Coronavirus disease 2019 is associated with long-term depressive symptoms in Spanish older adults with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has serious physiological and psychological consequences. The long-term (>12 weeks post-infection) impact of COVID-19 on mental health, specifically in older adults, is unclear. We longitudinally assessed the association of COVID-19 with depression symptomatology in community-dwelling older adults with metabolic syndrome within the framework of the PREDIMED-Plus cohort. METHODS: Participants (n = 5486) aged 55-75 years were included in this longitudinal cohort. COVID-19 status (positive/negative) determined by tests (e.g. polymerase chain reaction severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, IgG) was confirmed via event adjudication (410 cases). Pre- and post-COVID-19 depressive symptomatology was ascertained from annual assessments conducted using a validated 21-item Spanish Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Multivariable linear and logistic regression models assessed the association between COVID-19 and depression symptomatology. RESULTS: COVID-19 in older adults was associated with higher post-COVID-19 BDI-II scores measured at a median (interquartile range) of 29 (15-40) weeks post-infection [fully adjusted ß = 0.65 points, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.15-1.15; p = 0.011]. This association was particularly prominent in women (ß = 1.38 points, 95% CI 0.44-2.33, p = 0.004). COVID-19 was associated with 62% increased odds of elevated depression risk (BDI-II ≥ 14) post-COVID-19 when adjusted for confounders (odds ratio; 95% CI 1.13-2.30, p = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 was associated with long-term depression risk in older adults with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome, particularly in women. Thus, long-term evaluations of the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and preventive public health initiatives are warranted in older adults.

Association between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and the incidence of peptic ulcer disease in the SUN project: a Spanish prospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: Consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) has increased despite potential adverse health effects. Recent studies showed an association between UPF consumption and some gastrointestinal disorders. We evaluated the association between UPF consumption and peptic ulcer disease (PUD) in a large Spanish cohort. METHODS: We conducted a prospective analysis of 18,066 participants in the SUN cohort, followed every two years. UPF was assessed at baseline and 10 years after. Cases of PUD were identified among participants reporting a physician-made diagnosis of PUD during follow-ups. Cases were only partially validated against medical records. Cox regression was used to assess the association between baseline UPF consumption and PUD risk. Based on previous findings and biological plausibility, socio-demographic and lifestyle variables, BMI, energy intake, Helicobacter pylori infection, gastrointestinal disorders, aspirin and analgesic use, and alcohol and coffee consumption were included as confounders.We fitted GEE with repeated dietary measurements at baseline and after 10 years of follow-up. Vanderweele's proposed E value was calculated to assess the sensitivity of observed associations to uncontrolled confounding. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 12.2 years, we recorded 322 new PUD cases (1.56 cases/1000 person-years). Participants in the highest baseline tertile of UPF consumption had an increased PUD risk compared to participants in the lowest tertile (HR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.15, 2.00, Ptrend=0.002). The E-values for the point estimate supported the observed association. The OR using repeated measurements of UPF intake was 1.39 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.87) when comparing extreme tertiles. CONCLUSION: The consumption of UPF is associated with an increased PUD risk.

Relationship between sex, APOE genotype, endocannabinoids and cognitive change in older adults with metabolic syndrome during a 3-year Mediterranean diet intervention.

BACKGROUND: The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) has demonstrated efficacy in preventing age-related cognitive decline and modulating plasma concentrations of endocannabinoids (eCBs) and N-acylethanolamines (NAEs, or eCB-like compounds), which are lipid mediators involved in multiple neurological disorders and metabolic processes. Hypothesizing that eCBs and NAEs will be biomarkers of a MedDiet intervention and will be related to the cognitive response, we investigated this relationship according to sex and apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype, which may affect eCBs and cognitive performance. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study of 102 participants (53.9% women, 18.8% APOE-ɛ4 carriers, aged 65.6 ± 4.5 years) from the PREDIMED-Plus-Cognition substudy, who were recruited at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute (Barcelona). All of them presented metabolic syndrome plus overweight/obesity (inclusion criteria of the PREDIMED-Plus) and normal cognitive performance at baseline (inclusion criteria of this substudy). A comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests was administered at baseline and after 1 and 3 years. Plasma concentrations of eCBs and NAEs, including 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), anandamide (AEA), oleoylethanolamide (OEA), palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), and N-docosahexaenoylethanolamine (DHEA), were also monitored. Baseline cognition, cognitive changes, and the association between eCBs/NAEs and cognition were evaluated according to gender (crude models), sex (adjusted models), and APOE genotype. RESULTS: At baseline, men had better executive function and global cognition than women (the effect size of gender differences was - 0.49, p = 0.015; and - 0.42, p = 0.036); however, these differences became nonsignificant in models of sex differences. After 3 years of MedDiet intervention, participants exhibited modest improvements in memory and global cognition. However, greater memory changes were observed in men than in women (Cohen's d of 0.40 vs. 0.25; p = 0.017). In men and APOE-ε4 carriers, 2-AG concentrations were inversely associated with baseline cognition and cognitive changes, while in women, cognitive changes were positively linked to changes in DHEA and the DHEA/AEA ratio. In men, changes in the OEA/AEA and OEA/PEA ratios were positively associated with cognitive changes. CONCLUSIONS: The MedDiet improved participants' cognitive performance but the effect size was small and negatively influenced by female sex. Changes in 2-AG, DHEA, the OEA/AEA, the OEA/PEA and the DHEA/AEA ratios were associated with cognitive changes in a sex- and APOE-dependent fashion. These results support the modulation of the endocannabinoid system as a potential therapeutic approach to prevent cognitive decline in at-risk populations. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN89898870.

