Potential of Black Seeds (Nigella sativa) in the Management of Long COVID or Post-acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) and Persistent COVID-19 Symptoms - An Insight.

BACKGROUND: Some individuals may experience symptoms persisting for many months after the recovery from COVID-19 and patients with Long COVID are managed mainly with symptomatic treatment and supportive care. OBJECTIVE: This review article focuses on the beneficial effects of black seeds (Nigella sativa) in the management of long COVID and persistent COVID symptoms. METHODS: The literature was searched in databases such as LitCOVID, Web of Science, Google Scholar, bioRxiv, medRxiv, Science Direct, EBSCO, Scopus, Embase, and reference lists to identify studies, which evaluated various effects of black seeds (N. sativa) related to signs and symptoms of long COVID. RESULTS: Black seeds (N. sativa) have shown potential anti-COVID, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antihypertensive, anti-obesity, antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic, and antiasthmatic properties in various clinical, animal, in vitro, in vivo, and in silico studies, which would help the patients recovered from COVID to mitigate Long COVID complications. CONCLUSION: Patients experiencing Long COVID may use black seeds (N. sativa) as adjunctive therapy in combination with symptomatic treatment and supportive care to prevent further deterioration and hospitalization. The safety and efficacy of N. sativa in patients with Long-COVID would further be established by future randomized controlled clinical trials.

Prevalence of late and long-term effects of cancer (treatment) and use of complementary and alternative medicine in Norway.

BACKGROUND: The increasing number of patients surviving cancer leads to more people experiencing late and long term-effects from the disease and its treatment. Fatigue, sleep disorders, early menopause, pain, and nerve damage are commonly reported. Methods helping people to recover after cancer treatment are therefore essential. The aims of this study were threefold; (1) to determine the level of cancer patients suffering from late and long-term effects of cancer diagnosis and treatment in Norway, (2) explore complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities used for managing these adversities, and (3) describe self-perceived benefits and harms of the CAM interventions. METHODS: The study was conducted in cooperation with the Norwegian Cancer Society (NCS) and consisted of an online cross-sectional study among members of the NCS user panel with present or previous cancer (n = 706). The study was carried out in September/October 2021 using a modified cancer-specific version of the International Questionnaire to Measure Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (I-CAM-Q). A total of 315 women and 153 men agreed to participate, resulting in a response rate of 67%. RESULTS: Most of the participants (83%) suffered from late and long-term effects of cancer treatment; mostly fatigue (59.2%), sleep disorder (41.5%), hot flashes (39.2%), nerve damage (polyneuropathy, 38.0%), and pain (36.6%) with a mean number of 5.1 different late and long-term effects. Late and long-term effects were positively associated with younger age and college/university education. Nearly half of the participants experiencing late and long-term effects (43%) reported having used CAM to treat these complaints. Most frequently used were self-help practices (26%) such as relaxation therapy (19%), yoga (14%) and meditation (13%), but also visits to CAM providers were reported by 22%. Herbal- and other natural remedies to treat late and long-term effects were used by 13%. A high percentage of CAM users reported self-perceived improvements of their symptoms (86% for self-help practices, 90% for visits to CAM providers). Few experienced adverse effects of the CAM treatment. CONCLUSION: A large proportion of cancer patients suffered from a wide range of late and long-term effects of cancer diagnosis and treatment, and they use CAM to treat these complaints to a rather high degree. Relaxation therapy, yoga, meditation, massage, and acupuncture were the most frequently used therapies regardless of complaint. The therapies used are generally considered to be both safe and beneficial for the respective complaint, indicating that the participants seem to be well informed about the choices they make.

Embodied Cognition in Meditation, Yoga, and Ethics-An Experimental Single-Case Study on the Differential Effects of Four Mind-Body Treatments.

