Magnesium and health outcomes: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational and intervention studies

2020

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…

Prevalence of unwillingness and uncertainty to vaccinate against COVID-19 in older people: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

2021

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been shown to have more severe health outcomes in older people specifically in relation to mortality and disability. Vaccination seems to be efficacious and safe for preventing the negative consequences of COVID-19, but vaccine hesitancy seems to be high in older adults. We therefore aimed to investigate the prevalence of unwillingness and the uncertainty to vaccinate against COVID-19 in older people and the factors that can be associated with the unwillingness to vaccinate. For this work, we searched several databases until 18th June 2021 for studies reporting the prevalence of unwillingness and the uncertainty to vaccinate against COVID-19 in pe…

The relationship between dietary vitamin k and depressive symptoms in late adulthood: A cross-sectional analysis from a large cohort study

2019

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 objective vision impairment and mild cognitive impairment among older adults in low- and middle-income countries

2021

Aim: The association between visual impairment and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has not been investigated to date. Thus, we assessed this association among older adults from six low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) (China, India, Ghana, Mexico, Russia, and South Africa) using nationally representative datasets. Methods: Cross-sectional, community-based data from the WHO Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) were analyzed. Visual acuity was measured using the tumbling ElogMAR chart, and vision impairment (at distance and near) was defined as visual acuity worse than 6/18 (0.48 logMAR) in the better-seeing eye. The definition of MCI was based on the National Institute on Aging…

Dietary acrylamide and incident osteoporotic fractures: an 8-year prospective cohort study

2022

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 acrylamide and physical performance tests: A cross-sectional analysis

2021

Background Dietary acrylamide is found in certain foods, such as deep frying, baking and roasting, and is associated with higher inflammatory and oxidative stress parameters. The association between dietary acrylamide and physical performance has not yet been explored. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between dietary acrylamide intake and physical performance tests in a large cohort of North American individuals affected by knee osteoarthritis or at high risk for this condition. Methods Dietary acrylamide intake was obtained through a food frequency questionnaire and reported in quartiles and as an increase in deciles. Physical performance was explored using the 20-…

Association of bullying victimization with overweight and obesity among adolescents from 41 low‐ and middle‐income countries

2019

Background: Data on the association between overweight/obesity and bullying victimization among adolescents are scarce from low- and middle-income countries. Objectives: We assessed the associations between overweight/obesity and bullying victimization in 41 low- and middle-income countries. Methods: Cross-sectional data from the Global School-based Student Health Survey were analysed. Data on past 30-day bullying victimization (including type) and body mass index based on measured weight and height were collected. The 2007 WHO Child Growth reference was used to define overweight and obesity. Multivariable logistic regression (multinomial and binary) and meta-analyses based on country-wise …

Prognostic Role of High-Grade Tumor Budding in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis with a Focus on Epithelial to …

2019

This study aims at clarifying the prognostic role of high-grade tumor budding (TB) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) with the first systematic review and meta-analysis on this topic. Furthermore, we analyzed with a systematic review the relationship between TB and a recently suggested TB-associated mechanism: the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). Analyzing a total of 613 patients, 251 of them (40.9%) with high grade-TB, we found an increased risk of all-cause mortality (RR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.13-1.88, p = 0.004; HR, 2.65; 95% CI, 1.79-3.91; p < 0.0001) and of recurrence (RR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.05-2.47, p = 0.03) for PDAC patients with high-grade TB. Moreover, we found that E…

Do Older People with Diabetes Meet the Recommended Weekly Physical Activity Targets? an Analysis of Objective Physical Activity Data

2019

Appropriate management of diabetes mellitus (DM) includes following a healthy lifestyle, in which reaching physical activity (PA) recommendations is an important factor. Despite this, it remains unclear whether people with DM meet the recommended PA targets. We therefore aimed to investigate the proportion of older adults with DM (type 1 and 2) engaging in the recommended amount of PA per week in a cross-sectional study. PA levels were objectively measured using the GT1M ActiGraph accelerometer for seven consecutive days, and the cut-off of 150 min of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) was used. To assess the relationship between not meeting the recommendation for, and the significant factors a…

STEM CELLS FOR TREATMENT OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES: AN UMBRELLA REVIEW OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS

2021

AIMS:\ud \ud Stem cells are a promising therapy for various medical conditions. The literature regarding their adoption for the clinical care of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is still conflicting. Therefore, our aim is to assess the strength and credibility of the evidence on clinical outcomes and application of stem cells derived from systematic reviews and meta-analyses of intervention studies in CVD.\ud \ud METHODS and RESULTS:\ud \ud Umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using placebo/no intervention as control group. For meta-analyses of RCTs, outcomes with a random-effect p-value< 0.05, the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Ass…

Association between Food Insecurity and Sarcopenia among Adults Aged ≥65 Years in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

2021

Limited literature has investigated the association between food insecurity and sarcopenia in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the association between food insecurity and sarcopenia among adults aged ≥65 years in six LMICs. Community-based cross-sectional data of the Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health were analyzed. Sarcopenia was defined as the presence of low skeletal muscle mass based on indirect population formula, and either slow gait or low handgrip strength. In the past, 12-month food insecurity was assessed with two questions on frequency of eating less and hunger due to lack of food. Multivariable logistic reg…

Association between food insecurity and fall-related injury among adults aged ≥65 years in low- and middle-income countries: The role of mental healt…

2021

Purpose:\ud \ud We investigated the association between food insecurity and fall-related injury among older adults from six low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and the extent to which this association is mediated by mental health.\ud \ud Methods:\ud \ud Cross-sectional, community-based, nationally representative data from the WHO Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) were analyzed. Past 12-month food insecurity was assessed with two questions on frequency of eating less and hunger due to lack of food. Fall-related injury referred to those that occurred in the past 12 months. Multivariable logistic regression analysis and mediation analysis were conducted to assess association…

Influenza Vaccination and COVID-19 Outcomes in People Older than 50 Years: Data from the Observational Longitudinal SHARE Study

2022

Existing literature on the association between influenza vaccination and COVID-19 infection/outcomes is conflicting. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between influenza vaccination and COVID-19 outcomes in a large cohort of adults who participated in the SHARE (Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe). Information regarding influenza vaccination in the previous year, and medical and demographic characteristics, were self-reported. Positivity for COVID-19, symptomatology, and hospitalization were also ascertained using self-reported information. An adjusted logistic regression analysis (including 15 baseline factors or propensity score) was used to assess the asso…

Associations of moderate to vigorous physical activity and sedentary behavior with depressive and anxiety symptoms in self-isolating people during th…

2020

Highlights • Nearly half of the participants spent more than 30 min per day in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). • One-third of the participants spent more than 10 h per day sitting. • Those reporting over 30 min of MVPA/day were less likely to present depressive, anxiety, or co-occurring depressive and anxiety symptoms. • Those reporting over 10 h sitting/day were more likely to present depressive symptoms.

Pain Increases the Risk for Sarcopenia in Community-Dwelling Adults: Results From the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

2023

AbstractBackgroundPain and sarcopenia are common in older people. Cross-sectional studies have reported a significant association between these two conditions, but cohort studies exploring pain as a potential risk factor for sarcopenia are scarce. Given this background, the aim of the present work was to investigate the association between pain (and its severity) at baseline, and the incidence of sarcopenia over 10 years of follow-up in a large representative sample of the English older adult population.MethodsPain was diagnosed using self-reported information and categorized as mild to severe pain at four sites (low back, hip, knee, and feet). Incident sarcopenia was defined as having low …

Psychotic experiences and subjective cognitive complaints among 224 842 people in 48 low- and middle-income countries.

2018

Abstract Aims Cognitive deficits are an important factor in the pathogenesis of psychosis. Subjective cognitive complaints (SCCs) are often considered to be a precursor of objective cognitive deficits, but there are no studies specifically on SCC and psychotic experiences (PE). Thus, we assessed the association between SCC and PE using data from 48 low- and middle-income countries. Methods Community-based cross-sectional data of the World Health Survey were analysed. Two questions on subjective memory and learning complaints in the past 30 days were used to create a SCC scale ranging from 0 to 10 with higher scores representing more severe SCC. The Composite International Diagnostic Intervi…

Anxiety symptoms and mild cognitive impairment among community-dwelling older adults from low- and middle-income countries.

2021

Abstract Aim Anxiety may be a risk factor for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) but there is a scarcity of data on this association especially from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Thus, we investigated the association between anxiety and MCI among older adults residing in six LMICs (China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia, South Africa), and the mediational effect of sleep problems in this association. Methods Cross-sectional, community-based, nationally representative data from the WHO Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) were analyzed. The definition of MCI was based on the National Institute on Ageing-Alzheimer's Association criteria. Multivariable logistic regression analy…

Interventions for Improving Long COVID-19 Symptomatology: A Systematic Review

2022

Introduction: Although the understanding of several aspects of long COVID-19 syndrome is increasing, there is limited literature regarding the treatment of these signs and symptoms. The aim of our systematic review was to understand which therapies have proved effective against the symptoms of long COVID-19. Methods: A systematic search for randomized controlled or clinical trials in several databases was conducted through 15 May 2022. Specific inclusion criteria included: (1) intervention studies, either randomized controlled (RCTs) or clinical trials; (2) diagnosis of long COVID-19, according to the World Health Organization criteria; (3) presence of long COVID-19 for at least 12 weeks af…

Tai Chi for Chronic Illness Management: Synthesizing Current Evidence from Meta-Analyses of Randomized Controlled Trials

2021

An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted to evaluate the existing evidence of Tai Chi as a mind-body exercise for chronic illness management. MEDLINE/PubMed and Embase databases were searched from inception until March 31, 2019, for meta-analyses of at least two RCTs that investigated health outcomes associated with Tai Chi intervention. Evidence of significant outcomes (P value &lt; 0.05) was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system. This review identified 45 meta-analyses of RCTs and calculated 142 summary estimates among adults living with 16 types of chronic …

Pain and severe sleep disturbance in the general population: Primary data and meta-analysis from 240,820 people across 45 low- and middle-income coun…

2018

Objective:\ud Pain and sleep disturbances are widespread, and are an important cause of a reduced quality of life. Despite this, there is a paucity of multinational population data assessing the association between pain and sleep problems, particularly among low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Therefore, we investigated the relationship between pain and severe sleep disturbance across 45 LMICs.\ud \ud Method: \ud Community-based data on 240,820 people recruited via the World Health Survey were analyzed. Multivariable logistic regression analyses adjusted for multiple confounders were performed to quantify the association between pain and severe sleep problems in the last 30 days. A me…

Systematic review and meta-analysis found that malnutrition was associated with poor cognitive development

2021

Aim: Malnutrition is a major public health issue that has been associated with high susceptibility for impaired brain development and mental functioning. However, to date studies on this topic have not been collated and appraised. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the association between malnutrition and cognitive development. Methods: We searched the MEDLINE, Scopus, CINAHL, Embase PsycINFO and Cochrane Library databases in English up to 8 December 2020. All studies reporting an association between nutritional status and cognitive development were included. p values of less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant and the results are reported as standardised …

Pet ownership and symptoms of depression: a prospective study of older adults

2020

Abstract Background This paper aims to examine associations between pet ownership and symptoms of depression in a large, population-based sample of older adults. Specifically, we tested whether: (i) people who report more depressive symptoms are more likely to own a pet; (ii) pet ownership protects against an increase in depressive symptoms over time; (iii) associations differ by symptom type. Methods Data were drawn from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, a longitudinal panel study of men and women aged 50 and older (n = 7,617, 52.5% female). Pet ownership (dog/cat/other/none) was self-reported in 2010/11. Depressive symptoms were assessed in 2010/11 and 2016/17 using the 8-item cen…

