Barbara Olendzki, RD, MPH, Director of Nutrition

Academic Role: Research Assistant Professor

Faculty Appointment(s) In:
   Medicine
   Preventive and Behavioral Medicine

Research Interests

• Effect of diet and other lifestyle factors on obesity, diabetes, and heart disease
• Nutrition and cardiovascular disease and diabetes
• Improving methods of dietary assessment in epidemiological studies

Sample of Research Studies

Principal Investigator

IRG 93-033, American Cancer Society. 4/07-9/08     

Finding a simple message to improve dietary quality for cancer and heart disease prevention, “Can Do Study” (Cancer Dietary Objectives Study).This is a three-arm, randomized, controlled pilot study to test whether a single dietary recommendation in comparison with a more complex message (either low saturated fat, or high fiber, or combination) may have a synergistic beneficial effect on other areas of diet.    This study is currently in analysis.

Co-Investigator

1R21 AT02522-01A1   NCCAM (J. Ockene) 8/05-07 
Soy Isoflavones for Menopausal Vasomotor Symptoms
A randomized, placebo-controlled 15-week feasibility study of 180 menopausal women with moderate to severe VMS to examine a isoflavone dose ranges and dosing frequencies of isoflavone capsules containing the primary isoflavones.  Nutrition and physical activity assessment and analysis are a part of this study. 
Role:  Senior Nutritionist

NIDDK Pilot and Feasibility Program at UMass Medical School (DERC) (Y. Ma) 04/05-03/07 
Applicability of a Low Glycemic Index Diet in Diabetes 
Randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of the glycemic index vs. the ADA standard carbohydrate counting in type 2 diabetes mellitus.  Outcome measures are HgbA1c, and compliance with study protocol.
Role:  Co-Investigator

R01 AT00309-01A2  NIH/NCCAM (R. Zurier) 08/01/03 - 07/31/07 
Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis with Marine and Botanical Oils
The major goal of this project is to determine whether treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with a combination of fish oil and borage seed oil is superior to treatment with either oil alone.
Role: Senior Nutritionist

1 R21 HL074895-01  NIH, NILBI (Y. Ma)  4/1/04 – 3/31/06
Dietary Glycemic Load, Body Weight, and Blood Lipids
The overall goal of this 2 year proposal is to examine the association of glycemic load (GL), derived from 24-hour dietary recalls, with body weight and blood lipids (including total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides), and to study seasonal and short-term variation of GL in a free-living healthy population.
Role: Senior Nutritionist

1 R18 DK067549-01  NIH, NIDDK (I. Ockene) 07/01/04-03/31/09 
Translational Research for the Prevention and Control of Diabetes
Lawrence Latino Diabetes Prevention Project
The goal is to implement and evaluate a diabetes prevention program for low income, Latino patients at high risk of developing diabetes.

1 R18 DK065985-01A  NIH, NIDDK (M. Rosal) 08/01/04 – 07/31/08 
Diabetes Management for Low-Income Hispanic Patients
The overall goal of this randomized clinical trial (RCT) is to test the efficacy of an educationally-and culturally-tailored cognitive-behavioral intervention (CBI) designed to enhance adherence to diabetes self-management behaviors and thus improve glycemic control (HbA1c) among low-income Hispanic individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).  The proposed study has been successfully pilot-tested in the target population and preliminary results are promising.
Role: Senior Nutritionist

R01 HL073912  NHLBI (MM McDermott) 7/01/05  – 06/30/09
Reducing Risk Factors in Peripheral Artery Disease
This randomized controlled clinical trial will test the ability of a health-counselor mediated telephone-counseling intervention as compared to normal care to reduce LDL-C levels in patients with peripheral artery disease.

NIMH, 1R01MH078012-01A1, (PI: Sherry Pagoto). 4/07-3/12.

Depression and Obesity study.   Building on the earlier AICR pilot study, this study tests the sequential effect of treating depression before engaging in a lifestyle intervention for weight loss, vs. simultaneous treatment. 

Peer Reviewed Articles

1. Carmody J, Olendzki B, Reed G, Andersen V, Rosenzweig P. Men with Secondary    Prostate Cancer Changing to a Prostate-Healthy Diet: Results of a Randomized Trial.  J Of   Urology, in press, 2008.

