Importance: Aging is accompanied by immune dysregulation, which has been implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. Individuals who are genetically predisposed to elevated levels of proinflammatory mediators might be at increased risk for AD.
Objective: To investigate whether genetic propensity for higher circulating levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6) is associated with AD risk.
Introduction: Adjustable lifestyle factors, such as diet, are associated with cognitive functions, structural and functional brain measures, but the association between the functional connectivity (FC) and the Mediterranean Diet (Medicine) in population without dementia is yet to be explored.
Methods: The association between MeDi and brain FC in 105 individuals without dementia aged 63 (SD ± 8.72) years old who underwent brain MRI including resting-state (rs) functional MRI (fMRI) was examined.
Background: Sleep patterns often shift as people age, a phenomenon frequently associated with the onset of neurodegenerative conditions. Additionally, distinct alterations occur in brain structure as individuals grow older, particularly within the hippocampus, a region known for its role in cognition and sleep regulation. Yet, how exactly do changes in sleep relate to specific subfields within the hippocampus is still unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF(1) Background: Many studies link food intake with clinical cognitive outcomes, but evidence for brain biomarkers, such as memory-related limbic white matter (WM) tracts, is limited. We examined the association between food groups, limbic WM tracts integrity, and memory performance in community-dwelling individuals. (2) Methods: We included 117 non-demented individuals (ALBION study).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe role of species and microbial metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and human milk oligosaccharides in controlling intestinal inflammation and the pathogenesis of obesity and type 1 diabetes (T1D) has been largely studied in recent years. This paper discusses the discovery of signature biomarkers for obesity and T1D based on data from a novel test for profiling several species, combined with metabolomic analysis. Through the NUTRISHIELD clinical study, a total of 98 children were recruited: 40 healthy controls, 40 type 1 diabetics, and 18 obese children.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe possible relationship between Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD) and dementia needs further investigation. In the present study, we explored the association between specific biomarkers of Alzheimer's Disease (AD), amyloid-beta 42 (Aβ) and Tau with the odds of SCD using data from two ongoing studies. In total, 849 cognitively normal (CN) individuals were included in our analyses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOur study aimed to explore whether physical condition might affect the association between genetic predisposition for Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and AD incidence. The sample of participants consisted of 561 community-dwelling adults over 64 years old, without baseline dementia (508 cognitively normal and 53 with mild cognitive impairment), deriving from the HELIAD, an ongoing longitudinal study with follow-up evaluations every 3 years. Physical condition was assessed at baseline through walking time (WT), while a Polygenic Risk Score for late onset AD (PRS-AD) was used to estimate genetic predisposition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of the present study was to investigate the association of prodromal PD (pPD) with trajectories of healthy aging, according to its latest definition by the WHO. In a sample of 1,226 older adults (704 women), PD diagnosis was reached through standard clinical research procedures. Probability of pPD was calculated according to the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society's research criteria for PD-free participants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCognitive and physical decline, both indicators of aging, seem to be associated with each other. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether physical function parameters (walking time and handgrip strength) are related to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers (amyloid-beta Aβ, Tau, PhTau) in individuals in the Alzheimer's disease (AD) continuum. The sample was drawn from the Aiginition Longitudinal Biomarker Investigation of Neurodegeneration study, comprising 163 individuals aged 40-75 years: 112 cognitively normal (CN) and 51 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Human milk (HM) is the ideal source of nutrients for infants. Its composition is highly variable according to the infant's needs. When not enough own mother's milk (OMM) is available, the administration of pasteurized donor human milk (DHM) is considered a suitable alternative for preterm infants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAccurate dietary assessment in nutritional research is a huge challenge, but essential. Due to the subjective nature of self-reporting methods, the development of analytical methods for food intake and microbiota biomarkers determination is needed. This work presents an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method for the quantification and semi quantification of 20 and 201 food intake biomarkers (BFIs), respectively, as well as 7 microbiota biomarkers applied to 208 urine samples from lactating mothers (M) ( = 59).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGiven the increase in the aging population and thus in the prevalence of dementia, the identification of protective factors against cognitive decline is necessary. In a cohort of 1076 non-demented adults ≥ 65 years old (59.7% women) from the HELIAD study, we assessed whether changes in body mass index (BMI) were associated with changes in cognition over a 3-year follow-up period separately for those ≤ 75 and >75 years old.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCognitive disorders have become important public health issues around the world. Studies evaluating the association between cognitive decline and food timing are lacking. The objective of this study was to examine the potential association between energy intake distribution during the day and cognitive performance in cognitively healthy and mildly cognitive impaired individuals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlthough research has generally shown a negative association between depression and adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MeDi), the literature related to older adults is controversial, perhaps partially due to the fact that cognitive status has not been considered. The aim of the current work was to investigate the association between MeDi and incident depression in a representative cohort of people, taking into account their cognitive status in multiple ways. The sample was drawn from the HELIAD study, a longitudinal study including a follow-up of 3 years after the baseline assessment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground and Objectives: This article presents data from the ongoing Aiginition Longitudinal Biomarker Investigation of Neurodegeneration study (ALBION) regarding baseline clinical characterizations and CSF biomarker profiles, as well as preliminary longitudinal data on clinical progression. Materials and Methods: As of March 2022, 138 participants who either were cognitively normal (CN, n = 99) or had a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n = 39) had been recruited at the specialist cognitive disorders outpatient clinic at Aiginition Hospital. Clinical characteristics at baseline were provided.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe literature on the association between intentional weight loss and mortality rates has yielded controversial results, especially when it comes to older groups. The aim of the present narrative review was the critical evaluation of studies exploring the association between intentional weight loss and mortality in middle-aged and older adults (i.e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of the current study was to investigate whether a Total Lifestyle Index (TLI), including adherence to the Mediterranean diet, sleep duration, physical activity and engagement in activities of daily living, is associated with cognitive health over time and dementia risk, in a representative cohort of older people. A total of 1018 non-demented community-dwelling older adults ≥65 years old (60% women) from the HELIAD study were included. A comprehensive neurological and neuropsychological assessment was conducted at baseline and at the 3-year follow-up evaluating cognitive functioning, and a dementia diagnosis was set.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To systematically review and meta-analyze randomized controlled trials on the effects of technology-based interventions for maintenance of lost weight.
Methods: A systematic literature search was performed to identify randomized controlled trials with at least one intervention arm delivered through the internet or mobile application, published in English until September 2021. Weight change at the end of the weight loss maintenance phase was considered the primary outcome.
Cognitive impairment is a rapidly growing public health problem. As there is no curative treatment for dementia, the proactive management of modifiable risk factors and the identification of early biomarkers indicative of the cognitive decline are of great importance. Although nutrition is one of the most extensively studied lifestyle factor in relation to cognitive health, its association with brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarkers is not well established.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Recent meta-analyses suggest the use of technology-based interventions as a treatment option for obesity in adulthood. Similar meta-analytic approaches for children are scarce.
Objective: The aim of this meta-analysis is to examine the effect of technology-based interventions on overweight and obesity treatment in children and adolescents.
Feeding from own mother's milk is not always an option for preterm infants, and choosing between alternative means of feeding should be made in light of their effect on infants' health. In this work, we aimed to present evidence regarding feeding pre-term infants with human milk, either own mother's or donor milk (DM), and the potential effects on growth and other health related outcomes. Exclusive breastfeeding (BF) remains the optimal option, whereas feeding with DM as a sole diet or supplemental to maternal milk confers immunological advantages and fewer rates of necrotising enterocolitis against preterm formula feeding, yet the latter results in greater growth velocity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF