Dietary Intakes of Community-Dwelling Adults in the United States across Older Adulthood: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015-March 2020.

BACKGROUND: Dietary guidance is set on the basis of age and life stage and defines older adults as ≥60 y. Yet, little is known about if and/or how diet quality differs beyond the age of 60. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare the dietary intakes of 60-69 (n = 2079), 70-79 (n = 1181), and 80+ y old (n = 644) noninstitutionalized men and women in the United States using the Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI) and the What We Eat in America food categories. METHODS: Data were obtained from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015-2016 and 2017-March 2020. HEI and component scores were calculated using the population ratio method. Population estimates for dietary intake were calculated as the average reported over 2 separate nonconsecutive 24-h dietary recalls. RESULTS: In men and women, the reported energy intake was lower among the 80+ y olds (kcal/d men-80+: 1884 ± 30, 70-79: 2022 ± 33, 60-69: 2142 ± 39; women-80+: 1523 ± 36; 70-79: 1525 ± 33, 60-69: 1650 ± 25; P-trend < 0.001). Total HEI scores did not differ significantly across the 3 age categories, but the 80+ y olds had significantly lower scores for the green vegetables and beans component than the 60-69 y olds [men-mean (95% confidence interval): 2.0 (1.5, 2.5) compared with 3.4 (2.6, 4.1); women-2.3 (1.8, 2.8) compared with 4.4 (3.7, 5.0)]. In women, the percentage of daily calories from protein was significantly lower in the 80+ y olds than in the 60-69 and 70-79 y olds (12.9% ± 0.6%, compared with 17.0% ± 0.9% and 15.6% ± 0.6%, respectively). Protein intake did not differ significantly among the 3 age groups in men. The 80+ y old men and women reported consuming a significantly higher percentage of calories from snacks and sweets compared with the 60-69 y olds (men-80+: 18.1% ± 0.8%, 60-69: 15.4% ± 0.7%; women-80+: 19.6% ± 0.8%, 60-69: 15.5% ± 0.7%). CONCLUSION: The diet of 80+ y olds differed from that of 60-69 y olds in some key components, including energy, snacks and sweets, protein, and green vegetables. Future research is needed to determine if there are health-related consequences to these differences.

A theoretical explanation for how a nutrition counseling and medically tailored meal delivery program benefitted participants living with lung cancer.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess participants' perceptions and experiences while participating in a Food is Medicine medically tailored meal plus intensive nutrition counseling intervention to create a theoretical explanation about how the intervention worked. METHODS: This interpretive qualitative study included the use of semi-structured interviews with active participants in a randomized controlled trial aimed at understanding how a medically tailored meal plus nutrition counseling intervention worked for vulnerable individuals with lung cancer treated at four cancer centers across the USA. During the 8-month long study, participants in the intervention arm were asked to be interviewed, which were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using conventional content analysis with principles of grounded theory. RESULTS: Twenty individuals participated. Data analysis resulted in a theoretical explanation of the intervention's mechanism of action. The explanatory process includes three linked and propositional categories leading to patient resilience: engaging in treatment, adjusting to diagnosis, and active coping. The medically tailored meals plus nutrition counseling engaged participants throughout treatment, which helped participants adjust to their diagnosis, leading to active coping through intentional self-care, behavior change, and improved quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide evidence that a Food is Medicine intervention may buffer some of the adversity related to the diagnosis of lung cancer and create a pathway for participants to experience post-traumatic growth, develop resilience, and change behaviors to actively cope with lung cancer. Medically tailored meals plus intensive nutrition counseling informed by motivational interviewing supported individuals' adjustment to their diagnosis and resulted in perceived positive behavior change.

Whole- and Refined-Grain Consumption and Longitudinal Changes in Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in the Framingham Offspring Cohort.

