Dietary vitamin D intake and colorectal cancer risk: a longitudinal approach within the PREDIMED study

PURPOSE

We evaluated whether the intake of dietary vitamin D is associated with the incidence of both colorectal cancer (CRC) and colon cancer in the framework of the PREDIMED cohort of older adults at high cardiovascular risk.

METHODS

We analyzed data from 7216 men and women (55-80 years) without CRC at baseline from the PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea study. Baseline consumption of vitamin D was assessed using a validated 137-item food frequency questionnaire. Cox proportional hazards ratios (HRs) of CRC and colon cancer incidence were estimated for quartiles and per 1-SD of baseline vitamin D intake.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up of 6 years, we documented 97 incident CRC cases after the exclusion of subjects with no baseline dietary data and/or outliers of energy intake. A non-significant HRs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of CRC for the comparison of extreme quartiles (4th vs 1st) of vitamin D intake were observed [0.55 (0.30-1.00), P for trend = 0.072], whereas it was significant for colon cancer incidence alone [0.44 (0.22-0.90), P for trend = 0.032]. However, this association became significant in CRC and colon cancer incidence, after excluding 391 subjects consuming baseline vitamin D and/or calcium medication or prescribed supplements [0.52 (0.28-0.96) and 0.41 (0.12-0.85), respectively].

CONCLUSION

A higher dietary intake of vitamin D was significantly associated with a reduced CRC risk in individuals at high cardiovascular risk.

Dietary calcium, vitamin D, and breast cancer risk in women: findings from the SUN cohort

PURPOSE

Epidemiological evidence concerning the relationship between calcium and vitamin D intake and breast cancer (BC) is inconclusive. Moreover, the association according to menopausal status remains unclear. We aimed to assess whether total intakes from dietary and supplemental sources of calcium and vitamin D were associated with the incidence of BC in a Mediterranean cohort.

METHODS

We prospectively evaluated the association between intakes of calcium and vitamin D and BC risk among 10,812 women in the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) Project, a Spanish cohort of university graduates.

RESULTS

During a mean follow-up of 10.7 years, 101 incident BC cases were confirmed. Evidence of a non-linear association between total calcium intake and BC risk was found (P_{non-linearity} = 0.011) with risk reductions associated with higher intake up to approximately 1400 mg/day. Moderate intake [Tertile 2 (T2)] of total calcium was associated with lower overall BC risk [HR for T2 vs. Tertile 1 (T1): 0.55; 95% CI 0.33-0.91] and also among postmenopausal women (HR_{T2 vs. T1} = 0.38; 95% CI 0.16-0.92). Intake of vitamin D was not associated with BC risk.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest an L-shaped association between total calcium intake and BC incidence. Moderate calcium intake may be associated with lower BC risk among overall and postmenopausal women, but not among premenopausal women. No evidence for any association between vitamin D intake and BC was found. Adherence to current guidelines recommendations for calcium intake may help to reduce BC risk.

Dairy consumption, plasma metabolites, and risk of type 2 diabetes

BACKGROUND

Epidemiologic studies have reported a modest inverse association between dairy consumption and the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Whether plasma metabolite profiles associated with dairy consumption reflect this relationship remains unknown.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to identify the plasma metabolites associated with total and specific dairy consumption, and to evaluate the association between the identified multi-metabolite profiles and T2D.

METHODS

The discovery population included 1833 participants from the Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea (PREDIMED) trial. The confirmatory cohorts included 1522 PREDIMED participants at year 1 of the trial and 4932 participants from the Nurses' Health Studies (NHS), Nurses' Health Study II (NHSII), and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study US-based cohorts. Dairy consumption was assessed using validated FFQs. Plasma metabolites (n = 385) were profiled using LC-MS. We identified the dairy-related metabolite profiles using elastic net regularized regressions with a 10-fold cross-validation procedure. We evaluated the associations between the metabolite profiles and incident T2D in the discovery and the confirmatory cohorts.

RESULTS

Total dairy intake was associated with 38 metabolites. C14:0 sphingomyelin (positive coefficient), C34:0 phosphatidylethanolamine (positive coefficient), and γ-butyrobetaine (negative coefficient) were associated in a directionally similar fashion with total and specific (milk, yogurt, cheese) dairy consumption. The Pearson correlation coefficients between self-reported total dairy intake and predicted total dairy intake based on the corresponding multi-metabolite profile were 0.37 (95% CI, 0.33-0.40) in the discovery cohort and 0.16 (95% CI, 0.13-0.19) in the US confirmatory cohort. After adjusting for T2D risk factors, a higher total dairy intake-related metabolite profile score was associated with a lower T2D risk [HR per 1 SD; discovery cohort: 0.76 (95% CI, 0.63-0.90); US confirmatory cohort: 0.88 (95% CI, 0.78-0.99)].

