Case Study of Novo Hamburgo-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Case Study of Novo Hamburgo. Answer: This is an explanatory study with both quantitative approach and qualitative approaches. The investigators sought to establish how treatment with Garcinia cambogia affected weight gain or reduction in obese women. The researchers provided adequate introductory statements to build background for their study. They provided a widely accepted definition of obesity as an excess accretion of body fat following a disparity of caloric intake and use coupled with reduced physical activity. They also provided a linkage of obesity to metabolic conditions including dyslipidemia and type two diabetes. This is commendable because it shows adequate justification of the study. The studys attempt to link obesity and its comorbidities including insulin and adipokines are significant because endogenous processes of homeostasis are integral to energy use in the body and the consequent build of fat, or lack thereof. Vasques et al. (2014) aimed to study the clinical efficacy of the medication with the extract of G. cambogia with respect to enhancement of anthropometric and metabolic factors women with obesity, in addition to analyzing its effect on leptin amounts. The aim supports the fact that very few past scientists have conducted evaluations on the proficiency of ability of G. cambogia to augment lipid profile or its consequent effect on leptin quantities in humans. Similarly, most past studies concentrated on evaluating Garcinia cambogia affect weight reduction in animals unlike the current study which targets humans as study subjects. Anchored in the aim, the study hypothesized that there is a relationship between amounts of leptin and metabolic adjustments in human and animals. It was also hypothesized that hypolipemic effect as a result of the treatment with garcinia extract has a strong relationship with leptin secretion induced changes. Summary of methods used in the study The study recruited 60 obese women in the Novo Hamburgo City. The completion rate of the trials was acceptable because 43 women did, representing 71.7 % of the total study participants. All study participants met the study criteria which included stability of eating habits, not followers of low-energy diet and stability of body weight in a period of three months. Additional inclusion criteria included stability of physical activity, no use of drugs known to cause weight gain, good appetite, similar glucose and lipid profile and generally good health. Women with a history of smoking and alcohol and drug abuse were excluded from the study as those with cancer, diabetes type II, history of endocrine abnormalities and bulimia. Creatinine of 75115 mL/min, phosphates of 300 U/I and TSH levels ranging between 0.3 and 5.0 UI/mL were also taken into account. With the admission and exclusion criteria, the investigators made sure that all study participants were near uniform to avoid outlier re sults. The investigators used a double blind randomized study design in evaluating the pharmacotherapeutic efficiency of two months of treatment with day-to-day dosages of G. cambogia uniform extract (2.4 g/d). Use of randomized study was important because it prevented the study outcomes from ' inspired by the placebo effect. It made sure that the treatment group comprising of half the study population was unaware of what the remaining half was having. Random sampling applied to isolate the experimental group from the control group was instrumental in obtaining a representative half in either group. The daily caloric intake of the women was assessed (1903 453 kcal/d) after which an individualized meal plan is providing 1523 185 kcal/d was given to each. Upon finishing the month treatment plan, various parameters including anthropometry, lipid profile, serum insulin, leptin and resting energy expenditure were assessed. Patients dietary intake was also assessed before and after treatment usin g food diaries. Body composition was estimated using a bioelectrical impedance analysis for fat mass and free fat mass. Resting energy expenditure was determined using indirect calorimetry. Collection of blood samples was carried out to analyze for FBS, HDL, LDL, and triglyceride. Capsules containing 51.02% concentrations of HCA similar in color and shape to the placebo (containing starch and magnesium stearate) were given out to the study participants. The experimental group was instructed to take the HCA capsule three times just like the control group was taking the placebo the same way. The capsules remaining after the two months of treatment were counted to check for compliance. In many ways, the investigators followed the due procedures necessary during experimental study designs: they randomly selected the study participants and used placebos as recommended, thereby raising the reliability and credibility of the study results. Findings of the Study The results indicated treatment with a standardized extract of Garcinia cambogia does not affect anthropometric or calorimetric or leptin or insulin serum levels. Additionally, the treatment does little in affecting blood cholesterol levels thereby disagreeing with the hypothesis. The study disagrees with Mattes and Bormann (2000) who whose results indicated that treatment with G. cambogia extracts significantly reduces body weight. The results of the study are in agreement with Heymsfield et al. (1998) in which it was