Tobacco and alcohol co-use: Lifestyle and sociodemographic factors, and personality aspects as potential predictors in the "Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra" cohort.

Tobacco and alcohol co-use are two major lifestyle modifiable risk factors. Understanding the determinants of both behaviors helps to develop interventions to prevent these exposures. However, previous studies have focused on predictors of individual tobacco or alcohol use. This study aims to explore the potential predictors of tobacco and alcohol co-use among Spanish university graduates from the "Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra" (SUN) cohort study. A total of 7175 participants who were co-users of tobacco and alcohol were selected for this cross-sectional analysis. Their mean age was 39.1 years (12.04 SD) and 57.3% were women. Univariate regression models were used to select the potential predictors of tobacco and alcohol co-use, and the areas under the ROC curves (AUC) were calculated. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to create a predictive model. Baseline potential predictors included sociodemographic factors, lifestyle habits, and perceived personality aspects. In the multivariable model, the main significant potential predictors of tobacco and alcohol co-use were driving under the influence of alcohol (odds ratio [OR] = 1.65 [1.43-1.90]), drinking 1-2 cups of coffee daily (OR = 1.50 [1.24-1.84]), drinking three or more cups of coffee daily (OR = 1.61 [1.35-1.91]), and doing more physical activity than recommended (OR = 1.18 [1.02-1.34]) when compared with the reference group. Conversely, those who were married (OR = 0.87 [0.75-0.99], ate at home 7 days a week (OR = 0.69 [0.60-0.80]), or had a high perceived level of competitiveness (OR = 0.83 [0.72-0.95]) had a lower risk of co-use (AUC 0.61 [confidence interval 95% 0.59-0.63]), compared to the reference group. These results could be used by healthcare professionals, especially nurses, to effectively assess patients at higher risk of tobacco and alcohol co-use. [Correction added on 16 February 2024, after first online publication: The abstract section has been revised to provide more clarity in this version.].

Association of adiposity and its changes over time with COVID-19 risk in older adults with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome: a longitudinal evaluation in the PREDIMED-Plus cohort.

BACKGROUND: Cross-sectionally, older age and obesity are associated with increased coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) risk. We assessed the longitudinal associations of baseline and changes in adiposity parameters with COVID-19 incidence in older adults at high cardiovascular risk. METHODS: This analysis included 6874 men and women (aged 55-75 years) with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome in the PREDIMED-Plus lifestyle intervention trial for cardiovascular risk reduction. Body weight, body-mass-index (BMI), waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and a body shape index (ABSI) were measured at baseline and annual follow-up visits. COVID-19 was ascertained by an independent Event Committee until 31 December 2021. Cox regression models were fitted to evaluate the risk of COVID-19 incidence based on baseline adiposity parameters measured 5-6 years before the pandemic and their changes at the visit prior to censoring. RESULTS: At the time of censoring, 653 incident COVID-19 cases occurred. Higher baseline body weight, BMI, waist circumference, and WHtR were associated with increased COVID-19 risk. During the follow-up, every unit increase in body weight (HRadj (95%CI): 1.01 (1.00, 1.03)) and BMI (HRadj: 1.04 (1.003, 1.08)) was associated with increased COVID-19 risk. CONCLUSIONS: In older adults with overweight/obesity, clinically significant weight loss may protect against COVID-19. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study is registered at the International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial (ISRCT; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN89898870 ).

