Evaluating alignment of UK commercial baby food products with the WHO nutrient and promotion profile model.

Purpose: The first 1000 days of life are critical for long-term health outcomes, and there is increasing concern about the suitability of commercial food products for infants, toddlers, and children. This study evaluates the compliance of UK commercial baby food products with WHO Nutrient and Promotion Profile Model (NPPM) guidelines.

Methods: Between February and April 2023, data on 469 baby food products marketed for infants and children under 36 months were collected from the online platforms of four major UK supermarkets.

Benchmarking the nutrient composition and labelling practices of dry or instant cereals for older infants and young children across seven Southeast Asian countries.

In Southeast Asia, the increasing availability of commercially produced complementary foods (CPCF), including dry or instant cereals (CPCF cereals), has been noted, however, concerns exist around their nutrient profile and labelling practices. This 2021 study assessed the nutrient composition, labelling practices, and micronutrient content of CPCF cereals sold in the capital cities of seven Southeast Asian countries: Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Jakarta (Indonesia), Manila (Philippines), Bangkok (Thailand), Vientiane (Lao PDR), Hanoi (Vietnam), and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). The study adapted a nutrient profiling model from the WHO Regional Office for Europe to determine the proportion of products suitable for promotion for older infants and young children.

Usability of myfood24 Healthcare and Mathematical Diet Optimisation in Clinical Populations: A Pilot Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial.

Monitoring nutritional intake is of clinical value, but few existing tools offer electronic dietary recording, instant nutritional analysis, and a platform connecting healthcare teams with patients that provides timely, personalised support. This feasibility randomised controlled trial tests the usability of 'myfood24 Healthcare', a dietary assessment app and healthcare professional website, in two clinical populations. Patients were recruited from a weight management programme (n21) and from a group of gastroenterology surgery outpatients ( = 27).

Prenatal and Postpartum Maternal Iodide Intake from Diet and Supplements, Urinary Iodine and Thyroid Hormone Concentrations in a Region of the United Kingdom with Mild-to-Moderate Iodine Deficiency.

Iodine is essential for normal thyroid function, supporting healthy fetal and child development. Iodine requirements increase in pregnancy, but many women in regions without salt iodization have insufficient intakes. We explored associations between iodide intake and urinary iodine concentration (UIC), urinary iodine/creatinine ratio (I/Cr), thyroid stimulating hormone, thyroglobulin, free triiodothyronine, free thyroxine and palpable goiter in a region of mild-to-moderate iodine insufficiency.

Maternal iodine status in a multi-ethnic UK birth cohort: Associations with child cognitive and educational development.

Background: Maternal iodine requirements increase during pregnancy to supply thyroid hormones critical for fetal neurodevelopment. Iodine insufficiency may result in poorer cognitive or child educational outcomes but current evidence is sparse and inconsistent.

Objectives: To quantify the association between maternal iodine status and child educational outcomes.

High sugar content of European commercial baby foods and proposed updates to existing recommendations.

The aim was to determine whether commercial baby foods marketed within Europe (up to 36 months of age) have inappropriate formulation and high sugar content and to provide suggestions to update European regulations and recommendations as part of a nutrient profile model developed for this age group. The latter was produced following recommended World Health Organization (WHO) steps, including undertaking a rapid literature review. Packaging information from countries across the WHO European region was used to determine mean energy from total sugar by food category.

Maternal iodine status, intrauterine growth, birth outcomes and congenital anomalies in a UK birth cohort.

Background: Severe iodine insufficiency in pregnancy has significant consequences, but there is inadequate evidence to indicate what constitutes mild or moderate insufficiency, in terms of observed detrimental effects on pregnancy or birth outcomes. A limited number of studies have examined iodine status and birth outcomes, finding inconsistent evidence for specific outcomes.

Methods: Maternal iodine status was estimated from spot urine samples collected at 26-28 weeks' gestation from 6971 mothers in the Born in Bradford birth cohort.

Comparative efficacy of treatment strategies for hepatocellular carcinoma: systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Objective: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide. We conducted network meta-regression within a Bayesian framework to compare and rank different treatment strategies for HCC through direct and indirect evidence from international studies.

Methods And Analyses: We pooled the OR for 1-year, 3-year and 5-year overall survival, based on lesions of size ˂ 3 cm, 3-5 cm and ≤5 cm, using five therapeutic options including resection (RES), radiofrequency ablation (RFA), microwave ablation (MWA), transcatheter arterial chemoembolisation (TACE) plus RFA (TR) and percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI).

