Nutritional Strategies for Battling Obesity-Linked Liver Disease: the Role of Medical Nutritional Therapy in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) Management.

Purpose Of Review: This narrative review explores the role of Medical Nutritional Therapy (MNT) in managing Metabolic-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD), previously known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. It aims to examine the effectiveness of specific nutritional strategies in preventing and treating this obesity-linked liver disease.

Recent Findings: Emerging evidence underscores the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, low-carbohydrate diets, and intermittent fasting in reducing liver fat, improving insulin sensitivity, and mitigating inflammation.

Longitudinal analysis of anthropometric measures over 5 years in patients with Friedreich ataxia in the EFACTS natural history study.

Background: Friedreich ataxia is a rare neurodegenerative disorder caused by frataxin deficiency. Both underweight and overweight occur in mitochondrial disorders, each with adverse health outcomes. We investigated the longitudinal evolution of anthropometric abnormalities in Friedreich ataxia and the hypothesis that both weight loss and weight gain are associated with faster disease progression.

Role of Medical Nutrition Therapy as Treatment of Sarcopenia in Older People with Type 2 Diabetes.

Background: Globally, the progressive increase in the aging population has led to social and health problems associated with age-related chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and sarcopenia. Recent studies have highlighted that sarcopenia and diabetes have a bidirectional relationship. Nutritional therapy is a key element in the treatment of both sarcopenia and diabetes.

High-Intensity Interval Training Reduces Liver Enzyme Levels and Improves MASLD-Related Biomarkers in Overweight/Obese Girls.

Background/objectives: Despite the abundant body of evidence linking high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to cardiometabolic markers, little is known about how HIIT affects liver enzymes, particularly in obese adolescents. This study aimed to investigate the effects of HIIT on metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)-related biomarkers in overweight/obese adolescent girls.

Methods: Thirty-three overweight/obese adolescent girls (age, 17.

Chronobiological Factors Influencing Glycemic Control and Birth Outcomes in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.

Background/objectives: Studies have shown that chronobiological factors may adversely affect glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. We assessed the association of chronobiological factors with glycemic control and neonatal birth weight in women with GDM.

Methods: A prospective cohort study included 208 women aged 18-45 years with a singleton pregnancy who were randomly selected from among women undergoing follow-up for GDM at the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Unit of a tertiary medical center.

Clinical Presentations of Celiac Disease: Experience of a Single Italian Center.

Background/objectives: In Italy, the prevalence of celiac disease (CeD) among children exceeds 1.5% and has steadily increased with a linear trend over the past 25 years. The clinical presentation is heterogenous and a change in onset symptoms has been described in recent years.

Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders and Childhood Obesity: The Role of Diet and Its Impact on Microbiota.

Introduction Emerging evidence suggests an association between obesity and Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (FGIDs). Childhood obesity and FGIDs share many common features, such as high prevalence in the pediatric population, risk factors related to diet and lifestyle, gut microbiota impairments, and psychological distress. This narrative review aims to summarize the main evidence regarding FGIDs in childhood obesity, with a specific focus on the role of diet and its impact on the microbiota.

Effects of Betaine and Polydextrose on Intestinal Microbiota and Liver Ergothioneine in a High-Fat Diet-Fed Mouse Model and a Human Colonic Simulation Model.

Background/objectives: Ergothioneine (EGT) is an effective antioxidant that animals cannot produce and has an important anti-inflammatory role in cell protection, which can help lower the risk of various diseases. In this study, we investigated the potential role of gut microbiota in the production of EGT, which was found to increase in the mouse liver after dietary supplementation with betaine (BET) or polydextrose (PDX).

Methods: The effects of BET and PDX on the gut microbiota and tissue EGT content were investigated using a diet-induced obese mouse model and simulated fermentation in the human colon.

Celiac Disease and Liver Damage: The Gut-Liver Axis Strikes Back (Again)? A Retrospective Analysis in the Light of a Literature Review.