Yoga is an embodied contemplative practice considered as a path toward long-term well-being, which fosters an integrated processing of bodily and emotional stimuli. However, little is known about how the different components of yoga contribute to these processes. This was the aim of this single-case multiple-baseline study. Herein, we explored how different yoga components affect body awareness, emotion regulation, affectivity, self-compassion, and distress tolerance. Forty-two randomly assigned participants (from initially fifty-seven) completed one of four 8-week treatments: Mantra meditation alone (MA), meditation plus physical yoga (MY), meditation plus ethical education (ME), and meditation plus yoga and ethical education (MYE). Participants had no prior regular yoga or meditation practice. Data were analyzed using visual inspection, effect size estimation, and multilevel modeling. Surprisingly, all four treatments similarly improved body awareness (Tau-UMA = 0.21 to Tau-UMY = 0.49), emotion regulation (Tau-UMYE = -0.43 to Tau-UME = -0.52), self-compassion (η2 = 0.08), and distress tolerance (η2 = 0.13). These effects were maintained until follow-up at 2 and 12 months after the study, even though home practice declined. The MA condition had the least favorable effect on affective experience (Tau-UMA = -0.14 and 0.07), while the ME condition enhanced valence the most (Tau-UME = 0.10) and the MY condition was the most effective in preventing negative affective responses. Although mantra meditation on its own negatively influenced daily affect, it can be assumed as the driving force behind the improvement in the other variables. This points to the central role of meditation in increasing interoception, self-awareness, and embodied processing.

Vitamin B12 and/or folic acid supplementation on linear growth; a 6 years follow-up study of a randomised controlled trial in early childhood in North India.

Folate and vitamin B12 are essential for growth. Our objective was to estimate their long-term effects on linear growth in North Indian children. This is a follow-up study of a factorial designed, double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial in 1,000 young children. Starting at 6-30 months of age, we gave folic acid (∼2 RDAs), vitamin B12 (∼2 RDAs), both vitamins, or a placebo daily for six months. Six years after the end of supplementation, we measured height in 791 children. We used the plasma concentrations of cobalamin, folate, and total homocysteine to estimate vitamin status. The effect of the interventions, the association between height-for-age z-scores (HAZ) and baseline vitamin status, and the interactions between supplementation and baseline status were estimated in multiple regression models. Mean (SD) age at follow-up was 7.4 (0.7) years (range 6 to 9 years). There was a small, non-significant effect of vitamin B12 on linear growth and no effect of folic acid. We observed a subgroup-effect of vitamin B12 supplementation in those with plasma cobalamin concentration < 200 pmol/L (P interaction = 0.01). The effect of vitamin B12 supplementation in this group was 0.34 HAZ (95% CI: 0.11-0.58). We found an association between cobalamin status and HAZ in children not given vitamin B12 (P interaction = 0.001). In this group, each doubling of the cobalamin concentration was associated with 0.26 (95% CI: 0.15 to 0.38) higher HAZ. Suboptimal B12 status in early childhood seemingly limits linear growth in North Indian Children.

The Long-Term Effect of COVID-19 Disease Severity on Risk of Diabetes Incidence and the Near 1-Year Follow-Up Outcomes among Postdischarge Patients in Wuhan.

We assessed the nearly 1-year health consequences following discharge and related risk factors of COVID-19 infection and further explored the long-term effect of COVID-19 disease severity on the risk of diabetes incidence. This prospective study included 248 COVID-19 patients discharged from Wuhan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine who were followed up between 1 March and 10 June 2021. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate risk factors. The top ten symptoms were shortness of breath (30.3%), sore or dry throat (25.7%), cough (23.2%), expectoration (23.2%), body pain (22.3%), chest tightness (20.8%), palpitations (17.8%), sleep difficulties (17.0%), fatigue (16.6%), and anxiety (15.3%). Hypertension was associated with fatigue (OR = 2.51, 95% CI: 1.08, 5.80), shortness of breath (OR = 2.34, 95% CI: 1.16, 4.69), palpitations (OR = 2.82, 95% CI: 1.26, 6.31), expectoration (OR = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.01, 4.30), and sore or dry throat (OR = 2.71, 95% CI: 1.30, 5.65). Diabetes was associated with palpitations (OR = 3.22, 95% CI: 1.18, 8.81). Critical illness was associated with an increased risk of diabetes incidence after discharge (OR = 2.90, 95% CI: 1.07, 7.88), which seemed more evident in males. Long COVID-19 symptoms were common at 1-year postdischarge; hypertension and diabetes could be projected as potential risk factors. We are among the first researchers to find that critical illness is associated with incident diabetes after discharge.

Long-Term Effects of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Yoga for Worried Older Adults.