CONCLUSIONS

Total dairy intake was associated with 38 metabolites, including 3 consistently associated with dairy subtypes (C14:0 sphingomyelin, C34:0 phosphatidylethanolamine, γ-butyrobetaine). A score based on the 38 identified metabolites showed an inverse association with T2D risk in Spanish and US populations.

High Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Moderate Fat Intake Are Associated with Higher Carotenoid Concentration in Human Plasma

Carotenoids are pigments contained mainly in fruit and vegetables (F&V) that have beneficial effects on cardiometabolic health. Due to their lipophilic nature, co-ingestion of fat appears to increase their bioavailability via facilitating transfer to the aqueous micellar phase during digestion. However, the extent to which high fat intake may contribute to increased carotenoid plasma concentrations is still unclear. The objective was to examine the degree to which the consumption of different amounts of both carotenoid-rich foods and fats is associated with plasma carotenoid concentrations within a Mediterranean lifestyle context (subsample from the PREDIMED-Plus study baseline) where consumption of F&V and fat is high. The study population was categorized into four groups according to their self-reported consumption of F&V and fat. Carotenoids were extracted from plasma samples and analyzed by HPLC-UV-VIS-QqQ-MS/MS. Carotenoid systemic concentrations were greater in high consumers of F&V than in low consumers of these foods (+3.04 μmol/L (95% CI: 0.90, 5.17), p-value = 0.005), but circulating concentrations seemed to decrease when total fat intake was very high (−2.69 μmol/L (−5.54; 0.16), p-value = 0.064). High consumption of F&V is associated with greater systemic levels of total carotenoids, in particular when fat intake is low-to-moderate rather than very high.

Mediterranean Diet and Physical Activity Decrease the Initiation of Cardiovascular Drug Use in High Cardiovascular Risk Individuals: A Cohort Study

Our aim was to assess whether long-term adherence to a Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) were associated with a lower initiation of cardiovascular drug use. We studied the association between cumulative average of MedDiet adherence and LTPA and the risk of cardiovascular drug initiation in older adults at high cardiovascular risk (PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea trial participants) non-medicated at baseline: glucose-lowering drugs (n = 4437), antihypertensives (n = 2145), statins (n = 3977), fibrates (n = 6391), antiplatelets (n = 5760), vitamin K antagonists (n = 6877), antianginal drugs (n = 6837), and cardiac glycosides (n = 6954). One-point increases in MedDiet adherence were linearly associated with a decreased initiation of glucose-lowering (HR: 0.76 [0.71-0.80]), antihypertensive (HR: 0.79 [0.75-0.82]), statin (HR: 0.82 [0.78-0.85]), fibrate (HR: 0.78 [0.68-0.89]), antiplatelet (HR: 0.79 [0.75-0.83]), vitamin K antagonist (HR: 0.83 [0.74; 0.93]), antianginal (HR: 0.84 [0.74-0.96]), and cardiac glycoside therapy (HR: 0.69 [0.56-0.84]). LTPA was non-linearly related to a delayed initiation of glucose-lowering, antihypertensive, statin, fibrate, antiplatelet, antianginal, and cardiac glycoside therapy (minimum risk: 180-360 metabolic equivalents of task-min/day). Both combined were synergistically associated with a decreased onset of glucose-lowering drugs (p-interaction = 0.04), antihypertensive drugs (p-interaction < 0.001), vitamin K antagonists (p-interaction = 0.04), and cardiac glycosides (p-interaction = 0.01). Summarizing, sustained adherence to a MedDiet and LTPA were associated with lower risk of initiating cardiovascular-related medications.

