Frank B. Hu (Chinese: 胡丙长; pinyin: Hú Bǐngcháng; born 1966) is a Chinese American nutrition and diabetes researcher. He is Chair of the Department of Nutrition and the Fredrick J. Stare Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Professor of Medicine at the Harvard Medical School.
Hu is also the Director of the Epidemiology and Genetics Core of the Boston Obesity Nutrition Research Center; and co-director of the Program in Obesity Epidemiology and Prevention at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Hu was elected into the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) in 2015, one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine.
Education
A native of Hubei Province, China, Hu received his M.D. from the Tongji Medical University (now Tongji Medical College of the Huazhong University of Science and Technology) in Wuhan in 1988, and his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1996.
Research
Hu's research has focused on diet/lifestyle, metabolic, and genetic determinants of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). His group has conducted detailed analyses of many dietary and lifestyle factors and risk of diabetes and CVD, including sugar-sweetened beverages, coffee, red meat, saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, iron, and dietary patterns. These findings have contributed to current public health recommendations and policies for prevention of chronic diseases. Dr. Hu's group has also identified novel biomarkers (e.g., adipokines and nutrient metabolites) and gene-environment interactions in relation to risk of obesity and diabetes by integrating cutting-edge omics technologies into epidemiological studies (Systems Epidemiology approach). In addition, Dr. Hu has been collaborating with researchers from China to study nutrition transition, metabolic phenotypes, and cardiovascular disease in Chinese populations. His researches have also extended to global nutrition, obesity and policy issues.
In 1997, he published a study showing that types of fat are more important than total amount of fat in determining risk of heart disease in the Nurses' Health Study. His recent work shows that unsaturated fats, especially polyunsaturated fats, and/or high-quality carbohydrates can be used to replace saturated fats to reduce coronary heart disease risk in the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study.
In 2001, Hu published a study to quantify the preventability of type 2 diabetes through diet and lifestyle, showing that up to 90% of diabetes cases can be prevented by eating a healthy diet, maintaining normal weight, exercising regularly, not smoking tobacco, and consuming alcohol moderately.
Hu has conducted extensive research on sugar-sweetened beverages and the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Hu is a recipient of the Kelly West Award for Outstanding Achievement in Epidemiology from the American Diabetes Association in 2010. He served on the IOM Committee on Preventing the Global Epidemic of Cardiovascular Disease: Meeting the Challenges in Developing Countries (2009-2010), and the AHA/ACC Obesity Guidelines Expert Panel (2008-2013). Dr. Hu also served on the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, USDA/HHS. He is the principal author of a textbook on Obesity Epidemiology (Oxford University Press, 2008).
References
- "Frank Hu". 5 January 2021.
- "Boston Nutrition Obesity Research Center".
- "Obesity Program".
- "NAM Elects 80 New Members".
- Ding, M; Bhupathiraju, SN; Satija, A; van Dam, RM; Hu, FB (February 2014). "Long-term coffee consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and a dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies". Circulation. 129 (6): 643–59. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.113.005925. PMC 3945962. PMID 24201300.
- Ding, M; Bhupathiraju, SN; Chen, M; van Dam, RM; Hu, FB (2014). "Caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and a dose-response meta-analysis". Diabetes Care. 37 (2): 569–86. doi:10.2337/dc13-1203. PMC 3898757. PMID 24459154.
- Ding, M; Satija, A; Bhupathiraju, SN; Hu, Y; Sun, Q; Han, J; Lopez-Garcia, E; Willett, W; van Dam, RM; Hu, FB (2015). "Association of Coffee Consumption With Total and Cause-Specific Mortality in 3 Large Prospective Cohorts". Circulation. 132 (24): 2305–15. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.115.017341. PMC 4679527. PMID 26572796.
- Pan, A; Sun, Q; Bernstein, AM; et al. (October 2011). "Red meat consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: 3 cohorts of US adults and an updated meta-analysis". Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 94 (4): 1088–96. doi:10.3945/ajcn.111.018978. PMC 3173026. PMID 21831992.
- Pan, A; Sun, Q; Bernstein, AM; Schulze, MB; Manson, JE; Stampfer, MJ; Willett, WC; Hu, FB (2012). "Red meat consumption and mortality: results from 2 prospective cohort studies". Arch. Intern. Med. 172 (7): 555–63. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2011.2287. PMC 3712342. PMID 22412075.
- Jiang, R; Manson, JE; Meigs, JB; Ma, J; Rifai, N; Hu, FB (2004). "Body iron stores in relation to risk of type 2 diabetes in apparently healthy women". JAMA. 291 (6): 711–7. doi:10.1001/jama.291.6.711. PMID 14871914.
