Social factors, diet and breast cancer in a northern Italian population.

The relation of breast cancer to social and dietary variables was evaluated in a case-control study of 368 women with breast cancer admitted to the General Hospital of Pordenone (a town in the eastern side of Northern Italy) and 373 age-matched controls. Occupation was related to the risk of breast cancer, housewives and non-manual workers (teachers and other professionals, clerical workers, etc.) showing relative risks of 1.7 and 2.4 respectively when compared to women occupied in agriculture. The role of education was apparently less important, and not statistically significant. The risk was higher in women who were obese, the trend of increasing risk with increasing body mass index being confined to post-menopausal women. When indicators of dietary fat intake were analysed, a significantly increased risk was found with more frequent consumption of milk and dairy products but the risk estimates were only slightly above unity with reference to meat consumption. Women who drank alcoholic beverages showed a relative risk of 2.5 compared to women who had never drunk, when allowance was made for all identified potential confounding factors. The association between alcohol and breast cancer was not explained by the other dietary variables considered, and the risk estimates were higher for women who drank more wine, or more than one type of alcoholic beverage. Thus, the findings of the present study give evidence in favour of the hypothesis that alcohol consumption is related to the risk of breast cancer

Multicentre Withinperson Randomised Controlled Trial of 0.5 Mm Versus 1.5 Mm Subcrestal Placement of Dental Implants With Internal Conical Connection: Five-year Post-loading Results

PURPOSE. To assess whether there are any clinical benefits to placing single dental implants either 0.5 or 1.5 mm subcrestally in healed bone crests. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Sixty partially edentulous patients at six centres requiring two single implant-supported crowns had both sites randomly allocated according to a split-mouth design to either 0.5 mm or 1.5 mm subcrestal implant placement; implants in aesthetic areas were submerged for 3 months while those in non-aesthetic areas were not. Provisional acrylic crowns were fitted and replaced with definitive metal-ceramic crowns after 2 months. Patients were followed up to 5 years after loading. Outcome measures were: crown and implant failures, complications, aesthetics assessed using the pink esthetic score (PES), peri-implant marginal bone level changes, and patient prefe-rence, recorded by blinded assessors. RESULTS. Two patients dropped out. There were no statistically significant differences in failure rate (out of 58 patients, four implants failed in the 0.5 mm group versus one in the 1.5 mm group; difference =-5.17%; 95% CI-10.87% to 0.53%; P = 0.250) or complications (out of 58 patients eight complications occurred in eight patients from the 0.5 mm group versus five complications in five patients from the 1.5 mm group (difference =-5.17%; 95% CI-14.01% to 3.67%; P = 0.453) between groups. At 5 years after loading, the mean pink aesthetic scores were 10.89 ± 2.30 and 10.79 ± 2.41 in the 0.5 and 1.5 mm groups, respecti-vely, a difference that was not statistically significant (P = 0.943). Patients from the 0.5 mm group lost on average 0.53 ± 1.43 mm peri-implant marginal bone, and those in the 1.5 mm group lost 0.31 ± 0.98 mm, a statistically significant difference (0.26 mm; 95% CI 0.05 to 0.47; P = 0.016). Patients did not prefer any depth of implant placement over the other. There were no differences in outcomes between centres. CONCLUSIONS. No clinically appreciable differences were noted when placing implants surrounded by at least 1 mm of bone 0.5 mm or 1.5 mm subcrestally. Clinicians are therefore free to choose which strategy they prefer

Time-restricted eating effects on performance, immune function, and body composition in elite cyclists: a randomized controlled trial

Background: Although there is substantial interest in intermittent fasting as a dietary approach in active individuals, information regarding its effects in elite endurance athletes is currently unavailable. The present parallel randomized trial investigated the effects of a particular intermittent fasting approach, called time-restricted eating (TRE), during 4 weeks of high-level endurance training. Methods: Sixteen elite under-23 cyclists were randomly assigned either to a TRE group or a control group (ND). The TRE group consumed 100% of its estimated daily energy needs in an 8-h time window (from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.) whilst energy intake in the ND group was distributed in 3 meals consumed between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Fat and fat-free mass were estimated by bioelectrical impedance analysis and VO2max and basal metabolism by indirect gas analyzer. In addition, blood counts, anabolic hormones (i.e. free testosterone, IGF-1) and inflammatory markers (i.e. IL-6, TNF-α) were assessed. Results: TRE reduced body weight (− 2%; p = 0.04) and fat mass percentage (− 1.1%; p = 0.01) with no change in fat-free mass. Performance tests showed no significant differences between groups, however the peak power output/body weight ratio (PPO/BW) improved in TRE group due to weight loss (p = 0.02). Free testosterone and IGF-1 decreased significantly (p = 0.01 and p = 0.03 respectively) in TRE group. Leucocyte count decreased in ND group (p = 0.02) whilst the neutrophils-to-lymphocytes ratio (NLR) decreased significantly (p = 0.03) in TRE group. Conclusions: Our results suggest that a TRE program with an 8-h feeding window elicits weight loss, improves body composition and increases PPO/BW in elite cyclists. TRE could also be beneficial for reducing inflammation and may have a protective effect on some components of the immune system. Overall, TRE could be considered as a component of a periodized nutrition plan in endurance athletes. Trial registration: This trial was retrospectively registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04320784 on 25 March 2020

