218 research outputs found
The role of dietary inflammatory index in cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome and mortality
Abstract: Inflammation is an underlying pathophysiological process in chronic diseases, such as
obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. In fact, a number of systematic reviews
have shown the association between inflammatory biomarkers, such as CRP, IL-1 , IL-6, TNF- ,
IL-4, or IL-10, and cardio-metabolic diseases. Diet is one of the main lifestyle-related factors which
modulates the inflammatory process. Different individual foods and dietary patterns can have
a beneficial health effect associated with their anti-inflammatory properties. The dietary inflammatory
index (DII) was recently developed to estimate the inflammatory potential of overall diet. The aim of
this review is to examine the findings of recent papers that have investigated the association between
the DII, cardio-metabolic risk factors and cardiovascular disease. The relevance of the DII score in the
association between inflammation and cardio-metabolic diseases is critically appraised, as well as its
role in the context of healthy dietary patterns. We conclude that the DII score seems to be a useful tool
to appraise the inflammatory capacity of the diet and to better understand the relationships between
diet, inflammation, and cardio-metabolic diseases
Consumo de jamón curado e incidencia de eventos cardiovasculares, hipertensión arterial o ganancia de peso
Fundamento y objetivo: El jamón curado es uno de los alimentos característicos de la dieta mediterránea española. Sin embargo, no existe ningún estudio epidemiológico prospectivo que haya valorado sus efectos sobre la salud humana. Nuestro objetivo fue evaluar la asociación entre el consumo de jamón curado y la incidencia de hipertensión arterial, enfermedad cardiovascular y/o ganancia de peso.
Sujetos y método: En una cohorte epidemiológica prospectiva y dinámica de 13.293 graduados universitarios (Proyecto SUN) se analizó la incidencia de enfermedad cardiovascular, hipertensión arterial y la ganancia de peso a lo largo de un seguimiento máximo de 6 años. Se ajustaron modelos de regresión de Cox para estimar hazard ratios (riesgos relativos [RR]) tras ajustar por posibles factores de confusión.
Resultados: El consumo de jamón en los niveles más altos (> 4 raciones/semana) no presentaba asociación con la incidencia de eventos cardiovasculares (RR=1,02; [IC 95%: 0,44-2,39]), tras ajustar por edad, sexo, ingesta energética total y patrón dietético, en comparación con los consumos inferiores a una vez por semana. Al repetir esta comparación para la hipertensión, y tras ajustar por edad, sexo, ingesta energética total e índice de masa corporal, se encontró un RR = 0.74 (IC 95%: 0.55-1.01). En la comparación del cambio de peso medio anual entre estas mismas categorías extremas de consumo (=4 raciones) se encontró una diferencia no significativa de 0,033 kg (IC 95%: -0,041 a +0,107) en la ganancia media de peso al año tras ajustar por sexo, edad, tabaco, actividad física e índice de masa corporal inicial.
Conclusiones: Los resultados de esta cohorte no proporcionan evidencia de que el consumo de jamón curado se asocie a mayor riesgo cardiovascular, de hipertensión arterial o de ganancia de peso.Background and objective: Cured ham is a characteristic food in Spanish Mediterranean diet. However, no prospective epidemiologic study assessing its effects on human health is available. Our aim was to assess the association between the consumption of cured ham and cardiovascular disease, hypertension or weight gain.
Subjects and Method: In a prospective and dynamic epidemiologic cohort composed exclusively of university graduates (the SUN Project, n=13,293), we analyzed the incidence of cardiovascular disease, hypertension or average yearly weight gain after a maximum follow-up of 6 years. Cox (proportional hazards) regression models were fitted to estimate hazard ratios (relative risks [RR]) after adjusting for potential confounding.
Results: No association was found between higher levels of consumption of cured ham (> 4 servings/week) and the incidence of cardiovascular disease (RR=1.02; [95%CI]: 0.44-2.39), in analyses adjusted for age, sex, total energy intake and dietary pattern, compared to the consumption of less than one serving a week. When we repeated this comparison for the incidence of hypertension, and adjusting for age, sex, total energy intake and body mass index, the RR was 0.74 (95% CI: 0.55-1.01). In the comparison of average yearly weight gain between these extreme categories of cured ham consumption (=4 servings/week) a non-significant difference of 0.033 kg (95% CI: -0.041 to 0.107) was found after adjusting for sex, age, smoking, physical activity, and baseline body mass index.
Conclusions: The results of this cohort study do not support any association between the consumption of cured ham and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension or weight gain
First sexual intercourse and subsequent regret in three developing countries
Purpose: Adolescents who engage in sex can be affected by a range of negative physical and psychological consequences. We intend to analyze the reasons behind first sex, regret, and the association between reasons and regret.
