0000000000051521
AUTHOR
Maria Gabriella Caruso
Magnesium and health outcomes: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational and intervention studies
Purpose: To map and grade all health outcomes associated with magnesium (Mg) intake and supplementation using an umbrella review. Methods: Umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-analyses of observational studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using placebo/no intervention as control group. We assessed meta-analyses of observational studies based on random-effect summary effect sizes and their p values, 95% prediction intervals, heterogeneity, small-study effects and excess significance. For meta-analyses of RCTs, outcomes with a random-effect p value < 0.005 and a high-GRADE assessment were classified as strong evidence. Results: From 2048 abstracts, 16 meta-analyses an…
The relationship between dietary vitamin k and depressive symptoms in late adulthood: A cross-sectional analysis from a large cohort study
Few studies assessed the associations between dietary vitamin K and depressive symptoms. We aimed to investigate the association between dietary vitamin K and depressive symptoms in a large cohort of North American People. In this cross-sectional analysis, 4,375 participants that were aged 45&ndash
The Association between Dietary Magnesium Intake and Magnetic Resonance Parameters for Knee Osteoarthritis
The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between dietary magnesium (Mg) intake and prevalence of knee osteoarthritis (OA), a topic poorly explored in the literature. Overall, 783 people participating in the Osteoarthritis Initiative (59.8% females
Dietary acrylamide and incident osteoporotic fractures: an 8-year prospective cohort study
Abstract Background Acrylamide, a component of fried foods, has been associated with several negative health outcomes. However, the relationship between dietary acrylamide and osteoporotic fractures has been explored by a few cross-sectional studies. Aims To investigate if dietary acrylamide is associated with the onset of fractures in North American participants at high risk/having knee osteoarthritis (OA), over 8 years of follow-up. Methods A Cox’s regression analysis, adjusted for baseline confounders was run and the data were reported as hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Dietary acrylamide intake was assessed at the baseline using a food frequency questionnaire and…
Dietary fiber and health outcomes: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses
Background Several studies have suggested that higher consumption of dietary fiber is beneficial for a variety of health outcomes. However, many results have been inconclusive and, to our knowledge, there has been no attempt to systematically capture the breadth of outcomes associated with dietary fiber intake or to systematically assess the quality and the strength of the evidence on the associations of dietary fiber intake and different health outcomes or medical conditions. Objective The aim of this study was to describe the diverse health outcomes convincingly associated with dietary fiber consumption. Design This was an umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-analysis of observ…
Pro-inflammatory dietary pattern is associated with fractures in women: an eight-year longitudinal cohort study
Summary: In this study, during 8 years of follow-up, we reported that higher dietary inflammatory index values were associated with a higher risk of incident fractures in women, but not in men, after adjusting for potential confounders. Introduction: Inflammation is a key risk factor for many adverse outcomes in older people. While diet is a potential source of inflammation, little is known about the impact of inflammatory diet on fractures. Thus, we investigated whether higher Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII)™ ® scores are associated with fractures in a cohort of North American people. Methods: This longitudinal study with a follow-up of 8 years included 3648 participants (1577 males and 2…
Is chocolate consumption associated with health outcomes? An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
Background & aims: The literature regarding the potential health benefits of chocolate consumption are unclear and the epidemiological credibility has not been systematically scrutinized, while the strength of the evidence is undetermined. We therefore aimed to map and grade the diverse health outcomes associated with chocolate consumption using an umbrella review of systematic reviews. Methods: Umbrella review of systematic reviews of observational and intervention studies (randomized placebo-controlled trials, RCTs). For each association, random-effects summary effect size, 95% confidence interval, and 95% prediction interval were estimated. We also assessed heterogeneity, evidence fo…
Associations between body mass index, waist circumference and erectile dysfunction: a systematic review and META-analysis
Growing evidence reports that obesity might play a role in erectile dysfunction (ED), but limited knowledge is available. We conducted a meta-analysis to estimate the prevalence of ED in overweight men and men with obesity. We performed a systematic review up to 01/04/2019 to investigate the associations between obesity and ED. Applying a random-effect model, we calculated the prevalence of ED, the odds ratio (OR) for the presence of ED by Body Mass Index (BMI) categories and the mean differences between ED and controls in BMI and Waist Circumference (WC). Among 3409 studies, we included 45 articles with 42,489 men (mean age = 55 years). Taking normal weight men as reference, the prevalence…
Mediterranean diet and knee osteoarthritis outcomes: A longitudinal cohort study.
