No abstract

and other institutions). Atherosclerosis precursors in Finnish children and adolescents. 11. Height, weight, body mass index, and skinfolds, and their correlation to metabolic variables. Acta Paediatr Scand, Suppl. 318: 65, 1985.In a Finnish Multicentre Study, height, weight and skinfold thicknesses were measured in 3-, 6-, 9-, 12-, 15-and 18-year-old children (N = 3,596). Height and weight percentiles superimposed on the current Finnish growth charts were above the standards in 6-15-year-old boys and 3-12-year-old girls. Triceps skinfold thickness percentiles (10 '70 and 90 %) appeared to be closest to British values and below American values. Weight, body mass index (BMI) and skinfold thicknesses showed good intercorrelations (up to .90) except in young boys. Height had a low positive correlation with BMI (.28 to .36) and with skinfold thickness ( 2 3 to .36) in the age groups 6-12 years. BMI and subscapular skinfold seem to be useful obesity indicators. No consistent correlations were seen between physical variables and serum LDL-or total cholesterol and apoprotein B concentrations. There was a slight negative correlation between the physical variables and serum HDL-cholesterol. Apoprotein A, correlated negatively to all obesity indicators in 12-year-old girls. Serum triglycerides showed slight positive correlation to physical variables. BMI and skinfolds had a low to moderate correlation with insulin (.21-S1) mainly in the three oldest age groups. On the ground of BMI and skinfold rneasurements we have reason to believe that the prevalence of obesity at 3-18 years of age is similar in Finland as in other countries in Europe. Key words: body mass index, childhood obesity, height, paediatric anthropometry, skin folds, weightAlthough the health of children in developed countries is thought to be very good, continuous monitoring of child health and risk factors as well as conducting growth studies has been considered necessary (1). In many countries information from recent growth studies, both longitudinal (2-5) and cross-sectional (6), is presently available. Special studies of nutritional status have been planned (7) and carried out (8-12), including data on nutrient intake and skinfold thicknesses, Skinfold thickness measurements to predict nutritional status and obesity have been used in Europe and in the U.S. (13)(14)(15). Childhood obesity, a disturbance with excess lipogenesis and interdependent hyperinsulinaemia initiated through high energy intake during infancy (16), is associated with advanced physical growth (8, 17). The aetiology of obesity in childhood has been studied (18, 19) as well as its indicators and correlation with adult obesity (20)(21)(22). In Finland, where adult obesity is a common problem, seen in national health statistics (23), a special attempt has been made to survey childhood obesity (24), and height and weight charts are in use in the screening of childhood obesity (25). In the Finnish Multicentre Study on atherosclerosis precursors, data concerning height, weight, skinfold th...

Diazepam-induced GH secretion was tested on 28 male volunteers before and after a 3-day treatment with methysergide, pimozide, or sodium valproate. Serum GH, diazepam, and blood glucose levels were determined. Without prior medication, the mean serum GH level increased 336% 1 h after diazepam administration. Treatment with the serotonin antagonist, methysergide, had no effect on the diazepam-stimulated GH secretion, whereas pimozide, the selective dopamine receptor-blocking agent, reduced the GH response to diazepam by 50% (P less than 0.05). Sodium valproate, a gamma-aminobutyric acid transaminase inhibitor, also inhibited diazepam-induced GH secretion; stimulated GH levels were 51% at 30 min (P less than 0.025), 39% at 60 min (P less than 0.025), and 46% at 90 min (P less than 0.025) relative to the stimulated levels without medication. No difference was found in blood glucose or serum diazepam levels after the drug treatments relative to the values obtained under basal conditions. It is suggested that diazepam-induced GH secretion is at least partly mediated via dopaminergic mechanisms. Serotonin does not seem to be involved. It is further proposed that gamma-aminobutyric acid plays an inhibitory role in GH secretion.

The effect of acute administration of the gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA) derivative, baclofen, on human GH secretion was tested. In eight of the nine volunteers, both 5 and 10 mg baclofen (Lioresal) significantly basal GH secretion. Previoulsy, it has been reported that subacute baclofen treatment inhibits the GH response to insulin hypoglycemia and arginine. Thus, the present study shows that baclofen is able to modify GH secretion via different mechanisms, depending on the test situation and duration of treatment. As a putative GABA agonist, the effect of baclofen may be mediated via GABA-ergic pathways. Because of variable results, the evaluation of a possible physiological role of GABA in GH secretion requires further study.