Multidimensional frailty and quality of life: data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

2022

Abstract Purpose Frailty has been found to be associated with poor quality of life (QoL) in older people, but data available are limited to cross-sectional studies. We therefore aimed to assess the association between multidimensional frailty, determined by Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI), with mortality and good QoL expectancy (GQoLE) in a large representative sample of older adults, over 10 years of follow-up. Methods In the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, using the data from 2004–2005 and 2014–2015, MPI was calculated using a weighted score of domains of comprehensive geriatric assessment, i.e., number of difficulties in activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental ADL…

Interventions for reducing loneliness: An umbrella review of intervention studies

2020

Loneliness is a common phenomenon associated with several negative health outcomes. Current knowledge regarding interventions for reducing loneliness in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) is conflicting. The aim of the present work is to provide an overview of interventions to reduce loneliness, using an umbrella review of previously published systematic reviews and meta-analyses. We searched major databases from database inception to 31 March 2020 for RCTs comparing active versus non-active interventions for reducing loneliness. For each intervention, random-effects summary effect size and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. For significant outcomes (p-value &lt; 0.05), the GR…

Association Between Physical Activity and Odds of Chronic Conditions Among Workers in Spain

2020

Introduction:\ud \ud Prevention of chronic conditions is a major public health challenge, and achieving minimum recommended levels of physical activity aids in reaching this objective. The aim of our study was to investigate whether levels of physical activity were associated with the prevalence of common chronic conditions among the Spanish workforce.\ud \ud Methods:\ud \ud We retrieved data from the Spanish National Health Survey 2017 (N = 9,695) in which the mean age of participants was 44.4 (standard deviation, 10.4 y), and 47.4% were women. Workers self-reported a set of 6 chronic conditions (ie, chronic low-back pain, chronic neck pain, diabetes, hypertension, depression, and anxiety)…

Role of physical activity in ameliorating neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer disease: A narrative review

2019

Objective: Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPs) affect almost all patients with Alzheimer disease (AD). Because of the complications associated with the pharmacological treatment, nonpharmacological treatment (such as physical activity) can be considered as an additional complementary treatment option for NPs. The aim of this review is to evaluate the impact of physical activity on NPs in patients with AD. Methods: We searched Pubmed and Google Scholar for potential eligible articles until March 1, 2018. Results: Although there are contradictory results showing the impact of physical exercise on NPs, most of them reported that it had a significant effect on depression and sleep disturbances in p…

Consumption of Fish and ω-3 Fatty Acids and Cancer Risk: An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses of Observational Studies

2020

Multiple studies have suggested that ω-3 fatty acid intake may have a protective effect on cancer risk; however, its true association with cancer risk remains controversial. We performed an umbrella review of meta-analyses to summarize and evaluate the evidence for the association between ω-3 fatty acid intake and cancer outcomes. We searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews from inception to December 1, 2018. We included meta-analyses of observational studies that examined associations between intake of fish or ω-3 fatty acid and cancer risk (gastrointestinal, liver, breast, gynecologic, prostate, brain, lung, and skin) and determined the level of evidence of…

Associations between sexual activity and weight status: Findings from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

2019

Objective To investigate the association between weight status and sexual activity in middle-aged and older adults. Methods Cross-sectional analysis on Wave 6 (2012/13) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Data were from 2,200 men and 2,737 women aged ≥50 years (mean 68.2 years). The explanatory variable was weight status, defined as normal-weight (BMI: ≤24.9), overweight (BMI: 25.0–29.9) or obese (BMI: ≥30) based on objective measurements of height and weight. Outcome variables were any self-reported sexual activity in the last year (yes/no) and, if yes, frequency of sexual intercourse in the last month. Covariates included a range of sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health-related…

Prospective associations of cardiovascular disease with physical performance and disability

2019

Background: Literature regarding cardiovascular disease (CVD) and incident physical performance limitations and disability in older people is equivocal. Aims: This study aimed to investigate whether CVD is longitudinally associated with incident physical performance limitations and disability in a large population-based sample. Methods: This was an 8‑year prospective study using data collected as part of the Osteoarthritis Initiative. Participants were community-dwelling adults with knee osteoarthritis or at high risk for this condition. Diagnosed CVD was self-reported. Physical performance was assessed with measures of chair stand time and gait speed, whereas disability was assessed with t…

Impact of Physical Activity and Nutrition on Dementia: A Growing Consensus.

2020

Effect of low-dose aspirin on health outcomes: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

2020

Aims:\ud \ud This study aimed to use an umbrella review methodology to capture the range of outcomes that were associated with low‐dose aspirin and to systematically assess the credibility of this evidence.\ud \ud Methods:\ud \ud Aspirin is associated with several health outcomes, but the overall benefit/risk balance related to aspirin use is unclear. We searched three major databases up to 15 August 2019 for meta‐analyses of observational studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) including low‐dose aspirin compared to placebo or other treatments. Based on random‐effects summary effect sizes, 95% prediction intervals, heterogeneity, small‐study effects and excess significance, signifi…

Association between current physical activity and current perceived anxiety and mood in the initial phase of COVID-19 confinement

2020

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a world pandemic due to COVID-19, and several enacted measures such as compulsory confinement may have collateral consequences on both physical and mental health. We aimed to investigate associations between current physical activity (PA) and current perceived anxiety and mood among a sample of Spanish adults confined due to COVID-19 restrictions of movement. Using an online survey, we collected data on the Spanish adult population regarding health habits during the first days of enacted confinement. A total of 2250 participants (54.8% women) aged 35.3 (SD 13.6) completed the survey, which included questions about sociodemographic characteris…

Higher leisure-time physical activity is associated with lower sickness absence: cross-sectional analysis among the general workforce

2020

BACKGROUND: Prevention of sickness absence (SA) is a major public health challenge. Sufficient levels of physical activity may be an important protective factor. In contrast to the North European countries, little is known about physical activity behavior and its influence over SA in South European countries. METHODS: In the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS) 2014, a total of 9512 Spanish workers aged 17 to 70 (46.5% women) replied to questions about SA (last 12 months) and the frequency of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA). Multiple linear regression adjusted for age, sex, education, occupational class, smoking habits, body mass index, and chronic disease (diabetes, hypertension, …

Association between sarcopenia and quality of life among adults aged ≥ 65 years from low- and middle-income countries

2022

Background Sarcopenia has been associated with a lower quality of life (QoL). However, studies on this association from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are scarce. Aims To examine the association between sarcopenia and QoL, in a large nationally representative sample of older adults from six LMICs. Methods Cross-sectional, community-based data from the WHO study on global ageing and adult health (SAGE) were analysed. Non-severe sarcopenia was defined as having low skeletal muscle mass (SMM) and weak handgrip strength but no slow gait speed, while severe sarcopenia was defined as having low SMM, weak handgrip strength, and slow gait speed. QoL was assessed with the 8-item WHO QoL in…

Excessive daytime sleepiness is associated with an increased frequency of falls and sarcopenia.

2021

Background:\ud \ud This cross-sectional study aimed to examine associations between excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) with falls and falls related conditions in older adults.\ud \ud Methods:\ud \ud To assess EDS, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale was used, with a score of ≥11/24 points indicating EDS. Number of falls and fall history (at least one) in the last year were recorded. Timed Up and Go test (TUG) was used to assess fall risk. Sarcopenia was defined by SARC-F tool. A grip strength score of the dominant hand, measured with a hand-grip dynamometer, less than 16 kg in females and 27 kg in males was accepted as dynapenia. Frailty status was defined by five dimensions including shrinking, e…

An umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-analyses evaluating positive and negative outcomes of Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine therapy

2021

Background & aims: Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and chloroquine (CQ) are anti-malarial drugs frequently used in the rheumatologic field. They were recently identified as potential therapeutic options for Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). The present study aims to map and grade the diverse health outcomes associated with HCQ/CQ using an umbrella review approach. Methods: Umbrella review of systematic reviews of observational and intervention studies. For observational studies, random-effects summary effect size, 95% confidence interval, and 95% prediction interval were estimated. We also assessed heterogeneity, evidence for small-study effect, and evidence for excess significance bias. The quality…

Prevalence of erectile dysfunction in male survivors of cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies.

2021

BackgroundPrevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED) in male survivors of cancer across cancer types has not been systematically analysed.AimTo estimate the prevalence of ED in all types of cancer and identify characteristics associated with ED in survivors of cancer.Design and settingSystematic review and meta-analysis (MA) of cross-sectional studies.MethodMEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and EMBASE were searched, targeting reports published from inception to 1 February 2020. All retrospective or prospective studies reporting prevalence of ED in male patients with cancer and using a validated tool for detection of ED were included. A random-effects MA model was used to pool prevalence of ED as abso…

Participation in Physical Activity is Associated with Sexual Activity in Older English Adults.

2019

Physical activity (PA) is a potential modifiable correlate of the age-related decline in sexual function, but no studies have explicitly tested this. This study aimed to examine associations between PA, television viewing (TV) time and sexual activity, problems, and concerns. Data were from 7,038 men and women aged &ge

Oral Magnesium Supplementation for Treating Glucose Metabolism Parameters in People with or at Risk of Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysi…

2021

There is a large and growing body of literature focusing on the use of oral magnesium (Mg) supplementation for improving glucose metabolism in people with or at risk of diabetes. We therefore aimed to investigate the effect of oral Mg supplementation on glucose and insulin-sensitivity parameters in participants with diabetes or at high risk of diabetes, compared with a placebo. Several databases were searched investigating the effect of oral Mg supplementation vs placebo in patients with diabetes or conditions at high risk of diabetes. Data were reported as standardized mean differences (SMDs) with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using follow-up data of glucose and insulin-sensitivity …

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor Use and Incident Frailty: A Longitudinal Cohort Study

2019

Introduction: Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) may have several pleiotropic effects, but the literature regarding a possible relationship between ACEI use and frailty is limited. We investigated whether ACEI use is associated with lower risk of frailty in a cohort of North American individuals. Methods: Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative, a cohort study with 8 years of follow-up including community-dwelling adults with knee osteoarthritis or at high risk for this condition, were analyzed. ACEI use was defined through self-reported information and confirmed by a trained interviewer. Frailty was defined using the Study of Osteoporotic Fracture (SOF) index as the presence o…

Food insecurity (hunger) and suicide attempts among 179,771 adolescents attending school from 9 high-income, 31 middle-income, and 4 low-income count…

2019

BACKGROUND: Data on food insecurity and suicide attempts in adolescence are scarce. Thus, the aim of the current study was to assess the association between food insecurity (hunger) and suicide attempts in adolescents from 44 countries. METHODS: Cross-sectional, school-based data from the Global School-based Student Health Survey were analyzed. Data on past 12-month suicide attempts and past 30-day food insecurity (hunger) were collected. Multivariable logistic regression, meta-analysis, and meta-regression were conducted to assess the associations. RESULTS: The final sample consisted of 179,771 adolescents attending school. The prevalence of moderate (rarely/sometimes hungry) and severe (m…

Sociodemographic and behavioural correlates of lifetime number of sexual partners: findings from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

2018

BackgroundNo current data are available on correlates of lifetime sexual partners at older ages. This study aimed to explore correlates of the lifetime number of sexual partners in a sample of older adults.MethodData were from 3054 men and 3867 women aged ≥50 years participating in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Participants reported their lifetime number of sexual partners and a range of sociodemographic characteristics and health behaviours. Multivariable multinomial logistic regression was used to examine correlates of lifetime number of sexual partners, with analyses performed separately for men and women and weighted for non-response.ResultsYounger age, being separated/divor…

