Healthy lifestyle change and all-cause and cancer mortality in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort.

BACKGROUND: Healthy lifestyles are inversely associated with the risk of noncommunicable diseases, which are leading causes of death. However, few studies have used longitudinal data to assess the impact of changing lifestyle behaviours on all-cause and cancer mortality. METHODS: Within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort, lifestyle profiles of 308,497 cancer-free adults (71% female) aged 35-70 years at recruitment across nine countries were assessed with baseline and follow-up questionnaires administered on average of 7 years apart. A healthy lifestyle index (HLI), assessed at two time points, combined information on smoking status, alcohol intake, body mass index, and physical activity, and ranged from 0 to 16 units. A change score was calculated as the difference between HLI at baseline and follow-up. Associations between HLI change and all-cause and cancer mortality were modelled with Cox regression, and the impact of changing HLI on accelerating mortality rate was estimated by rate advancement periods (RAP, in years). RESULTS: After the follow-up questionnaire, participants were followed for an average of 9.9 years, with 21,696 deaths (8407 cancer deaths) documented. Compared to participants whose HLIs remained stable (within one unit), improving HLI by more than one unit was inversely associated with all-cause and cancer mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.84; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.81, 0.88; and HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.82, 0.92; respectively), while worsening HLI by more than one unit was associated with an increase in mortality (all-cause mortality HR: 1.26; 95% CI: 1.20, 1.33; cancer mortality HR: 1.19; 95% CI: 1.09, 1.29). Participants who worsened HLI by more than one advanced their risk of death by 1.62 (1.44, 1.96) years, while participants who improved HLI by the same amount delayed their risk of death by 1.19 (0.65, 2.32) years, compared to those with stable HLI. CONCLUSIONS: Making healthier lifestyle changes during adulthood was inversely associated with all-cause and cancer mortality and delayed risk of death. Conversely, making unhealthier lifestyle changes was positively associated with mortality and an accelerated risk of death.

Association of body shape phenotypes and body fat distribution indexes with inflammatory biomarkers in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) and UK Biobank.

BACKGROUND: The allometric body shape index (ABSI) and hip index (HI), as well as multi-trait body shape phenotypes, have not yet been compared in their associations with inflammatory markers. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between novel and traditional anthropometric indexes with inflammation using data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) and UK Biobank cohorts. METHODS: Participants from EPIC (n = 17,943, 69.1% women) and UK Biobank (n = 426,223, 53.2% women) with data on anthropometric indexes and C-reactive protein (CRP) were included in this cross-sectional analysis. A subset of women in EPIC also had at least one measurement for interleukins, tumour necrosis factor alpha, interferon gamma, leptin, and adiponectin. Four distinct body shape phenotypes were derived by a principal component (PC) analysis on height, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist (WC) and hip circumferences (HC), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). PC1 described overall adiposity, PC2 tall with low WHR, PC3 tall and centrally obese, and PC4 high BMI and weight with low WC and HC, suggesting an athletic phenotype. ABSI, HI, waist-to-height ratio and waist-to-hip index (WHI) were also calculated. Linear regression models were carried out separately in EPIC and UK Biobank stratified by sex and adjusted for age, smoking status, education, and physical activity. Results were additionally combined in a random-effects meta-analysis. RESULTS: Traditional anthropometric indexes, particularly BMI, WC, and weight were positively associated with CRP levels, in men and women. Body shape phenotypes also showed distinct associations with CRP. Specifically, PC2 showed inverse associations with CRP in EPIC and UK Biobank in both sexes, similarly to height. PC3 was inversely associated with CRP among women, whereas positive associations were observed among men. CONCLUSIONS: Specific indexes of body size and body fat distribution showed differential associations with inflammation in adults. Notably, our results suggest that in women, height may mitigate the impact of a higher WC and HC on inflammation. This suggests that subtypes of adiposity exhibit substantial variation in their inflammatory potential, which may have implications for inflammation-related chronic diseases.

Multimorbidity in middle-aged women and COVID-19: binary data clustering for unsupervised binning of rare multimorbidity features and predictive modeling.

