Dietary oily fish intake reduces the risk of all-cause mortality in frequent fish consumers of Amerindian ancestry living in coastal Ecuador: the Atahualpa project.

PURPOSE: To assess the relationship between dietary oily fish intake and all-cause mortality in a population of frequent fish consumers of Amerindian ancestry living in rural Ecuador. METHODS: Individuals aged ≥ 40 years enrolled in the prospective population-based Atahualpa Project cohort received annual questionnaires to estimate their dietary oily fish intake. Only fish served broiled or cooked in the soup were included for analysis. Poisson regression and Cox-proportional hazards models adjusted for demographics, education level and cardiovascular risk factors were obtained to estimate mortality risk according to the amount of oily fish intake stratified in tertiles. RESULTS: Analysis included 909 individuals (mean age: 55.1 ± 12.8 years) followed by a median of 7.5 ± 3 years. Mean oily fish intake was 9.4 ± 5.7 servings per week. A total of 142 (16%) individuals died during the follow-up. The mortality rate for individuals in the first tertile de oily fish intake (0.0-6.29 servings) was 2.87 per 100 person-years, which decreased to 1.78 for those in the third tertile (10.59-35.0 servings). An adjusted Cox-proportional hazards model showed that individuals allocated to the second (HR 0.61; 95% CI 0.41-0.92) and third (HR 0.60; 95% CI 0.40-0.91) tertiles of dietary oily fish intake had significantly lower mortality risk than those in the first tertile. CONCLUSION: Sustained oily fish intake of more than six servings per week reduces mortality risk in middle-aged and older adults of Amerindian ancestry.

Social determinants of health and cognitive performance of older adults living in rural communities: The Three Villages Study.

OBJECTIVES: There is limited information on factors associated with poor cognitive performance in rural settings of Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Using the Three Villages Study Cohort, we assessed whether social determinants of health (SDH) play a role in cognitive performance among older adults living in rural Ecuador. METHODS: Atahualpa, El Tambo and Prosperidad residents aged ≥60 years received measurement of SDH by means of the Gijon Scale together with a Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). The association between SDH and cognitive performance (dependent variable) was assessed by generalized linear models, adjusted for demographics, years of education, cardiovascular risk factors, symptoms of depression and biomarkers of structural brain damage. RESULTS: We included 513 individuals (mean age: 67.9 ± 7.3 years; 58% women). The mean score on the Gijon scale was 9.9 ± 2.9 points, with 237 subjects classified as having a high social risk (≥10 points). The mean MoCA score was 19.6 ± 5.4 points. Locally weighted scatterplot smoothing showed an inverse linear relationship between SDH and MoCA scores. SDH and MoCA scores were inversely associated in linear models adjusted for clinical covariates (ß: -0.17; 95% C.I.: -0.32 to -0.02; p = 0.020), neuroimaging covariates (ß: -0.17; 95% C.I.: -0.31 to -0.03; p = 0.018), as well as in the most parsimonious model (ß: -0.16; 95% C.I.: -1.30 to -0.02; p = 0.026). CONCLUSIONS: Study results provide robust evidence of an inverse association between SDH and cognitive performance. Interventions and programs aimed to reduce disparities in the social risk of older adults living in underserved rural populations may improve cognitive performance in these individuals.

The effect of previous strokes on the relationship between ankle-brachial index determinations and incident strokes: A population-based, longitudinal prospective study in older adults.

OBJECTIVE: Abnormal ankle-brachial index (ABI) determinations may be associated with an increased risk of incident strokes. However, the impact of previous strokes in this relationship is unknown. We estimated the role of previous strokes on the association between abnormal ABI determinations and incident stroke risk in community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: Atahualpa residents aged ≥60 years received ABI determinations, cardiovascular risk factors assessment, and brain MRIs. ABIs were classified as abnormal if ≤0.9 or ≥1.4. Incident strokes were diagnosed by a certified neurologist with the aid of a post-event MRI. Poisson regression models were fitted to estimate stroke incidence rate ratio (IRR) according to categories of ABI. RESULTS: Analysis included 389 participants (mean age: 68.2 ± 8.1 years). Eighty-six persons (22%) had abnormal ABI determinations. Incident strokes occurred in 38 (9.8%) individuals after a mean follow-up of 6.1 ± 1.9 years. Abnormal ABIs were associated with incident strokes in unadjusted analyses (p = 0.002) as well as in a Poisson regression model adjusted for demographics and clinical covariates (IRR: 2.57; 95% C.I.: 1.29-5.13), but not when the model was adjusted for neuroimaging covariates (IRR: 1.46; 95% C.I.: 0.67-3.20). Interaction models showed that having both abnormal ABI and non-lacunar strokes at baseline made the individual 9.7 times more likely to have an incident stroke (95% C.I.: 3.87-24.4). The risk was reduced to 2.2 (95% C.I.: 0.96-5.13) for those who only had an abnormal ABI. CONCLUSIONS: An abnormal ABI is associated with a doubling the risk of incident strokes, but its importance is superseded by history of non-lacunar strokes.