Collaborate across silos: Perceived barriers to integration of care for the elderly from the perspectives of service providers.

Purpose: To examine the barriers that hinder collaboration between health care and social care services and to report recommendations for effective collaboration to meet the growing support and care needs of our ageing population.

Methods: Data for this qualitative study were obtained from interviews with 7 key informants (n = 42) and 22 focus groups (n = 117) consisting of service providers who were from the health care or social care sectors and supporting elderly patients with multiple chronic diseases or long-term care needs. Data collection was conducted from 2015 to 2016.

Care Toward the End of Life in Older Populations and Its Implementation Facilitators and Barriers: A Scoping Review.

Purpose: To inform health system improvements for care of elderly populations approaching the end of life (EOL) by identifying important elements of care and implementation barriers and facilitators.

Design: A scoping review was carried out to identify key themes in EOL care. Articles were identified from MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, organizational websites, and internet searches.

Integrated care for older populations and its implementation facilitators and barriers: A rapid scoping review.

Purpose: Inform health system improvements by summarizing components of integrated care in older populations. Identify key implementation barriers and facilitators.

Data Sources: A scoping review was undertaken for evidence from MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, organizational websites and internet searches.

Glycemic index, glycemic load, and blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

High blood pressure is a strong risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to determine the associations of dietary glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) with systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in healthy individuals. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was carried out.

A U-shaped Association Between Blood Pressure and Cognitive Impairment in Chinese Elderly.

Objectives: Higher or lower blood pressure may relate to cognitive impairment, whereas the relationship between blood pressure and cognitive impairment among the elderly is not well-studied. The study objective was to determine whether blood pressure is associated with cognitive impairment in the elderly, and, if so, to accurately describe the association.

Design: Cross-sectional data from the sixth wave of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) conducted in 2011.

The prevalence of EGFR mutation in patients with non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: Estimate the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation prevalence in all non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and patient subgroups.

Results: A total of 456 studies were included, reporting 30,466 patients with EGFR mutation among 115,815 NSCLC patients. The overall pooled prevalence for EGFR mutations was 32.

Identification of novel genes and pathways in carotid atheroma using integrated bioinformatic methods.

Atherosclerosis is the primary cause of cardiovascular events and its molecular mechanism urgently needs to be clarified. In our study, atheromatous plaques (ATH) and macroscopically intact tissue (MIT) sampled from 32 patients were compared and an integrated series of bioinformatic microarray analyses were used to identify altered genes and pathways. Our work showed 816 genes were differentially expressed between ATH and MIT, including 443 that were up-regulated and 373 that were down-regulated in ATH tissues.

Transmission of Hepatitis B and C Virus Infection Through Body Piercing: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Hepatitis B and hepatitis C are 2 types of potentially life-threatening liver diseases with high infection rate. Body piercing represents a progressively popular sociocultural phenomenon which is also a potential exposure approach for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Conclusions from those researches with statistically risk assessment of body piercing on HBV and HCV transmission are contradictory.

Comparative effectiveness and tolerance of treatments for Helicobacter pylori: systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Objective: To determine the most efficacious treatment for eradication of Helicobacter pylori with the lowest likelihood of some common adverse events among pre-recommended and newer treatment regimens.

Design: Systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Data Sources: Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Embase without language or date restrictions.

Fruit intake and cardiovascular disease mortality in the UK Women's Cohort Study.

In observational studies, fruit intake is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), though fruit type has been less frequently explored. The aim of the current study was to explore the association between total fruit and fruit subgroup intake according to polyphenol content and CVD mortality in the UK Women's Cohort Study. Total fruit intake (g/day) derived from a 217-item food frequency questionnaire was obtained from 30,458 women (aged 35-69 years) at baseline from 1995-1998.

The method quality of cross-over studies involved in Cochrane Systematic Reviews.

Background: It is possible that cross-over studies included in current systematic reviews are being inadequately assessed, because the current risk of bias tools do not consider possible biases specific to cross-over design. We performed this study to evaluate whether this was being done in cross-over studies included in Cochrane Systematic Reviews (CSRs).

Methods: We searched the Cochrane Library (up to 2013 issue 5) for CSRs that included at least one cross-over trial.