Validation of a food frequency questionnaire for use in Italian adults living in Sicily.

The objective of this study was to validate two interviewer-led food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) of very different lengths: a medium-length FFQ (medium-FFQ) of 36 items and a short-length FFQ (short-FFQ) of 18 items, intending to measure levels of intakes in a local population. Both FFQs were validated against intakes derived from a 3-day dietary record (3-day DR). Sixty-five non-diabetic adults with no known cardiovascular, renal or other systemic diseases were included. High correlation coefficients between the FFQ and the 3-day DR (0.45-0.73) were observed for energy intake, carbohydrates and lipid and protein intake. Bland-Altman plots showed good agreement between the methods. Low …

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

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…

The marble field of Custonaci (Sicily-Italy)

Impact of lifestyle on metabolic syndrome in apparently healthy people.

Parallel to the increase in obesity, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) is continually increasing, with increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular atherosclerosis diseases. Despite the importance of this public health problem, the relative impact of diet and physical activity on MetS prevalence has yet to be established. We investigated the association between lifestyle, in terms of both habitual dietary pattern and physical activity, and MetS in a cohort of adults without known diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Four hundred seventy-seven randomly selected adult participants were cross-sectionally investigated. Each participant answered a food frequency questi…

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

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…

The quarry waste "Ravaneti" in Sicily: geomorphologic aspect

Impact of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease on cardiovascular risk in a general population

Background and aim: Nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) is a major cause of liver disease worldwide leading also to a higher risk of cardiovascular events. We aimed to evaluate the impact of fatty liver and fibrosis on cardiovascular risk factors in a general population. Materials and methods: 604 subjects included in the communitybased ABCD (Alimentazione, Benessere Cardiovascolare e Diabete) study were recruited. Steatosis (CAP >288 dB/m) and fibrosis (>8.7 KPa by M and >7.2 KPa by XL probe) were assessed with FibroScan. Cardiovascular risk was evaluated by the Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) risk estimator and defined low if <5%, borderline if 5%-7.4%, intermediate…

Marbles of Sicily (Italy)

Oral Semaglutide Versus Empagliflozin in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Uncontrolled on Metformin: The PIONEER 2 Trial

OBJECTIVE Efficacy and safety of the glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) analog oral semaglutide and the sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor empagliflozin were compared in patients with type 2 diabetes uncontrolled on metformin. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Patients were randomized to once-daily open-label treatment with oral semaglutide 14 mg (n = 412) or empagliflozin 25 mg (n = 410) in a 52-week trial. Key end points were change from baseline to week 26 in HbA1c (primary) and body weight (confirmatory secondary). Two estimands addressed efficacy-related questions: treatment policy (regardless of trial product discontinuation or rescue medication) and trial product (on trial product with…

Two-year Effect of Semaglutide 2.4 mg vs Placebo in Adults with Overweight or Obesity: STEP 5

Social disparities, health risk behaviors, and cancer

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…

Habitual fish intake and clinically silent carotid atherosclerosis

Background: Fish consumption is recommended as part of a healthy diet. However, there is a paucity of data concerning the relation between fish consumption and carotid atherosclerosis. We investigated the association between habitual fish consumption and asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis, defined as the presence of plaques and/or increased intima-media thickness (≥ 0.90 mm), in non-diabetic participants. Methods: Nine hundred-sixty-one (range of age: 18–89 yrs; 37.1% males) adult participants without clinically known atherosclerotic disease were randomly recruited among the customers of a shopping mall in Palermo, Italy, and cross-sectionally investigated. Each participant answered a foo…

Association of dietary patterns with insulin resistance and clinically silent carotid atherosclerosis in apparently healthy people

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES:Dietary habits are important determinants of individual cardiovascular and metabolic risk. This study investigated the association between dietary patterns and asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis, defined as the presence of plaques and/or increased intima-media thickness, and metabolic biomarkers of insulin resistance, including the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and the trygliceride/high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol (Tg/HDL) ratio in a cohort of adults without known diabetes or atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.SUBJECTS/METHODS:Nine hundred and twenty-nine randomly selected participants were cross-sectionally investigated. …

Resting Energy expenditure in type 2 diabetic patients and the effect of insulin bolus

Aims: Resting energy expenditure (REE) plays a critical role in the regulation of body weight, with important implications in type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, the relationships between REE and T2D have not been extensively evaluated. We compared REE in persons with diabetes and in persons without diabetes. We also investigated the acute effect of insulin on REE and venous lactate, the latter an indirect measure of neoglucogenetic activity. Methods: REE was measured using indirect calorimetry in 14 newly diagnosed, untreated T2D adults and in 14 non-diabetic age-, gender- and body mass index-matched persons. The REE and lactate venous concentrations were also measured in a subgroup of 5 T2D p…

Habitual street food intake and subclinical carotid atherosclerosis.

