Unlocking the power of polyphenols: A promising biomarker of improved metabolic health and anti-inflammatory diet in adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adolescence is a risk factor for future cardiovascular disease. The chronic inflammation associated with MetS can be attenuated by the anti-inflammatory effect of polyphenols. We aimed to evaluate total urinary polyphenols as a biomarker of anti-inflammatory diets and their effect on MetS in adolescents. METHODS: In this retrospective analysis of a longitudinal cohort study, the relationship between total polyphenol excretion (TPE) in urine, the inflammatory potential of the diet measured through the Children's Dietary Inflammatory Index (C-DII), and the presence of metabolic syndrome was evaluated. The study population consisted of adolescents enrolled in the SI! Program for Secondary Schools trial, who had completed all the study forms and provided urine samples at baseline and at the two-year follow-up. Multivariate linear regression and multinominal logistic regression models were generated to evaluate the relationship of changes in TPE with changes in the C-DII score and changes in MetS status, respectively. An analysis of the ROC curve was performed to assess the potential of TPE as a biomarker of an anti-inflammatory diet. RESULTS: This study included 662 adolescents, 51.2% were males, and 48.8% were females, with a mean age of 12 (0.38) years at baseline. The relationship between changes in TPE and changes in the C-DII score was stratified by sex with a p-value <0.001 for the interaction. TPE and C-DII were inversely associated in males (-0.13 mg GAE/g creatinine [-0.26; -0.01] per 1-SD increase, p-value = 0.037). In addition, an increase in changes in TPE levels were associated with a reversal in MetS status in all adolescents (1.30 [1.27; 1.34] per 1-SD increase, p-value<0.001). The ROC curve showed that urinary TPE levels can predict dietary inflammatory potential with an AUC = 0.793 (0.725; 0.863) in males. CONCLUSION: Polyphenols excreted in urine are a potential biomarker of anti-inflammatory diets in males and are associated with a reversal of MetS status in adolescents. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, Identifier: NCT03504059, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03504059.

Effect of Time-Varying Exposure to School-Based Health Promotion on Adiposity in Childhood.

BACKGROUND: The results of most school-based health promotion initiatives are inconclusive. OBJECTIVES: This trial assessed the effect of time-varying exposures to a multicomponent school-based health promotion intervention (SI! Program) on adiposity markers. METHODS: A total of 48 schools in Madrid (Spain) were cluster randomized to receive the SI! Program through elementary education grades 1 to 6 (E1-6, 12 schools, 459 children), 1 to 3 (E1-3, 12 schools, 513 children), or 4 to 6 (E4-6, 12 schools, 419 children) or to receive the standard curriculum (control, 12 schools, 379 children). The primary endpoint was the between-group difference at 3- and 6-year follow-up in the change from baseline in adiposity markers and the overall knowledge-attitudes-habits (KAH) score. RESULTS: At 3-year follow-up, children who had the intervention showed significantly lower increases than the control group in z-scores for body mass index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and waist circumference (WC) (zBMI: -0.09; 95% CI: -0.16 to -0.03; P = 0.003; zWC and zWHtR: -0.19; 95% CI: -0.28 to -0.10; P < 0.001). At 6-year follow-up, the beneficial trend in zWC and zWHtR was maintained in the E1-6 and E1-3 groups: difference zWC control vs E1-6 (-0.19; 95% CI: -0.36 to -0.03; P = 0.020), control vs E1-3 (-0.22; 95% CI: -0.38 to -0.06; P = 0.009); difference zWHtR control vs E1-6 (-0.24; 95% CI: -0.41 to -0.06; P = 0.009), and control vs E1-3 (-0.29; 95% CI: -0.47 to -0.11; P = 0.001). No significant between-group differences were found in the change of overall KAH score. CONCLUSIONS: Early elementary school interventions may be more effective than later interventions on abdominal adiposity. Further research should assess the sustainability effects of school-based health promotion programs.

Cardiovascular Health Trajectories in Adolescence and Their Association With Sociodemographic and Cardiometabolic Outcomes in Spain.