BACKGROUND: Multimorbidity is typically associated with deficient health-related quality of life in mid-life, and the likelihood of developing multimorbidity in women is elevated. We address the issue of data sparsity in non-prevalent features by clustering the binary data of various rare medical conditions in a cohort of middle-aged women. This study aims to enhance understanding of how multimorbidity affects COVID-19 severity by clustering rare medical conditions and combining them with prevalent features for predictive modeling. The insights gained can guide the development of targeted interventions and improved management strategies for individuals with multiple health conditions. METHODS: The study focuses on a cohort of 4477 female patients, (aged 45-60) in Piedmont, Italy, and utilizes their multimorbidity data prior to the COVID-19 pandemic from their medical history from 2015 to 2019. The COVID-19 severity is determined by the hospitalization status of the patients from February to May 2020. Each patient profile in the dataset is depicted as a binary vector, where each feature denotes the presence or absence of a specific multimorbidity condition. By clustering the sparse medical data, newly engineered features are generated as a bin of features, and they are combined with the prevalent features for COVID-19 severity predictive modeling. RESULTS: From sparse data consisting of 174 input features, we have created a low-dimensional feature matrix of 17 features. Machine Learning algorithms are applied to the reduced sparsity-free data to predict the Covid-19 hospital admission outcome. The performance obtained for the corresponding models are as follows: Logistic Regression (accuracy 0.72, AUC 0.77, F1-score 0.69), Linear Discriminant Analysis (accuracy 0.7, AUC 0.77, F1-score 0.67), and Ada Boost (accuracy 0.7, AUC 0.77, F1-score 0.68). CONCLUSION: Mapping higher-dimensional data to a low-dimensional space can result in information loss, but reducing sparsity can be beneficial for Machine Learning modeling due to improved predictive ability. In this study, we addressed the issue of data sparsity in electronic health records and created a model that incorporates both prevalent and rare medical conditions, leading to more accurate and effective predictive modeling. The identification of complex associations between multimorbidity and the severity of COVID-19 highlights potential areas of focus for future research, including long COVID and intervention efforts.

Lifestyle changes in middle age and risk of cancer: evidence from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition.

In this study, we aimed to provide novel evidence on the impact of changing lifestyle habits on cancer risk. In the EPIC cohort, 295,865 middle-aged participants returned a lifestyle questionnaire at baseline and during follow-up. At both timepoints, we calculated a healthy lifestyle index (HLI) score based on cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass index and physical activity. HLI ranged from 0 (most unfavourable) to 16 (most favourable). We estimated the association between HLI change and risk of lifestyle-related cancers-including cancer of the breast, lung, colorectum, stomach, liver, cervix, oesophagus, bladder, and others-using Cox regression models. We reported hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Median time between the two questionnaires was 5.7 years, median age at follow-up questionnaire was 59 years. After the follow-up questionnaire, we observed 14,933 lifestyle-related cancers over a median follow-up of 7.8 years. Each unit increase in the HLI score was associated with 4% lower risk of lifestyle-related cancers (HR 0.96; 95%CI 0.95-0.97). Among participants in the top HLI third at baseline (HLI > 11), those in the bottom third at follow-up (HLI ≤ 9) had 21% higher risk of lifestyle-related cancers (HR 1.21; 95%CI 1.07-1.37) than those remaining in the top third. Among participants in the bottom HLI third at baseline, those in the top third at follow-up had 25% lower risk of lifestyle-related cancers (HR 0.75; 95%CI 0.65-0.86) than those remaining in the bottom third. These results indicate that lifestyle changes in middle age may have a significant impact on cancer risk.

[The study of migrant and immigrant population from the syndemic point of view]. / Lo studio delle popolazioni migranti e immigrate dal punto di vista sindemico.

