A Mediterranean lifestyle reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease in the “Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra” (SUN) cohort

Background and aims: A healthy lifestyle is essential to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, beyond dietary habits, there is a scarcity of studies comprehensively assessing the typical traditional Mediterranean lifestyle with a multi-dimensional index. We assessed the association between the Mediterranean lifestyle (measured with the MEDLIFE index including diet, physical activity, and other lifestyle factors) and the incidence of CVD. Methods and results: The “Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra” (SUN) project is a prospective, dynamic and multipurpose cohort of Spanish university graduates. We calculated a MEDLIFE score, composed of 28 items on food consumption, dietary habits, physical activity, rest, social habits, and conviviality, for 18,631 participants by assigning 1 point for each typical Mediterra- nean lifestyle factor achieved, for a theoretically possible final score ranging from 0 to 28 points. During an average follow-up of 11.5 years, 172 CVD cases (myocardial infarction, stroke or cardio- vascular death) were observed. An inverse association between the MEDLIFE score and the risk of primary cardiovascular events was observed, with multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) Z 0.50; (95% confidence interval, 0.31e0.81) for the highest MEDLIFE scores (14e23 points) compared to the lowest scores (0e9 points), p (trend) Z 0.004. Conclusion: A higher level of adherence to the Mediterranean lifestyle was significantly associ- ated with a lower risk of CVD in a Spanish cohort. Public health strategies should promote the Mediterranean lifestyle to preserve cardiovascular health

Healthy lifestyle and incidence of metabolic syndrome in the SUN cohort

We assessed the relationship between a healthy lifestyle and the subsequent risk of developing metabolic syndrome. The "Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra" (SUN) Project is a prospective cohort study, focused on nutrition, lifestyle, and chronic diseases. Participants (n = 10,807, mean age 37 years, 67% women) initially free of metabolic syndrome were followed prospectively for a minimum of 6 years. To evaluate healthy lifestyle, nine habits were used to derive a Healthy Lifestyle Score (HLS): Never smoking, moderate to high physical activity (>20 MET-h/week), Mediterranean diet (>= 4/8 adherence points), moderate alcohol consumption (women, 0.1-5.0 g/day; men, 0.1-10.0 g/day), low television exposure (1 h/day, and working at least 40 h/week. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the harmonizing definition. The association between the baseline HLS and metabolic syndrome at follow-up was assessed with multivariable-adjusted logistic regressions. During follow-up, we observed 458 (4.24%) new cases of metabolic syndrome. Participants in the highest category of HLS adherence (7-9 points) enjoyed a significantly reduced risk of developing metabolic syndrome compared to those in the lowest category (0-3 points) (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.66, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.47-0.93). Higher adherence to the Healthy Lifestyle Score was associated with a lower risk of developing metabolic syndrome. The HLS may be a simple metabolic health promotion tool

Καρκίνος Ήπατος και αρχενικό στο πόσιμο νερό. Μια συστηματική ανασκόπηση της βιβλιογραφίας: Liver cancer and arsenic through drinking water. A systematic review of literature

Η έκθεση στο αρσενικό μέσω του πόσιμου νερού αποτελεί καίριο ζήτημα της δημόσιας υγείας. Πραγματοποιήσαμε συστηματική ανασκόπηση της υπάρχουσας βιβλιογραφίας εξετάζοντας τον συσχετισμό του καρκίνου του ήπατος με την έκθεση στο αρσενικό μέσω του πόσιμου νερού. Έρευνα πραγματοποιήθηκε σε ηλεκτρονικές βάσεις δεδομένων για δημοσιευμένες μελέτες μέχρι και τον Απρίλιο του 2012. Εντοπίστηκαν επτά οικολογικές, τρεις ασθενών-μαρτύρων και δύο μελέτες κοόρτης. Η πλειοψηφία αυτών διεξήχθη σε περιοχές με υψηλές συγκεντρώσεις σε αρσενικό όπως Ταϊβάν, Πακιστάν, Μπανγκλαντές, ΗΠΑ και Χιλή. Οι περισσότερες μελέτες ανέφεραν υψηλότερα ποσοστά καρκίνου του ήπατος στις παραπάνω περιοχές συγκριτικά με τον γενικό πληθυσμό ή ομάδες ελέγχου με χαμηλότερη έκθεση. Η έκθεση στο αρσενικό εκτιμήθηκε σε ατομικό επίπεδο σε δύο μόνο μελέτες και με τη χρήση βιοδείκτη σε μία. Επιπλέον, εννέα μελέτες έλεγξαν και για άλλους συγχυτικούς παράγοντες πέραν της ηλικίας. Όλες οι μελέτες κοόρτης και ασθενών-μαρτύρων στάθμισαν ως προς το κάπνισμα. Παρά ορισμένους μεθοδολογικούς περιορισμούς των μελετών (σε διάφορες περιοχές, με διαφορετικό σχεδιασμό), η παρατήρηση θετικών συσχετισμών από την πλειοψηφία των μελετών καταδεικνύει ύπαρξη σχέσης αιτιότητας μεταξύ της έκθεσης σε υψηλές συγκεντρώσεις αρσενικού και της εμφάνισης καρκίνου του ήπατος. Ο κίνδυνος εμφάνισης καρκίνου του ήπατος σε χαμηλές συγκεντρώσεις αρσενικού και για σύντομη περίοδο έκθεσης επιδέχεται περαιτέρω διερεύνησης