Height is Inversely Associated with Biomarkers of Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease in Older Adults of Amerindian Ancestry: Exploring the Obesity Paradox.

BACKGROUND: Various anthropometric measurements have been inversely associated with atherosclerosis, giving rise to the concept of an "obesity paradox" However, inconsistent study results make it difficult to determine the best anthropometric measurement with which to assess such inverse relationship. Height has been inversely associated with atherosclerosis and it is unlikely to be associated with unexpected biases. In this study, we aimed to assess the association between height and other anthropometric measurements and intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD). METHODS: Community-dwelling older adults enrolled in the Three Villages Study received anthropometric measurements, high-resolution head CT (to evaluate calcium content in carotid siphons) and time-of-flight MRA (to assess stenosis of large intracranial arteries). Logistic regression models were fitted to assess the independent association between each anthropometric measurements and the presence of ICAD, after adjusting for relevant confounders. Estimated adjusted proportions were used to show how increases of different anthropometric measurements impacted ICAD log odds and corresponding odds ratios. RESULTS: A total of 581 individuals were enrolled. Height was the single variable inversely associated with ICAD at the mean of other anthropometric measurements (OR: 0.954; 95% C.I.: 0.918 - 0.991; p=0.016). Every additional cm of height reduced by 4.6% the probability of having ICAD. The significance of other anthropometric measurements vanished in multivariate models with height as an independent variable. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates a robust inverse association between height and ICAD in Amerindians and opens new avenues of research for a better understanding of the obesity paradox in diverse ethnic groups.

Cardiovascular Health Status Among Community-Dwelling Ecuadorian Natives Living in Neighboring Rural Communities: The Three Villages Study.

Knowledge of cardiovascular health (CVH) status in rural communities is essential to implement cost-effective strategies aimed to address the growing burden of cardiovascular diseases in these settings. Here, we report on the CVH status and health metrics of 1508 community-dwellers aged ≥ 40 years in three neighboring rural villages of Coastal Ecuador (Atahualpa, El Tambo, and Prosperidad). According to the American Heart Association, a poor CVH status is designated when at least one cardiovascular health metric is in the poor range. About 70% of individuals in the villages studied had a poor CVH status, with no overall differences across villages. However, the relative prevalence of poor health metrics varied. Using Atahualpa as the referent village, a multinomial logistic regression model showed that El Tambo residents were more often smokers and had a worse diet, while Prosperidad residents had more high blood pressure but better fasting glucose levels. Probabilities of having poor health metrics were lower in Atahualpa than in El Tambo (p < 0.001), but not better than in Prosperidad (p = 0.097). Predictive estimates of having poor health metrics were significantly higher in El Tambo than in Atahualpa or in Prosperidad. This comparative study demonstrates that the CVH status of rural populations of coastal Ecuador is basically similar. However, individual health metrics in the poor range were found to vary across villages. While the three villages are generally comparable, interventions should be tailored according to local priorities. The same may occur in other rural communities, but more studies are needed to confirm our findings.

