A growing interest has emerged in the beneficial effects of plant-based diets for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. The Mediterranean diet, one of the most widely ...evaluated dietary patterns in scientific literature, includes in its nutrients two fluid foods: olive oil, as the main source of fats, and a low-to-moderate consumption of wine, mainly red, particularly during meals. Current mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet include a reduction in inflammatory and oxidative stress markers, improvement in lipid profile, insulin sensitivity and endothelial function, as well as antithrombotic properties. Most of these effects are attributable to bioactive ingredients including polyphenols, mono- and poly-unsaturated fatty acids. Polyphenols are a heterogeneous group of phytochemicals containing phenol rings. The principal classes of red wine polyphenols include flavonols (quercetin and myricetin), flavanols (catechin and epicatechin), anthocyanin and stilbenes (resveratrol). Olive oil has at least 30 phenolic compounds. Among them, the main are simple phenols (tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol), secoroids and lignans. The present narrative review focuses on phenols, part of red wine and virgin olive oil, discussing the evidence of their effects on lipids, blood pressure, atheromatous plaque and glucose metabolism.
Within the scope of the Aveiro STEAM City project, an air quality monitoring network was installed in the city of Aveiro (Portugal), to evaluate the potential of sensors to characterize spatial and ...temporal patterns of air quality in the city. The network consists of nine sensors stations with air quality sensors (PM10, PM2.5, NO
, O
and CO) and two meteorological stations, distributed within selected locations in the city of Aveiro. The analysis of the data was done for a one-year measurement period, from June 2020 to May 2021, using temporal profiles, statistical comparisons with reference stations and Air Quality Indexes (AQI). The analysis of sensors data indicated that air quality variability exists for all pollutants and stations. The majority of the study area is characterized by good air quality, but specific areas-associated with hotspot traffic zones-exhibit medium, poor and bad air quality more frequently. The daily patterns registered are significantly different between the affected and non-affected road traffic sites, mainly for PM and NO
pollutants. The weekly profile, significative deltas are found between week and weekend: NO
is reduced on the weekends at traffic sites, but PM10 is higher in specific areas during winter weekends, which is explained by residential combustion sources.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Este artículo analiza la distribución del tiempo de los mexicanos en función de la disponibilidad de agua en sus hogares. Utilizando modelos de duración de riesgos proporcionales, se estudia cómo se ...relacionan las características demográficas, incluyendo la infraestructura del agua, con la probabilidad de abandonar la realización de distintas actividades —conocida en literatura como la probabilidad de “fallo”—. Se encontró que el grupo de personas que tienen agua hasta su terreno enfrentan una probabilidad 12% menor de interrumpir actividades básicas que el grupo con agua dentro de su vivienda (grupo base). Si es necesario acarrear agua, la probabilidad de fallo en actividades básicas es 9% menor con respecto al grupo base. En contraste, quien tiene agua hasta su terreno enfrenta una probabilidad de fallo en recreación 13% más alta que el grupo base. Para quien acarrea agua la cifra correspondiente es 14%. Se encontraron efectos heterogéneos por sexo y condición laboral.
Post-transplant prediabetes (PreDM) and diabetes (PTDM) are common and have an impact on cardiovascular events. We sought to investigate the pathogenesis and best approach for prediction.
We ...prospectively studied 115 waitlisted patients from a single center without manifest diabetes. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed yearly until transplantation and 12 months later. Insulin secretion, insulin sensitivity (IS) and disposition index (DI) were derived from the OGTT.
PreDM and PTDM were observed in 27% and 28.6% of patients, respectively. Pretransplant age, body mass index (BMI), 120 min glucose, IS, DI, and prediabetes or undiagnosed diabetes were significantly associated with these alterations. In multivariate analysis, pretransplant age odds ratio (OR) 1.5; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04-2.1, BMI (OR 1.16; 95% CI 1.04-1.3) and cumulative steroids (OR 1.5; 95% CI 1.02-2.2) were predictors of PreDM or PTDM. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that pretransplant BMI and 120 min glucose had the highest area under the curve (0.72; 95% CI 0.62-0.8; and 0.69; 95% CI 0.59-0.79, respectively). The highest discrimination cut-off for BMI (≥28.5 kg/m2) and 120 min glucose (≥123.5 mg/dL) yielded a similar number needed to diagnose (2.5).
