Publications by authors named "Alexandra Mavroeidi"

Background: Chronic pain is a highly prevalent condition that requires multidisciplinary treatment. However, in the United Kingdom, access to specialist pain clinics where patients can receive medical multidisciplinary treatment is limited, and provision varies between health boards. As such, self-management of chronic pain using digital tools has been gaining traction recently, but evidence of its effectiveness from clinical-based trials focuses mainly on quantitative outcomes.

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Objectives: 1) To develop an understanding of the thoughts and opinions of older women diagnosed with osteoporosis regarding sedentary behaviour and 2) Investigate strategies used to reduce sedentary behaviour for future intervention development.

Methods: Eleven older women with osteoporosis (mean age=68.2y±6.

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Background: Falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal unintentional injuries in older people. The use of Exergames (active, gamified video-based exercises) is a possible innovative, community-based approach. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of a tailored OTAGO/FaME-based strength and balance Exergame programme for improving balance, maintaining function and reducing falls risk in older people.

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Physical activity guidelines advocate the inclusion of strength and balance activities, twice a week, for adults and older adults, but with caveat that in some individuals there will be certain movements and activities that could lead to adverse events. This scoping review summarizes the evidence about how safe and efficacious these activities are in older adults with specific challenges that might make them more prone to injury (e.g.

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This narrative review focuses on the role of strength and balance activities throughout the lifecycle to improve physical capacity and reduce all-cause mortality. The evidence suggests strong associations in middle and older age, with poor balance, poor strength or poor physical function having strong associations with mortality. Currently in the UK, the proportions of adults (69% of men and 76% of women) not meeting the strength and balance guidelines (of 2 or more sessions/week) is concerning.

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Article Synopsis
  • Dietary modifications can influence inflammatory processes and aid in the prevention of chronic diseases, particularly in postmenopausal women.
  • A longitudinal study of Scottish postmenopausal women revealed that a 'prudent' dietary pattern—high in fish, yogurt, and fruits—was linked to lower levels of inflammatory biomarkers like hs-CRP and IL-6.
  • Conversely, a 'meat-dominated' dietary pattern showed an increase in inflammatory markers, indicating that diet plays a significant role in managing inflammation and chronic disease risk.
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Very low-calorie diets (VLCDs) are an effective means by which to induce clinically significant weight loss. However, their acceptance by health care practitioners and the public is generally lower than that for other nonsurgical weight loss methods. Whilst there is currently little evidence to suggest they have any detrimental effect on hepatic and renal health, data assessing these factors remain limited.

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Few year-long vitamin D supplementation trials exist that match seasonal changes. The aim of this study was to determine whether daily oral vitamin D3 at 400 IU or 1000 IU compared with placebo affects annual bone mineral density (BMD) change in postmenopausal women in a 1-year double-blind placebo controlled trial in Scotland. White women aged 60 to 70 years (n = 305) were randomized to one of two doses of vitamin D or placebo.

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Vitamin D has been linked with many health outcomes. The aim of this longitudinal study, was to assess predictors of seasonal variation of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25(OH)D) (including use of supplements and holidays in sunny destinations) at a northerly latitude in the UK (57°N) in relation to bone health indicators. 365 healthy postmenopausal women (mean age 62.

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Context: Observational studies show an association between low vitamin D status assessed by circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D and cardiovascular events and mortality. Data from randomized controlled trials are limited.

Objective: The aim of this study was to test whether daily doses of vitamin D(3) at 400 or 1000 IU/d for 1 yr affected conventional markers of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.

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Context: UV radiation is responsible for vitamin D synthesis and skin tanning. Longitudinal data relating skin color to vitamin D status are lacking.

Objective: Our objective was to determine whether seasonal facial skin color changes are related to changes in 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D].

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Background: Falls among elderly people is a major issue in public health, causing debilitating outcomes including fracture. The identification of genetic risk factors for falling may provide a strategy for effectively targeting falls prevention programs. We investigated whether a common functional variant of skeletal muscle α-actinin-3 (ACTN3 p.

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For 5 months a year the UK has insufficient sunlight for cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D and winter requirements are met from stores made the previous summer. Although there are few natural dietary sources, dietary intake may help maintain vitamin D status. We investigated the relationship between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), bone health, overweight, sunlight exposure and dietary vitamin D in 3113 women (age 54.

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