Aging process, adherence to Mediterranean diet and nutritional status in a large cohort of nonagenarians: Effects on endothelial progenitor cells.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD) has been associated with a longer and better life. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of adherence to the MD, and of nutritional habits on endothelial progenitor (EPCs) and circulating progenitor (CPCs) cells in a cohort of nonagenarians enrolled within the Mugello Study, an epidemiological study aimed at investigating both clinically relevant geriatric items and various health issues, including those related to nutritional status. METHODS AND RESULTS: Four hundred twenty-one nonagenarians (306 F, 115 M, mean age: 93.1 ± 3.2 years) were evaluated. Adherence to MD was assessed through the Mediterranean Diet Score. Elderly subjects who were in the fourth quartile of the Mediterranean diet score showed significantly higher EPCs than subjects grouped into the other three quartiles. After adjustment for confounders, elderly subjects who were in the highest quartile of adherence to the MD score reported to have EPCs' levels significantly higher than those who reported lower values of adherence to the MD. Furthermore, by analyzing different food categories, it was reported that daily consumption of olive oil and a higher consumption of fruit and vegetables showed higher CPCs CD34+ and EPCs CD34+/KDR+ than subjects with not daily or lower consumption. CONCLUSION: Our results support the hypothesis that the adherence to MD, as well as a daily consumption of olive oil and fruit and vegetables, characteristics of MD, may protect against the development of endothelial dysfunction through increasing EPCs and CPCs in older age.

Higher uric acid levels are associated with better functional recovery in elderly patients receiving cardiac rehabilitation.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Whether uric acid (UA) serves as risk factor for cardiovascular diseases or as antioxidant defense has not yet been completely clarified. In this study we investigated the effects of UA on functional recovery in patients receiving cardiac rehabilitation. METHODS AND RESULTS: 306 patients, 209 men and 97 women, age range 25-87 years (mean 68 ± 11), performed the 6-min walk test (6mWT) before and after the rehabilitation, and the increase in walking distance was considered as the outcome measure of the study. Baseline UA serum levels ranged from 1.0 to 10.9 mg/dL (mean 5.2 ± 1.7). As there was a significant (p = 0.005) age*UA levels interaction, patients were divided into two subgroups, less then 65 years (n. 103, 68 men and 35 women, mean age 56 ± 9) and 65 years or more (n. 203, 141 men and 62 women, mean age 74 ± 5). After adjusting for relevant confounders, higher UA levels remained independent positive predictors of the increase in walking distance in older (p < 0.001) but not in younger patients (p = 0.807). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show an independent association of higher UA levels with better functional recovery after cardiac rehabilitation selectively in elderly patients, suggesting that higher UA levels might reflect the decline in antioxidant defenses that occurs with advancing age. Future studies aimed at understanding the several contradictions concerning UA should, probably, address the issue within this perspective.

Mediterranean Diet, Food Consumption and Risk of Late-Life Depression: The Mugello Study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate eating habits and adherence to Mediterranean Diet (MD) in relation to the risk of depression in a cohort of nonagenarians enrolled within the Mugello Study, an epidemiological study aimed at investigating both clinically relevant geriatric items and various health issues, including those related to nutritional status. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Homes and nursing homes in the Mugello area, Florence, Italy. PARTICIPANTS: Subjects aged 90-99 years [N=388 (271F; 117M) mean age: 92.7±3.1]. MEASUREMENTS: All subjects were evaluated through questionnaires and instrumental examinations. Adherence to MD was assessed through the Mediterranean Diet Score. A shorter version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) was used to detect the possible presence of depressive symptoms. In addition, cognitive and functional status was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination, the Clock Drawing Test, as well as the Basic and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living test. RESULTS: Depressed subjects (DS) (GDS score≥5, 43.8%) were older, females and widows, than non-depressed subjects (NDS). DS reported a slightly but not statistically significant lower MD score than NDS (33.9±3.9 vs. 34.6±3.3, p=0.149). Subjects who reported to consume a greater amount of olive oil and fruit were associated with a lower risk of depression (OR=0.35, 95%CI=0.20-0.59, p<0.001 and OR=0.46, 95%CI=0.26-0.84, p=0.011, respectively) after adjustment for many possible confounders. Similar results were obtained for women, while no statistically significant differences emerged for men. CONCLUSION: Our results support the hypothesis that a diet rich in olive oil and fruit, characteristics of MD, may protect against the development of depressive symptoms in older age.

Diversity of the epidemiology of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in long-term acute care rehabilitation settings from an area of hyperendemicity, and evaluation of an intervention bundle.

BACKGROUND: Long-term acute care rehabilitation facilities (LTACRFs) are affected by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) in endemic areas. However, the contribution of different subpopulations of patients has not been investigated in these settings. AIM: To study the epidemiology of CRE in an LTACRF, and the effect of an infection control intervention. METHODS: A surveillance programme was implemented in a large Italian LTACRF. The intervention included screening for CRE carriage at admission and weekly (for negative patients), and enforcement of contact precautions plus cohorting (in wards and rehabilitation areas) for presumed and confirmed carriers. Prevalence and incidence of CRE colonization and the number of CRE bacteraemias were monitored over one year. FINDINGS: Overall, 1084 patients underwent screening (adherence 89.8%). At admission, 11.6% of patients were colonized, and 9.9% of those negative at admission subsequently became colonized. These percentages were significantly higher among patients with severe brain injuries (SBIs) who were exposed to a higher intensity of care (44.1% vs 8.6% and 63.5% vs 6.8%, respectively). The majority of CRE bacteraemias occurred in the SBI ward. The intervention was associated with a decline in the incidence of CRE colonization in the SBI ward (from 17.7 to 7.2 acquisitions/100 at-risk patient-weeks), but not in other wards. All CRE isolates were Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae. CONCLUSIONS: A peculiar CRE epidemiology was observed in a LTACRF from Italy, with very high rates of carriage and cross-transmission in SBI patients. A simplified infection control bundle was effective at reducing the incidence of CRE colonization in the SBI ward.

Higher uric acid serum levels are associated with better muscle function in the oldest old: Results from the Mugello Study.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia is the progressive loss of muscle mass and strength that occurs with advancing age and plays a pivotal role in the causal pathway leading to frailty, disability and, eventually, to death among older persons. As oxidative damage of muscle proteins has been shown to be a relevant contributory factor, in this study we hypothesized that uric acid (UA), a powerful endogenous antioxidant, might exert a protective effect on muscle function in the oldest old and we tested our hypothesis in a group of nonagenarians who participated in the Mugello Study. METHODS: 239 subjects, 73 men and 166 women, mean age 92.8years±SD 3.1, underwent the assessment of UA serum level and isometric handgrip strength, a widely used clinical measure of sarcopenia. RESULTS: Mean UA serum level was 5.69mg/dL±SD 1.70 and mean handgrip strength was 15.0kg±SD 6.9. After adjusting for relevant confounders, higher UA serum levels remained independent positive predictors of isometric handgrip strength (ß 1.24±SE(ß) 0.43, p=0.005). CONCLUSION: Our results show that higher UA serum levels are associated with better muscle function in the oldest old and, accordingly, might slow down the progression of sarcopenia.