986 results match your criteria: "Italian National Institute of Health[Affiliation]"

Background: In recent years, significant efforts have been directed towards the research and development of disease-modifying therapies for dementia. These drugs focus on prodromal (mild cognitive impairment, MCI) and/or early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Literature evidence indicates that a considerable proportion of individuals with MCI do not progress to dementia.

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Atmospheric bulk depositions: state-of-the-art and European legislative framework with focus on Italy.

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int

July 2024

Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, Via F. De Sanctis, 86100, Campobasso, Italy.

The determination of total atmospheric deposition (bulk) is an essential tool to assess the state of environmental contamination and the consequent exposure of the population to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) through the intake of contaminated food. Over the past 20 years, international authorities and the European Union through various pieces of legislation have emphasised the importance of conducting monitoring and studies on depositions to better understand their impact on the environment and human health without setting reference values. Despite the absence of such values, several European countries, through national laws, have adopted limit values and/or guideline values for the deposition fluxes of some organic (dioxins, furans, polychlorinated biphenyls and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and inorganic persistent pollutants (metals).

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Aims: Although dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and a potent P2Y12 receptor inhibitor is currently recommended in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), its use in elderly patients remains challenging. The aim of this trial is to evaluate the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profile of ticagrelor 60 vs. 90 mg twice daily among elderly patients (≥75 years) with ACS undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

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Impact of COVID-19 vaccines in patients on hemodialysis: an Italian multicentre cohort study.

J Nephrol

September 2024

Unit of Nephrology, Dialysis, and Renal Transplant, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.

Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on vaccinated patients undergoing haemodialysis by analyzing hospitalization rates and ICU admissions across different vaccine dosage periods.
  • Out of 1,096 infected dialysis patients, 7.5% were hospitalized, with significant risk factors being age over 60 and pre-existing lung disease; notably, ICU admissions dropped by 86% after receiving a third vaccine dose.
  • The findings indicate that despite increased infection rates due to a virus variant, the severity of COVID-19 infections was lower for vaccinated patients, but dialysis patients remained more vulnerable to hospitalizations compared to the general population.
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BackgroundAs Ireland prepared for an autumn 2023 COVID-19 vaccination booster campaign, there was concern that vaccine fatigue would affect uptake, which has been abating.AimThis study aimed to quantify the direct impact of the COVID-19 vaccination programme in Ireland on averted COVID-19-related outcomes including symptomatic presentations to primary care/community testing centres, emergency department (ED) presentations, hospitalisations, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and deaths, in individuals aged ≥ 50 years, during Omicron dominance.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective observational COVID-19 vaccine impact study in December 2021-March 2023 in Ireland.

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Objectives: We aimed to estimate the fraction of deaths from ovarian cancer attributable to asbestos exposure in Lombardy Region, Italy, using a novel approach that exploits the fact that ovarian cancer asbestos exposure is associated with pleural cancer and other risk factors for breast cancer.

Methods: This ecological study is based on the Italian National Institute of Statistics mortality data. We formulate a trivariate Bayesian joint disease model to estimate the attributable fraction (AF) and the number of ovarian cancer deaths attributable to asbestos exposure from the geographic distribution of ovarian, pleural and breast cancer mortality at the municipality level from 2000 to 2018.

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Background: Despite a multimodal approach including surgery, chemo- and radiotherapy, the 5-year event-free survival rate for rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), the most common soft tissue sarcoma in childhood, remains very poor for metastatic patients, mainly due to the selection and proliferation of tumour cells driving resistance mechanisms. Personalised medicine-based protocols using new drugs or targeted therapies in combination with conventional treatments have the potential to enhance the therapeutic effects, while minimizing damage to healthy tissues in a wide range of human malignancies, with several clinical trials being started. In this study, we analysed, for the first time, the antitumour activity of SFX-01, a complex of synthetic d, l-sulforaphane stabilised in alpha-cyclodextrin (Evgen Pharma plc, UK), used as single agent and in combination with irradiation, in four preclinical models of alveolar and embryonal RMS.

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The circadian clock represents a key timing system entrained by various periodic signals that ensure synchronization with the environment. Many investigations have pointed to the existence of two distinct circadian oscillators: one regulated by the light-dark cycle and the other set by feeding time. Blind cavefish have evolved under extreme conditions where they completely lack light exposure and experience food deprivation.

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Background And Aims: Physical performance is a major contributor of mobility and independence during older life. Despite a progressive decline in musculoskeletal function starts from middle age, several factors acting during the life-course can negatively influence musculoskeletal functional capacities. Lifestyle interventions incorporating nutrition and physical exercise can help maximizing the muscle functional capacities in early life as well as preserving them later in life.

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Background: During the first epidemic wave, COVID-19 surveillance focused on quantifying the magnitude and the escalation of a growing global health crisis. The scientific community first assessed risk through basic indicators, such as the number of cases or rates of new cases and deaths, and later began using other direct impact indicators to conduct more detailed analyses. We aimed at synthesizing the scientific community's contribution to assessing the direct impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on population health through indicators reported in research papers.

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Background: The natural history and pathophysiology of diverticular disease (DD) are still uncertain. An ex-vivo human complicated DD (cDD) model has recently shown a predominant transmural oxidative imbalance. The present study aims to evaluate whether the previously described alterations may precede the symptomatic form of the disease.