Street food (SF) is defined as out-of-home food consumption, and generally consists of energy-dense meals rich in saturated fats and poor in fibers, vitamins and antioxidants. Though SF consumption may have unfavorable metabolic and cardiovascular effects, its possible association with atherosclerosis has not been considered. The association between habitual SF consumption and asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis, defined as the presence of plaques and/or increased intima-media thickness, was therefore investigated. One thousand thirty-five randomly selected adult participants without known diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases were cross-sectionally investigated in Palermo, …

Coffee components and cardiovascular risk: beneficial and detrimental effects

Coffee consists of several biological active compounds, such as caffeine, diterpenes, chlorogenic acids, and melanoidins, which may affect human health. The intake of each compound depends on the variety of coffee species, roasting degree, type of brewing method and serving size. The bioavailability and the distribution of each compound and its metabolites also contribute to coffee mechanisms of action. The health benefits of coffee consumption regarding cardiovascular system and metabolism mostly depend on its antioxidant compounds. In contrast, diterpenes and caffeine may produce harmful effects by raising lipid fraction and affecting endothelial function, respectively. Studying the mecha…

On the structure of 3-acetylamino-5-methyl- 1,2,4-oxadiazole and on the fully degenerate rearrangements (FDR) of its anion: a stimulating comparison between the results of ‘in-silicon chemistry’ and ‘laboratory chemistry’

An accurate crystal structure determination has provided evidence for a planar conformation for 3-acetylamino-5-methyl-1,2,4-oxadiazole (5), in agreement with quantum-mechanical calculations in the gas phase. In the crystal, a series of strong intermolecular N7H7...O9 hydrogen bonds link the amido groups of different molecules, causing the formation of infinite parallel ordered chains. The effect of the DMSO solvent on the energy and charge distribution of compound 5 and on its relevant 5S anion, involved in a fully degenerate rearrangement (FDR), has been deepened by quantum-mechanical DFT calculations. The calculated energy barrier for the FDR increases in going from in vacuo to DMSO, in …

Impact of chronic diuretic treatment on glucose homeostasis

Background The use of diuretics for hypertension has been associated with unfavorable changes in cardiovascular risk factors, such as uric acid and glucose tolerance, though the findings in the literature are contradictory. Methods This study investigated whether diuretic use is associated with markers of metabolic and cardiovascular risk, such as insulin-resistance and uric acid, in a cohort of adults without known diabetes and/or atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Nine hundred sixty-nine randomly selected participants answered a questionnaire on clinical history and dietary habits. Laboratory blood measurements were obtained in 507 participants. Results Previously undiagnosed type 2 …

Scar endometriosis: not a rare cause for a painful scar

Introduction. Endometriosis has been described as the presence of endometrial tissue outside uterine cavity. Scar endometriosis (SE) is a rare disease reported in 0.03-1.08% of women following gynaecologic surgery. In our retrospective observational cohort study we studied anamnesis, symptoms, surgical procedures and outcomes linked to scar endometriosis in our medical experience from 2004 to 2018. Methods. We reviewed the medical records of 46 patients with a histopathological diagnosis of SE. All patients had a history of at least one previous caesarean section (n=46, 100%). Forty-two patients (91,3%) complained gradually growing nodular abdominal mass near or adjacent to caesarean incisi…

Endothelial function and serum concentration of toxic metals in frequent consumers of fish.

BACKGROUND:Endothelial dysfunction is involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Consumption of fish is associated with reduced cardiovascular risk, but there is paucity of data concerning its effect on endothelial function. Furthermore, investigation of the effects of fish consumption on health must take into account the ingestion of contaminants, including transition metals and some metalloids, which may have unfavorable effects on health, including those on the cardiovascular system. We investigated the association between fish consumption, endothelial function (flow mediated dilation of the brachial artery), and serum concentration of some toxic metals in apparently healthy people…

A Randomized, Controlled Trial of 3.0 mg of Liraglutide in Weight Management.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a chronic disease with serious health consequences, but weight loss is difficult to maintain through lifestyle intervention alone. Liraglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 analogue, has been shown to have potential benefit for weight management at a once-daily dose of 3.0 mg, injected subcutaneously. METHODS: We conducted a 56-week, double-blind trial involving 3731 patients who did not have type 2 diabetes and who had a body-mass index (BMI; the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters) of at least 30 or a BMI of at least 27 if they had treated or untreated dyslipidemia or hypertension. We randomly assigned patients in a 2:1 ratio to receive on…

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

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…