Red Orange: Experimental Models and Epidemiological Evidence of Its Benefits on Human Health

2013

In recent years, there has been increasing public interest in plant antioxidants, thanks to the potential anticarcinogenic and cardioprotective actions mediated by their biochemical properties. The red (or blood) orange (Citrus sinensis(L.) Osbeck) is a pigmented sweet orange variety typical of eastern Sicily (southern Italy), California, and Spain. In this paper, we discuss the main health-related properties of the red orange that include anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and cardiovascular protection activities. Moreover, the effects on health of its main constituents (namely, flavonoids, carotenoids, ascorbic acid, hydroxycinnamic acids, and anthocyanins) are described. The red orange juice…

A review of recent evidence in human studies of n-3 and n-6 PUFA intake on cardiovascular disease, cancer, and depressive disorders: does the ratio r…

2015

AbstractPolyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been considered of great interest for human health due to their potential anti-inflammatory action that may protect from a number of chronic-degenerative diseases with an inflammatory pathogenesis. This review aimed to report the most updated evidence of both n-3 and n-6 PUFAs effect on cardiovascular disease, cancer, and depression in humans. Attention has been also paid to those studies exploring the effects of the ratio intake. Results from pooled analyses of human studies reported a general positive effect of n-3 PUFAs intake on all outcomes considered. In contrast, the role of n-6 PUFAs on human health needs to be better assessed in orde…

Heterogeneous contributions of change in population distribution of body mass index to change in obesity and underweight

2021

From 1985 to 2016, the prevalence of underweight decreased, and that of obesity and severe obesity increased, in most regions, with significant variation in the magnitude of these changes across regions. We investigated how much change in mean body mass index (BMI) explains changes in the prevalence of underweight, obesity, and severe obesity in different regions using data from 2896 population-based studies with 187 million participants. Changes in the prevalence of underweight and total obesity, and to a lesser extent severe obesity, are largely driven by shifts in the distribution of BMI, with smaller contributions from changes in the shape of the distribution. In East and Southeast Asia…

Mediterranean diet and cancer: epidemiological evidence and mechanism of selected aspects

2013

Background: Populations living in the area of the Mediterranean Sea suffered by decreased incidence of cancer compared with those living in the regions of northern Europe and US countries, attributed to healthier dietary habits. Nowadays, we are assisting to a moving away from the traditional Mediterranean dietary pattern, but whether this changing is influencing risk of cancers is still unclear. The aim of the study was to review recent evidence on potential relationship between the adherence to the Mediterranean diet and cancer. Discussion: The most recent pooled analyses of epidemiological studies supported strongly the hypothesis that the Mediterranean diet may play a role in preventing…

Author response: Heterogeneous contributions of change in population distribution of body mass index to change in obesity and underweight

2020

Heavy versus standard silicone oil in the management of retinal detachment with macular hole in myopic eyes

2011

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with 1000 cSt silicone oil endotamponade and PPV with densiron endotamponade for retinal detachment with macular hole and posterior staphyloma in highly myopic eyes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a prospective study, 30 eyes of 30 patients were randomly assigned to PPV and densiron (n = 15) or PPV with silicone oil (n = 15). All eyes had laser photocoagulation of the macular hole rim after PPV. Silicone oil or densiron was removed 12 weeks after surgery. Patients were followed-up for 6 months after oil removal. RESULTS: In the densiron group, the retinal reattachment rate was 100% with densiron in situ and 87% after it…

Factors Associated with Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet among Adolescents Living in Sicily, Southern Italy

2013

The present study aimed to examine the factors associated with increased Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence among a sample of Italian adolescents. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 1135 students (13–16 years) attending 13 secondary schools of Sicily, southern Italy. Validated instruments were used for dietary assessment and the KIDMED score to assess adolescents’ adherence to the MD. A higher adherence to the MD was associated with high socioeconomic status (Odds Ratio [OR] 1.53, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.03–2.26) and high physical activity (OR 1.19, 95% CI: 1.02–1.70), whereas lower adherence was associated with living in an urban environment (OR 0.65, 95% CI: 0.44–0.97) and b…

