DOCSLIB.ORG

The Association of Healthy Aging with Multimorbidity: IKARIA Study

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Association of Healthy Aging with Multimorbidity: IKARIA Study nutrients Article The Association of Healthy Aging with Multimorbidity: IKARIA Study Alexandra Foscolou 1,2, Christina Chrysohoou 1,* , Kyriakos Dimitriadis 1, Konstantina Masoura 1, Georgia Vogiatzi 1, Viktor Gkotzamanis 2, George Lazaros 1, Costas Tsioufis 1 and Christodoulos Stefanadis 1 1 First Cardiology Clinic, Hippokration Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; [email protected] (A.F.); [email protected] (K.D.); [email protected] (K.M.); [email protected] (G.V.); [email protected] (G.L.); ktsioufi[email protected] (C.T.); [email protected] (C.S.) 2 Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Sciences and Education, Harokopio University of Athens, 17676 Athens, Greece; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +30-213-208-8000 Abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate several sociodemographic, lifestyle, and clinical characteristics of the IKARIA study participants and to find healthy aging trajectories of multimor- bidity of Ikarian islanders. During 2009, 1410 people (aged 30+) from Ikaria Island, Greece, were voluntarily enrolled in the IKARIA study. Multimorbidity was defined as the combination of at least two of the following chronic diseases: hypertension; hypercholesterolemia; diabetes; obesity; cancer; CVD; osteoporosis; thyroid, renal, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A healthy aging index (HAI) ranging from 0 to 100 was constructed using 4 attributes, i.e., depression symptomatology, cognitive function, mobility, and socializing. The prevalence of multimorbidity was 51% among men and 65.5% among women, while the average number of comorbidities was 1.7 ± 1.4 for men Citation: Foscolou, A.; Chrysohoou, and 2.2 ± 1.4 for women. The most prevalent chronic diseases among men with multimorbidity C.; Dimitriadis, K.; Masoura, K.; Vogiatzi, G.; Gkotzamanis, V.; were hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and obesity while among women they were hypertension, Lazaros, G.; Tsioufis, C.; Stefanadis, C. hypercholesterolemia, and thyroid disease. Multimorbidity was correlated with HAI (Spearman’s The Association of Healthy Aging rho = −0.127, p < 0.001) and for every 10-unit increase in HAI, participants had 20% lower odds of with Multimorbidity: IKARIA Study. being multimorbid. Multimorbidity in relation to HAI revealed a different trend across aging among Nutrients 2021, 13, 1386. https:// men and women, coinciding only in the seventh decade of life. Aging is usually accompanied by doi.org/10.3390/nu13041386 chronic diseases, but multimorbidity seems to also be common among younger adults. However, healthy aging is a lifelong process that may lead to limited co-morbidities across the lifespan. Academic Editor: Roberto Cangemi Keywords: aging; healthy aging; multimorbidity; chronic disease; Ikaria; longevity; Greece Received: 15 March 2021 Accepted: 18 April 2021 Published: 20 April 2021 1. Introduction Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in The world’s older population is intensely growing [1]. This aging population is published maps and institutional affil- mostly a result of two demographic effects: longevity increase and fertility decline. An iations. increment in life span raises the average age of the population by increasing the numbers of surviving older people [2]. Life expectancy has improved dramatically over recent decades by exceeding the age of 75 in approximately 95 countries [3]. In most of the cases, it is not known whether these old populations are living their extra years in good or poor health; it is almost twenty years since the World Health Organization published statistics called the Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Healthy Life Expectancy (HALE), defined as the average number of years that a person Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article can expect to live in “full health”, excluding the years lived in less than full health due to distributed under the terms and disease and/or injury [4]. conditions of the Creative Commons It is a fact that the number of people with or at risk for long-term conditions is Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// also growing rapidly [5]. Multimorbidity, i.e., the coexistence of two or more health creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ conditions in an individual, is a growing public health challenge, being associated with 4.0/). poorer outcomes and increased use of health and social care services [6]. Even though the Nutrients 2021, 13, 1386. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13041386 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients Nutrients 2021, 13, 1386 2 of 12 prevalence of multimorbidity increases with age, it is not uncommon amongst working-age populations. Actually, it is estimated that multimorbidity affects up to 95% of the primary care population aged 65 years and older [7]. Multimorbidity could consequently affect an individual’s quality of life, well-being, and ability to properly function [8], and despite the accumulation of chronic diseases, aging is not a “disease” but rather a lifelong process that occurs from birth to death. The aging population, less healthy lifestyles, and the increasing incidence of chronic conditions mean that multimorbidity is becoming a plague. This trend is a major health care challenge for every country around the world. Every person should have the opportunity to live a long and healthy life, i.e., to age and remain healthy. WHO defines healthy aging as “the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables well-being in older age” [9]. According to the WHO, in order to be considered as having functional ability a person should be mobile; capable of meeting the basic needs; able to learn, grow, and make decisions; able to build and maintain relationships; and finally able to contribute to the society [10]. Taking into account the aforementioned and the lack of current data regarding mul- timorbidity and healthy aging in Greece, and more specifically in insular Greece, it is necessary to carry out research. Thus, the aims of the present work were (1) to evaluate the sociodemographic, lifestyle, and clinical characteristics of a population whose place of residence (Ikaria island, Greece) has been defined as a place where the environment is conducive to old age and the residents are more likely to reach and exceed the age of 90 [11] compared to other populations and (2) to investigate the association and the age trend between multimorbidity and healthy aging among these islanders. 2. Materials and Methods 2.1. Sample The IKARIA study is a prospective, observational cohort investigation initiated in 2009. The aims of the study were to evaluate various baseline biological, clinical, behav- ioral, and lifestyle characteristics of the adult population (aged 30+) of Ikaria island. A volunteer-based, multistage sampling method was used to enroll 667 men (67 ± 14 years) and 743 women (66 ± 14 years) from all over the island (84% participation rate). The participants for the purpose of this work were divided in multimorbidity groups, i.e., “No multimorbidity” group (n = 579) and “Multimorbidity” group (n = 828), and/or age groups, i.e., 30–39 (n = 15), 40–49 (n = 179), 50–59 (n = 275), 60–69 (n = 317), 70–79 (n = 360), 80–89 (n = 195), and finally 90+ (n = 66). Individuals residing in assisted-living centers were not included in the survey. A group of health scientists (nurses and physicians) with experience in field investigation collected all the required information using a structured, quantitative questionnaire and standard procedures. 2.2. Bioethics The study was approved by the Medical Research Ethics Committee of the First Cardiology Clinic of the University of Athens at Hippokration General Hospital and was carried out in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki (1989) of the World Medical Association (Scientific Committee and Directory Board of Hippokration Hospital decision 10/29-06-2009). All participants were informed of the study aims and procedures and they provided written informed consent for study participation prior to enrollment. 2.3. Measurements 2.3.1. Sociodemographic Characteristics The sociodemographic characteristics studied included age (years), sex (man/woman), educational status (years of school), professional status (retired/housekeeping/employee/ businessman/unemployed), and financial status (mean annual income during the past three years was divided into four categories: low (inability of earnings to cover vital needs), moderate (EUR 6000–9600 per year), good (EUR 9601–18,000 per year), and very good (>EUR 18,000 per year). Nutrients 2021, 13, 1386 3 of 12 2.3.2. Lifestyle Characteristics Current smokers were defined as those who smoked at the time of interview; former smokers were defined as those who had stopped smoking for at least one year. Non- smokers were defined as those who had never smoked. Physical activity was evaluated in metabolic equivalent (MET) minutes per week using the shortened, translated, and validated-in-Greek version of the self-reported International Physical Activity Question- naire (IPAQ) [12]. Participants who did not report any physical activity were defined as sedentary. Data on hours of sleep per day were also recorded. 