PURPOSE: To determine cardiovascular health (CVH) trajectories and their association with sociodemographic and cardiometabolic outcomes in adolescence. METHODS: One thousand eighty adolescents attending 24 secondary schools enrolled in the SI! Program for Secondary Schools trial in Spain were assessed at approximately 12, 14, and 16 years of age. CVH was assessed according to American Heart Association criteria based on seven metrics (smoking status, body mass index, physical activity, diet, blood pressure, total cholesterol, and blood glucose), and CVH trajectories were identified by latent class trajectory modeling. Associations between CVH trajectories, sociodemographic characteristics, and cardiometabolic outcomes were analyzed using generalized linear and Poisson models. RESULTS: Five CVH trajectory groups were identified: poor-stable (27 adolescents [2.5%]), intermediate-substantial rise (79 [7.3%]), intermediate-substantial decline (63 [5.8%]), intermediate-mild decline (403 [37.3%]), and intermediate-mild rise (508 [47.1%]). Boys and adolescents from families with low-average income, low-intermediate educational attainment, and a migrant background more frequently belonged to groups with lower baseline CVH and poor or declining trajectories. The intermediate-substantial decline group had the highest prevalence ratio for overweight/obesity (3.84; 95% confidence interval: 2.86-5.16) and metabolic syndrome (4.93; 95% confidence interval: 1.21-20.04) at age 16, whereas prevalence was lowest in the intermediate-mild rise group. DISCUSSION: Adolescent CVH trajectories differ according to socioeconomic characteristics and are associated with cardiometabolic outcomes. Primordial prevention interventions should be implemented early in life, taking into account CVH trajectories and with a particular focus on vulnerable populations.

¿Estamos en el camino correcto para reducir la obesidad infantil? / Are we on the right track to reduce childhood obesity?

No disponible

Validation of a questionnaire to measure overall Mediterranean lifestyle habits for research application: the MEDiterranean LIFEstyle index (MEDLIFE) / Validación de un cuestionario para medir los hábitos de estilo de vida mediterráneos para su aplicación en investigación: índice de estilo de vida mediterráneo (MEDLIFE)

Background: the Mediterranean Lifestyle index (MEDLIFE) was developed as a questionnaire to capture adherence to an overall Mediterranean healthy lifestyle. The reliability of the MEDLIFE as an independent questionnaire must be evaluated prior its use in research studies. Objective: to assess the inter-method reliability of the MEDLIFE as a short and independent research tool. Design: the 28-item MEDLIFE questionnaire and a 142-item validated questionnaire (full-Q) from which we derived the 28-items MEDLIFE (MEDLIFE-derived) were administered simultaneously to 196 adults (mean age 41.4 ± 9.2 y) living in Madrid, Spain. The reliability was assessed by Kappa (k) statistics, intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) and limits of agreement (LOA). Results: overall correlation between the two instruments was 0.626. MEDLIFE had an acceptable ability to rank participants by MEDLIFE-derived from full-Q (ICC=0.544). Absolute agreement showed very good concordance for 10.7% of the items evaluated; good to moderate concordance for most items, and fair concordance for 32.1% of the items. Intake of sweets, processed meats, low-fat dairy products and cereals were overestimated by MEDLIFE. About 38%, 15%, 12% and 10% of participants who scored 1-point for those items in MEDLIFE also scored 1-point in the MEDLIFE-derived respectively. Bland Altman’s analysis showed that LOA ranged from -4.66 to 7.45 (mean=1.40). Conclusion: the MEDLIFE is a valid instrument to measure overall adherence to the Mediterranean lifestyle in middle age adults from a Spanish population, and could be used as an independent questionnaire in clinical and epidemiological studies for such population. Its generalizability and predictive validity for clinical outcomes remains to be investigated (AU)