Social disparities, health risk behaviors, and cancer

2013

Background: Overall cancer incidence rates decreased in the most recent time period in both men and women, largely due to improvements in surgical therapeutic approaches (tertiary prevention) and screening programs (secondary prevention), but differences in cancer incidence and survival according to socioeconomic status are documented worldwide. Health risk behaviors, defined as habits or practices that increase an individual’s likelihood of harmful health outcomes, are thought to mediate such inequalities. Discussion: Obesity has been related with increased cancer incidence and mortality due to imbalance of leptin and adiponectin which are connected to activation of PI3K, MAPK, and STAT3 p…

Coffee and metabolic impairment: An updated review of epidemiological studies

2016

Abstract Background Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages worldwide. In the last years, coffee consumption has been associated with a number of beneficial effects against metabolic impairment. The aim of this narrative review was to report the most updated and comprehensive evidence from epidemiological and experimental studies as well as mechanisms of action of coffee on metabolic impairment. Methods A search in electronic databases (PUBMED and EMBASE) was performed to retrieve systematic and pooled analyses on coffee and diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Furthermore, the most accredited hypotheses and mechanisms of action of coffee have been described. Results Coffee consum…

Role of anthropometric factors, self-perception, and diet on weight misperception among young adolescents: a cross-sectional study

2018

Adolescence overweight and obesity have increased considerably, and the misperception of their weight status could reduce the efficiency of intervention programs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence rate of misperception and to assess the relationship between weight perception and anthropometric parameters, self-perception, physical activity, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet. A total of 1643 young adolescents (11–16 years old) were surveyed in a cross-sectional investigation during two scholastic years (period October–May of 2012–2013 and 2013–2014) in 15 secondary schools of Sicily, southern Italy. Data on demographic information, anthropometric characteristics (bio…

Factors associated with colorectal cancer in the context of the Mediterranean diet: a case-control study

2014

Recent evidence demonstrates that increased adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) may prevent colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between health-related characteristics and CRC in the context of the MD. This was a case-control study conducted on a sample of 338 consecutive patients with a first diagnosis of CRC recruited in an urban facility in the city of Catania, southern Italy, and matched with 676 apparently healthy subjects without clinical symptoms or signs of any type of cancer. Data regarding sociodemographic, clinical, and lifestyle characteristics were collected, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet pattern was assessed using the Me…

Rising rural body-mass index is the main driver of the global obesity epidemic in adults

2019

Body-mass index (BMI) has increased steadily in most countries in parallel with a rise in the proportion of the population who live in cities(.)(1,2) This has led to a widely reported view that urbanization is one of the most important drivers of the global rise in obesity(3-6). Here we use 2,009 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight in more than 112 million adults, to report national, regional and global trends in mean BMI segregated by place of residence (a rural or urban area) from 1985 to 2017. We show that, contrary to the dominant paradigm, more than 55% of the global rise in mean BMI from 1985 to 2017-and more than 80% in some low- and middle-income regions…

Height and body-mass index trajectories of school-aged children and adolescents from 1985 to 2019 in 200 countries and territories: a pooled analysis…

2020

BACKGROUND: Comparable global data on health and nutrition of school-aged children and adolescents are scarce. We aimed to estimate age trajectories and time trends in mean height and mean body-mass index (BMI), which measures weight gain beyond what is expected from height gain, for school-aged children and adolescents.

Worldwide trends in body-mass index, underweight, overweight, and obesity from 1975 to 2016: a pooled analysis of 2416 population-based measurement s…

2017

© 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 licenseBackground Underweight, overweight, and obesity in childhood and adolescence are associated with adverse health consequences throughout the life-course. Our aim was to estimate worldwide trends in mean body-mass index (BMI) and a comprehensive set of BMI categories that cover underweight to obesity in children and adolescents, and to compare trends with those of adults. Methods We pooled 2416 population-based studies with measurements of height and weight on 128·9 million participants aged 5 years and older, including 31·5 million aged 5–19 years. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model …

Protective role of the Mediterranean diet on several cardiovascular risk factors: Evidence from Sicily, southern Italy

2014

Background and aims: Epidemiological studies conducted in European countries demonstrated that the adoption of a Mediterranean diet protect against clustered risk factors but those evaluating such benefits specifically in southern Italy are scarce. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the association between the adherence to the Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular risk factors obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. Methods and results: A cross-sectional population-based survey including 3090 subjects was conducted in Sicily, southern Italy. Food intake was evaluated through a validated food frequency questionnaire and adherence to the dietary pattern was assessed using the MedDietScore…