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Background: Obesity prevalence in youth with spina bifida is higher than in their typically developing peers. Obesity is associated with lifelong medical, psychological, and economic burdens. Successful prevention or treatment of obesity in individuals with spina bifida is compromised by (1) the lack of valid and reliable methods to identify body fat in a clinical setting and (2) limited data on energy expenditure that are necessary to provide daily caloric recommendations., Objective: The objectives of this study will be to develop 2 algorithms for use in youth with spina bifida in a clinical setting, one to model body fat and one to predict total daily energy expenditure. In addition, physical activity and dietary intake will be described for the sample., Methods: This multisite, prospective, national clinical study will enroll 232 youth with myelomeningocele aged 5 to 18 years (stratified by age and mobility). Participants will be enrolled for 1 week. Data obtained include 4 measures of body composition, up to 5 height measures, a ramped activity protocol, and a nutrition and physical activity screener. Participants will wear an accelerometer for the week. On the final study day, 2 samples of urine or saliva, which complete the doubly labeled water protocol, will be obtained. The analysis will include descriptive statistics, Bland-Altman plots, concordance correlation, and regression analysis., Results: The study received extramural federal funding in July 2019. Data collection was initiated in March 2020. As of April 2024, a total of 143 (female participants: n=76, 53.1%; male participants: n=67, 46.9%) out of 232 participants have been enrolled. Data collection is expected to continue throughout 2024. A no-cost extension until November 2025 will be requested for data analysis and dissemination of findings., Conclusions: This study furthers previous pilot work that confirmed the acceptability and feasibility of obtaining alternate height, body composition, and energy expenditure measures. The findings from this study will enhance screening, prevention, and treatment of abnormal weight status by facilitating the accurate identification of youths' weight status category and recommendations of daily caloric needs for this population that is at higher risk of obesity. Furthermore, the findings have the potential to impact outcomes for youth diagnosed with disabilities other than spina bifida who experience similar challenges related to alterations in body composition or fat distribution or measurement challenges secondary to mobility issues or musculoskeletal problems., International Registered Report Identifier (irrid): DERR1-10.2196/52779., (©Michele Polfuss, Kathryn Smith, Betsy Hopson, Andrea Moosreiner, Chiang-Ching Huang, Michele N Ravelli, Dan Ding, Zijian Huang, Brandon G Rocque, Rosemary White-Traut, Alexander Van Speybroeck, Kathleen J Sawin. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 02.07.2024.)

Background: The association of total energy intake (EI) with all-cause mortality is uncertain as are the dependencies of this association on age and weight change history., Objectives: To identify an EI biomarker suitable for use in epidemiologic association studies and to study EI associations with total mortality in a Women's Health Initiative (WHI) cohort of postmenopausal United States females (1993-present)., Methods: EI biomarkers were developed based on doubly labeled water (DLW) total energy expenditure (TEE) and weight variation during the 2-wk DLW protocol period using the energy balance method in an embedded feeding study (n = 153). This along with 2 earlier WHI nutrition biomarker studies having TEE assessments (n = 1131 total), with 14.6 y (median) follow-up, constituted a prospective cohort for the study of EI and all-cause mortality., Results: An empirical biomarker for log(EI) was developed that had a correlation of 0.73 with log(feeding study-consumed EI). The overall association between EI and mortality was nonsignificant. The association, however, depended on age (P = 0.009), with lower EI associated with lower mortality at younger ages, and also on preceding weight change history (P = 0.03). Among participants with stable or increasing weight, mortality hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) for a 12% lower EI were 0.66 (95% CI: 0.51, 0.87) at age 60, 0.84 (95% CI: 0.72, 0.98) at age 70, and 1.06 (95% CI: 0.87, 1.29) at age 80. Corresponding values for participants having preceding weight loss were 0.83 (95% CI: 0.61, 1.12) at age 60, 1.05 (95% CI: 0.87, 1.26) at age 70, and 1.33 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.63) at age 80. A previously considered EI biomarker, using a theoretical model for variation in body fat and fat-free mass components over time, gave similar results following rescaling., Conclusions: Lower EI is associated with lower all-cause mortality among younger postmenopausal females with stable or increasing weight and with higher mortality among older females with weight loss. This study was registered with clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00000611., (Copyright © 2024 American Society for Nutrition. