Investigating the Relationship between Epigenetic Age and Cardiovascular Risk in a Population with Overweight/Obesity.

: Cardiovascular diseases stand as the leading global cause of mortality. Major modifiable risk factors encompass overweight/obese conditions, high blood pressure, elevated LDL cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, secondhand smoke exposure, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity. In the present study, we explored the relationship between cardiovascular risk factors and epigenetic age (DNAm age), an estimate reflecting an individual's actual physiological functionality and overall health.

Vitamin D and Metabolic Syndrome in Working Age Subjects from an Obesity Clinic.

Serum vitamin D (VitD) levels have been inversely related with metabolic syndrome (MetS), although the direct impact of VitD is still debated. This study examined 879 subjects of working age from an obesity and occupational clinic in Milan, Italy. Among these participants, 316 had MetS, while 563 did not.

Metal Body Burden as Cardiovascular Risk Factor in Adults with Metabolic Syndrome and Overweight-Obesity Analysed with an Artificial Neural Network: The Role of Hair Mineralograms.

In determining the so-called "body burden", hair has been widely accepted for assessing toxic element exposure. However, its role in assessing essential elements is controversial. This study investigates the possible relationship between hair minerals, metabolic syndrome (MetS) and cardiovascular (CV) risk in non-occupationally exposed subjects with overweight-obesity.

Overview of Curcumin and Piperine Effects on Glucose Metabolism: The Case of an Insulinoma Patient's Loss of Consciousness.

The hypoglycemic properties of curcumin supplements in therapeutic doses are well-known and may represent a useful tool for the treatment of chronic diseases such as metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. The poor bioavailability of curcumin can be improved with the concomitant administration of piperine, with no severe adverse effects on glycemia reported so far in the literature. In this article, we further discuss a previously reported case of a helicopter pilot, affected by grade I obesity who, under curcumin and piperine treatment, experienced a transient loss of consciousness (TLOC), during a low-altitude flight.

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor and Extracellular Vesicle-Derived miRNAs in an Italian Cohort of Individuals With Obesity: A Key to Explain the Link Between Depression and Atherothrombosis.

Background: Obesity and depression are intertwined diseases often associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) complications. Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), altered in the brain both of subjects with depression and obesity, provides a potential link between depression and thrombosis. Since the relationship among peripheral BDNF, depression and obesity is not well-defined, the aim of the present report has been to address this issue taking advantage of the contribution played by extracellular vesicle (EV)-derived miRNAs.

Insulin resistance and cardiometabolic indexes: comparison of concordance in working-age subjects with overweight and obesity.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to evaluate indexes of insulin resistance and cardiometabolic risk in a large population of workers with overweight or obesity, in order to identify a possible efficient, cheap and simple strategy to apply in workers' health surveillance.

Methods: The evaluation of IR and cardiometabolic risk indexes (HOMA, QUICKI, Ty/HDLC, TyG, insuTAG, Castelli risk indexes 1 and 2, non-HDLC, TRL-C, AIP, and VAI) was performed in a population of 1195 working-age subjects with overweight or obesity (322 males, mean age 49 ± 11 years).

Results: The prevalence of IR and cardiometabolic risk was higher among males for all indexes.

The Relationship between Exposure to Airborne Particulate and DNA Adducts in Blood Cells in an Urban Population of Subjects with an Unhealthy Body Mass Index.

Bulky DNA adducts are a combined sign of aromatic chemical exposure, as well as an individual's ability to metabolically activate carcinogens and repair DNA damage. The present study aims to investigate the association between PM exposure and DNA adducts in blood cells, in a population of 196 adults with an unhealthy BMI (≥25). For each subject, a DNA sample was obtained for quantification of DNA adducts by sensitiveP post-labelling methods.

Concordance between indirect fibrosis and steatosis indices and their predictors in subjects with overweight/obesity.

Background: The non-invasive assessment of steatosis/fibrosis tried to overcome some of peri-procedural risk of liver biopsy; for this, several indices of steatosis and fibrosis in liver have been proposed.

Aim: To evaluate concordance of non-invasive fibrosis and steatosis indices in a large population of adult subjects at risk of NAFLD, and how obesity and its physio-pathological features may interact with steatosis/fibrosis indexes and related biomarkers of cardio-metabolic risk.

Methods: Indices of steatosis (fatty liver index-FLI), NAFLD liver fat score-NLFS)) and fibrosis (Fibrosis 4 (FIB-4), BARD, BAAT and FORN) were calculated in 1145 outpatients with overweight or obesity at risk for T2D and NAFLD.

Loss of consciousness in a helicopter pilot as plausible first sign of insulinoma: a case report.

A 50-year-old man who worked as a helicopter rescue pilot transiently lost consciousness while piloting a helicopter rescue. In the diagnostic process, all tests for the main possible differential diagnoses of loss of consciousness (cardiological and neurological) were performed and yielded normal results. Blood chemistry tests revealed recurrent fasting hypoglycemia and Chromogranin A was at the upper limit of normal.

Associations Among PCSK9 Levels, Atherosclerosis-Derived Extracellular Vesicles, and Their miRNA Content in Adults With Obesity.

Extracellular vesicles (EV) concentration is generally increased in patients with cardiovascular diseases, although the protective role of EVs in atherosclerosis has been reported. Among the specific cargo of EVs, miRNAs contribute to different stages of atherosclerosis. Aim of the present report has been to investigate, in individuals with obesity, the interplay among EVs derived from cells relevant for the atherosclerotic process (i.

Long- and Short-Term Exposures to PM Can Shorten Telomere Length in Individuals Affected by Overweight and Obesity.