: An increasing number of studies have reported liver involvement in both children and adults with celiac disease (CD). This often manifests as isolated hypertransaminasemia or hepatic steatosis (HS). The aim of this study was to define the prevalence of hypertransaminasemia and HS in a pediatric population with CD before starting a gluten-free diet (GFD) and to analyze how the introduction of a GFD could modify this condition.

Assessing the Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods in People with Diabetes: Is a Specific NOVA Questionnaire Always Necessary?

Background/objectives: Despite the accumulating evidence on the detrimental impact of UPFs on health, a common limit of the available studies concerns the instruments used to collect information about the consumption of processed foods. Recently, a specific NOVA-FFQ was proposed for the evaluation of ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption, but it does not allow the simultaneous assessment of energy and nutrient intake. We evaluate the concordance between the NOVA-FFQ and a common questionnaire (EPIC-FFQ) when assessing (1) the intake of foods with different degrees of processing and (2) the relationship between diet composition and cardiometabolic profile.

Skin Disorders and Osteoporosis: Unraveling the Interplay Between Vitamin D, Microbiota, and Epigenetics Within the Skin-Bone Axis.

Growing scientific evidence suggests a strong interconnection between inflammatory skin diseases and osteoporosis (OP), a systemic condition characterized by decreased bone density and structural fragility. These conditions seem to share common pathophysiological mechanisms, including immune dysregulation, chronic inflammation, and vitamin D deficiency, which play a crucial role in both skin and bone health. Additionally, the roles of gut microbiota (GM) and epigenetic regulation via microRNAs (miRNAs) emerge as key elements influencing the progression of both conditions.

Medical history predicts phenome-wide disease onset and enables the rapid response to emerging health threats.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed a global deficiency of systematic, data-driven guidance to identify high-risk individuals. Here, we illustrate the utility of routinely recorded medical history to predict the risk for 1741 diseases across clinical specialties and support the rapid response to emerging health threats such as COVID-19. We developed a neural network to learn from health records of 502,489 UK Biobank participants.

Associations of the hs-CRP/HDL-C ratio with cardiovascular disease among US adults: Evidence from NHANES 2015-2018.

Background And Aims: Inflammation, lipid signaling, and their interplay are involved in the pathogenesis and development of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), while the relationships of composite indices combining inflammation and lipids with CVD remained inexplicit.

Methods And Results: Our study enrolled 8581 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015-2018. Logistic regression model was applied to assess the associations of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP)-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio with CVD prevalence.

Increased atherogenicity in mood disorders: a systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression.

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD) often coexist with metabolic syndrome. Both are linked to increased atherogenicity and a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases. Nevertheless, a comprehensive analysis of key atherogenic biomarkers in MDD/BD is still lacking.

Friends to remember: innate immune memory regulation by the microbiota.

Innate immune memory (IIM) is the process by which, upon a primary challenge, innate immune cells alter their epigenetic, transcriptional, and immunometabolic profiles, resulting in modified secondary responses. Unlike infections or other immune-system-related diseases, the role of IIM in nonpathogenic contexts is less understood. An increasing body of research has shown that normal microbiota members or their metabolic byproducts induce alternative memory phenotypes, suggesting that memory cells contribute to homeostasis in mucosal areas.

Unexpectedly life-threatening meal: Contamination by Bongkrekic acid in Taiwan.

Objective: Bongkrekic acid (BKA) is a life-threatening toxin linked to foodborne illnesses. Herein, we report two fatalities among 33 patients who ingested BKA in March 2024, East Taipei, Taiwan.

Case Report: Our first case involved a 40-year-old female who presented with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea after consuming wet rice noodles.

Deciphering the interplay between biology and physics with a finite element method-implemented vertex organoid model: A tool for the mechanical analysis of cell behavior on a spherical organoid shell.

