Intake and metabolism of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids: nutritional implications for cardiometabolic diseases.

Prospective observational studies support the use of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease; however, randomised controlled trials, have often reported neutral findings. There is a long history of debate about the potential harmful effects of a high intake of omega-6 PUFAs, although this idea is not supported by prospective observational studies or randomised controlled trials. Health effects of PUFAs might be influenced by Δ-5 and Δ-6 desaturases, the key enzymes in the metabolism of PUFAs.

Association between nutritional profiles of foods underlying Nutri-Score front-of-pack labels and mortality: EPIC cohort study in 10 European countries.

Objective: To determine if the Food Standards Agency nutrient profiling system (FSAm-NPS), which grades the nutritional quality of food products and is used to derive the Nutri-Score front-of-packet label to guide consumers towards healthier food choices, is associated with mortality.

Design: Population based cohort study.

Setting: European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort from 23 centres in 10 European countries.

The reliability and relative validity of predefined dietary patterns were higher than that of exploratory dietary patterns in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Potsdam population.

The aim of this study was to assess the ability of the FFQ to describe reliable and valid dietary pattern (DP) scores. In a total of 134 participants of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Potsdam study aged 35-67 years, the FFQ was applied twice (baseline and after 1 year) to assess its reliability. Between November 1995 and March 1997, twelve 24-h dietary recalls (24HDR) as reference instrument were applied to assess the validity of the FFQ.

A Body Shape Index (ABSI) achieves better mortality risk stratification than alternative indices of abdominal obesity: results from a large European cohort.

Abdominal and general adiposity are independently associated with mortality, but there is no consensus on how best to assess abdominal adiposity. We compared the ability of alternative waist indices to complement body mass index (BMI) when assessing all-cause mortality. We used data from 352,985 participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) and Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for other risk factors.

Replacement of Red and Processed Meat With Other Food Sources of Protein and the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in European Populations: The EPIC-InterAct Study.

Objective: There is sparse evidence for the association of suitable food substitutions for red and processed meat on the risk of type 2 diabetes. We modeled the association between replacing red and processed meat with other protein sources and the risk of type 2 diabetes and estimated its population impact.

Research Design And Methods: The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC)-InterAct case cohort included 11,741 individuals with type 2 diabetes and a subcohort of 15,450 participants in eight countries.

Opposing Associations of NT-proBNP With Risks of Diabetes and Diabetes-Related Complications.

Objective: Circulating N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a classic diagnostic and prognostic marker for heart failure. However, it is inversely associated with diabetes risk. We aimed to investigate relationships of NT-proBNP with risk of diabetes-related complications in initially healthy individuals.

Mediating effect of soluble B-cell activation immune markers on the association between anthropometric and lifestyle factors and lymphoma development.

Sustained B-cell activation is an important mechanism contributing to B-cell lymphoma (BCL). We aimed to validate four previously reported B-cell activation markers predictive of BCL risk (sCD23, sCD27, sCD30, and CXCL13) and to examine their possible mediating effects on the association between anthropometric and lifestyle factors and major BCL subtypes. Pre-diagnostic serum levels were measured for 517 BCL cases and 525 controls in a nested case-control study.

Desaturase Activity and the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes and Coronary Artery Disease: A Mendelian Randomization Study.

Estimated Δ5-desaturase (D5D) and Δ6-desaturase (D6D) are key enzymes in metabolism of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and have been associated with cardiometabolic risk; however, causality needs to be clarified. We applied two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach using a representative sub-cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Potsdam Study and public data from DIAbetes Genetics Replication And Meta-analysis (DIAGRAM) and Coronary ARtery DIsease Genome wide Replication and Meta-analysis (CARDIoGRAM) genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Furthermore, we addressed confounding by linkage disequilibrium (LD) as all instruments from (encoding D5D) are in LD with (encoding D6D) variants.

Citrus intake and risk of skin cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort (EPIC).

Citrus intake has been suggested to increase the risk of skin cancer. Although this relation is highly plausible biologically, epidemiologic evidence is lacking. We aimed to examine the potential association between citrus intake and skin cancer risk.

Association between C reactive protein and microvascular and macrovascular dysfunction in sub-Saharan Africans with and without diabetes: the RODAM study.

Introduction: Although inflammation assessed by elevated C reactive protein (CRP) concentration is known to be associated with risk of cardiovascular disease, its association with microvascular and macrovascular dysfunction in diabetes and non-diabetes remains unclear. We examined the association between CRP and diabetes and associated microvascular and macrovascular dysfunction in sub-Saharan Africans with and without diabetes.

Research Design And Methods: Cross-sectional analyses of baseline data from the multicenter RODAM study (Research on Obesity and Diabetes among African Migrants) including 5248 Ghanaians (583 with diabetes, 4665 without diabetes) aged 25-70 years were done.

Association of plasma biomarkers of fruit and vegetable intake with incident type 2 diabetes: EPIC-InterAct case-cohort study in eight European countries.

Objective: To investigate the association of plasma vitamin C and carotenoids, as indicators of fruit and vegetable intake, with the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Design: Prospective case-cohort study.

Setting: Populations from eight European countries.

Glycemic index, glycemic load, and risk of coronary heart disease: a pan-European cohort study.

