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Biomedical subjects

J W Anderson

Publications and source records attributed to J W Anderson.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

Topographic distribution and developmental timecourse of auditory event-related potentials in two subtypes of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

The effect of age on the topographic distribution of auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) recorded during a two-tone discrimination, or oddball, task was examined in two subtypes of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) as defined by the most recent diagnostic manual, DSM-IV. EEG was recorded at 17 sites from AD/HD predominantly inattentive type (n=50) and AD/HD combined type (n=50) subjects aged from 8 to 17 years 11 months. ERP components were quantified at each site. Results revealed topographic differences from controls (n=50) that were common to both subtypes (e.g. target and standard P2 amplitude, and standard P2 latency) or unique to a particular subtype of AD/HD (Inattentive type: target N1, N2, P3b and standard N2 amplitude, target P2 latency; Combined type: target N1, P2, N2 and P3b amplitude, target N2 and standard N1 latency). These group differences showed different age effects. The across-region results revealed differing patterns of abnormal component development for each subtype, indicating a qualitative difference in information processing stage deficits in each of these AD/HD subtypes.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed2001

Induction of the P450 reporter gene system bioassay by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Ulsan Bay (South Korea) sediments.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and induction of the P450 reporter gene system (RGS) for 6- and 16-h exposure periods were determined in organic extracts of Ulsan Bay (South Korea) sediments to assess the utility of this bioassay as a screening tool for PAH contamination. The sum of the concentrations of 23 individual PAHs in 30 sediment samples (sigma PAH) based on GC-MS analysis ranged from 0.05 to 6.1 micrograms/g dry wt. P450 RGS fold induction ranged from 4.0 to 320 micrograms/g based on benzo[a]pyrene toxic equivalents (BaPEq). P450 RGS BaPEq and the 'chemical BaPEq', defined as the sum of the products of individual PAH concentrations and pre-determined toxic equivalency factors, exhibited very strong positive correlations with sigma PAH (r2 > 0.90; P < 0.001). Fold induction did not increase (and in some cases decreased) after the optimal incubation period (6 h) for PAHs, indicating that other compounds known to induce the P450 RGS (e.g. chlorinated organics) were not present at levels effecting significant induction. This was supported by GC-ECD analysis where non-ortho and mono-ortho polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) known to be strong P450 RGS inducers were found to be at very low or non-detectable levels in samples with the highest P450 RGS responses. The profound difference in PAH profiles for the two most contaminated sites suggested that this assay is especially sensitive for selected PAHs with greater than four rings. Combined with previous results, the P450 RGS shows promise as a useful screening tool for predicting deleterious biological effects resulting from CYP1A1-inducing, sediment-associated chemicals, particularly high molecular weight PAHs.

Biological Assay↗
PubMed2001

Obesity and disease management: effects of weight loss on comorbid conditions.

OBJECTIVE: This review is designed to quantitate the effects of obesity and weight gain on risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) and to review the effects of weight loss on CHD risk factors. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: After a comprehensive review of the literature related to body weight and weight gain on CHD risk, the relative risks (RRs) were tabulated. Values were averaged and meta-analysis techniques were used to estimate the variance-adjusted RR. RESULTS: Young persons with higher body mass index values have a significantly higher risk for CHD than do slender young people. For every 1% above a desirable body mass index, the risk for CHD increases by 3.3% for women and by 3.6% for men. Every kilogram of weight gain after high school increases risk for CHD by 5.7% for women and 3.1% for men. Weight loss significantly decreases major CHD risk factors. For every kilogram of weight loss the following favorable changes occur: fasting serum cholesterol, -1.0%; low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, -0.7%; triglycerides, -1.9%; high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, +0.2%; systolic blood pressure, -0.5%; diastolic blood pressure, -0.4%; and blood glucose, -0.2 mM. DISCUSSION: Obesity and/or weight gain are associated with major risk for CHD. Weight loss significantly improves serum lipid parameters, blood pressure, and fasting blood glucose values. Effective treatment approaches are available for most overweight or obese individuals but a major challenge is to enable these individuals to engage in these programs. Professional and consumer education is essential for advancing effective intervention strategies for overweight individuals.

Blood Pressure↗
PubMed2001

Long-term weight-loss maintenance: a meta-analysis of US studies.