Objectives: Mediterranean diet has several beneficial effects on health, but data regarding the association between Mediterranean diet and knee osteoarthritis (OA) are limited mainly to cross-sectional studies. We investigated whether higher Mediterranean diet adherence is prospectively associated with lower risk of radiographic OA (ROA), radiographic symptomatic knee OA (SxOA) and pain worsening in North American people at high risk or having knee OA. Methods: Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was evaluated using a validated Mediterranean diet score (aMED), categorized in five categories (Q1 to Q5, higher values reflecting higher adherence to Mediterranean diet). Knee OA outcomes include…
Elevated AA/EPA Ratio Represents an Inflammatory Biomarker in Tumor Tissue of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients
Chronic inflammation increases the risk of developing certain types of cancer, such as colorectal cancer (CRC). The oxidative metabolism of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) has a strong effect on colonic tumorigenesis and the levels of arachidonic acid (AA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) can contribute to the development of an inflammatory microenvironment. Aim of this study was to evaluate the possible differences in the AA/EPA ratio tissue levels between CRC patients with and without synchronous metastases. Moreover, the expression of the most important inflammatory enzymes and mediators, linked with the AA/EPA ratio, have been also assessed. Sixty-eight patients with CRC were enrolle…
The relationship between the dietary inflammatory index (DII®) and incident depressive symptoms: A longitudinal cohort study
Abstract Background Diet is a common source of inflammation, and inflammation is associated with depression. We examined the association between the dietary inflammatory index (DII®), a validated measure of inflammatory potential of the diet, and risk of depression in a cohort of older North American adults. Methods This longitudinal study, with a follow-up of 8 years, included 3648 participants (1577 males, 2071 females; mean age: 60.6 years) with/at risk of knee osteoarthritis. DII® scores were calculated using the validated Block Brief 2000 Food-Frequency Questionnaire. Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression-20 scale was used to define depressive symptoms. The relationship between…
Neurological diseases and COVID-19: prospective analyses using the UK Biobank
COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease-19) may present with neurological signs, but whether people already affected by neurological conditions are at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 is still not known. We, therefore, aimed to investigate the association of previously diagnosed neurological conditions with COVID-19. 502,536 community-dwelling UK Biobank participants (54.4% male, mean age 56.6 ± 10.3 years) were included. Among these, 57,463 participants had a diagnosis of neurological conditions (11.43%) and a total of 1326 COVID-19-positive cases were identified (0.26%). Neurological conditions were identified through medical history and linkage to data on hospital admissions (ICD-10 code G00–…
Adherence to a healthy lifestyle and multiple sclerosis: a case–control study from the UK Biobank
Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a common and disabling condition. The importance of healthy lifestyle for this disease is poorly explored. Objective: To test whether adherence to healthier lifestyle patterns is associated with a lower presence of multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: By using a case–control design, we investigated the combined association of four healthy lifestyle-related factors (no current smoking, healthy diet, exercising regularly, body mass index <30 kg/m2) and the prevalence of MS. A logistic regression analysis, adjusted for potential confounders, was used and data reported as odds ratios (ORs) with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: 728 participant…
Women in LOVe: Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian Diet Rich in Omega-3 Improves Vasomotor Symptoms in Postmenopausal Women. An Exploratory Randomized Controlled Trial.