BACKGROUND: Greater whole grain (WG) consumption is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD); however, few prospective studies have examined WG or refined grain (RG) intake and intermediate cardiometabolic risk factors. OBJECTIVES: We examined the longitudinal association between WG and RG intake on changes in waist circumference (WC); fasting HDL cholesterol, triglyceride, and glucose concentrations; and blood pressure. METHODS: Subjects were participants in the Framingham Offspring cohort study [n = 3121; mean ± SD baseline age: 54.9 ± 0.2 y; BMI (kg/m2) 27.2 ± 0.1]. FFQ, health, and lifestyle data were collected approximately every 4 y over a median 18-y follow-up. Repeated measure mixed models were used to estimate adjusted mean changes per 4-y interval in risk factors across increasing categories of WG or RG intake. RESULTS: Greater WG intake was associated with smaller increases in WC (1.4 ± 0.2 compared with 3.0 ± 0.1 cm in the highest compared with the lowest category, respectively; P-trend < 0.001), fasting glucose concentration (0.7 ± 0.4 compared with 2.6 ± 0.2 mg/dL; P-trend < 0.001), and systolic blood pressure (SBP; 0.2 ± 0.5 compared with 1.4 ± 0.3 mm Hg; P-trend < 0.001) per 4-y interval. When stratified by sex, a stronger association with WC was observed among females than males. Higher intake of WG was associated with greater increases in HDL cholesterol and declines in triglyceride concentrations; however, these differences did not remain significant after adjustment for change in WC. Conversely, greater RG intake was associated with greater increases in WC (2.7 ± 0.2 compared with 1.8 ± 0.1 cm, P-trend < 0.001) and less decline in triglyceride concentration (-0.3 ± 1.3 compared with -7.0 ± 0.7 mg/dL, P-trend < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Among middle- to older-age adults, replacing RG with WG may be an effective dietary modification to attenuate abdominal adiposity, dyslipidemia, and hyperglycemia over time, thereby reducing the risk of cardiometabolic diseases.

Flavonoid Intake and MRI Markers of Brain Health in the Framingham Offspring Cohort.

BACKGROUND: Although greater flavonoid intake is associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD), evidence relating dietary flavonoid intake to brain health based on MRI is lacking. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore the association between dietary flavonoid intake and MRI measures of brain health, including total brain tissue volume (TBV), white matter hyperintensities volume (WMHV), and hippocampal volume (HV). METHODS: Eligible subjects included members of the Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort who were free of stroke at exam 7 and had at least 1 valid food frequency questionnaire from exams 5, 6, or 7 (n = 2086; mean age at exam 7, 60.6 y). Flavonoid intakes represented the cumulative mean of intakes across the 3 exams and were categorized based on quartiles categories of intake. TBV, WMHV, and HV were assessed at exam 7. Multiple linear regression models were used to examine the cross-sectional association between total and the 6 classes of flavonoids and the 3 aforementioned MRI measures. RESULTS: The mean (95% CI) of the WMHV of subjects in the highest quartile category of flavan-3-ols [0.56 (0.52, 0.61)] and flavonoid polymers [0.57 (0.52, 0.61)] intake was significantly smaller relative to that of subjects in the lowest quartile category of flavan-3-ols [0.65 (0.60, 0.71)] and flavonoid polymers [0.66 (0.60, 0.71)] after accounting for important demographic, lifestyle, and clinical factors. Inverse trend associations with WMHV were also seen for flavan-3-ols (P = 0.01) and flavonoid polymers (P = 0.01) as well as for total flavonoids (P = 0.01). TBV and HV were not associated with dietary flavonoid intake following the adjustment for potential confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Our results contribute to the literature on flavonoids and ADRD as they suggest that higher flavonoid intakes may affect ADRD risk in middle-aged and older adults by reducing WMHV, a marker strongly associated with ADRD.

