Publications by authors named "Garcia-Marcos L"

Introduction: Exposure to environmental factors ( air pollution and second-hand tobacco smoke) have been associated with impaired lung function. However, the impact of environmental factors on lung health is usually evaluated separately and not with an exposomic framework. In this regard, breath analysis could be a noninvasive tool for biomonitoring of global human environmental exposure.

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  • The study investigates the prevalence and risk factors of atopic eczema among adolescents in Kosovo, an area with little prior research on this topic.
  • A survey was conducted in six major cities using a validated questionnaire to gather data on eczema symptoms and various environmental and lifestyle factors.
  • Results show that the prevalence of eczema in Kosovo is low, affected by gender, physical exercise, and paracetamol use, with stronger associations found in those with both eczema and wheezing symptoms.
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  • Infancy is a crucial growth period where lack of essential nutrients and exposure to harmful elements can lead to long-term health problems; this study focuses on measuring urine concentrations of these elements during the weaning period (3 to 18 months).
  • Data from the Nutrition in Early Life and Asthma (NELA) cohort included sociodemographic and dietary information, revealing that breastfed infants had lower concentrations of certain harmful elements compared to formula-fed infants.
  • Results showed significant increases in the urine concentrations of some non-essential elements (like arsenic and lead) as infants transitioned to solid foods, highlighting the impact of diet on exposure levels during this developmental stage.
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Asthma is, worldwide, the most frequent non-communicable disease affecting both children and adults, with high morbidity and relatively low mortality, compared to other chronic diseases. In recent decades, the prevalence of asthma has increased in the pediatric population, and, in general, the risk of developing asthma and asthma-like symptoms is higher in children during the first years of life. The "gut-lung axis" concept explains how the gut microbiota influences lung immune function, acting both directly, by stimulating the innate immune system, and indirectly, through the metabolites it generates.

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  • The study investigates how body mass index (BMI) and weight gain in healthy infants can impact lung function, specifically focusing on the balance between forced expiratory volume (FEV) and forced vital capacity (FVC).
  • Researchers measured lung function in 69 healthy infants and defined dysanapsis (an imbalance between FEV and FVC) using specific criteria.
  • The results indicated that higher BMI is linked to an increased risk of dysanapsis, suggesting that lung function development may be affected by weight gain in infants, even if they are not considered obese.*
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  • The study investigates how polyamine levels during pregnancy are linked to maternal allergies and immune responses in newborns.
  • Spermidine and spermine were found to be the main polyamines in both mothers and their newborns, with lower spermine levels associated with maternal allergic conditions, particularly allergic conjunctivitis.
  • Higher levels of polyamines in cord blood correlated with an increased number of lymphocytes and reduced production of inflammatory and Th2-related cytokines, suggesting a potential protective effect against allergies in infants.
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Monitoring is a major component of asthma management in children. Regular monitoring allows for diagnosis confirmation, treatment optimization, and natural history review. Numerous factors that may affect disease activity and patient well-being need to be monitored: response and adherence to treatment, disease control, disease progression, comorbidities, quality of life, medication side-effects, allergen and irritant exposures, diet and more.

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Background & Aims: Prenatal folate exposure may alter epigenetic marks in the offspring. We aimed to evaluate associations between prenatal exposure to folic acid (FA) in preconception and in utero with cord blood DNA methylation in long interspersed nuclear element 1 (LINE-1) and Alu short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs) as markers of global DNA methylation levels.

Methods: Data come from 325 mother-child pairs participating in the Nutrition in Early Life and Asthma (NELA) birth cohort (2015-2018).

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Purpose Of Review: To analyze and present recently published information on the factors that modify the burden of asthma and rhinitis in pediatric ages, such as ecological determinants; highlighting access and adherence to medications, exposure to pollutants and climate change. In addition to individual determinants such as obesity, protective & risk factors and comorbidities.

Recent Findings: Asthma and rhinitis continue to have a significant impact worldwide on the health of affected patients, primarily children.