Dietary Antioxidant Vitamins and Minerals and Breast Cancer Risk: Prospective Results from the SUN Cohort

There is growing interest in natural antioxidants and their potential effects on breast cancer (BC). Epidemiological evidence, however, is inconsistent. We prospectively evaluated the association between dietary intake of vitamins A, C, and E, selenium, and zinc and BC among 9983 female participants from the SUN Project, a Mediterranean cohort of university graduates. Participants completed a food frequency questionnaire at baseline, and biennial follow-up information about incident BC diagnosis was collected. Cases were ascertained through revision of medical charts and consultation of the National Death Index. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). During an average follow-up of 11.3 years, 107 incident BC cases were confirmed. The multivariable HRs (95% CI) for BC comparing extreme tertiles of energy-adjusted dietary intakes were 1.07 (0.64–1.77; P_trend = 0.673) for vitamin A, 1.00 (0.58–1.71; P_trend = 0.846) for vitamin C, 0.92 (0.55–1.54; P_trend = 0.728) for vitamin E, 1.37 (0.85–2.20; P_trend = 0.135) for selenium, and 1.01 (0.61–1.69; P_trend = 0.939) for zinc. Stratified analyses showed an inverse association between vitamin E intake and postmenopausal BC (HR_{T3 vs. T1} = 0.35; 95% CI, 0.14–0.86; P_trend = 0.027). Our results did not suggest significant protective associations between dietary vitamins A, C, and E, selenium, or zinc and BC risk.

Dairy Consumption and Incidence of Breast Cancer in the 'Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra' (SUN) Project

Dairy products might influence breast cancer (BC) risk. However, evidence is inconsistent. We sought to examine the association between dairy product consumption-and their subtypes-and incident BC in a Mediterranean cohort. The SUN ("Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra") Project is a Spanish dynamic ongoing cohort of university graduates. Dairy product consumption was estimated through a previously validated 136-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Incident BC was reported in biennial follow-up questionnaires and confirmed with revision of medical records and consultation of the National Death Index. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated with Cox regression models. Among 123,297 women-years of follow-up (10,930 women, median follow-up 12.1 years), we confirmed 119 incident BC cases. We found a nonlinear association between total dairy product consumption and BC incidence (p_nonlinear = 0.048) and a significant inverse association for women with moderate total dairy product consumption (HR_Q2vs.Q1 = 0.49 (95% CI 0.28-0.84); HR_Q3vs.Q1 = 0.49 (95% CI 0.29-0.84) p_trend = 0.623) and with moderate low-fat dairy product consumption (HR_Q2vs.Q1 = 0.58 (95% CI 0.35-0.97); HR_Q3vs.Q1 = 0.55 (95% CI 0.32-0.92), p_trend = 0.136). In stratified analyses, we found a significant inverse association between intermediate low-fat dairy product consumption and premenopausal BC and between medium total dairy product consumption and postmenopausal BC. Thus, dairy products, especially low-fat dairy products, may be considered within overall prudent dietary patterns.

An Active Lifestyle Is Associated with Better Cognitive Function Over Time in APOE ɛ4 Non-Carriers

Background: Available evidence on the association of physical activity (PA) or sedentary behavior with cognitive decline is inconclusive. Objective: To assess the association between an active lifestyle score and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and changes in cognitive function in the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) prospective cohort. Methods: Cognitive function was evaluated in a subsample of 806 participants of the SUN cohort study using the validated Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status-modified (STICS-m) questionnaire at baseline and after 6 years. LTPA was evaluated with a previously validated 17-item self-administered questionnaire and with information on sedentary lifestyles. We also calculated a multidimensional 8-item PA score. Multivariable linear regression analysis evaluated the association between PA and changes in cognitive function and its interaction by APOE genotype. Results: Mean age of participants was 66 (SD 5.3) years and 69.7% were male. When stratifying by APOE variants, no significant associations between the active lifestyle score or LTPA and changes in cognitive performance over time were found among APOE ɛ4 carriers. However, we observed that a higher adherence to an active lifestyle (high versus low PA score β= 0.76 95% CI 0.15,1.36; p trend = 0.011) and a high LTPA (Q4 versus Q1 β= 0.63; 95% CI –0.01,1.26; p trend = 0.030) were associated with more favorable changes in cognitive function over time among APOE ɛ4 non-carriers with statistically significant interactions in both cases (p for interaction = 0.042 for PA score, and p = 0.039 for LTPA). Conclusion: The results of the present study suggest that an active lifestyle is associated with a better status of cognitive function over time only among APOE ɛ4 non-carriers.

