prevalences using plasma free metanephrines, plasma catecholamines, urinary catecholamines, urinary total and fractionated metanephrines, and urinary vanillylmandelic acid. Results Sensitivities of plasma free metanephrines (99% [95% confidence interval (CI), 96%-100%]) and urinary fractionated metanephrines (97% [95% CI, 92%-99%]) were higher than those for plasma catecholamines (84% [95% CI, 78%-89%]), urinary catecholamines (86% [95% CI, 80%-91 %]), urinary total metanephrines (77% [95% CI, 68%-85%]), and urinary vanillylmandelic acid (64% 1195% CI, 55%-71 %]). Specificity was highest for urinary vanillylmandelic acid (95% [95% CI, 93%-97%]) and urinary total metanephrines (93% [95% CI, 89%-97%]); intermediate for plasma free metanephrines (89% [95% CI, 87%-92%]), urinary catecholamines (88% [95% Cl, 85%91%]), and plasma catecholamines (81 % [95% CI, 78%-84%]); and lowest for urinary fractionated metanephrines (69% [95% Cl, 64%-72%]). Sensitivity and specificity values at different upper reference limits were highest for plasma free metanephrines using receiver operating characteristic curves. Combining different tests did not improve the diagnostic yield beyond that of a sin gle test of plasma free metanephrines. Conclusion Plasma free metanephrines provide the best test for excluding or confirming pheochromocytoma and should be the test of first choice for diagnosis of the tumor.

Objectives: Moderate mental health problems are highly prevalent and increasing in Swedish schoolchildren, elevating risk for future mental and somatic disability. The aim of this study was to determine whether an 8-week mindfulness-based intervention, Training for Mindfulness and Resilience (TMR), mitigates mental health symptoms and increases resilience during a 2-year follow-up. Methods: Schoolchildren (aged 9–14 years) reporting moderate mental health problems were randomized into either TMR intervention group (N = 22) or control group, receiving best current practice (N = 12). We used validated questionnaires to measure anxiety, depression, anger, disruptive behavior, self-concept, resilience, stress, and mindfulness before treatment with either TMR or control, as well as at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years follow-up. Results: We found a statistically significant effect of TMR intervention vs control, on resilience, anxiety, anger, and disruptive behavior. Compared to baseline, TMR increased the level of resilience at 6 months (p <.001); anxiety at 1 (p < =.033) and 2 years (p =.04); anger at 6 months (p =.004) and 2 years (p =.039); disruptive behavior at 6 months (p =.006). In the control group, a decrease in resilience between 6 months and 2 years (p =.05) was observed. No other significant effects were found in the control group. Conclusions: This study suggested that TMR improved mental health in schoolchildren with effects on anxiety and anger lasting for 2 years, and on resilience and disruptive behavior lasting for 6 months. Trial Registration Number: NCT04806542, date of registration 18th of March 2021, retrospectively registered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between norepinephrine (NE) release and spillover in the human heart, kidneys and forearm was investigated by monitoring the specific activities of exogenous tritium-labeled NE in plasma and interstitial fluid. Results reveal that NE spillover significantly underestimates NE release. In the kidneys, NE release is thrice the spillover rate, in skeletal muscles release is 12 times the spillover while in the heart it is more than 20 times the spillover.

The effects of neonatal administration on the ability of the rat kidneys to secrete acid and acidify urine were investigated using metabolic balance studies and clearance experiments in anesthetized adult rats which received enalapril from day 5 to 24. Results reveal that the kidney tubules of these rats have impaired urinary concentrating function but intact acid excretion and urinary acidification functions.

Research shows that cardiac tyrosine hydroxylation is boosted by exercise in human beings. The sympathetic nervous system releases more of the biochemical cardiac norepinephrine than dihydroxyphenylalanine following stimulation from the enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase. The turnover rate of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine and related levels in tyrosine hydroxylation are considered.

The mechanism underlying the cardiorenal epinephrine release was analyzed through isotope-dilution method which was used on patients with congestive heart failure and hypertension and healthy individuals as the control variable. Results have shown that under baseline conditions, cardiac release of Epi in congestive heart patients was evident through (3H)Epi dilution. A decrease in cardiorenal fractional extractions of epinephrine was noted following neuronal blockade.

A study was conducted on potassium and sodium balance during dietary sodium loading and restriction in enalapril-treated adult Wistar rats. The rats exhibited sodium retention during loading and normal adaptation and transient renal potassium wastage during restriction. Enalapril-treated rats also exhibited reduced renal sodium and potassium handling as well as weak urinary concentrating ability.