Long-term dietary flavonoid intake and change in cognitive function in the Framingham Offspring cohort.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between long-term intake of total and the six classes of dietary flavonoids and decline in cognitive function over a follow-up period of up to 15 years. DESIGN: In this longitudinal study, we evaluated change in eight cognitive domain scores (verbal and visual memory, verbal learning, attention and concentration, abstract reasoning, language, visuoperceptual organisation and the global function) based on three neuropsychological exams and characterised the annualised change between consecutive exams. Long-term intakes of total and six flavonoid classes were assessed up to four times by a validated FFQ. Repeated-measures regression models were used to examine the longitudinal association between total and six flavonoid classes and annualised change in the eight cognitive domains. SETTING: The Framingham Heart Study (FHS), a prospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: One thousand seven hundred and seventy-nine subjects who were free of dementia, aged ≥45 years and had attended at least two of the last three FHS Offspring cohort study exams. RESULTS: Over a median follow-up of 11·8 years with 1779 participants, nominally significant trends towards a slower decline in cognitive function were observed among those with higher flavanol and flavon-3-ol intakes for global function, verbal and visual memory; higher total flavonoids and flavonoid polymers for visual memory; and higher flavanols for verbal learning. CONCLUSIONS: In spite of modest nominal trends, overall, our findings do not support a clear association between higher long-term flavonoid intake and slowing age-related cognitive decline.

Association of nutrition club membership with markers of health: a cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Nutrition clubs (NC) operate in community settings and provide members with nutrition education and meal replacements for weight management. NC are owned and operated by distributors of Herbalife products. There are over 6200 NC in the US, but there has been no independent assessment of the association of these NC with biomarkers of health. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional pilot study to compare the health status of 100 NC members to 100 community-matched controls (CC) in the greater Boston area. Each CC was matched to a NC member for community of residence (zip code), age category, gender, BMI category, race/ethnicity, education level (category), and readiness to make health changes. Measures obtained included cardio-metabolic risk factors, body composition, markers of nutritional status, reported health status, dietary intake, physical activity, sleep and depression. RESULTS: Participants were predominantly female (64%) and Hispanic (73%). NC members had significantly lower fasting insulin (P < 0.001) and lower HbA1c (P = 0.008), higher levels of 25 hydroxy-vitamin D (P = 0.001), and vitamin E:cholesterol ratio (P < 0.001), and lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome (P = 0.02) compared to CC. In addition, most of the NC members (99%) were satisfied with Herbalife NC membership for themselves and their families. A higher percentage of NC members (86%) compared to CC (32%) reported being in much better or somewhat better health compared to a year ago (P < 0.001); and they reported significantly better physical health (P = 0.03), and fewer sleep problems (P = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Herbalife NC membership was positively associated with perceived health and measured cardiometabolic benefits. However, causality cannot be inferred from these findings.

Sugar-Sweetened Beverage but Not Diet Soda Consumption Is Positively Associated with Progression of Insulin Resistance and Prediabetes.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown an inconsistent relation between habitual beverage consumption and insulin resistance and prediabetes. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to test the hypothesis that the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), rather than diet soda, is associated with long-term progression of insulin resistance and the development of prediabetes. METHODS: We analyzed the prospective association between cumulative mean consumption of SSBs or diet soda and incident prediabetes (n = 1685) identified across a median of 14 y of follow-up in participants [mean ± SD age: 51.9 ± 9.2 y; 59.6% women; mean ± SD body mass index (BMI; kg/m2): 26.3 ± 4.4] of the Framingham Offspring cohort. The prospective association between beverage consumption and change in homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR; n = 2076) over ∼7 y was also analyzed. The cumulative mean consumption of SSBs and diet soda was estimated by using food-frequency questionnaires. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models and linear regression models were implemented to estimate the HRs of incident prediabetes and change in HOMA-IR, respectively. RESULTS: After adjustment for multiple potential confounders, including baseline BMI, we observed that SSB intake was positively associated with incident prediabetes (P-trend < 0.001); the highest SSB consumers (>3 servings/wk; median: 6 servings/wk) had a 46% higher risk of developing prediabetes than did the SSB nonconsumers (HR: 1.46; 95% CI: 1.16, 1.83). Higher SSB intake was also associated with a greater increase in HOMA-IR (P-trend = 0.006). No prospective associations were observed between diet soda intake and risk of prediabetes (P-trend = 0.24) or changes in HOMA-IR (P-trend = 0.25). These associations were similar after additional adjustment for change in BMI. CONCLUSION: Regular SSB intake, but not diet soda intake, is associated with a greater increase in insulin resistance and a higher risk of developing prediabetes in a group of middle-aged adults.

Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption is associated with abdominal fat partitioning in healthy adults.

Abdominal adiposity, particularly visceral adipose tissue (VAT), is independently linked to the pathogenesis of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Emerging evidence suggests that greater intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) may be associated with abnormal fat accumulation in VAT. We examined whether habitual SSB consumption and diet soda intakes are differentially associated with deposition of body fat. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using previously collected data in 2596 middle-aged adults (1306 men and 1290 women) from the Framingham Heart Study Offspring and Third Generation cohorts. VAT and abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) were measured using multidetector computed tomography. Habitual intake of SSBs and diet soda was assessed by a validated food frequency questionnaire. We observed that SSB consumption was positively associated with VAT after adjustment for SAT and other potential confounders (P-trend < 0.001). We observed an inverse association between SSB consumption and SAT (P-trend = 0.04) that persisted after additional adjustment for VAT (P-trend < 0.001). Higher SSB consumption was positively associated with the VAT-to-SAT ratio (P-trend < 0.001). No significant association was found between diet soda consumption and either VAT or the VAT-to-SAT ratio, but diet soda was positively associated with SAT (P-trend < 0.001). Daily consumers of SSBs had a 10% higher absolute VAT volume and a 15% greater VAT-to-SAT ratio compared with nonconsumers, whereas consumption of diet soda was not associated with either volume or distribution of VAT.

How a Medically Tailored Meal Intervention with Intensive Nutrition Counseling Created Active Coping with Behavior Change for Vulnerable Patients with Lung Cancer.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess participants' perceptions and experiences while participating in a Food is Medicine medically tailored meal plus nutrition counseling intervention to create a theoretical explanation about how the intervention worked. Methods: This interpretive qualitative study included the use of semi-structured interviews with active intervention participants. Purposeful sampling included vulnerable (uninsured, rural zip code residency, racial/ethnic minority, 65 years old, and/or low-income) individuals with lung cancer treated at four cancer centers across the United States. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using conventional content analysis with principles of grounded theory. Results: Twenty individuals participated. Data analysis resulted in a theoretical explanation of the intervention's mechanism of action. The explanatory process includes 3 linked and propositional categories leading to patient resilience: engaging in treatment, adjusting to diagnosis, and active coping. The medically tailored meals plus intensive nutrition counseling engaged participants throughout treatment, which helped participants adjust to their diagnosis, leading to active coping through intentional self-care, behavior change, and improved quality of life. Conclusions: These findings provide evidence that a food is medicine intervention may buffer some of the adversity related to the diagnosis of lung cancer and create a pathway for participants to experience post-traumatic growth, develop resilience, and change behaviors to actively cope with lung cancer. Medically tailored meals plus intensive nutrition counseling informed by motivational interviewing supported individuals' adjustment to their diagnosis and resulted in perceived positive behavior change.

