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Madarász B, Fazekas-Pongor V, Szarvas Z, Fekete M, Varga JT, Tarantini S, Csiszar A, Lionetti V, Tabák AG, Ungvari Z, Forrai J. Survival and longevity of European rulers: geographical influences and exploring potential factors, including the Mediterranean diet - a historical analysis from 1354 to the twentieth century. GeroScience 2024; 46:3801-3818. [PMID: 38012365 PMCID: PMC11226567 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-023-00957-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Significant regional variability in lifespan in Europe is influenced by environmental factors and lifestyle behaviors, including diet. This study investigates the impact of geographical region on the lifespan of European rulers spanning from the fourteenth century to the present day. By analyzing historical records and literature, we aim to identify region-specific dietary patterns and lifestyle factors that may have contributed to longer lifespans among rulers. The hypothesis to be tested is that rulers from Southern European countries, where the traditional Mediterranean diet is consumed by the local people, may exhibit longer lifespans compared to rulers from other regions, due to the well-documented health benefits associated with this dietary pattern. We extracted comprehensive information for each ruler, encompassing their sex, birth and death dates, age, age of enthronement, duration of rulership, country, and cause of death (natural vs. non-natural). To determine their nationality, we coded rulers based on their hypothetical present-day residence (2023). Utilizing the EuroVoc Geographical classification, we categorized the countries into four regions: Northern, Western, Southern, Central and Eastern Europe. While Cox regression models did not find significant differences in survival rates among regions, further analysis stratified by time periods revealed intriguing trends. Contrary to our initial predictions, the Northern region displayed better survival rates compared to the Southern region between 1354 and 1499, whereas survival rates were similar across regions from 1500 to 1749. However, after 1750, all regions, except the Southern region, exhibited significantly improved survival rates, suggesting advancements in healthcare and lifestyle factors. These findings underscore the dynamic influence of both region and time period on health and longevity. Interestingly, despite the prevalence of the Mediterranean diet in the Southern region of Europe, rulers from this region did not demonstrate longer lifespans compared to their counterparts in other regions. This suggests that additional lifestyle factors may have played a more prominent role in their longevity. In conclusion, our study sheds light on the intricate relationship between region, time period, and lifespan among European rulers. Although the Mediterranean diet is often associated with health benefits, our findings indicate that it alone may not account for differences in ruler longevity across regions. Further research is warranted to explore the impact of other lifestyle factors on the health and lifespan of European rulers throughout history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bálint Madarász
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Üllői út 26, Budapest, H-1085, Hungary
| | - Vince Fazekas-Pongor
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Üllői út 26, Budapest, H-1085, Hungary
| | - Zsófia Szarvas
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Üllői út 26, Budapest, H-1085, Hungary
| | - Mónika Fekete
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Üllői út 26, Budapest, H-1085, Hungary
| | | | - Stefano Tarantini
- Vascular Cognitive Impairment and Neurodegeneration Program, Oklahoma Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
- Department of Health Promotion Sciences, College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
- International Training Program in Geroscience, Doctoral School of Basic and Translational Medicine/Department of Public Health, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- The Peggy and Charles Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Anna Csiszar
- Vascular Cognitive Impairment and Neurodegeneration Program, Oklahoma Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
- Department of Health Promotion Sciences, College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
- The Peggy and Charles Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Vincenzo Lionetti
- Unit of Translational Critical Care Medicine, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy
- Fondazione Toscana Gabriele Monasterio, Pisa, Italy
| | - Adam G Tabák
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Üllői út 26, Budapest, H-1085, Hungary
- Department of Internal Medicine and Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Üllői út 26, Budapest, H-1085, Hungary
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Zoltan Ungvari
- Vascular Cognitive Impairment and Neurodegeneration Program, Oklahoma Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
- Department of Health Promotion Sciences, College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
- International Training Program in Geroscience, Doctoral School of Basic and Translational Medicine/Department of Public Health, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- The Peggy and Charles Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Judit Forrai
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Üllői út 26, Budapest, H-1085, Hungary.