The study of health of migrant and immigrant populations is of particular interest and actual in recent years, and there is a lack of research assessing aspects of aging of permanently resident immigrants, chronic non-communicable diseases, multimorbidity, and study of second generations. This contribution proposes to describe the relationship between health and immigration and their association with frailty through the anthropological concept of syndemics. Syndemics represents a set of closely interconnected and mutually enhancing health problems, significantly influencing the overall health status of a population. This occurs within the context of a perpetual pattern of harmful social conditions. Among the syndemics described in the literature, the most interesting in this area is the one concerning the increased frailty due to the interaction among diabetes, depression, immigration, and social distress, called VIDDA (Violence, Immigration, Depression, Diabetes, and Abuse), first identified in Mexican immigrant women in the United States. The main limitation of using the syndemic approach to study the health of immigrant populations is the difficulty in moving from the anthropological, primarily qualitative approach to the epidemiological-quantitative approach. Despite this, the epidemiological study of immigrant populations could benefit from the syndemic approach, because it can better describe complex causal relationships and provide evidence for modification of the clinical approach.

[Training of operators in the care of immigrants: a public health tool for containing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in this population group]. / La formazione del personale dedicato alla presa in carico delle persone immigrate: uno strumento di sanità pubblica per il contenimento degli effetti della pandemia di COVID-19 in questo gruppo di popolazione.

The COVID-19 pandemic has modified the burden of disease in the population in various ways, depending on different social and economic conditions. Consequently, the pandemic has amplified health disparities, especially among the frail populations. During the pandemic, the incidence among immigrants showed a one- or two-week delay compared to natives, possibly due to delays in diagnosis and access to treatment. Health Authorities had to think new intervention strategies. As part of a project to contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2 among immigrants in Italy, training emerged as a strategic intervention objective. The training included project areas that assessed the impact of the pandemic and public health intervention on immigrants and incorporated best practices from local experiences. The training was addressed to healthcare and social workers and aimed at building institutional networks and skills in caring for vulnerable people. Additionally, the training course was designed to be adaptable and applicable in other emergency contexts.

Baseline and lifetime alcohol consumption and risk of skin cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort (EPIC).

Experimental evidence suggests that alcohol induces cutaneous carcinogenesis, yet epidemiological studies on the link between alcohol intake and skin cancer have been inconsistent. The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) is a prospective cohort initiated in 1992 in 10 European countries. Alcohol intake at baseline and average lifetime alcohol intake were assessed using validated country-specific dietary and lifestyle questionnaires. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated in Cox models. A total of 14 037 skin cancer cases (melanoma: n = 2457; basal-cell carcinoma (BCC): n = 8711; squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC): n = 1928; unknown: n = 941) were identified among 450 112 participants (average follow-up: 15 years). Baseline alcohol intake was positively associated with SCC (>15 vs 0.1-4.9 g/day: HR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.17-1.77; Ptrend  = .001), BCC (HR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.01-1.23; Ptrend  = .04), and melanoma risks in men (HR = 1.17, 95% CI = 0.95-1.44; Ptrend  = .17), while associations were more modest in women (SCC: HR = 1.09, 95% CI = 0.90-1.30; Ptrend  = .13; BCC: HR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.00-1.17, Ptrend  = .03; melanoma: HR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.80-1.08, Ptrend  = .13). Associations were similar for lifetime alcohol intake, with an attenuated linear trend. Lifetime liquor/spirit intake was positively associated with melanoma (fourth vs first quartile: HR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.08-1.99; Ptrend  = .0009) and BCC risks in men (HR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.04-1.31; Ptrend  = .14). Baseline and lifetime intakes of wine were associated with BCC risk (HR = 1.25 in men; HR = 1.11-1.12; in women). No statistically significant associations were found between beverage types and SCC risk. Intake of beer was not associated with skin cancer risk. Our study suggests positive relationships between alcohol intake and skin cancer risk, which may have important implications for the primary prevention of skin cancer.

