Robbie A Beyl

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Objective The objective of this study was to examine the changes in adipose tissue lipolytic capacity and insulin signaling in response to shortened sleep duration (SSD) in postmenopausal women. Methods Adipose tissue from a randomized crossover study of nine healthy postmenopausal women (mean [SD], age: 59 [4] years; BMI: 28.0 [2.6] kg/m ² ) expo...

Purpose There has been mounting interest in understanding the impact of financial toxicity (FT) in various cancer types; however, it remains poorly understood and understudied within neuro-oncology—especially as it relates to neurosurgical components of patient care. Methods Retrospective, single-center study of patients who underwent craniotomy f...

The study objectives were 1) to determine the feasibility and acceptability of indoor activities to achieve moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in preschoolers, and 2) compare MVPA estimates between direct observation (DO) and various accelerometry placements. In this cross-sectional study, 35 preschoolers (51% female, 54% 3-year-olds) pe...

Objectives Firefighters are at heightened risk for chronic occupational stress and exposure to potentially traumatic events. Experiencing potentially traumatic events is a risk factor for various psychiatric symptoms among firefighters, notably posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. This study evaluated the feasibility and p...

Context Weight gain and sleep restriction both reduce insulin sensitivity. However, it is not known if sleep duration alters glucose metabolism in response to overfeeding. Objective To examine the effect of sleep duration on overfeeding-mediated alterations in carbohydrate metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Methods Retrospective exploratory anal...

Aim Type 1 diabetes results from autoimmune events influenced by environmental variables, including changes in diet. This study investigated how feeding refined versus unrefined (aka ‘chow’) diets affects the onset and progression of hyperglycaemia in non‐obese diabetic (NOD) mice. Methods Female NOD mice were fed either unrefined diets or matched...

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with increased risk for diabetes, and standard treatment with positive airway pressure (PAP) device shows inconsistent effects on glucose metabolism. Metformin is known to treat and prevent diabetes, but its effects on skeletal muscle mitochondrial function are not completely understood. Here, we evaluate...

Background Intranasal insulin is a promising treatment for cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, intranasal insulin has been shown to promote weight loss, leading to concerns about decreased appetite, decreased food intake, and unintentional weight loss as negative side effects among metabolic a...

Background Food insecurity is a risk factor for multiple chronic diseases, including obesity. Importantly, both food insecurity and obesity are more prevalent in African American women than in other groups. Furthermore, food insecurity is considered a cyclic phenomenon, with episodes of food adequacy (ie, enough food to eat) and food shortage (ie,...

Objective The aim of this substudy within the Treatment Efforts Addressing Child Weight Management by Unifying Patients, Parents, and Providers (TEAM UP) pragmatic clinical trial was to compare the validity of anthropometric measurements collected remotely versus in‐person (≤7 days apart) among youth with obesity who were 6 to 15 years of age. Met...

Introduction Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder associated with increased risk for the development of type 2 diabetes. While studies have examined the effects of sleep on whole-body insulin sensitivity, little is known about the effects of sleep on adipose tissue insulin sensitivity in patients with OSA. We analyzed if the sev...

Doula care improves maternal care, yet barriers exist to incorporating doula care. The purpose of this study was to evaluate interest and barriers to doula care. Overall, 508 women, 26–35 years of age (54.5%), White/Caucasian (89.8%), and married (88.6%), completed this study. Most reported ≥1 previous birth (97.6%). Respondents would “feel comfort...

Background Preschool children are not meeting recommended levels of physical activity (PA) nor are they proficient in fundamental motor skills (FMS), which are the foundation for PA. As such, interventions are needed to increase PA and FMS in young children. This trial examined the effects of an environmental (“painted playgrounds”) and capacity-bu...

Background: Disadvantaged neighborhood environments are a source of chronic stress which undermines optimal adolescent health. This study investigated relationships between the neighborhood social environment, specifically, chronic stress exposures, adiposity, and cardiometabolic disease risk factors among 288 Louisiana adolescents aged 10 to 16 y...

Background The commercial application Openfit allows for automatic identification and quantification of food intake through short video capture without a physical reference marker. There are no known peer-reviewed publications on the validity of this Nutrition Artificial Intelligence (AI). Objectives To test the validity of Openfit to identify foo...

BACKGROUND Food insecurity is a risk factor for multiple chronic diseases, including obesity. Importantly, both food insecurity and obesity are more prevalent in African American women than in other groups. Furthermore, food insecurity is considered a cyclic phenomenon , with episodes of food adequacy (ie, enough food to eat) and food shortage (ie,...

Background: Dementia, a growing concern among the elderly, has an increased poor postoperative outcome that goes unrecognized by many. Our study aims to establish if dementia plays a role in the outcomes of head and neck cancer patients that undergo resections. Methods: We queried the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from 2016 to 2019 wi...

