Fluid Intake and Beverage Consumption Description and Their Association with Dietary Vitamins and Antioxidant Compounds in Italian Adults from the Mediterranean Healthy Eating, Aging and Lifestyles (MEAL) Study

The aim of the present study was to investigate the total water intake (TWI) from drinks and foods and to evaluate the correlation between the different types of drinks on energy and antioxidant intake. The cohort comprised 1602 individuals from the city of Catania in Southern Italy. A food frequency questionnaire was administered to assess dietary and water intake. The mean total water intake was 2.7 L; more than about two thirds of the sample met the European recommendations for water intake. Water and espresso coffee were the most consumed drinks. Alcohol beverages contributed about 3.0% of total energy intake, and sugar sweetened beverages contributed about 1.4%. All antioxidant vitamins were significantly correlated with TWI. However, a higher correlation was found for water from food rather than water from beverages, suggesting that major food contributors to antioxidant vitamin intake might be fruits and vegetables, rather than beverages other than water. A mild correlation was found between fruit juices and vitamin C; coffee, tea and alcohol, and niacin and polyphenols; and milk and vitamin B12. The findings from the present study show that our sample population has an adequate intake of TWI and that there is a healthy association between beverages and dietary antioxidants

Dietary Micronutrient and Mineral Intake in the Mediterranean Healthy Eating, Ageing, and Lifestyle (MEAL) Study

Background: Dietary vitamins and minerals are essential compounds for the proper functioning of metabolic enzymes, regulation of gene transcription, and powering the body’s defense against oxidative stress. The aim of the present study was to investigate micronutrient consumption separately by age and sex, major dietary sources, and percentage of individuals meeting the recommended requirements according to Italian (Livelli di Assunzione di Riferimento di Nutrienti (LARN)) and European (European Food Safety Agency (EFSA)) agencies. Methods: Data were obtained from the Mediterranean Healthy Eating, Ageing, and Lifestyle (MEAL) study, which included a sample of 1838 individuals randomly collected in the city of Catania, southern Italy. A validated food frequency questionnaire was used to collect information on diet. Results: Intake of vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin B group (except vitamin B9) was in line with other reports and was adequate according to the guidelines, while the percentage of individuals meeting the guidelines for vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin B9 was about 3%, 10%, and 40%, respectively. Among minerals, intake of iron, magnesium, and selenium was adequate for most of the sample, while the percentage of individuals meeting the recommendations for calcium, sodium, and potassium intake was about 20%, 8%, and 35%, respectively. Conclusions: An important percentage of the population would benefit from campaigns raising awareness of micronutrient deficiency or excessive consumption potentially affecting their health

Macronutrient and Major Food Group Intake in a Cohort of Southern Italian Adults

Background: Dietary intake of macronutrient and foods is considered crucial to decrease the risk of diet-related non-communicable diseases. Methods: The aim of this study was to describe the intake of major food groups and macronutrients in a random sample of 1838 southern Italian adults. Results: No significant differences of macronutrient consumption between sexes were found. By contrast, younger individuals had significantly higher intake of animal protein than older ones. Men reported consuming significantly more total processed meats and less eggs than women; egg consumption significantly increased by age groups. Significantly lower intake of fruit in the younger age group compared to older ones was found. Various patterns of correlation between food groups were described. More than half of individuals reached the suggested recommendations for carbohydrate and fiber intake, and about two-thirds met the recommendations for total protein and cholesterol intake, while only a minority met for total fat intake. Total and plant protein, monounsaturated and omega-6 fatty acids, were significantly inversely related with BMI (body mass index), while trans fatty acids and cholesterol were directly correlated. A direct association with unprocessed meats and an inverse association with processed meats was also found. Conclusions: The overall findings suggest that relatively healthy dietary habits are common in southern Italy

The prevalence of frailty and its associated factors in an Italian institutionalized older population: findings from the cross-sectional Alvise Cornaro Center Study

Background: While it is well established that frail older people have a higher risk of negative health outcomes, the prevalence of frailty and its associated factors in Italian older institutionalized population has never been investigated. Aims: The aims of this study were to assess the prevalence of frailty and to identify its associated factors in an Italian residential care home population. Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was designed to evaluate older people aged 70 or over of an Italian residential care home. A multidimensional assessment examining functional, geriatric, ophthalmic, and audiological domains was carried out to identify factors associated with frailty. Physical frailty was evaluated using Fried’s criteria. Results: Data analysis uncovered a 51.1% prevalence of pre-frailty and a 40.4% prevalence of frailty in the 94 eligible participants (64 females) whose data were complete. The multivariable analysis showed that a low education level (OR = 5.12, 95% CI 1.22–21.49), a low physical quality of life score (OR = 13.25, 95% CI 3.51–50.08), a low mental quality of life score (OR = 9.22, 95% CI 2.38–35.69), visual impairment (OR = 7.65, 95% CI 1.77–33.14), and hearing impairment (OR = 4.62, 95% CI 1.03–20.66) were independently associated with frailty. Conclusions: Frailty was found to be highly prevalent in the residential care home studied. Since frailty is a reversible condition, identifying the modifiable factors associated to it should be viewed as an important step in planning and implementing targeted, early prevention strategies

Blood oxidative stress and metallothionein expression in Rett syndrome: Probing for markers

Objectives: Oxidative stress seems to be involved in Rett syndrome (RTT). The aim of this study was to assess the antioxidant status in RTT children with MECP2 gene mutations with respect to healthy controls, and to explore novel blood antioxidant markers for RTT severity. Methods: In erythrocytes from RTT females aged 2\u201314 years (n\u2009=\u200927) and age-matched controls (n\u2009=\u200927), we measured the levels of malonaldehyde and the activity of two antioxidant enzymes, Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase and catalase, by spectrophotometric assays. In leukocytes, the expression of metallothioneins, the main non-enzymatic antioxidants, was assessed by real-time RT-PCR. In nine selected RTT children, methylome analysis was also performed. Results: Blood of RTT patients showed increased lipid peroxidation and a dysregulated pattern of MT expression, while enzymatic activities did not change significantly with respect to controls. Moreover, we observed no epigenetic dysregulation in CpG-enriched promoter regions of the analysed genes but significant hypomethylation in the random loci. Conclusions: As the haematic level of MT-1A directly correlates with the phenotype severity, this metallothionein can represent a marker for RTT severity. Moreover, the attempt to link the level of blood oxidative stress with MECP2 mutation and specific clinical features led us to draw some interesting conclusions

Differential reporting of discriminatory experiences in Brazil and the United States

Abstract: There has been little cross-national comparison of perceived discrimination, and few studies have considered how intersectional identities shape perception of discriminatory treatment in different societies. Using data from the ELSA-Brasil, a study of Brazilian civil servants, and the Americans’ Changing Lives Study, a nationally-representative sample of U.S. adults, we compare reports of lifetime discrimination among race-by-gender groups in each society. We also consider whether educational attainment explains any group differences, or if differences across groups vary by level of education. Results reveal higher lifetime discrimination experiences among Black respondents in both countries, especially Black men, than among Whites, and lower reports among White women than White men. Brown men and women also reported higher levels than White men in Brazil. For all race-by-gender groups in both countries, except Brazilian White men, reports of discrimination were higher among the more educated, though adjusting for educational differences across groups did not explain group differences. In Brazil, we found the greatest racial disparities among the college educated, while U.S. Black men were more likely to report discrimination than White men at all levels of education. Results reveal broad similarities across countries, despite important differences in their histories, and an intersectional approach contributed to identification of these similarities and some differences in discrimination experiences. These findings have implications for social and public health surveillance and intervention to address the harmful consequences of discrimination