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You W, Henneberg M. Modern medical services, a double-edged sword manages symptoms, but accumulates genetic background of cardiovascular diseases: A cross populational analysis of 217 countries. Health Sci Rep 2024; 7:e1828. [PMID: 38260183 PMCID: PMC10802089 DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.1828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Background and Aims Through reduced natural selection, measured with Biological State Index (I bs), modern medicine enables most people to survive well beyond the reproductive lifespan leading to deleterious gene accumulation in population. This study explored the role of reduced natural selection in increasing cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence worldwide. Methods Country-specific estimates of CVD incidence and the index of reduced natural selection were captured for analysis of their correlation. Aging, affluence, obesity prevalence, and urbanization were considered as the potential confounders in the analyses. Results Worldwide, I bs was significantly correlated with CVD incidence in the bivariate correlation analyses. This relationship remains when the contributing effects from aging, affluence, obesity prevalence, and urbanization are removed in partial correlation model. Multiple linear regression (enter) shows that I bs is a significant predictor of CVD incidence. Stepwise multiple linear regression selects I bs as the variable having the second greatest influence on CVD incidence after ageing. I bs showed a significantly greater correlation with CVD incidence in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) than in high-income countries. Conclusion Worldwide, through reducing natural selection, the side effects of healthcare services may have been partially contributing to the increase of CVD incidence worldwide with special regard to LMICs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenpeng You
- Heart and LungRoyal Adelaide HospitalAdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia
- Adelaide Medical SchoolThe University of AdelaideAdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia
- CardiologyBox Hill HospitalMelbourneAustralia
| | - Maciej Henneberg
- Institute of Evolutionary MedicineUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
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Yaseen NR, Barnes CLK, Sun L, Takeda A, Rice JP. Genetics of vegetarianism: A genome-wide association study. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0291305. [PMID: 37792698 PMCID: PMC10550162 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
A substantial body of evidence points to the heritability of dietary preferences. While vegetarianism has been practiced for millennia in various societies, its practitioners remain a small minority of people worldwide, and the role of genetics in choosing a vegetarian diet is not well understood. Dietary choices involve an interplay between the physiologic effects of dietary items, their metabolism, and taste perception, all of which are strongly influenced by genetics. In this study, we used a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify loci associated with strict vegetarianism in UK Biobank participants. Comparing 5,324 strict vegetarians to 329,455 controls, we identified one SNP on chromosome 18 that is associated with vegetarianism at the genome-wide significant level (rs72884519, β = -0.11, P = 4.997 x 10-8), and an additional 201 suggestively significant variants. Four genes are associated with rs72884519: TMEM241, RIOK3, NPC1, and RMC1. Using the Functional Mapping and Annotation (FUMA) platform and the Multi-marker Analysis of GenoMic Annotation (MAGMA) tool, we identified 34 genes with a possible role in vegetarianism, 3 of which are GWAS-significant based on gene-level analysis: RIOK3, RMC1, and NPC1. Several of the genes associated with vegetarianism, including TMEM241, NPC1, and RMC1, have important functions in lipid metabolism and brain function, raising the possibility that differences in lipid metabolism and their effects on the brain may underlie the ability to subsist on a vegetarian diet. These results support a role for genetics in choosing a vegetarian diet and open the door to future studies aimed at further elucidating the physiologic pathways involved in vegetarianism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nabeel R. Yaseen
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | | | - Lingwei Sun
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - Akiko Takeda
- Retired, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - John P. Rice
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
