| 1. |
- Bugiardini, Raffaele, et al.
(author)
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Angina, "normal" coronary angiography, and vascular dysfunction : risk assessment strategies
- 2007
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In: PLoS Medicine. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1549-1277 .- 1549-1676. ; 4:2, s. e12-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Chest pain may be associated with coronary arteries that appear "normal". Normal is defined here as no visible disease or luminal irregularities (less than 50%) as judged visually at coronary angiography. Normal angiography in patients with chest pain is five times more common in women than in men [1]. Among patients with chest pain and normal angiography, an unknown number are suffering from cardiac pain of ischemic origin. Uncertainty is often difficult to allay, for medical attendants as well as for patients, resulting in perpetuation of symptoms, difficulties in management, and establishment of risk of subsequent coronary events [2]. In this article, we discuss how to stratify risk in patients with chest pain and a normal coronary angiogram.
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| 2. |
- Katsiardanis, Konstantinos, et al.
(author)
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Cognitive impairment and dietary habits among elders : the Velestino Study.
- 2013
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In: Journal of Medicinal Food. - : Mary Ann Liebert Inc. - 1096-620X .- 1557-7600. ; 16:4, s. 343-50
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To investigate the association of dietary habits with cognitive function among elders (>65 years). Complete sociodemographic, dietary information, serum measurements, and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) assessments were available for 237 elderly men and 320 women residing in Velestino, Greece (a rural Greek town). All models were adjusted for age, education, social activity, smoking, depression symptomatology (using the Geriatric Depression Scale), MedDietScore (range 0-55), and metabolic syndrome. About 49.8% men and 66.6% women had MMSE scores <24, with a mean MMSE score of 22.7±4.43 and 21.1±4.73, respectively. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was moderate (mean MedDietScore of 34.1±3.25 in men and 35.1±2.48 in women). Indicative cognitive impairment (MMSE score <24) was positively associated with age and low education in women and with depressive symptoms, low education status, and low social activity in men. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was positively associated with MMSE score in men (P=.02), but inversely associated in women (P=.04). Concerning the food groups studied, intake of pulses, nuts, and seeds was associated with lower likelihood of having MMSE score<24 in men (P=.04). Only the Mediterranean dietary pattern showed a significant association with MMSE score positive for cognitive impairment (i.e., protective in men, but not in women), while individual food groups or nutrients did not achieve significance. The latter findings support the role of whole diet in the prevention of mental disorders, and state a research hypothesis for a sex-diet interaction on cognitive function among elders.
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| 3. |
- Michelakos, Theodoros, et al.
(author)
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Serum Folate and B12 Levels in Association With Cognitive Impairment Among Seniors : Results From the VELESTINO Study in Greece and Meta-Analysis
- 2013
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In: Journal of Aging and Health. - : SAGE Publications. - 0898-2643 .- 1552-6887. ; 25:4, s. 589-616
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To summarize existing evidence on the effect of serum folate and vitamin B12 levels on cognitive impairment among elders via a meta-analysis, also including unpublished data from a cross-sectional study of seniors ( > 65 years) residing in Velestino, Greece. Method: Serum measurements and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) assessments were available for 593 Velestinians. In addition, 12 studies availing data on folate blood levels (N = 9,747) and 9 on B12 (N = 8,122) were identified following a search algorithm; pooled effect estimates were derived. Results: Cognitive impairment (MMSE < 24) among Velestenians was associated with lower education level in both genders; decreased social activity, depressive symptoms and low folate levels in males; older age in females. Meta-analyses showed an adverse effect of low-folate levels on cognition (OR: 1.66, 95% CI: 1.40-1.96); B12 was nonsignificantly associated (OR: 1.11, 95% CI: 0.88-1.40). Discussion: Low folate levels are associated with cognitive impairment of seniors; underlying pathophysiological mechanisms should be further explored.
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| 4. |
- Petridou, Eleni Th., et al.
(author)
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Folate and B12 serum levels in association with depression in the aged : a systematic review and meta-analysis
- 2016
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In: Aging & Mental Health. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1360-7863 .- 1364-6915. ; 20:9, s. 965-973
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: To systematically review and meta-analyse existing evidence on the association between folate/B12, and depression among the aged people.METHODS: Following PRISMA/STROBE guidelines, the Medline abstracts were retrieved using an algorithm comprising relevant MeSH terms. Publications on the association of folate/B12 serum measurements with depression were abstracted independently by two reviewers and included in both gender and gender-specific meta-analyses, following recarculations of published data as appropriate. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used to evaluate the quality of included studies.RESULTS: Both gender data were contributed by 11 folate-related (7949 individuals) and 9 B12-related studies (6308 individuals), whereas gender-specific data by 4 folate-related (3409 individuals) and 3 B12-related studies (1934 individuals). A statistically significant overall association between both exposures of interest (low folate and B12 levels) and depression was observed (ORfolate:1.23, 95%CI:1.07-1.43, ORB12:1.20, 95%CI:1.02-1.42). Gender-specific estimates pointed to a statistically significant positive association between low B12 levels and depression only among women (OR:1.33, 95%CI:1.02-1.74); the gender specific associations of low folate levels with depression were, however, non-significant and of counter-direction (ORfemales:1.37, 95%CI:0.90-2.07; ORmales:0.84, 95%CI:0.57-1.25).CONCLUSION: Low folate and B12 serum levels seem to be associated with depression in the aged. The gender-specific analyses are confined to a positive association of low B12 with depression among older women and call for further research in this direction.