2.3.3. Anthropometric and Clinical Characteristics Weight and height were measured using standard procedures to attain the volunteer’s body mass index (BMI) (kg/m2). Obesity was defined as BMI > 29.9 kg/m2. Resting arterial blood pressure was measured three times
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Longevity Is a Balance of Lifespan
    Dietary Approaches to Longevity Beth Polk, MD, FAAFP Certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician Lifestyle Medicine is the therapeutic use of evidence- based lifestyle interventions to treat and prevent lifestyle related diseases in a clinical setting. It empowers individuals with the knowledge and life skills to make effective behavior changes that address the underlying causes of disease. American College of Lifestyle Medicine Lifespan The length of time one lives Increasing it = delaying the inevitability of death Current average life expectancy in US in 2019 76 men 81 women Top 10 Causes of Death -2017 Heart disease Cancer Chronic lower respiratory diseases Accidents (unintentional injuries) Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases) Alzheimer’s disease Diabetes Influenza and pneumonia Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis Intentional self-harm (suicide) https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus16.pdf#019 Health span The length of time that a person is healthy – not just alive Avoiding (or delaying as long as possible) three categories of decline: Cognitive Physical Emotional “While death is absolute and inevitable, a loss of the three elements of health span is not. They are relative (different people will have different thresholds of what constitutes decline), analog (they progress in stages rather than exist as an all-or-none switch), and most importantly, they are not inevitable.” Dr. Peter Attia How do we study longevity? Basic science research Epidemiology Clinical studies Centenarian studies Basic Science Research – Aging Genes IGF-1 and
    [Show full text]
  • Download Article
    Leadership • Cross-Collaboration • Winning praCtiCes VOLUME 19 • ISSUE 5 • 2019 • € 22 ISSN = 1377-7629 Silver Tsunami • TURNING THE SILVER TSUNAMI INTO A SILVER LINING, A. LOURENÇO • MANAGING THE WHOLE HEALTH OF THE AGEING POPULATION, C. BUCKLEY • OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS OF DIGITAL HEALTH: OLDER PEOPLE’S PERSPECTIVE, E. HUCHET • ANTI-AGEING THERAPIES: FROM BASIC SCIENCE TO HUMAN APPLICATION, M. ABDELLATIF & S. SEDEJ • AGEISM IN HEALTHCARE: WHY IT HAS TO STOP, L. AYALON • SECRETS OF LONGEVITY - THE IKARIA STUDY, P. PIETRI • FRAILSAFE SYSTEM: AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH ON FRAILTY, S. MOZA ET AL. SINGAPORE: TRANSFORM- INNOVATION AND INSPIRATION THE SEX AND GENDER INFLUENCE ATIVE SHIFTS IN HEALTHCARE FOR HEALTHCARE - HOW TO ON HYPERTENSION, S. SHAH MANAGEMENT, E. F. SOH CHANGE FERTILITY CARE WITH PARESH ET AL. VALUE-BASED HEALTHCARE, M. EUSOBI 2019, G. FORRAI CURFS HOW THE BRAIN WORKS: LOOKING INSIDE TO TARGET TREATMENTS, VENDOR-DRIVEN STANDARDS FOR INNOVATIVE HEALTHCARE STRA- S. MULDOON INTEROPERABILITY, D. HANCOCK TEGIES, P. FACON NEW MANAGEMENT PATHWAYS IN BREXIT: WREAKING HAVOC IN GAME-CHANGING MEETING OF CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS, HEALTHCARE?, M. DAYAN ET AL. MINDS: RADIOLOGY AND IMAGING R. VIDAL PEREZ INFORMATICS, E. RANSCHAERT LEADING CHANGE AS A PHYSICIAN, TACKLING THE FIVE ESSENTIAL X. CORBELLA & E. O' SULLIVAN IMAGE INFORMATION DELIVERY LEVERS OF THEATRE EFFICIENCY, IN THE AI ERA: TWO LIKELY D. THORPE ©For personal and private use only. Reproduction must be permitted by the copyright holder. Email to [email protected]. must be permitted use only. Reproduction and private ©For personal SCENARIOS, S. R. BAKER. CoVer storY silver tsunami Secrets of Longevity The IKARIA Study summary: the intriguing finding of longevity among the ikaria inhabitants was the impetus to perform an epidemiological study.