Methods: A questionnaire was implemented to 8495 high schools students, aged 14-18, in the Philippines, El Salvador and Peru. Sexually active participants responded whether several circumstances were reasons involved in their first sexual relationship. They also responded whether they regretted having already had sexual relationships.
Results: More than a third of respondents reported at least one external pressure leading to first sex, and about half reported at least one reason implying getting carried away by sexual arousal.
More females affirmed they regret having already had sex. Logistic regression shows that reasons for first sex associated with regret were partner insistence, "uncontrolled situations" and seeing sexual images. These reasons were associated with regret even when love was also reported as related to first sex.
Conclusions: Adolescent sexual experience is often motivated by pressure and circumstances that lower the control over their decisions concerning sex, such as external pressure (because most friends already had sex or because of partner insistence) or getting carried away by sexual arousal (through an "uncontrolled situation" or viewing sexual images) rather than by mature decisions, and this may result in later regret. Adolescents should be helped by parents, educators and policy makers to be aware of these characteristics of adolescent sex and empowered to make assertive and informed decisions concerning their sexuality
Financial conflicts of interest and reporting bias regarding the association between sugar-sweetened beverages and weight gain: a systematic review of systematic reviews
Background: Industry sponsors’ financial interests might bias the conclusions of scientific research. We examined whether
financial industry funding or the disclosure of potential conflicts of interest influenced the results of published systematic
reviews (SRs) conducted in the field of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and weight gain or obesity.
Methods and Findings: We conducted a search of the PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases to identify
published SRs from the inception of the databases to August 31, 2013, on the association between SSB consumption and
weight gain or obesity. SR conclusions were independently classified by two researchers into two groups: those that found
a positive association and those that did not. These two reviewers were blinded with respect to the stated source of funding
and the disclosure of conflicts of interest. We identified 17 SRs (with 18 conclusions). In six of the SRs a financial conflict of
interest with some food industry was disclosed. Among those reviews without any reported conflict of interest, 83.3% of the
conclusions (10/12) were that SSB consumption could be a potential risk factor for weight gain. In contrast, the same
percentage of conclusions, 83.3% (5/6), of those SRs disclosing some financial conflict of interest with the food industry
were that the scientific evidence was insufficient to support a positive association between SSB consumption and weight
gain or obesity. Those reviews with conflicts of interest were five times more likely to present a conclusion of no positive
association than those without them (relative risk: 5.0, 95% CI: 1.3–19.3). An important limitation of this study is the
impossibility of ruling out the existence of publication bias among those studies not declaring any conflict of interest.
However, the best large randomized trials also support a direct association between SSB consumption and weight gain or
obesity.
Conclusions: Financial conflicts of interest may bias conclusions from SRs on SSB consumption and weight gain or obesity
A review of a priori defined oxidative balance scores relative to their components and impact on health outcomes
Oxidative Balance Scores (OBSs) are tools that have emerged to evaluate the global balance
of individuals’ oxidation—reduction status. The aim was to compare OBSs available in the literature
regarding their characteristics and associations with chronic diseases in epidemiological studies.
Studies that developed OBSs were searched in PubMed until August 2018. A total of 21 OBSs were
identified. These OBSs presented different scoring schemes and different types of anti- and pro-oxidant
components, including dietary factors (dietary intake and/or nutrient biomarkers), lifestyle factors,
and medications. Most OBSs were based on over 10 components, and some included only dietary
factors. Few considered weighted components in the score. Only three OBSs were validated as
potential surrogates of oxidative balance through inflammation and OS-related biomarkers. Notably,
all the OBSs were associated—to a varying degree—with a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases,
chronic kidney disease, colorectal adenomas, and different cancer types (colorectal and breast cancer),
as well as with all-cause and cancer-related mortality. For other outcomes, e.g., prostate cancer,
contradictory results were reported. In summary, there is a great heterogeneity in the definition
of OBSs. Most studies are concordant in supporting that excessive OS reflected by a lower OBS
has deleterious effects on health. Unified criteria for defining the proper OBSs, valuable to gauge
OS-related aspects of the diet and lifestyle that may lead to adverse health outcomes, are needed
Familia, amigos y otras fuentes de información asociadas al inicio de las relaciones sexuales en adolescentes de El Salvador
Objetivo. El objetivo de este estudio es comprobar cómo influyen en el inicio de la actividad sexual de los jóvenes salvadoreños los mensajes que reciben sobre cuestiones de sexualidad, afectividad y ocio a través de la familia, los amigos y los medios de comunicación.
Métodos. Estudio transversal a partir de una muestra representativa de 2 615 estudiantes (de 13 a 19 años) de El Salvador. Se utilizó un muestreo sistemático aleatorio para seleccionar 30 colegios. Se recogieron aspectos sociodemográficos, estilos de vida y fuentes de información sobre sexualidad y amor utilizadas por los jóvenes.