Plasma metabolite profiles associated with the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research lifestyle score and future risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: A healthy lifestyle (HL) has been inversely related to type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, few studies have identified a metabolite profile associated with HL. The present study aims to identify a metabolite profile of a HL score and assess its association with the incidence of T2D and CVD in individuals at high cardiovascular risk. METHODS: In a subset of 1833 participants (age 55-80y) of the PREDIMED study, we estimated adherence to a HL using a composite score based on the 2018 Word Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research recommendations. Plasma metabolites were analyzed using LC-MS/MS methods at baseline (discovery sample) and 1-year of follow-up (validation sample). Cross-sectional associations between 385 known metabolites and the HL score were assessed using elastic net regression. A 10-cross-validation procedure was used, and correlation coefficients or AUC were assessed between the identified metabolite profiles and the self-reported HL score. We estimated the associations between the identified metabolite profiles and T2D and CVD using multivariable Cox regression models. RESULTS: The metabolite profiles that identified HL as a dichotomous or continuous variable included 24 and 58 metabolites, respectively. These are amino acids or derivatives, lipids, and energy intermediates or xenobiotic compounds. After adjustment for potential confounders, baseline metabolite profiles were associated with a lower risk of T2D (hazard ratio [HR] and 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.54, 0.38-0.77 for dichotomous HL, and 0.22, 0.11-0.43 for continuous HL). Similar results were observed with CVD (HR, 95% CI: 0.59, 0.42-0.83 for dichotomous HF and HR, 95%CI: 0.58, 0.31-1.07 for continuous HL). The reduction in the risk of T2D and CVD was maintained or attenuated, respectively, for the 1-year metabolomic profile. CONCLUSIONS: In an elderly population at high risk of CVD, a set of metabolites was selected as potential metabolites associated with the HL pattern predicting the risk of T2D and, to a lesser extent, CVD. These results support previous findings that some of these metabolites are inversely associated with the risk of T2D and CVD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The PREDIMED trial was registered at ISRCTN ( http://www.isrctn.com/ , ISRCTN35739639).

Olive oil consumption, plasma metabolites, and risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

BACKGROUND: Olive oil consumption has been inversely associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the impact of olive oil consumption on plasma metabolites remains poorly understood. This study aims to identify plasma metabolites related to total and specific types of olive oil consumption, and to assess the prospective associations of the identified multi-metabolite profiles with the risk of T2D and CVD. METHODS: The discovery population included 1837 participants at high cardiovascular risk from the PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea (PREDIMED) trial with available metabolomics data at baseline. Olive oil consumption was determined through food-frequency questionnaires (FFQ) and adjusted for total energy. A total of 1522 participants also had available metabolomics data at year 1 and were used as the internal validation sample. Plasma metabolomics analyses were performed using LC-MS. Cross-sectional associations between 385 known candidate metabolites and olive oil consumption were assessed using elastic net regression analysis. A 10-cross-validation (CV) procedure was used, and Pearson correlation coefficients were assessed between metabolite-weighted models and FFQ-derived olive oil consumption in each pair of training-validation data sets within the discovery sample. We further estimated the prospective associations of the identified plasma multi-metabolite profile with incident T2D and CVD using multivariable Cox regression models. RESULTS: We identified a metabolomic signature for the consumption of total olive oil (with 74 metabolites), VOO (with 78 metabolites), and COO (with 17 metabolites), including several lipids, acylcarnitines, and amino acids. 10-CV Pearson correlation coefficients between total olive oil consumption derived from FFQs and the multi-metabolite profile were 0.40 (95% CI 0.37, 0.44) and 0.27 (95% CI 0.22, 0.31) for the discovery and validation sample, respectively. We identified several overlapping and distinct metabolites according to the type of olive oil consumed. The baseline metabolite profiles of total and extra virgin olive oil were inversely associated with CVD incidence (HR per 1SD: 0.79; 95% CI 0.67, 0.92 for total olive oil and 0.70; 0.59, 0.83 for extra virgin olive oil) after adjustment for confounders. However, no significant associations were observed between these metabolite profiles and T2D incidence. CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals a panel of plasma metabolites linked to the consumption of total and specific types of olive oil. The metabolite profiles of total olive oil consumption and extra virgin olive oil were associated with a decreased risk of incident CVD in a high cardiovascular-risk Mediterranean population, though no associations were observed with T2D incidence. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The PREDIMED trial was registered at ISRCTN ( http://www.isrctn.com/ , ISRCTN35739639).

Lipid Profiles and Heart Failure Risk: Results From Two Prospective Studies.

