The Role of Basic Psychological Needs in the Adoption of Healthy Habits by Adolescents.

Previous research in this field has not examined the significance of each of the basic psychological needs (BPNs) on changes in the physical activity level, adherence to the Mediterranean diet (AMD), kinanthropometric and derived variables, and the physical fitness of adolescents. Therefore, the purpose of this study was (a) to examine the variances in physical activity, AMD, and kinanthropometric and derived variables, as well as fitness levels, among adolescents with varying degrees of satisfaction regarding each of the BPNs and (b) to assess the differences in the study variables among adolescents based on whether the BPNs are satisfied individually or jointly. The sample consisted of 791 adolescents (404 males and 387 females; average age: 14.39 ± 1.26 years old). The findings indicated that adolescents in the highest percentiles (75-100) of competence, autonomy, or relatedness showed higher scores in physical activity and AMD and better kinanthropometric and physical fitness variables than adolescents in the lowest percentiles (0-25). Adolescents who showed joint satisfaction of all BPNs showed the best results on all variables analyzed. In addition, it should be noted that competence played the most relevant role.

Physical Activity Intensity Measurement and Health: State of the Art and Future Directions for Scientific Research.

Physical activity guidelines for health recommend any type of unstructured physical activity for health promotion. Adults should perform at least 150-300 min per week of moderate intensity or 75-150 min per week of vigorous intensity activities, or an equivalent combination of the two intensities. However, the relationship between physical activity intensity and longevity remains a debated topic, with conflicting perspectives offered by epidemiologists, clinical exercise physiologists or anthropologists. This paper addresses the current known role of physical activity intensity (in particular vigorous versus moderate intensity) on mortality and the existing problems of measurement. Given the diversity of existing proposals to categorize physical activity intensity, we call for a common methodology. Device-based physical activity measurements (e.g., wrist accelerometers) have been proposed as a valid method to measure physical activity intensity. An appraisal of the results reported in the literature, however, highlights that wrist accelerometers have not yet demonstrated sufficient criterion validity when they are compared to indirect calorimetry. Novel biosensors and wrist accelerometers will help us understand how different metrics of physical activity relates to human health, however, all these technologies are not enough mature to provide personalized applications for healthcare or sports performance.

Artificially Sweetened Beverages and Health Outcomes: An Umbrella Review.

The consumption of artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs) is increasing in some countries. However, some meta-analyses have found that habitual consumers of ASBs (compared with low or no consumption) had an increased risk on some health outcomes. We performed an umbrella review of meta-analyses to grade the credibility of the evidence of claimed observational associations between ASBs and health outcomes. Data were searched in Web of Science, Embase, and PubMed for systematic reviews published up to 25 May 2022, examining association between ASBs and any health outcomes. Certainty of the evidence for each health outcome was obtained based on statistical results of tests used in umbrella reviews. The AMSTAR-2 tool (16 items) was used to identify high-quality systematic reviews. Answers of each item were rated as yes, no, or partial yes (for a partial adherence to the standard). We included data from 11 meta-analyses with unique population, exposure, comparison group, outcome obtained from 7 systematic reviews (51 cohort studies and 4 case-control studies). ASBs were associated with higher risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, all-cause mortality, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease incidence (supported by highly suggestive evidence). Evidence for other outcomes (colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, cancer mortality, cardiovascular mortality, chronic kidney disease, coronary artery disease, and stroke) was weak. Results of the quality assessment of systematic reviews using AMSTAR-2 showed some notable deficiencies: unclear sources of funding of eligible studies and lack of predefined study protocols to guide authors. The consumption of ASBs was associated with a higher risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, all-cause mortality, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease incidence. However, further cohort studies and clinical trials in humans are still needed to understand the impact of ASBs on health outcomes.