Resultados. La edad media de los jóvenes fue de 15 años (DE = 1,8). En total 638 (24,4%) jóvenes afirmaron haber tenido relaciones sexuales. Los siguientes factores se asociaron con una mayor probabilidad de haber tenido relaciones sexuales: percibir que los hermanos (OR = 1,8, IC 95%: 1,2–2,7) o los amigos (OR = 1,7, IC 95%: 1,3–2,2) apoyan que se tengan relaciones sexuales. Como factores protectores se encontraron la supervisión de los padres (OR = 0,5, IC 95%: 0,4–0,7); recibir mensajes que apoyan la abstinencia por parte de amigos (OR = 0,7, IC 95%: 0,6–1,0) o hermanos (OR = 0,7, IC 95%: 0,5–0,8) y recibir mensajes favorables al matrimonio por parte de los padres (OR = 0,4, IC 95%: 0,3–0,6).
Conclusiones. Los mensajes de la familia y amigos son factores que parecen influir en el inicio de las relaciones sexuales de los jóvenes. Los programas de promoción de la salud sexual en El Salvador deberían tener en cuenta estos factores
Informed consent and approval by institutional review boards in published reports on clinical trials
Dietary Fat Intake and the Risk of Depression: The SUN Project
Emerging evidence relates some nutritional factors to depression risk. However, there is a scarcity of longitudinal
assessments on this relationship.
Objective: To evaluate the association between fatty acid intake or the use of culinary fats and depression incidence in a
Mediterranean population.
Material and Methods: Prospective cohort study (1999–2010) of 12,059 Spanish university graduates (mean age: 37.5 years)
initially free of depression with permanently open enrolment. At baseline, a 136-item validated food frequency
questionnaire was used to estimate the intake of fatty acids (saturated fatty acids (SFA), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA),
trans unsaturated fatty acids (TFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and culinary fats (olive oil, seed oils, butter and
margarine) During follow-up participants were classified as incident cases of depression if they reported a new clinical
diagnosis of depression by a physician and/or initiated the use of antidepressant drugs. Cox regression models were used to
calculate Hazard Ratios (HR) of incident depression and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) for successive quintiles of fats.
Results: During follow-up (median: 6.1 years), 657 new cases of depression were identified. Multivariable-adjusted HR (95%
CI) for depression incidence across successive quintiles of TFA intake were: 1 (ref), 1.08 (0.82–1.43), 1.17 (0.88–1.53), 1.28
(0.97–1.68), 1.42 (1.09–1.84) with a significant dose-response relationship (p for trend = 0.003). Results did not substantially
change after adjusting for potential lifestyle or dietary confounders, including adherence to a Mediterranean Dietary
Pattern. On the other hand, an inverse and significant dose-response relationship was obtained for MUFA (p for trend = 0.05)
and PUFA (p for trend = 0.03) intake.
Conclusions: A detrimental relationship was found between TFA intake and depression risk, whereas weak inverse
associations were found for MUFA, PUFA and olive oil. These findings suggest that cardiovascular disease and depression
may share some common nutritional determinants related to subtypes of fat intake
Substitution Models ofWater for Other Beverages, and the Incidence of Obesity and Weight Gain in the SUN Cohort
Obesity is a major epidemic for developed countries in the 21st century. The main
cause of obesity is energy imbalance, of which contributing factors include a sedentary lifestyle,
epigenetic factors and excessive caloric intake through food and beverages. A high consumption of
caloric beverages, such as alcoholic or sweetened drinks, may particularly contribute to weight gain,
and lower satiety has been associated with the intake of liquid instead of solid calories. Our objective
was to evaluate the association between the substitution of a serving per day of water for another
beverage (or group of them) and the incidence of obesity and weight change in a Mediterranean
cohort, using mathematical models. We followed 15,765 adults without obesity at baseline. The intake
of 17 beverage items was assessed at baseline through a validated food-frequency questionnaire.
The outcomes were average change in body weight in a four-year period and new-onset obesity
and their association with the substitution of one serving per day of water for one of the other
beverages. During the follow-up, 873 incident cases of obesity were identified. In substitution models,
the consumption of water instead of beer or sugar-sweetened soda beverages was associated with
a lower obesity incidence (the Odds Ratio (OR) 0.80 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.68 to 0.94) and
OR 0.85 (95% CI 0.75 to 0.97); respectively) and, in the case of beer, it was also associated with a higher
average weight loss (weight change difference = 328 g; (95% CI 566 to 89)). Thus, this study
found that replacing one sugar-sweetened soda beverage or beer with one serving of water per day
at baseline was related to a lower incidence of obesity and to a higher weight loss over a four-year
period time in the case of beer, based on mathematical models
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