Application of a new definition of sarcopenic obesity in middle-aged and older adults and association with cognitive function: Findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002.

Background & Aims: The role of sarcopenic obesity (SO) in impaired cognitive function has been investigated in several observational studies, but results have been mixed. This study applied the proposed European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN)-European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) definition of SO to a representative population aged ≥50 years to identify the association between SO and cognitive function.

Methods: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002 waves were used.

Fasting before Intra-Gastric Dosing with Antigen Improves Intestinal Humoral Responses in Syrian Hamsters.

Oral vaccines, unlike injected, induce intestinal secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) mimicking our natural defense against gut pathogens. We previously observed sIgA responses after administering the colonisation factor CD0873 orally in enteric capsules to hamsters. Enteric-coated capsules are designed to resist dissolution in the stomach and disintegrate only at the higher pH of the small intestine.

Population attributable fractions of modifiable risk factors for dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: More than 57 million people have dementia worldwide. Evidence indicates a change in dementia prevalence and incidence in high-income countries, which is likely to be due to improved life-course population health. Identifying key modifiable risk factors for dementia is essential for informing risk reduction and prevention strategies.

Body Composition, Sarcopenic Obesity, and Cognitive Function in Older Adults: Findings From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2002 and 2011-2014.

Objective: Sarcopenic-obesity (SO) is characterized by the concomitant presence of low muscle mass and high adiposity. This study explores the association of body composition and SO phenotypes with cognitive function in older adults.

Methods: Cross-sectional data in older adults (≥60 years) from NHANES 1999-2002 and 2011-2014 were used.

Association between body mass index and age of disease onset with clinical outcomes in paediatric-onset Crohn's Disease (CD): a UK nation-wide analyses using the NIHR-IBD BioResource.

Background: The evidence on the relationship between adiposity and disease outcomes in paediatric Crohn's disease (CD) is limited and lacks consensus.

Aim: To investigate the relationship between (a) body mass index (BMI) and clinical CD outcomes (hospitalisation, surgery, disease behaviour, biologic use, extra-intestinal manifestations (EIMs)) and (b) the age of CD onset with clinical outcomes.

Design: Clinical outcomes were examined in CD patients diagnosed at age <17 years and enroled in the National Institute for Health Research IBD-UK BioResource at a median age of 24 years.

Cardiovascular disease, associated risk factors, and risk of dementia: An umbrella review of meta-analyses.

Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have been associated with an increased risk of dementia; yet the evidence is mixed. This review critically appraises and synthesises current evidence exploring associations between dementia risk and CVD and their risk factors, including coronary heart disease, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, and arterial stiffness.

Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched to identify systematic reviews with meta-analyses investigating the association between at least one of the CVDs of interest and dementia risk.

Carrot intake is consistently negatively associated with cancer incidence: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective observational studies.

Carrots are main dietary sources of several potential anti-cancer compounds, including polyacetylenes, while β-carotene has shown no benefits in controlled cancer trials. Accordingly, associations between carrot intake and cancer incidence were quantified, where necessary using α-carotene as a non-causal biomarker of carrot consumption, by searching for studies published before June 2022 reporting risk estimates for relationships of cancer incidence with carrot intake or α-carotene intake or α-carotene plasma concentration, supplemented with hand searches of included studies and reviews. Meta-analyses comparing highest and lowest reported intakes in prospective studies using a random-effects model estimated summary relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), separately for carrot intake or α-carotene plasma concentration, and the corresponding dose-responses.

Effects of dietary nitrate and vitamin C co-ingestion on blood pressure and hand-grip strength in young adults.

Co-administration of vitamin C and inorganic nitrate ([Formula: see text]) may reduce oxidative stress, boost the conversion of nitrite ([Formula: see text]) into NO and elicit positive vascular effects. We aimed to test the effects of oral inorganic [Formula: see text] and vitamin C co-supplementation on vascular function, muscular strength, and on concentrations of urinary [Formula: see text], vitamin C, 8-isoprostanes and salivary [Formula: see text] in healthy young adults. Ten young healthy participants were enrolled in a randomised, double-blind (only for the [Formula: see text] intervention) crossover clinical trial.

Does dietary nitrate boost the effects of caloric restriction on brain health? Potential physiological mechanisms and implications for future research.

Dementia is a highly prevalent and costly disease characterised by deterioration of cognitive and physical capacity due to changes in brain function and structure. Given the absence of effective treatment options for dementia, dietary and other lifestyle approaches have been advocated as potential strategies to reduce the burden of this condition. Maintaining an optimal nutritional status is vital for the preservation of brain function and structure.

Vitamin C supplementation showed greater effects on systolic blood pressure in hypertensive and diabetic patients: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials.

Results from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) testing the effect of vitamin C supplementation on blood pressure (BP) have been inconsistent. This systematic review evaluated the effects of vitamin C supplementation on BP and included RCTs testing the effects of vitamin C supplementation alone, on systolic and diastolic BP in adult participants (≥18 years). Random-effect models were conducted to estimate the pooled effects of vitamin C supplementation on BP.

Systematic review: Sarcopenia in paediatric inflammatory bowel disease.

Background: Low skeletal muscle mass (MM) and deteriorated function (sarcopenia) can be a frequent complication in paediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Aim: To conduct a systematic review of the paediatric IBD literature on skeletal muscle function and mass and identify interventions that could affect them.

Methods: Systematic searches (EMBASE, Medline, Cochrane library central for registered control trials and Web of Science) were conducted using the terms 'lean body mass' (LM), 'fat free mass' (FFM) or 'MM' and 'IBD'.