Objectively measured far vision impairment and sarcopenia among adults aged ≥ 65 years from six low- and middle-income countries

2021

Background:\ud \ud There are currently no studies on visual impairment and sarcopenia. We investigated the cross-sectional association between objectively measured far vision impairment and sarcopenia in a nationally representative sample of older adults aged 65 years and over from six low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).\ud \ud Methods:\ud \ud Cross-sectional, community-based data from the study on global ageing and adult health (SAGE) were analyzed. Far vision acuity was measured using the tumbling E LogMAR chart and classified as: no vision impairment (6/12 or better); mild vision impairment (6/18 or better but worse than 6/12); moderate vision impairment (6/60 or better but worse t…

Coronavirus Diseases (COVID-19) Current Status and Future Perspectives: A Narrative Review

2020

At the end of 2019 a novel virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), causing severe acute respiratory syndrome expanded globally from Wuhan, China. In March 2020 the World Health Organization declared the SARS-Cov-2 virus a global pandemic. We performed a narrative review to describe existing literature with regard to Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, management and future perspective. MEDLINE, EMBASE and Scopus databases were searched for relevant articles. Although only when the pandemic ends it will be possible to assess the full health, social and economic impact of this global disaster, this review represents a pic…

Multimorbidity and anxiety symptoms among adults aged 50 years and over from six low- and middle-income countries

2021

Currently, there are limited data on the association between multimorbidity (i.e., ≥ 2 chronic conditions) and anxiety, especially among the older population in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Thus, the aim of the present study was to examine the association between multimorbidity and anxiety symptoms in a large sample of adults aged ≥ 50 years from six LMICs (China, India, Ghana, Mexico, Russia, South Africa). Cross-sectional, nationally representative, community-based data from the Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE) were analysed. A total of 11 chronic physical conditions were assessed. Anxiety symptoms referred to extreme/severe problems with worry or anxiety in the…

Comparison of physical activity levels in Spanish adults with chronic conditions before and during COVID-19 quarantine

2020

Abstract Background This is the first study analyzing levels of physical activity in a sample of quarantined adults with chronic conditions. The aim of this study was to compare moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity levels in Spanish adults with chronic conditions before and during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) quarantine. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was administered during the COVID-19 quarantine in Spain. A total of 163 participants with chronic conditions (113 females and 47 males; age range 18–64 years) completed the survey. A total of 26 chronic conditions were included. Participants self-reported average minutes/day of moderate and vigorous physical acti…

THE EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF INFLUENZA VACCINATION IN OLDER PEOPLE: AN UMBRELLA REVIEW OF EVIDENCE FROM META-ANALYSES OF BOTH OBSERVATIONAL AND RANDOMI…

2020

Vaccination is the main public health intervention to prevent influenza. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of influenza vaccination including systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Peer-reviewed systematic reviews with meta-analyses of prospective studies that investigated the association of influenza vaccination with any health-related outcome, as well as RCTs that investigated the efficacy and safety of influenza vaccination, were included. Among 1240 references, 6 meta-analyses were included. In cohort studies of community-dwelling older people influenza vaccination was associated with a lower risk of hospitalizat…

Fruit and vegetable consumption and sarcopenia among older adults in low- and middle-income countries

2020

Fruit and vegetable consumption may protect against sarcopenia but there are no studies on this topic from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Thus, we assessed this association among older adults from six LMICs. Community-based cross-sectional data of the Study on Global Aging and Adult Health were analyzed. Sarcopenia was defined as the presence of low skeletal muscle mass based on indirect population formula, and either slow gait or low handgrip strength. Quintiles of vegetable and fruit consumption were created based on the number of servings consumed on a typical day. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted. The sample consisted of 14,585 individuals aged &ge

The relationship between chronic diseases and number of sexual partners: an exploratory analysis

2020

BackgroundWe investigated sex-specific associations between lifetime number of sexual partners and several health outcomes in a large sample of older adults in England.MethodsWe used cross-sectional data from 2537 men and 3185 women aged ≥50 years participating in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Participants reported the number of sexual partners they had had in their lifetime. Outcomes were self-rated health and self-reported limiting long-standing illness, cancer, coronary heart disease, and stroke. We used logistic regression to analyse associations between lifetime number of sexual partners and health outcomes, adjusted for relevant sociodemographic and health-related covariat…

Knee osteoarthritis and adverse health outcomes: an umbrella review of meta-analyses of observational studies

2022

Abstract Background Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a common condition, associated with a high rate of disability and poor quality of life. Despite the importance of such evidence in public health, no umbrella review (i.e., a review of other systematic reviews and meta-analyses) has systematically assessed evidence on association between knee OA and adverse health outcomes. Aims To map and grade all health outcomes associated with knee OA using an umbrella review approach. Methods The search was made across several databases up to 22 April 2022. We used an umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-analyses of observational studies assessing the effect sizes, based on random effect summary…

Relationship between multidimensional prognostic index and incident depressive symptoms in older people: Findings from the Irish Longitudinal Study o…

2020

Objectives: The multidimensional prognostic index (MPI) is a useful prognostic tool for evaluating adverse health outcomes in older individuals. However, the association between MPI and depressive symptoms has never been explored, despite depression being a common condition in older people. We therefore aimed to evaluate whether MPI may predict incident depressive symptoms. Methods: Longitudinal, cohort study, with 2 years of follow-up (W1: October 2009-February 2011; W2: April 2012-January 2013), including people aged ≥65 years without depressive symptoms at baseline. A comprehensive geriatric assessment including information on functional, nutritional, cognitive status, mobility, comorbid…

Association of food insecurity with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in adults aged ≥50 years from low- and middle-income countries

2022

Background-\ud \ud The aim of the present study was to investigate associations between food insecurity with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in adults aged ≥50 years from six low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).\ud \ud Methods-\ud \ud Cross-sectional, community-based data from the World Health Organisation's Study on Global Aging and Adult Health were analyzed. Self-reported information on past 12-month suicidal ideation and suicide attempts was collected. Past 12-month food insecurity was assessed with two questions on frequency of eating less and hunger due to lack of food. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the association between food insecuri…

Syndemic effects of HIV risk behaviours: results from the NHANES study

2019

Abstract The aim of the present study is to use the syndemic framework to investigate the risk of contracting HIV in the US population. Cross-sectional analyses are from The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We extracted and aggregated data on HIV antibody test, socio-demographic characteristics, alcohol use, drug use, depression, sexual behaviours and sexually transmitted diseases from cycle 2009–2010 to 2015–2016. We carried out weighted regression among young adults (20–39 years) and adults (40–59 years) separately. In total, 5230 men and 5794 women aged 20–59 years were included in the present analyses. In total, 0.8% men and 0.2% women were tested HIV-positive. Each inc…

Associations in physical activity and sedentary behaviour among the immigrant and non-immigrant US population

2020

BackgroundImmigrants are at a higher risk of poor mental and physical health. Regular participation in physical activity (PA) and low levels of sedentary time are beneficial for both these aspects of health. The aim was to investigate levels and trends in domain-specific PA and sedentary behaviour in the US. immigrant compared with non-immigrant populations.MethodsFrom the 2007–2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a total of 25 142 adults (≥18 years) were included in this analysis. PA and sedentary behaviour time were assessed by a questionnaire.ResultsTransit-related PA showed downward linear trends in young immigrant adults (ptrend=0.006) and middle-aged non-imm…

Cross-sectional associations between angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor use and cancer diagnosis in US adults

2020

The objective of the present study was to investigate the association between angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor use and cancer incidence (overall, and breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers specifically) in a large representative sample of US adults. Cross-sectional data on cancer diagnosis, timing of cancer diagnosis, ACE inhibitor use, and other characteristics were extracted from 49 512 adults aged ≥ 20 years participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999–2016). Multivariable-logistic and propensity score matching (PSM) regressions examined the relationship between pre-diagnosis use of ACE inhibitors and diagnosis of all cancers, and breast, pro…

Laparoscopy in Low-Income Countries: 10-Year Experience and Systematic Literature Review

2021

Laparoscopy is a procedure that ultimately reduces hospital stay time and speeds up post-operative recovery. It is mainly performed in high-income countries but its implementation in many low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) is increasing. However, no aggregate data exist regarding the outcomes of this procedure in resource-limited settings. We retrospectively reviewed all cases of laparoscopy recorded from January 2007 to March 2017 at the Department of Surgery of Beira to assess the related outcomes. Moreover, we performed a systematic review of the laparoscopic practices and outcomes in low-income countries. Data from the Department of Surgery of Beira identified 363 laparoscopic proc…

Statin Use and Knee Osteoarthritis Outcomes: A Longitudinal Cohort Study

2018

Objective: Statins have several pleiotropic effects, but the literature regarding the possible relationship between use of statins and outcomes in knee osteoarthritis (OA) is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate whether statin use is associated with a lower risk of radiographic OA (ROA), radiographic symptomatic knee OA, and pain in North American individuals. Methods: A total of 4,448 community-dwelling adults from the Osteoarthritis Initiative were followed for 4 years. Statin use (including the time from baseline and the type of statin) was defined through self-report information and confirmed by a trained interviewer. Knee OA outcomes included incident ROA, symptomatic knee…

Multidimensional frailty increases cardiovascular risk in older people: An 8-year longitudinal cohort study in the Osteoarthritis Initiative.

2021

Background:\ud \ud Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the most important cause of mortality and an important cause of disability. Frailty seems to be associated with higher cardiovascular risk, but limited research has been done using a multidimensional approach to frailty. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate whether the multidimensional prognostic index (MPI), based on comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA), is associated with CVD risk in the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) study.\ud \ud Methods:\ud \ud Community-dwellers affected by knee OA or at high risk for this condition were followed for 8 years. A standardized CGA including information on functional, nutritional, mood, co…

Use of corticosteroids in Coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia: A systematic review of the literature

2020

The aim was to investigate the effectiveness of glucocorticoid therapy in patients with COVID-19. A systematic search of the literature across nine databases was conducted from inception until 15th March 2020, following the PRISMA guidelines. Patients with a validated diagnosis of COVID-19 and using corticosteroids were included, considering all health outcomes. Four studies with 542 Chinese participants were included. Two studies reported negative findings regarding the use of corticosteroids in patients with COVID-19, i.e., corticosteroids had a detrimental impact on clinical outcomes. One study reported no significant association between the use of corticosteroids and clinical outcomes. …

Association between Intake of Energy and Macronutrients and Memory Impairment Severity in US Older Adults, National Health and Nutrition Examination …

2020

Without a cure, dementia affects about 50 million people worldwide. Understanding the effects of dietary habits, a key lifestyle behavior, on memory impairment is critical to inform early behavioral modification to delay further memory loss and progression to dementia. We examined the associations of total energy intake and energy intake from macronutrients with memory impairment among older US adults using data from the nationally representative National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey study 2011&ndash

Is chocolate consumption associated with health outcomes? An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

2019

Background &amp; 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…

Relationship between sedentary behavior and depression: a mediation analysis of influential factors across the lifespan among 42,469 people in low- a…

2018

Abstract Background Sedentary behavior (SB) is associated with diabetes, cardiovascular disease and low mood. There is a paucity of multi-national research investigating SB and depression, particularly among low- and middle-income countries. This study investigated the association between SB and depression, and factors which influence this. Methods Cross-sectional data were analyzed from the World Health Organization's Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health. Depression was based on the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. The association between depression and SB (self-report) was estimated by multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses. Mediation analysis was used to id…

Associations between body mass index, waist circumference and erectile dysfunction: a systematic review and META-analysis

2020

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.