The Effect of Exercise on Quality of Life in Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Exercise is a proven therapy for managing cardiometabolic risk factors in type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, its effects on patient-reported outcome measures such as quality of life (QoL) in people with T2D remain unclear. Consequently, the primary aim of this study was to determine the effect of regular exercise on QoL in adults with T2D. A secondary aim was to determine the effect of different exercise modalities on QoL. The third aim was to determine whether improvements in QoL were associated with improvements in gly'cated hemoglobin (A1C). METHODS: Relevant databases were searched to May 2022. Eligible studies included randomized trials involving ≥2 wk of aerobic and/or resistance exercise and assessed QoL using a purpose-specific tool. Mean differences and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated as standardized mean difference (SMD) or weighted mean difference. A regression analysis was undertaken to examine the interaction between change in QoL with change in A1C. RESULTS: Of the 12,642 studies retrieved, 29 were included involving 2354 participants. Exercise improved QoL when compared with control (SMD, 0.384; 95% CI, 0.257 to 0.512; P < 0.001). Aerobic exercise, alone (SMD, 0.475; 95% CI, 0.295 to 0.655; P < 0.001) or in combination with resistance training (SMD, 0.363; 95% CI, 0.179 to 0.548; P < 0.001) improved QoL, whereas resistance training alone did not. Physical components of health-related QoL (HRQoL) improved with all exercise modalities, but mental components of HRQoL remained unchanged. Exercise improved A1C (mean difference, -0.509%; 95% CI, -0.806% to -0.212%; P = 0.001), and this change was associated with improvements in HRQoL ( ß = -0.305, SE = 0.140, Z = -2.18, P = 0.030). CONCLUSIONS: These results provide robust evidence that regular aerobic exercise alone or in combination with resistance training is effective for improving QoL in adults with T2D. Such improvements seem to be mediated by improvements in physical components of HRQoL and are associated with improved blood glucose control. Further studies should be undertaken to determine the relative importance of exercise duration, intensity, and frequency on patient-reported outcomes such as QoL.

Understanding the Causes of Frailty Using a Life-Course Perspective: A Systematic Review.

(1) Background: Few studies have examined risk factors of frailty during early life and mid-adulthood, which may be critical to prevent frailty and/or postpone it. The aim was to identify early life and adulthood risk factors associated with frailty. (2) Methods: A systematic review of cohort studies (of at least 10 years of follow-up), using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines (PRISMA). A risk of confounding score was created by the authors for risk of bias assessment. Three databases were searched from inception until 1 January 2023 (Web of Science, Embase, PubMed). Inclusion criteria were any cohort study that evaluated associations between any risk factor and frailty. (3) Results: Overall, a total of 5765 articles were identified, with 33 meeting the inclusion criteria. Of the included studies, only 16 were categorized as having a low risk of confounding due to pre-existing diseases. The long-term risk of frailty was lower among individuals who were normal weight, physically active, consumed fruits and vegetables regularly, and refrained from tobacco smoking, excessive alcohol intake, and regular consumption of sugar or artificially sweetened drinks. (4) Conclusions: Frailty in older adults might be prevented or postponed with behaviors related to ideal cardiovascular health.

Association of the "Weekend Warrior" and Other Leisure-time Physical Activity Patterns With All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

Importance: It is unclear whether the weekly recommended amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) has the same benefits for mortality risk when activity sessions are spread throughout the week vs concentrated in fewer days. Objective: To examine the association of weekend warrior and other patterns of leisure-time physical activity with all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Design, Setting, and Participants: This large nationwide prospective cohort study included 350 978 adults who self-reported physical activity to the US National Health Interview Survey from 1997 to 2013. Participant data were linked to the National Death Index through December 31, 2015. Exposures: Participants were grouped by self-reported activity level: physically inactive (<150 minutes per week [min/wk] of MVPA) or physically active (≥150 min/wk of moderate or ≥75 min/wk of vigorous activity). The active group was further classified by pattern: weekend warrior (1-2 sessions/wk) or regularly active (≥3 session/wk); and then, by frequency, duration/session, and intensity of activity. Main Outcomes and Measures: All-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer mortality. Statistical analyses were performed in April 2022. Results: A total of 350 978 participants (mean [SD] age, 41.4 [15.2] years; 192 432 [50.8%] women; 209 432 [67.8%] Non-Hispanic White) were followed during a median of 10.4 years (3.6 million person-years). There were 21 898 deaths documented, including 4130 from CVD and 6034 from cancer. Compared with physically inactive participants, hazard ratios (HR) for all-cause mortality were 0.92 (95% CI, 0.83-1.02) for weekend warrior and 0.85 (95% CI, 0.83-0.88) for regularly active participants; findings for cause-specific mortality were similar. Given the same amount of total MVPA, weekend warrior participants had similar all-cause and cause-specific mortality rates as regularly active participants. The HRs for weekend warrior vs regularly active participants were 1.08 (95% CI, 0.97-1.20) for all-cause mortality; 1.14 (95% CI, 0.85-1.53) for CVD mortality; and 1.07 (95% CI, 0.87-1.31) for cancer mortality. Conclusions and Relevance: The findings of this large prospective cohort study suggest that individuals who engage in active patterns of physical activity, whether weekend warrior or regularly active, experience lower all-cause and cause-specific mortality rates than inactive individuals. Significant differences were not observed for all-cause or cause-specific mortality between weekend warriors and regularly active participants after accounting for total amount of MVPA; therefore, individuals who engage in the recommended levels of physical activity may experience the same benefit whether the sessions are performed throughout the week or concentrated into fewer days.

