Effect of physical activity on levels of homocysteine, folate, and vitamin B12 in the elderly.

OBJECTIVES: Homocysteine (Hcy) has emerged as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). However the relationship of physical activity (PA) with Hcy levels in the elderly is controversial. Accordingly, the current study examined the effect of low and high participation in PA on serum Hcy in young (n = 77; 18-50 years) and old (n = 207; > 65 years) males (n = 141) and females (n = 142). METHODS: Level of PA was obtained in a 1-to-1 interview and participants divided into low and high groups. Serum Hcy, folate, and vitamin B12 were obtained after 12 hour fast drawn by venipuncture. RESULTS: Levels of Hcy correlated with folate (r = -0. 5; p = 0.000) and vitamin B12 (r = -0.3; p = 0.000). The ANOVA revealed a main effect of PA for Hcy (p = 0.04) but not for folate (p = 0.2) and vitamin B12 (p = 0.2). Main effects were found also of age for Hcy (p = 0.000) and folate (p = 0.005) as well as of gender for Hcy (p = 0.000) and vitamin B12 (p = 0.000). Subsequent ANCOVA showed lower levels of Hcy in the participants with greater versus lower PA even after controlling for B12 vitamin. CONCLUSION: These results confirm the importance of the vitamins for regulating Hcy levels. Additionally, the data suggests that PA affects Hcy levels without affecting and independent of B vitamins in the elderly.

Lack of Association between Polymorphisms of Hepatic Lipase with Lipid Profile in Young Jordanian Adults.

The human hepatic lipase (LIPC) gene encodes hepatic lipase, an enzyme involved in lipoprotein metabolism and regulation. Therefore, variants in LIPC gene may influence plasma lipoprotein levels. In this study, the association of LIPC C-514T and G-250A polymorphisms with plasma lipid profiles in 348 young Jordanians was investigated. Genotyping of C-514T and G-250A was performed by polymerase chain reaction and subsequent digestion with DraI and NiaIII restriction enzymes, respectively, while Roche analyzer was used to determine plasma total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-and high-density lipoprotein. The G-250 and C-514 alleles were most abundant in Jordanians with 79 and 80% frequencies, respectively. Additionally, no difference was found in the lipid-lipoprotein profile between the different genotype groups of C-514T or G-250A polymorphisms, even when males and females were examined separately (P > 0.05). In young Jordanian adults, the examined LIPC polymorphisms seem to play a limited role in determining the lipid profile.

Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk Factors Among University Students: The Gender Factor.

BACKGROUND: Evidence indicates that the pathophysiological process of cardiovascular (CV) disease begins at early age, though the manifestations of the disease do not appear until middle age adulthood. Risk factors for CV disease, particularly lipoprotein profiles, are affected by physiological abnormalities, and lifestyle related issues. To evaluate prevalence of CV diseases risk factors among university students and to investigate relation between number of risk factors and body anthropometric, hematological and biochemical indices parameters. METHODS: In this cross sectional study, 348 students were randomly recruited. Blood glucose, cholesterol profile (total, HDL, and LDL cholesterol), and triglyceride were measured using standard protocols. Physical activity (PA) level was assessed using the short-form Arabic version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaires (IPAQ). RESULTS: The most commonly encountered CV disease risk factor was low levels of HDL-C, followed by physical inactivity, high levels TG, and obese BMI. When stratified by gender, females were less likely to have low HDL-C, and high TG, whereas, males were more likely to have overweight or obese BMI (P < 0.001). About 49% of the participants had at least one CV disease risk factor, where as the prevalence of having one, two and three or more CV disease risk factors were 35.7%, 9.3% and 4%, respectively. Additionally, the number of CV disease risk factors showed strong positive correlation with increases in body fat and bone percentages, glucose, total cholesterol, TG, LDL-C, BMI, and WHR (range of R2: 0.17 to 0.603). On the other hand, physical activity, percentages of body water and muscle, HDL-C showed inverse strong correlation with cardiovascular risk factors (range of R2: -0.239 to -0.412). CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate the high prevalence of CV disease risk factors among university students, and stress the need for early intervention programs to counteract these risks.

Associations of polymorphisms in adiponectin and leptin genes with men's longevity.

Adipokines are important for regulation body metabolism and immune response. Many studies have shown that variants in adipokines genes play a role in age-associated diseases. In this study, we investigated the contribution of rs266729 (-11377G/C), rs2241766 (+45T/G), and rs1501299 (+276 G/T) SNPs of adiponectin gene (ADIPQO) and rs7799039 (-2548C/A) SNP of leptin (LEP) gene to human longevity phenotype in Jordanian population. Polymorphisms were genotyped in 110 randomly selected elderly subjects (>85 years old) with mean age of 90.2 years, and 120 young control subjects (range from 20 to 50 years) with mean age of 32.0 years. No significant differences were detected in the genotype and allele frequencies of examined gene variants between the two groups (p > 0.05). However, when gender was considered, genotypes and alleles frequencies of rs1501299 SNP in ADIPOQ gene and rs7799039 in LEP gene were significantly associated with longevity in men (p < 0.02) but not in women (p > 0.05). Thus, ADIPOQ and LEP genes polymorphisms might play a gender-specific role in the pathway to men's longevity.

Association between polymorphisms of the DBH and DAT1 genes and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children from Jordan.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neuropsychiatric disorders in children. In this study, the association between 10-repeats in the DAT1 gene and the (GT)n repeat in the DBH gene and ADHD was examined in children from Jordan. In addition, the levels of dopamine-ß-hydroxylase enzyme activity in the plasma of ADHD children were evaluated. Fifty children with ADHD and 50 age- and gender-matched control subjects were recruited. The results showed significant differences between the ADHD group and controls with respect to the plasma levels of dopamine-ß-hydroxylase enzyme activity (25.4±2.3 vs. 84.7±5.0 µmol/min; p<0.01). Moreover, the 10-repeat DAT1 gene and (GT)n DBH gene polymorphisms were significantly associated with ADHD development (p<0.05). In conclusion, the DBH and DAT1 genes appear to play a role in the development of ADHD in the Jordanian population.