Milk and Dairy Products Intake Is Related to Cognitive Impairment at Baseline in Predimed Plus Trial

SCOPE

To examine the association between milk and dairy products intake and the prevalence of cognitive decline among Spanish individuals at high cardiovascular risk.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Cross-sectional analyses are performed on baseline data from 6744 adults (aged 55-75 years old). Intake of milk and dairy products is estimated using a food frequency questionnaire grouped into quartiles. The risk of developing cognitive impairment is based on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). A higher prevalence of cognitive decline was found in subjects who consumed more grams. Patients with worse MMSE score (10-24) consumed a mean of 395.14 ± 12.21 g, while patients with better MMSE score (27-30) consumed a mean of 341.23 ± 2.73 g (p < 0.05). Those subjects with the lower milk consumption (<220 g/day) had a higher MMSE score (28.35 ± 0.045). Higher intake of fermented dairy products was observed in participants with a lower MMSE score (OR 1.340, p = 0.003). A positive correlation was found between the consumption of whole milk and the MMSE score (r = 0.066, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that greater consumption of milk and dairy products could be associated with greater cognitive decline according to MMSE. Conversely, consumption of whole-fat milk could be linked with less cognitive impairment in the cross-sectional study.

Mediterranean, DASH, and MIND Dietary Patterns and Cognitive Function: The 2-Year Longitudinal Changes in an Older Spanish Cohort

Background and Aims: Plant-forward dietary patterns have been associated with cardiometabolic health benefits, which, in turn, have been related to cognitive performance with inconsistent findings. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between baseline adherence to three a priori dietary patterns (Mediterranean, DASH, and MIND diets) with 2-year changes in cognitive performance in older adults with overweight or obesity and high cardiovascular disease risk. Methods: A prospective cohort analysis was conducted within the PREDIMED-Plus trial, involving 6,647 men and women aged 55-75 years with overweight or obesity and metabolic syndrome. Using a validated, semiquantitative 143-item food frequency questionnaire completed at baseline, the dietary pattern adherence scores were calculated. An extensive neuropsychological test battery was administered at baseline and 2-year follow-up. Multivariable-adjusted linear regression models were used to assess associations between 2-year changes in cognitive function z-scores across tertiles of baseline adherence to the a priori dietary patterns. Results: Adherence to the Mediterranean diet at baseline was associated with 2-year changes in the general cognitive screening Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE, β: 0.070; 95% CI: 0.014, 0.175, P-trend = 0.011), and two executive function-related assessments: the Trail Making Tests Part A (TMT-A, β: -0.054; 95% CI: -0.110, - 0.002, P-trend = 0.047) and Part B (TMT-B, β: -0.079; 95% CI: -0.134, -0.024, P-trend = 0.004). Adherence to the MIND diet was associated with the backward recall Digit Span Test assessment of working memory (DST-B, β: 0.058; 95% CI: 0.002, 0.114, P-trend = 0.045). However, higher adherence to the DASH dietary pattern was not associated with better cognitive function over a period of 2 years. Conclusion: In older Spanish individuals with overweight or obesity and at high cardiovascular disease risk, higher baseline adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern may be associated with better cognitive performance than lower adherence over a period of 2 years.

Walnut Consumption, Plasma Metabolomics, and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease

BACKGROUND

Walnut consumption is associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, it is unknown whether plasma metabolites related to walnut consumption are also associated with lower risk of cardiometabolic diseases.

OBJECTIVES

The study aimed to identify plasma metabolites associated with walnut consumption and evaluate the prospective associations between the identified profile and risk of T2D and CVD.

METHODS

The discovery population included 1833 participants at high cardiovascular risk from the PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea (PREDIMED) study with available metabolomics data at baseline. The study population included 57% women (baseline mean BMI (in kg/m2): 29.9; mean age: 67 y). A total of 1522 participants also had available metabolomics data at year 1 and were used as the internal validation population. Plasma metabolomics analyses were performed using LC-MS. Cross-sectional associations between 385 known metabolites and walnut consumption were assessed using elastic net continuous regression analysis. A 10-cross-validation (CV) procedure was used, and Pearson correlation coefficients were assessed between metabolite weighted models and self-reported walnut consumption in each pair of training-validation data sets within the discovery population. We further estimated the prospective associations between the identified metabolite profile and incident T2D and CVD using multivariable Cox regression models.

RESULTS

A total of 19 metabolites were significantly associated with walnut consumption, including lipids, purines, acylcarnitines, and amino acids. Ten-CV Pearson correlation coefficients between self-reported walnut consumption and the plasma metabolite profile were 0.16 (95% CI: 0.11, 0.20) in the discovery population and 0.15 (95% CI: 0.10, 0.20) in the validation population. The metabolite profile was inversely associated with T2D incidence (HR per 1 SD: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.71, 0.97; P = 0.02). For CVD incidence, the HR per 1-SD was 0.71 (95% CI: 0.60, 0.85; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

A metabolite profile including 19 metabolites was associated with walnut consumption and with a lower risk of incident T2D and CVD in a Mediterranean population at high cardiovascular risk.

