Irisin is associated with increased risk of MetS, cardiometabolic variables, and CVD in humans, indicating either increased secretion by adipose/muscle tissue and/or a compensatory increase of irisin to overcome an underlying irisin resistance in these subjects.

Background In adults, adherence to the Mediterranean diet has been inversely associated with cardiovascular risk, but the extent to which diet in pregnancy is associated with offspring adiposity is unclear. We aimed to investigate the association between adherence to Mediterranean diet in pregnancy and offspring cardiometabolic traits in two pregnancy cohorts. Methods We studied 997 mother-child pairs from Project Viva in Massachusetts, USA, and 569 pairs from the Rhea study in Crete, Greece. We estimated adherence to the Mediterranean diet with an a priori defined score (MDS) of 9 foods and nutrients (0 to 9). We measured child weight, height, waist circumference, skin fold thicknesses, blood pressure (BP), and blood levels of lipids, c-reactive protein, and adipokines in mid-childhood (median 7.7 years) in Viva, and in early childhood (median 4.2 years) in Rhea. We calculated cohort-specific effects, and pooled effects estimates with random-effects models for cohort and child age. Results In Project Viva the mean (SD) MDS was 2.7 (1.6); in Rhea it was 3.8 (1.7). In the pooled analysis, for each 3-point increment in the MDS, offspring BMI z score was lower by 0.14 units (95% CI, −0.15 to −0.13), waist circumference by 0.39cm (95% CI, −0.64 to −0.14), and the sum of skin fold thicknesses by 0.63mm (95% CI, −0.98 to −0.28). We also observed lower offspring systolic (−1.03 mmHg; 95% CI, −1.65 to −0.42) and diastolic BP (−0.57mmHg; 95% CI, −0.98 to −0.16). Conclusion Greater adherence to Mediterranean diet during pregnancy may protect against excess offspring cardiometabolic risk.

Background and Aims There is some evidence that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and early life adversity may influence metabolic outcomes such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. However, whether and how these interact is not clear. Methods We analyzed data from a cross-sectional and a longitudinal study to determine how PTSD severity influences obesity, insulin sensitivity, and key measures and biomarkers of cardiovascular risk. We then looked at how PTSD and early life adversity may interact to impact these same outcomes. Results PTSD severity is associated with increasing risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, with higher symptoms correlating with higher values of BMI, leptin, fibrinogen, and blood pressure, and lower values of insulin sensitivity. PTSD and early life adversity have an additive effect on these metabolic outcomes. The longitudinal study confirmed findings from the cross sectional study and showed that fat mass, leptin, CRP, ICAM, and TNFRII were significantly increased with higher PTSD severity during a 2.5 year follow-up period. Conclusions Individuals with early life adversity and PTSD are at high risk and should be monitored carefully for obesity, insulin resistance, and cardiometabolic risk.