The association between aortic arterial stiffness, carotid intima-media thickness and carotid plaques in community-dwelling older adults: A population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: Information on the associations among arterial stiffness, carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and carotid plaques as biomarkers of atherosclerosis is limited in diverse populations. We aimed to assess whether aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV) - as a surrogate of arterial stiffness - is associated with increased cIMT and the presence of carotid plaques in a cohort of older adults of Amerindian ancestry. METHODS: Atahualpa residents aged ≥60 years (n = 320) underwent aPWV determinations, and carotid ultrasounds for cIMT and plaque assessment. Multivariate models were fitted to assess the independent association between the aPWV, and cIMT and carotid plaques, after adjusting for relevant confounders. Differences in risk factors across these biomarkers were investigated. RESULTS: Mean values of aPWV were 10.3 ± 1.8 m/s, and those of cIMT were 0.91 ± 0.21 mm (24% had a cIMT >1 mm). Carotid plaques were observed in 118 (37%) subjects. In univariate analyses, risk factors associated with an increased aPWV included age, female gender, poor physical activity and high blood pressure. An increased cIMT was associated with age, male gender, a poor diet, high blood pressure and severe tooth loss. The presence of carotid plaques was associated with increasing age, poor physical activity and high blood pressure. Multivariate models showed a significant association between aPWV and cIMT (ß: 0.028; 95% C.I.: 0.001-0.056; p = 0.047) but not between aPWV and carotid plaques (OR: 1.14; 95% C.I.: 0.83-1.56; p = 0.423). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows an independent association between aPWV and cIMT but not with carotid plaques. These biomarkers may indicate distinct phenotypes for atherosclerosis.

Mediation of age in the association between frailty and large artery atherosclerosis burden - A population study in community-dwelling older adults.

BACKGROUND: A systematic evaluation of the relationship between frailty and large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) burden has not been carried out. Here, we aimed to assess the association between these variables in community-dwelling older adults living in Atahualpa (rural Ecuador). METHODS: Participants underwent frailty assessment and determinations of LAA in several vascular beds. Frailty was estimated by the Edmonton Frailty Scale (EFS). LAA was investigated in the peripheral vascular bed by means of ankle-brachial index determinations, in the extracranial carotid bed by B-mode ultrasounds, and in the intracranial bed by high-resolution CT and time-of-flight MRA. Ordinal logistic regression with interaction models were fitted to assess the independent association between levels of cognitive frailty and the LAA burden. Casual mediation and sensitivity analysis, and the E value, evaluated the effect of age in this association. RESULTS: Out of 331 included individuals, 176 (53%) were robust and the remaining 47% were either pre-frail (n = 78) or frail (n = 77). Atherosclerosis affected only one (any) vascular bed in 111 (34%) individuals, two beds in 75 (23%), and three beds in 22 (7%); the remaining 123 (37%) had no evidence of atherosclerosis. Univariate analysis showed a significant inverse association between the robust status of cognitive frailty and LAA burden (p = 0.006). This association vanishes after considering the effect of covariates. Causal mediation analysis confirms that age captures 51.8% (95% C.I.: 34.6 to 97.2%) of the effect of the association. Sensitivity analysis and E-value computation find that the amount of bias provided by age is enough to explain away the effect estimate. CONCLUSIONS: This study found no independent relationship between cognitive frailty and LAA burden.

Prevalence and Correlates of Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults of Amerindian Ancestry. The Three Villages Study.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge on the prevalence and correlates of intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) is limited. We aimed to assess prevalence, clinical and neuroimaging correlates of ICAD in a cohort of older adults of Amerindian ancestry. METHODS: The study included 581 community-dwellers aged ≥60 years (mean age 71 ± 8.4 years; 57% women) living in rural Ecuadorian villages. ICAD was identified by means of CT determinations of carotid siphon calcifications (CSC) or MRA findings of significant stenosis of intracranial arteries. Fully-adjusted logistic regression models were fitted with biomarkers of ICAD as the dependent variables. RESULTS: A total of 205 (35%) of 581 participants had ICAD, including 185 with high calcium content in the carotid siphons and 40 with significant stenosis of at least one intracranial artery (20 subjects had both biomarkers). Increasing age, high fasting blood glucose, >10 enlarged basal ganglia-perivascular spaces and non-lacunar strokes were associated with high calcium content in the carotid siphons. In contrast, male gender, moderate-to-severe white matter hyperintensities, lacunar and non-lacunar strokes were associated with significant stenosis of intracranial arteries. Stroke was more common among subjects with any biomarker of ICAD than in those with no biomarkers (29% versus 9%, p < 0.001). Significant stenosis of intracranial arteries was more often associated with stroke than high calcium content in the carotid siphons, suggesting that CSC are more likely an ICAD biomarker than causally related to stroke. CONCLUSIONS: ICAD prevalence in Amerindians is high, and is significantly associated with stroke. CSC and significant stenosis of intracranial arteries may represent different phenotypes of ICAD.

