Obesity Increases Damaging Free-Radical Particles

[Guest guest]

Obesity Increases Damaging " Free Radical " Particles JoAnn Guest Mar 29, 2003

18:57 PST Health - Reuters

 

Obesity Increases Damaging

'Free Radical' Particles

 

Fri Mar 28, 5:25 PM ET

 

 

By Keith Mulvihill

 

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who are obese seem to have

higher-than-normal levels of oxidative stress, an accumulation of the

cell-damaging substances called " free radicals, " according to a new

study.

--This

may be one reason why those who are overweight are at greater risk for

developing heart disease.

 

 

" Obesity, which has always been considered a risk factor for heart

disease and diabetes, really looks like it's related to oxidative

stress, and that may be one of the reasons as to why obesity is bad for

a person, " lead author Dr. John F. Keaney Jr. told Reuters Health.

 

 

Oxidative stress, which is believed to contribute to a number of

different diseases and the aging process, is a normal byproduct of body

processes.

 

 

But Keaney cautioned that it is too soon to conclude that obese people

should take antioxidant vitamins, which counteract free radicals.

 

 

" You can't use the study to say that people should take antioxidants, "

said Keaney, who is at Boston University School of Medicine in

Massachusetts. " You have to take it at face value and realize that more

research will need to be conducted to learn more about the

relationship. "

 

 

Nonetheless, Keaney added that the study " clearly shows that obesity is

associated with elevated levels of " chemicals that are markers for

oxidative stress.

 

 

Scientists have long sought to learn more about oxidative stress, but

assessing oxidative stress chemicals in the body has been difficult.

Now, a new method allows researchers to measure levels of an oxidative

stress-related chemical in the body called 8-epi-PGF (2-alpha).

 

 

The new method now makes it possible to assess the relationship between

oxidative stress and a number of conditions, including hardening of the

arteries, high blood pressure and diabetes, according to a report

published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology: Journal

of the American Heart Association (news - web sites).

 

 

In the study, the team of researchers wanted to understand how much

oxidative stress contributes to heart disease, Keaney explained in an

interview with Reuters Health.

 

 

Keaney's group tested urine samples of 2,828 men and women for the

presence of 8-epi-PGF (2-alpha), which indicates the degree of oxidative

stress in the body.

 

 

Previously, it was widely believed that high cholesterol and high blood

pressure were strongly associated with oxidative stress. That was not

supported by the present study, Keaney said.

 

 

However, smoking and diabetes were related to higher levels of oxidative

stress. But " the big finding that nobody predicted is that body mass

index (a measurement which indicates obesity) is a marker for oxidative

stress, " noted Keaney.

 

 

In general, the higher a person's body mass index, the higher were their

levels of 8-epi-PGF (2-alpha) and therefore the more oxidative stress

present in their body.

 

 

" Obesity is the predictor of oxidative stress, independent of other

stuff, " said Keaney.

 

 

Still, Keaney pointed out that it remains to be seen how detrimental

high levels of oxidative stress are.

 

 

" We will have to wait until we see what happens to these people with the

higher levels of oxidative stress, " he said. " We want to see if they

have higher rates of heart attack and death compared to people with

lower oxidative stress levels. "

 

 

 

 

 

However, Keaney also noted that there is a growing body of literature

that suggests that the more oxidative stress people have, the more

likely they are to have blood-vessel disease.

 

Oxidative stress, then, may be the " connector between obesity and other

disease, " said Keaney. " We cannot prove that from this study, the study

just raises that possibility and provides reasons for further

investigation. "

 

SOURCE: Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology

2003;23:434-493.

 

 

The complete " Whole Body " Health line consists of the " AIM GARDEN TRIO "

Ask About Health Professional Support Series: AIM Barleygreen

 

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/AIM.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tax Center - File online, calculators, forms, and more