- Halton, TL; Willett, WC; Liu, S; et al. (November 2006). "Low-carbohydrate-diet score and the risk of coronary heart disease in women". N. Engl. J. Med. 355 (19): 1991–2002. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa055317. PMID 17093250.
- Heidemann, C; Schulze, MB; Franco, OH; van Dam, RM; Mantzoros, CS; Hu, FB (July 2008). "Dietary patterns and risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all causes in a prospective cohort of women". Circulation. 118 (3): 230–7. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.108.771881. PMC 2748772. PMID 18574045.
- Satija, A; Bhupathiraju, SN; Rimm, EB; Spiegelman, D; Chiuve, SE; Borgi, L; Willett, WC; Manson, JE; Sun, Q; Hu, FB (2016). "Plant-Based Dietary Patterns and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in US Men and Women: Results from Three Prospective Cohort Studies". PLOS Med. 13 (6): e1002039. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1002039. PMC 4907448. PMID 27299701.
- Heidemann, C; Sun, Q; van Dam, RM; Meigs, JB; Zhang, C; Tworoger, SS; Mantzoros, CS; Hu, FB (2008). "Total and high-molecular-weight adiponectin and resistin in relation to the risk for type 2 diabetes in women". Ann Intern Med. 149 (5): 307–16. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-149-5-200809020-00005. PMC 3874083. PMID 18765700.
- Guasch-Ferré, M; Hruby, A; Toledo, E; Clish, CB; Martínez-González, MA; Salas-Salvadó, J; Hu, FB (2016). "Metabolomics in Prediabetes and Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis". Diabetes Care. 39 (5): 833–46. doi:10.2337/dc15-2251. PMC 4839172. PMID 27208380.
- Qi, Q; Chu, AY; Kang, JH; Jensen, MK; Curhan, GC; Pasquale, LR; Ridker, PM; Hunter, DJ; Willett, WC; Rimm, EB; Chasman, DI; Hu, FB; Qi, L (2012). "Sugar-sweetened beverages and genetic risk of obesity". N Engl J Med. 367 (15): 1387–96. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1203039. PMC 3518794. PMID 22998338.
- Cornelis, MC; Hu, FB (2012). "Gene-environment interactions in the development of type 2 diabetes: recent progress and continuing challenges". Annu Rev Nutr. 32: 245–59. doi:10.1146/annurev-nutr-071811-150648. PMID 22540253.
- Cornelis, MC; Hu, FB (2013). "Systems Epidemiology: A New Direction in Nutrition and Metabolic Disease Research". Curr Nutr Rep. 2 (4): 225–235. doi:10.1007/s13668-013-0052-4. PMC 3837346. PMID 24278790.
- Li, Y; He, Y; Qi, L; Jaddoe, VW; Feskens, EJ; Yang, X; Ma, G; Hu, FB (2010). "Exposure to the Chinese famine in early life and the risk of hyperglycemia and type 2 diabetes in adulthood". Diabetes. 59 (10): 2400–6. doi:10.2337/db10-0385. PMC 3279550. PMID 20622161.
- Li, Y; Wang, DD; Ley, SH; Howard, AG; He, Y; Lu, Y; Danaei, G; Hu, FB (2016). "Potential Impact of Time Trend of Life-Style Factors on Cardiovascular Disease Burden in China". J Am Coll Cardiol. 68 (8): 818–33. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2016.06.011. PMC 5850940. PMID 27539174.
- Malik, VS; Willett, WC; Hu, FB (2013). "Global obesity: trends, risk factors and policy implications". Nat Rev Endocrinol. 9 (1): 13–27. doi:10.1038/nrendo.2012.199. PMID 23165161. S2CID 23999153.
- Hu, FB (2011). "Globalization of diabetes: The role of diet, lifestyle, and genes (The Kelly West Lecture)" (PDF). Diabetes Care. 34 (6): 1249–57. doi:10.2337/dc11-0442. PMC 3114340. PMID 21617109.
- Hu, F. B.; Stampfer, M. J.; Manson, J. E.; Rimm, E.; Colditz, G. A.; Rosner, B. A.; Hennekens, C. H.; Willett, W. C. (1997). "Dietary Fat Intake and the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Women". New England Journal of Medicine. 337 (21): 1491–1499. doi:10.1056/NEJM199711203372102. PMID 9366580.