Insulin is secreted in pulses from pancreatic beta-cells, and these oscillations maintain fasting plasma glucose levels within a narrow normal range. Within islets, beta-cells exhibit tight synchronization of regular oscillations. This control circuit is disrupted in type 2 diabetes, and irregularities in pulse frequency and amplitude occur. The pr...

The transition period from pediatric to adult care is associated with worsening glycemic control and poor attendance with adult providers, which has only been complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Diabetes transition clinics and model programs may improve outcomes, but they remain few in number and underutilized. The aim of our cross-sectional, ret...

This study aimed to examine the temporal changes in energy-balance behaviors and home factors in adolescents with normal weight and those with overweight or obesity (OWOB). Adolescents or parent proxies completed survey assessments two to four years before (T0; n = 82), ≤ six months before (T1; n = 68), and ≤ three months after the COVID-19 pandemi...

Soybean products have nutrients, dietary fiber, and phytoalexins beneficial for cardiovascular and overall health. Despite their high consumption in Asian populations, their safety in Western diets is debated. We conducted a dose-escalating clinical trial of the safety and tolerability of soybean products in eight older adults (70-85 years) with ob...

Background The objective was to test the efficacy of a scalable, virtually delivered, diabetes-tailored weight management program on glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods This was a single arm, three-site clinical trial. Participants had baseline HbA1c between 7–11% and BMI between 27–50 kg/m². Primary outcome was change i...

INTRODUCTION Literature suggests that minority racial and ethnic groups have lower treatment rates for unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIA). It is uncertain how these disparities have changed across time. METHODS The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database was queried using diagnostic and procedural codes for adult patients who underwent open...

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of sleep restriction (SR) on insulin sensitivity and energy metabolism in postmenopausal women. Methods: In a randomized crossover trial, 14 women underwent four nights of habitual sleep (HS, 100% normal sleep) and SR (60% of HS) while following a eucaloric diet. Outcomes included th...

Background: The literature suggests that minority racial and ethnic groups have lower treatment rates for unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIA). It is uncertain how these disparities have changed over time. Methods: A cross-sectional study using the National Inpatient Sample database covering 97% of the USA population was carried out. Results...

Introduction: Clinically significant weight loss is associated with health benefits for overweight and obese adults. Participation in adequate amounts of physical activity is critical for weight maintenance. However, few studies in the literature have evaluated the amount of physical activity needed to promote weight maintenance in a supervised exe...

Plasma markers of amyloid, tau, and neurodegeneration (ATN) are promising as correlates of AD biological and clinical features, but data from older African Americans, and data on change during non‐pharmacological interventions, is limited. The Program for African American Cognition and Exercise (PAACE) randomized older cognitively normal African Am...

Introduction/purpose: The effects of testosterone on energy and substrate metabolism during energy deficit is unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of weekly testosterone enanthate (TEST; 200 mg/wk) injections on energy expenditure, energy substrate oxidation, and related gene expression during 28 days of energy deficit...

We evaluated the effect of diets low in energy density (1 kcal/g) and high in either potatoes (Potato) or pulses (Bean) on blood glucose control in participants with insulin resistance. We hypothesized that the Potato and Bean diets would have equivalent effects. This was an 8-week randomized, parallel design, controlled feeding study comparing Pot...

OBJECTIVE Racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare have gained significant importance since the Institute of Medicine published its report on disparities in healthcare. There is a lack of evidence on how race and ethnicity affect access to advanced treatment of pediatric medically intractable epilepsy. In this context, the authors analyzed the l...

Frailty is one of the important factors in predicting the outcomes of surgery. Many surgical specialties have adopted a frailty assessment in the preoperative period for prognostication; however, there are limited data on the effects of frailty on the outcomes of cerebral aneurysms. The object of this study was to find the effect of frailty on the...

Background Adipose tissue (AT) expansion occurs by hypertrophy (increase in size) and hyperplasia (increase in number) of adipocytes. The AT expandability hypothesis postulates that impaired subcutaneous AT expansion leads to ectopic fat accretion, contributing to impaired metabolic health. The role of adipogenesis as a contributing factor is debat...

Context: Male military personnel conducting strenuous operations experience reduced testosterone, muscle mass, and performance. Pharmacological restoration of normal testosterone may attenuate performance decrements by mitigating muscle loss. Previously, administering testosterone enanthate (200 mg/week) during energy deficit prompted supraphysiol...

Introduction Regular physical activity lowers risk for cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disorders. Older African Americans (AAs) have been underrepresented in trials that increased physical activity to improve cognitive outcomes. Methods 56 sedentary, older, cognitively healthy AAs (avg. 69.2 ± 3.4 yrs. old) were randomized in 1:1 ratio int...

