Rebecca J.H.M. Verheggen
Radboud University Nijmegen
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Featured researches published by Rebecca J.H.M. Verheggen.
PLOS ONE | 2014
Martijn F.H. Maessen; Thijs M.H. Eijsvogels; Rebecca J.H.M. Verheggen; Maria T. E. Hopman; A.L.M. Verbeek; F. de Vegt
Background The Body Mass Index (BMI) and Waist Circumference (WC) are well-used anthropometric predictors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), but their validity is regularly questioned. Recently, A Body Shape Index (ABSI) and Body Roundness Index (BRI) were introduced as alternative anthropometric indices that may better reflect health status. Objective This study assessed the capacity of ABSI and BRI in identifying cardiovascular diseases and cardiovascular disease risk factors and determined whether they are superior to BMI and WC. Design and Methods 4627 Participants (54±12 years) of the Nijmegen Exercise Study completed an online questionnaire concerning CVD health status (defined as history of CVD or CVD risk factors) and anthropometric characteristics. Quintiles of ABSI, BRI, BMI, and WC were used regarding CVD prevalence. Odds ratios (OR), adjusted for age, sex, and smoking, were calculated per anthropometric index. Results 1332 participants (27.7%) reported presence of CVD or CVD risk factors. The prevalence of CVD increased across quintiles for BMI, ABSI, BRI, and WC. Comparing the lowest with the highest quintile, adjusted OR (95% CI) for CVD were significantly different for BRI 3.2 (1.4–7.2), BMI 2.4 (1.9–3.1), and WC 3.0 (1.6–5.6). The adjusted OR (95% CI) for CVD risk factors was for BRI 2.5 (2.0–3.3), BMI 3.3 (1.6–6.8), and WC 2.0 (1.6–2.5). No association was observed for ABSI in both groups. Conclusions BRI, BMI, and WC are able to determine CVD presence, while ABSI is not capable. Nevertheless, the capacity of BRI as a novel body index to identify CVD was not superior compared to established anthropometric indices like BMI and WC.
Obesity Reviews | 2016
Rebecca J.H.M. Verheggen; Martijn F.H. Maessen; Daniel J. Green; A.R.M.M. Hermus; Maria T. E. Hopman; D.H.T. Thijssen
Exercise training (‘exercise’) and hypocaloric diet (‘diet’) are frequently prescribed for weight loss in obesity. Whilst body weight changes are commonly used to evaluate lifestyle interventions, visceral adiposity (VAT) is a more relevant and stronger predictor for morbidity and mortality. A meta‐analysis was performed to assess the effects of exercise or diet on VAT (quantified by radiographic imaging). Relevant databases were searched through May 2014. One hundred seventeen studies (n = 4,815) were included. We found that both exercise and diet cause VAT loss (P < 0.0001). When comparing diet versus training, diet caused a larger weight loss (P = 0.04). In contrast, a trend was observed towards a larger VAT decrease in exercise (P = 0.08). Changes in weight and VAT showed a strong correlation after diet (R2 = 0.737, P < 0.001), and a modest correlation after exercise (R2 = 0.451, P < 0.001). In the absence of weight loss, exercise is related to 6.1% decrease in VAT, whilst diet showed virtually no change (1.1%). In conclusion, both exercise and diet reduce VAT. Despite a larger effect of diet on total body weight loss, exercise tends to have superior effects in reducing VAT. Finally, total body weight loss does not necessarily reflect changes in VAT and may represent a poor marker when evaluating benefits of lifestyle‐interventions.