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(1) Background: Asthma is a very prevalent disease with special characteristics during pregnancy, however, little is known about its relationship to the psychological wellbeing of women in this period; we aimed to know whether depression and anxiety symptoms are more frequent in asthmatic pregnant women. (2) Methods: Family Apgar (week 20), Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (weeks 20 and 32) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) (week 32) tests were administered to 738 pregnant women (81 asthmatics) in the Nutrition in Early Life and Asthma (NELA) birth cohort. (3) Results: There were no significant differences between asthmatic and non-asthmatic pregnant women in any of the different tests at any of the time points.

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Introduction: The time trends of the prevalence of rhinitis, rhinoconjunctivitis and nasal allergy previously described in the ISAAC (International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood) in 2002 are unknown; or if the geographical or age differences in Spain persist.

Objective: To describe the prevalence of rhinitis, rhinoconjunctivitis and nasal allergy in different Spanish geographical areas and compare them with those of the ISAAC.

Methods: Cross-sectional study of the prevalence of rhinitis, rhinoconjunctivitis and nasal allergy, carried out in 2016-2019 on 19943 adolescents aged 13-14 years and 17215 schoolchildren aged 6-7 years from six Spanish areas (Cartagena, Bilbao, Cantabria, La Coruña, Pamplona, and Salamanca), through a questionnaire based on the Global Asthma Network (GAN) protocol.

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  • The study examined the link between an anti-inflammatory diet and the prevalence of atopic diseases like asthma, rhinitis, and eczema in adolescents.
  • A total of 1934 participants completed questionnaires on their health and dietary habits, with findings showing that 6.9% had asthma, 25.3% had rhinitis, and 8.9% had eczema.
  • Results indicated that those with a strong adherence to an anti-inflammatory diet were 58% less likely to have asthma symptoms, suggesting that promoting such diets could be beneficial for preventing atopic diseases in young people.
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For more than three decades, major efforts in sampling and analyzing tree diversity in South America have focused almost exclusively on trees with stems of at least 10 and 2.5 cm diameter, showing highest species diversity in the wetter western and northern Amazon forests. By contrast, little attention has been paid to patterns and drivers of diversity in the largest canopy and emergent trees, which is surprising given these have dominant ecological functions.

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Introduction: Most of the pregnant women do not achieve the recommended dietary intake of vitamins A and E. These vitamins may counteract oxidative stress involved in some adverse perinatal outcomes. We aimed to assess the associations between maternal vitamin A and E at mid-pregnancy with both maternal and fetal outcomes and to identify possible early biomarkers during pregnancy to predict and prevent oxidative stress in the offspring.

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Background: Very limited information is available on the prevalence and risk factors of asthma in adolescents in Kosovo, and no study has previously addressed the role of Human Development Index (HDI) on asthma in the region. The present study addresses these two issues.

Methods: Following the Global Asthma Network (GAN) methodology, a cross-sectional survey, through standardised self-completed questionnaires, was conducted in the following six centres of Kosovo: Ferizaj, Gjakova, Gjilan, Peja, Prishtina and Prizren.

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Objective: To determine the prevalence of allergic rhinitis and associated factors in adolescents and in their parents/guardians.

Methods: A cross-sectional study, applying a standardized and validated written questionnaire. Adolescents (13-14 years old; n=1,058) and their parents/guardians (mean age=42.

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The importance of the microbiome, and of the gut-lung axis in the origin and persistence of asthma, is an ongoing field of investigation. The process of microbial colonisation in the first three years of life is fundamental for health, with the first hundred days of life being critical. Different factors are associated with early microbial dysbiosis, such as caesarean delivery, artificial lactation and antibiotic therapy, among others.

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Background: Asthma is one of the most common non-communicable diseases globally. This study aimed to assess asthma medicine use, management plan availability, and disease control in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood across different country settings.

Methods: We used data from the Global Asthma Network Phase I cross-sectional epidemiological study (2015-20).

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  • A study was conducted in Quito, Ecuador, to estimate the prevalence of asthma symptoms in adults and identify associated factors, as past studies did not focus on adult populations.
  • The study surveyed 2,476 adults, finding a low prevalence of asthma symptoms: 6.3% reported wheezing, while 1.9% had asthma ever diagnosed by a doctor.
  • Factors linked to wheezing included having mold in the home, owning a cat, and a history of rhinitis, highlighting the importance of housing quality in asthma occurrences.
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