Objectives Over 26 million people in the United States have type 2 diabetes (T2D) and 89% of those living with diabetes have overweight or obesity. Weight loss improves glycemic control and scalable weight management programs tailored for those living with diabetes are critically needed. The objective of this trial was to test the efficacy of a sca...

We examined COVID-19 concerns, vaccine acceptance, and trusted sources of information among patients in a safety-net health system in Louisiana. The participants were surveyed via structured telephone interviews over nine months in 2021. Of 204 adult participants, 65% were female, 52% were Black, 44.6% were White, and 46.5% were rural residents. Th...

Background: Clinical weight loss interventions improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) , but are costly and have limited accessibility. The objective of this trial was to test the efficacy of a diabetes-tailored widely available weight management program (WW, formerly Weight Watchers) on glycemic control in adults with T2D. Me...

Objective To examine if eating behaviors in mothers with low income relate to attitudes toward infant feeding and whether associations differed between breastfeeding and formula-feeding mothers. Design Cross-sectional study. Participants Forty postpartum women (aged ≥ 18 years, body mass index ≥ 25 and < 40 kg/m²) in the Louisiana Women, Infants,...

Introduction: Older African Americans have low levels of physical activity, which increases risk of aging-related health conditions. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of, and satisfaction with, a community-engaged physical activity intervention targeting older African Americans. Methods: Fifty-six older African Americans were rando...

Background and objectives: Children's motor skills are a critical foundation for physical activity. The objective was to determine the effectiveness and feasibility of a mobile app-based intervention delivered to parents to improve preschoolers' motor skills. Methods: This randomized controlled trial randomly assigned children to : (1) Motor Ski...

There is growing concern whether pro-environmental behavioral interventions can generate sufficient reductions in carbon emissions to address climate change. While many have suggested enhanced tailoring of interventions to increase effect sizes, and while individual tailoring is common among health interventions, little is known about how individua...

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused a shutdown of clinical research but offered a unique opportunity to understand attitudes and motivations around contributing to clinical research and resuming in-person visits during a pandemic. Methods: We conducted an anonymous survey study at Pennington Biomedical Research Ce...

Background: Arginine is an amino acid supplement and precursor for nitric oxide synthesis which effects various biological processes. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of arginine supplementation on growth hormone (GH) and metabolic parameters. Methods: Thirty physically active, healthy males (18-39 y; 18.5-25 kg/m²) were ran...

Exercise may sensitize individuals with overweight and obesity to appetitive signals (e.g., hunger and fullness cues), overriding trait eating behaviors that contribute to overeating and obesity, such as uncontrolled eating. The objective of the current study was to measure predictors of objective ad libitum energy intake at a laboratory-based, pos...

Objective: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a rheumatic inflammatory disease marked by chronic inflammation of the axial skeleton. This condition, particularly when severe, can lead to increased risk of vertebral fractures attributed to decreased ability of the stiffened spinal column to sustain normal loads. However, little focus has been placed on...

Background Lower levels of physical activity (PA) are associated with greater risk of cognitive decline and AD, and some studies suggest that interventions that increase PA engagement lower risk of cognitive decline and AD. However, interventions to date have largely not included substantial representation of African Americans. Method The Program...

Abstract: The role of magnesium in blood pressure has been studied among hypertensive patients; however, there is a dearth of studies exploring the role of magnesium in hypertensive crises. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between serum magnesium and blood pressure in patients with hypertensive crises. This was a...

Objective Metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) is often defined as the absence of metabolic syndrome in the presence of obesity. However, phenotypic features of MHO are unclear. Insulin sensitivity in MHO was cross-sectionally compared with metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) and a reference group of young healthy participants without obesity. Me...

Background: Significant gaps exist in access to evidence-based pediatric weight management interventions, especially for low-income families who are disproportionately affected by obesity. As a part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration project (CORD 3.0), the Missouri team (MO-CORD) aims to in...

Background: Significant gaps exist in access to evidence-based pediatric weight management interventions, especially for low-income families. As a part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration project 3.0 (CORD), the Missouri CORD (MO-CORD) team aims to increase access to and dissemination of an e...

Background In the United States (US), the incidence and severity of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths are higher in Black compared to White residents. Systemic inequities and differences in health behaviors may contribute to disparities in COVID-19 health outcomes. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of COVID-19 stay-at-...

The role of calcium in blood pressure has been widely studied among hypertensive patients; however, no study has explored the role of calcium in hypertensive crises. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the differences in serum calcium levels between hypertensive crises patients and a 1:1 random matched controls (age-, sex-, race-, di...