Lipid Profiles and Heart Failure Risk: Results From Two Prospective Studies

RATIONALE

Altered lipid metabolism has been implicated in heart failure (HF) development, but no prospective studies have examined comprehensive lipidomics data and subsequent risk of HF.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to link single lipid metabolites and lipidomics networks to the risk of developing HF.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Discovery analyses were based on 216 targeted lipids in a case-control study (331 incident HF cases and 507 controls, matched by age, sex, and study center), nested within the PREDIMED (Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea) study. Associations of single lipids were examined in conditional logistic regression models. Furthermore, lipidomics networks were linked to HF risk in a multistep workflow, including machine learning-based identification of the HF-related network clusters, and regression-based discovery of the HF-related lipid patterns within these clusters. If available, significant findings were externally validated in a subsample of the EPIC-Potsdam cohort (2414 at-risk participants, including 87 incident HF cases). After confounder-adjustments, 2 lipids were significantly associated with HF risk in both cohorts: CER (ceramide) 16:0 (relative risk [RR] per SD in PREDIMED, 1.28 [95% CI, 1.13-1.47]) and phosphatidylcholine 32_0 (RR per SD in PREDIMED, 1.23 [95% CI, 1.08-1.41]). Additionally, lipid patterns in several network clusters were associated with HF risk in PREDIMED. Adjusted for standard risk factors, an internally cross-validated score based on the significant HF-related lipids that were identified in the network analysis in PREDIMED was associated with a higher HF risk (20 lipids, RR per SD, 2.33 [95% CI, 1.93%-2.81%). Moreover, a lipid score restricted to the externally available lipids was significantly associated with HF incidence in both cohorts (6 lipids, RRs per SD, 1.30 [95% CI, 1.14-1.47] in PREDIMED, and 1.46 [95% CI, 1.17-1.82] in EPIC-Potsdam).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study identified and validated 2 lipid metabolites and several lipidomics patterns as potential novel biomarkers of HF risk. Lipid profiling may capture preclinical molecular alterations that predispose for incident HF. Registration: URL: https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN35739639; Unique identifier: ISRCTN35739639.

Psychometric properties of the Weight Locus of Control Scale (MWLCS): study with Spanish individuals of different anthropometric nutritional status

INTRODUCTION

The Multidimensional Weight Locus of Control Scale (MWLCS) measures a person's beliefs regarding the locus of control or lack of locus of control over his/her body weight.

PURPOSE

We aim to evaluate the factorial structure and psychometric properties of the MWLCS with Spanish normal weight, overweight and obese samples.

METHODS

The research was carried out in two different studies. The first included a sample of 140 normal weight participants, selected out of a 274 sample recruited with an online survey. Study 2 was carried out in a sample of 633 participants recruited from the PREDIMED-Plus study. Out of them, 558 participants fulfilled the weight criteria and were categorized into: overweight (BMI 25 - < 29.99; N = 170), obese class I (BMI 30 - < 34.99; N = 266), and obese class II (BMI 35 - < 39.99; N = 122). Exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory (CFA) factor analyses were used to evaluate the factor structure of the MWLCS, and reliabilities and Spearman's correlations were estimated. Invariance measurement was tested across the three subgroups of weight in Study 2.

RESULTS

A three-factor structure indicating weight locus of control factors (internal, chance, and powerful others) was supported, both via EFA in the normal weight sample and CFA in the overweight and obese samples. In the normal weight sample, the powerful others dimension was positively related to BMI and the dimensions of the Dutch Eating Behaviors Questionnaire. Additionally, the scale showed evidence of scalar invariance across the groups with different weight conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

This scale seems to be a psychometrically appropriate instrument and its use is highly recommended when designing interventions for overweight or obese individuals.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level V, descriptive study.

Liver transplant recipients have an increased risk of developing colorectal adenomas: Results from a retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Liver transplant recipients have an increased incidence of malignancies, but it is unclear whether they have a higher risk of colorectal cancer.