Reduced telomere length (TL) has been associated with increased risk of age-related diseases, most likely through oxidative stress and inflammation, which have also been claimed as mechanisms underlying health effects of air pollution exposure. We aimed to verify whether exposure to particulate matter with diameter ≤10 µm (PM) affects TL. We recruited 1792 participants with overweight/obesity in Milan (Italy) in 2010-2015 who completed a structured questionnaire on sociodemographic data, gave a blood sample for TL measurement by real-time PCR, and were assigned air pollution and meteorological data of their residential address.

Effects of Vitamin D Supplefmentation on Outcome of Low-Calorie Diet in Workers Presenting Obesity or Overweight: A Retrospective Observational Study.

Aim: Growing evidence underscores the inverse association between serum vitamin D (vit D) and chronic conditions such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes and obesity. The aim of this retrospective study was to compare weight loss and metabolic serum biomarkers in subjects on low-calorie diet receiving vit D supplementation versus those not receiving it.

Methods: The study considered 405 indoor sedentary workers with overweight/obesity and vit D insufficiency, who participated to a health fitness program between 2011-2013.

Reduction of Cardio-Metabolic Risk and Body Weight through a Multiphasic Very-Low Calorie Ketogenic Diet Program in Women with Overweight/Obesity: A Study in a Real-World Setting.

Background: The prevention and treatment of obesity and its cardio-metabolic complications are relevant issues worldwide. Among lifestyle approaches, very low-calorie ketogenic diets (VLCKD) have been shown to lead to rapid initial weight loss, resulting in better long-term weight loss maintenance. As no information on VLCKD studies carried on in a real-world setting are available, we conducted this multi-centre study in a real-world setting, aiming at assessing the efficacy and the safety of a specific multiphasic VLCKD program in women with overweight or obesity.

The Independent Role of Body Mass Index (BMI) and Severity of Depressive Symptoms on Biological Changes of Women Affected by Overweight/Obesity.

: Both obesity and depression are medical conditions associated with severe disability and biological abnormalities. Our aim was to study associations between Body Mass Index (BMI), depression and biological changes in women affected by overweight or obesity. : Depressive symptoms were evaluated by the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) questionnaire in 200 women affected by overweight/obesity (mean age of the sample 52.

Plasma Metabolomic Profiling in 1391 Subjects with Overweight and Obesity from the SPHERE Study.

Overweight and obesity have high prevalence worldwide and assessing the metabolomic profile is a useful approach to study their related metabolic processes. In this study, we assessed the metabolomic profile of 1391 subjects affected by overweight and obesity, enrolled in the frame of the SPHERE study, using a validated LC-MS/MS targeted metabolomic approach determining a total of 188 endogenous metabolites. Multivariable censored linear regression Tobit models, correcting for age, sex, and smoking habits, showed that 83 metabolites were significantly influenced by body mass index (BMI).

Effects of PM Exposure on the Methylation of Clock Genes in a Population of Subjects with Overweight or Obesity.

The expression of clock genes, regulating the synchronization of metabolic and behavioral processes with environmental light/dark cycles, is regulated by methylation and might be influenced by short-term exposure to airborne particulate matter (PM), especially in individuals that are hypersensitive to proinflammatory cues. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of PM and PM on the methylation profile of the clock genes , , , , , , and in a population of 200 women with obesity. A significant association between PM exposure and the methylation of clock genes was found, namely, this was negative for gene and positive for the , , , and genes.

Fibromyalgia and Nutrition: An Updated Review.

Due to the lack of specific and standardized treatments for the management of fibromyalgia (FM), available evidence suggests a multidisciplinary approach, and nutrition represents an important therapeutic strategy. This work aims to update the relationship between FM and nutrition, through a review of more recent scientific evidence based on a systematic research on PubMed. Of 66 records initially identified, 26 studies were selected and included in the present work.

Pilot study on non-celiac gluten sensitivity: effects of Bifidobacterium longum ES1 co-administered with a gluten-free diet.

Background: Bifidobacterium longum ES1 is a strain probiotic, colonizing the human gut and capable of a degradative action on gliadin. In an attempt to find new nutritional solutions aimed at improving the quality of life of patients with non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) we evaluated the effectiveness of this strain, in association with a gluten-free diet, comparing its efficacy versus diet therapy alone.

Methods: The experimental design included a non-randomized, open-label, 1:1 intervention study in parallel groups.

Physical Activity in Healthcare Workers With Low Back Pain: Effects of the Back-FIT Randomized Trial.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of physical activity program in healthcare workers with low back pain (LBP).

Methods: A group of healthcare workers participated voluntarily to a meeting about LBP and to be accepted, were randomly allocated to workplace program or to home-based exercises, illustrated in a booklet and in a video available on the company intranet website. Both programs consisted in 7 weeks of moderate intensity exercises adapted to LBP.

Platelet mitochondrial DNA methylation predicts future cardiovascular outcome in adults with overweight and obesity.

Background: The association between obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is proven, but why some adults with obesity develop CVD while others remain disease-free is poorly understood. Here, we investigated whether mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) methylation in platelets is altered prior to CVD development in a population of adults with overweight and obesity.

Methods: We devised a nested case-control study of 200 adults with overweight or obesity who were CVD-free at baseline, of whom 84 developed CVD within 5 years, while 116 remained CVD-free.

Irisin levels in genetic and essential obesity: clues for a potential dual role.

Irisin is conventionally regarded as a myokine involved in the browning of white adipose tissue, energy expenditure and glucose tolerance. Its potential link to fat accumulation and metabolic dysfunction is debated. We sought to explore the relationship between circulating irisin and components of body composition in two different phenotypes of severe obesity.