BACKGROUND: Current perception is that participants of a structured weight-loss program regain all of their weight loss within 5 y. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to examine the long-term weight-loss maintenance of individuals completing a structured weight-loss program. DESIGN: Studies were required to 1) have been conducted in the United States, 2) have included participants in a structured weight-loss program, 3) have provided follow-up data with variance estimates for > or =2 y. Primary outcome variables were weight-loss maintenance in kilograms, weight-loss maintenance as a percentage of initial weight loss, and weight loss as a percentage of initial body weight (reduced weight). RESULTS: Twenty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Successful very-low-energy diets (VLEDs) were associated with significantly greater weight-loss maintenance than were successful hypoenergetic balanced diets (HBDs) at all years of follow-up. The percentage of individuals at 4 or 5 y of follow-up for VLEDs and HBDs were 55.4% and 79.7%, respectively. The results for VLEDs and HBDs, respectively, were as follows: weight-loss maintenance, 7.1 kg (95% CI: 6.1, 8.1 kg) and 2.0 (1.5, 2.5) kg; percentage weight-loss maintenance, 29% (25%, 33%) and 17% (13%, 22%); and reduced weight, 6.6% (5.7%, 7.5%) and 2.1% (1.6%, 2.7%). Weight-loss maintenance did not differ significantly between women and men. Six studies reported that groups who exercised more had significantly greater weight-loss maintenance than did those who exercised less. CONCLUSIONS: Five years after completing structured weight-loss programs, the average individual maintained a weight loss of >3 kg and a reduced weight of >3% of initial body weight. After VLEDs or weight loss of > or =20 kg, individuals maintained significantly more weight loss than after HBDs or weight losses of <10 kg.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Sulphur nutrition affects delivery and metabolism of S in developing endosperms of wheat.

Experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of S nutrition and availability on the forms of S and N in the endosperm cavity and endosperm of wheat, and on the capacity of the endosperm to utilize those compounds for the synthesis of proteins. Plants were grown in solution culture with 2 mM N and either 200 microM S (high-S) or 50 microM S (low-S) and all nutrients were withdrawn at various times from booting until 8 d post-anthesis. Sulphate was the major form of soluble S in the endosperm cavity and endosperm of high-S plants during the time of rapid grain development. By contrast, glutathione (GSH) was the major form of soluble S in the endosperm cavity and in the endosperm in low-S plants. Crude extracts of endosperm tissue from both high-S and low-S plants supported (i) the hydrolysis of GSH to gamma-glutamyl cysteine and glycine, and of gamma-glutamyl cysteine to glutamate and cysteine, and (ii) sulphate-dependent PPi-ATP exchange and the sulphydration of O-acetylserine catalysed by ATP sulphurylase and cysteine synthase, respectively. High-S nutrition enhanced the in vitro rates of ATP sulphurylase and cysteine synthase.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed2001

Effect of selection for increased body weight in turkeys on lymphoid organ weights, phagocytosis, and antibody responses to fowl cholera and Newcastle disease-inactivated vaccines.

The influence of selection was studied for increased 16-wk BW in turkeys on in vivo phagocytic activity, antibody responses to vaccines, and weight of the spleen and bursa of Fabricius. A line (F) of turkeys selected long term for increased 16-wk BW and its corresponding randombred control (RBC2) were compared. Phagocytic activity was evaluated by the carbon clearance assay. Antibody responses to inactivated Newcastle disease virus and Pasteurella multocida vaccines were examined by ELISA. Body weight and relative weights of spleen and bursa of Fabricius of the two lines were also compared. The F line had lower phagocytic activity than the RBC2 line (P < 0.05). In addition, the F line had greater BW, relative weight of spleen, and ratio of spleen to bursa of Fabricius weight (P < 0.01) but had a lower relative weight of bursa of Fabricius at 9 wk of age. However, there were no line differences in the antibody responses to Newcastle disease virus or P. multocida vaccines at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 12 wk after vaccination. Based on the present results, it is suggested that long-term selection for increased 16-wk BW might have resulted in changes in the immune system, as indicated by changes in the relative weights of the spleen and bursa of Fabricius and phagocytic activity. The decreased phagocytic activity in the F line may be partially responsible for increased susceptibility to specific diseases in this line.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Genetic variation in pure lines and crosses of large-bodied turkey lines. 1. Body weight, walking ability, and body measurements of live birds.