Antecedentes: el índice de estilo de vida mediterráneo (MEDLIFE) fue desarrollado como un cuestionario para recoger la adherencia a un estilo de vida saludable mediterráneo. La fiabilidad del MEDLIFE como cuestionario independiente debe ser evaluada antes de su uso en estudios de investigación. Objetivo: evaluar la fiabilidad inter-método del MEDLIFE como herramienta de investigación corta e independiente. Diseño: cuestionario corto del MEDLIFE de 28 ítems y un cuestionario largo validado de 142 ítems, del cual se derivó posteriormente el cuestionario del MEDLIFE de 28 ítems (MEDLIFE-derivado), se administraron simultáneamente a 196 adultos (edad media 41,4 ± 9,2 años) con residencia en Madrid, España. La fiabilidad se evaluó mediante el coeficiente kappa de Cohen, el coeficiente de correlación intraclase (CCI) y el límite de acuerdo (LOA). Resultados: el grado de correlación entre los dos instrumentos fue 0,626. El MEDLIFE tuvo una capacidad aceptable para clasificar a los participantes mediante el MEDLIFE-derivado (ICC=0,544). El grado de acuerdo absoluto (coeficiente kappa) mostró muy buena concordancia para el 10,7% de los ítems evaluados; de buena a moderada para la mayoría de los ítems, y razonable para el 32,1% de los ítems. La ingesta de dulces, carnes procesadas, productos lácteos bajos en grasa y cereales se sobreestimó por el MEDLIFE. El 38%, 15%, 12% y 10% de los participantes que obtuvieron 1 punto para esos ítems en el MEDLIFE también obtuvieron 1 punto en el MEDLIFE-derivado, respectivamente. El análisis de Bland Altman mostró un rango de LOA de -4,66 a 7,45 (media = 1,40). Conclusión: el MEDLIFE es un instrumento válido para medir la adherencia global al estilo de vida mediterráneo en adultos de mediana edad de una población española, y podría ser utilizado como cuestionario independiente en estudios clínicos y epidemiológicos para tal población. Su generalización y validez predictiva para los parámetros clínicos debe ser investigada (AU)

Asociación entre antropometría y presión arterial alta en una muestra representativa de preescolares de Madrid / Association between anthropometry and high blood pressure in a representative sample of preschoolers in madrid

Introducción y objetivos: El Programa SI! es una intervención escolar de promoción de salud cardiovascular en la infancia. El objetivo de este artículo es caracterizar la prevalencia de obesidad y presión arterial alta entre los preescolares del estudio del Programa SI! y comparar distintos criterios de clasificación de obesidad. Métodos: El diseño es una intervención controlada y aleatorizada por grupos en 24 colegios públicos de Madrid. Se midió peso, talla, pliegues tricipital y subescapular, circunferencia de la cintura y presión arterial en 2.011 preescolares (1.009 niños y 1.002 niñas) de 3 a 5 (3,7 ± 0,9) años. El índice de masa corporal y la presión arterial se clasificaron siguiendo criterios internacionales. Se estudiaron seis criterios diferentes de obesidad, los efectos del índice de masa corporal, peso, porcentaje de grasa y circunferencia de la cintura en la presión arterial y el riesgo de presión arterial alta por terciles de índice de masa corporal. Resultados: La prevalencia de obesidad osciló del 2% (niños de 3 años) al 8% (niños de 5) y la de presión arterial alta fue del 20%. Se ha encontrado mejor concordancia con la referencia internacional para los criterios de obesidad específicos para sexo y edad que con puntos de corte únicos. El riesgo de presión arterial alta aumentó en cada tercil de índice de masa corporal. Conclusiones: Los niños mayores mostraron la mayor prevalencia de obesidad y presión arterial alta. La clasificación de obesidad fue más precisa utilizando criterios específicos para sexo y edad (AU)

Introduction and objectives: Program SI! is a multi-level, school-based intervention for the promotion of cardiovascular health from early childhood. The aim of this paper is to characterize the prevalence of obesity and high blood pressure in the preschoolers enrolled in the study, and to compare various criteria for classifying obesity. Methods: The study was a cluster-randomized controlled intervention trial including 24 state schools in Madrid (Spain). Weight, height, triceps and subscapular skinfold thicknesses, waist circumference, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured in 2011 children (1009 boys and 1002 girls) aged 3 to 5 years (3.7 [0.9]). Body mass index and blood pressure were classified by corresponding task force criteria. Obesity was studied by 6 different criteria. Associations of body mass index, body weight, body fat, and waist circumference on blood pressure were examined, and the risk of high blood pressure in relation to tertiles of body mass index was calculated. Results: The prevalence of obesity according to the International Obesity Task Force varied from 2% at age 3 to 8% at age 5, and the overall prevalence of high blood pressure (≥ 90th percentile) was 20%. Sex- and age-specific criteria for obesity showed better agreement with the reference than a single generalized cut off. The risk of high blood pressure was higher for the highest tertile of body mass index distribution. Conclusions: The highest prevalence of obesity and high blood pressure was found among older children. The classification of obesity in children was more accurate using sex- and age-specific cutoffs (AU)