OBJECTIVES: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and yoga decrease worry and anxiety. There are no long-term data comparing CBT and yoga for worry, anxiety, and sleep in older adults. The impact of preference and selection on these outcomes is unknown. In this secondary data analysis, we compared long-term effects of CBT by telephone and yoga on worry, anxiety, sleep, depressive symptoms, fatigue, physical function, social participation, and pain; and examined preference and selection effects. DESIGN: In this randomized preference trial, participants (N = 500) were randomized to a: 1) randomized controlled trial (RCT) of CBT or yoga (n = 250); or 2) preference trial (selected CBT or yoga; n = 250). Outcomes were measured at baseline and Week 37. SETTING: Community. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling older adults (age 60+ years). INTERVENTIONS: CBT (by telephone) and yoga (in-person group classes). MEASUREMENTS: Penn State Worry Questionnaire - Abbreviated (worry);1,2 Insomnia Severity Index (sleep);3 PROMIS Anxiety Short Form v1.0 (anxiety);4,5 Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener (generalized anxiety);6,7 and PROMIS-29 (depression, fatigue, physical function, social participation, pain).8,9 RESULTS: Six months after intervention completion, CBT and yoga RCT participants reported sustained improvements from baseline in worry, anxiety, sleep, depressive symptoms, fatigue, and social participation (no significant between-group differences). Using data combined from the randomized and preference trials, there were no significant preference or selection effects. Long-term intervention effects were observed at clinically meaningful levels for most of the study outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: CBT and yoga both demonstrated maintained improvements from baseline on multiple outcomes six months after intervention completion in a large sample of older adults. TRIAL REGISTRATION: www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov Identifier NCT02968238.

Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy With Follow-Up Sessions for Pharmacotherapy-Refractory Anxiety Disorders: Protocol for a Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Augmented mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) with treatment as usual (mainly pharmacotherapy) is reported to be effective after treatment for anxiety disorders. However, whether its effectiveness persists in the long term is unclear. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of a follow-up program by conducting a feasibility randomized controlled trial (RCT) that compares augmented MBCT with follow-up sessions and that without follow-up sessions in preparation for a definitive RCT. METHODS: The study involves an 8-week MBCT with a 10-month follow-up. Patients aged 20 to 65 years who meet the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV) criteria for panic disorder, agoraphobia, or social anxiety disorder, which is not remitted with usual treatment for at least 4 weeks, will be included in the study and randomly allocated to receive augmented MBCT with follow-up sessions or augmented MBCT without follow-up sessions. For this feasibility RCT, the primary outcomes are (1) study inclusion rate, (2) dropout rate, (3) attendance rate, and (4) mean and standard deviation of several clinical measures at 8 weeks and 5, 8, and 12 months. RESULTS: We started recruiting participants in January 2020, and 43 participants have been enrolled up to January 2021. The study is ongoing, and data collection will be completed by May 2022. CONCLUSIONS: This study is novel in terms of its design, which compares augmented MBCT with and without follow-up sessions. The limitations of the trial are as follows: (1) mixed participants in terms of the delivery mode of the intervention, and (2) lack of a pharmacotherapy-alone arm. Owing to its novelty and significance, this study will provide fruitful knowledge for future definitive RCTs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UMIN Clinical Trials Registry UMIN000038626; https://tinyurl.com/2p9dtxzh. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/33776.

Trends in Patients with Long COVID (COVID-19 Long-Term Effects) in the Kampo Outpatient Department of Infectious Diseases at Our Clinic — From Early Cases / 日本東洋医学雑誌

In response to the increasing numbers of patients with long-term effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), we started using Kampo (traditional Japanese) medicine for some outpatients. We analyzed the patients' characteristics and the treatments used in each case. Our subjects were 9 patients who visited our clinic between May and September 2021. All subjects provided their written informed consent and were followed for several months. Decoctions or extract formulations were prescribed for treatment based on pattern identification, and general guidance related to lifestyle habits based on traditional thought was also provided. Fatigue, lifestyle of intemperance (due to excessive amounts of cold foods and drinks), and mental/physical stress were present in each patient. Some patients also felt strong anxiety about the lack of any established Western medical treatment and insufficient follow-up systems for patients with long-term effects of COVID-19 (long COVID). Tonic formulas and formulas of involving Bupleuri radix were often used. All 9 patients showed a tendency to improve their symptoms within 4 or 5 weeks of treatment. Our impression is that the prompt effect of Kampo medicine was achieved by combining the use of Kampo medicines with instructions to stop eating excessive amounts of cold foods and/or drinks. Further study is needed in the future. For long COVID, no Western medical treatment has yet been established. On the other hand, in our experience with these patients, Kampo medicine based on the concept of mind-body unity was useful.