Supratentorial arachnoid cysts and seizures/epilepsy: A population study in community dwellers aged ≥20 years.

Literature on the association between arachnoid cysts and seizures/epilepsy is inconsistent, and most series have been flawed due to recruitment bias. In this study, we aimed to assess the prevalence of supratentorial arachnoid cysts (SACs) in Atahualpa residents aged ≥20 years, and to estimate whether these lesions were associated with seizures/epilepsy. A total of 1157 individuals were included. Computed tomography revealed SACs in 25 individuals (2.2%). Most had middle cranial fossa SACs (n = 19). Recurrent nonprovoked seizures were diagnosed in 28 individuals and a single seizure in 4. Only 1 of 25 (4%) individuals with SACs had seizures/epilepsy as opposed to 31 of 1132 (2.7%) who did not have SACs (P = 0.508). A logistic regression model showed no association between SACs and seizures/epilepsy, after taking into account the effect of relevant confounders (odds ratio [OR] 1.71; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.22-13.3; P = 0.607). This study provides evidence of lack of association between SACs and seizures/epilepsy.

Prevalence, Severity, and Risk of Future Falls in Community-Dwelling Older Adults Living in a Rural Community: The Atahualpa Project.

Accidental falls are a leading cause of disability and death in older adults living in urban centers. However, little is known about the consequences of falls in rural communities. We aimed to assess characteristics and risk of falls in community-dwellers aged ≥ 60 years living in rural Ecuador. Of 463 older adults enrolled in the Atahualpa Project, 327 (71%) were included. Multivariate logistic regression models were fitted to assess factors associated with history of falls and risk of future falls. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to determine which component of the Downton fall risk index (DFRI) better predicts risk of future falls. A history of falls was reported by 173 (53%) individuals. Most were related to stumbling due to uneven (non-paved) streets. Only three individuals had bone fractures after the fall. Previous falls were not associated with any of the investigated covariables. The DFRI was positive in 87 (27%) participants, and was associated with age (p < 0.001) and history of stroke (p < 0.001). None of the subjects were taking tranquilizers/sedatives. The most reliable component of the DFRI was the presence of sensory/motor deficits. History of falls in our population is similar to that reported elsewhere. However, the risk of future falls is lower. Such discrepancies are probably because the DFRI does not take into account environmental factors resulting in falls. There were almost no severe complications from falls, which could be partly related to the lack of use of tranquilizers/sedatives.

The bicaudate index inversely associates with performance in the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in older adults living in rural Ecuador. The Atahualpa project.

OBJECTIVE: Assessment of cognitive impairment in rural areas of developing countries is complicated by illiteracy and cross-cultural factors. A better way to estimate the usefulness of cognitive screening instruments is to evaluate their correlation with imaging biomarkers. The bicaudate index (a marker of central atrophy) correlates with cognitive performance. We assessed the relationship of the bicaudate index with the MoCA to estimate the usefulness of this test to detect individuals with cognitive decline in these regions. METHODS: Atahualpa residents aged ≥60 years identified during door-to-door surveys were evaluated with the MoCA and invited to undergo brain MRI. Using generalized linear models, we estimated whether the bicaudate index correlates with MoCA scores, after adjusting for demographics and relevant clinical and neuroimaging confounders. RESULTS: Out of 385 eligible persons, 290 (75%) were enrolled. Mean bicaudate index was 0.14 ± 0.03, and mean total MoCA score was 19 ± 5 points. Locally weighted scatterplot smoothing showed a nearly linear inverse relationship between the bicaudate index and the total MoCA score. In the fully adjusted generalized linear model, the bicaudate index was inversely associated with the total MoCA score (p < 0.001), which dropped by 5.3% (95% C.I.: 1.7%-8.8%) for every standard deviation of the bicaudate index. In addition, most domain-specific MoCA scores were inversely associated with the bicaudate index. CONCLUSIONS: The inverse relationship between the bicaudate index and the MoCA score provides evidence that the MoCA is reliable to detect structural brain damage and useful to assess cognitive performance in less educated individuals. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Medicalization in psychiatry: the medical model, descriptive diagnosis, and lost knowledge.