- Li, Y; Hruby, A; Bernstein, A. M.; Ley, S. H.; Wang, D. D.; Chiuve, S. E.; Sampson, L.; Rexrode, K. M.; Rimm, E. B.; Willett, W. C.; Hu, F. B. (2015). "Saturated Fats Compared With Unsaturated Fats and Sources of Carbohydrates in Relation to Risk of Coronary Heart Disease: A Prospective Cohort Study". J Am Coll Cardiol. 66 (14): 1538–48. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2015.07.055. PMC 4593072. PMID 26429077.
- Zong, G; Li, Y; Wanders, AJ; Alssema, M; Zock, PL; Willett, WC; Hu, FB; Sun, Q (2016). "Intake of individual saturated fatty acids and risk of coronary heart disease in US men and women: two prospective longitudinal cohort studies". BMJ. 355: i5796. doi:10.1136/bmj.i5796. PMC 5121105. PMID 27881409.
- Hu, F. B.; Manson, J. E.; Stampfer, M. J.; Colditz, G; Liu, S; Solomon, C. G.; Willett, W. C. (2001). "Diet, lifestyle, and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in women" (PDF). New England Journal of Medicine. 345 (11): 790–7. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa010492. PMID 11556298.
- Schulze, M. B.; Manson, J. E.; Ludwig, D. S.; Colditz, G. A.; Stampfer, M. J.; Willett, W. C.; Hu, F. B. (2004). "Sugar-sweetened beverages, weight gain, and incidence of type 2 diabetes in young and middle-aged women". JAMA. 292 (8): 927–34. doi:10.1001/jama.292.8.927. PMID 15328324.
- Malik, V. S.; Schulze, M. B.; Hu, F. B. (2006). "Intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and weight gain: A systematic review". The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 84 (2): 274–288. doi:10.1093/AJCN/84.2.274. PMC 3210834. PMID 16895873.
- Malik, V. S.; Popkin, B. M.; Bray, G. A.; Després, J. P.; Hu, F. B. (2010). "Sugar-sweetened beverages, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease risk". Circulation. 121 (11): 1356–64. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.109.876185. PMC 2862465. PMID 20308626.
- Malik, V. S.; Popkin, B. M.; Bray, G. A.; Despres, J. -P.; Willett, W. C.; Hu, F. B. (2010). "Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Risk of Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes: A meta-analysis". Diabetes Care. 33 (11): 2477–2483. doi:10.2337/dc10-1079. PMC 2963518. PMID 20693348.
- De Koning, L; Malik, V. S.; Rimm, E. B.; Willett, W. C.; Hu, F. B. (2011). "Sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened beverage consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes in men". American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 93 (6): 1321–7. doi:10.3945/ajcn.110.007922. PMC 3095502. PMID 21430119.
- De Koning, L; Malik, V. S.; Kellogg, M. D.; Rimm, E. B.; Willett, W. C.; Hu, F. B. (2012). "Sweetened beverage consumption, incident coronary heart disease, and biomarkers of risk in men". Circulation. 125 (14): 1735–41, S1. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.111.067017. PMC 3368965. PMID 22412070.
- Malik, V. S.; Pan, A; Willett, W. C.; Hu, F. B. (2013). "Sugar-sweetened beverages and weight gain in children and adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis". American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 98 (4): 1084–102. doi:10.3945/ajcn.113.058362. PMC 3778861. PMID 23966427.
- Hu, F. B. (2013). "Resolved: There is sufficient scientific evidence that decreasing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption will reduce the prevalence of obesity and obesity-related diseases". Obesity Reviews. 14 (8): 606–19. doi:10.1111/obr.12040. PMC 5325726. PMID 23763695.
- Malik, V. S.; Hu, F. B. (2015). "Fructose and Cardiometabolic Health: What the Evidence From Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Tells Us". Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 66 (14): 1615–24. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2015.08.025. PMC 4592517. PMID 26429086.
- "Frank Hu receives award for diabetes epidemiology research". 23 June 2010.
- "Kelly M. West Award". Archived from the original on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-10-21.
- "Committee and Staff Biographies". Promoting Cardiovascular Health in the Developing World: A Critical Challenge to Achieve Global Health. National Academies Press (US). 2010.
- "Managing Overweight and Obesity in Adults: Systematic Evidence Review from the Obesity Expert Panel".
- "HHS AND USDA announce the appointment of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee".
- "Obesity Epidemiology".
External links
Scholia has a profile for Frank B. Hu (Q18062122). Categories:- 1966 births
- Living people
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health faculty
- Chinese emigrants to the United States
- Scientists from Hubei
- University of Illinois Chicago alumni
- American food scientists
- American nutritionists
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology alumni
- Harvard Medical School faculty
- American public health doctors
- Members of the National Academy of Medicine