1,721,056 research outputs found
Diabetes and bone: biological and environmental factors
No full textType 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus are known to increase fracture risk. It is known that type 1 diabetes mellitus is associated with lower bone mineral density, but for type 2 diabetes mellitus, the real risk of increasing osteoporotic fractures is not explained by bone mineral density, which was found to be normal or paradoxically higher than controls in several studies, thus claiming for further investigations. This review summarizes some of the newest findings about factors that contribute to bone alterations in diabetic patients
Environment and Health: Not Only Cancer
No full textThe Hippocratic tradition emphasized environmental causes of diseases and the need for harmony between the individual and the natural environment as the right philosophy to maintain a good health status. Public awareness and scientific attention concerning environmental pollution is usually focused on the consequent increased risk of developing cancer. Air pollution has been recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) to cause cardiovascular and respiratroy diseases, as well as lung cancer, after acute/chronic exposure to fine particulates (PM2.5 and PM10) even at concentrations which are 50% lower than those accepted as legal limits in many developed countries. An increase of 10 μg/m3 of PM2.5 produces a +4%-6% of overall mortality, a +10% of cardiovascular disease prevalence (arithmyas, acute myocardial infarctions, and heart failure) and a +22% of lung cancer prevalence. In addition to these chronic effects, acute hospitalizations are also affected, especially among susceptible populations such as children and diabetic patients. Water and soil contamination also have an additional detrimental effect on people's health. Other issues concerning environment contamination and human health include male/female fertility, metabolic and thyroid conditions, but also professional exposures resulting in occupational diseases. Moreover, in the perspective of "gender medicine", different acute or chronic effects of environmental pollution should be specifically assessed both in men and in women. This special issue on "Environmental Diseases" is aimed at providing a global overview about different threats to human health possibily originating from environmental contamination
Environmental Carcinogenesis and Transgenerational Transmission of Carcinogenic Risk: From Genetics to Epigenetics
No full textThe dominant pathogenic model, somatic mutation theory (SMT), considers carcinogenesis as a 'genetic accident' due to the accumulation of 'stochastic' DNA mutations. This model was proposed and accepted by the scientific community when cancer mainly affected the elderly, but it does not explain the epidemiological observation of the continuous increase in cancer incidence among children and young adults. Somatic mutation theory has been proposed for a revision based on the emerging experimental evidence, as it does not fully address some issues that have proven to be crucial for carcinogenesis, namely: the inflammatory context of cancer; the key role played by the stroma, microenvironment, endothelial cells, activated macrophages, and surrounding tissues; and the distorted developmental course followed by the neoplastic tissue. Furthermore, SMT is often not able to consider either the existence of specific mutations resulting in a well-defined cancer type, or a clear relationship between mutations and tumor progression. Moreover, it does not explain the mechanism of action of the non-mutagenic and environmental carcinogens. In the last decade, cancer research has highlighted the prominent role of an altered regulation of gene expression, suggesting that cancer should be considered as a result of a polyclonal epigenetic disruption of stem/progenitor cells, mediated by tumour-inducing genes. The maternal and fetal exposure to a wide range of chemicals and environmental contaminants is raising the attention of the scientific community. Indeed, the most powerful procarcinogenic mechanisms of endocrine disruptors and other pollutants is linked to their potential to interfere epigenetically with the embryo-fetal programming of tissues and organs, altering the regulation of the genes involved in the cell cycle, cell proliferation, apoptosis, and other key signaling pathways. The embryo-fetal exposure to environmental, stressful, and proinflammatory triggers (first hit), seems to act as a 'disease primer', making fetal cells and tissues more susceptible to the subsequent environmental exposures (second hit), triggering the carcinogenic pathways. Furthermore, even at the molecular level, in carcinogenesis, 'epigenetics precedes genetics' as global DNA hypomethylation, and the hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes are common both in cancerous and in precancerous cells, and generally precede mutations. These epigenetic models may better explain the increase of cancer and chronic/degenerative diseases in the last decades and could be useful to adopt appropriate primary prevention measures, essentially based on the reduction of maternal-fetal and child exposure to several procarcinogenic agents and factors dispersed in the environment and in the food-chains, as recently suggested by the World Health Organization
Ionizing radiation and human health: Reviewing models of exposure and mechanisms of cellular damage. an epigenetic perspective
Full text linkWe reviewed available evidence in medical literature concerning experimental models of exposure to ionizing radiations (IR) and their mechanisms of producing damages on living organisms. The traditional model is based on the theory of “stochastic breakage” of one or both strands of the DNA double helix. According to this model, high doses may cause the breaks, potentially lethal to the cell by damaging both DNA strands, while low doses of IR would cause essentially single strands breaks, easily repairable, resulting in no permanent damages. The available evidence makes this classical model increasingly less acceptable, because the exposure to low doses of IR seems to have carcinogenic effects, even after years or decades, both in the exposed individuals and in subsequent generations. In addition, the cells that survived the exposure to low doses, despite being apparently normal, accumulate damages that become evident in their progeny, such as nonclonal chromosomal aberrations, which can be found even in cells not directly irradiated due to the exchange of molecular signals and complex tissue reactions involving neighboring or distant cells. For all these reasons, a paradigm shift is needed, based on evidence and epigenetics