2.  Griffith J, Ma Y, Chasan-Taber L, Olendzki B, Chiriboga D, Stanek E, Merriam P, Ockene I.   Association between dietary glycemic index, glycemic load, and high-sensitivity c-reactive protein. Nutrition, in press 2008.

3.  Olendzki B, Ma Y, Hebert J, Rosal M, Pagoto S, Merriam P, Ockene I. Underreporting of energy intake and associated factors in a Latino population at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.   J Am Diet Assoc, in press.2008.

4.  Ma Y, Pagoto SL, Griffith JA, Ockene IS, Merriam PA, Hafner AR, and Olendzki BC. A Dietary Quality Comparison of Popular Weight Loss Plans. J Am Diet Assoc, 2007;107:1786-1791.

5.  Ma Y, Olendzki B, Merriam PA, Chiriboga D, Culver A, Li W, Hebert JR, Ockene IS, Griffith JA, Pagoto SL. A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Low-Glycemic Load versus ADA  Dietary Education among Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes. Nutrition, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 45-56, January 2008.

6.   Ma Y, Li W, Olendzki B, Pagoto S, Chiriboga D, Griffith J, Bodenlos J, Wang, Y, Ockene I.  Dietary Quality One-Year after Diagnosis of Coronary Heart Disease.  J  Am Diet Assoc; Feb 2008, in press.

7.    Chiriboga D, Ma Y, Hebert JR, Li W, Pagoto SL, Olendzki B, Merriam PA, Ockene IS. Gender differences in predictors of body weight and body weight change in Healthy Adults, Obesity, in press.

8.    Ockene I, Chiriboga D, Stanek E, Ma Y, Olendzki B, Rosal M, Merriam, P, Hebert J. Systems to Enhance Physician Counseling in Hyperlipidemia: A Randomized Clinical Trial.  Journal of the American College of Preventive Medicine, in press. 

9.    Position of the American Dietetic Association:  Total Diet Approach to Communicating Food and Nutrition Information.  Authors:  Nitzke S, Freeland-Graves J.  Workgroup:  Polly D, Schaaf P.  Content Advisor:  Olendzki, B. J Am Diet Assoc 2007:107:1224-1232.

10.     Ma Y, Olendzki B, Hafner AR, Chiriboga DE, Culver AL, Andersen VA, Merriam PA, Pagoto SL.  Low-carbohydrate and high-fat intake among adult patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus. Nutrition. 2006 Nov-Dec;22(11-12):1129-36. Epub 2006 Oct 4.

11. Baschetti R, Ma Y, Olendzki B, Hafner A, Chiriboga D, Li W, Hebert JR, Li Y, Leung K, Ockene I. Carbohydrate intake, serum lipids, and evolution.  J Am Coll Nutr. 2006 Oct;25(5):437-8.

12.  Olendzki B, Ma Y, Culver A, Hebert J, Griffith J, Hafner A, Ockene I.  Methodology for Adding Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Values to a 24-hour Dietary Recall Database.  Nutrition. 2006 Nov-Dec;22(11-12):1087-95. Epub 2006 Oct 9.

13.  Ma Y, Li Y, Chiriboga D, Olendzki  BC , Hebert JR Hafner AR, Li W, Leung K, Ockene IS. Association between carbohydrate intake and serum lipids.
J Am Coll Nutr. 2006 Apr;25(2):155-63.

14. Ma Y, Pagoto S, Olendzki B, Hafner A, Perugini R, Mason R, Kelly J.  Predictors of Weight Status Following Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery.  Obes Surg, 16:9:1227-31 (Sep 2006) 

15. Y Ma, B C Olendzki, D Chiriboga, M Rosal, E Sinagra, S Crawford, A R Hafner, S L Pagoto, R P Magner, I S Ockene. PDA-Assisted Low Glycemic Index Dietary Intervention for Type 2 Diabetes: A Pilot Study. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 60, 1235–1243. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602443; published online 17 May 2006.