Objective:In the postmenopausal period, most women suffer vasomotor symptoms (VMS). It is well-known that VMS can worsen the quality of life. Diet seems to play a relevant role in the development of VMS, but the effect of diet on VMS is mainly limited to observational studies, and analyses of nutritional supplements. The aim of this study was thus to determine the efficacy of a lactoovo- vegetarian (LOVe) diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids vs. a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet rich in EVO (extra-virgin olive oil) in reducing VMS frequency in postmenopausal women.Methods:A two-arms (lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet with EVO vs. lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet rich in omega-3) randomized-controlled trial with a f…
The Activation Status of the TGF-β Transducer Smad2 Is Associated with a Reduced Survival in Gastrointestinal Cancers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Aberrant function of Smad2, a crucial member of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) signaling, is associated with the development of malignancies, particularly in the gastrointestinal district. However, little is known about its possible prognostic role in such tumor types. With the first meta-analysis on this topic, we demonstrated that the lack of the activated form of Smad2 (phosphor-Smad2 or pSmad2), which was meant to be the C-terminally phosphorylated form, showed a statistically significant association with an increased risk of all-cause mortality in patients with gastrointestinal cancers (RR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.05–2.37, p = 0.029, I2 = 84%), also after having adjusted for potential…
Potato Consumption is not Associated with Higher Risk of Mortality: A Longitudinal Study among Southern Italian Older Adults
Objective: The consumption of potatoes is increasing worldwide, but few studies have assessed the association between potato consumption and mortality, particularly in Mediterranean countries. We therefore investigated whether potato consumption is associated with higher risk of death in a large cohort of people living in South Italy. Design: Longitudinal. Setting: Community-dwelling. Measurements: 2,442 participants coming from MICOL and NUTRIHEP studies aged more than 50 years at baseline were followed-up for 11 years. Dietary intake was assessed by means of a Food Frequency Questionnaire. Potato consumption was categorized in quintiles according to their daily consumption (< 3.95, 3.9…
Differential Tissue Fatty Acids Profiling between Colorectal Cancer Patients with and without Synchronous Metastasis
The early detection of colorectal cancer and determination of its metastatic potential are important factors to set up more efficacious therapeutic strategies. In the present study, we hypothesize that fatty acids analysis in colorectal cancer patients can discriminate between metastatic and non-metastatic patients. Fifty-one consecutive patients with histologically proven colorectal cancer were enrolled in the study and the presence of synchronous metastasis was detected in 25 of these 51 patients. Fatty acid profile analysis in red blood cell membranes was not able to discriminate the metastatic colorectal cancer patients from those without metastasis. However, significant differences in …
Fatty liver and mortality: a cohort population study in South Italy
ObjectiveAlcoholic fatty liver (AFLD) and non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD) are two common conditions. However, if they can increase the risk of death is poorly explored. We therefore aimed to investigate the potential association between the presence and severity of liver steatosis and mortality in a large sample of older people.DesignProspective.SettingCommunity.ParticipantsWomen and men randomly sampled from the electoral rolls of the population of Castellana Grotte, a town in Southern Italy (Apulia region) between 2005 and 2006. Among 1942 initially contacted, 1708 (=87.9%) participated to the baseline survey (Multicentrica Colelitiasi III (MICOL III)). This specific study included 1445…
Liquid biopsy as surrogate for tissue for molecular profiling in pancreatic cancer: A meta-analysis towards precision medicine
Liquid biopsy (LB) is a non-invasive approach representing a promising tool for new precision medicine strategies for cancer treatment. However, a comprehensive analysis of its reliability for pancreatic cancer (PC) is lacking. To this aim, we performed the first meta-analysis on this topic. We calculated the pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive (LR+) and negative (LR-) likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR). A summary receiver operating characteristic curve (SROC) and area under curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the overall accuracy. We finally assessed the concordance rate of all mutations detected by multi-genes panels. Fourteen eligible studies involving 369 patients wer…
Down-Regulation of Cannabinoid Type 1 (CB1) Receptor and its Downstream Signaling Pathways in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
Changes in the regulation of endocannabinoid production, together with an altered expression of their receptors are hallmarks of cancer, including colorectal cancer (CRC). Although several studies have been conducted to understand the biological role of the CB1 receptor in cancer, little is known about its involvement in the metastatic process of CRC. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible link between CB1 receptor expression and the presence of metastasis in patients with CRC, investigating the main signaling pathways elicited downstream of CB1 receptor in colon cancer. Fifty-nine consecutive patients, with histologically proven colorectal cancer, were enrolled in the study,…
Dietary Magnesium and Incident Frailty in Older People at Risk for Knee Osteoarthritis: An Eight-Year Longitudinal Study.
Inadequate magnesium (Mg) intake is associated with lower physical performance, but the relationship with frailty in older people is unclear. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether higher dietary Mg intake is associated with a lower risk of frailty in a large cohort of North American individuals. Details regarding Mg intake were recorded through a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and categorized as greater than/equal to Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) vs. lower. Frailty was defined using the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures index. Multivariable Coxâs regression analyses, calculating hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), were undertaken by sex. In total, 4421 in…
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with higher metabolic expenditure in overweight and obese subjects: A case-control study
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common condition in Western countries. However, their metabolic characteristics are poorly known even though they could be important. Therefore, the objective of this study was to measure resting metabolic parameters in overweight/obese adults with hepatic steatosis compared to controls, matched for age, sex, and obesity level. Hepatic steatosis was diagnosed with liver ultrasound. Energy metabolism was measured with indirect calorimetry: energy expenditure (REE), predicted REE, the ratio between REE and the predicted REE, and the respiratory quotient (RQ) were reported. We measured some anthropometric, body composition, and bio-humoral paramet…