PURPOSE: The spread of COVID-19 and the associated stay-at-home orders and shutdowns of gyms and fitness centers has drastically influenced health behaviors leading to widespread reductions in physical activity (PA). The recent Call to Action from the American College of Sports Medicine has promoted "innovative strategies to promote PA during the C...

Objectives Eating behavior is established early in life, influences infant development and health, and is likely to originate with the mother. We examined if maternal eating behaviors influenced attitudes towards infant feeding styles and whether these associations differed by infant feeding mode (breastfeeding and formula-feeding). Methods This w...

Many adults receive inadequate sleep, which elevates obesity and type 2 diabetes risk and may hinder benefits of calorie restriction (CR). We hypothesized that short sleepers would experience less weight loss and diminished glycemic benefits compared to adequate sleepers during CR. We performed secondary analyses in participants randomized to 25% C...

Stay at home orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated risk factors for type 2 diabetes. These orders have limited opportunities for daily physical activity, encouraged more screen time and sedentary behaviors, led to disturbed sleep, and promoted consumption of ultra-processed foods. Even modest weight gain over a short period of time c...

Objective: To describe the Military Eating Behavior Survey (MEBS), developed, and validated for use in military populations. Design: Questionnaire development using a 6-phase approach that included item generation, subject matter expert review, cognitive interviewing, factor analysis, test-retest reliability testing, and parallel forms testing....

Objective To test if sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) and sugar sweetened solids (SSSs) have differential effects on body weight and reward processing in the brain. Methods In a single blind randomized controlled pilot trial (RCT), twenty participants with BMI between 20 and 40 kg/m² were randomized to consume a 20 fluid ounce soda (SSB, 248 kcal)...

Background The prevalence of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric diagnoses (NPDs) in youth is increasing, and unhealthy physical activity (PA), diet, screen time, and sleep habits contribute to the chronic disease disparities and behavioral challenges this population experiences. Objective This pilot study aims to adapt a proven exergaming and tele...

Although the role of magnesium in blood pressure has been well studied among hy-pertensive patients, no study has explored the role of magnesium in hypertensive crises. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the differences in serum magnesium levels between hypertensive crises patients and matched controls (age-, sex-, race-, and diabet...

Abstract Background Few adolescents achieve sufficient levels of physical activity, and many are spending most of their time in sedentary behavior. Affective response following sedentary time may influence motivation to remain sedentary. Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) is a real-time data capture methodology that can be used to identify facto...

ABSTRACT IMPACT: A short treatment of 8 obese postmenopausal women with conjugated estrogens and bazedoxifene does not alter insulin sensitivity or ectopic fat but increases serum markers of hepatic de novo lipogenesis and production of triacylglycerides. OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Combining conjugated estrogens (CE) with the selective estrogen receptor mod...

Background: The role of magnesium in blood pressure has been studied among hypertensive patients, however, no study has explored the role of magnesium in hypertensive crises. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the relationship between serum magnesium and blood pressure in patients with hypertensive crises. Methods: This study is a s...

Clinically significant weight loss is associated with health benefits for overweight and obese adults. Participation in adequate amounts of physical activity is critical for weight maintenance. However, the recommended amount of physical activity needed to promote weight maintenance is based primarily on retrospective studies that quantified physic...

Introduction Rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG) dosing strategies for induction in pediatric kidney transplantation vary between centers. It is not known whether a lower rATG induction dose provides safe and effective immunosuppression compared to a “standard” higher dose. Methods Retrospective multi-center study of all isolated first-time kidn...

Office-based activity reduces sedentariness, yet no randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have assessed how such activity influences visceral adipose tissue (VAT). This study examined the effect of an office-based, multicomponent activity intervention on VAT. The WorkACTIVE-P RCT enrolled sedentary office workers (body mass index: 31.4 (standard devi...

Aims/hypothesis In vitro and rodent studies suggest that pioglitazone, a thiazolidinedione, can promote adipogenesis in adipose tissue (AT); however, there is a lack of in vivo studies in humans to support these findings. The objectives of this randomised, placebo-controlled, parallel-arm trial were to test if pioglitazone stimulates in vivo adipog...

This prospective, observational study investigated changes in sleep and the effect on energy intake, gestational weight gain, and cardiometabolic health across pregnancy in 52 healthy pregnant women with obesity. Habitual sleep was assessed by wrist-worn actigraphy (time spent in bed; TIB, total sleep time; TST, and sleep efficiency) in early (13⁰-...

Background Preschool age is an important time to master fundamental motor skills (FMS) through structured physical activity, yet many young children lag behind in motor skill development. Objective The Promoting Lifelong Activity in Youth (PLAY) study is a pilot comparative effectiveness trial to test the acceptability, feasibility, and preliminar...