The Effect of Multi-Vitamin/Multi-Mineral Supplementation on Nutritional Status in Older Adults Receiving Drug Therapies: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Polypharmacy regimens may increase the susceptibility of older adults to micronutrient inadequacy and deficiency via impairment of nutritional status. We hypothesized that a multi-vitamin-mineral supplement (MVMS) could improve nutritional status in older adults prescribed diuretics, metformin, and/or proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, parallel clinical trial in which eligible subjects were instructed to consume either a MVMS or placebo for 16 wk. Fasting blood was collected at baseline, 8, and 16 wk and the status of selected vitamins and minerals determined. Thirty-five and 19 men and women aged 45-75 yrs in the in MVMS and placebo arms, respectively, completed the trial. The mean total number of medications among the three drug classes taken by participants did not differ between two groups. The status of vitamins B1, B12, C and folate and calcium, copper, magnesium and zinc at baseline were within normal ranges. The MVMS group had a greater change in nutrient status after 16 wk compared to the placebo group for serum folate (7.5 vs. -1.6 ng/mL, p < 0.0001), vitamin B12 (159.2 vs. -33.9 pg/mL, p = 0.007), and plasma vitamin C (0.2 vs. 0.0 mg/dL, p = 0.004). Other measured vitamins and minerals were not significantly changed during the intervention. In conclusion, the status of vitamins B12, C and folate improved with MVMS but remained within normal ranges in older adults taking diuretics, metformin, and/or PPIs.

Conjoint Associations of Adherence to Physical Activity and Dietary Guidelines With Cardiometabolic Health: The Framingham Heart Study.

Background The conjoint associations of adherence to the recent physical activity and dietary guidelines with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) are incompletely understood. Methods and Results We evaluated 2379 FHS (Framingham Heart Study) Third Generation participants (mean age, 47 years; 54.4% women) attending examination cycle 2. We examined the cross-sectional relations of adherence to the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (binary; moderate-to-vigorous physical activity ≥150 versus <150 min/wk) and 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (binary; 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans Adherence Index ≥median versus

Comparison of Indices of Carbohydrate Quality and Food Sources of Dietary Fiber on Longitudinal Changes in Waist Circumference in the Framingham Offspring Cohort.

The long-term impact of carbohydrate quality on abdominal weight gain is not fully understood. We aimed to examine the prospective relation of a carbohydrate quality index (CQI; defined by four criteria: dietary fiber, glycemic index, whole grain-to-total grain ratio, and solid-to-total carbohydrate ratio), total, cereal grain, vegetable, and fruit fiber, carbohydrate-to-total fiber ratio, and carbohydrate-to-cereal fiber ratio with changes in waist circumference (WC). Subjects were middle-aged to older, mostly white, participants in the Framingham Offspring cohort (n = 3101 subjects), with mean baseline age 54.9 ± 0.2 years (mean ± SE) and body mass index (BMI) 27.2 ± 0.1 kg/m2. Food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), health, and lifestyle data were collected approximately every four years over a median total follow-up of 18 years. Repeated measure mixed models were used to estimate adjusted mean change in WC per four-year interval across quartiles of carbohydrate variables. In the most adjusted model, a higher CQI was marginally associated with a smaller increase in WC (2.0 ± 0.1 vs. 2.4 ± 0.1 cm in highest vs. lowest quartile, p-trend = 0.04). Higher ratios of carbohydrate-to-fiber and carbohydrate-to-cereal fiber were associated with greater increases in WC per four-year interval (2.6 ± 0.1 vs. 2.0 ± 0.1 cm, p-trend < 0.001, and 2.5 ± 0.1 vs. 2.1 ± 0.1 cm in highest versus lowest categories, p-trend = 0.007, respectively); whereas higher intake of total fiber (1.8 ± 0.1 vs. 2.7 ± 0.1 cm, p-trend < 0.001), cereal fiber (2.0 ± 0.1 vs. 2.5 ± 0.1 cm, p-trend = 0.001), and fruit fiber (2.0 ± 0.1 vs. 2.7 ± 0.1 cm, p-trend < 0.001) were associated with smaller increases in WC compared to lower intakes. There was a significant interaction between total fiber and total carbohydrate (as % of total energy intake). After stratification, the association between fiber intake and change in WC was not maintained in the context of a high carbohydrate diet. Better carbohydrate quality, primarily higher fiber intake and lower carbohydrate-to-fiber ratios, may help attenuate increases in abdominal adiposity over time.

