Body mass index growth trajectories associated with the different parameters of the metabolic syndrome at adulthood.

BACKGROUND: Growth trajectories have shown to be related to obesity and metabolic risks in later life, however body mass index (BMI) trajectories according to the presence or absence of metabolic syndrome (MS) and its parameters in adulthood are scarce in literature. OBJECTIVES: To investigate BMI trajectories during childhood in relation to MS and its parameters in adult age. METHODS: A total of 1919 subjects (43.4% male, 20-60 y) participated in this retrospective cohort study. Height, weight, waist circumference (WC), blood glucose, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure were measured at adulthood. Childhood weight and height were collected retrospectively from health booklets. Differences between BMI growth curves of subjects with and without MS were assessed using mixed models for correlated data. RESULTS: BMI trajectories differed according to the presence or not of MS at adulthood, from the age of 4 years forward (all P<0.05), to the presence or not of hypertriglyceridemia from 1.5 years forward (all P<0.05), and to WC>94 cm (men) / 80 cm (women) compared to lower WC, at all ages (all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: BMI growth curves differ according to the presence or not of MS at adulthood, but differences only appeared after the age of 4 years. Changes vary according to the MS parameters considered. Deviation of the MS-associated BMI curve from normal pattern could correspond to alteration in body composition. These differences in BMI trajectories during childhood support the theory of an early origin of the MS, justifying early prevention.

Comparisons of physical activity, adipokines, vitamin D status and dietary vitamin D intake among adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Considering that lifestyle and diet are key factors responsible for the increases in adiposity in youth, it is important to understand how vitamin D, adipokines and markers of glucose metabolism are related to physical activity level (PAL) during growth. The present study aimed to investigate associations between physical activity level, adiponectin/leptin ratio, vitamin D status and dietary vitamin D intake among adolescents. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with adolescents aged 14-18 years old who were living in São Paulo, Brazil. Serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], adiponectin (A), leptin (L), glucose and insulin were obtained after 12 h of fasting. Dietary calcium and vitamin D intake were measured by 24-h food record, as repeated in 62.6% of the sample. PAL was measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Pearson's chi-square test, Pearson correlation and linear regression analysis were performed. RESULTS: A total of 198 subjects, mean (SD) age 16.3 (1.4) years, 51% male, were enrolled in the study. Some 9% of participants were sedentary, 22% were insufficiently active (IA), 51% were active and 18% were very active (VA). The A/L ratio was lower among sedentary/IA subjects [2.2 (4.0) versus 5.6 (12.3); P = 0.01] compared to active/VA subjects. PAL was not associated with vitamin D status or markers of glucose metabolism. Serum 25(OH)D positively associated with vitamin D intake, after adjusting for sex, sun exposure and season of the year in regression analysis (partial r2 =0.026, P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Low PAL was associated with a lower A/L ratio. Vitamin D status was not associated with sun exposure habits, although it was positively correlated with vitamin D intake.

Does Nutritional Supplementation Have a Disease-Modifying Effect on the Alzheimer's Disease Neurodegenerative Process?

Because nutrition is one of the main factors related to Alzheimer's disease (AD), questions arise about how taking nutrients as supplements can affect its pathophysiological process. In the present study, an overview of the potential effects of nutritional supplementation on the main biomarkers related to the AD pathophysiology (i.e., amyloid-ß and tau) is explored. Trials testing the supplementation of single or combined nutrients versus placebo identified effects on some AD biomarkers, but changes were not always accompanied by positive effects on cognitive function. Differences in characteristics of studied populations (cognitive status, age, educational level), choice of nutrient combinations and doses, duration of intervention, and adjustments for potential confounders are some factors that may explain discrepancies in findings.

Effect of a 1-Year Nutritional Blend Supplementation on Plasma p-tau181 and GFAP Levels among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Secondary Analysis of the Nolan Trial.

