What is known about the health and living conditions of the indigenous people of northern Scandinavia, the Sami?

The Sami are the indigenous ethnic population of northern Scandinavia. Their health condition is poorly known, although the knowledge has improved over the last decade.The aim was to review the current information on mortality, diseases, and risk factor exposure in the Swedish Sami population.Health-related research on Sami cohorts published in scientific journals and anthologies was used to compare the health condition among the Sami and the majority non-Sami population. When relevant, data from the Sami populations in Swedish were compared with corresponding data from Norwegian and Finnish Sami populations.Life expectancy and mortality patterns of the Sami are similar to those of the majority population. Small differences in incidences of cancer and cardiovascular diseases have been reported. The traditional Sami lifestyle seems to contain elements that reduce the risk to develop cancer and cardiovascular diseases, e.g. physical activity, diet rich in antioxidants and unsaturated fatty acids, and a strong cultural identity. Reindeer herding is an important cultural activity among the Sami and is associated with high risks for accidents. Pain in the lower back, neck, shoulders, elbows, and hands are frequent among both men and women in reindeer-herding families. For men, these symptoms are related to high exposure to terrain vehicles, particularly snowmobile, whereas for women psychosocial risk factors seem to more important, e.g. poor social support, high effort, low reward, and high economical responsibilities.Although the health condition of the Sami population appears to be rather similar to that of the general Swedish population, a number of specific health problems have been identified, especially among the reindeer-herding Sami. Most of these problems have their origin in marginalization and poor knowledge of the reindeer husbandry and the Sami culture in the majority population. It is suggested that the most sustainable measure to improve the health among the reindeer-herding Sami would be to improve the conditions of the reindeer husbandry and the Sami culture

Low level of phosphate in male patients reporting swallowing disturbances in early Parkinson's disease

Background & aim: Swallowing disturbances are associated with older age as well as with other subclinical disturbances of multifactorial origin in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). This study assesses nutritional markers and whole-body impedance data to better understand swallowing disturbances in Parkinson's disease. Design and patients included: This cross-sectional study includes baseline data from a cohort of newly diagnosed patients identified in the New Parkinsonism in Umeå study (NYPUM) (n = 75). Methods: Swallowing disturbance was registered as a score of one or more on the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) section II question number 7 on swallowing. The analysis used nutritional markers in plasma and anthropometry from bioimpedance. Results: Bivariate analysis revealed that swallowing disturbances were associated with low plasma phosphate levels for males (r = −0.428; p = 0.005) and for all patients with PD (r = −0.241; p = 0.037). In males but not in females, a negative association was found between age and albumin and amount of intra-cellular water (ICW, l). Plasma albumin was associated with plasma phosphate (r = 0.315; p = 0.006; n = 75, r = 0.361; p = 0.036; n = 34, r = 0.310; p = 0.049; n = 41). Another risk pattern indicating swallowing disturbance in females was revealed by an association with visceral adiposity index (VAI), plasma triglycerides (TG), and triglyceride/high density lipoprotein (TG/HDL) ratio. The adjusted logistic regression revealed that low phosphate in males and low magnesium in females were risk factors for swallowing disturbance. Conclusion: The age-related decline in plasma phosphate in males with PD may be an important nutritional marker for swallowing disturbances. Body composition measurements and nutritional markers provide information for the study of swallowing dysfunction as part of sarcopenia

Early Recognition of Cognitive Ability and Nutritional Markers for Dementia in Parkinson’s Disease

Background: Cognitive decline and dementia are common non-motor problems in Parkinson’s disease (PD). The underlying aetiology is multifaceted and both chronic and reversible causes for cognitive decline are likely to be present. Malnutrition is frequent in the Parkinson population, both early and late in the disease, and nutritional deficiencies could play a role in some cognitive deficits. Objectives: The objective is to study the association between nutritional status with focus on iron intake and homeostasis, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and PD dementia (PDD). Setting and Participants: This study included 73 out of 145 patients with PD participating in a population-based study in northern Sweden. Measurements: Registration of nutritional status by laboratory analyses of blood plasma and neuropsychological assessments at time of diagnosis were performed. MCI and PDD were assessed yearly up to ten years after diagnosis. Mini Nutritional Assessments (Full-MNA score) and plasma variables detecting iron homeostasis were compared between patients with MCI and patients with normal cognition (NC). Motor severity was measured using the Unified Parkinson´s disease rating scale III, (UPDRS III) and Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) staging scale. Cox proportional Hazard model were performed to see if any variables that differed between MCI and NC could predict PDD at follow-up. Results: Patients with MCI at time of diagnosis had lower levels of plasma iron (P-Fe) and albumin (P-Albumin) as well as a lower score on Full-MNA score. Dietary intake of iron was higher in patients with MCI than in patients with NC (p = 0.012). In logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, and UPDRS III, lower levels of P-Fe (p = 0.025) and P-Albumin (p = 0.011) and higher dietary iron intake (p = 0.019) were associated with MCI at baseline. A Cox regression model with dementia as endpoint revealed that lower levels of P-Fe increase the risk of dementia at follow-up with adjustments for age, sex, UPDRS III, and MCI at baseline (HR 95% CI = 0.87 (0.78-0.98), p = 0.021). Conclusions: Low P-Fe was associated with cognitive disturbance at baseline and predicted dementia up to ten years after diagnosis in patients with PD. Low P-Albumin and malnutrition assessed with Full-MNA score were associated with MCI at baseline but did not predict dementia at follow-up

