Glossary (alphabetical)
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Arteriosclerosis: thickening AND hardening of the arterial tissue causing lack of elasticity
Atherosclerosis: deposition of fatty material in the inner arterial layers
BMI: a quantitative measure for the weight of a person in relation to his or her length, defined as the weight in kilograms divided by the square length (kg/m2). Being overweight isn't the same as being overfat. A bodybuilder for example, can have a BMI of 32, but still not be overfat. The high BMI then has to be ascribed to muscle weight. An additional measurement of body fat can help get more clarity on the level of overfatness. BMI lower than 18.5 is underweight; 18,5 ≤ BMI ≤ 24,9 = normal range; 25 ≤ BMI ≤ 29,9 = overweight; BMI ≥ 30 = obesity; BMI ≥ 40= morbid obesity (acute risk of fatality)
CAD: coronary artery disease
CHD: coronary heart disease
Cholesterol: the molecular compound of the sterol group, which make up part of the lipids. Cholesterol is synthesized in the body by processes in skin, kidneys and liver. It is present in cell membranes as a stabilizer of the cell wall. Other than the molecular cholesterol, cholesterol is also referred to as the blood cholesterol. These are no individual molecules, but rather little globular particles called 'lipoproteins'. Microscopically, these particles are huge collections of triglycerids, proteins and phospholipids.
On your left, you see what the procentual composition of the diferent kinds of cholesterol in the blood is: chylomicrons, VLDL, LDL and HDL. Triacylglycerol is the same thing as a triglyceride. It becomes clear that the composition of each kind of blood cholesterol greatly varies.
On your right, an impression of these same lipoproteins, and how they dimensionally relate to each other.
CVD: cardiovascular disease
Depression: a group of symptoms, in particular: a lowered, depressed mood, loss of energy and initiative, fatigue and desocialization
Diabetes: a group of metabolic diseases, characterized by elevated blood sugar levels and altered energy metabolism, caused by an impaired insulin excretion, insulin function or a combination of both. We distinguish DM type 1 (IDDM) and DM type 2 (NIDDM). DM type 1 characterizes through a pancreas lacking the ability to synthesize insulin; in DM type 2 insulin IS synthesized, but the body cells have grown insensitive to it. This also leads to hyperinsulinemia (chronically abnormally high levels of insulin in the blood stream).
Type 1 occurs more often in younger people (<20 yrs) and type 2 occurs more often in older populations, although it has been observed that the incidence of DM type 2 among younger people is rapidly growing.
GI: Glycemic Index: the speed with which the food product in question makes your blood sugar level rise in relation to the standard, which is glucose ore white (refined) bread. Prolonged consumption of a diet rich in products with high GIs has been related to diabetes, obesity and CVD
GL: Glycemic Load: practically the same indication as the GI, but included here is the amount of carbohydrates in the diet or food product
Glucagon: hormone that facilitates glycogenolysis
Glycogen: "animal starch"; the form of glucose as it is deposited in the body in the liver and muscles
Glycogenolysis: the breaking down of glycogen, as a result of too low blood sugar levels. Is facilitated by the hormone glucagon
Hematocrit: the dense, non-fluid part of the blood, a.o. the red blood cells
HDL:"high density lipoprotein", a lipoprotein with a high density. HDL-cholesterol is often called the "good" cholesterol, because it transports molecular cholesterol to the liver for breakdown. Of the 5 identifiable subclasses of HDL-cholesterol, the 3 largest sorts have an inverse relatioship wit CVD, whilst the 2 smallest classes do not seem t obare these protective properties (1,3)
Incidence: the number of new cases in a year, often expressed in 1000 or 100.000 persons or percentages of the population
Inflammation: local phenomenon occuring by physical, chemical or toxin forming microbial organisms entering the body, resulting in cell damage, blood vessel dilatation, edema or exsudate formation (resp. fluid accumulation and fluid extrusion) etcetera
Insulin: hormone that makes glucose be taken up in your body cells, by attaching to a protein, positioned in the cell membrane
LDL:"low density lipoprotein", a lipoprotein (combination of lipo=fat and protein) with a low density. LDL is often referred to as the "bad cholesterol" because it delivers cholesterol to tissues. Recently again, but already in the 90s LDL cholesterol has been identified as to comprise of the phenotype A and B. Type Bis smaller than A and has inflammatory properties. It is capable of pushing itself into existing atherosclerotic plaques and to cause inflammation and to increase arterial narrowing.