Dietary intake of total, heme and non-heme iron and the risk of colorectal cancer in a European prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Iron is an essential micronutrient with differing intake patterns and metabolism between men and women. Epidemiologic evidence on the association of dietary iron and its heme and non-heme components with colorectal cancer (CRC) development is inconclusive. METHODS: We examined baseline dietary questionnaire-assessed intakes of total, heme, and non-heme iron and CRC risk in the EPIC cohort. Sex-specific multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed using Cox regression. We modelled substitution of a 1 mg/day of heme iron intake with non-heme iron using the leave one-out method. RESULTS: Of 450,105 participants (318,680 women) followed for 14.2 ± 4.0 years, 6162 (3511 women) developed CRC. In men, total iron intake was not associated with CRC risk (highest vs. lowest quintile, HRQ5vs.Q1:0.88; 95%CI:0.73, 1.06). An inverse association was observed for non-heme iron (HRQ5vs.Q1:0.80, 95%CI:0.67, 0.96) whereas heme iron showed a non-significant association (HRQ5vs.Q1:1.10; 95%CI:0.96, 1.27). In women, CRC risk was not associated with intakes of total (HRQ5vs.Q1:1.11, 95%CI:0.94, 1.31), heme (HRQ5vs.Q1:0.95; 95%CI:0.84, 1.07) or non-heme iron (HRQ5vs.Q1:1.03, 95%CI:0.88, 1.20). Substitution of heme with non-heme iron demonstrated lower CRC risk in men (HR:0.94; 95%CI: 0.89, 0.99). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest potential sex-specific CRC risk associations for higher iron consumption that may differ by dietary sources.

Body mass index and cancer risk among adults with and without cardiometabolic diseases: evidence from the EPIC and UK Biobank prospective cohort studies.

BACKGROUND: Whether cancer risk associated with a higher body mass index (BMI), a surrogate measure of adiposity, differs among adults with and without cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and/or type 2 diabetes (T2D) is unclear. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate separate and joint associations of BMI and CVD/T2D with the risk of cancer. METHODS: This is an individual participant data meta-analysis of two prospective cohort studies, the UK Biobank (UKB) and the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and nutrition (EPIC), with a total of 577,343 adults, free of cancer, T2D, and CVD at recruitment. We used Cox proportional hazard regressions to estimate multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for associations between BMI and incidence of obesity-related cancer and in turn overall cancer with a multiplicative interaction between BMI and the two cardiometabolic diseases (CMD). HRs and 95% CIs for separate and joint associations for categories of overweight/obesity and CMD status were estimated, and additive interaction was quantified through relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI). RESULTS: In the meta-analysis of both cohorts, BMI (per ~ 5 kg/m2) was positively associated with the risk of obesity-related cancer among participants without a CMD (HR: 1.11, 95%CI: 1.07,1.16), among participants with T2D (HR: 1.11, 95% CI: 1.05,1.18), among participants with CVD (HR: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.11,1.24), and suggestively positive among those with both T2D and CVD (HR: 1.09, 95% CI: 0.94,1.25). An additive interaction between obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) and CVD with the risk of overall cancer translated into a meta-analytical RERI of 0.28 (95% CI: 0.09-0.47). CONCLUSIONS: Irrespective of CMD status, higher BMI increased the risk of obesity-related cancer among European adults. The additive interaction between obesity and CVD suggests that obesity prevention would translate into a greater cancer risk reduction among population groups with CVD than among the general population.

Clinical Predictors and Biomarkers in Children With Sepsis and Bacterial Meningitis.

OBJECTIVES: Sepsis and meningitis in children may present with different clinical features and a wide range of values of inflammatory markers. The aim of this study was to identify the prognostic value of clinical features and biomarkers in children with sepsis and bacterial meningitis in the emergency department (ED). METHODS: We carried out a single-center, retrospective, observational study on 194 children aged 0 to 14 years with sepsis and bacterial meningitis admitted to the pediatric ED of a tertiary children's hospital through 12 years. RESULTS: Among epidemiological and early clinical features, age older than 12 months, capillary refill time greater than 3 seconds, and oxygen blood saturation lower than 90% were significantly associated with unfavorable outcomes, along with neurological signs ( P < 0.05). Among laboratory tests, only procalcitonin was an accurate and early prognostic biomarker for sepsis and bacterial meningitis in the ED, both on admission and after 24 hours. Procalcitonin cut-off value on admission for short-term complications was 19.6 ng/mL, whereas the cut-off values for long-term sequelae were 19.6 ng/mL on admission and 41.9 ng/mL after 24 hours, respectively. The cut-off values for mortality were 18.9 ng/mL on admission and 62.4 ng/mL at 24 hours. CONCLUSIONS: Procalcitonin, along with clinical evaluation, can guide the identification of children at higher risk of morbidity and mortality, allowing the most appropriate monitoring and treatment.