The FASEB Journal | 2012
Rebecca J.H.M. Verheggen; Helen Jones; Jean Nyakayiru; Andrew Thompson; Jan T. Groothuis; Greg Atkinson; Maria T. E. Hopman; Dick H. J. Thijssen
Individuals with a spinal cord injury (SCI), especially with tetraplegia, experience poor sleep quality, and this may be related to impaired control of circadian rhythmicity. Here, we examined the evening onset of melatonin secretion, an important hormone for the initiation of sleep, in people with a complete cervical (tetraplegia) and thoracic (paraplegia) SCI, and age‐ and sex‐matched able‐bodied control participants. Multiple samples of salivary melatonin were obtained during the evening hours and analyzed by ELISA methods in 10 control partcipants, 9 individuals with paraplegia, and 6 individuals with tetraplegia. Sleep quality was assessed using questionnaires. Interactive effects of group and time were found for melatonin levels (P=0.022). In the control and paraplegia groups, the mean melatonin level increased significantly from 2.59 ± 1.04 and 4.28 ± 3.28 pg/ml at 7 PM to 10.62 ± 4.59 and 13.10 ± 7.39 pg/ml at 11 PM, respectively (P<0.001). In the tetraplegia group, melatonin level was 5.25 ± 3.72 at 7 PM but only 2.41 ± 1.25 pg/ml at 11 PM (P>0.05). Decreased sleep quality was more prevalent in individuals with tetraplegia (83%) and paraplegia (75%) compared with controls (20%; P= 0.02). Unlike in the control and paraplegia groups, the evening increase in melatonin concentration was completely absent in the tetraplegia group. This provides biological insight into sleep regulation in humans and provides better understanding of the poor sleep quality in people with tetraplegia.—Verheggen, R. J., Jones, H., Nyakayiru, J., Thompson, A., Groothuis, J. T., Atkinson, G., Hopman, M. T., Thijssen, D. H. Complete absence of evening melatonin increase in tetraplegics. FASEB J. 26, 3059–3064 (2012). www.fasebj.org
Gerontology | 2013
Madelijn H. Oudegeest-Sander; Thijs H.M. Eijsvogels; Rebecca J.H.M. Verheggen; Fleur Poelkens; Maria T. E. Hopman; Helen Jones; Dick H. J. Thijssen
Background: Physical activity is known to influence sleep efficiency. Relatively little is known about the relationship between physical activity and sleep efficiency in young and older humans and the impact of exercise training on sleep efficiency in healthy older individuals. Objectives: To determine the relationship between physical fitness and daily energy expenditure with sleep efficiency in young and older subjects, and assess the effect of 12-month exercise training on sleep efficiency in healthy older participants. Methods: The relationship between physical fitness (maximal cycling test) and daily energy expenditure (accelerometry) with sleep efficiency (accelerometry) was examined cross-sectionally in 12 healthy young adults (27 ± 5 years) and 21 healthy older participants (69 ± 3 years). Subsequently, the effect of 12-month exercise training (n = 11) or control period (n = 10) on sleep efficiency in older participants was examined using a randomized controlled trial. Results: Daily energy expenditure and sleep efficiency did not differ between young and older subjects. A significant correlation was found between energy expenditure and sleep efficiency (r = 0.627, p = 0.029) in young adults, but not in older participants (r = –0.158, p = 0.49). Physical fitness did not correlate with sleep efficiency in either group. Exercise training significantly improved physical fitness (15.0%, p < 0.001), but failed to alter sleep characteristics such as sleep efficiency, sleep onset latency and awakenings. Conclusions: We found that young adults with higher daily energy expenditure have greater sleep efficiency, whilst this relationship is diminished with advanced age. In contrast, we found no correlation between physical fitness and sleep characteristics in healthy young or older participants, which may explain the lack of improvement in sleep characteristics in older participants with 12-month exercise training. Exercise training may be more successful in subjects with existing sleep disturbances to improve sleep characteristics rather than in healthy older subjects.
Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology & Diabetes | 2014
Fleur Poelkens; Thijs M.H. Eijsvogels; P. Brussee; Rebecca J.H.M. Verheggen; Cees J. Tack; Maria T. E. Hopman
To investigate whether physical fitness and/or fat distribution and inflammation profile may explain why approximately 30% of the women with obesity are protected against obesity-related disorders.10 metabolically healthy obese women and 10 age- and weight-matched women with the metabolic syndrome were enrolled. Physical fitness (VO2max), daily physical activity levels (METs, steps per day), insulin sensitivity (clamp), body fat distribution (DXA scan) and, inflammation markers and adipokines were determined.The metabolically healthy obese women had a 17% higher VO2max (25.1±3.9 vs. 21.5±3.1 ml ∙ min-1 ∙ kg-1, p=0.04) and tended to take more steps per day (7 388±1 440 vs. 5 927±1 301, p=0.06) than women with the metabolic syndrome. Despite equivalent levels of fat mass, metabolically healthy obese women had significantly lower circulating TNF-α levels compared to women with the metabolic syndrome (3.55±3.83 vs. 0.43±0.97 ng/ml, p=0.03). No differences were seen in insulin sensitivity, adipokines, and inflammatory markers between both groups.Metabolically healthy obese women have a higher cardio-respiratory fitness and lower TNF-α levels, which may partly explain why these women are protected from the detrimental effects of obesity compared to obese women with the metabolic syndrome.
