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Obesity, Large Waist Size Risk Factors for COPD
DrOshidar • Jul 17, 2014

Obesity, especially excessive belly fat, is a risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Excessive belly fat and low physical activity are linked to progression of the disease in people with COPD, but it is not known whether these modifiable factors are linked to new cases.

Gundula Behrens, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany, and colleagues looked at the relationship of waist and hip circumference, body mass index (BMI), and physical activity levels to new cases of COPD in a large group of men and women in the US. They looked at data on 113,279 people aged 50 to 70 years who did not have COPD, cancer or heart disease at the beginning of the study (1995).

During the 10-year follow-up period, COPD developed in 3648 people. People with large waist circumference (≥110 cm in women and ≥118 cm in men) had a 72% increased risk of COPD.

“We observed a stronger positive relation with abdominal body fat than with total body fat and COPD,” the authors wrote. “In particular, overweight as measured by BMI emerged as a significant predictor of increased risk of COPD only among those with a large waist circumference.”

A large waist was a robust predictor of COPD in smokers as well as in people who had never smoked.

Pollution, smoking and toxic particles in workplace dust are thought to cause COPD through chronic inflammation and impaired ability to heal injury to the lungs.

“Increased local, abdominal, and overall fat depots increase local and systemic inflammation, thus potentially stimulating COPD-related processes in the lung,” the authors wrote.

People with a large hip circumference and who were physically active at least 5 times a week were 29% less likely to experience COPD. Exercise can reduce inflammation, oxidative stress and enhance healing.

Underweight people had a 56% increased risk of COPD. Possible reasons include malnutrition and reduced muscle mass leading to increased COPD susceptibility and progression through inflammatory processes and impaired lung repair capacity.

“Our findings suggest that next to smoking cessation and the prevention of smoking initiation, meeting guidelines for body weight, body shape and physical activity level may represent important individual and public health opportunities to decrease the risk of COPD,” the authors concluded. “Physicians should encourage their patients to adhere to these guidelines as a means of preventing chronic diseases in general and possibly COPD in particular.”

SOURCE: Canadian Medical Association Journal


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By Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., DACBN, MS, CFMP 13 Mar, 2024
https://www.functionalmedicineuniversity.com/public/2000.cfm ** Feel free to use this article on your website. Compliments from Functional Medicine University . ** Read my past articles: http://www.functionalmedicineuniversity.com/public/department88.cfm ===================== View Rick Bramos Fitness YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_x4I27Z0DfYkfcroXxAhcA/videos Here is Rick's New Video of the Week: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W__EwtXJkyY Rick is now offering phone consultations for those wanting to lose weight or simply to improve their fitness. Rick can be reached at 2days2fitness@gmail.com for more details. ===================== ATTENTION DOCTORS AND ALL HEALTHCARE PRACTITIONERS Tell your friends and colleagues about Clinical Rounds. This is a great introduction to the field of functional medicine. Here is the webpage to subscribe: http://www.clinicalrounds.com Take care, Ron P.S. Please visit our facebook page and "Like It" Of course if you really like it. :) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Functional-Medicine-University/161486170671332
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Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., DACBN, MS, CFMP Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia. Its symptoms vary but may start with mild memory loss or difficulty remembering words or names. As it progresses, Alzheimer's causes worsening confusion and memory loss, changes in personality, the inability to perform everyday tasks and more. Alzheimer's is caused by a slow build-up of protein plaques and tangles in the brain that eventually cause brain cells to stop working properly. This build-up usually starts years before a person experiences symptoms. Alzheimer's-related memory loss is caused by brain cells working improperly and dying-a process known as neurodegeneration. Alzheimer's is estimated to account for about 60% of dementia cases. Diagnosing Alzheimer's Until recently, it has been difficult to identify the biological changes that indicate Alzheimer's. The typical evaluation, which includes physical exam, blood and urine tests and cognitive testing may provide ambiguous or conflicting answers, which can result in delayed referrals until symptoms become clearer. That has changed with new technology and testing. Labcorp has developed a new test called the Amyloid-Tau-Neurodegeneration (ATN) Profile ( ATN Profile) to help doctors detect evidence of biological changes consistent with Alzheimer's. These tests are the first objective tools that doctors have to help evaluate Alzheimer's, meaning that with a simple blood test , doctors and other health professionals allowed to order labs can get a clearer answers on Alzheimer's and its progression and get patients on a care plan earlier. This will in fact give physicians a simple, objective test for Alzheimer's disease pathology that can help shorten the time to diagnosis. Labcorp is the first company to make a fully blood-based ATN Profile commercially available. What is ATN? The ATN framework establishes a means for classifying biomarkers based on the biological evidence of Alzheimer's disease that each marker provides These markers are divided into three categories to reflect the three primary biological changes associated with Alzheimer's: A for amyloid plaques: Accumulations of beta-amyloid 42 proteins begin to form plaques in the brain years before initial symptom onset T for tau tangles: The beta-amyloid 42 accumulation causes misfolding of tau proteins, which tangle into knots and disrupt normal brain cell function N for neurodegeneratio : Brain cell functional impairment causes the cells to die, which exacerbates the characteristic cognitive impairment symptoms observed in Alzheimer's patients
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