A Helicobacter pylori-associated insulin resistance in asymptomatic sedentary young men does not correlate with inflammatory markers and urine levels of 8-iso-PGF2-α or 1,4-dihydroxynonane mercapturic acid.

A potential contribution of H. pylori contamination to low-grade inflammation, oxidative stress (OS) and insulin resistance as well as correlations between these parameters in asymptomatic sedentary males was analysed. We enrolled 30 apparently healthy asymptomatic young subjects (18 H. pylori negative and 12 positive) and measured whole blood glucose, glycated haemoglobin, insulin, C-peptide, cortisol, aldosterone, testosterone, thyroid stimulating hormone, C-reactive protein, interleukins 6 and 10, TNF-alpha and comet assay. As markers of OS, we used urine levels of iso-PGF2-α and 1,4-dihydroxynonane mercapturic acid (DHN-MA). Twofold elevation of fasting insulin level and HOMA index in H. pylori-positive subjects (p < .05) was shown. Inflammatory parameters and monocyte DNA damage, urine levels of DHN-MA and iso-PGF2-α did not show significant differences between the groups. The early stage of H. pylori-triggered metabolic derangements in sedentary subjects include development of insulin resistance in H. pylori-positive subjects; however, there is no evidence of systemic inflammatory and OS-related changes.

Helicobacter pylori in sedentary men is linked to higher heart rate, sympathetic activity, and insulin resistance but not inflammation or oxidative stress.

AIM: To compare anthropometric parameters, body composition, hormonal and inflammatory profiles, oxidative stress indices, and heart rate variability (HRV) in Heliobacter pylori (H.pylori) positive and negative healthy sedentary participants. METHODS: Among 30 recruited apparently healthy male participants (age between 20 and 40) enrolled in this cross-sectional study, 18 were H.pylori negative and 12 were positive (stool antigen test). Participants underwent routine physical examination and body composition determination. The following biochemical parameters were determined in blood: fasting whole blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, insulin, C-peptide, cortisol, aldosterone, testosterone, thyroid stimulating hormone, C-reactive protein, interleukins 6 and 10, tumor necrosis factor-α, and the urinary level of 1,4-dihydroxynonane mercapturic acid. For HRV evaluation, electrocardiogram in supine position and in orthostatic test was performed. RESULTS: H.pylori contamination was not significantly associated with any changes in anthropometric parameters, body composition, blood pressure, fasting glucose, or glycated hemoglobin levels. No significant difference was found for inflammatory markers as well as 1,4-dihydroxynonane mercapturic acid. H.pylori-positive participants, however, had significantly higher heart rate (P=0.009), sympathetic/parasympathetic balance in orthostatic test (P=0.029), fasting insulin level (P=0.037), and HOMA-index (P=0.047). CONCLUSIONS: H.pylori contamination is linked to a significantly higher heart rate, sympathetic activation, and increased insulin resistance, while inflammatory and oxidative stress markers remain unaffected in healthy sedentary male subjects.

The correlations of glycated hemoglobin and carbohydrate metabolism parameters with heart rate variability in apparently healthy sedentary young male subjects.

INTRODUCTION: Sedentary lifestyle is a major risk factor for diabetes, cardiovascular and many other age-related diseases. Heart rate variability (HRV) reflects the function of regulatory systems of internal organs and may sensitively indicate early metabolic disturbances. We hypothesize that quantitative and qualitative changes of HRV in young subjects may reflect early metabolic derangements responsible for further development of clinically significant disease. AIM: The aim of our study was to determine whether the parameters of carbohydrate metabolism (fasting blood glucose, HBA1c and surrogate insulin sensitivity/resistance indices) correlate with anthropometric data and HRV. METHODS: The study group consisted of 30 healthy sedentary male subjects aged 20-40, nonsmokers, mainly office and research employees, medical staff and students. Athletes, actively training more than one hour per week, severely obese and men of physical work were excluded from the study. HRV parameters were derived from short term ECG records (five minutes intervals) in supine position and during orthostatic test. Anthropometric data included height, weight, body mass index (BMI), age and body composition (estimation by bioelectric impedance method). The fasting blood glucose, insulin and C-peptide, homeostatic model assessment (HOMA-IR) index and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were evaluated. Linear correlation coefficient (r) was calculated using Statistica 10.0 software. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: HOMA-IR index correlated positively with body weight, visceral fat and BMI (p=0.047, 0.027 and 0.017 respectively). In supine position pNN50 positively correlated with glucose/insulin ratio (p=0.011) and heart rate with HOMA-IR (p=0.006). In orthostatic test negative correlations of HBA1c with standard deviation, total and low frequency power were determined (p=0.034, 0.400 and 0.403 respectively), which indicates a gradual worsening of functional capacity of cardiovascular system with low-grade increase (under the conventional threshold) of HBA1c. CONCLUSIONS: In apparently healthy sedentary subjects HRV reduction correlates with the age advancement, subclinical deteriorations of carbohydrate metabolism and excessive fat accumulation.

An intermittent exhaustion of the pool of glycogen in the human organism as a simple universal health promoting mechanism.

Glycogen storage in human organism is providing reserve source of glucose which is critical for normal functioning of the nervous system during periods between meals and is also important for many other tissues. Overwhelming excessive consumption of carbohydrates and decreasing physical activity among the world population lead to dramatic increase in incidence and mortality related to cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus type 2. There is an observation that many interventions with proved clinical efficiency like physical activity, intermittent fasting, caloric restriction and some pharmacological treatments have in common the ability to decrease content of glycogen in the liver and skeletal muscles. This effect leads to increased ability of these organs to uptake the next dose of glucose and store it in the form of glycogen. Moreover these interventions lead to significant life span extension, provide better body fitness and prevent development of multiple age-related diseases. In contrast excessive glucose load and saturation of tissues with glycogen provide a metabolic shift toward synthesis of fatty acids by liver. In advanced stages decreased glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, fatty liver disease, impairment of liver function and derangements of cholesterol metabolism are observed. It is suggested that noninvasive measurement of glycogen content in tissues could serve as important diagnostic and follow-up parameter for clinical practice and healthy lifestyle in wide population groups.