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Bariatric surgery has been associated with numerous micronutrient deficiencies. Several observational studies have found that these deficiencies are more common in racially/ethnically minoritized patients., Objectives: To conduct a systematic review to investigate whether racially/ethnically minoritized patients experience worse nutritional outcomes after bariatric surgery., Setting: University of Wisconsin-Madison., Methods: PubMed, CINAHL, PsychINFO, and Cochrane databases were queried. We searched for manuscripts that reported micronutrient levels or conditions related to micronutrient deficiencies according to race/ethnicity (White, African American/Black, and Hispanic) after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass between 2002 and 2022. Eleven micronutrients (vitamins A, B1 [thiamine], B12, D, E, K, calcium, copper, folate, iron, and zinc), and four conditions (anemia, bone loss, fractures, and hyperparathyroidism) were assessed., Results: Abstracts from 953 manuscripts were screened; 18 full-text manuscripts were reviewed for eligibility, and ten met the inclusion criteria. Compared to White patients, African Americans had a higher prevalence of thiamine, vitamin D, and vitamin A deficiencies. There were no differences in calcium and vitamin B12 deficiencies. The other six micronutrients were not assessed according to race/ethnicity. Hyperparathyroidism was more prevalent in African Americans than White patients in the three studies that evaluated it. The prevalence of fractures was mixed. Anemia and bone loss were not evaluated according to race/ethnicity., Conclusions: Although the literature on micronutrient outcomes following bariatric surgery according to race/ethnicity is limited, African Americans appear to experience a higher prevalence of vitamin deficiencies and associated conditions. Qualitative and quantitative research to explore these disparities is warranted., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Introduction: Previous studies have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of the modified Atkins diet (MAD) in attenuating seizures in patients with intractable epilepsy. MAD works by achieving ketosis, which is heavily dependent on the metabolic compound, carnitine, to facilitate the transport of long-chain fatty acids across the mitochondria for beta-oxidation. The effect of carnitine on ketogenic diet therapy is not well-defined in the current literature. Thus, the purpose of our study is to investigate the effects of hypocarnitinemia on the efficacy of MAD., Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted, and 58 adults with epilepsy undergoing MAD were evaluated. Generalized linear mixed effects models were used to compare the low carnitine status with normal carnitine group in patient measures of body mass index, seizure frequency and severity, number of anti-seizure medications, beta-hydroxybutyrate, triglyceride, and carnitine levels across baseline, 3-9-month follow-up (timepoint 1), 1-2-year follow-up (timepoint 2), and 2+ year follow-up (timepoint 3)., Results: Our study revealed that 38.3% of adult patients with epilepsy following MAD experienced low free carnitine at some point through the course of diet therapy. Patients with hypocarnitinemia at timepoint 2 showed a significant percent seizure increase while seizures continued to decrease in the normal carnitine group. Fasting triglyceride levels at timepoint 1 were significantly increased in the low carnitine group compared to normal carnitine group. Change in BHB, BMI, seizure severity, and number of ASMs showcased no significant differences between the low and normal carnitine groups., Discussion: It may be important for clinicians to monitor for hypocarnitinemia in adults on MAD and provide carnitine supplementation when low. Further investigations into carnitine and MAD may inform clinical decisions on carnitine supplementation to maximize the efficacy of MAD therapy., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Chu, Ravelli, Faltersack, Woods, Almane, Li, Sampene and Felton.)