Randomized trial of a novel lifestyle intervention compared with the Diabetes Prevention Program for weight loss in adult dependents of military service members.

BACKGROUND: Lifestyle interventions are the first-line treatment for obesity, but participant weight loss is typically low. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the efficacy of an alternative lifestyle intervention [Healthy Weight for Living (HWL)] compared with a modified Diabetes Prevention Program (m-DPP). HWL was based on a revised health behavior change model emphasizing hunger management and the development of healthy food preferences. m-DPP was a standard Diabetes Prevention Program implemented with counselor time matched to HWL. Participants were adult dependents of military personnel and had overweight or obesity. METHODS: Participants were randomly assigned to HWL (n = 121) or m-DPP (n = 117), delivered primarily by group videoconference with additional midweek emails. The primary outcome was 12-mo weight change. Secondary outcomes included 6-mo changes in cardiometabolic risk factors and diet. Intention-to-treat (ITT) and complete case (CC) analyses were performed using linear mixed models. RESULTS: Retention did not differ between groups (72% and 66% for HWL and m-DPP at 12 mo, respectively; P = 0.30). Mean ± SE adjusted 12-mo weight loss in the ITT cohort was 7.46 ± 0.85 kg for HWL and 7.32 ± 0.87 kg for m-DPP (P = 0.91); in the CC cohort, it was 7.83 ± 0.82 kg for HWL and 6.86 ± 0.88 kg for m-DPP (P = 0.43). Thirty-eight percent of HWL and 30% of m-DPP completers achieved ≥10% weight loss (P = 0.32). Improvements in systolic blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glucose, general health, sleep, and mood were similar across groups; improvements in diastolic blood pressure were greater in m-DPP. Adjusted group mean reductions in energy intake were not significantly different between groups, but HWL participants were more adherent to their dietary prescription for lower glycemic index and high fiber and protein (P = 0.05 to <0.001 for ITT). CONCLUSIONS: HWL and m-DPP showed equivalent and clinically impactful mean weight loss with cardiometabolic benefits. These results identify an alternative approach for behavioral treatment of overweight and obesity.This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02348853.

Long-term dietary flavonoid intake and risk of Alzheimer disease and related dementias in the Framingham Offspring Cohort.

BACKGROUND: Findings from existing prospective observational studies on the protective associations of flavonoid intake and the risk of Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD) are inconsistent largely due to limitations of these studies. OBJECTIVES: To examine the prospective relation between total and 6 classes of dietary flavonoid intake and risk of ADRD and Alzheimer disease (AD) while addressing limitations of earlier observational studies. METHODS: We used data from the Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort exams 5 through 9. Participants were ADRD-free with a valid FFQ at baseline. Flavonoid intakes were updated at each exam to represent the cumulative average intake across the 5 exams, and were expressed as percentile categories of intake (≤15th, >15th to 30th, >30th to 60th, >60th) to handle their nonlinear relation with ADRD and AD. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate the HRs for the association between the flavonoid intakes and incidence of ADRD and AD. RESULTS: Over an average follow-up of 19.7 y in 2801 participants (mean baseline age = 59.1 y; 52% females), there were 193 ADRD events of which 158 were AD. After multivariate and dietary adjustments, individuals with the highest (>60th percentile) intakes of flavonols, anthocyanins, and flavonoid polymers had a lower risk of ADRD relative to individuals with the lowest intakes (≤15th percentile), with HRs (95% CI; P-trend) of 0.54 (0.32, 0.90; P = 0.003) for flavonols, 0.24 (0.15, 0.39; P < 0.001) for anthocyanins, and 0.58 (0.35, 0.94; P = 0.03) for flavonoid polymers. The same pattern of associations was seen with AD for flavonols and anthocyanins but not for flavonoid polymers. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings imply that higher long-term dietary intakes of flavonoids are associated with lower risks of ADRD and AD in US adults.

Sustained Long-Term Effectiveness of an Energy Management Training Course on Employee Vitality and Purpose in Life.