Remarkably, diets in which the amount of fat exceeds 60% and carbohydraes don't exceed 25%, the amount LDL pattern B is 0% (see picture below). In the body, LDL derives from VLDL (= Very Low Densit Lipoprotein). Cells take out the triglycerides from the VLDL particle, leaving a particle with relatively much cholesterol. This is called LDL cholesterol (4).
Lipids: fatty substances, a.o. triglycerides, steroles and phospholipids
MCSFA: medium chain saturated fatty acids. They are directly absorbed into the bloodstream and are used as an energy source. They increase energy metabolism, positively influence cholesterol levels and ameliorate the insulin sensitivity
Metabolism: the processing of food in the body in several steps
Metabolite: stof welke ontstaat na metabolisme van een grondstof, bv glucose is een metaboliet van zetmeel
MUFA: Mono-Unsaturated Fatty Acid, a fatty acid having only one double C=C bond in the fatty acid chain
Myocardial infarct (MI): commonly known as a heart attack; a blood cloth seals off the coronary artery, inhibiting oxygen usage thus causing the heart muscle to die
Obesity: severe overweigntness with a BMI of over or equal to 30 kg. m-2
Overweight: as having a BMI from 25.0 to 29.9
Peptide: protein
Plasma: the fluid part of the blood, as opposed to hematocrite
Polypeptide: protein,that comprises several amino acids (mostly > 3)
Prevalence: the number of (sick) people per 1000 or 100.000 or in percentages at a specific time or period in - often- a year, for example: the prevalence of obesity in the year 2000 in the United States was 31% (Flegal KM et al, JAMA 2002)
PUFA: Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acid; having at least two double C=C bonds in the molecule
Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT): a research protocol in which the population under investigation is randomly assigned to either the control group or the intervention group, in which the trial is done blind, that is: the individuals in the trial are completely unaware whether they are in the control or the intervention group.
The RCT is considered as the golden standard in clinical experiments, because the extrapolative value to the entire population is the highest. RCTs methodically exclude as many confounders as possible.
A much heard expression is the double blind placebo controlled intervention, which means nothing more than both scientst and testees are unaware of whether they know if they're giving the real medicine or the fake one (the placebo) or in which group they are, respectively. Thus, the possibility of psychologically influencing one another by foreknowlegde is excluded. The intervention becomes more valid and more accurate.
Serum: plasma, from which the coagulating protein fibrinogen is removed so that coagulation can no longer occur
Significant: statistical expression which literally means "of great importance". A significant relation means that, that which is happening in the trial is really distinguishing from chance. Something really special is occuring which cannot be explained by something that may have happened by chance or "luck"
Triglyceride: substance in which 3 fatty acids ar ebound to glycerol. Also called triacylglycerol (TAG or TG). risk factor for CVD.
Underweight: as having a BMI < 18.5 kg. m-2
Validity: also a statistical expression that answers the question:"Are you measuring what you intended to measure?"
Villi: microscopically small extensions on the inside of the gut, which facilitate the absorption of nutrients to the blood stream
Sources
Hickey, JT, Hickey, L, Yancy, WS et al. Clinical Use of a Carbohydrate-Restricted Diet to Treat the Dyslipidemia of the Metabolic Syndrome," Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders, 2004, 1(3), pag. 227-232.
Dreon DM, Fernstrom HA, Williams PT, Krauss RM. A very low-fat diet is not associated with improved lipoprotein profiles in men with a predominance of large, low-density lipoproteins, Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 Mar;69(3):411-8
Freedman DS et al. Relation of lipoprotein subclasses as measured by Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy to coronary artery disease. Arteriosler Thromb Vasc Biol. 1998;18:1046-1053
"Understanding normal and clinical nutrition", Whitney, E.N. et al, 6e editie 2002, Wadsworth, p. 142-143
