The goal of this research was to gain a better understanding of interplay between molecular biology, physiology, biochemistry, functionality with disease and interventions. The primary findings of the first study were that there was a significant inverse correlation between homocysteine and brachial artery flow mediated dilation (BAFMD) and baseline brachial artery diameter. Interestingly, there was a significant difference in BAFMD between methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) genotype groups. Regression analysis indicated that the MTHFR genotype, homocysteine and age were significant predictors of BAFMD.
The second study revealed that vascular reactivity as measured by BAFMD was modifiable. A meta-analysis of 22 intervention studies showed that exercise training produced significant changes in BAFMD. Fifteen of the twenty-two intervention groups had a statistically significant improvement in BAFMD. Only one study had a negative effect size (ES). Larger changes in BAFMD were seen in at risk/diseased subjects compared to healthy subjects. Shorter duration studies (< to 8 weeks) had a larger mean ES than did longer duration studies. In regards to training type the aerobic group had the largest ES. The meta-analysis revealed that physical training produces a large change in BAFMD, a biomarker of vascular health.
Finally, study three revealed that middle-aged men and women instructed to consume a low-fat diet, reported, within 3 months, significant reductions in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol intake, which corresponded with a moderate, yet, significant change in LDL-cholesterol. However, the diet intervention appeared to have only a modest effect on lipid balance as indicated by small reductions in the total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratios. Additionally, a clustering of lipid and vascular responses were seen indicating the array of responses to dietary interventions. Gene-diet interaction evaluation did reveal that genetic polymorphisms, such as the deletion at the apolipoprotein B signal peptide (24 amino acids) may be associated with varying responses to low-fat dietary interventions. Interestingly, the data suggest that despite self-reported reductions in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol intake, markers of vascular health were not significantly changed. However, individuals brachial artery reactivity increased by 3 months in both groups, which persisted throughout the trial.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LSU/oai:etd.lsu.edu:etd-03272008-152354 |
| Date | 28 March 2008 |
| Creators | Wilson, Joanie Brocato |
| Contributors | Arnold Nelson, Amelia Lee, Richard Tulley, Michael Welsch, Joseph Francis |
| Publisher | LSU |
| Source Sets | Louisiana State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-03272008-152354/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached herein a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to LSU or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below and in appropriate University policies, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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