Background: Observational studies and some randomized controlled trials have suggested that nutritional supplementation could be a possible intervention pathway to prevent cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease (AD). As measuring amyloid-ß and tau pathophysiology by positron emission tomography (PET) or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analyses may be perceived as complex, plasma versions of such biomarkers have emerged as more accessible alternatives with comparable capacity of predicting cognitive impairment. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a 1-year intervention with a nutritional blend on plasma p-tau181 and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) levels in community-dwelling older adults. Effects were further assessed in exploratory analyses within sub-cohorts stratified according to p-tau status (with the third tertile considered as high: ≥15.1 pg/ mL) and to apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele status. Methods: A total of 289 participants ≥70 years (56.4% female, mean age 78.1 years, SD=4.7) of the randomized, double-blind, multicenter, placebo-controlled Nolan trial had their plasma p-tau181 assessed, and daily took either a nutritional blend (composed of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, biotin, folic acid, cobalamin, vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin D, choline, selenium, citrulline, eicosapentaenoic acid - EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid - DHA) or placebo for 1 year. Results: After 1-year, both groups presented a significant increase in plasma p-tau181 and GFAP values, with no effect of the intervention (p-tau181 between-group difference: 0.27pg/mL, 95%CI: -0.95, 1.48; p=0.665; GFAP between-group difference: -3.28 pg/mL, 95%CI: -17.25, 10.69; p=0.644). P-tau-and APOE ε4-stratified analyses provided similar findings. Conclusions: In community-dwelling older adults, we observed an increase in plasma p-tau181 and GFAP levels that was not different between the supplementation groups after one year.

Nutrition-Based Approaches in Clinical Trials Targeting Cognitive Function: Highlights of the CTAD 2020.

The Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease (CTAD) 2020 conference was the stage for researchers from all over the world to present their recent and ongoing research focused on potential Alzheimer's disease (AD) treatments and prevention of cognitive decline. Among a varied range of topics, nutritional aspects arose as possibilities of treatments towards the promotion of a healthy aging. Among the discussed themes, supplementation of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and multi-nutrient approaches were presented, suggesting that long-term supplementation (i.e., over 3 years) might be needed for observing positive effects on cognitive performance. Trials testing ketogenic agents and carbohydrate-restricted diet were also presented and showed promising effects on improving cognitive function of mild-cognitive impaired (MCI) and pre-diabetic individuals, respectively, in a short-term way (i.e. after 3 to 6 months). The combination of some of the nutritional approaches with physical activity interventions raises the question on whether they would individually perform in a similar way. Promising therapies involving nutrition appear to be safe and well tolerated by volunteers. Failures on achieving positive findings raise questions on whether they were driven by specific characteristics of the studied populations, insufficient doses or duration of treatment. Notwithstanding, current evidence on the applicability of nutrition-based approaches as AD treatments are encouraging but demand further research on the topic.

Prospective Associations between Plasma Amyloid-Beta 42/40 and Frailty in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

BACKGROUND: Brain amyloid-beta (Aß) plaques, a hallmark of the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease, have been associated with frailty. Whether the plasma Aß markers show similar relationship with frailty is unknown. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prospective associations between plasma Aß42/40 ratio and overtime frailty in community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: From the 5-year Multidomain Alzheimer Preventive Trial (MAPT), we included 477 adults ≥70 years with available data on plasma Aß42/40 ratio (lower is worse). Fried frailty phenotype (robust, pre-frail and frail) was assessed at the same time-point of plasma Aß measures and after until the end of follow-up. The outcomes of interest were the change in the frailty phenotype over time (examined by mixed-effect ordinal logistic regressions) and incident frailty (examined by Cox proportional hazard models). RESULTS: Plasma Aß42/40 did not show significant associations with incident frailty; however, after adjusting for Apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 genotype, people in the lower quartile of plasma Aß42/40 (≤0.103) had higher risk of incident frailty (HR=2.63; 95% CI, 1.00 to 6.89), compared to those in the upper quartile (>0.123). Exploratory analysis found a significant association between the lower quartile of plasma Aß42/40 and incident frailty among APOE ε4 non-carriers (HR=3.48; 95% CI, 1.19 to 10.16), but not among carriers. No associations between plasma Aß42/40 and evolution of frailty were observed. CONCLUSION: No significant associations between plasma Aß42/40 and frailty were found when APOE ε4 status was not accounted into the model. Nevertheless, APOE ε4 non-carriers with high Aß burden might be more susceptible to develop frailty.