Yoga therapy to reduce fatigue in cancer: effects of reminder e-mails and long-term efficacy.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the efficacy of reminder e-mails to continue yoga therapy on practice frequency and fatigue in cancer patients and long-term effects of yoga on fatigue, depression, and quality of life. METHODOLOGY: One hundred two cancer patients who completed an 8-week yoga therapy were randomly allocated to two groups: reminder (N = 51) vs. no-reminder group (N = 51). After completing yoga therapy, the reminder group received weekly e-mails for 24 weeks, which reminded them of practicing yoga, whereas the no-reminder group did not. Primary outcomes were fatigue and practice frequency, and long-term outcomes were fatigue, depression, and quality of life. Data were assessed using questionnaires after yoga therapy (T1) and 6 months after completing yoga therapy (T2). RESULT: A significantly stronger reduction of general (p = 0.038, d = 0.42) and emotional fatigue (p = 0.004, d = 0.59) and a higher increase of practice frequency (p = 0.015, d = 0.52) between T1 and T2 were found for the reminder group compared to the no-reminder group. In the mediation model, practice frequency as a mediator partially explained the changes in emotional fatigue (indirect effect B = - 0.10). Long-term effects of yoga therapy regarding fatigue, depression, and quality of life were found (F > 7.46, p < 0.001, d > 0.54). CONCLUSION: Weekly reminder e-mails after yoga therapy can positively affect general and emotional fatigue and help cancer patients with fatigue establish a regular yoga practice at home. However, higher practice frequency did not lead to higher physical or cognitive fatigue improvement, suggesting other factors that mediate efficacy on physical or cognitive fatigue, such as mindfulness or side effects of therapy.

Soil enzymatic activity data over eight years at the EFELE site, a long-term field experiment on effects of organic waste products and tillage practices.

Land application of organic waste products (OWPs), catch crops and reduced soil tillage are accepted as sustainable management practices in agriculture. They can optimize resources by supplying nutrients to plants and helping to maintain soil fertility. They also can influence soil functions in agricultural production systems. Soil microorganisms can feed on fresh organic matter by producing extracellular enzymes. Enzyme production responds to resource availability and soil C:N:P ratios, which could limit biogeochemical cycling. Allocating resources to produce nutrient-acquiring enzymes requires a large amount of energy to achieve optimal growth. In this context, studying the use of OWPs is important, as alternatives to long-term use of mineral fertilizers, to understand the dynamics of response and how the OWPs influence production of extracellular enzymes in the soil. Effects of OWPs on soil enzymatic activities have been studied widely, but long-term effects remain poorly understood, and no information is available about differences in dynamics among systems for each biogeochemical cycle. The data described here were collected during two trials from an initial state, and they allow assessment of long-term effects of OWP application, mineral nitrogen fertilization, tillage and vegetation cover on soil enzymatic activities. Data are presented for the activities of five soil enzymes measured from 2012 to 2019: ß-glucosidase, phosphatase, urease, arylamidase and arylsulfatase. Five additional enzymes were included in 2019 to supplement the analysis of biogeochemical cycles: alkaline phosphatase, phosphodiesterase, α-glucosidase, ß-galactosidase and n-acetyl-glucosaminidase. These activities were measured in two trials at the EFELE study site: PROs (five OWPs applied to a corn-wheat rotation) and TS/MO (four treatments that examine interactions between OWP and type of tillage). These data can be used as a reference for future studies of soil enzymes in France and other regions (e.g. for developing reduced-tillage systems and organic or inorganic amendments, and to assess dynamics of the systems).

The Effects of Long-Term Tai-Chi Practice on Blood Pressure Under Normal Conditions.