Effects of dietary-based weight loss interventions on biomarkers of endothelial function: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Endothelial dysfunction is closely linked to the development of atherosclerosis. This systematic review and meta-analysis reviewed the evidence on the effect of weight loss, achieved by dietary-based interventions, on biomarkers of endothelial function (EF). Two databases (Medline, Embase) were searched from inception until November 2022 for studies that met the following criteria: 1) adult subjects (≥ 18 years) without exclusion for health status, 2) dietary interventions for weight loss, and 3) measurements of changes in EF biomarkers.

Is vitamin C a booster of the effects of dietary nitrate on endothelial function? Physiologic rationale and implications for research.

Endothelial dysfunction (ED) is an early marker of vascular damage linked to the loss of integrity of the endothelial lining and represents a key step in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). ED may be reversible, hence the development and testing of effective early interventions could be beneficial for the prevention and treatment of CVDs. Recent studies have demonstrated that the consumption of dietary nitrate (NO), an inorganic anion that serves as a substrate for the gas transmitter nitric oxide (NO), can lower blood pressure, improve endothelial function and, in observational studies, reduce the risk for CVD.

Mediterranean diet adherence is associated with lower dementia risk, independent of genetic predisposition: findings from the UK Biobank prospective cohort study.

Background: The identification of effective dementia prevention strategies is a major public health priority, due to the enormous and growing societal cost of this condition. Consumption of a Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) has been proposed to reduce dementia risk. However, current evidence is inconclusive and is typically derived from small cohorts with limited dementia cases.

Caloric Restriction (CR) Plus High-Nitrate Beetroot Juice Does Not Amplify CR-Induced Metabolic Adaptation and Improves Vascular and Cognitive Functions in Overweight Adults: A 14-Day Pilot Randomised Trial.

Caloric restriction (CR) and dietary nitrate supplementation are nutritional interventions with pleiotropic physiological functions. This pilot study investigates the combined effects of CR and nitrate-rich beetroot juice (BRJ) on metabolic, vascular, and cognitive functions in overweight and obese middle-aged and older adults. This was a two-arm, parallel randomized clinical trial including 29 participants allocated to CR + BRJ ( = 15) or CR alone ( = 14) for 14 days.

Dietary nitrate and brain health. Too much ado about nothing or a solution for dementia prevention?

Dementia is a significant public health priority with approximately 55 million cases worldwide, and this number is predicted to quadruple by 2050. Adherence to a healthy diet and achieving optimal nutritional status are vital strategies to improve brain health. The importance of this area of research has been consolidated into the new term ‘nutritional psychiatry’.

Dietary nitrate, aging and brain health: the latest evidence.

Purpose Of Review: With an increasing population age, cognitive decline and age-associated neurodegenerative diseases are becoming increasingly prevalent and burdensome in society. Dietary supplementation with inorganic nitrate, which serves as a nitric oxide precursor, has been suggested as a potential nutritional strategy to improve brain health in older adults. In this review, we discuss recent findings in this area.

Dietary Inorganic Nitrate as an Ergogenic Aid: An Expert Consensus Derived via the Modified Delphi Technique.

Introduction: Dietary inorganic nitrate is a popular nutritional supplement, which increases nitric oxide bioavailability and may improve exercise performance. Despite over a decade of research into the effects of dietary nitrate supplementation during exercise there is currently no expert consensus on how, when and for whom this compound could be recommended as an ergogenic aid. Moreover, there is no consensus on the safe administration of dietary nitrate as an ergogenic aid.

Association of Dietary Intakes and Genetically Determined Serum Concentrations of Mono and Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acids on Chronic Kidney Disease: Insights from Dietary Analysis and Mendelian Randomization.

Polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) intake is generally associated with better renal function, while the association of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) remains unconfirmed. Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was used to obtain unconfounded estimates of the causal association of dietary intake and genetically determined serum PUFA and MUFA levels with measures of renal function. Data from participants of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) from 2005 to 2010 were used.

Risk of conversion from mild cognitive impairment to dementia in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: With no treatment for dementia, there is a need to identify high risk cases to focus preventive strategies, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where the burden of dementia is greatest. We evaluated the risk of conversion from mild cognitive ompairment (MCI) to dementia in LMICs.

Methods: Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, and Scopus were searched from inception until June 30, 2020.

Incremental Doses of Nitrate-Rich Beetroot Juice Do Not Modify Cognitive Function and Cerebral Blood Flow in Overweight and Obese Older Adults: A 13-Week Pilot Randomised Clinical Trial.

Nitrate-rich food increases nitric oxide (NO) production and may have beneficial effects on vascular, metabolic, and brain function. This pilot study tested the effects of prolonged consumption of a range of doses of dietary nitrate (NO), provided as beetroot juice, on cognitive function and cerebral blood flow (CBF) in overweight and obese older participants. The study had a 13-week single-blind, randomised, parallel design, and 62 overweight and obese older participants (aged 60 to 75 years) received the following interventions: (1) high NO (2 × 70 mL beetroot juice/day) (2) medium NO (70 mL beetroot juice/day), (3) low NO (70 mL beetroot juice on alternate days), or (4) placebo (70 mL of NO-depleted beetroot juice on alternate days).

Human cadaver model as a training tool for enzymatic burn debridement (Nexobrid®): A feasibility study.

Objectives: To determine the feasibility of using human cadavers to demonstrate enzymatic burn debridement, as a training aid for clinical staff.

Material And Methods: A single, fresh-frozen human cadaver was used. Prior consent had been given.