    [Show full text]
  • 01:377:483 Topics in Kinesiology and Health Exploring the Origins of the Mediterranean Diet in Crete Island
    01:377:483 Topics in Kinesiology and Health Exploring the Origins of the Mediterranean Diet in Crete Island Credits Language Term Year Start Date End Date 6 English Summer 2018 July 7 July 30 Course Description: Diets adopted by the Mediterranean populations have been a subject of interest since antiquity, with more recent investigations demonstrating their numerous health benefits. The Rockefeller Foundation’s study in 1940s and the Seven Countries Study in 1950s both highlighted the Cretan diet as a palatable primarily plant-based dietary pattern with distinct differences compared to the western-type diet and a strong link to the maintenance of good health. The local diet of Crete Island is what we know today as the Mediterranean diet, acknowledged as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO and proposed as one of the three major health promoting dietary patterns in the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The 3- week educational program «Exploring the Origins of the Mediterranean Diet in Crete Island» aims to provide students the opportunity to study the Mediterranean diet in its place of origin, along with sustainable food production and consumption patterns, emphasizing on traditional Mediterranean practices. During the first days of the course, students will visit Athens, the capital of Greece, where they will participate in lectures, cooking classes and educational activities about the history, evolution, culinary aspects and health benefits of the traditional Greek lifestyle. For the three core weeks of the program, educational activities will take place in Crete Island. While there, students will explore the remnants of the ancient Minoan civilization, as well as learn about landmark studies carried out in the island, as a means to familiarize with the history and evolution of the Cretan diet and lifestyle.
    [Show full text]
  • Description of Lifestyle, Including Social Life, Diet and Physical Activity, of People ≥90 Years Living in Ikaria, a Longevity Blue Zone
    International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Article Description of Lifestyle, Including Social Life, Diet and Physical Activity, of People ≥90 years Living in Ikaria, a Longevity Blue Zone Romain Legrand 1, Gilles Nuemi 2, Michel Poulain 3,4 and Patrick Manckoundia 1,5,* 1 “Pôle Personnes Âgées”, Hospital of Champmaillot, University Hospital, 21079 Dijon, France; [email protected] 2 Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, François Mitterrand Hospital, University Hospital, 21079 Dijon, France; [email protected] 3 Institute for the Analysis of Change in Historical and Contemporary Societies (IACCHOS), Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; [email protected] 4 Estonian Institute for Population Studies, Tallinn University, 10120 Tallinn, Estonia 5 INSERM U-1093, Cognition, Action and Sensorimotor Plasticity, University of Burgundy Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +33-3-80-29-39-70; Fax: +33-3-80-29-36-21 Abstract: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted to describe the lifestyle of people ≥90 years, living in Evdilos or Raches, two municipalities of the Greek island of Ikaria, classified a longevity blue zone. The 71 participants were interviewed and underwent the Mediterranean Islands study food frequency questionnaire (MEDIS-FFQ) and the international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ). The frequency of social contacts was daily for 77.9% of participants, weekly Citation: Legrand, R.; Nuemi, G.; for 16.1%, and monthly for 5.9%. Most participants (90.0%) believed in God, and 81.4% took part Poulain, M.; Manckoundia, P. in religious events. A total of 62.0% attended Panigiria festivals.