PURPOSE: Programs designed to sustainably improve employee well-being are urgently needed but insufficiently researched. This study evaluates the long-term effectiveness of a commercial well-being intervention in a worksite setting. DESIGN: A pre/postintervention repeated analysis with follow-up at 6, 12, and 18 months. SETTING: Office-based worksites (for-profit, nonprofit, and mixed work-type; n = 8). PARTICIPANTS: One hundred sixty-three employees with a mean age of 47 (11) years (57% female). INTERVENTION: A 2.5-day group-based behavioral program emphasizing vitality and purpose in life (PiL). MEASURES: Rand Medical Outcomes Survey (MOS) 36-Item Short Form (SF-36) with a focus on vitality (primary outcome), Ryff PiL Scale, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, Profile of Mood States, Rand MOS Sleep Scale, physical activity, body weight, blood pressure, and blood measures for glucose and lipids at baseline, 6, 12, and 18 months. ANALYSIS: General linear models with repeated measures for mean values at baseline and follow-up. RESULTS: At 18-month follow-up, sustained improvements were observed for vitality, general health, and mental health domains of SF-36 and PiL (P < .001 for all measures). Sleep, mood, vigor, physical activity, and blood pressure were also improved at 18 months (P < .05 for all measures). CONCLUSIONS: An intensive 2.5-day intervention showed sustained improvement in employee quality of life, PiL, and other measures of well-being over 18 months.

Healthy diet is associated with gene expression in blood: the Framingham Heart Study.

BACKGROUND: Genes in metabolic and nutrient signaling pathways play important roles in lifespan in model organisms and human longevity. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the relation of a quantitative measure of healthy diet to gene expression in a community-based cohort. METHODS: We used the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans Adherence Index (DGAI) score to quantify key dietary recommendations of an overall healthy diet. Our current analyses included 2220 Offspring participants (mean age 66 ± 9 y, 55.4% women) and 2941 Third-Generation participants (mean age 46 ± 9 y, 54.5% women) from the Framingham Heart Study. Gene expression was profiled in blood through the use of the Affymetrix Human Exon 1.0 ST Array. We conducted a transcriptome-wide association study of DGAI adjusting for age, sex, smoking, cell counts, and technical covariates. We also constructed a combined gene score from genes significantly associated with DGAI. RESULTS: The DGAI was significantly associated with the expression of 19 genes (false discovery rate <0.05). The most significant gene, ARRDC3, is a member of the arrestin family of proteins, and evidence in animal models and human data suggests that this gene is a regulator of obesity and energy expenditure. The DGAI gene score was associated with body mass index (P = 1.4 × 10-50), fasting glucose concentration (P = 2.5 × 10-11), type 2 diabetes (P = 1.1 × 10-5), and metabolic syndrome (P = 1.8 × 10-32). CONCLUSIONS: Healthier diet was associated with genes involved in metabolic function. Further work is needed to replicate our findings and investigate the relation of a healthy diet to altered gene regulation.

Choline and its metabolites are differently associated with cardiometabolic risk factors, history of cardiovascular disease, and MRI-documented cerebrovascular disease in older adults.