2018

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…

The dietary inflammatory index and human health: an umbrella review of meta-analyses of observational studies

2021

Numerous observational studies have investigated the role of the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII®) in chronic disease risk. The aims of this umbrella review and integrated meta-analyses were to systematically synthesize the observational evidence reporting on the associations between the DII and health outcomes based on meta-analyses, and to assess the quality and strength of the evidence for each associated outcome. This umbrella review with integrated meta-analyses investigated the association between the DII and a range of health outcomes based on meta-analyses of observational data. A credibility assessment was conducted for each outcome using the following criteria: Statistical heterog…

Chronic physical conditions, physical multimorbidity, and quality of life among adults aged ≥ 50 years from six low- and middle-income countries

2022

Abstract Purpose Multimorbidity (i.e., ≥ 2 chronic conditions) poses a challenge for health systems and governments, globally. Several studies have found inverse associations between multimorbidity and quality of life (QoL). However, there is a paucity of studies from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), especially among the older population, as well as studies examining mediating factors in this association. Thus, the present study aimed to explore the associations, and mediating factors, between multimorbidity and QoL among older adults in LMICs. Methods Cross-sectional nationally representative data from the Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health were analyzed. A total of 11 chroni…

Anxiety symptoms among informal caregivers in 47 low- and middle-income countries: A cross-sectional analysis of community-based surveys.

2022

Background-\ud \ud There are no multi-country studies on the association between informal caregiving and anxiety from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Therefore, we investigated this relationship in a large predominantly nationally representative sample from 47 LMICs.\ud \ud Methods-\ud \ud Cross sectional data from the World Health Survey were analyzed. Anxiety symptoms referred to severe or extreme problems with worries or anxiety in the past 30 days.\ud \ud Information on caregiving in the past 12 months was obtained. Multivariable logistic regression analysis adjusting for age, sex, marital status, education, household size, employment, disability, and country was conducted. Da…

Sexual activity and cognitive decline in older age: a prospective cohort study

2020

Background: To explore the association between sexual activity and change in cognitive function over 4 years in a representative sample of older adults in England. Methods: Data were from 1963 men and 2513 women participating in Wave 6 (2012/2013) and Wave 8 (2016/2017) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Participants reported whether or not they had engaged in any sexual activity in the last year. Cognitive function was assessed with tests of immediate and delayed recall. Adjusted general linear models were used to test associations between sexual activity and changes in cognitive function. Results: Men who were sexually active at baseline had better preservation in immediate (0.1…

The use of sonification for physiotherapy in human movement tasks: A scoping review

2020

Objectives: This review aims to: (1) map the use of sonification in human movement tasks for physical therapy; (2) identify methods of data capture, tasks and its effects on human subjects; (3) suggest future research directions. News: Sonification can be described as a technique to translate data into sound. It has been used for human motion analysis tasks even if it is not part of most physical therapist's lexicon. Prospects and projects: Identify and analyze publications where sonification was used as an audio-feedback technique for physical therapy. Thirty-five papers were included, 13 randomized-control-trials. Thirteen papers reported an investigation on a specific dysfunction, while …

The relationship between Polypharmacy and Trajectories of Cognitive Decline in People with Dementia: a large representative cohort study

2019

Polypharmacy, defined through the number of medications prescribed, has been linked to a range of adverse health outcomes in people with dementia. It is however unclear whether a numerical threshold of concurrently prescribed drugs is a suitable predictor for cognitive decline. We aimed to test associations between polypharmacy and both short-term (six months) and long-term (three years) cognitive trajectories in patients with incident dementia. Using data from a large mental health and dementia care database in South London, a cohort of 12,148 patients (mean age = 80.7 years, 61.1% female, mean MMSE = 18.6) clinically diagnosed with dementia was identified. We determined the number of medi…

Multimorbidity increases the risk of dementia: a 15 year follow-up of the SHARE study.

2023

Abstract Aims the literature regarding the association between multimorbidity and dementia is still unclear. Therefore, we aimed to explore the potential association between multimorbidity at the baseline and the risk of future dementia in the SHARE (Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe) study, a large European research survey, with a follow-up of 15 years. Methods in this longitudinal study, multimorbidity was defined as the presence of two or more chronic medical conditions, among 14 self-reported at the baseline evaluation. Incident dementia was ascertained using self-reported information. Cox regression analysis, adjusted for potential confounders, was run and hazard ratios…

COVID-19, an opportunity for developing countries?

2020

The COVID-19 outbreak was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as global pandemic in March 2020. Considering the necessity to implement rapid response to control the pandemic and the fragility and the state of need of low income countries, it will be mandatory to develop a global approach in order to reduce the spread of infection and the creation of community viral reservoirs. So far, we could hypothesize a worst case scenario in which when the COVID-19 outbreak hits a peak in Africa and in low-income countries, the majority of such countries will be unprepared, with low resources allocated for affording the viral emergency and the consequences will be catastrophic with no lesso…

Prospective associations between alcohol use, binge drinking and sexual activity in older adults: The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

2021

The present study aimed to investigate associations between alcohol consumption, including binge drinking, and sexual activity. Data were from 1,622 men and 2,195 women aged ≥50 years participating in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Multivariable logistic regression was used to prospectively assess sex-specific associations between baseline frequency of alcohol use in the last year or binge drinking in the last week (self-reported in 2004/05) and sexual activity at 8-year follow-up (2012/13). Covariates included partner status, age, ethnicity, wealth, limiting long-standing illness, smoking status, physical activity, and depressive symptoms. After adjustment, regular alcohol consu…

Association between food insecurity and depression among older adults from low- and middle-income countries.

2021

Background:\ud \ud To examine the association between self‐reported food insecurity and depression in 34,129 individuals aged ≥50 years from six low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) (China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia, and South Africa).\ud \ud Methods:\ud \ud Cross‐sectional, community‐based, nationally representative data from the WHO Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) were analyzed. Self‐reported past 12‐month food insecurity was assessed with two questions on frequency of eating less and hunger due to lack of food. Questions based on the World Mental Health Survey version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview were used for the endorsement of past 12‐month …

Body composition in children and adolescents residing in southern Europe: Prevalence of overweight and obesity according to different international r…

2019

The objective was to analyze body composition in children and adolescents of Southern Europe to identify prevalence of overweight and obesity. This investigation involved 512 girls and 488 boys between 7-to 19-years. Variables evaluated were Body Mass Index (BMI) and Fat Mass (FM; electrical bioimpedance). The references used to establish prevalence according to BMI were those of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF); in the case of FM, the Child Growth Foundation (CGF) reference was used. There were significant differences (p &lt; 0.05) in the prevalence of overweight and obesity between the three classifications (32.3% according to IOTF, 37.3%…

What Is the Role of Dietary Inflammation in Severe Mental Illness? A Review of Observational and Experimental Findings

2019

Severe mental illnesses (SMI), including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, are associated with increased inflammation. Given diet's role in modulating inflammatory processes, excessive calorie-dense, nutrient-deficient processed food intake may contribute toward the heightened inflammation observed in SMI. This review assesses the evidence from observational and experimental studies to investigate how diet may affect physical and mental health outcomes in SMI through inflammation-related pathways. Cross-sectional studies indicate that individuals with SMI, particularly schizophrenia, consume more pro-inflammatory foods and fewer anti-inflammatory nutrients than…

The Multidimensional Prognostic Index Predicts Falls in Older People: An 8-Year Longitudinal Cohort Study of the Osteoarthritis Initiative

2020

Objectives: Falls are associated with several negative outcomes. Early identification of those who are at risk of falling is of importance in geriatrics, and comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) seems to be promising in this regard. Therefore, the present study investigated whether the multidimensional prognostic index (MPI), based on a standard CGA, is associated with falls in the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI). Design: Longitudinal, 8 years of follow-up. Setting and participants: Community-dwelling older people (≥65 years of age) with knee osteoarthritis or at high risk for this condition. Methods: A standardized CGA including information on functional, nutritional, mood, comorbiditi…

Efficacy of conservative treatments for hand osteoarthritis

2020

Background: Hand osteoarthritis (OA) is common, but the efficacy/safety of treatment interventions aimed to improve health outcomes in this population are not well understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to map and grade the effect of interventions for health outcomes in hand OA. Methods: Umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using placebo/no intervention as control group. For outcomes with a p-value &lt;0.05, the certainty of the evidence was evaluated using the grading of recommendations assessment, development and evaluation (GRADE) assessment. Results: From 189 abstracts, 9 meta-analyses (24 outcomes) were included, with…

Chronic skin disease and levels of physical activity in 17 777 Spanish adults: a cross-sectional study

2021

Background: To date there is limited literature on the prevalence of chronic skin conditions and its association with levels of physical activity (PA) in Spain. Aim: To determine the prevalence of chronic skin disease and to compare levels of PA between people with and without chronic skin disease in a large representative sample of Spanish adults aged 15–69 years. Methods: Data from the Spanish National Health Survey 2017 were analysed. Chronic skin disease was assessed using a yes/no question. PA was measured using the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Total PA metabolic equivalent of task min/week were calculated, and PA was included in the analyses as a co…

Ejaculation Disorders in Male Patients with Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prevalence

2021

PURPOSE: Ejaculatory dysfunction (EjD) and erectile dysfunction after cancer treatment are clinically important complications, but their exact prevalence by various kinds of cancer site and type of treatment is unknown. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine the available evidence and provide pooled estimates for prevalence of EjD and erectile dysfunction in relation to all cancer sites and identify characteristics associated with EjD in cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of cross-sectional and case-control studies. We searched 4 electronic databases (Medline®, CINAHL, PsychInfo and Embase®) until July 22, 2…

Is loneliness associated with mild cognitive impairment in low- and middle-income countries?

