Geographical and Temporal Variability of Ultra-Processed Food Consumption in the Spanish Population: Findings from the DRECE Study.

The consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) has increased in recent decades, worldwide. Evidence on the negative impacts of food processing on health outcomes has also been steadily increasing. The aim of this study is to describe changes in consumption patterns of ultra-processed foods in the Spanish population over time and their geographical variability. Data from four representative cohorts of the Spanish population were used (1991−1996−2004−2008). Dietary information was collected using a validated frequency questionnaire and categorized using the NOVA classification. A total increase of 10.8% in UPF consumption between 1991 and 2008 was found in Spain (p-value < 0.001). The products contributing most to UPF consumption were sugar-sweetened beverages, processed meats, dairy products, and sweets. Those who consumed more ultra-processed foods were younger (p-value < 0.001) and female (p-value = 0.01). Significant differences between the different geographical areas of Spain were found. The eastern part of Spain was the area with the lowest UPF consumption, whereas the north-western part was the area with the highest increase in UPF consumption. Given the negative effect that the consumption of ultra-processed foods has on health, it is necessary to implement public health policies to curb this increase in UPF consumption.

Ultra-processed food intake and all-cause mortality: DRECE cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between ultra-processed food (UPF) intake and all-cause mortality in a representative sample of Spanish population. DESIGN: Prospective cohort design in which follow-up lasted from baseline (1991) to mortality date or 31 December 2017, whichever was first. Dietary information was collected using a validated frequency questionnaire and categorised following the NOVA classification according to the extent of food processing. The association between consumption of UPF and mortality was analysed using Cox models. Isoenergetic substitution models were constructed to compare the health effects of the NOVA groups. SETTING: Cohort from the Diet and Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD) in Spain (DRECE) study, representative of the Spanish population. PARTICIPANTS: Totally, 4679 subjects between 5 and 59 years old. RESULTS: Average consumption of UPF was 370·8 g/d (24·4 % of energy intake). After a median follow-up of 27 years, 450 deaths occurred. Those who consumed the highest amount of UPF had higher risk of mortality. For every 10 % of the energy intake from UPF consumption, an increase of 15 % in the hazard of all-cause mortality was observed (HR 1·15; (95 % CI 1·03, 1·27); P-value = 0·012). Substitution of UPF with minimally processed foods was significantly associated with a decreased risk of mortality. CONCLUSIONS: An increase in UPF consumption was associated with higher risk of all-cause mortality in a representative sample of the Spanish population. Moreover, the theoretical substitution of UPF with unprocessed or minimally processed foods leads to a decrease in mortality. These results support the need to promote diets based on unprocessed or minimally processed foods.

Switching from endoscopic submucosal dissection to salvage piecemeal knife-assisted snare resection to remove a lesion: A preoperative risk score from the beginning.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in the Western setting remains a challenge. Therefore, other simplified techniques such as knife-assisted snare resection (KAR) have been reported to overcome this issue. METHODS: patients who underwent an ESD for the treatment of gastrointestinal neoplasms were included in a retrospective cross-sectional observational study. Factors associated with the end of ESD as a salvage p-KAR were identified and a logistic regression model was developed. RESULTS: a total of 136 lesions in 133 patients were analyzed. Operator experience of under 50 cases and the combination of lesion size > 30 mm and colorectal location were independent predictive factors for switching to a salvage p-KAR according to the multivariate logistic regression analysis. We developed a risk scoring system based on these four variables (experience, size, location and the combination of size and location) with a receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.74-0.89). The diagnostic accuracy of the score for a cut-off point ≥ 5 had a sensitivity of 0.79 (95% CI: 0.66-0.93) and a specificity of 0.71 (95% CI: 0.61-0.80). CONCLUSION: a simple predictive score system that includes four preoperative factors accurately predicts ESD to finish as a p-KAR. A careful selection of cases considering these variables could be useful to achieve better outcomes in the Western setting.