Objective: The reproducibility and validity of coffee, decaffeinated coffee and tea intake has not been adequately studied, particularly in Italy, where coffee drinking is peculiar in terms of type ...and amount of coffee consumed. Design: We compared coffee and tea consumption, measured by two interviewer-administered food frequency questionnaires (FFQ), with average intake derived from two 7-day dietary (DD) records (the reference method) on 395 volunteers. The Pearson correlation coefficients (r) were used to assess both reproducibility and validity of information on coffee intake. Results: A satisfactory level of reproducibility and validity of the pattern consumption was observed for coffee, decaffeinated coffee and tea. The reproducibility for both sex combined showed r of 0.74-0.78 for coffee, 0.57-0.65 for decaffeinated coffee and 0.61-0.67 for tea. The validity was about 0.70 for coffee, around 0.58 for decaffeinated coffee and 0.56-0.60 for tea intake. Conclusions: The FFQ is a satisfactorily reliable and valid instrument for collecting information on coffee, decaffeinated coffee and tea intake.
Background: Flavonoids may play an important role in explaining the protective effect of vegetables and fruit against cancer. Patients and methods: To investigate the relation between flavonoids and ...laryngeal cancer risk, we have applied data on the composition of foods and beverages in terms of six principal classes of flavonoids to a case–control study of laryngeal cancer conducted from 1992 to 2000 in Italy. Cases were 460 subjects with incident, histologically confirmed laryngeal cancer; controls were 1088 patients admitted for acute, non-neoplastic diseases. Odds ratios (OR) were estimated through multiple logistic regression models, including terms for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption and energy intake. Results: Significant inverse relations were found for the highest versus the lowest quintile of intake for flavan-3-ols (OR = 0.64), flavanones (OR = 0.60), flavonols (OR = 0.32) and total flavonoids (OR = 0.60), although the overall trends in risk were significant only for flavanones and flavonols. No consistent associations were observed for isoflavones, anthocyanidins and flavones. The estimates did not differ substantially across strata of alcohol drinking, tobacco smoking, body mass index and education, and tended to persist even after controlling for vegetable and fruit intake. Conclusion: This study provides support for a beneficial effect of selected flavonoids on laryngeal cancer risk.
Summary Background Certain types of carbohydrates increase glucose and insulin levels to a greater extent than others In turn, insulin may raise levels of insulin-like growth factors, which may ...influence breast cancer risk We analyzed the effect of type and amount of carbohydrates on breast cancer risk, using the glycemic index and the glycemic load measures in a large casecontrol study conducted in Italy Patients and methods. Cases were 2569 women with incident, histologically-confirmed breast cancer interviewed between 1991 and 1994 Controls were 2588 women admitted to the same hospital network for a variety of acute, non-neoplastic conditions Average daily glycemic index and glycemic load were calculated from a validated 78-item food frequency questionnaire Results Direct associations with breast cancer risk emerged for glycemic index (odds ratio, OR for highest vs lowest quintile = 1 4, P for trend <0 01) and glycemic load (OR = 1 3; P < 0 01) High glycemic index foods, such as white bread, increased the risk of breast cancer (OR = 1 3) while the intake of pasta, a medium glycemic index food, seemed to have no influence (OR = 1 0) Findings were consistent across different strata of menopausal status, alcohol intake, and physical activity level Conclusions This study supports the hypothesis of moderate, direct associations between glycemic index or glycemic load and breast cancer risk and, consequently, a possible role of hyper-insulinemia/insulin resistance in breast cancer development
Abstract
Background
According to the International Agency for Cancer Research (IARC), outdoor pollution is a well established cause of lung cancer, with a prominent carcinogenic role attributed to ...particulate matter (PM) pollution. 2001 WHO guidelines on outdoor pollution includes a recommendation to reach a PM2.5 annual average of 5ug/m3. The WHO recommendation is in sharp contrast with EU limits: thus, in the present study we estimated the number of incident lung cancer cases due to PM2.5 according to three different scenarios.
Methods
The number of newly incident lung cancer cases diagnosed in northeastern Italy from 2015 to 2020 was from the population-based cancer registry of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region. We considered three scenarios of average annual concentration of PM2.5: 25ug/m3 according to EU legislation; 10ug/m3 or 5ug/m3 according to 2005 and 2021 WHO guidelines. An 8% increase in the risk of lung cancer for every 10ug/m3 increase in PM2.5 was assumed. Data from outdoor average annual concentration of PM2.5 in northeastern Italy were from local air monitoring systems.
Results
5131 lung cancer cases were registered in 2015-2020 in Friuli Venezia Giulia, (i.e., 855 cases/year). In the same period, an average annual concentration of PM2.5 of 18ug/m3 was documented. According to EU legislation, there will not be an excess of future lung cancer cases attributable to PM2.5. Conversely, the projection of the excess cases ranged from 6.4%/year (WHO 2005) or 10.4% (WHO 2021). In absolute terms, we estimated that there will be an excess of future yearly lung cancer cases ranging from 55 cases to 89 cases due to PM2.5.air pollution exceeding WHO recommendations.
Conclusions
According to WHO recommendations, PM2.5 air pollution will cause an excess of up to 89 yearly cases of lung cancer in Friuli Venezia Giulia, northeastern Italy, a projection in sharp contrast with EU limits.
Key messages
• An excess of up to 89 yearly cases of lung cancer are projected for the future years due to PM2.5 concentration exceeding WHO guidelines.