2021

Background: Loneliness may be a risk factor for mild cognitive impairment but studies on this topic are scarce, particularly from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the association between loneliness and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in six LMICs (China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia and South Africa). Methods: Cross-sectional, community-based, nationally representative data from the WHO Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) were analyzed. The definition of MCI was based on the National Institute on Ageing-Alzheimer's Association criteria. Multivariable logistic regression analysis and meta-analysis were conducted t…

Active Travel and Mild Cognitive Impairment among Older Adults from Low- and Middle-Income Countries

2021

Active travel may be an easily achievable form of physical activity for older people especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), but there are currently no studies on how this form of physical activity is associated with a preclinical state of dementia known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between active travel and MCI among adults aged ≥50 years from six LMICs. Cross-sectional, community-based data from the World Health Organization’s Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health were analyzed. The definition of MCI was based on the National Institute on Ageing-Alzheimer’s Association criteria. Active travel (minutes/week) was as…

Trends and Prevalence of Nocturia Among US Adults, 2005-2016

2019

Purpose: Increased nocturia episodes can be a clinical marker of poor health status. The present study aimed to evaluate patterns and temporal trends in nocturia and sociodemographic and lifestyle correlates in the US population. Methods: Participants, aged 20 years or older, were included in this repeated cross-sectional study. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2005 to 2016 was used. Participants were asked “During the past 30 days, how many times per night did you most typically get up to urinate, from the time you went to bed at night until the time you got up in the morning?”. Individuals were categorized as either ≥ 1 nocturia episode or ≥ 2 nocturia episodes pe…

Food insecurity with hunger and sexual behavior among adolescents from 53 countries

2021

Objectives: To examine the relationship of food insecurity with sexual intercourse, multiple sexual partners and non-condom use. Methods: Data on food insecurity (hunger) and sexual behaviors from 205,296 adolescents from 53 countries. Associations were analyzed using meta-analysis. Results: Overall, 16.0% of the adolescents ever had sexual intercourse and the prevalence of moderate and severe food insecurity was 44.9% and 6.2%, respectively. Moderate and severe food insecurity was associated with higher odds for sexual intercourse. Any food insecurity was significantly associated with condom nonuse at last sex. Conclusions: Food insecurity was associated with higher odds of ever having sex…

Cannabis use and physical activity among 89,777 adolescents aged 12-15 years from 21 low- and middle-income countries

2019

Background: Cannabis legalization and use are increasing globally, however, little is known about associations between cannabis use and other health behaviors, such as physical activity (PA). Importantly, the extent to which cannabis use is associated with PA in adolescents is yet to be explored in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where there may be unique sociodemographic and environmental characteristics compared with high-income countries. Therefore, this study examined the association between PA and cannabis use among adolescents in 21 LMICs using data from the 2010–2016 Global School-based Student Health Survey. Methods: A multivariable logistic regression analysis was perform…

Metformin and health outcomes:An umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-analyses

2021

Background:\ud \ud The objective was to capture the breadth of outcomes that have been associated with metformin use and to systematically assess the quality, strength and credibility of these associations using the umbrella review methodology.\ud \ud Methods:\ud \ud Four major databases were searched until 31 May 2020. Meta‐analyses of observational studies and meta‐analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (including active and placebo control arms) were included.\ud \ud Results:\ud \ud From 175 eligible publications, we identified 427 different meta‐analyses, including 167 meta‐analyses of observational studies, 147 meta‐analyses of RCTs for metformin vs placebo/no treatment and 11…

Corrigendum: Association Between Current Physical Activity and Current Perceived Anxiety and Mood in the Initial Phase of COVID-19 Confinement

2021

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a world pandemic due to COVID-19, and several enacted measures such as compulsory confinement may have collateral consequences on both physical and mental health. We aimed to investigate associations between current physical activity (PA) and current perceived anxiety and mood among a sample of Spanish adults confined due to COVID-19 restrictions of movement. Using an online survey, we collected data on the Spanish adult population regarding health habits during the first days of enacted confinement. A total of 2250 participants (54.8% women) aged 35.3 (SD 13.6) completed the survey, which included questions about sociodemographic characteris…

Neurological diseases and COVID-19: prospective analyses using the UK Biobank

2021

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–…

COVID-19 Confinement and Health Risk Behaviors in Spain

2021

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a world pandemic due to COVID-19. In response, most affected countries have enacted measures involving compulsory confinement and restrictions on free movement, which likely influence citizens' lifestyles. This study investigates changes in health risk behaviors (HRBs) with duration of confinement. An online cross-sectional survey served to collect data about the Spanish adult population regarding health behaviors during the first 3 weeks of confinement. A large sample of participants (

Schistosomal appendicitis: Case series and systematic literature review

2021

Background Globally, schistosomiasis affects at least 240 million people each year with a high proportion of cases in sub-Saharan Africa. The infection presents a wide range of symptoms mainly at the gastrointestinal and urogenital level. Cases of schistosomiasis-related appendicitis are seldom reported. The aim of the present study is to identify the prevalence of schistosomiasis-related appendicitis in Beira, Mozambique and compare to global prevalence. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all cases of appendicitis recorded from January 2017 to March 2020 at a single pathology department located in Beira in order to assess the prevalence of schistosomiasis. Moreover, we performed a systema…

Sedentary behaviours and cognitive function among community dwelling adults aged 50+ years: Results from the Irish longitudinal study of ageing

2020

Background:\ud \ud Sedentary behaviours (SB) are risk factors for poor cardiovascular health and all-cause mortality. However, their role in cognitive health in older adults is unclear. A few studies have examined associations between sedentary behaviours and cognition, but are limited by heterogeneity and insufficient longitudinal analyses. Therefore more robust studies, which would address identified limitations, are needed to accurately determine associations.\ud \ud Method:\ud \ud This study analysed data collected from participants aged 50+ years of The Irish Longitudinal Study of Ageing (TILDA). We conducted cross-sectional linear regression with multivariate imputation analyses of ba…

Influenza vaccination reduces dementia risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis

2021

Animal models have indicated that influenza vaccination may prevent or delay the onset of dementia. However, the epidemiological evidence in human beings is still limited. Given this background, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize the current state of the art of observational studies investigating the association between influenza vaccination and the risk of dementia. We searched Scopus and Pubmed/Medline until 24 September 2021 for studies investigating the risk of dementia by influenza vaccination status. After adjustment for potentially important confounding variables, data were reported as risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Among 273 articles …

Adherence to a healthy lifestyle and multiple sclerosis: a case–control study from the UK Biobank

2020

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 &lt;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…

Differences in health status, health behaviour and healthcare utilisation between Immigrant and native homeless people in Spain: An exploratory study

2021

Few studies have examined the differences between immigrant and native-born homeless populations. Our aim was to conduct an exploratory study to examine the differences in health status, health behaviour and healthcare utilisation in a sample of Spanish immigrant and native homeless people. Study was conducted in eight different temporary accommodations in the Valencia region in August 2018. Overall, 86 participants were included in the analysis who answered questionnaires concerning socio-demographic characteristics, immigration status, health status and behaviour, healthcare utilisation and experienced discrimination in healthcare and health literacy. In total, 76.7% were men with a mean …

Human Monkeypox: A Comprehensive Narrative Review and Analysis of the Public Health Implications.

2022

Recently, numerous cases of monkeypox were reported from several non-endemic countries in Europe, North America, and Oceania, suggesting an unusual and alarming public health issue, particularly considering that the disease is not directly related to human or animal travels. Attention is currently being drawn to this phenomenon since more than 70% of the global population is no longer vaccinated against smallpox. Indeed, the smallpox vaccination also confers some indirect degree of protection against other poxviruses, including monkeypox. We performed a narrative review to describe the existing literature with regard to monkeypox using the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Scopus databases. This review …

Weight loss in Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies: Impact on mortality and hospitalization by dementia subtype

2021

Objectives Loss of weight is associated with cognitive decline as well as several adverse outcomes in dementia. The aim of this study was to assess whether weight loss is associated with mortality and hospitalization in dementia subtypes. Methods A cohort of 11,607 patients with dementia in Alzheimer's disease (AD), vascular dementia (VD), or dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) was assembled from a large dementia care health records database in Southeast London. A natural language processing algorithm was developed to established whether loss of weight was recorded around the time of dementia diagnosis. Cox proportional hazard models were applied to examine the associations of reported weight l…

Changes in Sitting Time, Screen Exposure and Physical Activity during COVID-19 Lockdown in South American Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

2021

The worldwide prevalence of insufficient physical activity (PA) and prolonged sedentary behavior (SB) were high before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Measures that were taken by governments (such as home confinement) to control the spread of COVID-19 may have affected levels of PA and SB. This cross-sectional study among South American adults during the first months of COVID-19 aims to (i) compare sitting time (ST), screen exposure, moderate PA (MPA), vigorous PA (VPA), and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) before and during lockdown to sociodemographic correlates and (ii) to assess the impact of lockdown on combinations of groups reporting meeting/not-meeting PA recommendations and enga…

Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection and Diverse Physical Health Outcomes: An Umbrella Review of Meta-analyses of Observational Studies.

2019

Abstract Background Our aim was to assess both the credibility and strength of evidence arising from systematic reviews with meta-analyses of observational studies and physical health outcomes associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) but not acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Methods We performed an umbrella review of observational studies. Evidence was graded as convincing, highly suggestive, suggestive, weak, or nonsignificant. Results From 3413 studies returned, 20 were included, covering 55 health outcomes. Median number of participants was 18 743 (range 403–225 000 000). Overall, 45 (81.8%) of the 55 unique outcomes reported nominally significant summary results (P < .05). O…

Body mass index categories and anxiety symptoms among adults aged =?50 years from low and middle income countries.

2021

Background: Body weight may be a risk factor for anxiety; however, there is a scarcity of studies on this association in older adults especially from low and middle income countries (LMICs). Therefore, we investigated the association between body mass index (BMI) and anxiety symptoms among adults aged ≥ 50 years from 6 LMICs. Methods: Cross-sectional, community-based, nationally representative data from the World Health Organization (WHO) Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) were analyzed. The BMI was based on measured weight and height and was categorized as: &lt; 18.5 kg/m2 (underweight), 18.5–24.9 kg/m2 (normal weight), 25.0–29.9 kg/m2 (overweight), 30.0–34.9 kg/m2 (obesity cla…

Association between cannabis use and sexual behavior among adolescents aged 12-15 years in 21 low- and middle-income countries.

2019

Abstract Aims To investigate the relationship between cannabis use and two sexual behaviors (ever had sex, multiple partners) in a large representative sample of adolescents aged 12–15 years from 21 low- and-middle income countries. Methods Data from 84,867 adolescents aged 12–15 years participating in the Global School-based Student Health Survey were analyzed. Participants reported lifetime frequency of cannabis use (analyzed as 0, 1–2, 3–19 or ≥ 20 times), whether they had ever had sexual intercourse (yes/no) and, if yes, their lifetime number of sexual partners. We used multivariable logistic regression to analyze associations, adjusting for a range of relevant covariates. Results 12.7%…

Food insecurity and physical multimorbidity among adults aged ≥ 50 years from six low- and middle-income countries

2022

Abstract Purpose Food insecurity and multimoribidity (i.e., ≥ 2 chronic conditions) may be linked bidirectionally, but there are no studies on this topic from LMICs. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine the association between food insecurity and physical multimorbidity in a large representative sample of older adults from six LMICs. Methods Cross-sectional, community-based data on adults aged ≥ 50 years from the World Health Organization’s Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health (SAGE) conducted in China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia, and South Africa were analyzed. A total of 11 chronic physical conditions were assessed. Past 12 month food insecurity was assessed with tw…

Association between depression and subjective cognitive complaints in 47 low- and middle-income countries

2022

People with depression and subjective cognitive complaints (SCC) may be at particularly high risk for developing dementia. However, to date, studies on depression and SCC are limited mainly to single high-income countries. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the association between depression and SCC in adults from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Cross-sectional, community-based data were analyzed from the World Health Survey. Two questions on subjective memory and learning complaints in the past 30 days were used to create a SCC scale ranging from 0 (No SCC) to 100 (worse SCC). ICD-10 Diagnostic Criteria for Research was used for the diagnosis of subsyndromal de…

The Activation Status of the TGF-β Transducer Smad2 Is Associated with a Reduced Survival in Gastrointestinal Cancers: A Systematic Review and Meta-A…

2019

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…

Food Insecurity Is Associated with Mild Cognitive Impairment among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in South Africa:Findings from a Nationally Representa…

2019

There are no studies on the association between food insecurity and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Thus, cross-sectional, community-based data on individuals aged &ge

Interest in meta-research in geriatric medicine: a survey of members of the European Geriatric Medicine Society

2020

To know the knowledge of the EuGMS members regarding meta-research, especially systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Interest in systematic reviews and meta-analyses is high and there is a demand for education on these topics in relation to geriatric medicine. We need more resources in the EuGMS for education for meta-research tailored for geriatric medicine. There has been an exponential increase in meta-research, especially in the branch dealing with systematic reviews [SRs] and meta-analyses [MAs]. However, the knowledge regarding these topics in geriatric medicine is still poorly explored. We therefore undertook a survey of the current knowledge and needs in meta-research in geriatrics.…

Depression is Associated with Moderate-Intensity Physical Activity Among College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Differs by Activity Level, Ge…

2020

Jingyuan Lin,1,* Tianyou Guo,2,* Benjamin Becker,3 Qian Yu,2 Si-Tong Chen,4 Stubbs Brendon,5 Md Mahbub Hossain,6 Paolo M Cunha,7 Fernanda Cunha Soares,8 Nicola Veronese,9 Jane Jie Yu,10 Igor Grabovac,11 Lee Smith,12 Albert Yeung,13 Liye Zou,2 Hong Li1 1Research Centre of Brain Function and Psychological Science; Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People&amp;rsquo;s Republic of China; 2Exercise and Mental Health Laboratory, School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, People&amp;rsquo;s Republic of China; 3The Clinical …

Declines in Sexual Activity and Function Predict Incident Health Problems in Older Adults: Prospective Findings from the English Longitudinal Study o…

2020

The objective of this study was to investigate cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between declines in sexual activity and function and health outcomes in a large population-based sample of older adults. Data were from 2577 men and 3195 women aged ≥ 50 years participating in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Past-year changes in sexual desire, frequency of sexual activity, and ability to have an erection (men)/become sexually aroused (women) were assessed at baseline by self-completion questionnaire. Health outcomes (self-rated health, limiting long-standing illness, doctor-diagnosed diseases of the vascular system, and cancer) were self-reported at baseline (2012/2013) an…

Is Active Transport and Leisure-Time Physical Activity Associated With Inflammatory Markers in US Adults? A Cross-Sectional Analyses From NHANES.