RATIONALE: Altered lipid metabolism has been implicated in heart failure (HF) development, but no prospective studies have examined comprehensive lipidomics data and subsequent risk of HF. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to link single lipid metabolites and lipidomics networks to the risk of developing HF. METHODS AND RESULTS: Discovery analyses were based on 216 targeted lipids in a case-control study (331 incident HF cases and 507 controls, matched by age, sex, and study center), nested within the PREDIMED (Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea) study. Associations of single lipids were examined in conditional logistic regression models. Furthermore, lipidomics networks were linked to HF risk in a multistep workflow, including machine learning-based identification of the HF-related network clusters, and regression-based discovery of the HF-related lipid patterns within these clusters. If available, significant findings were externally validated in a subsample of the EPIC-Potsdam cohort (2414 at-risk participants, including 87 incident HF cases). After confounder-adjustments, 2 lipids were significantly associated with HF risk in both cohorts: CER (ceramide) 16:0 (relative risk [RR] per SD in PREDIMED, 1.28 [95% CI, 1.13-1.47]) and phosphatidylcholine 32_0 (RR per SD in PREDIMED, 1.23 [95% CI, 1.08-1.41]). Additionally, lipid patterns in several network clusters were associated with HF risk in PREDIMED. Adjusted for standard risk factors, an internally cross-validated score based on the significant HF-related lipids that were identified in the network analysis in PREDIMED was associated with a higher HF risk (20 lipids, RR per SD, 2.33 [95% CI, 1.93%-2.81%). Moreover, a lipid score restricted to the externally available lipids was significantly associated with HF incidence in both cohorts (6 lipids, RRs per SD, 1.30 [95% CI, 1.14-1.47] in PREDIMED, and 1.46 [95% CI, 1.17-1.82] in EPIC-Potsdam). CONCLUSIONS: Our study identified and validated 2 lipid metabolites and several lipidomics patterns as potential novel biomarkers of HF risk. Lipid profiling may capture preclinical molecular alterations that predispose for incident HF. Registration: URL: https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN35739639; Unique identifier: ISRCTN35739639.

Forecasting levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D based on dietary intake, lifestyle and personal determinants in a sample of Southern Europeans.

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient to be consumed in the habitual dietary intake, whose deficiency is associated with various disturbances. This study represents a validation of vitamin D status estimation using a semi-quantitative FFQ, together with data from additional physical activity and lifestyle questionnaires. This information was combined to forecast the serum vitamin D status. Different statistical methods were applied to estimate the vitamin D status using predictors based on diet and lifestyle. Serum vitamin D was predicted using linear regression (with leave-one-out cross-validation) and random forest models. Intraclass correlation coefficients, Lin's agreement coefficients, Bland-Altman plots and other methods were used to assess the accuracy of the predicted v. observed serum values. Data were collected in Spain. A total of 220 healthy volunteers aged between 18 and 78 years were included in this study. They completed validated questionnaires and agreed to provide blood samples to measure serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels. The common final predictors in both models were age, sex, sunlight exposure, vitamin D dietary intake (as assessed by the FFQ), BMI, time spent walking, physical activity and skin reaction after sun exposure. The intraclass correlation coefficient for the prediction was 0·60 (95 % CI: 0·52, 0·67; P < 0·001) using the random forest model. The magnitude of the correlation was moderate, which means that our estimation could be useful in future epidemiological studies to establish a link between the predicted 25(OH)D values and the occurrence of several clinical outcomes in larger cohorts.

Association between a new dietary protein quality index and micronutrient intake adequacy: a cross-sectional study in a young adult Spanish Mediterranean cohort.

PURPOSE: There is no evidence of a dietary index that measures not only the quantity but also the quality of protein. The aim is to investigate the association between a new dietary protein quality index (PQI) and micronutrient intake adequacy in a Mediterranean cohort. DESIGN: We assessed 17,535 participants' diet at baseline using a semi-quantitative FFQ. The PQI was calculated according to the ratio of protein (g/d) sources: [fish, seafood, lean meat, pulses, eggs, nuts, low-fat dairy, and whole grains]/[red and ultra-processed meats, whole-fat or semi-skimmed dairy, potatoes and refined grains]. Participants were classified into quintiles of PQI. We evaluated the intakes of Fe, Cr, I, K, Mg, Ca, P, Na, Se, Zn and vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, E and folic acid. Micronutrient adequacy was evaluated using DRIs. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the micronutrient adequacy according to quintiles of PQI. RESULTS: In this cross-sectional analysis, a total of 24.2% and 4.3% participants did not to meet DRIs in ≥ 4 and ≥ 8 micronutrients, respectively. The odds of failing to meet ≥ 4 and ≥ 8 DRI were lower in participants in the highest quintile of protein quality (OR = 0.22; IC 95% = 0.18, 0.26; P-trend < 0.001; and OR = 0.08; IC 95% = 0.05, 0.14; P-trend < 0.001, respectively) as compared to participants in the lowest quintile. CONCLUSION: Higher PQI was found to be strongly associated with better micronutrient intake adequacy in this Mediterranean cohort. The promotion of high-quality protein intake may be helpful for a more adequate intake of micronutrients. The odds of failing to meet certain numbers of DRIs were lower rather than saying lower risk.

