Multipartite Moore digraphs

We derive some Moore-like bounds for multipartite digraphs, which extend those of bipartite digraphs, under the assumption that every vertex of a given partite set is adjacent to the same number $\delta$ of vertices in each of the other independent sets. We determine when a Moore multipartite digraph is weakly distance-regular. Within this framework, some necessary conditions for the existence of a Moore $r$-partite digraph with interpartite outdegree $\delta>1$ and diameter $k=2m$ are obtained. In the case $\delta=1$, which corresponds to almost Moore digraphs, a necessary condition in terms of the permutation cycle structure is derived. Additionally, we present some constructions of dense multipartite digraphs of diameter two that are vertex-transitive

Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease with a Mediterranean diet

© 2013 Massachusetts Medical Society[Background]: Observational cohort studies and a secondary prevention trial have shown an inverse association between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular risk. We conducted a randomized trial of this diet pattern for the primary prevention of cardiovascular events.[Methods]: In a multicenter trial in Spain, we randomly assigned participants who were at high cardiovascular risk, but with no cardiovascular disease at enrollment, to one of three diets: a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with mixed nuts, or a control diet (advice to reduce dietary fat). Participants received quarterly individual and group educational sessions and, depending on group assignment, free provision of extra-virgin olive oil, mixed nuts, or small nonfood gifts. The primary end point was the rate of major cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, stroke, or death from cardiovascular causes). On the basis of the results of an interim analysis, the trial was stopped after a median follow-up of 4.8 years.[Results]: A total of 7447 persons were enrolled (age range, 55 to 80 years); 57% were women. The two Mediterranean-diet groups had good adherence to the intervention, according to self-reported intake and biomarker analyses. A primary end-point event occurred in 288 participants. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios were 0.70 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.54 to 0.92) and 0.72 (95% CI, 0.54 to 0.96) for the group assigned to a Mediterranean diet with extra-virgin olive oil (96 events) and the group assigned to a Mediterranean diet with nuts (83 events), respectively, versus the control group (109 events). No diet-related adverse effects were reported.[Conclusions]: Among persons at high cardiovascular risk, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts reduced the incidence of major cardiovascular events.Supported by the official funding agency for biomedical research of the Spanish government, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), through grants provided to research networks specifically developed for the trial (RTIC G03/140, to Dr. Estruch; RTIC RD 06/0045, to Dr. Martínez-González and through Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición [CIBERobn]), and by grants from Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC 06/2007), Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria–Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (PI04-2239, PI 05/2584, CP06/00100, PI07/0240, PI07/1138, PI07/0954, PI 07/0473, PI10/01407, PI10/02658, PI11/01647, and P11/02505), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (AGL-2009-13906-C02 and AGL2010-22319-C03), Fundación Mapfre 2010, Consejería de Salud de la Junta de Andalucía (PI0105/2007), Public Health Division of the Department of Health of the Autonomous Government of Catalonia, Generalitat Valenciana (ACOMP06109, GVACOMP2010-181, GVACOMP2011-151, CS2010-AP-111, and CS2011-AP-042), and Regional Government of Navarra (P27/2011)

Association between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and waist-to-height ratio among high-risk subjects: the PREDIMED trial.

Trabajo presentado en European Congress of Epidemiology EUROEPI2012, celebrado en Oporto (Portugal) del 05 al 08 de septiembre de 2012.Association between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and waist-to-height ratio among high-risk subjects: the PREDIMED trial

Dietary intake of phylloquinone is related to a reduced risk of all-cause mortality: the predimed study