2019

BACKGROUND: To investigate the association between levels of active transport and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) with C-reactive protein, white blood cell count, body mass index, waist circumference, and lipids in a large representative sample of adults residing in the United States. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Adjusted multinomial logistic regressions were carried out to quantify associations between levels of self-reported active transport (or LTPA) and quintiles of anthropometric measures and serum markers. RESULTS: A total of 3248 adults were included. For serum inflammatory biomarkers, the authors observed a lower like…

Telomere length and health outcomes: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies.

2019

The aim of the present study was to map and grade evidence for the relationships between telomere length with a diverse range of health outcomes, using an umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-analyses. We searched for meta-analyses of observational studies reporting on the association of telomere length with any health outcome (clinical disease outcomes and intermediate traits). For each association, random-effects summary effect size, 95% confidence interval (CI), and 95% prediction interval were calculated. To evaluate the credibility of the identified evidence, we assessed also heterogeneity, evidence for small-study effect and evidence for excess significance bias. Twenty-one…

Sleep Quality, Duration, and Associated Sexual Function at Older Age: Findings from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

2019

Abstract Introduction One factor that may plausibly be associated with sexual dysfunction is sleep disturbance. Like sexual problems, complaints of sleep disturbance increase with age and are commonly reported by older adults. Aims To examine associations between sleep quality, duration, and a range of sexual problems in a large, representative sample of older adults. Methods Data were from 2,568 men and 1,376 women (age ≥50 years) participating in Wave 6 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (2012–2013). Sleep quality, duration, and problems with erectile function, sexual arousal, and orgasmic experience were self-reported; associations were examined using logistic regression models.…

Decline in sexuality and wellbeing in older adults: A population-based study

2019

Background: Age-related declines in sexuality and increase in mental health complications have been well documented. However, whether these two phenomena are related has not been explored. The present study therefore aimed to investigate associations between a decline in sexuality and markers of mental health and wellbeing. Method: Data were collected in 2012/13 from 2614 men and 3217 women participating in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, a population-representative panel study of older adults (≥ 50 years). Past-year declines in sexual desire, frequency of sexual activities, and sexual function were self-reported. Three markers of wellbeing (depressive symptoms, quality of life an…

Factors Associated With Loneliness: An Umbrella Review Of Observational Studies.

2020

Background: Evidence provides inconsistent findings on risk factors and health outcomes associated with loneliness. The aim of this work was to grade the evidence on risk factors and health outcomes associated with loneliness, using an umbrella review approach. Methods: For each meta-analytic association, random-effects summary effect size, 95% confidence intervals (CIs), heterogeneity, evidence for small-study effect, excess significance bias and 95% prediction intervals were calculated, and used to grade significant evidence (p&lt;0.05) from convincing to weak. For narrative systematic reviews, findings were reported descriptively. Results: From 210 studies initially evaluated, 14 publica…

Hearing impairment and diverse health outcomes: An umbrella review of meta-analyses of observational studies

2021

Background: Globally, it is estimated that approximately 1.3 billion people live with some form of hearing impairment. Major causes of hearing loss include infection/disease, age-related factors, and occupational factors. Numerous systematic reviews and meta-analyses have attempted to synthesise literature on these topics. To date there has not been a systematic evaluation of the relationships between hearing impairment and diverse physical, mental, and social outcomes. Objective: We performed an umbrella review of systematic reviews of observational studies with meta-analyses for any physical disease, biomarkers of disease, mental health or cognitive outcomes, and/or modifiable risk factor…

Glucosamine sulphate: an umbrella review of health outcomes

2020

Background and Aims:Glucosamine sulphate (GS) can be used as background therapy in people affected by knee osteoarthritis (OA). Knowledge regarding the efficacy and safety of GS is of importance since its use worldwide is increasing. Therefore, the present study aimed to map and grade the diverse health outcomes associated with GS using an umbrella review approach.Methods:Medline, Cinahl and Embase databases were searched until 1 April 2020. An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was carried out. The evidence from the RCTs was graded using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) tool.Results:Fro…

Social isolation and physical activity mediate associations between free bus travel and wellbeing among older adults in England

2019

Background: Aims of this study were: (i) to examine relationships between free bus travel and wellbeing, and (ii) to assess the extent to which these associations can be explained by two key potential mediators: social isolation and physical activity. Methods: Data were from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (n = 5861). Linear regression models tested associations between (i) concessionary bus pass (CBP) ownership and (ii) frequency of CBP use and three measures of wellbeing (quality of life, life satisfaction, depressive symptoms), adjusting for age, sex, marital status, socioeconomic status and limiting long-standing illness. Mediation analyses tested the role of (i) social isolati…

Association Between Gait Speed With Mortality, Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer:A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies

2018

Objectives: Slow gait speed may be associated with premature mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer, although a comprehensive meta-analysis is lacking. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we explored potential associations between gait speed and mortality, incident CVD, and cancer. Design: A systematic search in major databases was undertaken from inception until March 15, 2018 for prospective cohort studies reporting data on gait speed and mortality, incident CVD, and cancer. Setting and Participants: All available. Measures: The adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), based on the model with the maximum number of covariates for each study bet…

Physical Multimorbidity and Sarcopenia among Adults Aged ≥65 Years in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

2022

&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Introduction:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; Physical multimorbidity is plausibly linked to sarcopenia. However, to date, only a few studies exist on this topic, and none have examined this association in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Thus, we aimed to investigate the association between multimorbidity and sarcopenia in a sample of older adults from six LMICs (China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia, South Africa). &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Methods:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; Cross-sectional, community-based data from the WHO Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE) were analysed. Sarcopenia was defined as having low skeletal muscle mass (SMM) and weak handgrip strength, while severe …

Sexual behavior and suicide attempts among adolescents aged 12–15 years from 38 countries: A global perspective

2020

BACKGROUND: The aim was to investigate the relationship between sexual behaviors and suicide attempts by using data from 38 countries from four World Health Organization regions. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from 116,820 adolescents aged 12-15 years participating in the Global School-based Student Health Survey 2009-2016 were analyzed. Data on sexual behaviors were collected: (i) ever having had intercourse; among those who reported having had intercourse, (ii) multiple (≥2) lifetime sexual partners and (iii) condom use in last sexual intercourse and past 12-month suicide attempts were self-reported. Associations were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: The prevalenc…

Sarcopenia and fall-related injury among older adults in five low- and middle-income countries

2021

Sarcopenia is a common condition in older people and increasing evidence suggests that it can be considered as a potential risk factor for falls and fractures. However, no studies on this topic from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are available. Thus, we assessed this association among older adults from five LMICs (China, India, Ghana, Mexico, and Russia). Community-based, nationally representative, cross-sectional data of the Study on Global Aging and Adult Health were analyzed. Sarcopenia was defined as the presence of low skeletal muscle mass based on indirect population formula, and either slow gait or low handgrip strength. The presence of fall-related injury was ascertained t…

Health-Related Behaviors Among School-Aged Children and Adolescents During the Spanish Covid-19 Confinement

2020

In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) world pandemic, affected countries such as Spain enacted measures comprising compulsory confinement as well as restrictions regarding free movement. Such measures likely influence children's and adolescents' lifestyles. Our study aimed to investigate the impact that the Covid-19 confinement has on health-related behaviors (HRBs) among Spanish children and adolescents. An online survey was administered to 516 parents to collect data about 860 children and adolescents (49.2% girls) aged between 3 and 16 years in relation to physical activity, screen exposure, sleep time, and fruit and vegetable consumption during the Covid-19 confinement.…

Sleep problems and mild cognitive impairment among adults aged ≥50 years from low- and middle-income countries

2021

Background-\ud \ud The limited available literature suggests that sleep problems are linked to an increased risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, this association has been little studied to date in low-income settings.\ud \ud Objective-\ud \ud To investigate the association between sleep problems and MCI in a large sample of adults from six low-and middle-income countries (LMICs).\ud \ud Design-\ud \ud Cross-sectional.\ud \ud Setting-\ud \ud Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE).\ud \ud Subjects-\ud \ud 32,715 individuals aged ≥50 years with preservation in functional abilities [age range 50–114 years; 51.7% females].\ud \ud Methods-\ud \ud MCI was defined using the Nat…

Depressive symptoms, handgrip strength, and weight status in US older adults

2018

Background: Handgrip strength is a valid indicator of broader physical functioning. Handgrip strength and weight status have been independently associated with depressive symptoms in older adults, but no study has yet investigated the relationships between all three in older US adults. This study investigated the relationship between physical function and depressive symptoms by weight status in older US adults. Methods: Cross-sectional data were analysed from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey waves 2011 to 2012 and 2013 to 2014. Physical function was assessed using a grip strength dynamometer. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the self-reported Patient Health Questi…

The association of physical multimorbidity with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in England: A mediation analysis of influential factors

2022

Background: Suicide is one of the most important causes of deaths in the United Kingdom, and the numbers are currently increasing. Aim: There are numerous identified determinants of suicidality, and physical multimorbidity is potentially important but is currently understudied. Thus, this study aims to investigate the association of physical multimorbidity with suicidality. Methods: Cross-sectional data from the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2007, which was conducted in England between October 2006 and December 2007 by the National Center for Social Research and Leicester University were analyzed. Respondents were asked about 20 physical health conditions, and suicidal ideation and sui…

Associations between cataract and multimorbidity: a cross-sectional study of 23,089 adults from Spain

2020

Background: Little is known about the association between cataract and multimorbidity. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between cataract and chronic conditions and multimorbidity in a large representative sample of Spanish adults. Methods: This study used data from the Spanish National Health Survey 2017, a cross-sectional sample of 23,089 adults aged ≥15 years from Spain [54.1% female; mean (standard deviation) age 53.4 (18.9) years]. Cataract and 30 other physical and mental chronic conditions were self-reported. Multimorbidity was defined as the presence of at least two physical and/or mental chronic conditions (excluding cataract). Control variable…