Association between an oxidative balance score and mortality: a prospective analysis in the SUN cohort.

PURPOSE: We aimed to prospectively investigate the association of an overall oxidative balance score (OBS) with all-cause death and cause-specific mortality among participants in the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) Study, a Mediterranean cohort of Spanish graduates. METHODS: Using baseline information on 12 a priori selected dietary and non-dietary lifestyle pro- and antioxidants exposures-vitamins C and E, ß-carotenes, selenium, zinc, heme iron, polyphenols, total antioxidant capacity, body mass index, alcohol, smoking, and physical activity-we constructed an equally weighted OBS categorized into quartiles, with higher scores representing greater antioxidant balance. Cox proportional hazards models were fitted to evaluate the association between the OBS and mortality. RESULTS: A total of 18,561 participants (mean [SD] age, 38.5 [12.4] years; 40.8% males) were included in the analysis. During a median follow-up of 12.2 years (interquartile range 8.3-14.9), 421 deaths were identified, including 80 deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD), 215 from cancer, and 126 from other causes. After adjustment for potential confounders, the hazard ratios and 95% confidence interval (CIs) between the highest quartile (predominance of antioxidants) vs. the lowest quartile (reference category) were 0.35 (95% CI 0.22-0.54, P-trend < 0.001) for all-cause mortality, 0.18 (95% CI 0.06-0.51, P-trend = 0.001) for CVD mortality, 0.35 (95% CI 0.19-0.65, P-trend = 0.002) for cancer mortality, and 0.45 (95% CI 0.20-1.02, P-trend = 0.054) for other-cause mortality. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest a strong inverse association between the OBS and all-cause, CVD, and cancer mortality. Individuals exposed to both antioxidant dietary and lifestyle factors may potentially experience the lowest mortality risk. STUDY REGISTRY NUMBER: Dynamic Mediterranean Prospective Cohort: the SUN Project; NCT02669602. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02669602 . https://proyectosun.es.

Dietary intake of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans, adiposity and obesity status.

INTRODUCTION: The principal source of exposure to Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-furans (PCDD/Fs) in humans comes from food intake. PCDD/Fs, are a family of potential endocrine disruptors and have been associated with different chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. However, studies assessing the relationship between dietary exposure to PCDD/Fs and adiposity or obesity status in a middle-aged population are limited. OBJECTIVE: To assess cross-sectionally and longitudinally the associations between estimated dietary intake (DI) of PCDD/Fs and body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and the prevalence/incidence of obesity and abdominal obesity in a middle-aged population. METHODS: In 5899 participants aged 55-75 years (48% women) living with overweight/obesity from the PREDIMED-plus cohort, PCDD/Fs DI was estimated using a 143-item validated food-frequency questionnaire, and the levels of food PCDD/F expressed as Toxic Equivalents (TEQ). Consequently, cross-sectional and prospective associations between baseline PCDD/Fs DI (in pgTEQ/week) and adiposity or obesity status were assessed at baseline and after 1-year follow-up using multivariable cox, logistic or linear regression models. RESULTS: Compared to participants in the first PCDD/F DI tertile, those in the highest tertile presented a higher BMI (ß-coefficient [confidence interval]) (0.43kg/m2 [0.22; 0.64]; P-trend <0.001), a higher waist circumference (1.11 cm [0.55; 1.66]; P-trend <0.001), and a higher prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity (1.05 [1.01; 1.09] and 1.02 [1.00; 1.03]; P-trend = 0.09 and 0.027, respectively). In the prospective analysis, participants in the top PCDD/F DI baseline tertile showed an increase in waist circumference compared with those in the first tertile after 1-year of follow-up (ß-coefficient 0.37 cm [0.06; 0.70]; P-trend = 0.015). CONCLUSION: Higher DI of PCDD/Fs was positively associated with adiposity parameters and obesity status at baseline and with changes in waist circumference after 1-year of follow-up in subjects living with overweight/obesity. Further large prospective studies using a different population with longer follow-up periods are warranted in the future to strengthen our results.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and adherence to Mediterranean diet in an adult population: the Mediterranean diet index as a pollution level index.

