Sign in Subscribe
Drugs

University of Bristol Researchers Publish New Study Data on Health Trends and Antioxidants

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

University of Bristol researchers in England have published new study data on health trends and antioxidants, finding potential links between childhood body mass index (BMI), adult insulin-like growth factor (IGF) levels, and chronic disease risk. Additionally, a second study suggests that highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has improved virological response in patients with HIV/AIDS, but not mortality rates. Furthermore, a review in the journal Atherosclerosis has questioned the role of ceruloplasmin, a metalloenzyme with antioxidant properties, in cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Key Takeaways:

  • Study 1: Childhood BMI has a weak inverse relationship with adult IGF-I levels, suggesting that excessive body mass index (BMI) in childhood may lead to higher chronic disease risk later in life. Circulating IGFBP-2 in adulthood is inversely associated with current adiposity, indicating that overweight children who become lean adults are more insulin sensitive.
  • Study 2: Virological response to HAART has improved significantly over the past decade in patients with HIV/AIDS, with 58% of patients achieving an HIV-1 RNA level of 500 copies per mL or less by six months in 1995-96, compared to 83% in 2002-03.
  • Study 3: Oxidative stress may change ceruloplasmin from a protective to a vasculopathic factor, contributing to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Elevated circulating ceruloplasmin is associated with CVD, possibly due to its capacity to promote vasculopathic effects that include lipid oxidation and negation of nitric oxide bioactivity.

Statistics:

  • Study 1: Childhood BMI was weakly inversely related to adult IGF-I (coefficient per BMI SD, -3.4 ng/mL; 95% CI, -7.3 to 0.5; p=0.09).
  • Study 2: The proportion of heterosexually infected patients increased from 20% in 1995-96 to 47% in 2002-03, while the proportion of women increased from 16 to 32%.
  • Study 3: Elevated circulating ceruloplasmin is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), with 58% of patients achieving an HIV-1 RNA level of 500 copies per mL or less by six months in 1995-96, compared to 83% in 2002-03.

Sources:

  • Study 1: Martin, R.M., et al. Associations of adiposity from childhood into adulthood with insulin resistance and the insulin-like growth factor system: 65-year follow-up of the Boyd Orr cohort. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2006;91(9):3287-3295.
  • Study 2: May, M.T., et al. HIV treatment response and prognosis in Europe and North America in the first decade of highly active antiretroviral therapy: a collaborative analysis. Lancet, 2006;368(9534):451-458.
  • Study 3: Shukla, N., et al. Does oxidative stress change ceruloplasmin from a protective to a vasculopathic factor? Atherosclerosis, 2006;187(2):238-250.

Read more