Long-Term Leisure-Time Physical Activity Intensity and All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality: A Prospective Cohort of US Adults.

BACKGROUND: The 2018 physical activity guidelines for Americans recommend a minimum of 150 to 300 min/wk of moderate physical activity (MPA), 75 to 150 min/wk of vigorous physical activity (VPA), or an equivalent combination of both. However, it remains unclear whether higher levels of long-term VPA and MPA are, independently and jointly, associated with lower mortality. METHODS: A total of 116 221 adults from 2 large prospective US cohorts (Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, 1988-2018) were analyzed. Detailed self-reported leisure-time physical activity was assessed with a validated questionnaire, repeated up to 15 times during the follow-up. Cox regression was used to estimate the hazard ratio and 95% CI of the association between long-term leisure-time physical activity intensity and all-cause and cause-specific mortality. RESULTS: During 30 years of follow-up, we identified 47 596 deaths. In analyses mutually adjusted for MPA and VPA, hazard ratios comparing individuals meeting the long-term leisure-time VPA guideline (75-149 min/wk) versus no VPA were 0.81 (95% CI, 0.76-0.87) for all-cause mortality, 0.69 (95% CI, 0.60-0.78) for cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, and 0.85 (95% CI, 0.79-0.92) for non-CVD mortality. Meeting the long-term leisure-time MPA guideline (150-299 min/wk) was similarly associated with lower mortality: 19% to 25% lower risk of all-cause, CVD, and non-CVD mortality. Compared with those meeting the long-term leisure-time physical activity guidelines, participants who reported 2 to 4 times above the recommended minimum of long-term leisure-time VPA (150-299 min/wk) or MPA (300-599 min/wk) showed 2% to 4% and 3% to 13% lower mortality, respectively. Higher levels of either long-term leisure-time VPA (≥300 min/wk) or MPA (≥600 min/wk) did not clearly show further lower all-cause, CVD, and non-CVD mortality or harm. In joint analyses, for individuals who reported <300 min/wk of long-term leisure-time MPA, additional leisure-time VPA was associated with lower mortality; however, among those who reported ≥300 min/wk of long-term leisure-time MPA, additional leisure-time VPA did not appear to be associated with lower mortality beyond MPA. CONCLUSIONS: The nearly maximum association with lower mortality was achieved by performing ≈150 to 300 min/wk of long-term leisure-time VPA, 300 to 600 min/wk of long-term leisure-time MPA, or an equivalent combination of both.

Has the Prevalence of Childhood Obesity in Spain Plateaued? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The prevalence of excess body weight (overweight plus obesity) in children has risen during the last decades in many countries, but it is unclear whether it has reached a plateau in Spanish children. We performed an updated systematic review and meta-analysis for the prevalence of excess body weight in children from Spain, comparing the trends between 1999 and 2010 and 2011 and 2021. Data were reported in a prior meta-analysis, plus an updated search using the Web of Science, MEDLINE (via PubMed) and EMBASE databases for data from January 2018 until December 2021. Thirteen representative studies were identified (34,813 children aged 2 to 13 years), with sample sizes averaging 2678 (range: 396-16,665). The prevalence of excess body weight in Spanish children aged 2 to 6 years increased from 23.3% (95% CI, 18.5% to 25.5%) during the period 1999-2010 to 39.9% (95% CI, 35.4% to 44.7%) during 2011-2021. In children aged 7 to 13 years, the prevalence of excess body weight increased from 32.3% (95% CI, 29.1-35.6%) during the period 1999-2010 to 35.3% (95% CI, 32.9-37.7%) during 2011-2021. The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity in Spain has substantially increased in the last decade. New food policies to address the childhood obesity epidemic are urgently required to reverse current trends.