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| 5. |
- Petridou, Eleni Th., et al.
(author)
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In vitro fertilization and risk of childhood leukemia in Greece and Sweden
- 2012
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In: Pediatric Blood & Cancer. - : Wiley. - 1545-5009 .- 1545-5017. ; 58:6, s. 930-936
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Cancer risk in children born after in vitro fertilization (IVF) remains largely unknown. We aimed to investigate risk of leukemia and lymphoma following IVF using two nationwide datasets. Methods. The hospital-based case-control study in Greece derived from the National Registry for Childhood Hematological Malignancies (1996-2008, 814 leukemia and 277 lymphoma incident cases with their 1: 1 matched controls). The Swedish casecontrol study was nested in the Swedish Medical Birth Register (MBR) (1995-2007, 520 leukemia and 71 lymphoma cases with their 5,200 and 710 matched controls) with ascertainment of incident cancer cases in the National Cancer Register. Study-specific and combined odds ratios (OR) were estimated using conditional logistic regression, with adjustment for possible risk factors. Results. Nationwide studies pointed to similar size excess risk of leukemia following IVF, but to a null association between IVF and lymphoma. The proportion of leukemia cases conceived through IVF was 3% in Greece and 2.7% in Sweden; prevalence of IVF in matched controls was 1.8% and 1.6%, respectively. In combined multivariable analyses, the increased risk of leukemia was confined to age below 3.8 years (OR 2.21; 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.27-3.85) and to acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) (OR 1.77; 95% CI: 1.062.95) with no sufficient evidence of excess risk for other leukemias (OR 1.34; 95% CI: 0.38-4.69). Following IVF, OR for ALL was 2.58 (95% CI: 1.37-4.84) before age 3.8 and 4.29 (95% CI: 1.4912.37) before age 2 years. Conclusions. IVF seems to be associated with increased risk of early onset ALL in the offspring.
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| 6. |
- Scuteri, Angelo, et al.
(author)
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Arterial stiffness and influences of the metabolic syndrome: A cross-countries study.
- 2014
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In: Atherosclerosis. - : Elsevier BV. - 1879-1484 .- 0021-9150. ; 233:2, s. 654-660
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Specific clusters of metabolic syndrome (MetS) components impact differentially on arterial stiffness, indexed as pulse wave velocity (PWV). Of note, in several population-based studies participating in the MARE (Metabolic syndrome and Arteries REsearch) Consortium the occurrence of specific clusters of MetS differed markedly across Europe and the US. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether specific clusters of MetS are consistently associated with stiffer arteries in different populations. We studied 20,570 subjects from 9 cohorts representing 8 different European countries and the US participating in the MARE Consortium. MetS was defined in accordance with NCEP ATPIII criteria as the simultaneous alteration in ≥3 of the 5 components: abdominal obesity (W), high triglycerides (T), low HDL cholesterol (H), elevated blood pressure (B), and elevated fasting glucose (G). PWV measured in each cohort was "normalized" to account for different acquisition methods. MetS had an overall prevalence of 24.2% (4985 subjects). MetS accelerated the age-associated increase in PWV levels at any age, and similarly in men and women. MetS clusters TBW, GBW, and GTBW are consistently associated with significantly stiffer arteries to an extent similar or greater than observed in subjects with alteration in all the five MetS components - even after controlling for age, sex, smoking, cholesterol levels, and diabetes mellitus - in all the MARE cohorts. In conclusion, different component clusters of MetS showed varying associations with arterial stiffness (PWV).
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| 7. |
- Tsioufis, Costas, et al.
(author)
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Effects of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity and other factors on kidney haemodynamics
- 2012
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In: Current Vascular Pharmacology. - : Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.. - 1570-1611 .- 1875-6212. ; 12:3, s. 537-548
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction: Kidney flow assessment and its haemodynamic surrogates, namely resistive index and renal flow reserve, may improve our understanding of the natural history of kidney dysfunction. Methods: We reviewed the literature on the common and differential effects of traditional risk factors such as essential hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia, smoking, obesity and metabolic syndrome on human kidney haemodynamics. Results and conclusions: Aging, duration of a prevalent single cardiovascular risk factor and co-existence of multiple risk factors may further accelerate the deterioration of kidney haemodynamics. Sympathetic and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone axis activation is implicated in the pathophysiology leading to kidney function decline. Prevention of kidney disease progression includes the blockade of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone axis, lipid lowering drugs, smoking cessation and glycaemic control as well as novel interventional methods like transluminal kidney sympathetic denervation.
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