Medicalization was the theme of the 29th European Conference on Philosophy of Medicine and Health Care that included a panel session on the DSM and mental health. Philosophical critiques of the medical model in psychiatry suffer from endemic assumptions that fail to acknowledge the real world challenges of psychiatric nosology. The descriptive model of classification of the DSM 3-5 serves a valid purpose in the absence of known etiologies for the majority of psychiatric conditions. However, a consequence of the "atheoretical" approach of the DSM is rampant epistemological confusion, a shortcoming that can be ameliorated by importing perspectives from the work of Jaspers and McHugh. Finally, contemporary psychiatry's over-reliance on neuroscience and pharmacotherapy has led to a reductionist agenda that is antagonistic to the inherently pluralistic nature of psychiatry.  As a result,  the field has suffered a loss of knowledge that may be difficult to recover.

Poor sleep quality increases mortality risk: A population-based longitudinal prospective study in community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the association between sleep quality and all-cause mortality in community-dwelling adults living in rural Ecuador. METHODS: Individuals aged ≥40years enrolled in the prospective population-based Three Villages Study cohort were included. Sleep quality was assessed by means of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Study participants were evaluated at baseline and at every annual door-to-door survey until they remained enrolled in the study. Mixed models Poisson regression for repeated Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index determinations and multivariate Cox-proportional hazards models were fitted to estimate mortality risk according to sleep quality. RESULTS: Analysis included 1494 individuals (mean age: 56.6 ± 12.5years; 56% women) followed for a median of 6.3 ± 3.3years. At baseline, 978 (65%) individuals had good sleep quality and 516 (35%) had poor sleep quality. The effects of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores changing over time on mortality was confounded by the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on both. One hundred ninety-five individuals (13%) died during the follow-up, resulting in a crude mortality rate of 1.58 per 100 person years (95% C.I.: 1.27-1.88) for individuals with good sleep quality, and 3.18 (95% C.I.: 2.53-3.82) for those with poor sleep quality at baseline. A multivariate Cox-proportional hazards model showed that individuals with poor sleep quality at baseline were 1.38 times (95% C.I.: 1.02-1.85) more likely to die compared to those with good sleep quality; in this model, increased age, poor physical activity, and high fasting glucose remained significant. CONCLUSIONS: Poor sleep quality is associated with increased mortality risk among middle-aged and older adults.

The Impact of Biological and Social Factors on Mortality in Older Adults Living in Rural Communities.

BACKGROUND: Information on factors that increase mortality in remote settings is limited. This study aims to estimate the independent and joint role of several factors on mortality risk among older adults living in rural Ecuador. METHODS: Participants were selected from community-dwelling older adults who were included in previous studies targeting mortality risk factors in the study population. Generalized structural equation modeling (GSEM) was utilized to evaluate prior causal assumptions, to redraw causal links, and to introduce latent variables that may help to explain how the independently significant variables are associated with mortality. RESULTS: The study included 590 individuals (mean age: 67.9 ± 7.3 years; 57% women), followed for a median of 8.2 years. Mortality rate was 3.4 per 100 person-years. Prior work on separate multivariate Poisson and Cox models was used to build a tentative causal construct. A GSEM containing all variables showed that age, symptoms of depression, high social risk, high fasting glucose, a history of overt stroke, and neck circumference were directly associated with mortality. Two latent variables were introduced, 1 representing the impact of biological factors and another, the impact of social factors on mortality. The social variable significantly influenced the biological variable which carried most of the direct effect on mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Several factors contributed to mortality risk in the study population, the most significant being biological factors which are highly influenced by social factors. High social risk interact with biological variables and play an important role in mortality risk.