Educational Differences in Diabetes Mortality among Hispanics in the United States: An Epidemiological Analysis of Vital Statistics Data (1989-2018).

BACKGROUND: Diabetes accounted for approximately 10% of all-cause mortality among those 20-79 years of age worldwide in 2019. In 1986-1989, Hispanics in the United States of America (USA) represented 6.9% of the national population with diabetes, and this proportion increased to 15.1% in 2010-2014. Recently published findings demonstrated the impact of attained education on amenable mortality attributable to diabetes among Non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs) and Non-Hispanic Blacks (HNBs). Previous cohort studies have shown that low education is also a detrimental factor for diabetes mortality among the Hispanic population in the USA. However, the long-term impact of low education on diabetes mortality among Hispanics in the USA is yet to be determined. AIMS AND METHODS: The aim of this study was to measure the impact of achieving a 12th-grade education on amenable mortality due to diabetes among Hispanics in the USA from 1989 to 2018. We used a time-series designed to analyze death certificate data of Hispanic-classified men and women, aged 25 to 74 years, whose underlying cause of death was diabetes, between 1989 and 2018. Death certificate data from the USA National Center for Health Statistics was downloaded, as well as USA population estimates by age, sex, and ethnicity from the USA Census Bureau. The analyses were undertaken using JointPoint software and the Age-Period-Cohort Web Tool, both developed by the USA National Cancer Institute. RESULTS: The analyses showed that between 1989 to 2018, age- and sex-standardized diabetes mortality rates among the least educated individuals were higher than those among the most educated individuals (both sexes together, p = 0.036; males, p = 0.053; females, p = 0.036). The difference between the least and most educated individuals became more pronounced in recent years, as shown by independent confidence intervals across the study period. Sex-based analyses revealed that the age-adjUSAted diabetes mortality rate had increased to a greater extent among the least educated males and females, respectively, than among the most educated. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the analyses demonstrated a powerful effect of low education on amenable mortality attributable to diabetes among the Hispanic population in the USA. As an increasing prevalence of diabetes among the least educated Hispanics has been reported, there is a great need to identify and implement effective preventive services, self-management, and quality care practices, that may assist in reducing the growing disparity among those most vulnerable, such as minority populations.

Muscle-strengthening activities and cancer incidence and mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity has been associated with reduced risk of seven types of cancer. It remains unclear, however, whether muscle-strengthening activities also reduce cancer incidence and mortality. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Scopus were searched from inception to March 2020. Summary hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using random-effects models. RESULTS: Twelve studies (11 cohorts; 1 case-control), 6 to 25 years of follow-up, including 1,297,620 participants, 32,196 cases and 31,939 deaths, met inclusion criteria. Muscle-strengthening activities were associated with a 26% lower incidence of kidney cancer (HR for high vs low levels of muscle-strengthening activities: 0.74; 95% CI 0.56 to 0.98; I2 0%; 2 studies), but not with incidence of other 12 types of cancer. Muscle-strengthening activities were associated with lower total cancer mortality: HRs for high vs low levels of muscle-strengthening activities was 0.87 (95% CI 0.73 to 1.02; I2 58%; 6 studies); and HR for ≥2 times/week vs < 2 times/week of muscle-strengthening activities was 0.81 (95% CI 0.74 to 0.87; I2 0%; 4 studies). Regarding the weekly duration of muscle-strengthening activities, HR for total cancer mortality were 0.91 (95% CI 0.82 to 1.01; I2 0%; 2 studies) for 1-59 min/week and 0.98 (95% CI 0.89 to 1.07; I2 0%) for ≥60 min/week vs none. Combined muscle-strengthening and aerobic activities (vs none) were associated with a 28% lower total cancer mortality (HR 0.72; 95% CI 0.53 to 0.98; I2 85%; 3 studies). CONCLUSIONS: Muscle-strengthening activities were associated with reduced incidence of kidney cancer and total cancer mortality. Combined muscle-strengthening and aerobic activities may provide a greater reduction in total cancer mortality.