Resumen del trabajo presentado en el 20th International Congress of Nutrition, celebrado en Granada (España) del 15 al 20 de septiembre de 2013.[Background and objectives]: Vitamin K has been associated with a reduced risk of CHD and fatal cancer. Dietary menaquinones intake has been associated with cancer mortality. However, the association between the dietary intake of vitamin K and all-cause mortality has not been evaluated in a Mediterranean population at high cardiovascular risk.[Methods]: A prospective analysis was conducted in 7216 participants in the framework of the PREDIMED cohort (median follow-up: 4.8y). Energy and nutrient intakes were evaluated using a previously validated 137-item food frequency questionnaire. Dietary phylloquinone and menaquinone intake was calculated using the USDA database and previous published Abstracts Ann Nutr Metab 2013;63(suppl 1):1– 1960 921 data, respectively. All-cause mortality was verified by medical records and consultation of National Death Index. Cox proportional hazard models were fitted to assess the relative risk of all-cause mortality.[Results]: At baseline, energy-adjusted dietary phylloquinone intake was associated with a significantly reduced risk of all-cause mortality after controlling for potential confounders (HR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.43, 0.96). No significant associations were found between quartiles of energy adjusted dietary menaquinones intake and risk of all-cause mortality. In a longitudinal manner, subjects who increase their consumption of vitamin K, phylloquinone or menaquinone, had a lower risk of allcause mortality (HR: 0.58; 95% CI: 0.45, 0.74 and HR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.45, 0.78, respectively) compared with subjects who decrease their consumption.[Conclusions]: The results showed that an increase of dietary intake of vitamin K is related with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality in a Mediterranean population at high cardiovascular risk

A provegetarian food pattern and reduction in total mortality in the Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea

[Background]: Vegetarian diets have been associated with reduced mortality. Because a pure vegetarian diet might not easily be embraced by many individuals, consuming preferentially plant-derived foods would be a more easily understood message. A provegetarian food pattern (FP) emphasizing preference for plant-derived foods might reduce all-cause mortality.[Objective]: The objective was to identify the association between an a priori–defined provegetarian FP and all-cause mortality.[Design]: We followed 7216 participants (57% women; mean age: 67 y) at high cardiovascular risk for a median of 4.8 y. A validated 137-item semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire was administered at baseline and yearly thereafter. Fruit, vegetables, nuts, cereals, legumes, olive oil, and potatoes were positively weighted. Added animal fats, eggs, fish, dairy products, and meats or meat products were negatively weighted. Energy-adjusted quintiles were used to assign points to build the provegetarian FP (range: 12–60 points). Deaths were confirmed by review of medical records and the National Death Index.[Results]: There were 323 deaths during the follow-up period (76 from cardiovascular causes, 130 from cancer, 117 for noncancer, noncardiovascular causes). Higher baseline conformity with the provegetarian FP was associated with lower mortality (multivariable-adjusted HR for ≥40 compared with <30 points: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.40, 0.88). Similar results were found with the use of updated information on diet (RR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.39, 0.89).[Conclusions]: Among omnivorous subjects at high cardiovascular risk, better conformity with an FP that emphasized plant-derived foods was associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality. This trial was registered at www.controlled-trials.com as ISRCTN35739639

Mediterranean alcohol-drinking pattern, low to moderate alcohol intake and risk of atrial fibrillation in the PREDIMED study

[Background and aims] There is ongoing controversy about the effect of a low to moderate alcohol consumption on atrial fibrillation (AF). Our aim is to assess the association between adherence to a Mediterranean alcohol drinking pattern and AF incidence.[Methods and results] A total 6527 out of the 7447 participants in the PREDIMED trial met our inclusion criteria. A validated frequency food questionnaire was used to measure alcohol consumption. Participants were classified as non-drinkers, Mediterranean alcohol drinking pattern (MADP) (10–30 g/d in men and 5–15 g/day in women, preferably red wine consumption with low spirits consumption), low-moderate drinking (<30 g/day men y and < 15 g/day women), and heavy drinking. We performed multivariable Cox regression models to estimate hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of incident AF according to alcohol drinking patterns. After a mean follow up of 4.4 years, 241 new incident AF cases were confirmed. Alcohol consumption was not associated to AF incidence among low-moderate drinkers (HR: 0.96; 95%CI: 0.67–1.37), adherents to MADP (HR: 1.15 95%CI: 0.75–1.75), or heavy drinkers (HR: 0.92; 95%CI: 0.53–1.58), compared with non-drinkers.[Conclusions] In a high cardiovascular risk adult population, a Mediterranean alcohol consumption pattern (low to moderate red wine consumption) was not associated with an increased incidence of AF.[Clinical trials] URL: http://www.controlled-trials.com. Unique identifier: ISRCTN35739639.PREDIMED trial was supported by the official funding agency for biomedical research of the Spanish government (Instituto de Salud Carlos III) RTIC G03/140 (Coordinator: Dr Estruch) and RTIC RD 06/0045 (Coordinator: Dr Martínez-González). We also acknowledge grants from the National Institutes of Health, United States (1R01HL118264-01); Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria– Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (PI04/0233, PI05/0976, PI07/0240, PI10/01407, PI10/02658, PI11/00049, PI11/02505 and AGL2010-22319-C03-03); Consejería de Salud de la Junta de Andalucía (PI0105/2007), and by the Generalitat Valenciana, Spain (ACOMP/2013/165 and ACOMP/2013/159)

