Search results for "Cross-section"
showing 10 items of 2665 documents
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…
Subclinical atherosclerosis and fetuin-A plasma levels in essential hypertensive patients
2012
The intima-media thickness (IMT) is considered as a surrogate marker for atherosclerotic disease. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship of carotid IMT with fetuin-A in patients with essential hypertension (EH) and normal renal function. The plasma levels of fetuin-A, interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and the biomarker of oxidative stress 8-iso-PGF2alpha were assayed in samples from 105 untreated EH patients. Carotid IMT measurements were also performed. EH was studied overall and after dividing in EH with IMT ≥ and 0.9 mm (AUC (area under the curve) 0.738, P<0.0001). Our results suggest that in EH, fetuin-A is associated with the IMT independently of oxid…
Classification of functioning and assessment of fracture risk of a large Italian osteoporotic population. The physiatric approach to osteoporosis pro…
2015
Background: Osteoporosis is a skeletal disorder characterized by compromised bone strength predisposing to an increased risk of fracture. Osteoporotic fractures cause significant morbidity, disability, and decrease in quality of life. Aim: The aims of the Physiatric Approach To Osteoporosis (PATO) project were to classify osteoporotic patients with or without fragility fractures, using the Brief ICF (International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health) Core Set for Osteoporosis and to calculate the fracture risk with the WHO FRAX® (World Health Organization Fracture Risk Assessment Tool) algorithm. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: Seventy-nine Italian Rehabilitation S…
Remarkable quantitative and qualitative differences in HDL after niacin or fenofibrate therapy in type 2 diabetic patients
2014
Abstract HDL-increasing drugs such as fenofibrate and niacin have failed to decrease the cardiovascular risk in patients with type 2 diabetes. Drug-mediated quantitative and qualitative HDL modifications could be involved in these negative results. To evaluate the quantitative and qualitative effects of niacin and fenofibrate on HDL in patients with type 2 diabetes, a prospective, randomised controlled intervention trial was conducted. Thirty type 2 diabetic patients with low HDL were randomised to receive either fenofibrate (FFB) or niacin + laropiprant (ERN/LPR) as an add-on to simvastatin treatment for 12 weeks according to a crossover design. At the basal point and after each interventi…
Sleep problems and subjective cognitive complaints among middle-aged and older adults in 45 low- and middle-income countries
2022
Background: Currently, a small body of evidence suggests that sleep problems are positively associated with subjective cognitive complaints (SCC). However, no studies on this topic exist from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Thus, we investigated the association between sleep problems and SCC in a large sample of middle-age and older adults from 45 LMICs. Methods: Cross-sectional, predominantly nationally representative, community-based data were analyzed from the World Health Survey. Sleep problems (such as difficulties falling asleep, waking up frequently during the night or waking up too early in the morning) in the last 30 days were self-reported. Two questions on subjective me…
Sleep Alterations in Non-demented Older Individuals: The Role of Cortisol
2017
Background: Sleep alterations can impair quality of life and contribute to disease progression but they, and their features and contributing factors, are rarely analysed in institutionalised older individuals. In this study, we investigated sleep alterations, the factors involved, and the role of cortisol in sleep-related problems in institutionalised individuals. Methods: We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study in participants living in nursing homes in Valencia (Spain); sleep alterations were determined based on two validated tools: the Athens insomnia scale and Oviedo sleep questionnaire. Plasma cortisol was measured in the morning and determined by high performance liquid chrom…
Investigating the relation among disturbed sleep due to social media use, school burnout, and academic performance.
2019
Abstract Introduction Previous studies have revealed the significant influence of electronic devices, especially social media use, on sleep difficulties among adolescents. In this study, disturbed sleep due to social media use (DSSM) was defined as reduced or troubled sleep caused by nighttime-specific behaviors such as waking to check updates, being notified by incoming messages, or postponed bedtime because of social media activities. Inadequate and disturbed sleep during youth interferes with daytime academic efficiency and may be associated with school burnout, which were examined in this study. Methods Using two data waves collected from questionnaires on school burnout and DSSM and sc…
Sleep Quality in Patients with Heart Failure in the Spanish Population: A Cross-Sectional Study
2020
Background: Heart failure is a major problem in western societies. Sleep Disorders maintain a bidirectional relationship with heart failure, as shown by studies conducted in other countries. This study aims to describe the quality of sleep in Spanish patients with heart failure. Materials and methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study to analyze the quality of sleep in a sample of 203 patients with a diagnosis of heart failure admitted to an Internal Medicine Service. The Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to evaluate sleep quality in our sample over a one-month period. Results: 75% of the sample presented sleep disorders. The most common problems included the interruption o…
Modified 2016 American College of Rheumatology Fibromyalgia Criteria, the Analgesic, Anesthetic, and Addiction Clinical Trial Translations Innovation…
2021
Objective To study the prevalence of fibromyalgia (FM) in the general population according to a 2016 modification of the American College of Rheumatology criteria (FM 2016) and the Analgesic, Anesthetic, and Addiction Clinical Trial Translations Innovations Opportunities and Networks-American Pain Society pain taxonomy criteria (AAPT), and to compare diagnostic and clinical variables between the criteria sets. Methods We studied 2,531 randomly selected subjects from the German general population in 2019. Pain regions from the Michigan Body Map were fitted to the FM 2016 and the AAPT criteria, and criteria symptom items were derived from validated questionnaires assessing somatic and psychol…
Social cognition and executive functions in children and adolescents with focal epilepsy
2020
Objectives: Deficits in facial emotion recognition and Theory of Mind are frequent in patients with epilepsy. Although this evidence, studies on pediatric age are few and the relation between these abilities and other cognitive domain remains to be better elucidated. The purpose of our study is to evaluate facial emotion recognition and Theory of Mind in children and adolescents with focal epilepsy, and correlate them with intelligence and executive functions. Materials and methods: Our work is a cross-sectional observational study. Sixty-two children and adolescents aged between 7-16 years diagnosed by focal epilepsy and 32 sex/age-matched controls were recruited. All participants were adm…