BACKGROUND: Tai-Chi is a popular form of mind-body activity that is suitable for people of all ages. Accumulating evidence have shown that Tai-Chi can help ameliorate cardiovascular diseases. However, the benefits of long-term practice of Tai-Chi on blood pressure control remains unclear. A total of 898 villagers of Chenjiagou were enrolled in this study based on certain inclusion and exclusion criteria. METHODS: All basic information and clinical data were collected by physicians. The effects of Tai-Chi on the systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and mental status of participants were analyzed. The average practice time of Tai-Chi in the Tai-Chi group was 28.53 years (median 29 years, range 2-69 years). RESULTS: The results showed that SBP and DBP were significantly lower in the Tai-Chi group, compared with the control group and the stop group. Meanwhile, the long-term practice of Tai-Chi significantly improved the body mass index (BMI) (P=0.021). Stepwise regression results demonstrated that Tai-Chi practice, age and BMI could significantly affect blood pressure, with adjusted R2 of 0.218 and 0.159 for SBP and DBP, respectively. In addition, Tai-chi is associated with a lower rate of hypertension after age 40. However, compared with the control group, participants who practiced Tai-Chi for a short time, then stopped, showed no significant improvement in the above-mentioned measurements. CONCLUSIONS: The long-term practice of Tai-Chi was associated with better blood pressure, at least partly through the improvement of BMI and mental state. However, the short-term practice of Tai-Chi may not provide significant benefits on blood pressure in the long term.

Rich false memories of autobiographical events can be reversed.

False memories of autobiographical events can create enormous problems in forensic settings (e.g., false accusations). While multiple studies succeeded in inducing false memories in interview settings, we present research trying to reverse this effect (and thereby reduce the potential damage) by means of two ecologically valid strategies. We first successfully implanted false memories for two plausible autobiographical events (suggested by the students' parents, alongside two true events). Over three repeated interviews, participants developed false memories (measured by state-of-the-art coding) of the suggested events under minimally suggestive conditions (27%) and even more so using massive suggestion (56%). We then used two techniques to reduce false memory endorsement, source sensitization (alerting interviewees to possible external sources of the memories, e.g., family narratives) and false memory sensitization (raising the possibility of false memories being inadvertently created in memory interviews, delivered by a new interviewer). This reversed the false memory build-up over the first three interviews, returning false memory rates in both suggestion conditions to the baseline levels of the first interview (i.e., to ∼15% and ∼25%, respectively). By comparison, true event memories were endorsed at a higher level overall and less affected by either the repeated interviews or the sensitization techniques. In a 1-y follow-up (after the original interviews and debriefing), false memory rates further dropped to 5%, and participants overwhelmingly rejected the false events. One strong practical implication is that false memories can be substantially reduced by easy-to-implement techniques without causing collateral damage to true memories.

Long-Term Effects of Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass and Sleeve Gastrectomy on Bone Mineral Density: a 4-Year Longitudinal Study.

INTRODUCTION: Bone mineral density (BMD) declines in the initial years after bariatric surgery, but long-term skeletal effects are unclear and comparisons between sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) are rare. DESIGN AND METHODS: An observational longitudinal study of obese patients undergoing SG or RYGB was performed. Whole-body (WB) BMD, along with BMD of the total hip (TH), femoral neck (FN), and lumbar spine (LS), was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) before surgery and yearly thereafter for 4 years. Calciotropic hormones were also measured. RESULTS: Forty-seven patients undergoing RYGB surgery and 28 patients undergoing SG were included. Four years after RYGB, BMD declined by 2.8 ± 5.8% in LS, 8.6 ± 5% in FN, 10.9 ± 6.3% in TH, and 4.2 ± 6.2% in WB, relative to baseline. For SG, BMD declined by 8.1 ± 5.5% in FN, 7.7 ± 6% in TH, 2.0 ± 7.2% in LS, and 2.5 ± 6.4% in WB after 4 years, relative to baseline. Vitamin D levels increased with supplementation in both groups. Whereas parathyroid hormone levels increased slightly in the RYGB group, they decreased modestly in the SG group (P < 0.05 in both groups). CONCLUSIONS: Bone loss after 4 years was comparable between the two procedures, although RYGB was associated with a slightly greater decrease at the TH than SG. Bone health should therefore be monitored after both RYGB and SG.