found out that garcinia extract treatment did not reduce the weight of the experimental group compared to the control group. In another study in which animals were used, G. cambogia extract posed endocrine effects on the study subjects. Hayamizu et al. (2003) documented reduced leptin and serum insulin following four weeks of treatment. This may explain the findings of the current study in which no substantial levels of leptin were to recording following the prolonged period of treatment. Additionally, the hypotriglyceridemic effect of the tested dosages got characterized by a 28% of TG levels in which case the effect appears to have been boosted HCA on the breakdown of fatty acids but not via leptin levels fluctuation because they remained constant throughout. The G. cambogia is majorly composed of HCA which positively inhibits ATP-citrate lyase and as such highly likely to diminish biosynthesis of fatty acids. While the treatment was given before meal times, it has a similar absorptive and distributive capacity to that of meals. As such, pharmacological inhibition of lipogenesis is mostly likely to be partly associated with hypotriglyceridemic effect recorded. As a matter of fact, the diminished lipogenesis can be correlated with calorimetric anomalies due to variations respiratory quotient suggesting a deviation of the lipid oxidation level. In another study conducted by Vasques et al. (2008), the investigators assessed the effect of the respiratory treatment quotient and resting metabolic rate in humans, the fluctuations in the calorimetric variables were noticeably absent. Similarly, a study involving animals conducted by Ishihara et al. (2000) noted a decline in the respiratory quotient when the animals subjected to G. cambogia. In general, the study results failed to agree with the hypothesis because no notable changes were seen liver transaminase levels as well as levels of creatinine clearance. In addition, there were treatment side effects including durst, GIT discomfort, rapid evacuation, constipation, nausea, and dizziness, among others. Well, considering there were no significant changes in the anthropometry of the control group relative to the experimental group, it is arguable that G. cambogia treatment for obese people is certainly not worthy trying. Internal and External Validity Internal and external validity are important to any study. The current study faces internal validity threats courtesy of certain changes in the independent variable that can be attributed to the observed variation in the dependent variables. For instance, the G. cambogia is primarily constituted of HCA which positively inhibits ATP-citrate lyase and therefore mostly likely to moderate biosynthesis of fatty acids. Whilst the treatment was given ahead of food intake, G. cambogia has a similar absorptive and distributive capability as that of meals. Consequently, pharmacological inhibition of lipogenesis is ordinarily likely to be relatively associated with the hypotriglyceridemic effect seen. Additionally, the reduced lipogenesis can also be associated with calorimetric irregularities due to changes in the respiratory quotient signifying a deviation of the lipid oxidation level. In addition weight gain or reduction, as independent variables, are also attributable other causes besides G. cambogia. For example the family history of the study participants seems to have been ignored by the study. Family history obesity ought to have pointed individuals whose in the study predisposed to obesity. With regards to external validity, the authors confidence in stating whether the studys results apply to other groups remains uncompromised. This can be attested by the fact that they were very explicit in stating that they have no conflict interest in the study findings. As such, it is possible that the current study findings can be generalized to the population outside Novo Hamburgo City. However, there is no mention whether the study tools were pre-tested. As such, there are fears that the results may not generalize to untested populations. Conclusion There are a few modifications that can be made to neutralize threats facing internal and external validities. Including the family history of obesity in the list of exclusion criteria could help screen out for participants likely not be genetically predisposed to obesity. Pre-testing of study tools could help negate threats to external validity. References Mattes, R. D., Bormann, L. (2000). Effects of ()-hydroxycitric acid on appetitive variables.Physiology behavior,71(1), 87-94. Ishihara, K., Oyaizu, S., Onuki, K., Lim, K., Fushiki, T. (2000). Chronic (-)-hydroxycitrate administration spares carbohydrate utilization and promotes lipid oxidation during exercise in mice.The Journal of nutrition,130(12), 2990-2995. Vasques, C. A., Rossetto, S., Halmenschlager, G., Linden, R., Heckler, E., Fernandez, M. S. P., Alonso, J. L. L. (2008). Evaluation of the pharmacotherapeutic efficacy of Garcinia cambogia plus Amorphophallus konjac for the treatment of obesity.Phytotherapy Research,22(9), 1135-1140. Hayamizu, K., Hirakawa, H., Oikawa, D., Nakanishi, T., Takagi, T., Tachibana, T., Furuse, M. (2003). Effect of Garcinia cambogia extract on serum leptin and insulin in mice.Fitoterapia,74(3), 267-273. Vasques, C. A., Schneider, R., Klein?Jnior, L. C., Falavigna, A., Piazza, I., Rossetto, S. (2014). Hypolipemic effect of Garcinia cambogia in obese women. Phytotherapy Research, 28(6), 887-891.