Association between serum ferritin and osteocalcin as a potential mechanism explaining the iron-induced insulin resistance

Background: Increased iron stores are associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes, however, the mechanisms underlying these associations are poorly understood. Because a reduction of circulating osteocalcin levels after iron overload have been demonstrated in cell cultures, and osteocalcin is related to glucose and insulin metabolism, the ironinduced osteocalcin reductions could contribute to explain the role of iron metabolism in the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Objective: To analyzed the associations between serum total and uncarboxylated osteocalcin and adiponectin concentrations with serum ferritin and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) in elderly subjects. Design: We evaluated a total of 423 subjects from the PREDIMED cohort in a population-based cross-sectional analysis. Extensive clinical, nutritional and laboratory measurements, including total and uncarboxylated osteocalcin, adiponectin, ferritin and sTfR were recorded. Results: Serum ferritin was positively correlated with increased glucose and insulin circulating levels but also with HOMA-IR, and was inversely associated with total osteocalcin and adiponectin. A regression analysis revealed that serum ferritin and transferrin receptor levels were significantly associated with a decrease in total and uncarboxylated osteocalcin. Serum sTfR levels were associated with lower uncarboxylated osteocalcin levels in the whole-study subjects and remained significant only in the IFG (impaired fasting glucose) individuals. Conclusions: We described, for the first time, an inverse association between serum ferritin and sTfR with osteocalcin and extend previous results on adiponectin, thus supporting that factors related to iron metabolism could contribute to the insulin resistance and the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Trial Registration: Controlled-Trials.com ISRCTN35739639 ,http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN35739639.

Association Between Classic Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Mortality in the Predimed Trial

Trabajo presentado en World Forum for Nutrition Research Conference, celebrado en Reus (España) del 20 al 21 de mayo de 2013

Dietary glycemic index and glycemic load are positively associated with risk of developing metabolic syndrome in middle-aged and elderly adults

© 2015, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2015, The American Geriatrics Society. Objectives To evaluate how glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) are associated with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its features in middle-aged and elderly adults at high cardiovascular risk. Design Prospective, longitudinal, population-based cohort. Setting PREvenciõn con DIeta MEDiterránea study. Participants Men and women (N = 6,606) divided into three age groups (<65, 65-74, ≥75). Measurements Energy and nutrient intake was evaluated using a validated 137-item food frequency questionnaire. MetS and its features were defined in accordance with the criteria of the American Heart Association and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Results A positive association was observed between GI and MetS prevalence in the youngest and middle age groups for participants without diabetes mellitus, but no relationship was found for those with diabetes mellitus. During the median follow-up of 4.8 years, higher GI and GL were related to greater risk of MetS in the middle age group, independent of the presence of diabetes mellitus. Changes in dietary GI were associated with risk of developing the high fasting glucose component of the MetS in the oldest age category, and changes in dietary GL were associated with risk of developing abdominal obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high blood pressure in the youngest age category. Conclusion Dietary GI and GL have a potential role in the development of MetS and associated clinical features, with particular age-dependent considerations.Funded by: Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares. Grant Number: 06/2007; Instituto de Salud Carlos III; Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria PI. Grant Number: 07/0473; Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. Grant Numbers: AGL-2009–13906-C02, AGL2010–22319-C03; Ministerio de Sanidad-Plan Nacional de Drogas. Grant Number: 2010/087; Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias. Grant Number: PI1002658 Fundación Mapfre 2010 Government of the Basque Country. Grant Number: IT386–10 University of the Basque Country. Grant Number: UFI 11/32 Catalan government Miguel Servet. Grant Number: 06/00100Peer Reviewe

Effect of mediterranean-diet on metabolic syndrome status in the predimed study

Trabajo presentado en el X lntemational Conference Mediterranean Diet, celebrado en Barcelona (España) del 02 al 03 de abril de 2014