BACKGROUND: Research related to sustainable diets is is highly relevant to provide better understanding of the impact of dietary intake on the health and the environment. AIM: To assess the association between the adherence to an energy-restricted Mediterranean diet and the amount of CO2 emitted in an older adult population. DESIGN AND POPULATION: Using a cross-sectional design, the association between the adherence to an energy-reduced Mediterranean Diet (erMedDiet) score and dietary CO2 emissions in 6646 participants was assessed. METHODS: Food intake and adherence to the erMedDiet was assessed using validated food frequency questionnaire and 17-item Mediterranean questionnaire. Sociodemographic characteristics were documented. Environmental impact was calculated through greenhouse gas emissions estimations, specifically CO2 emissions of each participant diet per day, using a European database. Participants were distributed in quartiles according to their estimated CO2 emissions expressed in kg/day: Q1 (≤2.01 kg CO2), Q2 (2.02-2.34 kg CO2), Q3 (2.35-2.79 kg CO2) and Q4 (≥2.80 kg CO2). RESULTS: More men than women induced higher dietary levels of CO2 emissions. Participants reporting higher consumption of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, whole cereals, preferring white meat, and having less consumption of red meat were mostly emitting less kg of CO2 through diet. Participants with higher adherence to the Mediterranean Diet showed lower odds for dietary CO2 emissions: Q2 (OR 0.87; 95%CI: 0.76-1.00), Q3 (OR 0.69; 95%CI: 0.69-0.79) and Q4 (OR 0.48; 95%CI: 0.42-0.55) vs Q1 (reference). CONCLUSIONS: The Mediterranean diet can be environmentally protective since the higher the adherence to the Mediterranean diet, the lower total dietary CO2 emissions. Mediterranean Diet index may be used as a pollution level index.

American Heart Association's life simple 7 and the risk of atrial fibrillation in the PREDIMED study cohort.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The American Heart Association proposed 7 ideal cardiovascular health metrics (Life's Simple 7 [LS7]) namely, not smoking, body mass index <25 kg/m2, healthy diet, moderate physical activity ≥150 min/week, total blood cholesterol <200 mg/dL, blood pressure <120/80 mmHg and fasting blood glucose <100 mg/dL. Our objective was to assess the association between these LS7 metrics and the incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 6,479 participants of the PREDIMED study were included. We calculated the participants' baseline LS7 index ranging 0-7 points to categorize them according to their adherence to these LS7 health metrics. Multivariable Cox regression models were used to estimate Hazard Ratios (HR) and their 95% Confidence Intervals (95% CI). After a median follow-up of 4.8 years, we identified 250 incident cases of AF. After adjusting for potential confounders, adherence to LS7 index was not associated with the incidence of AF (adjusted HR 0.90 [95% CI: 0.56-1.45] for highest vs. lowest LS7 categories). Body mass index <25 kg/m2 was the only health metric individually associated with a lower risk of AF (HR 0.36 [95% CI: 0.16-0.78]). CONCLUSIONS: In a high cardiovascular risk Spanish population, adherence to American Heart Association's LS7 metrics was not associated with the risk of incident AF. CLINICAL TRIALS NUMBER: ISRCTN35739639.

High consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with increased risk of micronutrient inadequacy in children: The SENDO project.

Due to its rising prevalence, which parallels that of ultraprocessed food (UPF) consumption, inadequate micronutrient intake in childhood is a public health concern. This study aimed to evaluate the association between UPF consumption and inadequate intake of 20 micronutrients in a sample of children from the Mediterranean area. Cross-sectional information from participants in the "Seguimiento del Niño para un Desarrollo Óptimo" (SENDO) project 2015-2021 was used. Dietary information was gathered with a previously validated 147-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire and the NOVA system was used to classify food items. Children were classified by tertiles of energy intake from UPF. Twenty micronutrients were evaluated, and inadequate intake was defined using the estimated average requirement as a cutoff. Crude and multivariable adjusted OR (95% CI) for the inadequacy of ≥ 3 micronutrients associated with UPF consumption were calculated fitting hierarchical models to take into account intra-cluster correlation between siblings. Analyses were adjusted for individual and family confounders. This study included 806 participants (51% boys) with a mean age of 5 years old (SD: 0.90) and an average energy intake from UPF of 37.64% (SD: 9.59). An inverse association between UPF consumption and the intake of 15 out of the 20 micronutrients evaluated was found (p < 0.01). After the adjustment for individual and family confounders, compared with children in the first tertile of UPF consumption, those in the third tertile showed higher odds of inadequate intake of ≥ 3 micronutrients (OR 2.57; 95%CI [1.51-4.40]).    Conclusion: High UPF consumption is associated with increased odds of inadequate intake of micronutrients in childhood. What is Known: • Micronutrient deficiency is among the 20 most important risk factors for disease and affect around two billion people worldwide. • UPF are rich in total fat, carbohydrates and added sugar, but poor in vitamins and minerals. What is New: • Compared with children in the 1st tertile of UPF consumption, those in the 3rd tertile had 2.57 times higher odds (95% CI: 1.51-4.40) of inadequate intake of ≥ 3 micronutrients after adjusting for potential confounders. • The adjusted proportions of children with inadequate intake of ≥ 3 micronutrients were 23%, 27% and 35% in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd tertiles of UPF consumption respectively.