PreDM or PTDM develops in waitlisted patients with an ineffective insulin secretion and BMI shows a similar diagnostic capacity to OGTT. Pretransplant interventions may reduce post-transplant glucose alterations.
Suicide is a leading cause of death among young people. While suicide prevention is considered a research and intervention priority, longitudinal data is needed to identify risk and protective ...factors associate with suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Here we describe the UNIVERSAL (University and Mental Health) project which aims are to: (1) test prevalence and 36-month incidence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors; and (2) identify relevant risk and protective factors associated with the incidence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors among university students in Spain.
An ongoing multicenter, observational, prospective cohort study of first year university students in 5 Spanish universities. Students will be assessed annually during a 36 month follow-up. The surveys will be administered through an online, secure web-based platform. A clinical reappraisal will be completed among a subsample of respondents. Suicidal thoughts and behaviors will be assess with the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview (SITBI) and the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). Risk and protective factors will include: mental disorders, measured with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview version 3.0 (CIDI 3.0) and Screening Scales (CIDI-SC), and the Epi-Q Screening Survey (EPI-Q-SS), socio-demographic variables, self-perceived health status, health behaviors, well-being, substance use disorders, service use and treatment. The UNIVERSAL project is part of the International College Surveys initiative, which is a core project within the World Mental Health consortium. Lifetime and the 12-month prevalence will be calculated for suicide ideation, plans and attempts. Cumulative incidence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and mental disorders will be measured using the actuarial method. Risk and protective factors of suicidal thoughts and behaviors will be analyzed by Cox proportional hazard models.
The study will provide valid, innovative and useful data for developing prevention programs for youth suicide and for improving early identification for high-risk students. The longitudinal design of this study will improve causal interpretation of analyzed associations, needed for generating and validating predictive models. It will represent the first results about suicidal thoughts and behaviors in the Spanish university population. The World Mental Health Survey collaboration will permit accurate cross-national comparisons.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Tropospheric ozone (O3) can strongly damage vegetation. Grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.), in particular, have intermediate sensitivity to ozone. Wine production is an important economic activity, as ...well as a pillar to the cultural identity of several countries in the world. This study aims to evaluate the risk of Douro vineyards exposure to ozone, by estimating its concentration and deposition in the Demarcated Region of Douro in Portugal. Based on an assessment of the climatology of the area, the years 2003 to 2005 were selected among the hottest years of the recent past, and the chemical transport model CHIMERE was used to estimate the three-dimensional field of ozone and its dry deposition over the Douro region with 1 km2 of horizontal resolution. Model results were validated by comparison with measured data from the European air quality database (AirBase). The exposure indicator AOT40 (accumulated concentration of ozone above 40 ppb) was calculated and an exposure–response function was applied to determine the grapevine risk to ozone exposure. The target value for the protection of vegetation established by the Air Quality Framework Directive was exceeded on most of the Douro region, especially over the Baixo Corgo and Cima Corgo sub-regions. The results of the exposure–response functions suggest that the productivity loss can reach 27% and that the sugar content of the grapes could be reduced by 32%, but these values are affected by the inherent uncertainty of the used methodology.
Snijders Blok–Campeau syndrome (SNIBCPS, OMIM# 618205) is an extremely infrequent disease with only approximately 60 cases reported so far. SNIBCPS belongs to the group of neurodevelopmental ...disorders (NDDs). Clinical features of patients with SNIBCPS include global developmental delay, intellectual disability, speech and language difficulties and behavioral disorders like autism spectrum disorder. In addition, patients with SNIBCPS exhibit typical dysmorphic features including macrocephaly, hypertelorism, sparse eyebrows, broad forehead, prominent nose and pointed chin. The severity of the neurological effects as well as the presence of other features is variable among subjects. SNIBCPS is caused likely by pathogenic and pathogenic variants in CHD3 (Chromodomain Helicase DNA Binding Protein 3), which seems to be involved in chromatin remodeling by deacetylating histones. Here, we report 20 additional patients with clinical features compatible with SNIBCPS from 17 unrelated families with confirmed likely pathogenic/pathogenic variants in CHD3. Patients were analyzed by whole exome sequencing and segregation studies were performed by Sanger sequencing. Patients in this study showed different pathogenic variants affecting several functional domains of the protein. Additionally, none of the variants described here were reported in control population databases, and most computational predictors suggest that they are deleterious. The most common clinical features of the whole cohort of patients are global developmental delay (98%) and speech disorder/delay (92%). Other frequent features (51–74%) include intellectual disability, hypotonia, hypertelorism, abnormality of vision, macrocephaly and prominent forehead, among others. This study expands the number of individuals with confirmed SNIBCPS due to pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in CHD3. Furthermore, we add evidence of the importance of the application of massive parallel sequencing for NDD patients for whom the clinical diagnosis might be challenging and where deep phenotyping is extremely useful to accurately manage and follow up the patients.