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Lau CS, Fulgoni VL, Van Elswyk ME, McNeill SH. Trends in Beef Intake in the United States: Analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001-2018. Nutrients 2023; 15:nu15112475. [PMID: 37299438 DOI: 10.3390/nu15112475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Evidence-based dietary advice regarding meats (including beef), requires accurate assessment of beef and other red meat intakes across life stages. Beef intake is subject to misclassification due to the use of broad categories such as "red and processed meat". In the current study, intake trends for total beef (i.e., any beef type) and specific beef types (fresh lean, ground, processed) among Americans participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2018 (n = 74,461) were characterized and usual intake was assessed using NHANES 2011-2018 (n = 30,679). The usual intake amounts of beef were compared to those of relevant protein food subgroups modeled in the Healthy U.S.-Style Dietary Pattern (HDP) reported in the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). Total per capita beef consumption declined an average of 12 g (p < 0.0001) for ages 2-18 years and 5.7 g (p = 0.0004) for ages 19-59 years per 2-yr NHANES cycle, over the 18-year timeframe, while remaining unchanged for Americans aged 60+ years. On a per capita basis, Americans aged 2 years and older consumed 42.2 g (1.5 ounces) of total beef per day. Fresh lean beef per capita consumption was 33.4 g (1.2 ounces) per day. Per capita intake was similar across all age groups and below the daily HDP modeled amount of 3.7 ounce equivalents for the "Meats, Poultry, Eggs" (MPE) subgroup, while approximately 75% of beef consumers' intakes of total beef was within HDP modeling. Evidence from intake trends suggests beef is not overconsumed by the majority of Americans but rather within the amounts for MPE and red meat modeled in the HDP of the DGA at the 2000-calorie level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara S Lau
- National Cattlemen's Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, 9110 East Nichols Ave., Suite 300, Centennial, CO 80112, USA
| | | | | | - Shalene H McNeill
- National Cattlemen's Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, 9110 East Nichols Ave., Suite 300, Centennial, CO 80112, USA
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You W, Donnelly F. Although in shortage, nursing workforce is still a significant contributor to life expectancy at birth. Public Health Nurs 2023; 40:229-242. [PMID: 36527363 DOI: 10.1111/phn.13158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Previous studies have not fully reported the strength and independency of the correlation of nursing workforce to life expectancy. This study advances that nursing workforce is a major independent contributor to life expectancy at birth (LEB) globally and regionally. DESIGN A cross-sectional study was conducted at population level. SAMPLE Ecological data were extracted from the United Nations agencies for 215 populations. Each population is considered a research subject. MEASUREMENTS The correlation between nursing workforce and LEB was analyzed with scatter plots, bivariate correlation, partial correlation, and multiple linear regression analyses, Analysis of Variance post hoc and independent T-test. Economic affluence, urban lifestyle and obesity were included as the potential confounders in this study. INTERVENTION Not applicable RESULTS: Nursing workforce correlated to LEB and this relationship remained regardless of the competition of economic affluence, urbanization, and obesity. Second to economic affluence, nursing workforce showed the greatest influence on LEB. In total, 64.50% of LEB was explained in this study. Nursing workforce was a determinant of regional variations of LEB. CONCLUSIONS Nursing workforce may be a significant contributor to LEB globally and regionally. This contribution was independent of the potential confounding effects of economic affluence, urbanization, and obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenpeng You
- Adelaide Nursing School, the University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.,Acute and Urgent Care, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, Australia.,Adelaide Medical School, the University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Frank Donnelly
- Adelaide Nursing School, the University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
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Wirayuda AAB, Jarallah S, Al-Mahrezi A, Alsamara M, Barkat K, Chan MF. Unlocking the Secrets of Longevity: Exploring the Impact of Socioeconomic Factors and Health Resources on Life Expectancy in Oman and Qatar. INQUIRY : A JOURNAL OF MEDICAL CARE ORGANIZATION, PROVISION AND FINANCING 2023; 60:469580231212224. [PMID: 38008897 PMCID: PMC10683384 DOI: 10.1177/00469580231212224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023]
Abstract
In an era marked by a sweeping pandemic and the encroaching shadow of an energy crisis, the well-being and lifespan of global populations have become pressing concerns for every nation. This research zeroes in on life expectancy (LE), a powerful indicator of societal health in Oman and Qatar. Our study juxtaposes 3 key factors affecting LE: health status and resources (HSR), macroeconomics (ME), and sociodemographic (SD) factors. To achieve this, we tapped into a comprehensive data set from the World Bank, encompassing a transformative 3-decade span from 1990 to 2020. The intricate interplay between these factors and LE was deciphered through robust Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Our findings construct a compelling narrative: ME has an indirect yet considerable influence on LE-manifesting with an effect of 0.602 for Oman and 0.676 for Qatar. This influence is mediated by SD and HSR components. Similarly, SD elements impact LE indirectly-with an effect of 0.653 for Oman and 0.759 for Qatar- this effect is mediated by HSR. In contrast, HSR themselves wield a robust and direct influence on LE, indicated by an effect of 0.839 for Oman and 0.904 for Qatar. All these aforementioned effects were statistically substantial (P < .001). Our research magnifies the robust direct influence of HSR on LE in both Oman and Qatar, simultaneously highlighting the noteworthy indirect role of ME and SD factors. This emphasizes the significance of adopting an integrated policy approach that considers all the SD, ME, and HSR factors to improve the population health in both countries, which are also crucial for promoting LE growth in the Gulf Cooperation Council region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anak Agung Bagus Wirayuda