AIM

To investigate whether liver transplant recipients have an increased risk of developing colorectal adenomas (a surrogate marker of colorectal cancer risk).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

One hundred thirty-nine liver transplant recipients (excluding primary sclerosing cholangitis) who underwent a colonoscopy and polypectomy before and after transplantation, and 367 nontransplanted patients who underwent a colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening and a second colonoscopy later were retrospectively studied. The risks of incident colorectal adenomas and high-risk adenomas (advanced or multiple adenomas or carcinomas) were compared between both cohorts.

RESULTS

Incident colorectal adenomas were found in 40.3% of the transplanted patients and 30.0% of the nontransplanted patients (15.1% and 5.5%, respectively, had high-risk adenomas). After adjusting for age, sex, presence of adenomas in the baseline endoscopy, and interval between colonoscopies, transplant recipients showed a higher risk of developing colorectal adenomas (OR: 1.61; 95% CI: 1.05-2.47; p = .03) and high-risk adenomas (OR: 2.87; 95% CI: 1.46-5.65; p = .002).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that liver transplant recipients have an increased risk of developing colorectal adenomas and lesions with high risk of colorectal cancer.

Association between ankle-brachial index and cognitive function in participants in the PREDIMED-Plus study: cross-sectional assessment

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

The ankle-brachial index (ABI) is an indicator of peripheral artery disease (PAD). The aim of this study was to assess the association between PAD, measured with the ABI, and cognitive function in persons with overweight or obesity and metabolic syndrome.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study conducted with baseline data from the PREDIMED-Plus study, which included 4898 participants (after exclusion of those without ABI measurements) aged between 55 and 75 years, and with overweight or obesity and metabolic syndrome. At the baseline assessment, we measured the ABI with a standardized protocol and assessed the presence of other cardiovascular risk factors (eg, diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension). Cognitive function was evaluated using several tests validated for the Spanish population (mini-mental state examination [MMSE], phonological and semantic verbal fluency test, WAIS-III working memory index [WMI], parts A and B of the trail making test (TMT), and clock drawing test). Generalized linear models were used to assess the association between the ABI and cognitive function.

RESULTS

Among the participants, 3.4% had PAD defined as ABI ≤ 0.9, and 3.3% had arterial calcification defined as ABI ≥ 1.4. PAD was associated with age, systolic blood pressure and obesity indicators, while arterial calcification was also associated with obesity and diabetes. No significant associations were observed between cognitive function and ABI or PAD.

CONCLUSIONS

In our sample, the presence of PAD increased with age, blood pressure, and obesity. No significant association was observed between ABI, PAD, or cognitive function.

Association of carbohydrate quality and all-cause mortality in the SUN Project: A prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Emerging evidence supports shifting the focus from carbohydrate quantity to carbohydrate quality to obtain greater health benefits. We investigated the association of carbohydrate quality with all-cause mortality using a single, multidimensional carbohydrate quality index (CQI) designed to account for multiple characteristics of carbohydrate quality.

METHODS

A prospective study was conducted among 19,083 participants in the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) Project, a Mediterranean cohort of middle-aged university graduates. The CQI was based on four dimensions: high total dietary fiber intake, low glycemic index, high whole-grain carbohydrate: total grain carbohydrate ratio, and high solid carbohydrate: total carbohydrate ratio.

RESULTS

During 12.2 years of median follow-up, 440 deaths were identified. We found an inverse association between the CQI and all-cause mortality. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for the highest vs. the lowest tertile of the CQI was 0.70 (95% CI, 0.53-0.93; P_trend = 0.018). However, each individual dimension of the CQI was not independently associated with lower mortality risk, with HR (95% CI) between extreme tertiles as follows: 0.77 (0.52-1.14; P_trend = 0.192) for high fiber intake; 0.81 (0.59-1.12; P_trend = 0.211) for low glycemic index; 0.87 (0.69-1.11; P_trend = 0.272) for high whole-grain carbohydrate: total-grain carbohydrate ratio; and 0.81 (0.61-1.07; P_trend = 0.139) for high solid carbohydrate: total carbohydrate ratio. Our analyses remained similar after using repeated measurements of diet with updated nutritional exposures after a ten-year follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

The CQI as a whole, but none of its individual dimensions, was associated with lower mortality. The CQI seems to comprehensively capture the combined effects of quality domains.

