1,721,088 research outputs found
Associations of serum uric acid with total and cause-specific mortality: Findings from individuals and pooling prospective studies
No full textBackground and aims: There is considerable controversy regarding the link between serum uric acid (SUA) and mortality. We prospectively evaluated the association between SUA and risk of total and cause specific (coronary heart disease [CHD], cerebrovascular and cancer) mortality by using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES, 1999-2010). Furthermore, a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies was performed to investigate pooled associations of SUA with all-cause and cause-specific mortality.
Methods: Vital status through December 31, 2011 was ascertained. PubMed-Medline, SCOPUS, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases were searched (up to April 2018). Adjusted Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to determine the association between SUA and mortality. The DerSimonian-Laird method and generic inverse variance methods were used for quantitative data synthesis.
Results: Overall, 21,025 individuals were included (mean age = 47.6 years, 48.7% men) and 3520 deaths occurred during the 144 months of follow-up. In adjusted models, individuals in the highest quartile of SUA had 10 and 8% greater risk of CHD and stroke mortality, whereas there was no link between SUA, all-cause and cancer mortality. The associations of CHD and stroke mortality with SUA were more pronounced in women and, among women, in those aged >50 years. Furthermore, all-cause mortality was positively and significantly related to SUA concentrations only in women. In the meta-analysis, SUA was shown to predict the risk of total (21%), CHD (24%) and stroke (29%) mortality. Furthermore, participants with a higher level of central adiposity had a greater risk of mortality from CHD and stroke for the same level of SUA.
Conclusions: Our results highlight the adverse impact of SUA on mortality, particularity in older (>50 years) women. The clinical implications of these findings remain to be established in future trials
Effect of Dietary Insulinemia on All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality
No full textBackground: Insulin response to diet might predict the risk of mortality; however, the evidence is limited. We prospectively evaluated the link between the dietary hyperinsulinemia index (DHI) and dietary insulin resistance index (DIRI) with all-cause and cause-specific (cardiovascular disease [CVD] and cancer) mortality.Methods: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2010) database was used. Vital status through December 31, 2011, was ascertained. Stepwise linear regression models consisted of 39 macro/micronutrients applied, and fasting plasma C-peptide for the DHI and triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (TG/HDL-C) for the DIRI were used. Adjusted Cox regression (followed by propensity score matching) was performed to determine the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence interval (95% CIs).Results: Overall, 22,246 participants were included (mean age = 47.8 years; 48.9% men). There was a significant increasing risk of mortality across the quartiles of DHI, i.e., participants with a highest score of DHI (Q4) had a greater risk of all-cause (HR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.17-1.26), CVD (HR: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.07-1.29), and cancer (HR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.08-1.23) mortality compared with the first quartile (Q1; p < 0.001 for all comparisons). Similarly, participants in the highest DIRI quartile (Q4) had 23% and 31% higher risk of all-cause and CVD mortality, respectively, compared with Q1, while the association between cancer mortality and DIRI was non-significant (HR: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.35-2.61).Conclusions: These findings highlight, for the first time, the detrimental role (association) of insulinemia and insulin resistance potential of diet on all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Our findings support the role of C-peptide and TG/HDL-C ratio as cost-effective and practical biomarkers in clinical settings. These results need to be confirmed to establish their implications
Tomato and Lycopene Consumption Is Inversely Associated with Total and Cause-Specific Mortality
No full textNo data exist on the associations of dietary tomato and lycopene consumption with total and cause-specific mortality. Using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 1999-2010, we evaluted the long-term impact of tomato and lycopene intake on total and cause-specific (CHD and cerebrovascular disease) mortality. We also assessed the changes in cardio-metabolic risk factors according to tomato and lycopene intake. Vital status to 31 December 2011 was ascertained. Cox proportional hazard regression models (followed by propensity score matching) were used to investigate the link between tomato and lycopene consumption total, CHD and cerebrovascular mortality. Among the 23 935 participants included (mean age = 47·6 years, 48·8 % men), 3403 deaths occurred during 76·4 months of follow-up. Tomato intake was inversely associated with total (risk ratio (RR) 0·86, 95 % CI 0·81, 0·92), CHD (RR 0·76, 95 % CI 0·70, 0·85) and cerebrovascular (RR 0·70, 95 % CI 0·62, 0·81) mortality. Similar inverse associations were found between lycopene consumption, total (RR 0·76, 95 % CI 0·72, 0·81), CHD (RR 0·73, 95 % CI 0·65, 0·83) and cerebrovascular (RR 0·71, 95 % CI 0·65, 0·78) mortality; these associations were independent of anthropometric, clinical and nutritional parameters. Age and obesity did not affect the association of tomato and lycopene consumption with total, CHD and cerebrovascular mortality. C-reactive protein significantly moderated the link between lycopene and tomato intake with total, CHD and cerebrovascular mortality. ANCOVA showed that participants with a higher tomato and lycopene consumption had a more cardio-protective profile compared with those with a lower intake. Our results highlighted the favourable effect of tomato and lycopene intake on total and cause-specific mortality as well as on cardio-metabolic risk factors. These findings should be taken into consideration for public health strategies
Nutraceuticals in Lipid-Lowering Treatment: A Narrative Review on the Role of Chitosan
No full textLipid-lowering drugs may cause adverse effects and, although lipid targets may be achieved, a substantial residual cardiovascular (CV) risk remains. Treatment with agents mimicking proteins present in the body, such as incretin-based therapies, provided promising results. However, in order to improve lipids and CV risk, lifestyle measures remain important. Some researchers focused on nutraceuticals that may beneficially affect metabolic parameters and minimize CV risk. Chitosan, a dietary fiber, can regulate lipids with benefit on anthropometric parameters. The beneficial properties of dietary supplements (such as green tea extract, prebiotics, plant sterols, and stanols) on plasma lipids, lipoproteins, blood pressure, glucose, and insulin levels and their anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects are documented. However, larger, prospective clinical trials are required to confirm such benefits. Such treatments may be recommended when lipid-lowering drugs are neither indicated nor tolerated as well as in order to achieve therapeutic targets and/or overcome residual CV risk
The association between serum uric acid levels and 10-year cardiovascular disease incidence: results from the ATTICA prospective study.