An Epidemiological Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis on Biomarker Role of Circulating MicroRNAs in Breast Cancer Incidence.

Breast cancer (BC) is a multifactorial disease caused by an interaction between genetic predisposition and environmental exposures. MicroRNAs are a group of small non-coding RNA molecules, which seem to have a role either as tumor suppressor genes or oncogenes and seem to be related to cancer risk factors. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify circulating microRNAs related to BC diagnosis, paying special attention to methodological problems in this research field. A meta-analysis was performed for microRNAs analyzed in at least three independent studies where sufficient data to make analysis were presented. Seventy-five studies were included in the systematic review. A meta-analysis was performed for microRNAs analyzed in at least three independent studies where sufficient data to make analysis were presented. Seven studies were included in the MIR21 and MIR155 meta-analysis, while four studies were included in the MIR10b metanalysis. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of MIR21 for BC diagnosis were 0.86 (95%CI 0.76-0.93) and 0.84 (95%CI 0.71-0.92), 0.83 (95%CI 0.72-0.91) and 0.90 (95%CI 0.69-0.97) for MIR155, and 0.56 (95%CI 0.32-0.71) and 0.95 (95%CI 0.88-0.98) for MIR10b, respectively. Several other microRNAs were found to be dysregulated, distinguishing BC patients from healthy controls. However, there was little consistency between included studies, making it difficult to identify specific microRNAs useful for diagnosis.

Identifying MicroRNAs Suitable for Detection of Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review of Discovery Phases Studies on MicroRNA Expression Profiles.

The analysis of circulating tumor cells and tumor-derived materials, such as circulating tumor DNA, circulating miRNAs (cfmiRNAs), and extracellular vehicles provides crucial information in cancer research. CfmiRNAs, a group of short noncoding regulatory RNAs, have gained attention as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. This review focuses on the discovery phases of cfmiRNA studies in breast cancer patients, aiming to identify altered cfmiRNA levels compared to healthy controls. A systematic literature search was conducted, resulting in 16 eligible publications. The studies included a total of 585 breast cancer cases and 496 healthy controls, with diverse sample types and different cfmiRNA assay panels. Several cfmiRNAs, including MIR16, MIR191, MIR484, MIR106a, and MIR193b, showed differential expressions between breast cancer cases and healthy controls. However, the studies had a high risk of bias and lacked standardized protocols. The findings highlight the need for robust study designs, standardized procedures, and larger sample sizes in discovery phase studies. Furthermore, the identified cfmiRNAs can serve as potential candidates for further validation studies in different populations. Improving the design and implementation of cfmiRNA research in liquid biopsies may enhance their clinical diagnostic utility in breast cancer patients.

Diet-wide association study of 92 foods and nutrients and lung cancer risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study and the Netherlands Cohort Study.

It is unclear whether diet, and in particular certain foods or nutrients, are associated with lung cancer risk. We assessed associations of 92 dietary factors with lung cancer risk in 327 790 participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Cox regression yielded adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) per SD higher intake/day of each food/nutrient. Correction for multiple comparisons was performed using the false discovery rate and identified associations were evaluated in the Netherlands Cohort Study (NLCS). In EPIC, 2420 incident lung cancer cases were identified during a median of 15 years of follow-up. Higher intakes of fibre (HR per 1 SD higher intake/day = 0.91, 95% CI 0.87-0.96), fruit (HR = 0.91, 95% CI 0.86-0.96) and vitamin C (HR = 0.91, 95% CI 0.86-0.96) were associated with a lower risk of lung cancer, whereas offal (HR = 1.08, 95% CI 1.03-1.14), retinol (HR = 1.06, 95% CI 1.03-1.10) and beer/cider (HR = 1.04, 95% CI 1.02-1.07) intakes were positively associated with lung cancer risk. Associations did not differ by sex and there was less evidence for associations among never smokers. None of the six associations with overall lung cancer risk identified in EPIC were replicated in the NLCS (2861 cases), however in analyses of histological subtypes, inverse associations of fruit and vitamin C with squamous cell carcinoma were replicated in the NLCS. Overall, there is little evidence that intakes of specific foods and nutrients play a major role in primary lung cancer risk, but fruit and vitamin C intakes seem to be inversely associated with squamous cell lung cancer.