    [Show full text]
  • Bug Bites It’S Only a Matter of Time Before Insects Become a Staple of Western Diets
    A PUBLICATION OF ALUMNI UBC · NUMBER 36 · 2014 BUG BITES It’s only a matter of time before insects become a staple of Western diets. PLUS Stuck in a medical minority BC’s endangered languages Dear Dr. Wesbrook: letters from the front Author Nancy Lee has The Last Word 22 16 DOUBLE FEATURE COVER THE waitinG ROOM THE BUG FARMER A powerful documentary is illustrating the Andrew Brentano, BA’10, is supporting the growth of a grassroots plight of people living with undiagnosed conditions. insect‑farming industry – starting in his own garage. AN UncOMMON EatinG InsEcts is NOT PEOPLE whO haVE A RARE disEasE OR UndiaGNOSED COnditiON can FEEL isOlatED and abandONED. DENOMinatOR “ICKY.” GET OVER IT. RaisinG awaRENEss and BUildinG SUPPORT NEtwORKS GIVES thEM The Rare Disease Foundation is using a collective Professor Murray Isman says eating insects is not only desirable, A VOicE and BOOsts thEIR HOPES approach to create a support network for patients. FOR answERS. but inevitable. THE LOVE BUG FEATURE Afton Halloran, BSc’09, co‑wrote a major UN publication InsEcts ARE A COMMON SOURCE OF NUTRitiON in ManY on the contribution of insects to global food security. 12 VANISHING PARts OF thE WORld BUT haVE YET TO BECOME a staPLE Her fascination with the subject led to a chance meeting. OF WEstERN diEts. THERE ARE stRONG ARGUMEnts FOR OVERCOMinG ANY AVERsiON. VOicES Language activists are determined to bring BC’s indigenous tongues back from the brink of extinction. In Short QUOTE, UNQUOTE 52 3 3 FEATURE Q&A 4 TaKE NOTE 28 DEar 6 ABORIGIN AL GANGS DR.
    [Show full text]
  • Vegetarian Diet: an Overview Through the Perspective of Quality of Life Domains
    International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Review Vegetarian Diet: An Overview through the Perspective of Quality of Life Domains Shila Minari Hargreaves 1,*, António Raposo 2,* , Ariana Saraiva 3 and Renata Puppin Zandonadi 1 1 Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Brasilia (UnB), Campus Darcy Ribeiro, Asa Norte, Brasilia, DF 70910-900, Brazil; [email protected] 2 CBIOS (Research Center for Biosciences and Health Technologies), Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias, Campo Grande 376, 1749-024 Lisboa, Portugal 3 Department of Animal Pathology and Production, Bromatology and Food Technology, Faculty of Veterinary, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Trasmontaña s/n, 35413 Arucas, Spain; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] (S.M.H.); [email protected] (A.R.); Tel.: +55-61-981863262 (S.M.H.) Abstract: Vegetarianism has gained more visibility in recent years. Despite the well-described effects of a vegetarian diet on health, its influence on the quality of life of the individuals who follow it still needs to be properly investigated. Quality of life relates to a subjective perception of well-being and functionality, and encompasses four main life domains: physical, psychological, social, and environmental. The adoption of a vegetarian diet, despite being a dietary pattern, could potentially influence and be influenced by all of these domains, either positively or negatively. This review aims to present an overview of the background, conceptualization, features, and potential effects of vegetarianism in all quality of life domains. The choice of adopting a vegetarian diet could have positive outcomes, such as better physical health, positive feelings related to the adoption Citation: Hargreaves, S.M.; Raposo, of a morally correct attitude, an increased sense of belonging (to a vegetarian community), and A.; Saraiva, A.; Zandonadi, R.P.
    [Show full text]
  • Dietary Patterns and All-Cause Mortality: a Systematic Review
    United States Department of Agriculture Dietary Patterns and All-Cause Mortality: A Systematic Review 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee: Dietary Patterns Subcommittee Published date: July 15, 2020 Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion Food and Nutrition Service U.S. Department of Agriculture 1320 Braddock Place Alexandria, Virginia This systematic review was conducted by the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee in collaboration with the Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review (NESR) team at the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). All systematic reviews from the 2020 Advisory Committee Project are available on the NESR website: https://nesr.usda.gov/2020-dietary- guidelines-advisory-committee-systematic-reviews. Conclusion statements drawn as part of this systematic review describe the state of science related to the specific question examined. Conclusion statements do not draw implications, and should not be interpreted as dietary guidance. This portfolio provides the complete documentation for this systematic review. A summary of this review is included in the 2020 Advisory Committee’s Scientific Report available at www.DietaryGuidelines.gov. The contents of this document may be used and reprinted without permission. Endorsements by NESR, the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, the Food and Nutrition Service, or the USDA of derivative products developed from this work may not be stated or implied. Suggested citation for this systematic review: 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee and Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review Team. Dietary Patterns and All-Cause Mortality: A Systematic Review. 