Effect of long-term omega-3 supplementation and a lifestyle multidomain intervention on intrinsic capacity among community-dwelling older adults: Secondary analysis of a randomized, placebo-controlled trial (MAPT study).

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of omega-3 (ω-3) polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation and a multidomain intervention (MI) (physical activity counselling, cognitive training and nutritional advice) among community-dwelling older adults on levels of intrinsic capacity (IC), a construct recently proposed by the World Health Organization. STUDY DESIGN: Secondary analysis from the factorial-design 3-year Multidomain Alzheimer Preventive Trial (MAPT) with 1445 subjects (64.2 % female, mean age 75.3 years, SD = 4.4) randomized to one group of MI plus ω-3 (800 mg docosahexaenoic acid and 225 mg eicosapentaenoic acid/day); MI plus placebo; ω-3 supplementation alone; or placebo alone. Data collection was held between 2008 and 2014. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: IC domains were examined with the Geriatric Depression Scale (psychological); Short Physical Performance Battery (mobility); Z-score combining four tests (cognitive function); and handgrip strength (vitality). All domains were combined into a composite IC Z-score. RESULTS: After 3 years, IC Z-score decreased among all groups when time was considered continuous (MI plus ω-3: -0.16, 95 %CI: -0.22 to -0.10; MI alone: -0.13, 95 %CI: -0.19 to -0.07; ω-3 alone: -0.19, 95 %CI: -0.25 to -0.10; placebo: -0.20, 95 %CI: -0.26 to -0.14; all p < 0.0001). There were no significant differences between groups. In a sensitivity analysis with categorical time, significant within-group declines were first identified at 24 months for all groups. CONCLUSIONS: This trial designed to improve cognitive function was unable to find effects of the intervention on the composite IC Z-score. Further investigations are needed, especially trials providing stronger interventions (such as exercise training and a controlled diet) and also embracing the sensorial domain of IC.

Defining Vitality: Associations of Three Operational Definitions of Vitality with Disability in Instrumental Activities of Daily Living and Frailty among Elderly Over a 3-Year Follow-Up (MAPT Study).

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the associations of three operational definitions of vitality with variation in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and frailty over a 3-year follow-up among non-demented, community-dwelling elderly. DESIGN: Observational study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: 1,679 elderly >70y (64.7% female) participants of the Multidomain Alzheimer Preventive Trial (MAPT). MEASUREMENTS: Vitality was defined as a psychological concept using three items from the Geriatric Depression Scale; as a physical construct using the highest quartile for hand grip strength; and as global physiological reservoir using a combination of good physical and cognitive functions. Variables were assessed at baseline, 6, 12, 24 and 36 months of follow-up. RESULTS: Prevalence of high vitality at baseline was 57.1%, 28.5% and 21.6% for psychological, physical, and physiological reservoir, respectively. People with high vitality presented higher IADL scores compared to people with low vitality for all definitions. Analysis from the mixed-effect model found no differences between vitality groups for IADL performance across all definitions. IADL scores improved among subjects with high vitality over time, independent on the definition; while no significant variation was observed among those with low vitality. Participants with low vitality presented 2.0 to 6.1 higher odds of having more frailty components over time (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: High vitality defined as a concept related to psychological, physical, or physiological reservoir constructs were positively associated with better IADL performance and with reduced likelihood of frailty worsening over time.