Association of Physical Activity Intensity With Mortality: A National Cohort Study of 403 681 US Adults.

Importance: It is unclear whether, for the same amount of total physical activity, a higher proportion of vigorous physical activity (VPA) to total physical activity is associated with a greater reduction in mortality. Objective: To examine the association of the proportion of VPA to total physical activity (defined as moderate to vigorous physical activity [MVPA]) with all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease mortality, and cancer mortality. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study included 403 681 adults from the National Health Interview Survey 1997-2013 who provided data on self-reported physical activity and were linked to the National Death Index records through December 31, 2015. Statistical analysis was performed from May 15, 2018, to August 15, 2020. Exposures: Proportion of VPA to total physical activity among participants performing any MVPA. Main Outcomes and Measures: All-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease mortality, and cancer mortality. Cox proportional hazards regression models were performed to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs, adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle risk factors, and total physical activity. Result: Among the 403 681 individuals (225 569 women [51.7%]; mean [SD] age, 42.8 [16.3] years) in the study, during a median 10.1 years (interquartile range, 5.4-14.6 years) of follow-up (407.3 million person-years), 36 861 deaths occurred. Mutually adjusted models considering the recommendations of moderate physical activity (MPA; 150-299 vs 0 minutes per week) and VPA (≥75-149 vs 0 minutes per week) showed similar associations for all-cause mortality (MPA: HR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.80-0.87; and VPA: HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.76-0.84) and cardiovascular disease mortality (MPA: HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.68-0.83; and VPA: HR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.70-0.91). For the same contrasts, VPA (HR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.80-0.99) showed a stronger inverse association with cancer mortality compared with MPA (HR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.86-1.02). Among participants performing any MVPA, a higher proportion of VPA to total physical activity was associated with lower all-cause mortality but not with cardiovascular disease and cancer mortality. For instance, compared with participants with 0% of VPA (no vigorous activity), participants performing greater than 50% to 75% of VPA to total physical activity had a 17% lower all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.78-0.88), independent of total MVPA. The inverse association between proportion of VPA to total physical activity and all-cause mortality was consistent across sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle risk factors, and chronic conditions at baseline. Conclusions and Relevance: This study suggests that, for the same volume of MVPA, a higher proportion of VPA to total physical activity was associated with lower all-cause mortality. Clinicians and public health interventions should recommend 150 minutes or more per week of MVPA but also advise on the potential benefits associated with VPA to maximize population health.

Do vigorous-intensity and moderate-intensity physical activities reduce mortality to the same extent? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether vigorous-intensity physical activity confers additional reductions on all-cause and cause-specific mortality compared with moderate-intensity physical activity. DESIGN: A systematic review (registered in PROSPERO CRD42019138995) and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: Three electronic databases up to April 14 2020. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Inclusion criteria were prospective studies that contained information about (1) moderate-intensity (3-5.9 metabolic equivalent tasks (METs)) and vigorous-intensity (≥6 METs) physical activities and (2) all-cause and/or cause-specific mortality. Exclusion criteria were prospective studies that (1) exclusively recruited diseased patients (eg, hypertensive patients and diabetics) or (2) did not account for total physical activity in their multivariable models (3) or did not adjust or exclude individuals with comorbidities at baseline or (4) used physically inactive participants as reference group. RESULTS: Five studies (seven cohorts using sex-specific results) were pooled into a meta-analysis. For all-cause mortality and controlling by total physical activity, vigorous-intensity physical activity (vs moderate) was not associated with a larger reduction in mortality (HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.83 to 1.09). After the exclusion of one study judged with critical risk of bias (Risk Of Bias in Non randomized Studies, ROBINS tool) from meta-analysis, results remained similar (HR 0.98, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.12). Due to the limited number of studies, meta-analyses for cancer and cardiovascular mortality were not performed. CONCLUSIONS: Prospective studies suggest that, for the same total physical activity, both vigorous-intensity and moderate-intensity physical activities reduce all-cause mortality to the same extent. However, absence of evidence must not be interpreted as evidence of absence due to the existing methodological flaws in the literature.