Alpha-synuclein/synapsin III pathological interplay boosts the motor response to methylphenidate

16siLoss of dopaminergic nigrostriatal neurons and fibrillary α-synuclein (α-syn) aggregation in Lewy bodies (LB) characterize Parkinson's disease (PD). We recently found that Synapsin III (Syn III), a phosphoprotein regulating dopamine (DA) release with α-syn, is another key component of LB fibrils in the brain of PD patients and acts as a crucial mediator of α-syn aggregation and toxicity. Methylphenidate (MPH), a monoamine reuptake inhibitor (MRI) efficiently counteracting freezing of gait in advanced PD patients, can bind α-syn and controls α-syn-mediated DA overflow and presynaptic compartmentalization. Interestingly, MPH results also efficient for the treatment of attention deficits and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a neurodevelopmental psychiatric syndrome associated with Syn III and α-syn polymorphisms and constituting a risk factor for the development of LB disorders. Here, we studied α-syn/Syn III co-deposition and longitudinal changes of α-syn, Syn III and DA transporter (DAT) striatal levels in nigrostriatal neurons of a PD model, the human C-terminally truncated (1−120) α-syn transgenic (SYN120 tg) mouse, in comparison with C57BL/6J wild type (wt) and C57BL/6JOlaHsd α-syn null littermates. Then, we analyzed the locomotor response of these animals to an acute administration of MPH (d-threo) and other MRIs: cocaine, that we previously found to stimulate Syn III-reliant DA release in the absence of α-syn, or the selective DAT blocker GBR-12935, along aging. Finally, we assessed whether these drugs modulate α-syn/Syn III interaction by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and performed in silico studies engendering a heuristic model of the α-syn conformations stabilized upon MPH binding. We found that only MPH was able to over-stimulate a Syn III-dependent/DAT-independent locomotor activity in the aged SYN120 tg mice showing α-syn/Syn III co-aggregates. MPH enhanced full length (fl) α-syn/Syn III and even more (1–120) α-syn/Syn III interaction in cells exhibiting α-syn/Syn III inclusions. Moreover, in silico studies confirmed that MPH may reduce α-syn fibrillation by stabilizing a protein conformation with increased lipid binding predisposition. Our observations indicate that the motor-stimulating effect of MPH can be positively fostered in the presence of α-syn/Syn III co-aggregation. This evidence holds significant implications for PD and ADHD therapeutic management.openopenFaustini G.; Longhena F.; Bruno A.; Bono F.; Grigoletto J.; La Via L.; Barbon A.; Casiraghi A.; Straniero V.; Valoti E.; Costantino G.; Benfenati F.; Missale C.; Pizzi M.; Spillantini M.G.; Bellucci A.Faustini, G.; Longhena, F.; Bruno, A.; Bono, F.; Grigoletto, J.; La Via, L.; Barbon, A.; Casiraghi, A.; Straniero, V.; Valoti, E.; Costantino, G.; Benfenati, F.; Missale, C.; Pizzi, M.; Spillantini, M. G.; Bellucci, A

Effects of Ibuprofen intake in muscle damage, body temperature and muscle power in Paralympic powerlifting athletes

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of ingesting ibuprofen on post-workout recovery of muscle damage, body temperature and muscle power indicators in Paralympic powerlifting athletes. The study was carried out with eight Paralympic powerlifting athletes (aged 27.0 ± 5.3 years and 79.9 ± 25.5 kg of body mass) competing at the national level, with a minimum training experience of 12 months, who all submitted to two experimental conditions: Ibuprofen (2 × 00 mg) and control. The maximal isometric force of the upper limbs and rate of force development, thermography, and serum biochemical analyzes of creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase were measured before, after, 24 h after and 48 h after the intervention. Maximal isometric force only decreased in the placebo condition, which increased back to baseline levels, while no substantial decline in baseline force was seen in the ibuprofen condition, although no effect for exercise condition was detected. After the exercise, the rate of force development decreased significantly for both conditions and did not exceed baseline levels again after 48 h. Muscle temperature decreased significantly at 48-h post-exercise in the placebo condition, when compared with the previous day of measurement; and deltoid muscle temperature at 48-h post-exercise was higher with the ibuprofen condition. Although the results indicate some positive effects of ibuprofen use, they do not enable a clear statement regarding its positive effects on muscle function and muscle damage. Ibuprofen seems to have caused a delay in the anti-inflammatory response following exercise.publishedVersio