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Project. Alexandria, VA: U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • A Commentary on Blue Zones®: a Critical Review of Age-Friendly Environments in the 21St Century and Beyond
    International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Commentary A Commentary on Blue Zones®: A Critical Review of Age-Friendly Environments in the 21st Century and Beyond Hannah R. Marston 1,* , Kelly Niles-Yokum 2 and Paula Alexandra Silva 3 1 Health & Wellbeing Strategic Research Area, School of Health, Wellbeing & Social Care, The Open University, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK7 6HH, UK 2 Department of Health and Public Management, College of Business & Public Management, University of La Verne, La Verne, CA 91750, USA; [email protected] 3 Centre for Informatics and Systems (CISUC), Department of Informatics Engineering (DEI), University of Coimbra, 3030-290 Coimbra, Portugal; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: This paper explores the intersection of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) concepts of age-friendly communities and The Blue Zones® checklists and how the potential of integrating the two frameworks for the development of a contemporary framework can address the current gaps in the literature as well as consider the inclusion of technology and environmental press. The commentary presented here sets out initial thoughts and explorations that have the potential to impact societies on a global scale and provides recommendations for a roadmap to consider new ways to think about the impact of health and wellbeing of older adults and their families. Additionally, this paper highlights both the strengths and the weaknesses of the aforementioned checklists and frameworks by examining the literature including the WHO age-friendly framework, the smart ® age-friendly ecosystem (SAfE) framework and the Blue Zones checklists. We argue that gaps exist in the current literature and take a critical approach as a way to be inclusive of technology and the Citation: Marston, H.R.; environments in which older adults live.
    [Show full text]
  • Getables, Whole Grain Cereals, Legumes, Moderate Consumption of Wine and Low Consumption of Meat and Its By-Products Together with Milk and Dairy Products [6, 7]
    Mediterranean Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism 9 (2016) 111–123 111 DOI:10.3233/MNM-160064 IOS Press Eating habits and health status, in Aegean Islands: An adventure within the MEDIS study Alexandra Foscoloua, Stefanos Tyrovolasa,b, Dilek Uralc, Evangelos Polychronopoulosa and Demosthenes Panagiotakosa,∗ aDepartment of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Science and Education, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece bParc Sanitari Sant Joan de D´eu, Fundaci´o Sant Joan de D´eu, CIBERSAM, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain cKoc University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey Abstract. There are places around the world that are characterized by high longevity rates; among these places are islands in Eastern Aegean Sea (Ikaria Island). Sparse data suggest that islanders’ nutritional habits are based on both local products and the coastal transport development; however, the level of adherence to the traditional Mediterranean lifestyle is relatively unknown. This review explores eating habits and behaviors, as well as the health status of people living in Eastern Aegean Sea islands. Keywords: Eastern Aegean islands, eating habits, nutrition, Mediterranean diet 1. Introduction The nutritional conditions and the availability of food are not only influenced by economic or cultural factors, but also by the development of modern technology and the power of globalization, while nutritional issues still lie at the center of interest of the public opinion. Undoubtedly, the environment and the geographic parameters in particular, the ground and the quality of the exploitable fields and sources have played a vitally important role in the food procurement throughout the centuries. However, the “Green Revolution” has generated an increase in the cultivation output through the improvement of seed varieties, the systematic irrigation and the inflow of chemical substances [1].