Cognitive performance and all-cause mortality in community dwellers of Amerindian ancestry living in rural Ecuador: A population-based, longitudinal prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: There is limited information on mortality risk in individuals with cognitive impairment living in rural Latin America. In this study, we assess the association between cognitive impairment and all-cause mortality in adults of Amerindian ancestry living in rural Ecuador. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Middle-aged and older adults enrolled in the population-based Three Villages Study cohort were followed prospectively in order to estimate mortality risk according to their baseline cognitive performance as determined by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Results were adjusted for demographics, level of education, traditional cardiovascular risk factors, symptoms of depression, severe tooth loss, and oily fish intake (factors previously associated with mortality in the study population). RESULTS: Analysis included 1022 individuals followed for an average of 7.8 ± 3.4 years. Mean MoCA score was 21.2 ± 5.4 points (median: 22 points), with 334 (32.7%) individuals showing cognitive impairment, as evidenced by a MoCA score ≤ 19 points (the cutoff for poor cognitive performance based on previous studies in the same population). A total of 150 (14.7%) individuals died during the follow-up. Crude mortality rate was 2.87 per 100 person-years (95% C.I.: 2.08 - 3.96). For individuals with normal cognition, the mortality rate was 1.21 (95% C.I.: 0.92 - 1.50) while for those with cognitive impairment the rate increased to 3.48 (95% C.I.: 2.73 - 4.23). A multivariate Cox-proportional hazards model, confirmed that individuals with cognitive impairment had a significantly higher mortality risk than those without cognitive impairment (HR: 1.52; 95% C.I.: 1.05 - 2.18). CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive impairment is associated with mortality in the study population.

On the association between dietary oily fish intake and bone mineral density in frequent fish consumers of Amerindian ancestry. The three villages study.

Reports addressing the effects of oily fish intake on bone health are inconsistent. This study shows that consumption of ≥ 5.2 oily fish servings/week (728 g) is associated with lower prevalence of osteopenia/osteoporosis in elderly women of Amerindian ancestry. Results suggest a beneficial effect of oily fish intake in this population. OBJECTIVES: Oily fish is a major dietary source of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and other nutrients that may have a positive effect on bone health. However, this association is inconsistent and seems to be more evident in certain ethnic groups. We aimed to assess the association between oily fish intake and bone mineral density (BMD) in frequent fish consumers of Amerindian ancestry living in rural Ecuador. METHODS: This study included 399 individuals aged ≥ 60 years living in three neighboring rural villages of coastal Ecuador. Dietary oily fish intake was quantified systematically using validated surveys and BMD was determined by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Ordinal logistic regression models, adjusted for demographics and cardiovascular risk factors, were fitted to assess the independent association between oily fish intake and bone health. RESULTS: Participants had a mean age of 68.8 ± 6.8 years, and 58% were women. The mean intake of oily fish was 8.5 ± 4.7 servings/week, with 308 (77%) reporting high fish intake (≥ 5.2 servings/week [728 g]). Ninety-four (24%) participants had normal BMD T-scores, 149 (37%) had osteopenia, and 156 (39%) had osteoporosis. Ordinal logistic regression models showed no association between high fish intake and bone health in the total population. When men and women were analyzed separately, the association became significant for women only in both unadjusted (OR: 2.52; 95% C.I.: 1.22 - 5.23) and fully-adjusted models (OR: 2.23; 95% C.I.: 1.03 - 4.81). CONCLUSION: Consumption of ≥ 5.2 oily fish servings/week is associated with lower prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis in elderly women of Amerindian ancestry.

High social risk and mortality. A prospective study in community-dwelling older adults living in a rural Ecuadorian village.

High social risk has been associated with mortality, but information on this relationship in remote rural communities is limited. Using the social determinants of health (SDH) specified in the Gijon's social-familial evaluation scale (SFES), we aimed to assess mortality risk according to levels of social risk in community-dwelling older adults living in rural Ecuador. Following a longitudinal population-based design, this study prospectively followed 457 individuals for an average of 8.2 ± 2.6 years. A total of 115 (25.2 %) individuals died during the study years. The mean Gijon's SFES score was 9.4 ± 2.8 points among survivors versus 12.3 ± 4 points among those who died (p < 0.001). Separate models using individual SDH components as exposures showed that deficits in family situation, social relationships and support networks were significantly associated with mortality, whereas economic status and housing factors were not. A Cox-proportional hazard model, with the Gijon's SFES score stratified in tertiles, showed a more than 5-fold increase in mortality among individuals in the third tertile compared with those in first and second tertiles, after adjusting for relevant covariates (HR: 5.36; 95 % C.I.: 3.09 - 9.32). Study results indicate an important contribution of high social risk to mortality, and may help to identify potential interventional targets that are focused on encouraging social interactions, and that may reduce mortality in older adults living in remote settings.

