Saturated fat is an essential element in our diet. Our body uses saturated far for energy, hormone production, facilitating vitamin absorption and most importantly, for coating and padding to protect our cellular membranes and organs. In the last two decades, saturated fat has been demonised as the main culprit leading to fatty deposits in the coronary artery and causing heart attacks (myocardio-infarction) when the deposits block up the artery. The truth is that myocardio-infarction is not directly caused by deposition of saturated fat called ‘plaque’ in our coronary arteries. The main cause of myocardio-infarction is the rupture of the plaque [1]. The main cause of rupture is inflammation [2-4]. There are many factors which will trigger an inflammation response in our body. These include: infection, stress, allergy, and injury…etc. Other genetic factors and social and environment factors also play an important role. I salute the authors of this paper for their strong spirit of science, identifying new evidence which challenges previous views. “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing”. - Albert Einstein As an epidemiologist, public health practitioner and an educator, I concur with the author’s suggestion of the non-pharmaceutical approach to maintain good health. This simple approach involves an easy short daily walking exercise and eating a good balanced diet with...
Saturated fat is an essential element in our diet. Our body uses saturated far for energy, hormone production, facilitating vitamin absorption and most importantly, for coating and padding to protect our cellular membranes and organs. In the last two decades, saturated fat has been demonised as the main culprit leading to fatty deposits in the coronary artery and causing heart attacks (myocardio-infarction) when the deposits block up the artery. The truth is that myocardio-infarction is not directly caused by deposition of saturated fat called ‘plaque’ in our coronary arteries. The main cause of myocardio-infarction is the rupture of the plaque [1]. The main cause of rupture is inflammation [2-4]. There are many factors which will trigger an inflammation response in our body. These include: infection, stress, allergy, and injury…etc. Other genetic factors and social and environment factors also play an important role. I salute the authors of this paper for their strong spirit of science, identifying new evidence which challenges previous views. “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing”. - Albert Einstein As an epidemiologist, public health practitioner and an educator, I concur with the author’s suggestion of the non-pharmaceutical approach to maintain good health. This simple approach involves an easy short daily walking exercise and eating a good balanced diet with everything consumed in moderation.
References
1. Hansson , G.K. Inflammation, Atherosclerosis, and Coronary Artery Disease. New England Journal of Medicine, 2005;352(16):1685-1695.
2. Kovanen, P.T., M. Kaartinen, and T. Paavonen. Infiltrates of Activated Mast Cells at the Site of Coronary Atheromatous Erosion or Rupture in Myocardial Infarction. Circulation, 1995:92(5):1084-1088.
3. van der Wal, A.C., et al. Site of intimal rupture or erosion of thrombosed coronary atherosclerotic plaques is characterized by an inflammatory process irrespective of the dominant plaque morphology. Circulation, 1994;89(1):36-44.
4. Moreno, P.R., et al. Macrophage infiltration in acute coronary syndromes. Implications for plaque rupture. Circulation, 1994; 90(2): 775-8.
I thank Dr. Batacan et al. for their excellent meta-analysis “Effects of high-intensity interval training on cardiometabolic health” in the March 2017 issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine [1]. Even if the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on inflammation are still unclear, research in the coming years will hopefully prove more positive benefits. For example, two recent studies showed effects through a long-term HIIT (12 weeks or more) in the inflammatory profile of overweight/obese adults, such as decreased interleukin (IL) 6, and increased IL-10 concentrations [2, 3].
But regardless of the various health effects of HIIT, I think the following fact is also worth mentioning for consumers. Health is a motivation to start with regular exercise, but mostly no motive to stay in the long term. On a permanent and regular basis, sport is only practiced when factors such as pleasure and enjoyment are added to the movement. Therefore, I am especially pleased that even overweight/obese teenagers and adults feel HIIT for an enjoyable and time-efficient form of exercise, as several recent studies demonstrate [4-8].
To Dr. Batacan and colleagues: Very well written, correct results, and appropriate references. Congratulations!
References
1. Batacan RB Jr, Duncan MJ, Dalbo VJ, Tucker PS, Fenning AS. Effects of high-intensity interval training on cardiometabolic health: a systematic review and meta-analysis of inte...
I thank Dr. Batacan et al. for their excellent meta-analysis “Effects of high-intensity interval training on cardiometabolic health” in the March 2017 issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine [1]. Even if the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on inflammation are still unclear, research in the coming years will hopefully prove more positive benefits. For example, two recent studies showed effects through a long-term HIIT (12 weeks or more) in the inflammatory profile of overweight/obese adults, such as decreased interleukin (IL) 6, and increased IL-10 concentrations [2, 3].