Predicting energy requirement with pedometer-determined physical-activity level in women with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Nighat Farooqi,1 Frode Slinde,2 Maine Carlsson,3 Lena Håglin,4 Thomas Sandström1 1Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Division of Respiratory Medicine and Allergy, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; 2Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; 3Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; 4Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Division of Family Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden Background: In clinical practice, in the absence of objective measures, simple methods to predict energy requirement in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) needs to be evaluated. The aim of the present study was to evaluate predicted energy requirement in females with COPD using pedometer-determined physical activity level (PAL) multiplied by resting metabolic rate (RMR) equations. Methods: Energy requirement was predicted in 18 women with COPD using pedometer-determined PAL multiplied by six different RMR equations (Harris–Benedict; Schofield; World Health Organization; Moore; Nordic Nutrition Recommendations; Nordenson). Total energy expenditure (TEE) was measured by the criterion method: doubly labeled water. The predicted energy requirement was compared with measured TEE using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland–Altman analyses. Results: The energy requirement predicted by pedometer-determined PAL multiplied by six different RMR equations was within a reasonable accuracy (±10%) of the measured TEE for all equations except one (Nordenson equation). The ICC values between the criterion method (TEE) and predicted energy requirement were: Harris–Benedict, ICC =0.70, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.23–0.89; Schofield, ICC =0.71, 95% CI 0.21–0.89; World Health Organization, ICC =0.74, 95% CI 0.33–0.90; Moore, ICC =0.69, 95% CI 0.21–0.88; Nordic Nutrition Recommendations, ICC =0.70, 95% CI 0.17–0.89; and Nordenson, ICC =0.40, 95% CI -0.19 to 0.77. Bland–Altman plots revealed no systematic bias for predicted energy requirement except for Nordenson estimates. Conclusion: For clinical purposes, in absence of objective methods such as doubly labeled water method and motion sensors, energy requirement can be predicted using pedometer-determined PAL and common RMR equations. However, for assessment of nutritional status and for the purpose of giving nutritional treatment, a clinical judgment is important regarding when to accept a predicted energy requirement both at individual and group levels. Keywords: pedometer-determined PAL, women with COPD, energy expenditure, DLW metho

High serum phosphate and triglyceride levels in smoking women and men with CVD risk and type 2 diabetes

Background: Both low and high serum phosphate levels may be associated with morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease. As smoking increases risk for type 2 diabetes (as shown by dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia), we wanted to study whether smoking and type 2 diabetes were associated with serum phosphate and triglyceride levels independently from other CVD risk factors. Methods: Upon admittance to the Vindeln Health Education Centre (VHE-centre) for a four-week comprehensive lifestyle intervention, the participants (1408 women and 1096 men) completed a questionnaire that included their smoking habits - current smoker or non-smoker. We used multiple linear regression analyses to investigate the association between smoking and other CVD risk factors with S-P and S-TG levels. Results: In the non-type 2 diabetes populations, the smokers, compared to the non-smokers, had higher S-P and higher serum triglycerides (S-TG). In women, serum-TG in smokers with type 2 diabetes was higher than in smokers with non-type 2 diabetes. Non-type 2 diabetes patients exhibited an inverse relation between S-Glucose (S-Glu) and S-P and a positive association with S-TG. For men only, an association was seen between age (-) and S-Crea (-) and S-P. For women only, an association was seen between BMI (-) and S-Cholesterol (+) (S-Chol) and S-P. Conclusions: Compared to non-smokers, smoking women with non-type 2 diabetes and smoking men with type 2 diabetes had a higher level of S-P and S-TG. The association between smoking and S-P and S-TG levels still existed after adjusting for age and CVD risk factors in the multiple linear regression analyses