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Carvedilol reduced the BP during the cold exposure, especially in the hypertensive subjects but also in normotensive ones, without effect on the cold-induced rise of the BP.

An increase of insulin resistance and a worsening of lipid profile during 6 mo of military service in young male Finnish population has previously been shown by us. The present study demonstrates unfavorable changes of serum adiponectin concentrations and their association with weight loss in these particular circumstances. Adiponectin in a range of 4.3-21.2 microg/mL was present in the serum samples and had a significant negative correlation with weight, body mass index, waist to hip ratio, and insulin. Fasting serum lipids and plasma insulin significantly increased and serum adiponectin levels significantly decreased during the military service. Even the subjects with a 5-10% decrease in body weight showed the same result. In cases with more than 10% weight reduction and a significant decrease of fasting insulin concentration, the total and low density lipoprotein cholesterol significantly increased and adiponectin concentration tended to decreased. Only in severely obese cases (BMI >/= 30 kg/m2) with more than 10% decrease in body mass index adiponectin levels tended to increase, although not statistically significantly. This study shows that serum adiponectin concentrations decreased during a 6 mo high-caloric diet in military service, and even a moderate weight reduction induced by high-energy expenditure in exercise during service did not increase its levels.

Background Obesity, central obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia and hyperinsulinemia tend to cluster in the same individuals as a metabolic syndrome; smoking has an adverse effect on insulin resistance. The aim of our study was to examine the occurrence of clusters of insulin-resistanceassociated abnormalities and the effect of smoking on this clustering in young men.Methods In 1995 we invited all the 1268 servicemen attending military service in the Ostrobothnian Brigade, Finland, for screening of the metabolic syndrome. The first phase consisted of an interview concerning smoking and measurements of blood pressure, weight, height, waist and hip circumferences. If diastolic pressure was > 85 mmHg, body mass index > 27 or waist-to-hip ratio > 0.98, these participants were invited to blood samples for the measurements of fasting serum lipids, plasma glucose and insulin. These results were obtained from 144 screening-positive men (1 2%) and from their 79 (7%) randomly selected controls. ResultsThe metabolic syndrome, defined as plasma insulin 2 13.0 mU/I and serum triglycerides 2 1.70 mmol/l and/or total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol > 5.0, was present in 10% (n = 14) of the screening-positive participants. None of the randomly selected controls had the metabolic syndrome. The metabolic syndrome was present in 12% (n= 1 1 ) of 9 3 smokers and in 2% (n=3) of 128 non-smokers (P=O.O04). ConclusionsWe conclude that clusters of metabolic abnormalities associated with insulin resistance are already present in young men, and that the prevalence of these clusters in smokers is sixfold compared with non-smokers.

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