Prospects of Food Taxes for Planetary Health: A Systematic Review of Modeling Studies.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to analyze the modeling methodologies of fiscal policies on food with health or environmental outcomes. BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that fiscal policies on food can contribute to addressing the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases and climate change. These policies should be modeled in advance to see the implications for the environment and health. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted of studies that modeled fiscal policies on the food groups targeted by the EAT-Lancet Commission and examined their health or environmental outcomes. The Scopus and PubMed databases were searched on November 30, 2021. The records were double-screened and data on modeling methods were extracted from the included studies. RESULTS: A total of 55 studies were included in the review. The most frequently modeled interventions were fruit and vegetable subsidies (n = 19) and carbon taxes on food (n = 17). One study also included a consumer education campaign to enhance the effect of fiscal policy. The outcomes are highly sensitive to consumption change and price elasticities. None of the studies modeled the health effects of environmental outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: A model that covered all the relevant aspects of the issue was not found. Some parts were missing from all the included models. It is advisable to model the stability of the amount of diet consumed, either by keeping the amount of food in the diet stable or by taking a more conservative approach and keeping the consumed calories stable. It is preferable to keep the included diseases and environmental boundaries broad to have more valid outcome estimates on this complex issue. A more comprehensive understanding of fiscal policies would allow us to better anticipate the impact of our actions and inactions and thus could lead to more sophisticated measures taken by policymakers. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO registration no. 2022 CRD42022291945/.

Diagnosis rates, therapeutic characteristics, lifestyle, and cancer screening habits of patients with diabetes mellitus in a highly deprived region in Hungary: a cross-sectional analysis.

Introduction: Low socioeconomic status affects not only diagnosis rates and therapy of patients with diabetes mellitus but also their health behavior. Our primary goal was to examine diagnosis rates and therapy of individuals with diabetes living in Ormánság, one of the most deprived areas in Hungary and Europe. Our secondary goal was to examine the differences in lifestyle factors and cancer screening participation of patients with diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes compared to healthy participants. Methods: Our study is a cross-sectional analysis using data from the "Ormánság Health Program". The "Ormánság Health Program" was launched to improve the health of individuals in a deprived region of Hungary. Participants in the program were coded as diagnosed diabetes based on diagnosis by a physician as a part of the program, self-reported diabetes status, and self-reported prescription of antidiabetic medication. Undiagnosed diabetes was defined as elevated blood glucose levels without self-reported diabetes and antidiabetic prescription. Diagnosis and therapeutic characteristics were presented descriptively. To examine lifestyle factors and screening participation, patients with diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes were compared to healthy participants using linear regression or multinomial logistic regression models adjusted for sex and age. Results: Our study population consisted of 246 individuals, and 17.9% had either diagnosed (n=33) or undiagnosed (n=11) diabetes. Metformin was prescribed in 75.8% (n=25) of diagnosed cases and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2) in 12.1% (n=4) of diagnosed patients. After adjustment, participants with diagnosed diabetes had more comorbidities (adjusted [aOR]: 3.50, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.34-9.18, p<0.05), consumed vegetables more often (aOR: 2.49, 95% CI: 1.07-5.78, p<0.05), but desserts less often (aOR: 0.33, 95% CI: 0.15-0.75, p<0.01) than healthy individuals. Patients with undiagnosed diabetes were not different in this regard from healthy participants. No significant differences were observed for cancer screening participation between groups. Conclusions: To increase recognition of diabetes, targeted screening tests should be implemented in deprived regions, even among individuals without any comorbidities. Our study also indicates that diagnosis of diabetes is not only important for the timely initiation of therapy, but it can also motivate individuals in deprived areas to lead a healthier lifestyle.

Trend of pregnancy outcomes in type 1 diabetes compared to control women: a register-based analysis in 1996-2018.

Introduction: In 1989, the St Vincent declaration aimed to approximate pregnancy outcomes of diabetes to that of healthy pregnancies. We aimed to compare frequency and trends of outcomes of pregnancies affected by type 1 diabetes and controls in 1996-2018. Methods: We used anonymized records of a mandatory nation-wide registry of all deliveries between gestational weeks 24 and 42 in Hungary. We included all singleton births (4,091 type 1 diabetes, 1,879,183 controls) between 1996 and 2018. We compared frequency and trends of pregnancy outcomes between type 1 diabetes and control pregnancies using hierarchical Poisson regression. Results: The frequency of stillbirth, perinatal mortality, large for gestational age, caesarean section, admission to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and low Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, and Respiration (APGAR) score was 2-4 times higher in type 1 diabetes compared to controls, while the risk of congenital malformations was increased by 51% and SGA was decreased by 42% (all p<0.05). These observations remained significant after adjustment for confounders except for low APGAR scores. We found decreasing rate ratios comparing cases and controls over time for caesarean sections, low APGAR scores (p<0.05), and for NICU admissions (p=0.052) in adjusted models. The difference between cases and controls became non-significant after 2009. No linear trends were observed for the other outcomes. Conclusions: Although we found that the rates of SGA, NICU care, and low APGAR score improved in pregnancies complicated by type 1 diabetes, the target of the St Vincent Declaration was only achieved for the occurrence of low APGAR scores.

COVID-19 infection in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: From pathophysiology to therapy. Mini-review.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are a vulnerable group in terms of the outcome of coronavirus infection in relation to their disease or its treatment, with a higher risk of developing serious complications compared to the healthy population. AIM: The aim of our summary study is to review the background and health outcomes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and COVID-19 infection in the presence of both diseases. METHODS: Review of national and international medical databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, and MOB) with keywords COPD, COVID-19, disease risk, cause, prevention, complications, and prognosis. RESULTS: Meta-analyses show that COPD is one of the most common underlying conditions in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. Such patients are five times more likely to develop a serious complication due to oxygen supply problems therefore they are more likely to be admitted to intensive care units, where they may require mechanical ventilation. In the case of underlying COPD, the usual care plan for COVID-19 infection should be followed, as well as all public health recommendations to minimize the risk of developing and transmitting COVID-19. CONCLUSION: Coronavirus infection is especially dangerous for COPD patients, who are much more likely to become seriously ill, so increased surveillance, prevention, early detection, adequate treatment and rehabilitation of the disease group are of paramount importance.

Nutrition Strategies Promoting Healthy Aging: From Improvement of Cardiovascular and Brain Health to Prevention of Age-Associated Diseases.

BACKGROUND: An increasing number of studies suggest that diet plays an important role in regulating aging processes and modulates the development of the most important age-related diseases. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the relationship between nutrition and critical age-associated diseases. METHODS: A literature review was conducted to survey recent pre-clinical and clinical findings related to the role of nutritional factors in modulation of fundamental cellular and molecular mechanisms of aging and their role in prevention of the genesis of the diseases of aging. RESULTS: Studies show that the development of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, cognitive impairment and dementia can be slowed down or prevented by certain diets with anti-aging action. The protective effects of diets, at least in part, may be mediated by their beneficial macro- (protein, fat, carbohydrate) and micronutrient (vitamins, minerals) composition. CONCLUSIONS: Certain diets, such as the Mediterranean diet, may play a significant role in healthy aging by preventing the onset of certain diseases and by improving the aging process itself. This latter can be strengthened by incorporating fasting elements into the diet. As dietary recommendations change with age, this should be taken into consideration as well, when developing a diet tailored to the needs of elderly individuals. Future and ongoing clinical studies on complex anti-aging dietary interventions translating the results of preclinical investigations are expected to lead to novel nutritional guidelines for older adults in the near future.