Is parental longevity associated with the cardiovascular risk and the successful aging of their offspring? Results from the multinational MEDIS study

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of parental longevity and parental cardiovascular disease (CVD) history in CVD risk and successful aging of a random sample of older adults living in the Mediterranean basin and who participated in the MEDiterranean Islands (MEDIS) study. During 2005 to 2011, 2663 elders were voluntarily enrolled. A multidimensional successful aging index consisting of 10 components was used. Paternal and maternal longevity was defined as those older participants of whom both parents lived above the age of 90. The burden of CVD-related factors (CVD-RFs) was calculated as the total score of 4 major CVD-RFs (range 0-4). After adjustment, parental longevity was inversely associated with the burden of CVD-RFs ( P = .04). Moreover, parental longevity was positively associated with the older adults' successful aging score (β-coefficient [95% confidence interval]: .38 [0.06-0.71]). Parent's long living was revealed as an important factor for successful aging and for reduced CVD risk, suggesting that further research is needed in the genetic predisposition of longevity

Diagnosis of Upper and Lower Respiratory Tract Bacterial Infections with the Use of Multiplex PCR Assays

diagnostic

Coagulase-negative staphylococcal bloodstream and prosthetic-device-associated infections: the role of biofilm formation and distribution of adhesin and toxin genes

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS), especially Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus haemolyticus, have emerged as opportunistic pathogens in immunocompromised patients and those with indwelling medical devices. In this study, CNS recovered from patients with bloodstream infections (BSIs) or prosthetic-device-associated infections (PDAls) were compared in terms of biofilm formation, antimicrobial resistance, clonal distribution, and carriage of adhesin and toxin genes. A total of 226 CNS isolates (168 S. epidermidis and 58 S. haemolyticus) recovered from hospital inpatients with BSIs (100 isolates) or PDAls (126 isolates) were tested for biofilm formation, antimicrobial susceptibility, and mecA, ica operon, adhesin (aap, bap, fnbA, atlE, fbe) and toxin (tst, sea, sec) genes. The selected CNS were classified into pulsotypes by PFGE and assigned to sequence types by multilocus sequence typing. In total, 106/226 isolates (46.9%) produced biofilm, whereas 150 (66.4 %) carried the ica operon. Most isolates carried mecA and were multidrug resistant (90.7 %). CNS recovered from BSIs were significantly more likely to produce biofilm (P=0.003), be resistant to antimicrobials and carry mecA (P0.05). Although PFGE revealed genetic diversity, especially among S. epidermidis, analysis of representative strains from the main PFGE types by multilocus sequence typing revealed three major clones (ST2, ST5 and ST16). A clonal relationship was found with respect to antimicrobial susceptibility and ica and aap gene carriage, reinforcing the premise of clonal expansion in hospital settings. The results of this study suggest that the pathogenesis of BSIs is associated with biofilm formation and high-level antimicrobial resistance, whereas PDAls are related to the adhesion capabilities of S. epidermidis and S. haemolyticus strains

The Role of Energy Balance in Successful Aging Among Elderly Individuals: The Multinational MEDIS Study

The determinants that promote living beyond life expectancy and successful aging still remain unknown. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the role of energy balance in successful aging, in a random sample of older adults living in the Mediterranean basin. Method: During 2005 to 2011, 2,663 older (aged 65-100 years) adults from 21 Mediterranean islands and the rural Mani region (Peloponnesus) of Greece were voluntarily enrolled in the study. Dietary habits, energy intake, expenditure, and energy balance were derived throughout standard procedures. A successful aging index (range = 0-10) was used. Results: After adjusting for several confounders, high energy intake (i.e., >1,700 kcal/day), b-coefficient [95% CI] = -0.21[-0.37, -0.05], as well as positive energy balance, b-coefficient [95% CI] = -0.21 [-0.37, -0.05], were inversely associated with successful aging. Conclusion: A diet with excessive energy intake and a positive energy balance seems to be associated with lower quality of life, as measured through successful aging

Is parental longevity associated with the cardiovascular risk and the successful aging of their offspring? Results from the multinational MEDIS study

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of parental longevity and parental cardiovascular disease (CVD) history in CVD risk and successful aging of a random sample of older adults living in the Mediterranean basin and who participated in the MEDiterranean Islands (MEDIS) study. During 2005 to 2011, 2663 elders were voluntarily enrolled. A multidimensional successful aging index consisting of 10 components was used. Paternal and maternal longevity was defined as those older participants of whom both parents lived above the age of 90. The burden of CVD-related factors (CVD-RFs) was calculated as the total score of 4 major CVD-RFs (range 0-4). After adjustment, parental longevity was inversely associated with the burden of CVD-RFs ( P = .04). Moreover, parental longevity was positively associated with the older adults' successful aging score (β-coefficient [95% confidence interval]: .38 [0.06-0.71]). Parent's long living was revealed as an important factor for successful aging and for reduced CVD risk, suggesting that further research is needed in the genetic predisposition of longevity