An experimental line of turkeys selected for increased BW (F) was reciprocally crossed with sire lines (designated A and B) from each of two major commercial breeders in order to study the inheritance of growth traits. All genetic groups were grown intermingled in confinement with the sexes reared in different houses. Traits measured included BW at 8, 16, and 20 wk of age; shank length, width, and depth; breast width; and walking ability scores at 16 wk of age. The F line had a different growth pattern than the two commercial sire lines. The F line had higher (males) or similar (females) BW in comparison to Line A at 8 wk of age, but by 16 wk of age, Line A was heavier than Line F in both sexes. The difference in BW between the F and A lines increased from 16 to 20 wk of age. Lines F and B did not differ in BW at 8 wk of age, but at 16 and 20 wk of age, Line B birds were heavier than those of F line. Reciprocal effects, a measure of sex linkage and maternal effects, were noted only for breast width of females in crosses of Lines A and F and for shank width and depth of males and 8-wk BW and shank depth of females in crosses of Lines B and F. Heterosis was an important source of variation in BW for males from both crosses. The percentage heterosis at the various ages ranged from 3.1 to 7.5. For females, heterosis (range = 2.6 to 4.9%) was only significant at younger ages (8 wk for the crosses of the A and F lines and 8 and 16 wk for the crosses of the B and F lines). No heterosis for breast width was observed in either cross. Heterosis in walking ability scores was significant only for males from the crosses of Lines B and F. The presence of heterosis was inconsistent for shank measurements.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2001

Genetic variation in pure lines and crosses of large-bodied turkey lines. 2. Carcass traits and body shape.

An experimental line (F) of turkeys was reciprocally crossed with sire lines (designated A and B) from each of two commercial breeders in order to study the inheritance of carcass traits and body shape. The birds were weighed and killed at 17 wk of age, and various measurements of muscling, leg bones, and body shape were made. Additive genetic variation, as indicated by line differences, was an important source of variation in most traits. The only traits that did not exhibit a line difference in any comparison were weight of the drumstick muscles, tarsometatarsal width, keel length, and Body Depth 2 (body depth at a point 2.54 cm anterior to the posterior end of the keel). Heterosis of live BW was greater in males than in females. Heterosis in the weight of the pectoralis major and p. minor muscles were similar to those of live BW, but heterosis in the weight of the leg muscles were higher than that of live BW. The average heterosis for bone measurements (length of the femur, tarsometatarsal, and tibiotarsal bones and tarsometatarsal width) was very low and ranged from -0.3 to 1.4%. For measurements of body shape [keel length, Body Depth 1 (body depth measured at the cranial process of the keel), Body Depth 2, ratio of Body Depth 1 to Body Depth 2, length, width, and height of the body cavity, and body cavity volume index), heterosis was low and the average ranged from -2.7 to 2.6%. Based on an analysis of both sexes combined, the commercial sire lines differed in BW, weights of the p. minor and drumstick muscles, weights of the tarsometatarsal, femur, and tibiotarsal bones, lengths of the tarsometatarsal and femur bones, and various measurements of body shape (Body Depth 1, body depth ratio, body cavity length and height, and body cavity volume index). Relative to the commercial sire lines, the F line was smaller, had less breast and leg muscling, and, in general, larger leg bones when sexes were combined. The carcass of the F line was deeper than that of the commercial sire lines when measured at the cranial process of the keel but not at 2.54 cm anterior to the posterior portion of the keel. Body cavity height and body cavity volume index were larger in the F line than in the commercial sire lines.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Quantitative PCR assay to measure Aspergillus fumigatus burden in a murine model of disseminated aspergillosis: demonstration of efficacy of caspofungin acetate.