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Comparison of Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and Hospital Anxiety and Depression - Depression subscale scores by administration mode: An individual participant data differential item functioning meta-analysis.

J Affect Disord

September 2024

Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Biomedical Ethics Unit, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.

Article Synopsis
  • * Statistically significant differential item functioning (DIF) was found for most questionnaire items, but this had minimal impact on total scores.
  • * Researchers and clinicians can choose the administration method based on what works best for patients, considering preferences, feasibility, or cost, as score differences were negligible.
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Background: Although data on outdoor gamma radiation are available for many countries, they have generally been obtained with measurements performed in undisturbed environments instead of in urban areas where most of the population lives. Only one large national survey, with on-site measurements in urban areas, has been identified worldwide, probably due to high costs (e.g.

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: In the context of a comparative study of efficacy and safety of drugs used in rare neuromuscular and neurodegenerative diseases (CAESAR-call AIFA_FV_2012-13-14), we assessed the use patterns of drugs indicated for myasthenia gravis (MG). : A retrospective cohort study was conducted based on administrative healthcare data. For a cohort of MG patients, prevalent and incident use of pyridostigmine (Py) and other indicated drugs in the first year after case identification was evaluated.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to explore the link between Food Addiction (FA) and other risk behaviors among Italian Generation Z students, focusing on psychosocial factors that might influence both.
  • Researchers analyzed data from 8,755 middle and high school students using the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0, looking at various demographic and psychological variables.
  • Findings showed a high prevalence of FA (30.8%), with factors like social anxiety, substance use, and social media addiction increasing FA risk, while healthy habits like eating fruits/vegetables and getting adequate sleep reduced it.
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The importance of antibiotic treatment duration in antimicrobial resistance.

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis

August 2024

Doctor in Pharmacy (PharmD), Italian Ministry of Health, Rome, Italy.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant threat to global health, leading to increased deaths from drug-resistant infections and escalates healthcare costs. Often termed a "silent pandemic," AMR occurs when pathogens become resistant to antimicrobial drugs, enabling their proliferation and spread. Inappropriate antibiotic usage is a major contributor to this phenomenon, which also extends to fungal infections.

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Article Synopsis
  • There is evidence that some patients may get COVID-19 again 2 to 8 days after stopping a specific treatment called nirmatrelvir-ritonavir, and this can happen with other treatments too.
  • A review of various studies looked at how often this rebound happens with different treatments for COVID-19, including no treatment at all.
  • The findings showed that patients taking nirmatrelvir had a higher chance of getting the virus again compared to those who didn’t take any medication, but there wasn't a big difference with other medicines like molnupiravir.
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Background: The guideline was promoted by the Italian General Practitioners-Primary Care and Geriatrics Hospital-Community Societies and was carried out involving the National Institute of Health and an Expert Panel including representatives from 25 Scientific and Health-Professional Organizations. The aim of the Guideline was to develop evidence-based recommendations on the efficacy of CGA in older people across different clinical settings and the accuracy and utility of CGA-based tools to assess prognosis.

Methods: According to the methodological handbook of the Italian National System of Guidelines and NICE criteria (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in England), the Guideline was produced based on the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation.

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Peptides with Antimicrobial Activity in the Saliva of the Malaria Vector .

Int J Mol Sci

May 2024

Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.

Mosquito saliva plays a crucial physiological role in both sugar and blood feeding by helping sugar digestion and exerting antihemostatic functions. During meal acquisition, mosquitoes are exposed to the internalization of external microbes. Since mosquitoes reingest significant amounts of saliva during feeding, we hypothesized that salivary antimicrobial components may participate in the protection of mouthparts, the crop, and the gut by inhibiting bacterial growth.

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This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to consolidate evidence on dietary interventions for atopic eczema/dermatitis (AD) skin symptoms in children without food allergies, following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Systematic review updates were conducted in May 2022 and June 2023, focusing on randomized placebo-controlled trials (RCTs) involving children with AD but without food allergies. Specific diets or supplements, such as vitamins, minerals, probiotics, prebiotics, symbiotics, or postbiotics, were explored in these trials.

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The role of inflammation in the aetiology of cancer is recognized. However, no study yet examined the association between an anti-inflammatory diet and cutaneous melanoma and explored whether it could be modified by genetic variations in cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), a key enzyme in inflammation. A case-control study was conducted in the IDI-IRCCS hospital in Rome, Italy with 273 cases of primary cutaneous melanoma and 269 controls frequency matched to cases.

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Background: Evidence on the negative outcomes of untreated mental disorders during pregnancy and in the first year after childbirth on women's and children's health has stimulated interest in how to develop and sustain high-quality mental health care during the perinatal period. In Italy, there is a lack of knowledge about how mental health services support women with perinatal mental disorders (PMDs). This study aims to describe the adoption of good practices for the prevention and care of PMDs by the Italian mental health departments (MHDs).

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Background: Switch patterns among different biologics and from originators to biosimilars (and vice versa) can be complex in patients with psoriasis (PsO) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe switching patterns of biological drugs in PsO/PsA patients and to explore predictors of multiple switches and switch-back.

Research Design And Methods: A large-scale retrospective cohort study was conducted using the Italian VALORE database.

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