Components of the Metabolic Syndrome and Carotid Atherosclerosis

Elevated blood pressure is among the factors that contribute to the metabolic syndrome (MetS). It is not known whether subjects with MetS and elevated blood pressure are at the same cardiovascular risk as subjects with MetS but without elevated blood pressure. To clarify this point, we have evaluated the prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis in subjects with MetS with or without elevated blood pressure. A large population was examined (842 women and 1011 men). Blood pressure, lipids, glucose, and waist were measured by routine methods. Carotid atherosclerosis was evaluated by echo Doppler examination. The prevalence of MetS was 24.4% in women and 28.7% in men. The prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis was 35.1% in women and 37.3% in men ( p =NS), and increased with increasing number of MetS components. Age, smoking, and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were associated with the presence of carotid atherosclerosis (logistic model), whereas age, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and SBP were associated with the extent of atherosclerosis (linear model). When comparing subjects with an equal number of MetS components, the prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis was significantly higher in subjects with elevated blood pressure than in those without. No difference in carotid atherosclerosis prevalence was found in subjects bearing or not bearing components of the syndrome other than elevated blood pressure. The present findings demonstrate that subjects with MetS and elevated blood pressure have increased carotid atherosclerosis compared with subjects with MetS but without elevated blood pressure. The diagnosis of MetS per se might not adequately identify subjects at elevated cardiovascular risk

The Mediterranean Diet in the Prevention of Degenerative Chronic Diseases

Degenerative chronic diseases are a problem related to the aging phenomenon of industrialized countries due to the increase of risk factors and related comorbidity such as overweight, obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia with a consequent increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer. Moreover, the significant reduction of physical activity in daily life and the huge growth in food availability have considerably increased the risk of such diseases. Particular attention should be paid to primary prevention by means of health strategies based on improvement in lifestyle intervention such as implementation of Mediterranean diet and promotion of physical activity programs. In this chapter, the protective effect of Mediterranean diet and the role of certain foods and/or their constituents are analyzed; the possible mechanisms by which Mediterranean diet is effective in the prevention of cardiovascular and other chronic diseases are presented, in particular the effects exerted by antioxidants, polyphenols, fibers, unsaturated fatty acids, and alcohol. The genetic revolution in the past decades has produced new fields of study where the interaction between foods, nutrients, and our genetic makeup is investigated. The relationship between nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics and the Mediterranean diet are the future area that research should discover

Sequence Analysis of the UCP1 Gene in a Severe Obese Population from Southern Italy

Brown adipose tissue, where Uncoupling Protein 1 (UCP1) activity uncouples mitochondrial respiration, is an important site of facultative energy expenditure. This tissue may normally function to prevent obesity. Our aim was to investigate by sequence analysis the presence of UCP1 gene variations that may be associated with obesity. We studied 100 severe obese adults (BMI > 40 kg/m2) and 100 normal-weight control subjects (BMI range = 19–24.9 kg/m2). We identified 7 variations in the promoter region, 4 in the intronic region and 4 in the exonic region. Globally, 72% of obese patients bore UCP1 polymorphisms. Among UCP1 variants, g.IVS4−208T>G SNP was associated with obesity (OR: 1.77; 95% CI = 1.26–2.50; P = .001). Further, obese patients bearing the g.−451C>T (CT+TT) or the g.940G>A (GA+AA) genotypes showed a higher BMI than not polymorphic obese patients (P = .008 and P = .043, resp.). In conclusion, UCP1 SNPs could represent “thrifty” factors that promote energy storage in prone subjects

Functional foods and cardiometabolic diseases: International Task Force for Prevention of Cardiometabolic Diseases.

Mounting evidence supports the hypothesis that functional foods containing physiologically-active components may be healthful. Longitudinal cohort studies have shown that some food classes and dietary patterns are beneficial in primary prevention, and this has led to the identification of putative functional foods. This field, however, is at its very beginning, and additional research is necessary to substantiate the potential health benefit of foods for which the diet-health relationships are not yet scientifically validated. It appears essential, however, that before health claims are made for particular foods, in vivo randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of clinical end-points are necessary to establish clinical efficacy. Since there is need for research work aimed at devising personalized diet based on genetic make-up, it seems more than reasonable the latter be modeled, at present, on the Mediterranean diet, given the large body of evidence of its healthful effects. The Mediterranean diet is a nutritional model whose origins go back to the traditional diet adopted in European countries bordering the Mediterranean sea, namely central and southern Italy, Greece and Spain; these populations have a lower incidence of cardiovascular diseases than the North American ones, whose diet is characterized by high intake of animal fat. The meeting in Naples and this document both aim to focus on the changes in time in these two different models of dietary habits and their fall out on public health

What are the causes and the reason why of diseases prevalence and incidence in occupational sample of women

Aim of this study has been the evaluation of health status change among women and men engaged in different occupational activities. METHODS: In a sample of 1,145 women and 3,110, collected in a time span of 10 years, were calculated prevalence and incidence of diseases related to occupational and non occupational variables: physical work load and job timing, civil status and family engagement. Differences between sexes were calculated by X-square and mean difference test. RESULTS: In women subset, cardiovascular and vertebral degenerative disease, skin, wrist and elbow (carpal canal and epicondylitis) pathologies were much more represented than in men's ones. Psychiatric and psychosomatic symptoms and diseases were much more represented in the women sample and furthermore at younger age. In women, heavier work load has been the most responsible factor of degenerative diseases, while shift work of psychiatric and psychosomatic diseases. In the same gender, the stable living together and family charge increased the incidence of chronic degenerative diseases, suggesting an empowering effect coming from the occupation. In conclusion, from data analysis it is possible to speculate that working women's health profile is sensible to various determinants with synergic effect; consequently the clinical emergence of diseases is shown up earlier