Caspofungin acetate (MK-0991) is an antifungal antibiotic that inhibits the synthesis of 1,3-beta-D-glucan, an essential component of the cell wall of several pathogenic fungi. Caspofungin acetate was recently approved for the treatment of invasive aspergillosis in patients who are refractory to or intolerant of other therapies. The activity of 1,3-beta-D-glucan synthesis inhibitors against Aspergillus fumigatus has been evaluated in animal models of pulmonary or disseminated disease by using prolongation of survival or reduction in tissue CFU as assay endpoints. Because these methods suffer from limited sensitivity or poor correlation with fungal growth, we have developed a quantitative PCR-based (qPCR) (TaqMan) assay to monitor disease progression and measure drug efficacy. A. fumigatus added to naïve, uninfected kidneys as either ungerminated conidia or small germlings yielded a linear qPCR response over at least 4 orders of magnitude. In a murine model of disseminated aspergillosis, a burden of A. fumigatus was detected in each of five different organs at 4 days postinfection by the qPCR assay, and the mean fungal load in these organs was 1.2 to 3.5 log(10) units greater than mean values determined by CFU measurement. When used to monitor disease progression in infected mice, the qPCR assay detected an increase of nearly 4 log(10) conidial equivalents/g of kidney between days 1 and 4 following infection, with a peak fungal burden that coincided with the onset of significant mortality. Traditional CFU methodology detected only a marginal increase in fungal load in the same tissues. In contrast, when mice were infected with Candida albicans, which does not form true mycelia in tissues, quantitation of kidney burden by both qPCR and CFU assays was strongly correlated as the infection progressed. Finally, treatment of mice with induced disseminated aspergillosis with either caspofungin or amphotericin B reduced the A. fumigatus burden in infected kidneys to the limit of detection for the qPCR assay. Because of its much larger dynamic range, the qPCR assay is superior to traditional CFU determination for monitoring the progression of disseminated aspergillosis and evaluating the activity of antifungal antibiotics against A. fumigatus.

Amphotericin B↗
PubMed2001

Slowly inactivating potassium conductance (I(D)): a potential target for stroke therapy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Excessive accumulation of extracellular glutamate results in the death of most, but not all, neurons in the central nervous system. Understanding the unique properties of cells that can withstand this excitotoxic challenge may identify specific targets for novel stroke therapies. METHODS: A combination of in vivo methods for analysis of excitotoxic cell death after activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors and in vitro patch-clamp analysis of specific conductances in hypothalamic slices and dissociated cells has been used to assess the roles of specific potassium conductances in delayed cell death after NMDA receptor activation. RESULTS: We report that a specific D-type potassium conductance (I(D)), necessary for the rapid repolarization of the membrane after a strong depolarization, serves such a protective purpose in magnocellular neurons of the paraventricular nucleus. Manipulations that inhibit this current (4-aminopyridine or angiotensin II) increase neuronal excitability and augment cell death after NMDA receptor activation. In addition, this protection is not observed in magnocellular neurons of spontaneously hypertensive rats, and intriguingly it can be reestablished by blocking angiotensin II receptors in these animals. CONCLUSIONS: These observations provide a persuasive experimental explanation for the unexpected finding that therapeutic treatments for hypertension that block central as well as peripheral angiotensin type 1 receptors reduce the severity and occurrence of stroke.

4-Aminopyridine↗
PubMed2000

A subthreshold persistent sodium current mediates bursting in rat subfornical organ neurones.

It is widely accepted that while release of amino acid neurotransmitters occurs with relatively high fidelity, peptidergic synapses require clustered bursts of action potentials for optimal transmitter release. Here we describe for the first time the occurrence and mechanisms of bursting by neurones in the subfornical organ (SFO), cells that utilize the peptide angiotensin II (ANG) in neurotransmission in autonomic pathways. In current clamp recording of isolated SFO neurones in vitro, 53 % (n = 74) showed either spontaneous or evoked burst-like discharge patterns. Bursts typically appeared as shifts in bistable membrane potential, with action potentials superimposed on a depolarizing afterpotential (DAP). Similarly, in vivo single unit recordings of identified SFO neurones showed that 9 of 15 neurones fired in bursts. The pattern of bursting, as well as duration of evoked DAPs was strongly dependent upon membrane potential, suggesting that the DAP contributes to burst generation. Based on our previous observation of calcium-sensing receptor (CaR)-activated bursts, we investigated the effects of NPS R-467, an allosteric agonist of the CaR, on evoked DAPs. NPS R-467 (1 microM) potentiated DAP duration throughout the voltage range tested. We observed a dependence of evoked DAPs upon Na+ channels, as shown by sensitivity to tetrodotoxin (0.5 microM) or reduction of external [Na+] from 140 to 40 mM. The duration of DAPs suggested that a persistent Na+ current mediates these events. Voltage-clamp analysis revealed the presence of a subthreshold sodium current, INaP. Pharmacological blockade of INaP with 100 microM lidocaine reduced the duration of evoked DAPs, and inhibited bursting in SFO neurones. Facilitation of INaP with 10 nM anemone toxin (ATX) increased DAP duration and led to marked excitation of bursting cells. These data indicate that INaP is the main current underlying bursting in SFO neurones. Our observations of receptor-mediated facilitation of bursting by SFO neurones represents an intriguing mechanism through which the release of the peptide neurotransmitter ANG may be regulated.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed2000