Brief cognitive assessment in a UK population sample – distributional properties and the relationship between the MMSE and an extended mental state examination

BACKGROUND: Despite the MMSE's known flaws, it is still used extensively as both a screening instrument for dementia and a population measure of cognitive ability. The aim of this paper is to provide data on the distribution of MMSE scores in a representative sample from the UK population and to compare it with an extended cognitive assessment (EMSE) which covers a wider range of cognitive domains and provides a wider range of difficulty levels. METHODS: The MMSE and the EMSE were administered to over 12,000 participants at the screening stage of the MRC Cognitive Function and Ageing Study (MRC CFAS). MRC CFAS is a multi-centre population-based study in England and Wales with respondents aged 65 years and older. RESULTS: Normative values on the MMSE and EMSE are presented by age group, sex and level of education. There are very large differences between age groups, with smaller differences seen between the sexes and by level of education. The EMSE extends the scores at the high end of the ability range, but is no better than the MMSE at differentiating between dementia and non-dementia. CONCLUSION: Population-derived norms are valuable for comparing an individual's score to the score that would be expected among the general population, given the individual's specific demographic characteristics

Associations between cardiac arrhythmia, incident disability in activities of daily living and physical performance: the ILSA study

Background: Cardiac arrhythmias are common conditions in older people. Unfortunately, there is limited literature on associations between cardiac arrhythmias and physical performance or disability. We therefore aimed to prospectively investigate associations between cardiac arrhythmias and changes in disability and physical performance during 8 years of follow-up, using data from the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging (ILSA). Methods: Cardiac arrhythmias diagnosis was posed through a screening phase, confirmed by a physician. The onset of disability in activities of daily living (ADL) and the changes in several physical performance tests during follow-up were considered as outcomes. Fully-adjusted and propensity-score Cox Proportional Hazard models and mixed models were used for exploring associations between cardiac arrhythmia and the outcomes of interest. Results: The prevalence of cardiac arrhythmia at baseline was 23.3%. People reporting cardiac arrhythmia at the baseline were significantly older, more frequently male, smokers and reported a higher presence of all medical conditions investigated (hypertension, heart failure, angina, myocardial infarction, diabetes, stroke), but no difference in dementia, Parkinsonism, cognitive or mood disorder. Cardiac arrhythmia at baseline was significantly associated with the incidence of disability in ADL (HR = 1.23; 95%: CI: 1.01–1.50; P = 0.0478 in propensity score analyses; HR = 1.28; 95% CI: 1.01–1.61; P = 0.0401 in fully adjusted models). Cardiac arrhythmia at baseline was also associated with a significant worsening in balance test (P = 0.0436). Conclusions: The presence of cardiac arrhythmia at baseline was associated with a significant higher risk of disability and of worsening in some physical performance tests, particularly those relating to balance. Screening and frequently assessing physical performance in older people affected by cardiac arrhythmia can be important to prevent a loss of physical performance, with further, potential, complications of medical management

Patterns of Cognitive Performance in Healthy Ageing in Northern Portugal: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Background: The Minho Integrative Neuroscience Database (MIND)-Ageing project aims to identify predictors of healthy cognitive ageing, including socio-demographic factors. In this exploratory analysis we sought to establish baseline cohorts for longitudinal assessment of age-related changes in cognition. Methods: The population sample (472 individuals) was strictly a convenient one, but similar to the Portuguese population in the age profile. Participants older than 55 years of age were included if they did not present defined disabling pathologies or dementia. A standardized clinical interview was conducted to assess medical history and a battery of neuropsychological tests was administered to characterize global cognition (Mini Mental State Examination), memory and executive functions (Selective Reminding Test; Stroop Color and Word Test; and Block Design subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale). Cross-sectional analysis of the neuropsychological performance with individual characteristics such as age, gender, educational level and setting (retirement home, senior university, day care center or community), allowed the establishment of baseline clusters for subsequent longitudinal studies. Results: Based on different socio-demographic characteristics, four main clusters that group distinctive patterns of cognitive performance were identified. The type of institution where the elders were sampled from, together with the level of formal education, were the major hierarchal factors for individual distribution in the four clusters. Of notice, education seems to delay the cognitive decline that is associated with age in all clusters. Conclusions: Social-inclusion/engagement and education seem to have a protective effect on mental ageing, although this effect may not be effective in the eldest elders