Mediterranean Diet and Workplace Health Promotion

Analytical and experimental studies confirm relationships between the consumption of certain foods and cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. Mediterranean diet patterns have long been associated with a reduced risk of major diseases and many favorable health outcomes. Data from observational, longitudinal, and randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that Mediterranean-style diets can improve body mass index and body weight, reduce the incidence of diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome risk factors, decrease cardiovascular morbidity and coronary heart disease mortality, as well as decrease all-cause mortality. Recently, efforts have attempted to improve dietary habits in the workplace, by modifying food selection, eating patterns, meal frequency, and the sourcing of meals taken during work. Evidence supporting the Mediterranean diet and the potential cardioprotective role of healthier diets in the workplace are reviewed here, and promising strategies to improve metabolic and cardiovascular health outcomes are also provided. © 2014, The Author(s)

Η περιοχή των Οινοφύτων και η ρύπανση των πηγών πόσιμου νερού από βαρέα μέταλλα: The pollution from metals of drinking water sources in Oinofyta region

Η περιοχή των Οινοφύτων ήταν αρχικά αγροτική. Μετά από την έκδοση σειρά διυπουργικών-προεδρικών αποφάσεων που διευκόλυναν την εγκατάσταση βιομηχανιών και επέτρεπαν τη διάθεση των λυμάτων στον Ασωπό ποταμό, μετατράπηκε σε έντονα βιομηχανική με πρόβλημα ρύπανσης κυρίως από βαρέα μέταλλα. Η παρούσα εργασία στόχο έχει τη σκιαγράφηση του ζητήματος της ρύπανσης των πηγών πόσιμου νερού των Οινοφύτων από βαρέα μέταλλα βιομηχανικής προέλευσης και τη σύντομη καταγραφή υφιστάμενων σχετικών μετρήσεων της εγχώριας βιβλιογραφίας αλλά και μέσω αρμόδιων υπηρεσιών. Σύμφωνα με στοιχεία του δήμου το 1996 μετρήθηκε συγκέντρωση Cr+6 ίση με 54 μg/L σε παροχή πόσιμου νερού. Το 2003 σημειώθηκαν 4 μετρήσεις Cr από 50,3 έως 54,9 μg/L. Υπερβάσεις του ανώτατου ορίου για το As σημειώθηκαν κατά τα έτη 2004, 2008 και τον Pb το 2003. Σύμφωνα με μελέτη του ΙΓΜΕ σε 35 δείγματα ανιχνεύθηκε συγκεντρώσεις Cr+6 ανώτερες των 10 μg/L και ανώτερη τιμή τα 156 μg/L. Επιπλέον, αυξημένες τιμές Ni, As και Pb παρατηρήθηκαν σε θέσεις εκατέρωθεν της κοίτης του Ασωπού και σε περιοχές των Οινοφύτων, Σχηματαρίου και Αυλώνας. Τέλος, μελέτη του Γεωλογικού τμήματος του Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών έδειξε υπερβάσεις των ανώτατων ορίων στο Cr και As. Συμπερασματικά, οι αυξημένες συγκεντρώσεις των βαρέων μετάλλων είναι πιθανό αποτέλεσμα της βιομηχανικής ρύπανσης της περιοχής με επιπτώσεις στη δημόσια υγεία

Association Between Push-up Exercise Capacity and Future Cardiovascular Events Among Active Adult Men

