Tuesday News Tips
American Heart Association Conference:
Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism Conference 2011 (NPAM) and the
51st Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention Annual Conference (EPI)
March 22-25, 2011; Marriott Marquis, Atlanta, Ga.
The news tips from these conferences are in addition to our news releases.
NOTE: EMBARGO TIMES ARE LISTED IN EASTERN TIME (ET). ALL TIPS ARE
EMBARGOED UNTIL TIME OF PRESENTATION OR 4 P.M. ET EACH DAY,
WHICHEVER COMES FIRST.
For more information, contact:
Darcy Spitz at (212) 878-5940 or Darcy.Spitz@heart.org (New York City)
Maggie Francis at (214) 706-1382 or Maggie.Francis@heart.org (Dallas)
For Release: Tuesday, March 22, 2011
4 p.m. – Abstract P080 – Playing active video games can help people lose weight, meet
physical activity guidelines
Playing certain active Wii Fit Plus games can meet American Heart Association physical
activity guidelines of at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five days a week,
Japanese researchers said.
In the study, 34 women and 19 men, ages 21 to 60, were randomly assigned to an
intervention group (27 people) to play games for 210 minutes per week for one month or a
control group (26) to continue their less active lives.
At the start of the study, the researchers recorded weight, body fat and waist circumference.
At the study’s end, the team re-measured the 52 remaining participants and found statistically
significant differences between the two groups. The active game players lost an average 1.6 kg
(about 4 lbs) in weight, 1.8 cm (about ¾ of an inch) around the waist and 0.8 kg (about 2 lbs) in
body fat compared to the control group. These results suggest that the daily use of active video
games can help adults lose weight.
Motohiko Miyachi, Ph.D., National Institute of Health and Nutrition, Shinjuku, Japan;
(011) 81-3-3203-8061; miyachi@nih.go.jp.
See also: Abstract MP022 for a study that compared the energy expended in treadmill running
vs. use of the Wii Fit Plus, to determine whether using the Wii Fit Plus met American Heart
Association exercise guidelines.
Researchers compared energy expenditure in 30 healthy volunteers (21 women, nine men)
during 30 minutes of treadmill running, 30 minutes of Wii Fit Aerobics Free Run and 30 minutes
of other Wii Fit Aerobics games. All three activities significantly increased the volunteers’
energy expenditures compared to resting, researchers said. None of the Wii Fit games were as
vigorous as running for 30 minutes on a treadmill, but all Wii Fit games tested can be an
alternative for people to meet physical activity guidelines.
Ying Xian, M.D., Ph.D., Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, N.C.; (585) 4094369; ying.xian@duke.edu; Lisa Kakinami, PhD, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec;
lisa.kakinami@mcgill.ca.
-more-
EPI/NPAM 2011 – TUES TIPS – 2
Note: Actual presentation time for P080 is 5 p.m., Tuesday, March 22. Actual presentation time for
MP022 is 5 p.m., Wednesday, March 23.
4 p.m. – Abstract 11 – High-fiber diet associated with low lifetime risk of cardiovascular
disease in adults under 60
A high-fiber diet appears to be associated with low lifetime risk for cardiovascular disease
especially in younger and middle-aged adults, researchers said.
Diets high in fiber are associated with less high blood pressure, obesity and elevated
cholesterol — risk factors for heart attacks and other heart and blood vessel problems. However,
little is known about the influence of fiber consumption on the lifetime risk for cardiovascular
disease, and resolving the issue could improve current prevention efforts.
Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from
2003-2008, researchers at Northwestern University in Chicago examined data from 11,079
interviewees, ages 20 and older, who were representative of 168.9 million Americans. The study
population averaged 46.3 years old and included 49.1 percent women, 22 percent AfricanAmericans and 26.7 percent Mexican-Americans.
Researchers divided the NHANES sampling into four groups based on the amount of
individual daily fiber intake, which ranged from 0.1 to 49.1 grams per 1,000 calories total energy
intake. They predicted lifetime risk for cardiovascular disease using a formula that considered a
person’s blood pressure, total cholesterol, smoking status and history of diabetes.
The results showed a statistically significant lower lifetime risk for cardiovascular disease in
younger (20-39 years) and middle-aged (40-59 years) adults with the highest fiber intake
compared to those with the lowest fiber intake. In adults 60-79, dietary fiber intake was not
significantly associated with lifetime risk.
Hongyan Ning, M.D., M.S., Northwestern University, Chicago, Ill.; (312) 503-2766;
h-ning@northwestern.edu.
Note: Actual presentation time is 1:30 p.m, Wednesday, March 23.
4 p.m. – Abstract P036 – Daily bowl of breakfast cereal may reduce hypertension risk
Eating breakfast cereal significantly reduced the occurrence of high blood pressure in 13,368
male physicians who participated in the long-term Physicians’ Health Study I.
Although heart-healthy diets typically include eating cereal grains, little is known about the
level of cereal intake needed to lower the risk of hypertension.
Researchers analyzed data from when the men began the study and as they progressed for an
average 16.3 years. None of the participants had hypertension at the start, but 7,267 new cases
developed during the period examined.
The men were divided into four groups: no cereal eaten; one serving a week or less; two to
six servings a week; and seven or more servings a week.
When researchers adjusted the data for age only, using no cereal eaten as the baseline, men
who ate cereal once or less a week had an 8 percent lower risk. Those who consumed cereal two
to six times and seven or more times a week had a 16 percent and 25 percent lower high blood
pressure risk than the no-cereal group, respectively.
After adjusting the patient data for age, smoking history, body mass index, alcohol intake,
fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity and history of diabetes, the reduced risk
remained about the same for the one-or-less serving group. The risks for the two-to-six and
seven-or-more servings groups were 12 percent and 19 percent lower, respectively, than the nocereal group. Though not as low as when adjusted for age only, the results were still statistically
significant.
In a secondary analysis, the researchers found that a lower risk of hypertension was more
strongly linked with eating whole grain cereal compared to refined grain cereal.
-more-
EPI/NPAM 2011 – TUES TIPS – 3
Jinesh Kochar, M.D., M.P.H., Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and VA Boston
Healthcare System, Boston, Mass.; (414) 975-0033; jineshkochar@gmail.com;
jkochar@bidmc.harvard.edu.
Note: Actual presentation time is 5 p.m., Tuesday, March 22.
Author disclosures are on the abstracts.
###
Statements and conclusions of study authors that are presented at American Heart Association scientific meetings are solely those of the
study authors and do not necessarily reflect association policy or position. The association makes no representation or warranty as to their
accuracy or reliability. The association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical,
device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific association programs and events. The association has
strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations are
available at www.americanheart.org/corporatefunding.
NR11-1048 (EPI/NPAM 2011/Tues Tips