Dieta, estilos de vida y factores de riesgo cardiovascular en niños y adolescentes europeos

La infancia y la adolescencia no sólo se caracterizan por ser periodos de crecimiento rápido y maduración, sino también porque se adquiere el comportamiento alimentario para toda la vida. También se ha observado que las primeras manifestaciones de arteriosclerosis se dan de forma temprana durante la infancia y que, además, están relacionadas con la dieta y otros estilos de vida como la actividad física y los comportamientos sedentarios, entre otros factores. Por todo ello, es de gran importancia valorar de forma precisa la dieta de los niños y adolescentes para poder establecer relaciones entre dieta y enfermedad, así como identificar posibles asociaciones entre los factores de riesgo cardiovascular y el estilo de vida en este grupo poblacional, que permitan desarrollar estrategias dirigidas a mejorar el estilo de vida de los niños y adolescentes y así prevenir la aparición de enfermedades crónicas en el futuro. A nivel general, los objetivos de la presente Tesis Doctoral son: 1) determinar el grado de validez de dos métodos de valoración de la dieta para ser usados en niños y 2) analizar la asociación de la dieta y otros estilos de vida con los factores de riesgo cardiovascular en niños y adolescentes para ampliar el conocimiento científico en este grupo de la población e identificar posibles brechas dentro de este área de investigación. Para la validación de los métodos de valoración de la dieta se obtuvieron mediciones de niños participantes en el estudio IDEFICS (Identification and prevention of dietary- and lifestyle induced health effects in children and infants). Un total de 36 niños (4-10 años) de España y Bélgica fueron medidos para determinar la validez de un recuerdo dietético de 24-horas en comparación con la técnica del agua doblemente marcada. En la validación del cuestionario de frecuencia de consumo de alimentos semi-cuantitativo se incluyeron 2.508 niños (2-8 años) procedentes de ocho países europeos (Italia, Estonia, Chipre, Bélgica, Suecia, Alemania, Hungría, España). Para la consecución del segundo objetivo se obtuvieron mediciones tanto de niños europeos (n=5.548) participantes en el estudio IDEFICS como de adolescentes europeos (n=511) de entre 12,5-17,5 años que participaron en el estudio HELENA (Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence) el cual se llevó a cabo en diez ciudades europeas (Atenas en Grecia, Dortmund en Alemania, Gante en Bélgica, Heraklion en Grecia, Lille en Francia, Pécs en Hungría, Roma en Italia, Estocolmo en Suecia, Viena en Austria y Zaragoza en España). Los resultados del presente trabajo muestran que la capacidad del cuestionario de frecuencia de consumo de alimentos para clasificar a los individuos en función de su ingesta fue diferente en función de grupo de alimentos considerado; sin embargo, el recuerdo dietético de 24-horas resultó ser un buen método para determinar la ingesta de energía a nivel del grupo, pero no a nivel individual. En cuanto al riesgo cardiovascular, la ingesta elevada de algunos alimentos como los frutos secos y semillas y los cereales de desayuno, entre otros, en niños y como los lácteos en adolescentes se asoció inversamente con el riesgo cardiovascular. Aparte de la dieta, los estilos de vida, concretamente el sedentarismo, también se asociaron con el riesgo cardiovascular ya que jugar a los videojuegos durante más de cuatro horas los fines de semana aumentó al doble el riesgo de enfermedad cardiovascular en chicos adolescentes. Además, el tener un tamaño de muestra suficientemente amplio permitió valorar la relación entre conjuntos o clusters de algunos estilos de vida y el riesgo cardiovascular. Por ejemplo, el tener un comportamiento caracterizado por niveles bajos de sedentarismo y baja ingesta de bebidas azucaradas se asoció con un menor riesgo cardiovascular. La influencia de los macronutrientes en el perfil lipídico sérico también fue investigada en la presente Tesis Doctoral. De hecho, los resultados mostraron que una ingesta elevada de hidratos de carbono y baja de lípidos estaba asociada con un peor perfil lipídico; además, cabe destacar que dichas asociaciones fueron dependientes de la masa grasa del individuo. Así mismo, también se observó que la asociación entre la ingesta de aminoácidos y la concentración de lípidos plasmáticos era dependiente de la ingesta de grasa del individuo. En resumen, estos resultados ponen de manifiesto la necesidad de desarrollar métodos de valoración de la dieta capaces de estimarla de forma más precisa. Además, existe evidencia de que tanto la dieta como los comportamientos sedentarios están asociados con el riesgo cardiovascular durante la infancia y la adolescencia, por ello es necesario diseñar estrategias destinadas a prevenir el desarrollo de riesgo cardiovascular a edades tan tempranas promoviendo el consumo de alimentos saludables y la práctica de actividad física, a expensas de la disminución de los niveles de sedentarismo, tanto en niños como en adolescentes

Reply to A Mosher, LH Daugherty, and A Braillon

n/

FOOD INTAKE OF ZINC AND CADMIUM IN NORTHERN ITALY POPULATION

Background: Some trace elements are essential for humans; their deficiency may cause abnormal biological functions, whereas excessive intakes may produce adverse health effects. The aim of this study was to estimate the daily intake through diet of zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd) in a Northern Italy population and verify the compliance with recommended levels of intake for Italian population recently updated by Italian Society of Human Nutrition (SINU). Methods: We investigated dietary intake of Zn, and Cd in 719 residents of five provinces of Emilia Romagna region in Northern Italy, using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire designed to capture eating behaviors in Italy, specifically developed as part of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study, for the Northern Italy population. Results: We analyzed the diet of 319 men and 400 women, mean (±SD) aged 59.0 (± 14.0) and 52.3 (±14.1) respectively. The daily average (±SD) intake of Zn and Cd was 11.99 (±4.31) mg/day and 15.06 (±8.41) μg/day in men and 10.83 (±4.06) mg/day and 13.23 (±7.23) μg/day in women. Dietary intake levels of Zn were above the recommended values and well below the upper safe levels set by SINU for healthy adults. Cd intake did not exceed the safety limits established by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Conclusions: Our analysis suggested that dietary intake of the above-mentioned essential and toxic trace elements characterizing this Northern Italy population is within the range defined as safe by SINU and EFSA

