Adherence to Mediterranean diet among patients with acute cardiovascular events admitted in Cardiac Rehabilitation unit

The Mediterranean Diet plays a critical role in the prevention of primary cardiovascular disease (CVD). Actually, there is a scarcity of evidence for secondary prevention. The current study aims to assess adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) in patients recently admitted to the Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit following acute cardiovascular disease. Adherence to MD was assessed in 111 patients admitted to the Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit of the Federico II Hospital in Naples. The Medi-Lite score was used to assess adherence to MD. The main determinant of reduced MD compliance was assessed using Pearson's correlation analysis and a multivariable regression model. The population had a median MD adherence score of 11 and a mean score of 10.9. The lowest possible score was 5 (indicating poor adherence), and the highest possible score was 15 (excellent adherence index). There were 3 participants with a poor score (<7), 82 with a good score (7-12), and 26 with an excellent score (³13). Lower Medi-Lite score was associated with younger age and being an active worker in a multivariate regression model (both p<0.05). Our findings show that among patients admitted to the Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit after a major CV event, young active workers have the lowest adherence to MD, requiring an individualized and multidisciplinary approach to improve their adherence to MD for secondary CV prevention.

GAP REDUCE. A research and development project to promote quality of urban life of adult people with autism spectrum disorder

Background

Sensory peculiarities of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) significantly affect their lives, making the relationship with the environment difficult to face. Many authors, referring to the urban environment, report that rather more stimuli required to be processed and orientation and navigation are challenging skills at different scales. The growing incidence and prevalence of the disorder and the need to guarantee during adulthood the actual opportunity to exercise the level of autonomy achieved during youth, emphasize the necessity to 'broaden' the research perspective by investigating also how the shape and the organization of the urban environment affect the quality of life of this group of inhabitants. GAP REDUCE is a R&D project aiming at developing a tool to provide support to adult and high-functioning people with ASD to plan, easily and in advance, an urban itinerary towards daily destinations. After the development of a cognitive framework on the relationship between built environment and autism, a survey involving different experts has been conducted to identify the relevant urban spatial features to calculate the most suitable path (in terms of sensory stimuli, accessibility and orientation). A neighbourhood in Sassari (Italy) was selected as pilot study area to test the tool.

Results

The identified urban features were classified into positive and negative points of interest, acting as spatial facilitators or obstacles respectively, and evaluated on the basis on a set of indicators according to their impact on the possibility for the user to reach the selected destination.

Conclusions

GAP REDUCE is an innovative tool that leverages on spatial facilitator to make the urban environment more accessible, inclusive and healthy to people with ASD. Indeed, this principle and tool can be also applied to other groups of inhabitants (elderly, people with dementia, people with other sensory disabilities).