Journal of Applied Physiology | 2015
Arno Greyling; Tim H. A. Schreuder; Thijs Landman; Richard Draijer; Rebecca J.H.M. Verheggen; Maria T. E. Hopman; Dick H. J. Thijssen
Hyperglycemia, commonly present after a meal, causes transient impairment in endothelial function. We examined whether increases in blood flow (BF) protect against the hyperglycemia-mediated decrease in endothelial function in healthy subjects and patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Ten healthy subjects and 10 age- and sex-matched patients with T2DM underwent simultaneous bilateral assessment of brachial artery endothelial function by means of flow-mediated dilation (FMD) using high-resolution echo-Doppler. FMD was examined before and 60, 120, and 150 min after a 75-g oral glucose challenge. We unilaterally manipulated BF by heating one arm between minute 30 and minute 60. Oral glucose administration caused a statistically significant, transient increase in blood glucose in both groups (P < 0.001). Forearm skin temperature, brachial artery BF, and shear rate significantly increased in the heated arm (P < 0.001), and to a greater extent compared with the nonheated arm in both groups (interaction effect P < 0.001). The glucose load caused a transient decrease in FMD% (P < 0.05), whereas heating significantly prevented the decline (interaction effect P < 0.01). Also, when correcting for changes in diameter and shear rate, we found that the hyperglycemia-induced decrease in FMD can be prevented by local heating (P < 0.05). These effects on FMD were observed in both groups. Our data indicate that nonmetabolically driven elevation in BF and shear rate can similarly prevent the hyperglycemia-induced decline in conduit artery endothelial function in healthy volunteers and in patients with type 2 diabetes. Additional research is warranted to confirm that other interventions that increase BF and shear rate equally protect the endothelium when challenged by hyperglycemia.
Chronobiology International | 2014
Helen Jones; Thijs M.H. Eijsvogels; Jean Nyakayiru; Rebecca J.H.M. Verheggen; Andrew Thompson; Jan T. Groothuis; Greg Atkinson; Maria T. E. Hopman; Dick H. J. Thijssen
Background: Individuals with a spinal cord injury (SCI) demonstrate altered circadian variation in thermoregulatory control. Recently, we reported that tetraplegia is associated with a blunted release of melatonin in the evening. In order to examine whether this finding relates to circadian thermoregulation, we compared the correlations between evening changes in melatonin, core and skin temperature between thoracic and cervical SCI and able-bodied participants. Methods: In 10 able-bodied, 9 paraplegic and 8 tetraplegic participants, we measured, between 1900 and 2300 h, core temperature, proximal skin temperature (above and below the level of the lesion) and physical activity. Salivary melatonin was also sampled during this period and analyzed using enzyme linked immunosorbant assay. Results: Between 1900 and 2300 h, core and upper limb skin temperature gradually decreased in all groups (p = 0.01). A significant group × time interaction was evident in lower body skin temperature (p = 0.03). Lower body skin temperature was significantly higher in able-bodied controls compared with tetraplegics between 1900 and 2000 h (p < 0.05). In able-bodied and paraplegic participants, the changes in melatonin and core temperature were inversely correlated (r = −0.44 and −0.54, respectively, both p = 0.01). Melatonin and mean skin temperature changes were also inversely correlated (able-bodied controls: r = −0.24; p = 0.05 and paraplegics: r = −0.30; p= 0.02). Conclusion: The inverse correlation between evening changes in melatonin and thermoregulation is of a similar magnitude in paraplegic and able-bodied controls. In contrast, changes in skin temperature, below the level of the lesion, are unrelated to changes in melatonin in tetraplegics.
Physiological Reports | 2018
Yvonne A.W. Hartman; Maria T. E. Hopman; Tim H. A. Schreuder; Rebecca J.H.M. Verheggen; Ralph R. Scholten; Madelijn H. Oudegeest-Sander; Fleur Poelkens; Andrew Maiorana; Louise H. Naylor; Peter H. Willems; Cees J. Tack; Dick H. J. Thijssen; Daniel J. Green
The purpose of this study was to assess whether changes in physical fitness relate to changes in cardiovascular risk factors following standardized, center‐based and supervised exercise training programs in subjects with increased cardiovascular risk. We pooled data from exercise training studies of subjects with increased cardiovascular risk (n = 166) who underwent 8–52 weeks endurance training. We determined fitness (i.e., peak oxygen uptake) and traditional cardiovascular risk factors (body mass index, blood pressure, total cholesterol, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol), before and after training. We divided subjects into quartiles based on improvement in fitness, and examined whether these groups differed in terms of risk factors. Associations between changes in fitness and in cardiovascular risk factors were further tested using Pearson correlations. Significant heterogeneity was apparent in the improvement of fitness and individual risk factors, with nonresponder rates of 17% for fitness, 44% for body mass index, 33% for mean arterial pressure, 49% for total cholesterol, and 49% for high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol. Neither the number, nor the magnitude, of change in cardiovascular risk factors differed significantly between quartiles of fitness change. Changes in fitness were not correlated with changes in cardiovascular risk factors (all P > 0.05). Our data suggest that significant heterogeneity exists in changes in peak oxygen uptake after training, while improvement in fitness did not relate to improvement in cardiovascular risk factors. In subjects with increased cardiovascular risk, improvements in fitness are not obligatory for training‐induced improvements in cardiovascular risk factors.
Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport | 2017
Martijn F.H. Maessen; Casper G. Schalkwijk; Rebecca J.H.M. Verheggen; Vincent L. Aengevaeren; Maria T. E. Hopman; Thijs M.H. Eijsvogels
OBJECTIVES Dicarbonyl stress and high concentrations of advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) relate to an elevated risk for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Exercise training lowers the risk for future CVD. We tested the hypothesis that lifelong endurance athletes have lower dicarbonyl stress and AGEs compared to sedentary controls and that these differences relate to a better cardiovascular health profile. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. METHODS We included 18 lifelong endurance athletes (ATH, 61±7years) and 18 sedentary controls (SED, 58±7years) and measured circulating glyoxal (GO), methylglyoxal (MGO) and 3-deoxyglucosone (3DG) as markers of dicarbonyl stress. Furthermore, we measured serum levels of protein-bound AGEs NƐ-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML), NƐ-(carboxyethyl)lysine (CEL), methylglyoxal-derived hydroimidazolone-1 (MG-H1), and pentosidine. Additionally, we measured cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2peak) and cardiovascular health markers. RESULTS ATH had lower concentrations of MGO (196 [180-246] vs. 242 [207-292] nmol/mmol lysine, p=0.043) and 3DG (927 [868-972] vs. 1061 [982-1114] nmol/mmol lysine, p<0.01), but no GO compared to SED. ATH demonstrated higher concentrations CML and CEL compared to SED. Pentosidine did not differ across groups and MG-H1 was significantly lower in ATH compared to SED. Concentrations of MGO en 3DG were inversely correlated with cardiovascular health markers, whereas CML and CEL were positively correlated with VO2peak and cardiovascular health markers. CONCLUSION Lifelong exercise training relates to lower dicarbonyl stress (MGO and 3DG) and the AGE MG-H1. The underlying mechanism and (clinical) relevance of higher CML and CEL concentrations among lifelong athletes warrants future research, since it conflicts with the idea that higher AGE concentrations relate to poor cardiovascular health outcomes.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise | 2016
Rebecca J.H.M. Verheggen; Fleur Poelkens; Sean H. P. P. Roerink; Rob Ramakers; Milène Catoire; A.R.M.M. Hermus; Dick H. J. Thijssen; Maria T. E. Hopman
PURPOSE The benefits of aerobic exercise training on insulin sensitivity in subjects with metabolic syndrome (MetS) are, at least in part, associated with changes in cytokines. Recent studies identified novel cytokines (e.g., fractalkine, omentin, and osteopontin) that are strongly involved in glucose homeostasis and therefore potentially contribute in the exercise-induced changes in insulin sensitivity. Therefore, we aim to examine changes in skeletal muscle RNA expression and plasma levels of novel cytokines after exercise training and correlate these changes to the exercise-induced changes in insulin sensitivity. METHODS Women with metabolic syndrome (MetS, n = 11) and healthy women (n = 10) participated in a 6-month aerobic exercise training intervention (three times a week, 45 min per session at 65%-85% of individual heart rate reserve). Before and after training, we examined insulin sensitivity (M value during hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp) and circulating blood levels of cytokines (venous blood sample; leptin, adiponectin, omentin, fraktalkin, and osteopontin). The skeletal muscle RNA expression of these cytokines (muscle biopsy) was examined in two subgroups (MetS, n = 6; healthy women, n = 6). RESULTS At baseline, plasma levels of omentin (85.8 ± 26.2 ng·mL) and adiponectin (5.0 ± 1.7 μg·mL) levels were significantly higher in controls compared with MetS (51.1 ± 27.1; 3.6 ± 1.1 respectively), and leptin levels were lower in controls (18.7 ± 11.5 vs 53.0 ± 23.5 ng·mL). M value was significantly higher in controls (8.1 ± 1.9 mg·kg·min) than in MetS (4.0 ± 1.7). Exercise training significantly improved M values in both groups (P < 0.01). Exercise training did not alter plasma and skeletal muscle RNA expression levels of cytokines, but no correlation was observed between changes in cytokine level/RNA expression and M values (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION Although exercise training successfully improves insulin sensitivity in MetS and healthy women, we found no change in plasma and mRNA expression levels of novel cytokines.