A Prospective Diet-Wide Association Study for Risk of Colorectal Cancer in EPIC.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Evidence regarding the association of dietary exposures with colorectal cancer (CRC) risk is not consistent with a few exceptions. Therefore, we conducted a diet-wide association study (DWAS) in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) to evaluate the associations between several dietary exposures with CRC risk. METHODS: The association of 92 food and nutrient intakes with CRC risk was assessed in 386,792 participants, 5069 of whom developed incident CRC. Correction for multiple comparisons was performed using the false discovery rate, and emerging associations were examined in the Netherlands Cohort Study (NLCS). Multiplicative gene-nutrient interactions were also tested in EPIC based on known CRC-associated loci. RESULTS: In EPIC, alcohol, liquor/spirits, wine, beer/cider, soft drinks, and pork were positively associated with CRC, whereas milk, cheese, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin B6, beta carotene, fruit, fiber, nonwhite bread, banana, and total protein intakes were inversely associated. Of these 20 associations, 13 were replicated in the NLCS, for which a meta-analysis was performed, namely alcohol (summary hazard ratio [HR] per 1-SD increment in intake: 1.07; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-1.09), liquor/spirits (HR per 1-SD increment in intake, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02-1.06), wine (HR per 1-SD increment in intake, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02-1.07), beer/cider (HR per 1-SD increment in intake, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.04-1.08), milk (HR per 1-SD increment in intake, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.93-0.98), cheese (HR per 1-SD increment in intake, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.94-0.99), calcium (HR per 1-SD increment in intake, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.90-0.95), phosphorus (HR per 1-SD increment in intake, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.90-0.95), magnesium (HR per 1-SD increment in intake, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.92-0.98), potassium (HR per 1-SD increment in intake, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.94-0.99), riboflavin (HR per 1-SD increment in intake, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.92-0.97), beta carotene (HR per 1-SD increment in intake, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.93-0.98), and total protein (HR per 1-SD increment in intake, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.92-0.97). None of the gene-nutrient interactions were significant after adjustment for multiple comparisons. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings confirm a positive association for alcohol and an inverse association for dairy products and calcium with CRC risk, and also suggest a lower risk at higher dietary intakes of phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, riboflavin, beta carotene, and total protein.

Impact of cumulative body mass index and cardiometabolic diseases on survival among patients with colorectal and breast cancer: a multi-centre cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Body mass index (BMI) and cardiometabolic comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes have been studied as negative prognostic factors in cancer survival, but possible dependencies in the mechanisms underlying these associations remain largely unexplored. We analysed these associations in colorectal and breast cancer patients. METHODS: Based on repeated BMI assessments of cancer-free participants from four European countries in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and nutrition (EPIC) study, individual BMI-trajectories reflecting predicted mean BMI between ages 20 to 50 years were estimated using a growth curve model. Participants with incident colorectal or breast cancer after the age of 50 years were included in the survival analysis to study the prognostic effect of mean BMI and cardiometabolic diseases (CMD) prior to cancer. CMD were defined as one or more chronic conditions among stroke, myocardial infarction, and type 2 diabetes. Hazard ratios (HRs) and confidence intervals (CIs) of mean BMI and CMD were derived using multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazard regression for mean BMI and CMD separately and both exposures combined, in subgroups of localised and advanced disease. RESULTS: In the total cohort of 159,045 participants, there were 1,045 and 1,620 eligible patients of colorectal and breast cancer. In colorectal cancer patients, a higher BMI (by 1 kg/m2) was associated with a 6% increase in risk of death (95% CI of HR: 1.02-1.10). The HR for CMD was 1.25 (95% CI: 0.97-1.61). The associations for both exposures were stronger in patients with localised colorectal cancer. In breast cancer patients, a higher BMI was associated with a 4% increase in risk of death (95% CI: 1.00-1.08). CMDs were associated with a 46% increase in risk of death (95% CI: 1.01-2.09). The estimates and CIs for BMI remained similar after adjustment for CMD and vice versa. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that cumulative exposure to higher BMI during early to mid-adulthood was associated with poorer survival in patients with breast and colorectal cancer, independent of CMD prior to cancer diagnosis. The association between a CMD diagnosis prior to cancer and survival in patients with breast and colorectal cancer was independent of BMI.

