Backgrounds/Aims: To assess the age- and gender-specific anthropometric parameters and blood pressure in Hungarian adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed between 1997and 2000. Altogether 6,345 secondary school students (aged 15–18 years) were involved in the study. The representative sampling sites were selected randomly. In the capital city 3-stage and in the counties 4-stage stratified groups were assigned for the studies. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS for Windows 9.0. Results: The age- and gender-specific percentile distributions are given with regard to body weight, body height, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio and arterial blood pressure values. Elevated blood pressure values were found at the first recording in 14.1% of the boys and in 2.5% of the girls. Since it is well known that the arterial blood pressure (ABP) may exhibit considerable intra- individual fluctuation with time, we therefore categorized normotensive and hypertensive students on the basis of the mean ABP values calculated from data obtained during the course of the three separate consecutive measurement periods at least 2 weeks apart. After that, the incidence of high blood pressure was 7.5% in boys and 1.1% in girls. Conclusion: The age- and gender-specific cutoff values thus formed may serve as reference values to assess the risk of developing nutrition-related noninfectious diseases in the future on the basis of the present percentile distribution of BMI. The present study also provides data on the prevalence of hypertension in the 15- to 18-year-old age group.

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Background: The aim of the study was to assess the antioxidant status in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients compared to healthy controls. In order to determine the influence of nutrition on the level of the antioxidants, nutrient intake was also monitored in both groups at the time of the antioxidant assessment. Subjects and Methods: The authors measured the serum malondialdehyde levels in children with CF, n = 21; 9 females and 12 males, mean age: 8.71 years (6–12 years) and compared these values to the levels found in age-matched healthy control subjects, n = 24; 13 females and 11 males, mean age: 8.33 years (6–12 years). In order to assess the antioxidant status, catalase and superoxide dismutase activities in washed erythrocytes, glutathione peroxidase activity of heparinized whole blood and serum ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol and retinol levels were measured. Total antioxidant status (TAS) was also tested. The patients with CF received vitamin supplementation in doses prescribed in international guidelines (α-tocopherol: <10 years 100 mg daily, >10 years 200 mg daily, retinol: 2.5 mg daily, ascorbic acid: 100–200 mg daily). Results: Plasma levels of malondialdehyde were significantly higher (p < 0.05), superoxide dismutase activities were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in patients with cystic fibrosis. There were no significant differences in catalase, glutathione peroxidase activities and TAS levels between CF patients and control group. Plasma ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol and retinol levels were within normal limits in both groups. Conclusion: On the basis of the present results this regime failed to provide sufficient antioxidant protection. Therefore, the authors suggest that the daily dose of these antioxidants should be either increased or to administer in parenteral route to patients with severe form of the disease.

The results of this pilot study appear to demonstrate that the Jerusalem artichoke concentrate produced by a new technology can be a promising component of future diet therapy.

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