    [Show full text]
  • A Biomimetic Natural Sciences Approach to Understanding the Mechanisms of Ageing in Burden of Lifestyle Diseases
    Clinical Science (2021) 135 1251–1272 https://doi.org/10.1042/CS20201452 Review Article A biomimetic natural sciences approach to understanding the mechanisms of ageing in burden of lifestyle diseases Lu Dai1, Leon Schurgers2,3, Paul G. Shiels4 and Peter Stenvinkel1 Downloaded from http://portlandpress.com/clinsci/article-pdf/135/10/1251/912855/cs-2020-1452c.pdf by Universiteit Maastricht user on 02 July 2021 1Division of Renal Medicine, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; 2Department of Biochemistry, Cardiovascular Research School Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands; 3Institute of Experimental Medicine and Systems Biology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany; 4Institute of Cancer Sciences, Wolfson Wohl Translational Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Bearsden, Glasgow, U.K. Correspondence: Peter Stenvinkel ([email protected]) The worldwide landscape of an ageing population and age-related disease brings with it huge socio-economic and public healthcare concerns across nations. Correspond- ingly, monumental human and financial resources have been invested in biomedical re- search, with a mission to decode the mechanisms of ageing and how these contribute to age-related disease. Multiple hallmarks of ageing have been identified that are common across taxa, highlighting their fundamental importance. These include dysregulated mito- chondrial metabolism and telomeres biology, epigenetic modifications, cell–matrix interac- tions, proteostasis, dysregulated nutrient sensing, stem cell exhaustion, inflammageing and immuno-senescence. While our understanding of the molecular basis of ageing is improv- ing, it remains a complex and multifactorial process that remains to be fully understood. A key aspect of the shortfall in our understanding of the ageing process lies in translating data from standard animal models to humans.
    [Show full text]
  • Dietary Restrictions and Nutrition in the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease
    Review Dietary Restrictions and Nutrition in the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease Sebastian Brandhorst, Valter D. Longo Abstract: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in many developed countries and remains one of the major diseases strongly affected by the diet. Nutrition can affect CVD directly by contributing to the accumulation of vascular plaques and also indirectly by regulating the rate of aging. This review summarizes research on nutrition and CVD incidence based on a multipillar system that includes basic research focused on aging, epidemiological studies, clinical studies, and studies of centenarians. The relevant research linking nutrition and CVD with focus on macronutrients and aging will be highlighted. We will review some of the most relevant studies on nutrition and CVD treatment, also focusing on interventions known to delay aging. We will discuss both everyday dietary compositions, as well as intermittent and periodic fasting interventions with the potential to prevent and treat CVD. (Circ Res. 2019;124:952-965. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.118.313352.) Key Words: cardiovascular diseases ◼ diet ◼ fasting ◼ prevention and control ◼ research ccording to the American Heart Association, cardio- frequent and confusing changes in direction. Hence, a system- Avascular disease (CVD; a classification including cor- atic approach to extract the long-term effects of certain dietary onary heart disease [CHD], stroke, coronary heart failure, patterns on health is needed. Thus, a method that combines
    [Show full text]
  • Focus on Mediterranean Diet and Functional Foods
    Healthy eating as a strategy to achieve successful ageing: focus on Mediterranean diet and functional foods Anna Aiello Dottorato di ricerca in Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Dipartimento di Biopatologia e Biotecnologie Mediche SSD Med/04 HEALTHY EATING AS A STRATEGY TO ACHIEVE SUCCESSFUL AGEING: FOCUS ON MEDITERRANEAN DIET AND FUNCTIONAL FOODS IL DOTTORE IL COORDINATORE ANNA AIELLO PROF. CALOGERO CARUSO IL TUTOR PROF.SSA GIUSEPPINA CANDORE CICLO XXIX ANNO CONSEGUIMENTO TITOLO 2017 “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food” Hippocrates “Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet…And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do, and succeed at” S.W. Hawking “Non ho paura di morire, è un compito biologico di ogni essere vivente, per lasciare spazio a nuove generazioni. Da medico mi appassionano gli studi sulla longevità ma il nostro vero obiettivo deve essere non solo vivere più a lungo, ma godere del tempo guadagnato, in uno stato di salute che consenta una vita attiva del corpo e soprattutto della mente” U. Veronesi TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract of papers produced during PhD course and relevant to this thesis .................................................................................. 6 List of abbreviations .................................................................. 13 I. Introduction: Healthy Eating For Healthy Ageing... .15 I.I Ageing process and longevity......................................... 19 I.II Excursus on traditional dietary interventions and their potential impact on morbidity and lifespan .................... 27 I.III Mediterranean diet: The most investigated dietary pattern for achieving successful ageing ...................................... 39 I.III.I Focus on Mediterranean pyramid: History and evolution ........................................................................................ 45 I.III.II Mediterranean nutraceuticals and functional foods: The role on healthy ageing ..................................................
    [Show full text]