Systematic reviews need to be conducted as carefully as the trials they report and, to achieve full impact, systematic reviews need to meet high methodologic standards.

Large hip and thigh circumferences are associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, independently of BMI, age, and waist circumference, whereas a larger waist circumference is associated with a higher risk.

No abstract

To investigate the effect of glycosylated hemoglobin, age, sex, hypertension, body mass index, waisthip ratio, serum lipid levels, and smoking on the incidence of retinopathy in persons with normal and abnormal glucose metabolism. Methods: The incidence of retinopathy was determined in 233 individuals, aged 50 to 74 years, by ophthalmoscopy and fundus photography at baseline and after an average follow-up of 9.4 years. Relative risks for retinopathy, estimated by odds ratios, were calculated for tertiles of cardiovascular risk factors at baseline. Logistic regression analysis was used, without and with adjustment for age, sex, hypertension, and glucose metabolism. Results: The cumulative incidences of retinopathy among individuals with normal, impaired, and diabetic glucose metabolism were 7.3%, 13.6%, and 17.5%, respectively. Adjusted odds ratios for retinopathy were 2.36 (95% confidence interval, 1.02-5.49) for hypertension and 3.29 (95% confidence interval, 1.11-9.72) and 8.67 (95% confidence interval, 1.85-40.60) for the highest tertiles of glycosylated hemoglobin level and waist-hip ratio, respectively. No consistent or statistically significant associations with retinopathy were present for age, sex, body mass index, smoking, and serum levels of triglycerides and total, high-density lipoprotein, and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (PϾ.05 for all). Conclusion: Glycemia, hypertension, and abdominal obesity are determinants for retinopathy in a general population.

Background: Dairy consumption has been postulated to reduce the risk of obesity and metabolic disturbances. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations of dairy consumption with body weight and other components of the metabolic syndrome. Design: We used cross-sectional data for 2064 men and women aged 50 -75 y who participated in the Hoorn Study. The metabolic syndrome was defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel. Dairy consumption was assessed by using a semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire. Results: The median consumption of total dairy products was 4.1 servings/d. After adjustment for potential confounders (ie, dietary factors, physical activity, smoking, income, educational level, and antihypertensive medication), total dairy consumption was significantly associated with lower diastolic blood pressure (␤ Ȁ SE: Ҁ0.31 Ȁ 0.12 mm Hg/serving) and higher fasting glucose concentrations (0.04 Ȁ 0.02 mmol/L per serving), but not with body weight or other metabolic variables (ie, lipids, postload glucose, or insulin). When different dairy products were distinguished, borderline significant (P 0.10) inverse associations were observed for dairy desserts, milk, and yogurt with systolic (Ҁ1.26 Ȁ 0.58, Ҁ0.57 Ȁ 0.34, and Ҁ1.28 Ȁ 0.74 mm Hg/serving, respectively) and diastolic (Ҁ0.58 Ȁ 0.31, Ҁ0.57 Ȁ 0.18, and Ҁ0.35 Ȁ 0.40 mm Hg/serving, respectively) blood pressure, whereas cheese consumption was positively associated with body mass index (0.15 Ȁ 0.08/serving). Conclusion:In an elderly Dutch population, higher dairy consumption was not associated with lower weight or more favorable levels of components of the metabolic syndrome, except for a modest association with lower blood pressure.Am J Clin Nutr 2007;85: 989 -95.