But regardless of the various health effects of HIIT, I think the following fact is also worth mentioning for consumers. Health is a motivation to start with regular exercise, but mostly no motive to stay in the long term. On a permanent and regular basis, sport is only practiced when factors such as pleasure and enjoyment are added to the movement. Therefore, I am especially pleased that even overweight/obese teenagers and adults feel HIIT for an enjoyable and time-efficient form of exercise, as several recent studies demonstrate [4-8].
To Dr. Batacan and colleagues: Very well written, correct results, and appropriate references. Congratulations!
References
1. Batacan RB Jr, Duncan MJ, Dalbo VJ, Tucker PS, Fenning AS. Effects of high-intensity interval training on cardiometabolic health: a systematic review and meta-analysis of intervention studies. Br J Sports Med 2017;51(6):494-503.
2. Steckling FM, Farinha JB, Santos DL, Bresciani G, Mortari JA, Stefanello ST, et al. High intensity interval training reduces the levels of serum inflammatory cytokine on women with metabolic syndrome. Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 2016;124(10):597-601.
3. Gerosa-Neto J, Antunes BM, Campos EZ, Rodrigues J, Ferrari GD, Rosa Neto JC, et al. Impact of long-term high-intensity interval and moderate-intensity continuous training on subclinical inflammation in overweight/obese adults. J Exerc Rehabil 2016;12(6):575-580.
4. Lee S, Spector J, Reilly S. High-intensity interval training programme for obese youth (HIP4YOUTH): a pilot feasibility study. J Sports Sci 2017;35(18):1794-98.
5. Smith-Ryan AE. Enjoyment of high-intensity interval training in an overweight/obese cohort: a short report. Clin Physiol Funct Imaging 2017;37(1):89-93.
6. Kong Z, Fan X, Sun S, Song L, Shi Q, Nie J. Comparison of high-intensity interval training and moderate-to-vigorous continuous training for cardiometabolic health and exercise enjoyment in obese young women: a randomized controlled trial. PLoS One 2016;11(7):e0158589.
7. Martinez N, Kilpatrick MW, Salomon K, Jung ME, Little JP. Affective and enjoyment responses to high-intensity interval training in overweight-to-obese and insufficiently active adults. J Sport Exerc Psychol 2015;37(2):138-49.
8. Heinrich KM, Patel PM, O'Neal JL, Heinrich BS. High-intensity compared to moderate-intensity training for exercise initiation, enjoyment, adherence, and intentions: an intervention study. BMC Public Health 2014;14:789.
Dear Editor,
Saturated fat is an essential element in our diet. Our body uses saturated far for energy, hormone production, facilitating vitamin absorption and most importantly, for coating and padding to protect our cellular membranes and organs. In the last two decades, saturated fat has been demonised as the main culprit leading to fatty deposits in the coronary artery and causing heart attacks (myocardio-infarction) when the deposits block up the artery. The truth is that myocardio-infarction is not directly caused by deposition of saturated fat called ‘plaque’ in our coronary arteries. The main cause of myocardio-infarction is the rupture of the plaque [1]. The main cause of rupture is inflammation [2-4]. There are many factors which will trigger an inflammation response in our body. These include: infection, stress, allergy, and injury…etc. Other genetic factors and social and environment factors also play an important role. I salute the authors of this paper for their strong spirit of science, identifying new evidence which challenges previous views. “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing”. - Albert Einstein As an epidemiologist, public health practitioner and an educator, I concur with the author’s suggestion of the non-pharmaceutical approach to maintain good health. This simple approach involves an easy short daily walking exercise and eating a good balanced diet with...
Show MoreDear Editor,
I thank Dr. Batacan et al. for their excellent meta-analysis “Effects of high-intensity interval training on cardiometabolic health” in the March 2017 issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine [1]. Even if the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on inflammation are still unclear, research in the coming years will hopefully prove more positive benefits. For example, two recent studies showed effects through a long-term HIIT (12 weeks or more) in the inflammatory profile of overweight/obese adults, such as decreased interleukin (IL) 6, and increased IL-10 concentrations [2, 3].
But regardless of the various health effects of HIIT, I think the following fact is also worth mentioning for consumers. Health is a motivation to start with regular exercise, but mostly no motive to stay in the long term. On a permanent and regular basis, sport is only practiced when factors such as pleasure and enjoyment are added to the movement. Therefore, I am especially pleased that even overweight/obese teenagers and adults feel HIIT for an enjoyable and time-efficient form of exercise, as several recent studies demonstrate [4-8].
To Dr. Batacan and colleagues: Very well written, correct results, and appropriate references. Congratulations!
References
1. Batacan RB Jr, Duncan MJ, Dalbo VJ, Tucker PS, Fenning AS. Effects of high-intensity interval training on cardiometabolic health: a systematic review and meta-analysis of inte...
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