Biomarkers of inflammation and breast cancer risk: A case-control study nested in the EPIC-Varese cohort

Abstract Breast cancer (BC) is the leading cause of cancer death in women. Adipokines, and other inflammation molecules linked to adiposity, are suspected to be involved in breast carcinogenesis, however prospective findings are inconclusive. In a prospective nested case-control study within the EPIC-Varese cohort, we used conditional logistic regression to estimate rate ratios (RRs) for BC, with 95% confidence intervals (CI), in relation to plasma levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6, leptin, and adiponectin, controlling for BC risk factors. After a median 14.9 years, 351 BC cases were identified and matched to 351 controls. No marker was significantly associated with BC risk overall. Significant interactions between menopausal status and CRP, leptin, and adiponectin were found. Among postmenopausal women, high CRP was significantly associated with increased BC risk, and high adiponectin with significantly reduced risk. Among premenopausal women, high TNF-α was associated with significantly increased risk, and high leptin with reduced risk; interleukin-6 was associated with increased risk only in a continuous model. These findings constitute further evidence that inflammation plays a role in breast cancer. Interventions to lower CRP, TNF-α, and interleukin-6 and increase adiponectin levels may contribute to preventing BC

Serum fatty acids and risk of cutaneous melanoma: a population-based case-control study

Background. Some observational studies have suggested that excess dietary intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic acid increases cutaneous melanoma risk. We aimed at examining the association between serum fatty acids and melanoma risk by conducting a population-based case-control study in a northern Italy community. Methods. \ue062e percentage composition of 12 fatty acids was determined in 51 newly diagnosed melanoma patients and 51 age- and sex-matched population controls by extracting total lipids from serum samples using thin layer and gas chromatography. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate the relative risk of melanoma associated with tertiles of percentage composition of each fatty acid as well as groupings including saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Results. We found a slightly increased melanoma risk for stearic and arachidic acids proportion, with and without adjustment for potential confounders. For an n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, docosapentaenoic acid, we found a male-specic direct association with melanoma risk. o other associations emerged for the other saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, individually or grouped by type. Conclusions. These fndings do not suggest a major role of fatty acids, including linoleic acid, on risk of cutaneous melanoma, though their evaluation is limited by the small sample size

Dietary determinants of serum selenium species in Italian populations

We investigated the correlation between dietary habits with serum levels of selenium (Se) species collected from an Italian community. Consumption of food items was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. Cereal intake showed a positive relation with total and organic Se, but null/negative with inorganic Se. Fish and seafood positively correlated with inorganic Se and negatively with organic Se. Correlations were generally negative/null in vegetables (only Se-Cys was positively correlated), while in fruits they were positive with organic species, mainly Se-Cys. Legumes showed inverse relation with overall organic Se, but positive with Se-Cys, Se-TrXr and inorganic Se. Correlation of potatoes intake was negative with Se forms, except a positive one with Se-Cys and selenate. Our results show highly specific associations between intake of selected foods and circulating Se species levels

Assessing multiple sources of cadmium exposure in an Italian population.

Assessing multiple sources of cadmium exposure in an Italian population

The role of neuromedin U in adiposity regulation. Haplotype analysis in European children from the IDEFICS Cohort

Background and aims: Neuromedin U (NMU) is a hypothalamic neuropeptide with important roles in several metabolic processes, recently suggested as potential therapeutic target for obesity. We analysed the associations between NMU gene variants and haplotypes and body mass index (BMI) in a large sample of European children. Methods and results: From a large European multi-center study on childhood obesity, 4,528 children (2.0–9.9 years, mean age 6.0±1.8 SD; boys 52.2%) were randomly selected, stratifying by age, sex and country, and genotyped for tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs6827359, T:C; rs12500837, T:C; rs9999653,C:T) of NMU gene, then haplotypes were inferred. Regression models were applied to estimate the associations between SNPs or haplotypes and BMI as well as other anthropometric measures. BMI was associated with all NMU SNPs (p<0.05). Among five haplotypes inferred, the haplotype carrying the minor alleles (CCT, frequency = 22.3%) was the only associated with lower BMI values (beta = -0.16, 95%CI:-0.28,-0.04, p = 0.006; z-score, beta = -0.08, 95%CI:-0.14,-0.01, p = 0.019) and decreased risk of overweight/obesity (OR = 0.81, 95%CI:0.68,0.97, p = 0.020) when compared to the most prevalent haplotype (codominant model). Similar significant associations were also observed using the same variables collected after two years’ time (BMI, beta = -0.25, 95%CI:-0.41,-0.08, p = 0.004; z-score, beta = -0.10, 95%CI:-0.18,-0.03, p = 0.009; overweight/obesity OR = 0.81, 95%CI:0.66,0.99, p = 0.036). The association was age-dependent in girls (interaction between CCT haplotypes and age, p = 0.008), more evident between 7 and 9 years of age. The CCT haplotype was consistently associated with lower levels of fat mass, skinfold thickness, hip and arm circumferences both at T0 and at T1, after adjustment for multiple testing (FDR-adjusted p<0.05). Conclusions: This study shows an association between a NMU haplotype and anthropometric indices, mainly linked to fat mass, which appears to be age- and sex-specific in children. Genetic variations within or in linkage with this haplotype should be investigated to identify functional variants responsible for the observed phenotypic variation