The literature has shown the relevance of nutritional and metabolic aspects in patients with epilepsy. This study evaluated the relationship between clinical variables and plasma proteins and compared the variables between seizure frequency and neurological examination. A pilot study was carried out with eighty-four (n = 84) adults patients with epilepsy. The relationship between clinical variables of the disease (age at disease onset, neurological examination, current type and frequency of seizures, duration of disease, amount of antiseizure medications-ASM used and type and etiology of epilepsy) and plasma proteins (albumin and transferrin) was investigated. In the statistical analysis, the chi-square, Fisher, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis tests, Spearman coefficient and univariate logistic regression were used. There was a significant association between the use of antiseizure medications (ASM) (p = 0.0105) and altered neurological examination (p = 0.0049), compared with the frequency of seizures, and between albumin and gender (p = 0.0005), and albumin and etiology of epilepsy (p = 0.0186). There was a significant low-intensity and inverse linear correlation (coefficient = -0.31363, p = 0.0037) between albumin and disease duration. In the logistic regression model, a significant association was only observed between the number of ASM and the frequency of seizures (p = 0.0120; OR = 3.368; 95% CI = 1.305-8.691). There was no association between plasma proteins and the outcomes of seizure frequency and neurological examination. The number of ASM and not protein metabolism was associated with frequency of seizures in patients with epilepsy., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Previous studies show changes in lipid metabolism in epilepsy. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between lipid profile and clinical variables in adult patients with epilepsy (APE). Seventy-two APE participated in this pilot study at an outpatient neurology service. The lipid profile (total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and triglycerides), age at disease onset, disease duration, seizures frequency, and the number of antiseizure medications (ASM) used were investigated. Data were analyzed using the Chi-square, Fisher, Mann-Whitney, Spearman coefficient, and logistic regression tests. There were significant differences in HDL (p = 0.0023) and total cholesterol (p = 0.0452) levels in connection with the number of ASM used. There was a significant difference in seizure control among the different numbers of ASM used (p = 0.0382). Higher HDL values were found in females (p = 0.0170). The logistic regression showed that only the number of ASM used was associated with seizure control (p = 0.0408; OR = 2.800; 95% CI = 1.044; 7.509). The number of ASM taken and not the lipid profile was associated with seizure control in APE., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Objective: To investigate vitamin D levels and factors associated with seizure control in adult patients with epilepsy (APE)., Method: Cross-sectional study with APE in routine outpatient follow-up at a neurology clinic. Clinical variables, antiseizure medications (ASM) and vitamin D were investigated. Data were analyzed using the Chi 2 or Fisher's exact tests, Mann-Whitney, Spearman's correlation coefficient, ROC curve and univariate and multiple logistic regression analysis., Results: Mean age was 46.5±15.1 years and disease duration was 27.5±17.0 years; 52.7% (n=49) of patients used one ASM and 47.3% (n=44) used≥2 ASM. There was a significant difference in the level of vitamin D according to the number of ASM and it was higher in patients who used a single ASM (26.02±10.22 versus 22.50±8.69; P=0.048). In the logistic regression, when vitamin D level was set at 20ng/mL, the chance of seizure control for patients using a single ASM was 6.99 times greater than for those using≥2 ASM. When vitamin D level was set at 40ng/mL, the number of ASM did not modify seizure control. There was no correlation between vitamin D and disease duration, patient age and age at the time of the first seizure. In the logistic regression, it was observed that satisfactory levels of vitamin D did not modify potential seizure control., Conclusion: Thirty-three percent (33%) of patients presented with vitamin D deficiency (values below 20ng/mL) and 80% had vitamin D levels below what is recommended (30ng/mL). The use of ASM, when associated with different levels of vitamin D, modified the probability of seizure control in APE. Vitamin D levels and intrinsic epilepsy factors are associated with failure to effectively control seizures., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Background: The consequences of obesity are ominous, yet healthcare professionals are not adequately preventing or treating obesity in youth with Down syndrome (DS). Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is the energy expended in 24 h through physical activity and life-sustaining physiologic processes. An individual's TDEE is essential for determining the daily caloric intake needed to maintain or change body weight. Successful prevention and treatment of obesity in youth with DS is severely compromised by the lack of data on TDEE and information on weight-related behaviors for this high-risk population. This manuscript describes the protocol for the federally funded study that is in process to determine daily energy expenditure in a large cohort of children with DS., Methods: This observational cross-sectional study will include a national sample of 230 youth with DS, stratified by age (5-11 and 12-18 years of age) and sex. Doubly Labeled Water analysis will provide the criterion body fat%, fat-free mass, and TDEE. To increase accessibility and decrease the burden on participants, the entire study, including obtaining consent and data collection, is conducted virtually within the participant's home environment on weekdays and weekends. The study team supervises all data collection via a video conferencing platform, e.g., Zoom. This study will (1) examine and determine average TDEE based on age and sex, (2) develop a prediction equation based on measured TDEE to predict energy requirements with a best-fit model based on fat-free mass, sex, age, and height and/or weight, and (3) use 24-hour dietary recalls, a nutrition and physical activity screener, wearable devices, and sleep questionnaire to describe the patterns and quality of dietary intake, sleep, and physical activity status in youth with DS., Discussion: The lack of accurate information on energy expenditure and weight-related behaviors in youth with DS significantly impedes the successful prevention and treatment of obesity for this vulnerable population. The findings of this study will provide a further understanding of weight-related behaviors as obesity risk factors, currently not well understood for this population. This study will advance the science of weight management in individuals with disabilities and shift clinical practice paradigms., Competing Interests: LB is a guest associate editor for the special topic and a member of the editorial team. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2023 Polfuss, Bandini, Ravelli, Huang, Moosreiner, Schoeller, Huang, Ding, Berry, Marston, Hussain, Shriver and Sawin.)

The current study aimed to investigate the validity of three ActiGraph predictive equations that are available to estimate free-living physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) in women with severe obesity. The study included 20 women with class III obesity (age: 22-38 years). During 14 days of free-living conditions, total energy expenditure was measured using the doubly labelled water method; in addition, participants wore a triaxial accelerometer (model GT3X+) on the hip. The resting metabolic rate was measured by indirect calorimetry. At group level, the Freedson VM3 Combination was found to be more precise (bias = -61 kcal/day) than the Williams Work-Energy (bias = -283 kcal/day) and the Freedson Combination equations (bias = -186 kcal/day) for estimating PAEE. However, the three predictive equations had a wider limit of agreement (Williams Work-Energy [258, -824 kcal/day], Freedson Combination equations [324, -697 kcal/day] and Freedson VM3 Combination [424, -546 kcal/day]), indicating great uncertainty of the estimate. In conclusion, a wide variation was observed in the performance of different ActiGraph equations in estimating free-living PAEE among women with class III obesity. Therefore, our data do not support the use of these equations, and more studies are needed to improve predictive performance in free-living conditions.

Background: The measurement of energy intake is central to the understanding of energy balance and predicting changes in body weight. Until recently, the most commonly used methods of assessing intake were self-reported diet recalls, diet diaries, or food-frequency questionnaires. These methods, however, are subject to systematic biases and are often inaccurate., Aim: Review the validations and applications of an expenditure/balance method for measuring energy intake., Methods: Review the literature regarding the theory and practice of objectively measuring energy intake based on the principle of energy balance i.e., energy intake is calculated from the measured total energy expenditure plus the change in body energy stores (ES). The attainable precision is modeled and compared with the accuracy and precision of validations against known energy intake., Results: Measurement of energy intake, calculated in this way, is accurate to within 2% and has a precision of 4-37% depending on the expenditure and body composition methods used and the time interval between measures. Applications of this expenditure/balance (EB) method have provided novel data on the compliance to dietary restriction and its association with physical activity interventions, and the effects of bariatric surgery on energy intake and weight gain. Practical limitations to this method, however, include cost and limited access to the analyses required by the DLW method., Conclusion: The EB method of objectively measuring energy intake is objective, accurate, and reasonably precise. It is practical for moderate-sized studies.