Dipeptide binding to the extended active site of the Streptomyces R61 D-alanyl-D-alanine-peptidase: the path to a specific substrate.

Bacterial cell walls are cross-linked in the final step of biosynthesis by specific D-alanyl-D-alanine(DD)-peptidases/transpeptidases. The natural substrates of these enzymes should therefore be segments of peptidoglycan, but high specificity for such structures has yet to be demonstrated. The binding of dipeptides to the extended substrate binding site of the Streptomyces R61 DD-peptidase has been studied by means of a fluorescent beta-lactam probe. It was found that dipeptides of structure Gly-L-Xaa have affinity for a subsite adjacent to the beta-lactam binding site. Hydrophobic peptides such as Gly-L-Met and Gly-L-aminocaprylic acid had the greatest affinity for this site, with dissociation constants in each case of 0.19 mM. A combination of this motif with the C-terminal D-alanyl-D-alanine moiety required of a DD-peptidase substrate yielded a new substrate, glycyl-L-alpha-amino-epsilon-pimelyl-D-alanyl-D-alanine. Steady-state kinetic measurements established this compound as the most specific peptide substrate yet discovered for a DD-peptidase by at least 3 orders of magnitude (k(cat) = 69 s(-1), K(m) = 7.9 microM, k(cat)/K(m) = 8.7 x 10(6) s(-1) M(-1)); acylation was rate-determining at saturation. This substrate, presumably not coincidentally, contains the acyl donor and acceptor moieties, appropriately separated, of the Streptomyces peptidoglycan structure. This general method of approach should be of value in the search for specific substrates and inhibitors (antibiotics) of other DD-peptidases.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed2000

The calcium receptor modulates the hyperpolarization-activated current in subfornical organ neurons.

Here we report that neurons of the subfornical organ (SFO), a circumventricular structure devoid of a blood-brain barrier, show time-dependent, inward rectification indicative of the presence of a subthreshold, hyperpolarization-activated inward current (Ih). In whole-cell patch clamp experiments of isolated SFO neurons, we observed a Cs+-sensitive Ih in 47% of cells tested. Furthermore, we show that Ih is involved in the generation of evoked bursts in SFO neurons. An allosteric agonist of the extracellular calcium-sensing receptor (CaR) was found to potentiate Ih consistent with our previous observations of CaR-mediated bursting in SFO neurons. These studies indicate that a proportion of SFO neurons express Ih, and this may be one ionic mechanism through which bursting is regulated by various extracellular messengers.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed2000

Dietary fiber prevents carbohydrate-induced hypertriglyceridemia.

Plant foods rich in carbohydrate and dietary fiber have many health benefits. One concern often expressed about higher carbohydrate, lower fat diets is that they may increase fasting serum triglycerides. Recently the importance of hypertriglyceridemia as an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease has been reaffirmed. For 40 years, clinicians have noted "carbohydrate-induced hypertriglyceridemia" when persons were fed high-carbohydrate, low-fiber diets. The role of fiber in protecting from carbohydrate-induced hypertriglyceridemia has not been discussed by many reviewers. Systematic review of the literature documents that high fiber intakes clearly protect from carbohydrate-induced hypertriglyceridemia. These are reviewed. Thus, recent and earlier research indicates that use of a higher carbohydrate, higher fiber diet compared with a lower carbohydrate, higher fat diet is associated with a small reduction in fasting serum triglyceride values.

Coronary Disease↗
PubMed2000

Self-help weight loss versus a structured commercial program after 26 weeks: a randomized controlled study.