16. Ma Y, Li Y, Chiriboga D, Olendzki  BC, Hebert JR, Li W, Leung K, Hafner AR, and Ockene IS. Association between Carbohydrate Intake and Serum Lipids. J Am Coll Nutr. 2006 Apr;25(2):155-63.

17. McCulloch D, Olendzki B, Delahanty L.  Nutritional Considerations in Diabetes Mellitus.  In:  UpToDate, Rind, D (ed).  UpToDate, Wellesley, MA, May 2006.

18. Ma Y, Olendzki BC, Li W, Hafner AR, Chiriboga D, Hebert JR, Campbell M, Sarnie M, and Ockene IS. Seasonal Variation in Food Intake, Physical Activity, and Body Weight in a Predominately Overweight Population. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2006 Apr;60(4):519-28.

19. Ma Y, Griffith JA, Chasan-Taber L, Olendzki BC, Jackson E, Stanek EJ 3rd, Li W, Pagoto SL, Hafner AR, Ockene IS. Association between dietary fiber and serum C-reactive protein.Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Apr;83(4):760-6.

20. Goldberg R, Cui J, Olendzki B, Spencer F, Yarzebski J, Lessard D, Gore J.   Excess Body Weight, Clinical Profile, Management Practices, and Hospital Prognosis in Men and Women After Acute Myocardial Infarction.  Am Heart J.  2006 June; 151(6): 1297-1304.

21. Olendzki B, Speed C, Domino F. Nutritional Assessment and Counseling for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease.  Am Fam Phys 2006; 73:257-64, 265-8.

22. Olendzki B, Speed C.  Medical Nutrition Assessment.  In:  UpToDate, Rind, D (ed).  UpToDate, Wellesley, MA, updated 2005, 2006.

23. Ma Yunsheng, Bertone Elizabeth R., Stanek III Edward J., Reed George W, Hebert James R., Cohen Nancy L. Olendzki Barbara C., Rosal Milagros C., Merriam Philip A., Ockene Ira S. Eating Patterns in a Free-living Healthy U.S. Adult Population.  Ecol of Food and Nutr.; 44(1):37-56, 2005.

24. Ma Y, Chiriboga D, Olendzki BC, Nicolosi R, Merriam PA, and Ockene IS. Effect of soy protein containing isoflavones on blood lipids in moderately hypercholesterolemic adults: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American College of Nutrition 2005; 24(4):275-285.

25. Ma Y, Olendzki B, Chiriboga D, Hebert J, Li Y, Li W, Campbell M, Gendreau K, Ockene I.   Association between Dietary Carbohydrate Factors and Body Weight. Am J Epidemiol 2005; 161:359-367.

26. Rosal MC, Olendzki B, Reed GW, Gumieniak O, Scavron J, Ockene IS. Diabetes self-management among low-income Spanish-speaking patients: A pilot study. Ann Behav Med 2005; 29(3):225-35.

27. Hebert J, Ebbeling C, Olendzki B, Hurley TG, Ma Y, Saal N, Ockene J, Clemow L.  Change in diet and body mass following intensive intervention in early-stage breast cancer; J Am Diet Assoc 2001; 101:242-245.

28. Olendzki BC, Hurley TG, Ellis S, Hebert JR, Merriam PA, Luippold R, Rider L, Ockene IS.   Comparing food intake using a short dietary risk assessment with multiple 24-hour diet recalls and a seven-day dietary recall.  J Am Diet Assoc, 1999:99:1433-1439 

29. Olendzki BC, Hebert JR, Hampl JS, Scribner KB, Ockene IS.  The nutrient intake report: a coordination of patient diet assessment between physicians and registered dietitians.  J Am Diet Assoc, 1998:98:1159-1162

30. Hebert JR, Hurley TG, Olendzki BC, Teas J, Ma Y, Hampl JS.  Nutritional and socioeconomic factors in relation to prostate cancer mortality: findings from a cross-national study.  J Nat Cancer Inst, Nov 1998:1637-46.

Office: Shaw Building Second Floor
Phone: 508-856-5195
E-mail: Barbara.Olendzki@umassmed.edu
Keywords: Behavioral Medicine, Diabetes, Nutrition, Obesity

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