• EU limits of PM2.5 average yearly concentration underestimate the risk of lung cancer in humans.
Abstract
Background
A plant-based diet has a lower environmental impact than an omnivorous diet and, when balanced, may reduce the risk of certain non-communicable diseases. The aim of our work is to ...evaluate the nutritional profile and sustainability of omnivorous, vegan and vegetarian choices in an Italian hospital canteen.
Methods
We photographed the midday meals of users in the hospital canteen of Palmanova (Italy) for 5 consecutive days in September 2022. We examined the recipes provided by the canteen and divided the meal trays in omnivorous, vegan and vegetarian. For each tray we estimated the carbon and water footprint using the SU-EATABLE LIFE database and the energy and nutrient content using the Italian Food Composition Database for Epidemiological Studies.
Results
We analysed 228 trays (167 omnivorous, 7 vegan, 54 vegetarian). Median energy content was higher (p < 0.05) in the omnivorous trays (942 kcal/tray) than the plant-based trays (813 kcal/tray). The omnivorous trays contained more fats (42 %E) and less carbohydrates (36 %E) than the plant-based trays (fats: 35 %E; carbohydrates: 44 %E) (p < 0.05). The carbon and water footprint were higher (p < 0.05) for the omnivorous meals (1202 gCO2eq/tray, and 1370 LH2O/tray) than for the plant-based meals, which had a median value of 687 gCO2eq/tray and 907 LH2O/tray.
Conclusions
Vegan and vegetarian meals were more in line with the Italian dietary reference values and more sustainable than omnivorous meals. Nutrition education is needed to improve the sustainability and quality of workers’ lunches and to ensure an adequate choice of plant-based meals.
Key messages
• Even if plant-based meals were more sustainable and nutrionally balanced than the omnivorous ones, they were less chosen.
• Improving food choices can help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
Abstract
Problem
When WHO declared COVID-19 “international”, it was important not to damage some critical patients who need emergency procedures like organ transplantation, due to end stage organ ...disease. In 2003 SARS outbreak demonstrated the vulnerability of organ transplantation services o network.
Descritption
If transplantation is required as a life-saving procedure, it can be conducted with appropriate risk infection assessment. It is crucial during these emergencies to assess donor pool, as it is expected to decrease. A crucial point is to organize and evaluate the surge capacity, in terms of understaffing and lack of supplies, especially in ICU. The research methods were literature review using Pub Med, CDC, ECDC, WHO, TTS, searching as key words “SARS-CoV-2”, “COVID-19”, “transplantation”, “preparedness”. The analysis has been conducted between Feb 26th 2020 and March 5th 2020.
Results
As happened during SARS breakout in 2003, it is essential to establish a task force for crisis, currently updated and skilled for this particular management. Preparedness should regard especially the adoption of donor safety assessment procedures, ICU capability, the availability of covid-19 test for all the donors, and the adoption of specific post-transplant care. It is essential in this case establish preparedness in several points: education and training of the staff, practice drills, inspection of supplies, evaluation of surge capacity, relocation of patients.
Lessons
SARS-CoV-2 imposed in public health to establish new protocols and guidelines, which should be regularly updated to be useful in other epidemics outbreaks or other emergency situation. These protocols should focus on donor pool and ICU capability in order to carry on transplantation activities.
Key messages
This outbreak has tested the resilience of the whole system by day-by-day updating for transplantation teams and preparedness of the staff involved in transplantation management.
During outbreak, seems to be useful a task force for crisis in order to support organ transplantation services.
Background
Even if the food supplement industry is one of the fastest growing worldwide, the inappropriate use of these products can potentially cause harms. Considering the key role played by ...pharmacists in advising citizens on the purchase of food supplements, this cross-sectional observational study evaluates pharmacists' knowledge, attitudes and practice on this topic.
Methods
From September 2020 to February 2021, an online questionnaire implemented through the EU-Survey tool, was administered to pharmacists of both public and private authorized pharmacies of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia (FVG) Region (Italy). The 47 multiple-choice questions about pharmacists' knowledge (20), attitudes and practice (27), were followed by a sociodemographic section (7 items) collecting data about sex, age, years of experience, degree, role within pharmacy (owner, employee). Descriptive analyses, Chi-square, Shapiro-Wilk and Mann Whitney tests were used and a p-value<0.05 was considered as statistically significant.
Results
A sample of 232 questionnaires was collected, 70.7% of which from women. Most responders (77.2%) had a Pharmacy degree, with owners representing the 34.5%. The 61.2% of pharmacists had at least 10 years of experience. Knowledge was generally poor with just 49.2% of the sample scoring above the median value of 11 but higher among pharmacists with more than 11 years of experience. Lesser-known aspects were the possible link between cancer and multivitamin's abuse and presence of non-labeled agents in food supplements. Responders < =10 years of experience felt more unprepared about vitamin's dosage and in counselling particular groups of patients (p < 0.05). Employees more frequently reported the attitude to purchase food supplements under patient specifical request (p < 0.05).
Conclusions
Pharmacists' knowledge about food supplements is scarce and young professionals in particular need further education to ensure a safe and effective purchase of these products to patients.
Key messages
The use of vitamin supplements is growing but their consumption needs to be evaluated by expert and qualified professionals.
Pharmacists play a key role in counselling people about food supplements but need continuous professional education to give adequate advice.
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