Does the association between physical capability and mortality differ by deprivation? Findings from the UK Biobank population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: To investigate whether the excess risk of adverse health outcomes associated with a lower physical capability in adulthood differs by deprivation levels. METHODS: 279,030 participants from the UK Biobank were included. Handgrip strength and walking pace were the exposures. All-cause mortality, CVD mortality and incidence were the outcomes. Townsend deprivation index was treated as a potential effect modifier. The associations were investigated using Cox-regression models with years of follow-up as the time-varying covariate. RESULTS: A significant interaction between deprivation and handgrip strength was found for all-cause mortality (p = 0.024), CVD mortality (p = 0.006) and CVD incidence (p = 0.001). The hazard ratio for all-cause mortality was 1.18 [1.09; 1.29] per 1-tertile higher level of grip strength in the least deprived group, whereas it was 1.30 [1.18; 1.43] in the most deprived individuals. Similar results were found for CVD mortality and incidence per tertile increment in handgrip strength in the least and most deprived quintiles, respectively. No significant interactions between deprivation and walking pace were found for any of the outcomes. CONCLUSION: Low handgrip strength is a stronger predictor of morbidity and mortality in individuals living in more deprived areas.

Associations of vigorous physical activity with all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality among 64 913 adults.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity recommendations state that for the same energy expenditure, moderate-to-vigorous physical activities (MVPAs) produce similar health benefits. However, few epidemiological studies have tested this hypothesis. DESIGN: We examined whether, compared with moderate, vigorous activity was associated with larger mortality risk reductions. METHODS: Data from 11 cohorts of the Health Survey for England and the Scottish Health Survey, collected from 1994 to 2011 (mean (SD) follow-up, 9.0 (3.6) years). Adults aged ≥30 years reported MVPA and linkage to mortality records. Exposure was the proportion of self-reported weighted MVPA through vigorous activity. Outcomes were all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer mortality. RESULTS: Among 64 913 adult respondents (44% men, 56% women, mean (SD) age, 49.8 (13.6) years), there were 5064 deaths from all-causes, 1393 from CVD and 1602 from cancer during 435 743 person-years of follow-up. Compared with those who reported no vigorous physical activity, and holding constant the volume of weighted MVPA, vigorous activity was associated with additional reductions in mortality risk. For all-cause mortality, the adjusted HR was HR=0.84 (95% CI 0.71, 0.99) and HR=0.84 (95% CI 0.76, 0.94) among those who reported between >0% and<30%, or ≥30% of their activity as vigorous, respectively. For CVD and cancer mortality, point estimates showed similar beneficial associations yet CIs were wider and crossed unity. CONCLUSION: Vigorous activities were associated with larger reductions in mortality risk than activities of moderate intensity, but no evidence of dose-response effects was found.

Associations of self-reported stair climbing with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality: The Harvard Alumni Health Study.

To evaluate the association between numbers of floors climbed (per week) and all-cause and cardiovascular (CVD) mortality in men. A prospective study was conducted in 8874 men (Median [interquartile range] age: 65 years [60-71.6 years]) from the Harvard Alumni Health Study. Participants reported the number of floors habitually climbed, physical activity in their leisure time, other health related behaviours and any physician diagnosed disease in 1988. Men were followed for mortality through December 2008. Multivariate Cox hazard models to examine the association between weekly number of floors climbed and all-cause and CVD mortality adjusted for participation in total physical activity and other confounders. During a median follow-up of 12.4 years, 4063 men died (1195 from CVD). After adjusting for confounders (age, walking, sports/recreation, body mass index, alcohol intake, and smoking, diagnoses of hypertension or diabetes or high cholesterol) number of stairs habitually climbed was inversely associated with all-cause mortality (p trend <0.001). Compared with the group who climbed <10 floors/week, the hazard ratio (HR) for the ≥35 floors/week group was 0.84 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.78-0.91). In contrast, we found no evidence for an association between stair climbing and CVD mortality risk (p trend = 0.38), in the ≥35 floors/week group: HR = 0.94 95%CI (0.81-1.09). In this cohort of older men, stair climbing was associated with a lower risk of mortality from any causes. Further insights may be gained from future observational studies utilizing emerging pattern recognition of stair climbing from objective measurements of physical activity.