Long-Term Favorable Effects of Physical Exercise on Burdensome Symptoms in the OptiTrain Breast Cancer Randomized Controlled Trial.

Purpose: We evaluate longitudinal changes in symptom clusters and core burdensome symptoms in breast cancer patients who participated in the OptiTrain trial. Methods: 240 women were randomized to 16 weeks of supervised exercise (RT-HIIT or AT-HIIT) or usual care (UC) during adjuvant chemotherapy. Symptom clusters were composed using the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS), assessed at baseline, 16 weeks and 12 months later. Three symptom clusters were formed. Results: Three symptom clusters were identified: "emotional," "treatment-related toxicity," and "physical," with core burdensome symptoms present over time. At 16 weeks, the reported burdens of "feeling sad" (RT-HIIT vs UC: effect size [ES] = -0.69; AT-HIIT vs UC: ES = -0.56) and "feeling irritable" (ES = -0.41 RT-HIIT; ES = -0.31 AT-HIIT) were significantly lower in both intervention groups compared with UC. At 12 months, the AT-HIIT group continued to have significantly lower scores for the core burdensome symptoms "feeling sad" (ES = -0.44), "feeling irritable" (ES = -0.44), and "changes in the way food tastes" (ES = -0.53) compared with UC. No between-group differences were found for physical symptoms. Conclusion: We identified 3 symptom clusters in breast cancer patients during and after adjuvant chemotherapy, composed of "emotional," "treatment-related toxicity," and "physical" symptoms. After treatment completion up to 12 months post-baseline, patients in the physical exercise groups reported lower symptom burden scores for emotional symptoms, compared with UC. Our findings indicate a preserved and long-term beneficial effect of physical exercise on self-reported emotional well-being in chemotherapy-treated breast cancer patients.

Effect of Traditional Chinese Medicine on Long-Term Outcomes of Snakebite in Taiwan.

Herein, we review the characteristics of the six predominant venomous snakes in Taiwan and the effects of traditional Chinese medicine on the long-term outcomes of snakebite venom. We electronically searched databases, including PubMed, ClinicalKey, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, National Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations in Taiwan, and Airiti Library, from their inception to November 2019 by using the following Medical Subject Headings' keywords: snakebite, long-term, chronic, Chinese medicine, CAM, herb, and Taiwan. The most common long-term effects of snakebite envenomation include "migraine-like syndrome", brain injuries caused by hypoxia or intracranial hemorrhage, and chronic kidney disease. In addition, hypopituitarism is also worth mentioning. Traditional Chinese medicine can potentially be used in a complementary or alternative treatment for these effects, but additional studies are needed.

Triheptanoin Supplementation Does not Affect Nutritional Status: A Case Report of Two Siblings With Adult Polyglucosan Body Disease.

Objective: An anaplerotic diet with the odd-chain triglyceride (triheptanoin-C7TG) supplementation was tested as a therapy for Adult Polyglucosan Body Disease (APBD) and is currently being assessed for various metabolic disorders. The aim of this study was to determine any unknown long-term effect of C7TG supplementation on the nutritional status, body composition, resting energy expenditure and biochemical parameters of two siblings with APBD.Methods: Two adult siblings with APBD were treated over a 2-year period with a high fat, low carbohydrate diet, with C7TG oil representing about 30% of the daily caloric intake. We carried out a long-term longitudinal study to determine weight, height, waist circumference; total, intra and extra cellular water by bioimpedance; body fat, lean mass, and bone mineral density by DEXA; resting energy expenditure by indirect calorimeter; glucose and lipid profiles.Results: C7TG supplementation failed to prevent APBD progression, corroborating recent literature. However, long-term C7TG supplementation did not produce any appreciable changes in nutritional status, body composition, resting energy expenditure or biochemical parameters, and no evidence was found of potential adverse effects.Conclusions: Our data suggest that maintenance of C7TG over a 2-year period still leaves a good safety profile in terms of nutritional status, body composition, resting energy expenditure, and biochemical parameters. However further studies involving larger sample sizes, also other diseases, are needed for a deeper understanding of its long-term effects.

Brain Susceptibility to Methyl Donor Deficiency: From Fetal Programming to Aging Outcome in Rats.