Understanding the interplay between biology and mechanics in tissue architecture is challenging, particularly in terms of 3D tissue organization. Addressing this challenge requires a biological model enabling observations at multiple levels from cell to tissue, as well as theoretical and computational approaches enabling the generation of a synthetic model that is relevant to the biological model and allowing for investigation of the mechanical stresses experienced by the tissue. Using a monolayer human colon epithelium organoid as a biological model, freely available tools (Fiji, Cellpose, Napari, Morphonet, or Tyssue library), and the commercially available Abaqus FEM solver, we combined vertex and FEM approaches to generate a comprehensive viscoelastic finite element model of the human colon organoid and demonstrated its flexibility.

Trehalose Ameliorates Zebrafish Emotional and Social Deficits Caused by CLN8 Dysfunction.

CLN8 and other neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCLs) often lead to cognitive decline, emotional disturbances, and social deficits, worsening with disease progression. Disrupted lysosomal pH, impaired autophagy, and defective dendritic arborization contribute to these symptoms. Using a zebrafish model, we identified significant impairments in locomotion, anxiety, and aggression, along with subtle deficits in social interactions, positioning zebrafish as a useful model for therapeutic studies in NCL.

Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia.

Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a vascular dysplasia inherited as an autosomal dominant trait and caused by loss-of-function pathogenic variants in genes encoding proteins of the BMP signalling pathway. Up to 90% of disease-causal variants are observed in ENG and ACVRL1, with SMAD4 and GDF2 less frequently responsible for HHT. In adults, the most frequent HHT manifestations relate to iron deficiency and anaemia owing to recurrent epistaxis (nosebleeds) or bleeding from gastrointestinal telangiectases.

Sex hormone-dependent host-microbiome interactions and cardiovascular risk (XCVD): design of a longitudinal multi-omics cohort study.

Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) present differently in women and men, influenced by host-microbiome interactions. The roles of sex hormones in CVD outcomes and gut microbiome in modifying these effects are poorly understood. The XCVD study examines gut microbiome mediation of sex hormone effects on CVD risk markers by observing transgender participants undergoing gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT), with findings expected to extrapolate to cisgender populations.

Cardiovascular risk associated with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists versus other conventional glucose-lowering drugs in patients with type-2 diabetes: protocol for a nationwide observational comparative study in routine care.

Introduction: Several cardiovascular outcome trials have been conducted to assess the cardiovascular safety and efficacy of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RAs) on cardiorenal outcomes in patients with type-2 diabetes (T2D). However, the strict requirements of randomised controlled trials to avoid most confounding factors are at the expense of external validity. Using national real-world data, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of GLP-1RAs in association with metformin especially on cardiovascular events, hospitalisation for heart failure and all-cause death in comparison with other diabetes treatment schemes using dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitors, sulfonylureas/glinides or insulin also associated with metformin.

Correlation between serum adenosine deaminase levels and risk of diabetic foot ulcers in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Objectives: Adenosine deaminase (ADA) is a critical enzyme in the catabolism of adenosine acid during purine metabolism and plays a significant role in the diagnosis and monitoring of various diseases. This study aims to investigate the relationship between serum ADA levels and risk of diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), providing a clinical basis for the prevention and treatment of DFU.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 2 719 T2DM patients diagnosed at the Southwest Hospital of Army Medical University from January 2019 to January 2020.

The Challenging Problems of Cancer and Serious Mental Illness.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Patients with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) are reported to be at higher risk for somatic disorders (e.g. cardiovascular and metabolic diseases) and higher mortality, compared to the general population, because of the consequences of SMI including psychotropic medication side effects, sedentary and unhealthy lifestyle, difficult access to physical health care.

Predicting 28-day all-cause mortality in patients admitted to intensive care units with pre-existing chronic heart failure using the stress hyperglycemia ratio: a machine learning-driven retrospective cohort analysis.

Chronic heart failure (CHF) poses a significant threat to human health. The stress hyperglycemia ratio (SHR) is a novel metric for accurately assessing stress hyperglycemia, which has been correlated with adverse outcomes in various major diseases. However, it remains unclear whether SHR is associated with 28-day mortality in patients with pre-existing CHF who were admitted to intensive care units (ICUs).