Urinary Resveratrol Metabolites Output: Differential Associations with Cardiometabolic Markers and Liver Enzymes in House-Dwelling Subjects Featuring Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) components are strongly associated with increased risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) development. Several studies have supported that resveratrol is associated with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects on health status. The main objective of this study was to assess the putative associations between some urinary resveratrol phase II metabolites, cardiometabolic, and liver markers in individuals diagnosed with MetS. In this cross-sectional study, 266 participants from PREDIMED Plus study (PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea) were divided into tertiles of total urinary resveratrol phase II metabolites (sum of five resveratrol conjugation metabolites). Urinary resveratrol metabolites were analyzed by ultra- performance liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-q-Q MS), followed by micro-solid phase extraction (µ-SPE) method. Liver function markers were assessed using serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT). Moreover, lipid profile was measured by triglycerides, very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-c), and total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein ratio (total cholesterol/HDL). Linear regression adjusted models showed that participants with higher total urine resveratrol concentrations exhibited improved lipid and liver markers compared to the lowest tertile. For lipid determinations: log triglycerides (β_T3= −0.15, 95% CI; −0.28, −0.02, p-trend = 0.030), VLDL-c, (β_T3= −4.21, 95% CI; −7.97, −0.46, p-trend = 0.039), total cholesterol/HDL ratio Moreover, (β_T3= −0.35, 95% CI; −0.66, −0.03, p-trend = 0.241). For liver enzymes: log AST (β_T3= −0.12, 95% CI; −0.22, −0.02, p-trend = 0.011, and log GGT (β_T3= −0.24, 95% CI; −0.42, −0.06, p-trend = 0.002). However, there is no difference found on glucose variables between groups. To investigate the risk of elevated serum liver markers, flexible regression models indicated that total urine resveratrol metabolites were associated with a lower risk of higher ALT (169.2 to 1314.3 nmol/g creatinine), AST (599.9 to 893.8 nmol/g creatinine), and GGT levels (169.2 to 893.8 nmol/g creatinine). These results suggested that higher urinary concentrations of some resveratrol metabolites might be associated with better lipid profile and hepatic serum enzymes. Moreover, urinary resveratrol excreted showed a reduced odds ratio for higher liver enzymes, which are linked to NAFLD.

High Plasma Glutamate and a Low Glutamine-to-Glutamate Ratio Are Associated with Increased Risk of Heart Failure but Not Atrial Fibrillation in the Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea (PREDIMED) Study

BACKGROUND

Although the association between glutamate and glutamine in relation to cardiometabolic disorders has been evaluated, the role of these metabolites in the development of atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF) remains unknown.

OBJECTIVES

We examined associations of glutamate, glutamine, and the glutamine-to-glutamate ratio with AF and HF incidence in a Mediterranean population at high cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.

METHODS

The present study used 2 nested case-control studies within the PREDIMED (Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea) study. During ∼10 y of follow-up, there were 509 AF incident cases matched to 618 controls and 326 HF incident cases matched to 426 controls. Plasma concentrations of glutamate and glutamine were semiquantitatively profiled with LC-tandem MS. ORs were estimated with multivariable conditional logistic regression models.

RESULTS

In fully adjusted models, per 1-SD increment, glutamate was associated with a 29% (95% CI: 1.08, 1.54) increased risk of HF and glutamine-to-glutamate ratio with a 20% (95% CI: 0.67, 0.94) decreased risk. Glutamine-to-glutamate ratio was also inversely associated with HF risk (OR per 1-SD increment: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.67, 0.94) when comparing extreme quartiles. Higher glutamate concentrations were associated with a worse cardiometabolic risk profile, whereas a higher glutamine-to-glutamate ratio was associated with a better cardiometabolic risk profile. No associations between the concentrations of these metabolites and AF were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that high plasma glutamate concentrations possibly resulting from alterations in the glutamate-glutamine cycle may contribute to the development of HF in Mediterranean individuals at high CVD risk.This trial was registered at www.isrctn.com as ISRCTN35739639.

Healthful and unhealthful provegetarian food patterns and the incidence of breast cancer: Results from a Mediterranean cohort

OBJECTIVES

Provegetarian diets, also known as predominantly plant-based (but not vegetarian or vegan) or plant-forward diets, have been associated with health benefits. However, a distinction is needed between high- and low-quality provegetarian dietary patterns (PVGs). We sought to examine potential associations between PVG indices and breast cancer (BC) incidence.