Deficiencies in methyl donors, folate, and vitamin B12 are known to lead to brain function defects. Fetal development is the most studied but data are also available for such an impact in elderly rats. To compare the functional consequences of nutritional deficiency in young versus adult rats, we monitored behavioral outcomes of cerebellum and hippocampus circuits in the offspring of deficient mother rats and in adult rats fed a deficient diet from 2 to 8 months-of-age. We present data showing that the main deleterious consequences are found in young ages compared to adult ones, in terms of movement coordination and learning abilities. Moreover, we obtained sex and age differences in the deleterious effects on these functions and on neuronal layer integrity in growing young rats, while deficient adults presented only slight functional alterations without tissue damage. Actually, the cerebellum and the hippocampus develop and maturate according to different time lap windows and we demonstrate that a switch to a normal diet can only rescue circuits that present a long permissive window of time, such as the cerebellum, whereas the hippocampus does not. Thus, we argue, as others have, for supplements or fortifications given over a longer time than the developmental period.

Long-term effects of acupuncture for chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome: systematic review and single-arm meta-analyses.

BACKGROUND: Cumulative evidences indicate that acupuncture may ameliorate the symptoms of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS). However, the long-lasting effects of acupuncture on CP/CPPS has not been fully evaluated. The objective of this study is to assess the sustained effects of acupuncture on CP/CPPS. METHODS: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and CENTRAL databases for studies on the use of acupuncture in patients with CP/CPPS. Studies with long-term follow-up periods were included. Single-arm meta-analyses were performed using random-effects model. The primary outcome was the response rate at the end of follow-up period; the secondary outcomes were changes of the National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) scores at the end of follow-up, including total score and 3 sub-scores (pain, urinary, and quality of life). RESULTS: Six studies with 310 patients were performed in data synthesis, among which four studies were randomized controlled trials (RCT) and two were case series studies. At the end of follow-up, the weighted "average" response rate was 68.4% (95% CI: 42.1% to 89.5%, n=226; I2=93.5%); the change of NIH-CPSI total score were -14.8 (95% CI: -17.0 to -12.6, n=310; I2=92.1%); the change of pain, urinary, and quality of life sub-scores were -6.0 (95% CI: -6.9 to -5.2, n=266; I2=83.6%), -2.6 (95% CI: -3.2 to -2.0, n=266; I2=87.9%), and -4.4 (95% CI: -6.2 to -2.6, n=266; I2=98.7%), respectively. The source of heterogeneity could not be identified owing to insufficient studies. CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture may have clinically long-lasting benefits for CP/CPPS. However, current evidence is limited owing to insufficient data and significant heterogeneity. Further studies with larger sample size and long-term follow-up periods are warranted.

Cancer survivorship: an integral part of Europe's research agenda.

Cancer survivorship has traditionally received little prioritisation and attention. For a long time, the treatment of cancer has been the main focus of healthcare providers' efforts. It is time to increase the amount of attention given to patients' long-term well-being and their ability to return to a productive and good life. This article describes the current state of knowledge and identifies research areas in need of development to enable interventions for improved survivorship for all cancer patients in Europe. The article is summed up with 11 points in need of further focus.

Dietary fish oil supplementation during early pregnancy in rats on a cafeteria-diet prevents fatty liver in adult male offspring.

We studied in rats the effects of cafeteria diet (CD) supplemented (or not) with fish oil (FO) during just the first 12 days of pregnancy, or during the whole of pregnancy and lactation in 14-month old offspring. Female rats were given standard diet (STD) or CD and after mating some animals remained on STD or CD; for some CD rats the diet was supplemented with 8.78% FO. After 12 days, half of the CD-FO group returned to CD (CD-FO12) and the others remained on CD-FO. From weaning all offspring were given STD. The adiposity index of male offspring of CD dams increased but was normal in CD-FO males. Plasma triacylglycerols (TAG) and individual fatty acid concentrations were similar among the groups. Liver total lipids, TAG, fatty acid concentrations, Δ9-desaturase indices and the mRNA expression of fatty acid synthase were higher in male offspring of CD than in those of STD; most of these differences disappeared in male offspring of CD-FO12 and CD-FO dams. Female offspring showed smaller changes. Thus, a moderate supplement with FO during just the first half of gestation or during pregnancy and lactation in rats on CD decreases the liver steatosis in male adult offspring.