Air quality and COVID-19: Much more than six feet. Evidence about SARS-COV-2 airborne transmission in indoor environments and polluted areas
No full textIn March 2020, while Italy was the first European country to experience the COVID-19 pandemic, the Italian Society of Environmental Medicine (SIMA) called for carefully considering the role of air pollution in boosting SARS-CoV-2 diffusion, as well as COVID-19 lethality in Lombardy and the neighborhood Northern Italian Regions (Setti et al., 2020a). After displaying the first evidence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA found on particulate matter of Bergamo before the first Italian lockdown (Setti et al., 2020b), the same researchers argued that the simple prescription of maintaining a social distancing of 6 feet (2 m) could not be enough to protect people from contagion, especially in enclosed spaces (Setti et al., 2020c). At that time, the use of facial masks in indoor or outdoor environments was not yet recommended by the World Health Organization, as well as by many Governments. As highlighted by Morawska and Cao (2020) and also by Paules et al. (2020), small particles with a higher viral load, could probably be transferred up to 10 m from the emission source in indoor environments, thus meaning more than 6 feet (2 m). Only in May 2021, due to the increasing evidence produced in medical literature (Domingo et al., 2020; Wu et al., 2020), the Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC, 2021) updated their official documents concerning the transmission of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, recognizing that “once infectious droplets and particles are exhaled, they move outward from the source”, and that the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 might occur also at distances greater than six feet (2 m) from the infectious source. This despite being less likely than at closer distances, with the warning that “the progressive loss of viral viability and infectiousness over time is also influenced by environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and ultraviolet radiation such as sunlight” (CDC, 2021)
Decarbonisation, climate change, and human rights: a road map for the future of Puglia region
No full textThe article reports on the debate started by the Puglia Regional Government with national and international experts (ie, a knowledge transfer exchange), in which the decision-making process is based on scientific evidence and on the adoption of well-established best practices in the production of energy and steel
“Planeterranea”: An attempt to broaden the beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet worldwide
Full text linkNon-communicable diseases (NCDs) lead to a dramatic burden on morbidity and mortality worldwide. Diet is a modifiable risk factor for NCDs, with Mediterranean Diet (MD) being one of the most effective dietary strategies to reduce diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. Nevertheless, MD transferability to non-Mediterranean is challenging and requires a shared path between the scientific community and stakeholders. Therefore, the UNESCO Chair on Health Education and Sustainable Development is fostering a research project—“Planeterranea”—aiming to identify a healthy dietary pattern based on food products available in the different areas of the world with the nutritional properties of MD. This review aimed to collect information about eating habits and native crops in 5 macro-areas (North America, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Australia). The information was used to develop specific “nutritional pyramids” based on the foods available in the macro-areas presenting the same nutritional properties and health benefits of MD
“Planeterranean” Diet: extending worldwide the health benefits of Mediterranean Diet based on nutritional properties of locally available foods
No full textIn 2010, November 16th, the Mediterranean diet was given the recognition of UNESCO as an “Intangible Heritage of Humanity” as this dietary pattern is rooted in the preservation of tradition, land, and biodiversity. In addition, mounting evidence supported the pivotal role of the Mediterranean diet in the prevention of non-communicable diseases. Nevertheless, the application of this dietary pattern in non-Mediterranean countries is still challenging. “Planeterranean” is an attempt of the UNESCO Chair of “Health Education and Sustainable Development” to prompt each country to rediscover its own heritage and develop healthier dietary patterns based on traditional and local foods
Personalized paths for physical activity: developing a person-centered quantitative function to determine a customized amount of exercise and enhancing individual commitment
Full text linkBackground: Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are leading causes of mortality. These conditions are also known as
chronic diseases of long duration and generally slow progression. Physical activity (PA) is a main factor to delay
symptoms and consequences of NCDs. In last decades, reduced physical exercise has been observed across all ages.
Despite educational campaigns aimed at modifying unhealthy habits, it is difficult to promote healthy lifestyles in
general population. Poor interest, lack of motivation, as well as career and family commitments hinder people’s
participation in regular PA programs. In this study we propose a theoretical person-centred approach to actively
involve general population in enhancing their opportunity to perform PA based on personalized needs and targets.
Methods: We defined four profiles of baseline PA levels (inactive, moderately inactive, moderately active, and active
people) by referring to Metabolic equivalents (METs) based on individual answers to General Practice Physical Activity
Questionnaire (GPPAQ).
Results: Based on the answers to the GPPAQ and by computing the related METs for each profile of baseline exercise
levels, we developed an innovative person-centered web-based algorithm/function for enhancing and measuring PA
participation in community settings. This function can compute evidence-based standardized profiles of participants,
personalized goals of PA being functional to the purpose of maintaining or gaining health benefits, as well as the type
and duration of PA needed to reach these goals.
Conclusion: It might be speculated that this approach would be a reliable method for increasing people’s self-efficacy
and population adherence to recommended levels of PA. However, this theoretical proposal requires to be
implemented in further research
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