Metabolic syndrome criteria and severity and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in an adult population.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) has become a growing risk factor of some non-communicable diseases. Increase of greenhouse gas emissions affects the planet. AIMS: To assess the association between MetS severity and amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted in an adult population. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study (n = 6646; 55-76-year-old-men; 60-75-year-old-women with MetS). METHODS: Dietary habits were assessed using a pre-validated semi quantitative 143-item food frequency questionnaire. The amount of CO2 emitted due to the production of food consumed by person and day was calculated using a European database, and the severity of the MetS was calculated with the MetS Severity Score. RESULTS: Higher glycaemia levels were found in people with higher CO2 emissions. The risk of having high severe MetS was related to high CO2 emissions. CONCLUSIONS: Low CO2 emissions diet would help to reduce MetS severity. Advantages for both health and the environment were found following a more sustainable diet. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN, ISRCTN89898870 . Registered 05 September 2013.

Higher adherence to the Mediterranean Diet is associated with lower micronutrient inadequacy in children: the SENDO project.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether the Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) is associated with lower micronutrients inadequacy in a sample of Spanish preschoolers. DESIGN: We conducted a cross-sectional study with 4-5-year-old children participating in the SENDO project. Information was gathered through an online questionnaire completed by parents. Dietary information was collected with a previously validated semi-quantitative FFQ. The estimated average requirements or adequate intake levels as proposed by the Institute of Medicine were used as cut-off point to define inadequate intake. STATISTICAL ANALYSES: Crude and multivariable adjusted estimates were calculated with generalised estimated equations to account for intra-cluster correlation between siblings. PARTICIPANTS: We used baseline information of 1153 participants enrolled in the SENDO project between January 2015 and June 2022. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: OR and 95 % CI of presenting an inadequate intake of ≥ 3 micronutrients associated with the MedDiet. RESULTS: The adjusted proportion of children with inadequate intake of ≥ 3 micronutrients was 27·2 %, 13·5 % and 8·1 % in the categories of low, medium and high adherence to the MedDiet, respectively. After adjusting for all potential confounders, children who had a low adherence to the MedDiet showed a significant lower odds of inadequate intake of ≥ 3 micronutrients compared to those with a high adherence (OR 9·85; 95 % CI 3·33, 29·09). CONCLUSION: Lower adherence to the MedDiet is associated with higher odds of nutritional inadequacy.

The Mediterranean Lifestyle and the Risk of Depression in Middle-Aged Adults.

BACKGROUND: Recent evidence has indicated a greater number of protective factors are associated with a greater decreased risk for depression and depressive symptoms compared with individual factors alone. Moreover, adherence to healthy modifiable lifestyle behaviors may lower the risk of depression regardless of underlying genetic risk. OBJECTIVES: We longitudinally evaluated the association of the Mediterranean lifestyle (MEDLIFE) with the risk of depression. METHODS: We prospectively analyzed data from 15,279 participants (6089 men and 9190 women, mean age 37 y) in the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra cohort. The MEDLIFE index is composed of 28 items on food consumption, dietary habits, physical activity, rest, social habits, and conviviality, each of which was assigned 0 or 1 point. Final scores ranged from 0 to 28 points and were categorized into quartiles of MEDLIFE adherence. Cox proportional regression models determined the association of total MEDLIFE adherence, each item, and block with incident depression. RESULTS: After a mean follow-up of 11.7 y, 912 (6%) incident cases of depression were reported. The mean ± SD final score for MEDLIFE adherence was 11.9 ± 2.7 points. The multivariable model showed that compared with the first quartile, the second and third quartiles of MEDLIFE adherence were significantly associated with a decreased relative risk for incident depression (HR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.69, 0.96 and HR: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.61, 0.89, respectively). The fourth quartile did not show a statistically significant association with incident depression (HR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.73, 1.09). CONCLUSIONS: MEDLIFE adherence may decrease the risk of depression in a Spanish cohort of university graduates. Given no clear association was observed among the highest MEDLIFE adherence, future studies are warranted to better understand the nature of this association. Evidence on MEDLIFE, beyond the Mediterranean diet, may contribute toward more effective prevention strategies for depression.