Background: Diet is a modifiable behavior that influences an individual's health. Because of this, diet assessment is an important component of public health surveillance, evaluating response to community health interventions, and monitoring individual compliance to medical interventions. Diet assessments are usually performed using one of three basic methods: diet recall, diet diaries, or food frequency questionnaires. Although these three assessment instruments have displayed a strong agreement between themselves, when reported intake is compared with intake measured using quantitative nutrient biomarkers, investigators have identified systematic misreporting errors for all three of these self-reported dietary instruments. Aims: This work aims to summarize the state of knowledge regarding misreporting and why it impedes diet-health research and to introduce advances in the collection and the treatment of dietary data. Methods: This work reviews and summarizes published data on misreporting and the recent efforts to reduce such errors. Results: The evidence demonstrates a strong and consistent systematic underreporting of energy intake (EIn) across adults and children studies. Underreporting of EIn has been found to increase with body mass index (BMI), and the differences between macronutrient reports indicate that not all foods are underreported equally. Protein is least underreported, but which specific foods are commonly underreported are not known. Conclusions: Because energy underreporting varies as a function of BMI, self-reported EIn should not be used for the study of energy balance in the study of obesity. The between-individual variability in the underreporting of self-reported intake of energy and other nutrients attenuates diet-disease relationships. Recent efforts to correct for underreporting have reduced misreporting of diet outcomes, but improvements have been incremental in nature and more research is needed to validate and extend these efforts., (Copyright © 2020 Ravelli and Schoeller.)

Introduction: Bariatric surgery has a significant influence on body composition (BC), which should be monitored. However, there is a need to recommend low-cost practical methods, with good estimation of BC for class III obese and/or bariatric patients., Objective: The aim of this study was to determine accuracy and agreement between BC assessed by direct segmental multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (DSM-BIA) and doubly labeled water (DLW) as reference method., Material and Methods: Twenty class III obese women (age 29.3 ± 5.1 years; body mass index 44.8 ± 2.4 kg/m 2 ) underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. BC (fat mass [FM], fat-free mass [FFM], and total body water [TBW]) was assessed by InBody 230 and DLW in the following periods: before and 6 and 12 months after surgery. Accuracy between the methods was evaluated by the bias and root mean square error. Pearson's correlation, concordance correlation coefficient (CCC), and Bland-Altman method were used to evaluate agreement between the methods., Results: Correlations were significant (p < 0.001) and CCC was good/excellent between both methods for the evaluation of FM (r = 0.84-0.92, CCC = 0.84-0.95), FFM (r = 0.73-0.90, CCC = 0.68-0.80), and TBW (r = 0.76-0.91, CCC = 0.72-0.81) before and after bariatric surgery. In addition, no significant bias was observed between DSM-BIA and DLW for FM (mean error [ME] = - 1.40 to 0.06 kg), FFM (ME = 0.91-1.86 kg), and TBW (ME = 0.71-1.24 kg) measurements., Conclusion: The DSM-BIA was able to estimate the BC of class III obese women submitted to bariatric surgery with values consistent with those of the DLW method.