Research partnerships between Coca-Cola and health organizations in Spain.

BACKGROUND: The reduction of soda intake in the population remains an important goal to improve population health. Concerns exist about how industry-sponsored studies in nutrition tend to favour the interest of the sponsor. We describe the scope of partnerships between Coca-Cola and health organizations in Spain, examining marketing strategies contained in scientific papers funded by Coca-Cola. METHODS: Funding for health organizations in Spain during 2010-2016 was retrieved of the Coca-Cola transparency list. We systematically searched research projects and publications (by PubMed) of all the recipient organizations. In addition, we characterize the research agenda and the level of alignment of sponsored authors with marketing strategies used by Coca-Cola. RESULTS: A total of 74 health organizations received funding from Coca-Cola between 2010 and 2016. Nutritional and cardiology organizations received the highest financial support. A total of 20 articles derived of two research projects were identified. Most publications (14 out of 20) were aligned with marketing strategies used by Coca-Cola (e.g. focusing on physical inactivity as the main cause of obesity). Authors identified did not disclose having previous conflicts of interest. CONCLUSION: In Spain, numerous health organizations receive financial support from Coca-Cola. We provide evidence that research funded by this beverage company is serving its commercial objectives that, in many cases, are at odds with efforts to improve population health. Problems with transparency among authors and the recipient organizations imply that we are offering very conservative estimates about the impact of this company on public health.

Reporting bias in the literature on the associations of health-related behaviors and statins with cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality.

Reporting bias in the literature occurs when there is selective revealing or suppression of results, influenced by the direction of findings. We assessed the risk of reporting bias in the epidemiological literature on health-related behavior (tobacco, alcohol, diet, physical activity, and sedentary behavior) and cardiovascular disease mortality and all-cause mortality and provided a comparative assessment of reporting bias between health-related behavior and statin (in primary prevention) meta-analyses. We searched Medline, Embase, Cochrane Methodology Register Database, and Web of Science for systematic reviews synthesizing the associations of health-related behavior and statins with cardiovascular disease mortality and all-cause mortality published between 2010 and 2016. Risk of bias in systematic reviews was assessed using the ROBIS tool. Reporting bias in the literature was evaluated via small-study effect and excess significance tests. We included 49 systematic reviews in our study. The majority of these reviews exhibited a high overall risk of bias, with a higher extent in health-related behavior reviews, relative to statins. We reperformed 111 meta-analyses conducted across these reviews, of which 65% had statistically significant results (P < 0.05). Around 22% of health-related behavior meta-analyses showed small-study effect, as compared to none of statin meta-analyses. Physical activity and the smoking research areas had more than 40% of meta-analyses with small-study effect. We found evidence of excess significance in 26% of health-related behavior meta-analyses, as compared to none of statin meta-analyses. Half of the meta-analyses from physical activity, 26% from diet, 18% from sedentary behavior, 14% for smoking, and 12% from alcohol showed evidence of excess significance bias. These biases may be distorting the body of evidence available by providing inaccurate estimates of preventive effects on cardiovascular and all-cause mortality.

Why precision medicine is not the best route to a healthier world.

Precision medicine has been announced as a new health revolution. The term precision implies more accuracy in healthcare and prevention of diseases, which could yield substantial cost savings. However, scientific debate about precision medicine is needed to avoid wasting economic resources and hype. In this commentary, we express the reasons why precision medicine cannot be a health revolution for population health. Advocates of precision medicine neglect the limitations of individual-centred, high-risk strategies (reduced population health impact) and the current crisis of evidence-based medicine. Overrated "precision medicine" promises may be serving vested interests, by dictating priorities in the research agenda and justifying the exorbitant healthcare expenditure in our finance-based medicine. If societies aspire to address strong risk factors for non-communicable diseases (such as air pollution, smoking, poor diets, or physical inactivity), they need less medicine and more investment in population prevention strategies.