Full text linkLimited data suggests possible gender-specific association between serum uric acid (SUA) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence. The aim of the present analysis was to evaluate the association between SUA levels and 10-year CVD incidence (2002-2012) in the ATTICA study participants. Overall, 1687 apparently healthy volunteers, with SUA measurements, residing in the greater metropolitan Athens area (Greece), were included. Multivariable Cox-regression models were used to estimate the hazard ratios for SUA in relation to 10-year CVD incidence. Receiver operating curve analysis was conducted to detect optimal SUA cut-off values. Participants in the 2nd and 3rd SUA tertile had 29 and 73% higher 10-year CVD incidence compared with those in the 1st tertile (p < 0.001). In gender-specific analysis, only in women SUA was independently associated with CVD incidence; women in the 3rd SUA tertile had 79% greater 10-year CVD event risk compared to their 1st tertile counterparts. Obese in the 3rd SUA tertile had 2-times higher CVD incidence compared to those in the 1st tertile. Similar findings were observed in metabolically healthy (vs. unhealthy) and metabolically healthy obese. SUA thresholds best predicting 10-year CVD incidence was 5.05 and 4.15 mg/dL (0.30 and 0.25 mmol/L) in men and women, respectively. In conclusion, increased SUA levels were independently related to 10-year CVD event rate in women, obese and metabolically healthy individuals. SUA could predict 10-year CVD incidence even at low levels. Further studies are warranted to identify SUA cut-off values that may improve the detection of individuals at higher CVD risk in clinical practice
Nutraceuticals in Lipid-Lowering Treatment: A Narrative Review on the Role of Chitosan
No full textLipid-lowering drugs may cause adverse effects and, although lipid targets may be achieved, a substantial residual cardiovascular (CV) risk remains. Treatment with agents mimicking proteins present in the body, such as incretin-based therapies, provided promising results. However, in order to improve lipids and CV risk, lifestyle measures remain important. Some researchers focused on nutraceuticals that may beneficially affect metabolic parameters and minimize CV risk. Chitosan, a dietary fiber, can regulate lipids with benefit on anthropometric parameters. The beneficial properties of dietary supplements (such as green tea extract, prebiotics, plant sterols, and stanols) on plasma lipids, lipoproteins, blood pressure, glucose, and insulin levels and their anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects are documented. However, larger, prospective clinical trials are required to confirm such benefits. Such treatments may be recommended when lipid-lowering drugs are neither indicated nor tolerated as well as in order to achieve therapeutic targets and/or overcome residual CV risk
Effects of chitosan on plasma lipids and lipoproteins: A 4-month prospective pilot study
No full textChitosan can favorably modulate plasma lipids, but the available data are not conclusive. We evaluated the effect of chitosan on plasma lipids and lipoproteins in 28 patients with plasma triglyceride levels >150 mg/dL (mean age: 63 ± 12 years), not taking other lipid-lowering agents. All patients received a chitosan derived from fungal mycelium (Xantonet, Bromatech, Italy) at a fixed dose of 125 mg/d in addition to their current medications for 4 months. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to measure low-density lipoprotein (LDL) subclasses. After treatment, total cholesterol reduced by 8%, LDL cholesterol by 2%, and triglycerides by 19%, with a concomitant 14% increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. We also found a beneficial effect of chitosan on LDL subclasses, with a significant increase in LDL-2 particles (from 37 ± 8% to 47 ± 8%, P =.0001) and a decrease (although not significant) in atherogenic small, dense LDL. Whether these findings may affect cardiovascular risk remains to be established in future studies. © The Author(s) 2013
Effects of Chitosan on Plasma Lipids and Lipoproteins: A 4-Month Prospective Pilot Study
Full text linkGoing Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
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