Background: High carbohydrate intake raises blood triglycerides, glucose, and insulin; reduces HDLs; and may increase risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Epidemiological studies indicate that high dietary glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) are associated with increased CHD risk.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine whether dietary GI, GL, and available carbohydrates are associated with CHD risk in both sexes.

Dietary and Circulating Fatty Acids and Ovarian Cancer Risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition.

Background: Fatty acids impact obesity, estrogens, and inflammation, which are risk factors for ovarian cancer. Few epidemiologic studies have investigated the association of fatty acids with ovarian cancer.

Methods: Within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), 1,486 incident ovarian cancer cases were identified.

SNP rs6564851 in the BCO1 Gene Is Associated with Varying Provitamin a Plasma Concentrations but Not with Retinol Concentrations among Adolescents from Rural Ghana.

In sub-Saharan Africa, vitamin A deficiency constitutes a severe health problem despite various supplementation and food fortification programs. Given that the intake of preformed vitamin A from animal products remains low in these countries, an efficient metabolization of plant-based provitamin A carotenoids is essential. Previously, adolescents in rural Ghana have shown high total plasma carotenoid concentrations, while 36% had a vitamin A deficiency (defined as plasma retinol < 0.

Replication of 15 loci involved in human plasma protein N-glycosylation in 4802 samples from four cohorts.

Human protein glycosylation is a complex process, and its in vivo regulation is poorly understood. Changes in glycosylation patterns are associated with many human diseases and conditions. Understanding the biological determinants of protein glycome provides a basis for future diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

The branched-chain amino acids valine and leucine have differential effects on hepatic lipid metabolism.

Dairy intake, as a source of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), has been linked to a lower incidence of type-2-diabetes and increased circulating odd-chain fatty acids (OCFA). To understand this connection, we aimed to investigate differences in BCAA metabolism of leucine and valine, a possible source of OCFA, and their role in hepatic metabolism. Male mice were fed a high-fat diet supplemented with leucine and valine for 1 week and phenotypically characterized with a focus on lipid metabolism.

A metabolomic study of red and processed meat intake and acylcarnitine concentrations in human urine and blood.

Background: Acylcarnitines (ACs) play a major role in fatty acid metabolism and are potential markers of metabolic dysfunction with higher blood concentrations reported in obese and diabetic individuals. Diet, and in particular red and processed meat intake, has been shown to influence AC concentrations but data on the effect of meat consumption on AC concentrations is limited.

Objectives: To investigate the effect of red and processed meat intake on AC concentrations in plasma and urine using a randomized controlled trial with replication in an observational cohort.

Geographic location determines beta-cell autoimmunity among adult Ghanaians: Findings from the RODAM study.

Introduction: Beta-cell autoantibodies are established markers of autoimmunity, which we compared between Ghanaian adults with or without diabetes, living in rural and urban Ghana and in three European cities.

Methods: In the multicenter cross-sectional Research on Obesity and Diabetes among African Migrants (RODAM) study (N = 5898), we quantified autoantibodies against glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65Ab) by radioligand binding assay (RBA) and established cut-offs for positivity by displacement analysis. In a subsample, we performed RBA for zinc transporter-8 autoantibodies (ZnT8Ab).

Antibody Responses to and Risk of Developing Colorectal Cancer in a European Cohort.

Background: While () is the major cause of gastric cancer, it has also been suggested to be involved in colorectal cancer development. However, prospective studies addressing and colorectal cancer are sparse and inconclusive. We assessed the association of antibody responses to proteins with colorectal cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort.

Obesity and impaired metabolic health in patients with COVID-19.

Preliminary data suggest that people with obesity are at increased risk of severe COVID-19. However, as data on metabolic parameters (such as BMI and levels of glucose and insulin) in patients with COVID-19 are scarce, increased reporting is needed to improve our understanding of COVID-19 and the care of affected patients.

[Self-reported infections in the German National Cohort (GNC) in the context of the current research landscape].

Background: Infectious diseases continue to play an important role for disease perception, health-economic considerations and public health in Germany. In recent years, infectious diseases have been linked to the development of non-communicable diseases. Analyses of the German National Cohort (GNC) may provide deeper insights into this issue and pave the way for new targeted approaches in disease prevention.

[Self-reported cancer in the German National Cohort (NAKO Gesundheitsstudie): assessment methods and first results].

Background: In the German National Cohort (NAKO Gesundheitsstudie), the largest prospective cohort study in Germany, data on self-reported cancer diagnoses are now available for the first half of participants.

Objectives: Description of the methods to assess self-reported cancer diagnoses and type of cancer in the NAKO and presentation of first results.

Materials And Methods: In a computer-assisted, standardized personal interview, 101,787 participants (54,526 women, 47,261 men) were asked whether they had ever been diagnosed with cancer (malignant tumors including in situ) by a physician and how many cancer diagnoses they had.

Healthy lifestyle and the risk of lymphoma in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study.

Limited evidence exists on the role of modifiable lifestyle factors on the risk of lymphoma. In this work, the associations between adherence to healthy lifestyles and risks of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) were evaluated in a large-scale European prospective cohort. Within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), 2,999 incident lymphoma cases (132 HL and 2,746 NHL) were diagnosed among 453,808 participants after 15 years (median) of follow-up.