Depression and anxiety are both prevalent among university students. They frequently co-occur and share risk factors. Yet few studies have focused on identifying students at highest risk of ...first-onset and persistence of either of these conditions.
Multicenter cohort study among Spanish first-year university students. At baseline, students were assessed for lifetime and 12-month Major Depressive Episode and/or Generalized Anxiety Disorder (MDE-GAD), other mental disorders, childhood-adolescent adversities, stressful life events, social support, socio-demographics, and psychological factors using web-based surveys; 12-month MDE-GAD was again assessed at 12-month follow-up.
A total of 1253 students participated in both surveys (59.2% of baseline respondents; mean age = 18.7 (SD = 1.3); 56.0% female). First-onset of MDE-GAD at follow-up was 13.3%. Also 46.7% of those with baseline MDE-GAD showed persistence at follow-up. Childhood/Adolescence emotional abuse or neglect (OR= 4.33), prior bipolar spectrum disorder (OR= 4.34), prior suicidal ideation (OR=4.85) and prior lifetime symptoms of MDE (ORs=2.33-3.63) and GAD (ORs=2.15-3.75) were strongest predictors of first-onset MDE-GAD. Prior suicidal ideation (OR=3.17) and prior lifetime GAD symptoms (ORs=2.38-4.02) were strongest predictors of MDE-GAD persistence. Multivariable predictions from baseline showed AUCs of 0.76 for first-onset and 0.81 for persistence. 74.9% of first-onset MDE-GAD cases occurred among 30% students with highest predicted risk at baseline.
Self-report data were used; external validation of the multivariable prediction models is needed.
MDE-GAD among university students is frequent, suggesting the need to implement web-based screening at university entrance that identify those students with highest risk.
•13.3% students had first-onset of MDE and/or GAD at 12-month follow-up.•Among students with baseline MDE and/or GAD, 46.7% persisted at 12-month follow-up.•Strongest predictors were lifetime symptoms of MDE-GAD and prior suicidal ideation.•Multivariable models provided AUCs 0.76–0.81 to predict first-onset and persistence.•74.9% onset MDE-GAD cases occur in 30% students at highest predicted baseline risk.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Here, we present four patients with confirmed Chikungunya virus infection showing atypical neurologic manifestations and death. This case series includes patients ranging in age from five to 92 ...years, with or without comorbidities. This report is important, as very few cases in the literature reporting death due to atypical Chikungunya virus infection are available.
Tackling socioeconomic health inequalities is a big public health challenge and ecological deprivation indexes are essential instruments to monitor and understand them. In Portugal, no standard ...ecological deprivation index exists, contrasting with other countries. We aimed to describe the construction of the Portuguese version of a transnational deprivation index, European Deprivation Index.
The European Deprivation Index was developed under the Townsend theorization of deprivation. Using data from the European Union - Statistics on Income and Living Conditions Survey, we obtained an indicator of individual deprivation. This indicator became the gold-standard variable, based on what we selected the variables at aggregate level (census) to be included in the European Deprivation Index, a total of eight. The European Deprivation Index was produced for the smallest area unit possible (n = 16 094, mean/area = 643 inhabitants) and resulted from the weighted sum of the previous variables. It was then classified into quintiles.
The first quintile (least deprived) comprised 20.9% national population and the fifth quintile (most deprived) 18.0%. The European Deprivation Index showed a clear geographic pattern - most deprived areas concentrated in the South and in the inner North and Centre of the country, and the least deprived areas in the coastal areas of North and Centre and in the Algarve.
The development of the European Deprivation Index was grounded on a solid theoretical framework, individual and aggregate variables, and on a longitudinal Europe-wide survey allowing its replication over the time and in any European country.
Hopefully, the European Deprivation Index will start being employed by those interested in better understand health inequalities not only in Portugal but across Europe.
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