Background and Aims: Predictive equations remain the clinical tool of choice to estimate the energy expenditure, however, poor accuracy has been found when applied in patients with severe obesity. The aim of this study was to test the accuracy of the total energy expenditure (TEE) those obtained by predictive equations of resting energy expenditure (REE) times individual estimates of metabolic equivalents (MET), taking as reference the TEE measured by doubly labeled water (DLW), before, six and twelve months after bariatric surgery., Subjects and Methods: Twenty class III obese women (age: 29.4 ± 5.1 years; BMI: 44.9 ± 2.5 kg/m 2 ), approved for Roux-en-Y gastric bypass participated in this study. TEE and body composition was measured after administration of a fixed dose of DLW. Predictive equations of REE were selected: Dietary Reference Intake (DRI), World Health Organization, Oxford, Harris-Benedict, Mifflin, De Lorenzo, Lazzer and Muller and their collaborators. The MET values were obtained individually by triaxial accelerometer., Results: The patients showed 65% of excess weight loss. The body fat mass decreased 17% after 1 year of surgery. TEE (2930 ± 525 kcal.day -1 ) decreased by 20% (p < 0.05) by the sixth postoperative month (2319 ± 430 kcal.day -1 ), increasing 10% by the twelfth month (2538 ± 336 kcal.day -1 ). The Harris and Benedict (accuracy: 65%) and DRI equations (accuracy: 60%) yielded better results in the prediction of TEE values at pre-surgery. In the sixth month after surgery, only the equation of Harris and Benedict kept accuracy above 50%. At twelve months post-surgery, only the equation of Lazzer et al. considering body composition showed better prediction (accuracy: 50%) in this period., Conclusion: None of the prediction equations tested was accurate for estimating TEE for the 3 periods evaluated; however, while there are no reports of specific equations for class III obese women, the Harris and Benedict x MET and DRI equations, can describe the TEE with acceptable accuracy. After surgery, the best equation to be used will depend if the patient has been treated for weight loss and in which post-treatment period it is used. Registration of clinical trial as an observational study in Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry: RBR-8k5jsj. Universal Trial Number: U1111-1206-0858., (Copyright © 2018 European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Given the importance of physical activities for health outcomes, it is still unclear whether bariatric surgery per se and the standard care after surgery would result in an increase of physical activity level. This study aimed to determine physical activities preoperatively and at 6 and 12 months postoperatively among female patients who underwent bariatric surgery, and to investigate its relationship with body composition changes., Material and Methods: Thirty-four women who had Roux-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery completed the study. Physical activity was measured objectively for 7 consecutive days by using an ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometer. Body composition was estimated by using multifrequency bioimpedance analysis., Results: The percentage of time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) changed significantly from preoperatively to 6 months postoperatively; however, no difference was observed at 12 months. No significant changes were detected for other physical activity variables. Multivariable regression analysis suggested that the percentage of time spent in sedentary activity was associated with fat-free mass loss at 6 months (β = - 0.323; 95% CI = - 0.649 to 0.003) and 12 months (β = - 0.510; 95% CI = - 0.867 to - 0.154) postoperatively., Conclusion: The overall MVPA increased at 6 months post-RYGB surgery; however, this change was not maintained at 12 months. Despite the considerable body mass loss postoperatively, most of the subjects were classified as being physically inactive and did not change their sedentary behavior. These findings indicate that female patients undergoing bariatric surgery should be encouraged to increase their physical activity level.

Background: Currently, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is one of the most widely used bariatric surgeries. Banding the pouch forms a banded gastric bypass operation, an accepted and frequently used variant. Placing a silastic ring around the pouch to band the gastric bypass operation increases the restriction mechanism. However, the ubiquitous use of the banded gastric bypass remains controversial. One of the controversies is the effect of the silastic ring on patients' perception of their well being after surgery because of the frequency of vomiting. A prospective, blindly randomized, comparative trial was undertaken to resolve this controversy., Method: Four hundred subjects scheduled for gastric bypass surgery were randomized into two arms of the trial, 200 with a silastic ring (WR) and 200 without (NR). After 2-year follow-up, the variables associated with the scores of Bariatric Analysis and Reporting Outcome System (BAROS) were analyzed., Results: The initial median weight (125 kg), BMI (47), and age (36 years) were the same in both the NR and WR groups. The median excess weight loss, weight regain, and incidence of vomiting were 71, 10.5, and 7.75%, respectively, in the NR group vs. 75.4 and 1.1, and 24.4% in the WR group. The mean QOL score was 79% in the NR group vs. 80% in the WR group., Conclusion: After 2-year follow-up, silastic ring placement in the RYGB resulted in greater weight loss and weight stability and a threefold greater incidence of vomiting. There was no difference in the scores in the quality of life analysis.