Prevalence and Correlates of Physical activity in a sample of UK adults observing social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic

2020

ObjectiveTo investigate the levels and correlates of physical activity during COVID-19 social distancing in a sample of the UK public.MethodsThis paper presents analyses of data from a cross-sectional study. Levels of physical activity during COVID-19 social distancing were self-reported. Participants also reported on sociodemographic and clinical data. The association between several factors and physical activity was studied using regression models.ResultsNine hundred and eleven adults were included (64.0% were women and 50.4% of the participants were aged 35–64 years). 75.0% of the participants met the physical activity guidelines during social distancing. Meeting these guidelines during …

Trends in Sexual Activity and Associations with All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality Among US Adults

2020

Abstract Background Sexual activity can be referred to as a health behavior and may also act as an indicator of health status. Aim To evaluate temporal trends in sexual activity and to examine associations of sexual activity with all-cause and cause-specific mortality risk. Methods We examined the trends and prevalence of sexual activity and association of sexual activity with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in a nationally representative sample using data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2005 to 2016 and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2014 Linked Mortality File (through December 31, 2015). Outcomes All-cause, cardiovascular…

Nutritional supplements for neuropsychiatric symptoms in people with dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

2020

The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of nutritional supplementation on neuropsychiatric symptoms among people with dementia. Methods/Design: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were searched in the Databases PubMed, EMBASE, SCOPUS, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Clinicaltrials.gov from inception until January 31, 2020. Studies of RCTs carried out on people with any type of dementia who were taking nutritional supplements and had neuropsychiatric symptoms were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. Neuropsychiatric symptoms were assessed with the validated Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI). Effect sizes were calculated with standardized mea…

Association of multimorbidity with higher levels of urinary incontinence: a cross-sectional study of 23 089 individuals aged ≥15 years residing in Sp…

2021

BackgroundOne can assume a relatively high prevalence of urinary incontinence (UI) in people with multimorbidity. However, literature in this area is scarce. There is a need for further robust research to aid GPs to identify patients at a particular risk for UI, and to initiate the early treatment and multidisciplinary management of this condition.AimTo examine the association between multimorbidity and UI in 23 089 individuals aged ≥15 years and residing in Spain.Design and settingThis study used data from the Spanish National Health Survey 2017, a cross-sectional sample of 23 089 participants aged ≥15 years residing in Spain (54.1% female; mean [standard deviation] age = 53.4 [18.9] years…

Chocolate Consumption and Indicators of Adiposity in US Adults.

2020

International audience; Purpose: The purpose of this research is to investigate the association between consumption of chocolate and measures of adiposity in a large, representative sample of US adults. Methods: Cross-sectional data from 13,626 nondiabetic adults (≥20 years) participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey study were aggregated using 5 study cycles from 2005-2006 through 2013-2014. Chocolate consumption was determined based on 2 24-hour dietary recalls. Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference were objectively measured. We used multivariable linear regression to test associations of 1) any chocolate consumption (yes/no), and 2) the total amount of …

Exploring the application of the navigation model with people experiencing homelessness: a scoping review

2022

People experiencing homelessness are known to be at risk of disproportionately poor health outcomes and often face barriers in accessing healthcare. Patient navigation (PN) has been identified as a way to address health disparities and engage underserved populations with healthcare services . This scoping review aims to understand how PN models have been utilized with people experiencing homelessness and other comparable populations to date and more specifically identify (a) the defining features, (b) the barriers and facilitators in implementation, and (c) the outcomes associated with PN models. Database searches were conducted in Web of Science, PubMed and SCOPUS on 15th June 2021 and 21 …

Effect of Magnesium Supplementation on Inflammatory Parameters: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

2022

Magnesium (Mg) may have several beneficial effects on human health outcomes. One hypothesized mechanism eliciting such effects is the action of Mg on serum inflammatory parameters. However, studies on this topic to date have several important limitations. Therefore, the present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize the current state of the art of all randomized control trials (RCTs) investigating the effects of Mg supplementation versus placebo on serum parameters of inflammation. We searched several databases until 23rd November 2021 for RCTs. Eligible studies were RCTs investigating the effect of oral Mg supplementation vs. placebo and having serum inflammatory markers as…

Sarcopenia and health-related outcomes: an umbrella review of observational studies

2019

Key summary pointsAimTo investigate associations of sarcopenia with adverse health-related outcomes, through an umbrella review method.FindingsSarcopenia appears to be significantly associated with several adverse outcomes in older people, with a strong evidence for increased risk of mortality, disability, and falls.MessageSarcopenia is associated with several adverse health-related outcomes in older people, indicating the need of assessing this condition in daily practice. AbstractBackgroundThe clinical relevance of sarcopenia has increasingly been recognized. However, whether it is associated with the development of other medical conditions is still unclear. Therefore, we aimed to capture…

Physical multimorbidity predicts the onset and persistence of anxiety: A prospective analysis of the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing.

2022

Background: The aims of the present study were to examine prospective associations of multimorbidity (i.e., &gt;= 2 chronic conditions) at baseline with incident and persistent anxiety over a two-year follow-up period among Irish older adults, and to quantify the extent to which sleep, pain, and disability mediate the multimorbidity-anxiety relationship.&amp; nbsp;Methods: Data from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Aging (TILDA) conducted between 2009 and 2011 with a follow-up after two years were analyzed. Anxiety referred to score &gt;=&amp; nbsp;8 on the anxiety section of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Lifetime diagnosis of 14 chronic conditions was obtained. Outcomes were in…

The association of cannabis use with fast-food consumption, overweight, and obesity among adolescents aged 12-15 years from 28 countries

2022

Background: Cannabis legalization and use have risen globally. However, the association between cannabis use, eating behaviors and body weight among adolescents is yet unexplored. Objectives: This study examined the association between cannabis use, fast-food consumption, overweight and obesity in 28 countries using data from the 2010–2016 Global School-Based Student Health Survey. Methods: Multivariable logistic regression and meta-analysis were performed among a sample of 83,726 adolescents (48.7% females) aged 12–15 years, mean (SD) age of 13.8 (0.9) years. Results: The overall prevalence of cannabis use (in past 30 days) and fast-food consumption (in past 7 days) were 2.8% and 57.3% res…

The association between sedentary behavior and sarcopenia among adults aged ≥65 years in low-and middle-income countries

2020

The present study aimed to assess the association between sedentary behavior and sarcopenia among adults aged &ge

Reply to 'Healthy dietary indices and risk of depressive outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies'.

2019

Mild cognitive impairment is associated with fall-related injury among adults aged ≥65 years in low- and middle-income countries.

2021

Abstract Objectives There is a scarcity of data on the association between mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and falls, especially from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where 70% of all older adults reside. Thus, we investigated the association between MCI and fall-related injury among older adults residing in six LMICs (China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia, South Africa). Design Cross-sectional, community-based data from the WHO Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) were analyzed. Methods The definition of MCI was based on the National Institute on Ageing-Alzheimer's Association criteria, and information on past 12-month fall-related injury was also collected. Multivariable l…

Prevalence of erectile dysfunction in patients with chronic kidney disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

2020

Growing evidence reports that chronic kidney diseases (CKD) might play a role in erectile dysfunction (ED), but limited knowledge is available. Therefore, we performed a systematic review up to 21/08/2019 to investigate the associations between CKD and ED. The main analysis reported the prevalence of ED as absolute estimates (in %) with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and across CKD stages (when specified), hemodialysis and transplant, calculating the p for interaction across strata. Among 291 studies, we included 34 articles with 5986 men. We found an overall prevalence of 76% (95%CI: 72–79) with a high degree of heterogeneity (I2 = 84.2%; p &lt; 0.0001). Analyzing the data by CKD sta…

Suicide risk in caregivers of people with dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

2022

Abstract Background Interest in physical and mental health outcomes in caregivers of patients with dementia is increasing. However, there is limited data available on the prevalence of suicidal ideation, suicidal attempts, and suicide rates among caregivers of those with dementia. Therefore, we aimed to systematically review these outcomes to address this gap in the literature and thus provide information to inform future policy and intervention for the benefit of caregivers of dementia patients. Methods We searched several databases from inception to the 10th November 2021, for studies investigating suicidal ideation, suicidal attempts, and suicide rates of caregivers of patients with deme…

Dietary Protein Intake and Falls in Older People: Longitudinal Analyses From the Osteoarthritis Initiative.

2019

Objectives: Literature regarding dietary protein intake and risk of falls is limited to a few studies with relatively small sample sizes and short follow-ups, which have reported contrasting findings. Thus, we investigated whether dietary protein intake is associated with risk of falls in a large cohort of North American adults. Design: Data were drawn from the Osteoarthritis Initiative, a cohort study, with 8 years of follow-up. Setting and participants: Community-dwelling adults with knee osteoarthritis or at high risk for this condition. Methods: Dietary protein intake was recorded using the Block Brief 2000 food frequency questionnaire and categorized using gender-specific quartiles (Q)…

COVID-19 confinement and Sexual activity in spain : a cross-sectional study

2021

Restrictions of free movement have been proven effective in tackling the spread of COVID-19 disease. However, sensitive populations submitted to longer periods of restrictions may experience detrimental effects in significant areas of their lifestyle, such as sexual activity. This study examines sexual activity during the COVID-19 confinement in Spain. A survey distributed through an institutional social media profile served to collect data, whereas chi-squared tests, t-tests, analyses of variance, and multiple logistic regression analysis were used to assess differences among sample subgroups. A total of 71.3% adults (N = 536) (72.8% female) reported engaging in sexual activity with a week…

COVID-19 Confinement and Health Risk Behaviors in Spain

2020

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a world pandemic due to COVID-19. In response, most affected countries have enacted measures involving compulsory confinement and restrictions on free movement, which likely influence citizens' lifestyles. This study investigates changes in health risk behaviors (HRBs) with duration of confinement. An online cross-sectional survey served to collect data about the Spanish adult population regarding health behaviors during the first 3 weeks of confinement. A large sample of participants (N = 2,741) (51.8% women; mean age 34.2 years [SD 13.0]) from all Spanish regions completed the survey. Binomial logistic regressions adjusted for socioeconomic…

Increase in Regular Leisure-Time Physical Activity in Spanish Adults Between 1987 and 2017.