Detrimental effect of high social risk on the cardiovascular health status of community-dwelling older adults living in rural settings. A population-based, longitudinal prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Information of the effect of social risk on the cardiovascular health (CVH) status among individuals living in rural settings is limited. We aim to assess this effect in participants of the Three Villages Study cohort. METHODS: Following a longitudinal prospective design, older adults living in rural Ecuador received baseline social risk determinations by means of social determinants of health components included in the Gijon's Social-Familial Evaluation Scale (SFES) together with clinical interviews and procedures to determine CVH status included in the Life's Simple 7 construct. Those who also received CVH assessment at the end of the study were included. Random-effects generalized least square and mixed logistic regression models were fitted to assess the longitudinal effect of social risk on CVH metrics, after adjusting for relevant covariates. RESULTS: The study included 443 community dwellers (mean age: 67 ± 7 years). The Gijon's SFES mean score was 9.8 ± 2.7 points. The mean number of ideal CVH metrics at baseline was 3.1 ± 1.3, which decreased to 2.6 ± 1.2 (ß: -0.467; 95% C.I.: -0.588 to -0.346), after a mean of 7.31 ± 3.26 years of follow-up. The total Gijon's SFES score was higher among individuals with a worsening CVH status compared to those who did not (10.4 ± 2.6 versus 9.3 ± 2.6; p < 0.001). The ideal CVH status declined 1.23 (95% C.I.: 1.13-1.34) times per point of change in the total Gijon's SFES score. CONCLUSION: Study results indicate a deleterious effect of high social risk on CVH status at follow-up in this underserved population.

Life's simple 7 and all-cause mortality. A population-based prospective cohort study in middle-aged and older adults of Amerindian ancestry living in rural Ecuador.

Life's Simple 7 is an initiative of the American Heart Association developed for stratifying risk factors associated with adverse vascular outcomes and premature mortality. While this scale has been widely used, there is limited information on its applicability to individuals living in remote communities where risk factors and lifestyles differ from those found in urban settings. This longitudinal prospective study aimed to assess, according to the Life's Simple 7 scale, all-cause mortality in community-dwelling middle-age and older adults of Amerindian ancestry living in rural Ecuador. A total of 933 Atahualpa residents aged ≥ 40 years who received baseline interviews and procedures for measurement of cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics were enrolled and followed-up for a median of 8 years (interquartile range: 4-9 years). Using a Poisson regression model (adjusted for age at baseline, gender and the level of education), the predicted incidence rate of mortality was 4.22 per 100 person-years (95% C.I.: 2.48-5.97) for individuals with 0-1 CVH metrics in the ideal range, which decreased to 1.23 (95% C.I.: 0.24-2.21) for those with five ideal metrics. In an adjusted Cox-proportional hazard model that included all the CVH metrics, having three or more metrics in the ideal range significantly reduced the mortality hazard ratio when compared with individuals having 0-2 ideal metrics. Study results emphasize the usefulness of the Life's Simple 7 scale to estimate mortality risk in Amerindians living in remote communities. Control of CVH metrics should prove cost-effective for reducing premature deaths in underserved populations.

Social Determinants of Health (Social Risk) and Nutritional Status Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults Living in a Rural Setting: The Atahualpa Project.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have attempted to clarify the role of social determinants of health (SDH) on nutritional status of older adults, but results are inconsistent due to differences in SDH assessments at different levels of population development. In this study, we assessed this association in community-dwelling older adults living in rural Ecuador. Methods: SDH were measured by the Gijon's Social-Familial Evaluation Scale (SFES) and nutritional status by the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA®). Multivariate logistic regression models were fitted to assess the association between SDH components and nutritional status. Locally weighted scatterplot smoothing (LOWESS) and a generalized linear model were used to evaluate the potential non-linearity of the association between the Gijon's SFES and MNA® scores. RESULTS: A total of 295 individuals (mean age: 72.1 ± 7.6 years; 58% women) were enrolled. There was an inverse association between the total Gijon's SFES and nutritional status (OR: 0.75; 95% C.I.: 0.65-0.86; P < .001). Three of five components of the Gijon's SFES (family situation, social relationships, and support networks) were inversely associated with nutritional status in multivariate logistic regression models. A LOWESS plot, together with a generalized linear model, showed an inverse linear relationship between the continuous Gijon's SFES and MNA® scores. One standard deviation of increase in the continuous Gijon's SFES score (2.39 points) decreased the MNA® score by 0.78 points. CONCLUSION: Study results show a significant inverse association between high social risk and a good nutritional status. Components of the Gijon's SFES measuring social isolation are responsible for this association.