A longitudinal evaluation of alcohol intake throughout adulthood and colorectal cancer risk.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol intake is an established risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC); however, there is limited knowledge on whether changing alcohol drinking habits during adulthood modifies CRC risk. OBJECTIVE: Leveraging longitudinal exposure assessments on alcohol intake at different ages, we examined the relationship between change in alcohol intake and subsequent CRC risk. METHODS: Within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition, changes in alcohol intake comparing follow-up with baseline assessments were investigated in relation to CRC risk. The analysis included 191,180, participants and 1530 incident CRC cases, with exclusion of the first three years of follow-up to minimize reverse causation. Trajectory profiles of alcohol intake, assessed at ages 20, 30, 40, 50 years, at baseline and during follow-up, were estimated using latent class mixed models and related to CRC risk, including 407,605 participants and 5,008 incident CRC cases. RESULTS: Mean age at baseline was 50.2 years and the follow-up assessment occurred on average 7.1 years later. Compared to stable intake, a 12 g/day increase in alcohol intake during follow-up was positively associated with CRC risk (HR = 1.15, 95%CI 1.04, 1.25), while a 12 g/day reduction was inversely associated with CRC risk (HR = 0.86, 95%CI 0.78, 0.95). Trajectory analysis showed that compared to low alcohol intake, men who increased their alcohol intake from early- to mid- and late-adulthood by up to 30 g/day on average had significantly increased CRC risk (HR = 1.24; 95%CI 1.08, 1.42), while no associations were observed in women. Results were consistent by anatomical subsite. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing alcohol intake during mid-to-late adulthood raised CRC risk, while reduction lowered risk.

Use of antipsychotics and long-term risk of parkinsonism.

INTRODUCTION: Few epidemiological studies have assessed the risk of parkinsonisms after prolonged use of neuroleptics. We aimed to examine the long-term risk of degenerative parkinsonisms (DP) associated with previous use of neuroleptics. METHODS: All residents in Piedmont, Northern-west Italy, older than 39 years (2,526,319 subjects), were retrospectively followed up from 2013 to 2017. Exposure to neuroleptics was assessed through the regional archive of drug prescriptions. The development of DP was assessed using the regional archives of both drug prescriptions and hospital admissions. We excluded prevalent DP cases at baseline as well as those occurred in the first 18 months (short-term risk). The risk of DP associated with previous use of neuroleptics was examined through Cox regression, using a matched cohort design. RESULTS: The risk of DP was compared between 63,356 exposed and 316,779 unexposed subjects. A more than threefold higher risk of DP was observed among subjects exposed to antipsychotics, compared to those unexposed (HR = 3.27, 95% CI 3.00-3.57), and was higher for exposure to atypical than typical antipsychotics. The risk decreased after 2 years from therapy cessation but remained significantly elevated (HR = 2.38, 95% CI 1.76-3.21). CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate a high risk of developing DP long time from the start of use and from the cessation for both typical and atypical neuroleptics, suggesting the need of monitoring treated patients even after long-term use and cessation.

Health status assessment of a population of asylum seekers in Northern Italy.