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | - Shaif Jarallah
- Department of Finance and Economics, College of Business and Economics, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Abdulaziz Al-Mahrezi
- Director General, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Mouyad Alsamara
- Department of Finance and Economics, College of Business and Economics, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Karim Barkat
- Department of Finance and Economics, College of Business and Economics, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Moon Fai Chan
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
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Klurfeld DM. The whole food beef matrix is more than the sum of its parts. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2022; 64:4523-4531. [PMID: 36343282 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2022.2142931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Foods are not simply a delivery vehicle for nutrients; they consist of a matrix in which nutrients and non-nutrient compounds are presented that induce physiologic effects different from isolated nutrients. Dietary guidance is often based on effects of single nutrients that are considered unhealthy, such as saturated fat in beef. The purpose of this paper is to propose a working definition of the whole food beef matrix whose consumption has health effects distinct from those of isolated nutrients. The beef matrix can be defined as: the collective nutritive and non-nutritive components of the beef food structure and their unique chemical and physical interactions that may be important for human health which are distinguishable from those of the single components in isolation. Background information supporting this approach is summarized on multiple components provided by beef, temporal changes in beef consumption, dietary guidance that restricts beef, and how the background diet determines healthfulness rather than a single food. Examples of research are provided on other whole foods that differ from their constitutive nutrients and lay the groundwork for studies of beef as part of a healthy dietary pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Klurfeld
- Department of Applied Health Sciences, Indiana University School of Public Health, Bloomington, Indiana
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You W, Henneberg R, Henneberg M. Healthcare services relaxing natural selection may contribute to increase of dementia incidence. Sci Rep 2022; 12:8873. [PMID: 35614150 PMCID: PMC9132962 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12678-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Ageing and genetic traits can only explain the increasing dementia incidence partially. Advanced healthcare services allow dementia patients to survive natural selection and pass their genes onto the next generation. Country-specific estimates of dementia incidence rates (all ages and 15-49 years old), Biological State Index expressing reduced natural selection (Is), ageing indexed by life expectancy e(65), GDP PPP and urbanization were obtained for analysing the global and regional correlations between reduced natural selection and dementia incidence with SPSS v. 27. Worldwide, Is significantly, but inversely, correlates with dementia incidence rates for both all ages and 15-49 years old in bivariate correlations. These relationships remain inversely correlated regardless of the competing contributing effects from ageing, GDP and urbanization in partial correlation model. Results of multiple linear regression (enter) have shown that Is is the significant predictor of dementia incidence among all ages and 15-49 years old. Subsequently, Is was selected as the variable having the greatest influence on dementia incidence in stepwise multiple linear regression. The Is correlated with dementia incidence more strongly in developed population groupings. Worldwide, reduced natural selection may be yet another significant contributor to dementia incidence with special regard to developed populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenpeng You
- Biological Anthropology and Comparative Anatomy Unit, School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia.
| | - Renata Henneberg
- Biological Anthropology and Comparative Anatomy Unit, School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
| | - Maciej Henneberg
- Biological Anthropology and Comparative Anatomy Unit, School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia.,Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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