Importance: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Robust evidence indicates an association of increased physical fitness with a lower risk of CVD events and improved longevity; however, few have studied simple, low-cost measures of functional status. Objective: To evaluate the association between push-up capacity and subsequent CVD event incidence in a cohort of active adult men. Design, Setting, and Participants: Retrospective longitudinal cohort study conducted between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2010, in 1 outpatient clinics in Indiana of male firefighters aged 18 years or older. Baseline and periodic physical examinations, including tests of push-up capacity and exercise tolerance, were performed between February 2, 2000, and November 12, 2007. Participants were stratified into 5 groups based on number of push-ups completed and were followed up for 10 years. Final statistical analyses were completed on August 11, 2018. Main Outcomes and Measures: Cardiovascular disease-related outcomes through 2010 included incident diagnoses of coronary artery disease and other major CVD events. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were computed, and logistic regression models were used to model the time to each outcome from baseline, adjusting for age and body mass index (BMI) (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared). Kaplan-Meier estimates for cumulative risk were computed for the push-up categories. Results: A total of 1562 participants underwent baseline examination, and 1104 with available push-up data were included in the final analyses. Mean (SD) age of the cohort at baseline was 39.6 (9.2) years, and mean (SD) BMI was 28.7 (4.3). During the 10-year follow up, 37 CVD-related outcomes (8601 person-years) were reported in participants with available push-up data. Significant negative associations were found between increasing push-up capacity and CVD events. Participants able to complete more than 40 push-ups were associated with a significantly lower risk of incident CVD event risk compared with those completing fewer than 10 push-ups (IRR, 0.04; 95% CI, 0.01-0.36). Conclusions and Relevance: The findings suggest that higher baseline push-up capacity is associated with a lower incidence of CVD events. Although larger studies in more diverse cohorts are needed, push-up capacity may be a simple, no-cost measure to estimate functional status

Metabolomics and microbiomes as potential tools to evaluate the effects of the mediterranean diet

The approach to studying diet–health relationships has progressively shifted from individual dietary components to overall dietary patterns that affect the interaction and balance of low-molecular-weight metabolites (metabolome) and host-enteric microbial ecology (microbiome). Even though the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) has been recognized as a powerful strategy to improve health, the accurate assessment of exposure to the MedDiet has been a major challenge in epidemiological and clinical studies. Interestingly, while the effects of individual dietary components on the metabolome have been described, studies investigating metabolomic profiles in response to overall dietary patterns (including the MedDiet), although limited, have been gaining attention. Similarly, the beneficial effects of the MedDiet on cardiometabolic outcomes may be mediated through gut microbial changes. Accumulating evidence linking food ingestion and enteric microbiome alterations merits the evaluation of the microbiome-mediated effects of the MedDiet on metabolic pathways implicated in disease. In this narrative review, we aimed to summarize the current evidence from observational and clinical trials involving the MedDiet by (1) assessing changes in the metabolome and microbiome for the measurement of diet pattern adherence and (2) assessing health outcomes related to the MedDiet through alterations to human metabolomics and/or the microbiome

Anthocyanin Intake and physical activity: associations with the lipid profile of a US working population

While growing evidence exists on the independent associations between anthocyanins and physical activity on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk determinants, the possible interaction between these exposures has not yet been studied. We aimed to study the potential synergism between anthocyanin intake and physical activity on lipid profile measures. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 249 US career firefighters participating in the Feeding America's Bravest trial. Anthocyanin intake was calculated using a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and physical activity level by a validated questionnaire. Multivariable linear regression models determined the extent to which anthocyanin intake and physical activity predicted lipid parameters. Generalized linear models were used for joint effect and interaction analyses on the multiplicative and additive scales. Both anthocyanins and physical activity were independently inversely associated with total cholesterol:high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Only physical activity was inversely associated with triglycerides, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol:HDL, and triglycerides (TG):HDL. Although the combined exposure of low anthocyanin intake and low physical activity was associated with lower (RR is 2.83; 95/100 CI: 1.42 to 5.67) HDL cholesterol 40 mg/dL, neither multiplicative (p is 0.72) nor additive interactions were detected (relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI): 0.02; 95/100 CI: -1.63 to 1.66; p is 0.98). Our findings provide insight on the potential synergism between anthocyanin intake and physical activity on the lipid profile

Anthocyanin Intake and physical activity: associations with the lipid profile of a US working population

While growing evidence exists on the independent associations between anthocyanins and physical activity on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk determinants, the possible interaction between these exposures has not yet been studied. We aimed to study the potential synergism between anthocyanin intake and physical activity on lipid profile measures. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 249 US career firefighters participating in the Feeding America's Bravest trial. Anthocyanin intake was calculated using a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and physical activity level by a validated questionnaire. Multivariable linear regression models determined the extent to which anthocyanin intake and physical activity predicted lipid parameters. Generalized linear models were used for joint effect and interaction analyses on the multiplicative and additive scales. Both anthocyanins and physical activity were independently inversely associated with total cholesterol:high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Only physical activity was inversely associated with triglycerides, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol:HDL, and triglycerides (TG):HDL. Although the combined exposure of low anthocyanin intake and low physical activity was associated with lower (RR is 2.83; 95/100 CI: 1.42 to 5.67) HDL cholesterol 40 mg/dL, neither multiplicative (p is 0.72) nor additive interactions were detected (relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI): 0.02; 95/100 CI: -1.63 to 1.66; p is 0.98). Our findings provide insight on the potential synergism between anthocyanin intake and physical activity on the lipid profile