Impulsivity is longitudinally associated with healthy and unhealthy dietary patterns in individuals with overweight or obesity and metabolic syndrome within the framework of the PREDIMED-Plus trial.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have analyzed the associations between impulsivity and dietary patterns. Some of them have shown a cross-sectional inverse relationship between impulsivity and healthy diet scores, whereas others reported a positive association with unhealthy dietary assessments. We aimed to examine longitudinal associations of impulsivity trait with adherence to healthy and unhealthy dietary patterns in older participants at high risk of cardiovascular disease over 3 years of follow-up. METHODS: A 3-year prospective cohort analysis within the PREDIMED-Plus-Cognition study conducted in 4 PREDIMED-Plus study centers was performed. The PREDIMED-Plus study aimed to test the beneficial effect of a lifestyle intervention on the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. The participants with overweight or obesity and metabolic syndrome included in the present study (n = 462; mean age of 65.3 years; 51.5% female) completed both the UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale (range: 0-236 points) and the 143-item Food Frequency Questionnaire at baseline, 1-year and 3-years of follow-up. Ten diet scores assessing healthy and unhealthy dietary patterns were evaluated. Linear mixed models were performed adjusting by several confounders to study the longitudinal associations between impulsivity trait and adherence to dietary pattern scores over 3 years of follow-up (also assessing interactions by sex, age, and intervention group). RESULTS: Impulsivity were negatively associated with adherence to the Healthy Plant-Based [ß = -0.92 (95%CI -1.67, -0.16)], Mediterranean [ß = -0.43 (95%CI -0.79, -0.07)], Energy-Restricted Mediterranean [ß = -0.76 (95%CI -1.16, -0.37)], Alternative Healthy Eating Index [ß = -0.88 (95%CI -1.52, -0.23)], Portfolio [ß = -0.57 (95%CI -0.91, -0.22)], and DASH [ß = -0.50 (95%CI -0.79, -0.22)] diet scores over 3 years of follow-up, whereas impulsivity was positively related with adherence to the unhealthy Western diet [ß = 1.59 (95%CI 0.59, 2.58)] over time. An interaction by intervention group was found, with those participants in the intervention group with high impulsivity levels having lower adherence to several healthy dietary patterns. CONCLUSIONS: Heightened impulsivity was longitudinally associated with lower adherence to healthy dietary patterns and higher adherence to the Western diet over 3 years of follow-up. Furthermore, nutritional intervention programs should consider impulsivity as a relevant factor for the intervention success. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Name of registry: Effect of an energy-restricted Mediterranean diet, physical activity and behavioral intervention on the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN 89,898,870. Date of registration: 05/28/2014.

Integrative development of a short screening questionnaire of highly processed food consumption (sQ-HPF).

BACKGROUND: Recent lifestyle changes include increased consumption of highly processed foods (HPF), which has been associated with an increased risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). However, nutritional information relies on the estimation of HPF consumption from food-frequency questionnaires (FFQ) that are not explicitly developed for this purpose. We aimed to develop a short screening questionnaire of HPF consumption (sQ-HPF) that integrates criteria from the existing food classification systems. METHODS: Data from 4400 participants (48.1% female and 51.9% male, 64.9 ± 4.9 years) of the Spanish PREDIMED-Plus ("PREvention with MEDiterranean DIet") trial were used for this analysis. Items from the FFQ were classified according to four main food processing-based classification systems (NOVA, IARC, IFIC and UNC). Participants were classified into tertiles of HPF consumption according to each system. Using binomial logistic regression, food groups associated with agreement in the highest tertile for at least two classification systems were chosen as items for the questionnaire. ROC analysis was used to determine cut-off points for the frequency of consumption of each item, from which a score was calculated. Internal consistency of the questionnaire was assessed through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and Cronbach's analysis, and agreement with the four classifications was assessed with weighted kappa coefficients. RESULTS: Regression analysis identified 14 food groups (items) associated with high HPF consumption for at least two classification systems. EFA showed that items were representative contributors of a single underlying factor, the "HPF dietary pattern" (factor loadings around 0.2). We constructed a questionnaire asking about the frequency of consumption of those items. The threshold frequency of consumption was selected using ROC analysis. Comparison of the four classification systems and the sQ-HPF showed a fair to high agreement. Significant changes in lifestyle characteristics were detected across tertiles of the sQ-HPF score. Longitudinal changes in HPF consumption were also detected by the sQ-HPF, concordantly with existing classification systems. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a practical tool to measure HPF consumption, the sQ-HPF. This may be a valuable instrument to study its relationship with NCDs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Retrospectively registered at the International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Registry ( ISRCTN89898870 ) on July 24, 2014.