Background: There is a potential role of choline in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease through its involvement in lipid and one-carbon metabolism.Objective: We evaluated the associations of plasma choline and choline-related compounds with cardiometabolic risk factors, history of cardiovascular disease, and cerebrovascular pathology.Design: A cross-sectional subset of the Nutrition, Aging, and Memory in Elders cohort who had undergone MRI of the brain (n = 296; mean ± SD age: 73 ± 8.1 y) was assessed. Plasma concentrations of free choline, betaine, and phosphatidylcholine were measured with the use of liquid-chromatography-stable-isotope dilution-multiple-reaction monitoring-mass spectrometry. A volumetric analysis of MRI was used to determine the cerebrovascular pathology (white-matter hyperintensities and small- and large-vessel infarcts). Multiple linear and logistic regression models were used to examine relations of plasma measures with cardiometabolic risk factors, history of cardiovascular disease, and radiologic evidence of cerebrovascular pathology.Results: Higher concentrations of plasma choline were associated with an unfavorable cardiometabolic risk-factor profile [lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, higher total homocysteine, and higher body mass index (BMI)] and greater odds of large-vessel cerebral vascular disease or history of cardiovascular disease but lower odds of small-vessel cerebral vascular disease. Conversely, higher concentrations of plasma betaine were associated with a favorable cardiometabolic risk-factor profile [lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides] and lower odds of diabetes. Higher concentrations of plasma phosphatidylcholine were associated with characteristics of both a favorable cardiometabolic risk-factor profile (higher HDL cholesterol, lower BMI, lower C-reactive protein, lower waist circumference, and lower odds of hypertension and diabetes) and an unfavorable profile (higher LDL cholesterol and triglycerides).Conclusion: Choline and its metabolites have differential associations with cardiometabolic risk factors and subtypes of vascular disease, thereby suggesting differing roles in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular and cerebral large-vessel disease compared with that of small-vessel disease.

Associations of vitamin D intake with 25-hydroxyvitamin D in overweight and racially/ethnically diverse US children.

Overweight children and minorities are at risk of vitamin D deficiency. Little information exists on whether overweight children and minorities who do not meet dietary vitamin D recommendations are at risk for low 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) status. Vitamin D intake from foods and dietary supplements was estimated in 3,310 children/adolescents who were examined as part of the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Weight status was dichotomized into healthy weight or overweight/obese. Parent-reported race/ethnicity was categorized as non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, Mexican American, or other. Adjusted logistic regression was used to determine whether children who did not achieve the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) were at increased risk for inadequate 25OHD. Nearly 75% of children failed to meet the EAR. Overall, not meeting the EAR was associated with inadequate 25OHD (odds ratio=2.5; 95% CI 1.4 to 4.5). However, this association differed by weight status (P=0.02) and race/ethnicity (P=0.02). Overweight/obese children who failed to meet the EAR were five times more likely to be at risk for inadequate 25OHD than overweight/obese children who met it (95% CI 2.0 to 12.7; P<0.001). Non-Hispanic blacks with intakes below the EAR were nearly four times more likely to be at risk for inadequate 25OHD than those who met the EAR (95% CI 1.5 to 9.7; P<0.01). The majority of US children failed to meet current vitamin D recommendations. Overweight/obese and non-Hispanic black children were especially likely to be at risk for inadequate 25OHD when not consuming the EAR.

Prevalence and predictors of children's dietary supplement use: the 2007 National Health Interview Survey.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the characteristics of US children who are dietary supplement users. OBJECTIVE: We described the prevalence and predictors of and reasons for giving children dietary supplements. DESIGN: The study included children <18 y of age who participated in the Complementary and Alternative Medicine supplement of the National Health Interview Survey of 2007 whose proxies provided complete information on child dietary supplement use. RESULTS: A total of 37% of subjects used dietary supplements, 31% of subjects used multivitamin mineral (MVM) products exclusively, 4% of subjects used single vitamins or minerals solely or in combination with MVMs, and 2% of subjects used nonvitamin, nonmineral products either solely or in combination with other supplements. Users were more likely than nonusers to be Asian, white, or non-Hispanic; belong to families with higher parental education and income levels; reside in areas other than the South; be in good, very good, or excellent health; have private health insurance; and have a usual place at which they received conventional medical care. Children (3%) with the most disease burden and health care were more likely to use supplements than were healthier children. Supplements were given for the prevention or treatment of many illnesses and conditions. Neither the caregiver's reasons nor specific supplements used were consistently associated with particular conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The 37% of US children who used any type of dietary supplements differed from nonusers in family socioeconomic status and many other health-related characteristics. Users were given supplements to prevent or treat many illnesses and conditions for which there is only limited evidence of their efficacy.