University of Alabama at Birmingham
Natriuretic Peptides (NP) are hormones produced by the heart, and they have a wide range of favorable metabolic benefits. Lower levels of these hormones are associated with an increased likelihood of the development of diabetes and poor cardiometabolic health. Obese and Black individuals have \~30% lower levels of NP and are at a greater risk of developing cardiovascular (CV) events as compared to lean and White counterparts. Some people have common genetic variations that cause them to have \~20% lower NP levels. Similar to other low NP populations, these individuals with low NP genotype (i.e., carrying a common genetic variation called rs5068) are at a greater risk of developing cardiometabolic diseases. By understanding the NP response following the exercise challenge and the glucose challenge in individuals with genetically lower NP levels will help us understand how to improve cardiometabolic health in them.
The heart plays an endocrine role by secreting hormones called Natriuretic Peptides (NPs). NPs directly regulates blood pressure (BP) by causing dilation of blood vessels and removing sodium and water from the body. Apart from blood pressure regulation, previous experimental data suggest that NPs has a wide range of favorable metabolic effects and regulates energy homeostasis, fatty acid oxidation, lipid metabolism, glucose intolerance, insulin sensitivity, and obesity. Investigators have demonstrated that low levels of NPs can increase the risk of developing cardiovascular (CV) events (such a…
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults: Age more than or equal to 18; an equal number of Males and Females * Consent to the collection of genetic material * Willing to adhere to the study protocol Exclusion Criteria: * Age \<18, at screening. * BMI \>45 kg/m2. * Blood pressure more than 140/90 mmHg. * Participants who are taking more than 2 hypertension medications. * History of diabetes or fasting plasma glucose \>126 mg/dl or HbA1C\>=6.5% or prior treatment with antidiabetic medication. * Have any past or present history of cardiovascular diseases (stroke, seizure, myocardial infarction, heart fail…
Participants will consume the study diet for 5 days provided by the clinical research unit's metabolic kitchen (at UAB)
Each participant's maximal oxygen capacity will be determined using a modified Bruce treadmill protocol and will also undergo a DEXA scan to determine the body mass.
Each participant will walk at 70 % of his/her VO2max for 20 minutes on treadmill and will also undergo a resting energy expenditure test.
Participants will come in fasting state on day 6th and will be given 75 gm oral glucose solution to drink, followed by blood collection every hour for next 8 hours.