Body weight of individuals with obesity decreases after a 6-month high pasta or low pasta Mediterranean diet weight-loss intervention.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The effect of pasta consumption within a low-energy Mediterranean diet on body weight regulation has been scarcely explored. This paper investigates the effect of two Mediterranean diets, which differed for lower or higher pasta intake, on body weight change in individuals with obesity. METHODS & RESULTS: Forty-nine volunteers finished a quasi-experimental 6-month two-parallel group dietary intervention. Participants were assigned to a low-energy high pasta (HP) or to a low-energy low Pasta (LP) group on the basis of their pasta intake (HP ≥ 5 or LP ≤ 3 times/week). Anthropometrics, blood pressure and heart rate were measured every month. Weight maintenance was checked at month 12. Body composition (bioelectrical impedance analysis, BIA), food intake (24-h recall plus a 7-day carbohydrate record) and the perceived quality of life (36-item short-form health survey, SF-36) were assessed at baseline, 3 and 6 months. Blood samples were collected at baseline and month 6 to assess glucose and lipid metabolism. After 6-month intervention, body weight reduction was -10 ± 8% and -7 ± 4% in HP and LP diet, respectively, and it remained similar at month 12. Both dietary interventions improved anthropometric parameters, body composition, glucose and lipid metabolism, but no significant differences were observed between treatment groups. No differences were observed for blood pressure and heart rate between treatments and among times. HP diet significantly improved perception of quality of life for the physical component. CONCLUSIONS: Independent of pasta consumption frequency, low-energy Mediterranean diets were successful in improving anthropometrics, physiological parameters and dietary habits after a 6-month weight-loss intervention. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03341650.

Endothelial dysfunction and high cardiovascular risk profile in severe alcoholics improve only partially following a medium-term alcohol withdrawal.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilatation (FMD) in active and medium-term withdrawing heavy alcoholics (HA). METHODS: FMD and some parameters of cardiovascular (CV) risk were measured in 29 HA (average alcohol intake 135, range 86 to 215 g per day) at baseline and after a 9 ± 7 months withdrawal and in 35 teetotalers. RESULTS: HA showed baseline impaired maximal % FMD (8.5 ± 5.4 SD vs. 14.9 ± 7.4, <0.001 vs. teetotalers), higher systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure (+24 mm Hg, <0.001; +15 mm Hg, <0.01), uric acid (5.3 ± 1.1 vs. 4.4 ± 0.8 mg/dl, <0.05), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP; 2.7 ± 2.0 vs. 1.0 ± 0.9 mg/l, <0.02), endothelin-1 (ET-1, 0.88 ± 0.36 vs. 0.37 ± 0.10 pg/ml,<0.001), asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA, 0.50 ± 0.21 vs. 0.41 ± 0.12 µmol/l, p < 0.001), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (2.3 ± 1.1 vs. 1.2 ± 0.4, <0.001), and urinary 8-isoprostane (U8-iso-PGF2α) (237.2 ± 172.4 vs. 168.5 ± 96.6 pg/mg creatinine, <0.05). After withdrawal, SBP fell by 15 mm Hg, DBP by 11 mm Hg (p < 0.001), and hs-CRP by 0.94 mg/l (p < 0.02), all remaining still higher than teetotalers (<0.05, 0.01, 0.05 respectively). ET-1, HOMA-IR, and U8-iso-PGF2α were unchanged (p = NS vs. baseline, <0.05 to 0.001 vs. teetotalers). Maximal % FMD rose (to 10.6 ± 6.2, p < 0.04), but it still remained impaired (<0.04 vs. teetotalers). ADMA increased further to 0.64 ± 0.15 µmol/l (<0.05 vs. baseline, <0.02 vs. teetotalers). CONCLUSIONS: HA show marked endothelial dysfunction (ED) and high BP, impaired insulin sensitivity, inflammation, increased oxidative stress, and elevated ET-1 and ADMA, which are unaffected or only partially reversed by a medium-term alcohol withdrawal. ED and related abnormalities persist in detoxified alcoholics, thus contributing to a greater CV morbidity and mortality.

Eating behavior and body image perception: an epidemiological study on Italian adolescents.

In order to identify some of the psychological-environmental factors behind an unbalanced diet or incorrect eating habits which may be connected to the onset of eating-behavior disorders. A sample of 4550 teenagers (2221 males and 2329 females) aged between 12,3 and 18,9 years (mean age = 14.49+/-3.8), was consecutively recruited taken from several secondary schools and high schools. The Pisa Survey for Eating Disorders (PSQ), a questionnaire aimed at evaluating both eating habits and self-perception of body image, was administered. Answers given to some items have highlighted a recurrence of cognitive distortions, an excessively rigid self-perception of body image as well as frequent, often daily, dysfunctional eating habits. The PSED questionnaire has proved itself to be a useful and easy-to-use tool. It helps to reveal maladjusted behavior and to evaluate probable risk factors connected with the development of eating and emotional disorders.

Contribution to the validation of Italian version of Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire.

BACKGROUND AIM: Propose further evidence for reliability and validity of Italian translation and adaptation of Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire, (FABQ) originally built-up by Waddel et al. (1993) METHODS: 250 participants, inpatient and outpatient, suffering from acute or chronic back-pain have been consecutively recruited from various Italian physiotherapy and functional rehabilitation centres. All participants were administered FABQ and QUALEFFO, to evaluate if avoiding behaviors can provoke disability independently from experimented pain. RESULTS: Varimax rotation, point out a 4 factor structure: "Prognosis", "Work as cause", "Damage Expectancy", "Physical activity as cause". Statistical analysis underlined a good internal consistency. A good criterion validity resulted from correlation between FABQ scoring and QUALEFFO. The sample was splitted in "avoiders" (A) and "confronters" (C). Group A had no significant correlation between FABQ-W score and pain episode lasting, remission interval lasting, back-pain sick leave; no significant correlation emerged between beliefs and perceived pain. In group C a direct relation emerged between duration of sick leave, FABQ-W scores and FABQTOT scores, and an association between FABQ scores and reported pain. CONCLUSION: Pain-related fear and fear-avoidance beliefs are specific index which have to be considered in the first assessment phases, to prevent their effect on global functioning and on patients' quality of life. FABQ pointed out good reliability and validity propriety in Italian version. FABQ seems to be a brilliant instrument for multidisciplinary clinical practice in pain problem approach.