Effect of multivitamin and multimineral supplementation on cognitive function in men and women aged 65 years and over : a randomised controlled trial

Background: Observational studies have frequently reported an association between cognitive function and nutrition in later life but randomised trials of B vitamins and antioxidant supplements have mostly found no beneficial effect. We examined the effect of daily supplementation with 11 vitamins and 5 minerals on cognitive function in older adults to assess the possibility that this could help to prevent cognitive decline. Methods: The study was carried out as part of a randomised double blind placebo controlled trial of micronutrient supplementation based in six primary care health centres in North East Scotland. 910 men and women aged 65 years and over living in the community were recruited and randomised: 456 to active treatment and 454 to placebo. The active treatment consisted of a single tablet containing eleven vitamins and five minerals in amounts ranging from 50–210 % of the UK Reference Nutrient Intake or matching placebo tablet taken daily for 12 months. Digit span forward and verbal fluency tests, which assess immediate memory and executive functioning respectively, were conducted at the start and end of the intervention period. Risk of micronutrient deficiency at baseline was assessed by a simple risk questionnaire. Results: For digit span forward there was no evidence of an effect of supplements in all participants or in sub-groups defined by age or risk of deficiency. For verbal fluency there was no evidence of a beneficial effect in the whole study population but there was weak evidence for a beneficial effect of supplementation in the two pre-specified subgroups: in those aged 75 years and over (n 290; mean difference between supplemented and placebo groups 2.8 (95% CI -0.6, 6.2) units) and in those at increased risk of micronutrient deficiency assessed by the risk questionnaire (n 260; mean difference between supplemented and placebo groups 2.5 (95% CI -1.0, 6.1) units). Conclusion: The results provide no evidence for a beneficial effect of daily multivitamin and multimineral supplements on these domains of cognitive function in community-living people over 65 years. However, the possibility of beneficial effects in older people and those at greater risk of nutritional deficiency deserves further attention.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Heartbreak Hotei: Spirituality and Metabolic Syndrome

James, Christine (2013). Heartbreak Hotei: Spirituality and Metabolic Syndrome. Chronic Illness, Spirituality, and Healing. 1 electronic record (PDF).Colloquially, the medical diagnosis of “metabolic syndrome” and the physical condition of obesity might not be understood as chronic illness or chronic disease. To the lay person, chronic illness often refers to something “out of the patient’s control.” In contrast, chronic illness such as Crohn’s disease and celiac disease are not usually thought to be the result of repeated, habitual, poor dietary choices on the part of the patient; this is even less so with chronic conditions like multiple sclerosis or cystic fibrosis. Metabolic syndrome is not necessarily considered a chronic condition, because it can be remediated through lifestyle changes, healthier choices in food intake, and physical activity. Nevertheless, metabolic syndrome is directly related to chronic illness in terms of a specific set of clinical outcomes that are recognized by the Centers for Disease Control as chronic diseases, among them “heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and arthritis” (CDC, 2012). These chronic diseases are often listed in the medical diagnostic literature as clinical outcomes of metabolic syndrome, “a condition characterized by multiple risk factors” (AHA, 2004). The Mayo Clinic defines metabolic syndrome as a cluster of conditions—increased blood pressure, a high blood sugar level, excess body fat around the waist or abnormal cholesterol levels—that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Having just one of these conditions doesn’t mean you have metabolic syndrome. However, any of these conditions increase your risk of serious disease. (Mayo Clinic, 2011

Seasonal-to-interannual climate prediction: ENSO, IOD and South Africa

Background: We sought to evaluate the hospital and midterm results of different surgical revascularization techniques in pediatric patients within the European Congenital Heart Surgeons Association. Methods: From 1973 to 2011, 80 patients from 13 European Congenital Heart Surgeons Association centers underwent 65 pediatric coronary artery bypass grafting (PCABG) and 27 other coronary artery procedures (OCAP; 12 patients had combined PCABG and other coronary artery procedures). Excluded were patients with Kawasaki disease. Median age at the time of coronary procedure was 2.3 years (range, 2 days to 16.9 years); 33 patients (41.2%) were younger then 12 months. An emergency procedure was necessary in 34 patients (42.5%). Results: Twelve patients (15%) died in the hospital; age at surgery (p = 0.02) and the need for an emergent procedure (p = 0.0004) were related to hospital mortality. Median follow-up time was 7.6 years (range, 0.9 to 23 years). There were 3 late cardiac deaths, all after a median time of 4 years (range, 9 months to 8.8 years) after PCABG. Fourteen patients (20.5%) presented with symptoms, including congestive heart failure (n = 10) and angina (n = 4), that were significantly associated with a low ejection fraction (p < 0.001) and the presence of moderate or severe mitral valve regurgitation (p = 0.0003). Six patients underwent a reintervention for impaired myocardial perfusion; all of them had a stenotic or atretic PCABG (p = 0.001), and the majority were symptomatic (5 of 6 patients; 83.3%; p = 0.001). Conclusions: Both PCABG and other coronary artery procedures are suitable surgical options in pediatric patients with impaired myocardial perfusion, which increases operative and midterm survival. Such population of patients needs to be followed for life to prevent and treat any possible cause of further myocardial ischemia

Descriptive epidemiology of small screen recreation among Australian adolescents

AIM: To describe the epidemiology of small screen recreation (SSR) that is: television, computer, video, and DVD use among school students aged 11-15 years in New South Wales, Australia. METHODS: Cross-sectional representative population survey (n=2750) of 45 primary and 48 secondary schools in rural and urban areas. Self-reported time spent in SSR was categorised according to national guidelines into less than 2 h per day (low users) or 2 or more hours per day (high users). RESULTS: Of primary and secondary school students, 53% and 72%, respectively, were high users of SSR. Boys spent significantly more time in SSR and were more likely to be high users of SSR compared with girls. For primary students, rural boys had a higher prevalence of high SSR use than urban boys (odds ratio (OR) 1.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0-3.5), while overweight girls had a higher prevalence than healthy-weight girls (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.2-2.8). For secondary students, rural boys had a lower prevalence of high SSR use than urban boys (OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.3-0.6), and girls from high SES backgrounds had a lower prevalence than girls from low socio-economic status backgrounds (OR 0.6, 95% CI 0.3-1.0). CONCLUSION: The majority of school students in New South Wales exceed the national guidelines for SSR. Reducing the time spent in SSR among young people is one potential approach to increasing energy expenditure and reducing adiposity or maintaining a healthy weight. First steps for intervention strategies among school-age children to reduce SSR could include teaching awareness skills and self-monitoring techniques