2021

Introduction:\ud \ud The prevalence of leisure-time physical activity has increased in recent decades, but values differ significantly among countries. Owing to the improvement of living standards, a higher frequency of leisure-time physical activity is expected in Western countries such as Spain, but there is a lack of research involving large, representative samples during a prolonged temporal frame to confirm this tendency.\ud \ud Methods:\ud \ud Individual representative data from the 1987, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2011, and 2017 rounds of the Spanish National Health Survey were used. Statistical analyses were conducted from April 9, 2020 to May 5, 2020.\ud \ud Results:\ud \ud A total of…

The association of cooking fuels with depression and anxiety symptoms among adults aged ≥65 years from low- and middle-income countries

2022

Background: We aimed to investigate associations of unclean cooking fuels with depression and anxiety symptoms in a large sample of adults aged ≥65 years from six low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Methods: Cross-sectional, community-based, nationally representative data from the WHO Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) were analyzed. Unclean cooking fuel referred to kerosene/paraffin, coal/charcoal, wood, agriculture/crop, animal dung, and shrubs/grass. Depression referred to DSM-IV depression based on past 12-month symptoms or receiving depression treatment in the last 12 months. Anxiety symptoms referred to severe/extreme problems with worry or anxiety in the past 30 day…

Physical multimorbidity and depression: A mediation analysis of influential factors among 34,129 adults aged ≥50 years from low- and middle-income co…

2022

Background There is a scarcity of literature on the association between physical multimorbidity (i.e., &gt;= 2 chronic physical conditions) and depression among older adults, especially from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In addition, the mediators in this association are largely unknown. Therefore, we aimed to examine this association among adults aged &gt;= 50 years from six LMICs (China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia, and South Africa), and to identify potential mediators. Methods Cross-sectional, nationally representative data from the Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health were analyzed. Depression was defined as past-12 months DSM-IV depression or receiving depression treat…

Handgrip strength is associated with suicidal thoughts in men: Cross-sectional analyses from NHANES

2019

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between handgrip strength and suicidal thoughts in a representative sample of the US adult population using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). POPULATION AND METHODS: Data from two waves of NHANES (2011-2014) were aggregated. Handgrip strength in kilogram (kg) was defined as the maximum value from the dominant hand. Suicidal thoughts were assessed using one question "Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problem: Thoughts that you would be better off dead or of hurting yourself in some way?" and dichotomized to no (not at all) and yes (several days/ more than half the days/ nea…

Multimorbidity increases the risk for sarcopenia onset: Longitudinal analyses from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

2021

Background-\ud \ud Cross-sectional studies have demonstrated that multimorbidity is associated with sarcopenia. However, to date, this association has not been extensively investigated longitudinally. Therefore, the aim of the present paper was to explore the association between multimorbidity at baseline and sarcopenia onset over 12 years of follow-up in a large representative sample of the English older adult population.\ud \ud Methods-\ud \ud Representative data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) were analyzed. Multimorbidity at baseline was defined as ≥2 medical conditions, of 17 conditions included. Participants were considered to have sarcopenia if they had low handg…

Handgrip strength and health outcomes: Umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-analyses of observational studies

2020

Highlights • We carried out an umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-analyses of observational studies on handgrip strength and all health outcomes. • Three outcomes (lower all-cause mortality, lower cardiovascular mortality, and lower risk of disability) were found to have highly suggestive evidence. • One outcome (chair rise performance over time) was found to have suggestive evidence. • Five outcomes (walking speed, inability to balance, hospital admissions, cardiac death, and mortality in those with chronic kidney disease) were found to have weak evidence.

Association between physical multimorbidity and sleep problems in 46 low- and middle-income countries

2022

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the association between multimorbidity (i.e., two or more chronic conditions) and sleep problems in the general adult populations of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Thus, we aimed to assess this association among adults from 46 LMICs, and to quantify the extent to which anxiety, depression, stress, and pain explain this association. METHODS: Cross-sectional, predominantly nationally representative, community-based data from the World Health Survey were analyzed. Nine chronic physical conditions (angina, arthritis, asthma, chronic back pain, diabetes, edentulism, hearing problems, tuberculosis, visual impairment) were assessed. To be included in th…

Associations between self-reported physical activity and oral health: a cross-sectional analysis in 17,777 Spanish adults

2020

Background The aim of this study was to assess the association between levels of physical activity and oral health in adults residing in Spain. Methods Cross-sectional data from the Spanish National Health Survey 2017 were analysed (n = 17,777 adults aged ≥15 years; 52.0% females). The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) short form was used to measure physical activity. Oral health was self-reported through eight variables. Covariates included were sex, age, marital status, education, obesity, smoking and alcohol consumption. Results Dental caries (19.8% vs 27.8%), dental extraction (72.7% vs 75.4%), gingival bleeding (15.5% vs 19.1%), tooth movement (4.3% vs 5.9%) and miss…

Assessing the quality of studies in meta-research: Review/guidelines on the most important quality assessment tools

2020

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses pool data from individual studies to generate a higher level of evidence to be evaluated by guidelines. These reviews ultimately guide clinicians and stakeholders in health-related decisions. However, the informativeness and quality of evidence synthesis inherently depend on the quality of what has been pooled into meta-research projects. Moreover, beyond the quality of included individual studies, only a methodologically correct process, in relation to systematic reviews and meta-analyses themselves, can produce a reliable and valid evidence synthesis. Hence, quality of meta-research projects also affects evidence synthesis reliability. In this overview…

Well-Being Among Older Gay and Bisexual Men and Women in England: A Cross-sectional Population Study

2019

Objectives: Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) older people present an under-represented population in research, with limited research citing higher prevelance of depression, loneliness, rejection, and overall poorer health and well-being outcomes. Our study compares well-being, defined as quality of life, life satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and depression, among LGB people with their heterosexual peers'. Design: Cross-sectional population study using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA), a representative panel study of older adults aged 50 and older. Setting and Participants: Data were from ELSA wave 6, collected 2012-2013. A total of 5691 participants were included i…

Correlation between Cognition and Balance among Middle-Aged and Older Adults Observed through a Tai Chi Intervention program

2020

Background: Age-associated decline in cognition and balance may cause severe ability loss for daily living activities among middle-aged and older adults. The relationship between cognition and balance in this aging population remains to be explored. Objective: The present study Is exploratory in nature and aimed to examine the relationship between balance (both static and dynamic components) and global cognitive function among middle-aged and older adults through Tai Chi (TC) practice as a research avenue. Methods: A short-term (12 weeks) intervention of TC was conducted among middle-aged and older adults in the community setting. Global cognitive function (using the Chinese version of the …

Relationship Between Cannabis Use and Erectile Dysfunction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2019

Globally, there is increasing usage and legalization of cannabis. In addition to its reported therapeutic effects, cannabis has several health risks which are not clearly defined. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the most common male sexual disorder and there are plausible mechanisms linking cannabis use to ED. No attempt has been made to collate the literature on this topic. The aim of this review was to summarize the prevalence and risk of ED in cannabis users compared to controls. A systematic review of major databases from inception to January 1, 2019, without language restriction, was undertaken to identify studies investigating cannabis use and presence of ED. The analysis compared the p…

Lower limb muscle strength and muscle mass are associated with incident symptomatic knee osteoarthritis: a Longitudinal Cohort Study

2021

Recent literature suggests that sarcopenia, often represented by low lower limbs muscle mass and strength, can be considered a potential risk factor for knee osteoarthritis (OA), but the available literature is still limited. We therefore aimed to investigate whether sarcopenia is associated with a higher risk of radiographic (ROA) and symptomatic knee OA (SxOA) in a large cohort of North American people in the context of the OA initiative. Sarcopenia at baseline was diagnosed in case of low skeletal muscle mass (i.e., lower skeletal mass index) and poor performance in the chair stands test. The outcomes of interest for this study included ROA (radiographical osteoarthritis) if a knee devel…

Body Mass Index May Explain Some (But Not All) of the Association Between Declines in Sexual Activity and Incident Health Problems in Older Adults: R…

2019

The Lancet Psychiatry Commission: a blueprint for protecting physical health in people with mental illness.

2019

The poor physical health of people with mental illness is a multifaceted, transdiagnostic, and global problem. People with mental illness have an increased risk of physical disease, as well as reduced access to adequate health care. As a result, physical health disparities are observed across the entire spectrum of mental illnesses in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries. The high rate of physical comorbidity, which often has poor clinical management, drastically reduces life expectancy for people with mental illness, and also increases the personal, social, and economic burden of mental illness across the lifespan. This Commission summarises advances in understanding on the…

Social environmental impact of Covid-19 and erectile dysfunction: an explorative review

2021

Background-\ud \ud To date, no attempt has been made to collate literature on the relationship between the social environmental impact of COVID-19 and erectile dysfunction. The aim of this explorative review was to assess and compare the prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED) in male healthcare workers and males during the COVID-19 pandemic.\ud \ud Methods-\ud \ud A systematic review of major databases from inception to February 2021 was conducted. Prevalence data were extracted, and a random-effects meta-analysis was undertaken.\ud \ud Outcomes-\ud \ud The pooled prevalence of ED amongst healthcare workers working in COVID-19 specific environments, and non-healthcare during the COVID-19 p…

Associations between mental and oral health in Spain: a cross-sectional study of more than 23,000 people aged 15 years and over.

2020

Background:\ud \ud This study aimed to investigate associations between mental health and several parameters of oral health, controlling for a variety of important covariates, in a large representative sample of Spanish people.\ud \ud Methods:\ud \ud Data from the Spanish National Health Survey 2017 were analysed. Mental (i.e., depression, chronic anxiety, other psychiatric disorders) and oral health (i.e., dental caries, dental extraction, dental filling, gingival bleeding, tooth movement, dental material, missing tooth) were evaluated. Control variables included sex, age, marital status, education, smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical multimorbidity. Associations between psychiatric…

Association of objective visual impairment with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among adults aged =50 years in low/middle-income countries.

2021

BackgroundThere is currently limited literature on the association between visual impairment and suicidal thoughts and behaviours, especially among older adults from low/middle-income countries (LMICs). Thus, we aimed to investigate the associations of objectively measured distance visual impairment with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among adults aged ≥50 years from six LMICs and to identify potential mediators.MethodsCross-sectional, community-based, nationally representative data from the WHO Study on global AGEing and adult health were analysed. Objective distance visual acuity was measured using the tumbling E logMAR chart, and vision impairment was categorised as none, mild, m…

Liquid biopsy as surrogate for tissue for molecular profiling in pancreatic cancer: A meta-analysis towards precision medicine

2019

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…

Rate of hospitalizations and mortality of Respiratory Syncytial Virus infection compared to influenza in older people: a systematic review and meta-a…

2022

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is commonly regarded as an infection typical of children, but increasing literature is showing its importance in older people. Since the data regarding the impact of RSV are still limited for older people, the aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to compare the rate of hospitalization and mortality between RSV and influenza in this population. A systematic literature search until 15 June 2022 was done across several databases and including studies reporting incidence rate and cumulative incidence of hospitalization and mortality in RSV and influenza affecting older people. Among 2295 records initially screened, 16 studies including 762,084 old…

Sedentary behavior and perceived stress among adults aged ≥50 years in six low- and middle-income countries.

2018

Background:\ud Sedentary behavior and perceived stress are both negatively associated with physical and mental health. Little is known about the association between sedentary behavior and \ud perceived stress, and there is a particular paucity of data on people aged ≥50 years from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). \ud Methods:\ud We analyzed cross-sectional, community-based data from 34,129 individuals aged ≥50 years [mean age 62.4 (SD=16.0) years, 52% females] from six LMICs. Perceived stress was assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale and time spent sedentary per day was self-reported. Multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted, adjusting for important socio economi…

Body Mass Index and Mild Cognitive Impairment Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults from Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

2022

Background: The effect of weight modification on future dementia risk is currently a subject of debate and may be modified by age. Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between body mass index (BMI) status with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (a preclinical stage of dementia) in middle-aged and older adults residing in six low- and middle-income countries using nationally representative data. Methods: Cross-sectional data from the Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE) were analyzed. MCI was defined using the National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer's Association criteria. BMI (kg/m2) was based on measured weight and height and categorized as: under…

Urinary incontinence and quality of life: a systematic review and meta-analysis

2021

AbstractBackgroundUrinary incontinence (UI) and low quality of life (QoL) are two common conditions. Some recent literature proposed that these two entities can be associated. However, no attempt was made to collate this literature. Therefore, the aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing data to estimate the strength of the association between UI and QoL.MethodsAn electronic search of major databases up to 18th April 2020 was carried out. Meta-analysis of cross-sectional and case–control studies comparing mean values in QoL between patients with UI and controls was performed, reporting random-effects standardized mean differences (SMDs) ± 95% confid…