Ibero-American Consensus on Low- and No-Calorie Sweeteners: Safety, Nutritional Aspects and Benefits in Food and Beverages

International scientific experts in food, nutrition, dietetics, endocrinology, physical activity, paediatrics, nursing, toxicology and public health met in Lisbon on 2-4 July 2017 to develop a Consensus on the use of low- and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCS) as substitutes for sugars and other caloric sweeteners. LNCS are food additives that are broadly used as sugar substitutes to sweeten foods and beverages with the addition of fewer or no calories. They are also used in medicines, health-care products, such as toothpaste, and food supplements. The goal of this Consensus was to provide a useful, evidence-based, point of reference to assist in efforts to reduce free sugars consumption in line with current international public health recommendations. Participating experts in the Lisbon Consensus analysed and evaluated the evidence in relation to the role of LNCS in food safety, their regulation and the nutritional and dietary aspects of their use in foods and beverages. The conclusions of this Consensus were: (1) LNCS are some of the most extensively evaluated dietary constituents, and their safety has been reviewed and confirmed by regulatory bodies globally including the World Health Organisation, the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Food Safety Authority; (2) Consumer education, which is based on the most robust scientific evidence and regulatory processes, on the use of products containing LNCS should be strengthened in a comprehensive and objective way; (3) The use of LNCS in weight reduction programmes that involve replacing caloric sweeteners with LNCS in the context of structured diet plans may favour sustainable weight reduction. Furthermore, their use in diabetes management programmes may contribute to a better glycaemic control in patients, albeit with modest results. LNCS also provide dental health benefits when used in place of free sugars; (4) It is proposed that foods and beverages with LNCS could be included in dietary guidelines as alternative options to products sweetened with free sugars; (5) Continued education of health professionals is required, since they are a key source of information on issues related to food and health for both the general population and patients. With this in mind, the publication of position statements and consensus documents in the academic literature are extremely desirable

Outpatient Parenteral Antibiotic Treatment for Infective Endocarditis: A Prospective Cohort Study From the GAMES Cohort

BACKGROUND: Outpatient parenteral antibiotic treatment (OPAT) has proven efficacious for treating infective endocarditis (IE). However, the 2001 Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) criteria for OPAT in IE are very restrictive. We aimed to compare the outcomes of OPAT with those of hospital-based antibiotic treatment (HBAT). METHODS: Retrospective analysis of data from a multicenter, prospective cohort study of 2000 consecutive IE patients in 25 Spanish hospitals (2008-2012) was performed. RESULTS: A total of 429 patients (21.5%) received OPAT, and only 21.7% fulfilled IDSA criteria. Males accounted for 70.5%, median age was 68 years (interquartile range [IQR], 56-76), and 57% had native-valve IE. The most frequent causal microorganisms were viridans group streptococci (18.6%), Staphylococcus aureus (15.6%), and coagulase-negative staphylococci (14.5%). Median length of antibiotic treatment was 42 days (IQR, 32-54), and 44% of patients underwent cardiac surgery. One-year mortality was 8% (42% for HBAT; P < .001), 1.4% of patients relapsed, and 10.9% were readmitted during the first 3 months after discharge (no significant differences compared with HBAT). Charlson score (odds ratio [OR], 1.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-1.42; P = .01) and cardiac surgery (OR, 0.24; 95% CI, .09-.63; P = .04) were associated with 1-year mortality, whereas aortic valve involvement (OR, 0.47; 95% CI, .22-.98; P = .007) was the only predictor of 1-year readmission. Failing to fulfill IDSA criteria was not a risk factor for mortality or readmission. CONCLUSIONS: OPAT provided excellent results despite the use of broader criteria than those recommended by IDSA. OPAT criteria should therefore be expanded

Surgery and outcome of infective endocarditis in octogenarians: prospective data from the ESC EORP EURO-ENDO registry

Purpose: High mortality and a limited performance of valvular surgery are typical features of infective endocarditis (IE) in octogenarians, even though surgical treatment is a major determinant of a successful outcome in IE. Methods: Data from the prospective multicentre ESC EORP EURO-ENDO registry were used to assess the prognostic role of valvular surgery depending on age. Results: As compared to &lt; 80&nbsp;yo patients, ≥ 80&nbsp;yo had lower rates of theoretical indication for valvular surgery (49.1% vs. 60.3%, p &lt; 0.001), of surgery performed (37.0% vs. 75.5%, p &lt; 0.001), and a higher in-hospital (25.9% vs. 15.8%, p &lt; 0.001) and 1-year mortality (41.3% vs. 22.2%, p &lt; 0.001). By multivariable analysis, age per se was not predictive of 1-year mortality, but lack of surgical procedures when indicated was strongly predictive (HR 2.98 [2.43–3.66]). By propensity analysis, 304 ≥ 80&nbsp;yo were matched to 608 &lt; 80&nbsp;yo patients. Propensity analysis confirmed the lower rate of indication for valvular surgery (51.3% vs. 57.2%, p = 0.031) and of surgery performed (35.3% vs. 68.4%, p &lt; 0.0001) in ≥ 80&nbsp;yo. Overall mortality remained higher in ≥ 80&nbsp;yo (in-hospital: HR 1.50[1.06–2.13], p = 0.0210; 1-yr: HR 1.58[1.21–2.05], p = 0.0006), but was not different from that of &lt; 80&nbsp;yo among those who had surgery (in-hospital: 19.7% vs. 20.0%, p = 0.4236; 1-year: 27.3% vs. 25.5%, p = 0.7176). Conclusion: Although mortality rates are consistently higher in ≥ 80&nbsp;yo patients than in &lt; 80&nbsp;yo patients in the general population, mortality of surgery in ≥ 80&nbsp;yo is similar to &lt; 80&nbsp;yo after matching patients. These results confirm the importance of a better recognition of surgical indication and of an increased performance of surgery in ≥ 80&nbsp;yo patients

Correction to: Surgery and outcome of infective endocarditis in octogenarians: prospective data from the ESC EORP EURO-ENDO registry (Infection, (2022), 50, 5, (1191-1202), 10.1007/s15010-022-01792-0)

In this article the “EURO-ENDO Investigators group” member U. Y. Sinan was incorrectly written as U.S. Yasar. The original article has been corrected