METHODS

We assessed 10 812 women in the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra cohort. We calculated an overall PVG pattern from a validated semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire as proposed by Martínez-Gonzalez et al, assigning positive scores (based on quintiles) to plant foods and reversing the quintile scores for animal foods. Participants were categorized according to tertiles of the overall score. We also calculated a healthful PVG (hPVG) and unhealthful PVG (uPVG) as proposed by Satija et al. RESULTS: After a median of 11.5 years of follow-up, 101 incident BC cases, confirmed by medical records, were observed. A significant inverse association with BC (comparing tertile 2 vs. tertile 1, HR= 0.55; 95% confidence interval, 0.32-0.95) was identified for a modest overall PVG, but not for hPVG and uPVG separately. Nevertheless, the highest tertile was not associated with BC.

CONCLUSIONS

In this large prospective cohort study, a moderate adherence to a PVG might decrease the risk of BC. Further studies should replicate and expand these results to other racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups.

The Mediterranean diet, plasma metabolome, and cardiovascular disease risk

AIMS

To investigate whether metabolic signature composed of multiple plasma metabolites can be used to characterize adherence and metabolic response to the Mediterranean diet and whether such a metabolic signature is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Our primary study cohort included 1859 participants from the Spanish PREDIMED trial, and validation cohorts included 6868 participants from the US Nurses' Health Studies I and II, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study (NHS/HPFS). Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was assessed using a validated Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS), and plasma metabolome was profiled by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. We observed substantial metabolomic variation with respect to Mediterranean diet adherence, with nearly one-third of the assayed metabolites significantly associated with MEDAS (false discovery rate < 0.05). Using elastic net regularized regressions, we identified a metabolic signature, comprised of 67 metabolites, robustly correlated with Mediterranean diet adherence in both PREDIMED and NHS/HPFS (r = 0.28-0.37 between the signature and MEDAS; P = 3 × 10-35 to 4 × 10-118). In multivariable Cox regressions, the metabolic signature showed a significant inverse association with CVD incidence after adjusting for known risk factors (PREDIMED: hazard ratio [HR] per standard deviation increment in the signature = 0.71, P < 0.001; NHS/HPFS: HR = 0.85, P = 0.001), and the association persisted after further adjustment for MEDAS scores (PREDIMED: HR = 0.73, P = 0.004; NHS/HPFS: HR = 0.85, P = 0.004). Further genome-wide association analysis revealed that the metabolic signature was significantly associated with genetic loci involved in fatty acids and amino acids metabolism. Mendelian randomization analyses showed that the genetically inferred metabolic signature was significantly associated with risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke (odds ratios per SD increment in the genetically inferred metabolic signature = 0.92 for CHD and 0.91 for stroke; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

We identified a metabolic signature that robustly reflects adherence and metabolic response to a Mediterranean diet, and predicts future CVD risk independent of traditional risk factors, in Spanish and US cohorts.

Fine tuning of the unfolded protein response by ISRIB improves neuronal survival in a model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Loss of protein folding homeostasis features many of the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorders. As coping mechanism to folding stress within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), the unfolded protein response (UPR) comprises a set of signaling mechanisms that initiate a gene expression program to restore proteostasis, or when stress is chronic or overwhelming promote neuronal death. This fate-defining capacity of the UPR has been proposed to play a key role in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, the several genetic or pharmacological attempts to explore the therapeutic potential of UPR modulation have produced conflicting observations. In order to establish the precise relationship between UPR signaling and neuronal death in ALS, we have developed a neuronal model where the toxicity of a familial ALS-causing allele (mutant G93A SOD1) and UPR activation can be longitudinally monitored in single neurons over the process of neurodegeneration by automated microscopy. Using fluorescent UPR reporters we established the temporal and causal relationship between UPR and neuronal death by Cox regression models. Pharmacological inhibition of discrete UPR processes allowed us to establish the contribution of PERK (PKR-like ER kinase) and IRE1 (inositol-requiring enzyme-1) mechanisms to neuronal fate. Importantly, inhibition of PERK signaling with its downstream inhibitor ISRIB, but not with the direct PERK kinase inhibitor GSK2606414, significantly enhanced the survival of G93A SOD1-expressing neurons. Characterization of the inhibitory properties of both drugs under ER stress revealed that in neurons (but not in glial cells) ISRIB overruled only part of the translational program imposed by PERK, relieving the general inhibition of translation, but maintaining the privileged translation of ATF4 (activating transcription factor 4) messenger RNA. Surprisingly, the fine-tuning of the PERK output in G93A SOD1-expressing neurons led to a reduction of IRE1-dependent signaling. Together, our findings identify ISRIB-mediated translational reprogramming as a new potential ALS therapy.