PURPOSE: There have been few randomized controlled trials of commercial weight-loss programs. This ongoing study compares the effects of a self-help program and a commercial program on weight loss and other measures of obesity in overweight and obese men and women. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We report the results of the first 26 weeks of a multicenter, randomized, 2-year study of 423 subjects who had a body mass index of 27 to 40 kg/m(2). Subjects were randomly assigned to either a self-help program, consisting of two 20-minute sessions with a nutritionist and provision of printed materials and other self-help resources, or to attendance at meetings of a commercial program (Weight Watchers). Outcome measures were changes in body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, and body fat. Changes in serum homocysteine levels were measured in a subsample of participants during the first 12 weeks. RESULTS: After 26 weeks, subjects in the commercial program, as compared with those in the self-help program, had greater decreases in body weight [mean (+/- SD) -4.8+/-5.6 vs -1.4+/-4.7 kg] and body mass index (-1.7+/-1.9 vs -0.5+/-1.6 kg/m(2), both P<0.001) in intention-to-treat analyses. Among subjects measured at week 26, mean waist circumference (-4.3+/-10.5 vs -0.7+/-12.7 cm) and fat mass (-3.8 +/-7.0 vs -1.5+/-7.6 kg, both P<0.05) also decreased more among subjects in the commercial program. Mean serum homocysteine levels improved in the commercial program compared with self-help (-0.5+/-1.3 vs 0.9+/-1.8 microM, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A structured commercial weight-loss program is more likely to be effective for managing moderately overweight patients than brief counseling and self-help.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Intrinsic osmosensitivity of subfornical organ neurons.

The constancy of plasma osmolality demands that salt and water concentration within the extracellular fluid be constantly monitored and regulated within a few percentage points. The circumventricular organs in general, and the subfornical organ in particular, have long been proposed to be the site of the osmosensitivity. Isolated subfornical organ neurons of male rats were studied using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique and both action potential frequency and whole cell currents were measured as bath osmolality was changed, from 240 to 330mOsm, by altering the amount of mannitol and maintaining the concentrations of electrolytes constant. Out of 64 cells, 66% responded to changes in bath osmolality in a predictable manner, exhibiting a hyperpolarization and decrease in spike frequency in hypo-osmotic solutions and a depolarization and increase in action potential frequency during hyperosmotic exposure. Cells (34%) defined as non-responders exhibited no significant modulation during identical changes in extracellular osmolality. The responses to changing extracellular osmolality were dose dependent; the activity of subfornical organ neurons was significantly modulated by changes in extracellular osmolality of less than 10mOsm. By regression analysis, this osmosensitivity was approximately 0. 1Hz/mOsm change throughout a +/-10mOsm range and was maintained throughout the range of osmolalities studied (270-330mOsm). The mechanism underlying this osmosensitivity remains unclear, although the non-selective cation conductance and the volume-activated chloride conductance do not seem to be involved.This intrinsic osmosensitivity of subfornical organ within the normal physiological range supports the view that this circumventricular structure plays a role in normal osmoregulation.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Health advantages and disadvantages of weight-reducing diets: a computer analysis and critical review.

BACKGROUND: Some weight-loss diets are nutritionally sound and consistent with recommendations for healthy eating while others are "fad" diets encouraging irrational and, sometimes, unsafe practices. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to compare several weight loss diets and assess their potential long-term effects. DESIGN: Eight popular weight-loss diets were selected (Atkins, Protein Power, Sugar Busters, Zone, ADA Exchange, High-Fiber Fitness, Pritikin and Omish) to be non-clinically analyzed by means of a computer to predict their relative benefits/potential harm. A summary description, menu plan and recommended snacks were developed for each diet. The nutrient composition of each diet was determined using computer software, and a Food Pyramid Score was calculated to compare diets. The Mensink, Hegsted and other formulae were applied to estimate coronary heart disease risk factors. RESULTS: Higher fat diets are higher in saturated fats and cholesterol than current dietary guidelines and their long-term use would increase serum cholesterol levels and risk for CHD. Diets restricted in sugar intake would lower serum cholesterol levels and long-term risk for CHD; however, higher carbohydrate, higher fiber, lower fat diets would have the greatest effect in decreasing serum cholesterol concentrations and risk of CHD. CONCLUSIONS: While high fat diets may promote short-term weight loss, the potential hazards for worsening risk for progression of atherosclerosis override the short-term benefits. Individuals derive the greatest health benefits from diets low in saturated fat and high in carbohydrate and fiber: these increase sensitivity to insulin and lower risk for CHD.

Cholesterol↗