BACKGROUND: Since 2011 Italy has faced an extraordinary increase in migrants arrivals, mainly from the Mediterranean route, one of the world's most dangerous journeys. The purpose of the present article is to provide a comprehensive picture of the migrants' health status in the "T. Fenoglio" centre, Settimo Torinese (Turin, Italy). METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted using data collected from June 2016 to May 2018 on adult migrants (over 18 years old) from Africa, Middle East and South East Asia (Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Nepal). Data was collected through the migrants' medical records. Descriptive statistics were performed on socio-demographic variables. The diagnosed diseases were anonymously registered and classified according to the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC-2). Conditional Inference Trees were used to perform a descriptive analysis of the sample and to detect the covariates with the strongest association with the variables Disease on arrival, Disease after arrival, ICPC on arrival and ICPC after arrival. RESULTS: Analyzed observations were 9 857. 81.8% were men, median age was 23 (Interquartile range: 20.0-27.4). 70.3% of the sample came from Sub-Saharan Africa. 2 365 individuals (24%) arrived at the centre with at least one disease. On arrival, skin (27.71%), respiratory (14.46%), digestive (14.73%) and generic diseases (20.88%) were the most frequent. During the stay respiratory diseases were the most common (25.70%). The highest probability of arriving with a disease occurred in 2018 and during the period September-November 2016, in particular for people from the Horn of Africa. During this period and also in the first half of 2017, skin diseases were the most reported. In seasons with lower prevalence of diseases on arrival the most common disease code was generic for both men and women (usually fever or trauma). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides information on the diverse diseases that affect the asylum seekers population. In our sample, the Horn of Africa was the most troubled area of arrival, with severe conditions frequently reported regarding skin diseases, in particular scabies. 2018 was the most critical year, especially for migrants from the Horn of Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. During the stay at the camp, the prevalence of respiratory diseases increased. However, skin diseases remained the main issue for people from the Horn of Africa. Overall, the most reported diseases in the sample were dermatological, respiratory, digestive and generic diseases, both on arrival and during the stay. A better understanding of the health status of asylum seekers is an important factor to determine a more efficient reception and integration process and a better allocation of economic resources in the context of migrants' health care.

The broad spectrum of COVID-like patients initially negative at RT-PCR testing: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Patients that arrive in the emergency department (ED) with COVID-19-like syndromes testing negative at the first RT-PCR represent a clinical challenge because of the lack of evidence about their management available in the literature. Our first aim was to quantify the proportion of patients testing negative at the first RT-PCR performed in our Emergency Department (ED) that were confirmed as having COVID-19 at the end of hospitalization by clinical judgment or by any subsequent microbiological testing. Secondly, we wanted to identify which variables that were available in the first assessment (ED variables) would have been useful in predicting patients, who at the end of the hospital stay were confirmed as having COVID-19 (false-negative at the first RT-PCR). METHODS: We retrospectively collected data of 115 negative patients from2020, March 1st to 2020, May 15th. Three experts revised patients' charts collecting information on the whole hospital stay and defining patients as COVID-19 or NOT-COVID-19. We compared ED variables in the two groups by univariate analysis and logistic regression. RESULTS: We classified 66 patients as COVID-19 and identified the other 49 as having a differential diagnosis (NOT-COVID), with a concordance between the three experts of 0.77 (95% confidence interval (95%CI) 0.66- 0.73). Only 15% of patients tested positive to a subsequent RT-PCR test, accounting for 25% of the clinically suspected. Having fever (odds ratio (OR) 3.32, (95%CI 0.97-12.31), p = 0.06), showing a typical pattern at the first lung ultrasound (OR 6.09, (95%CI 0.87-54.65), p = 0.08) or computed tomography scan (OR 4.18, (95%CI 1.11-17.86), p = 0.04) were associated with a higher probability of having COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: In patients admitted to ED with COVID-19 symptoms and negative RT-PCR a comprehensive clinical evaluation integrated with lung ultrasound and computed tomography could help to detect COVID-19 patients with a false negative RT-PCR result.

Access to SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic tests: are there barriers for the immigrants in Italy?

OBJECTIVES: to describe the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 infection in relation with the use of nasal swabs in the immigrant population in Italy, using data from the COVID-19 national surveillance system and to verify if a difference is present comparing natives and immigrant. DESIGN: descriptive study based on longitudinal health-administrative data. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: general population of six Italian Regions (Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Lazio) covering about 55% of the resident population and 72% of foreigners' population. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: regional rates of access to at least a nasal swab, separately by country of origin. RESULTS: across all the periods, a lower rate in the foreigners' group was observed, with the only exception of the period May-June 2021. Considering separately High Migratory Pressure Countries (HMPCs) and Highly Developed Countries (HDCs), a higher proportion of nasal swabs performed in people coming from HDC with respect to HMPCs and natives was noticed. This observation is consistent in males and females. CONCLUSIONS: during the first wave of the pandemic, Italians have had a higher proportion of nasal swabs compared to migrants across all Regions. This difference disappeared in the following periods, probably due to a major availability of diagnostic tests.