| 1. |
- Morales, Javier S., et al.
(författare)
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The exposome and immune health in times of the covid-19 pandemic
- 2022
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Ingår i: Nutrients. - : MDPI AG. - 2072-6643. ; 14:1
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Growing evidence supports the importance of lifestyle and environmental exposures— collectively referred to as the ‘exposome’—for ensuring immune health. In this narrative review, we summarize and discuss the effects of the different exposome components (physical activity, body weight management, diet, sun exposure, stress, sleep and circadian rhythms, pollution, smoking, and gut microbiome) on immune function and inflammation, particularly in the context of the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We highlight the potential role of ‘exposome improvements’ in the prevention—or amelioration, once established—of this disease as well as their effect on the response to vaccination. In light of the existing evidence, the promotion of a healthy exposome should be a cornerstone in the prevention and management of the COVID-19 pandemic and other eventual pandemics.
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| 2. |
- Nguyen, Thanh N, et al.
(författare)
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Global Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Stroke Volumes and Cerebrovascular Events: A 1-Year Follow-up.
- 2023
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Ingår i: Neurology. - 1526-632X. ; 100:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Declines in stroke admission, IV thrombolysis (IVT), and mechanical thrombectomy volumes were reported during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a paucity of data on the longer-term effect of the pandemic on stroke volumes over the course of a year and through the second wave of the pandemic. We sought to measure the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the volumes of stroke admissions, intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), IVT, and mechanical thrombectomy over a 1-year period at the onset of the pandemic (March 1, 2020, to February 28, 2021) compared with the immediately preceding year (March 1, 2019, to February 29, 2020).We conducted a longitudinal retrospective study across 6 continents, 56 countries, and 275 stroke centers. We collected volume data for COVID-19 admissions and 4 stroke metrics: ischemic stroke admissions, ICH admissions, IVT treatments, and mechanical thrombectomy procedures. Diagnoses were identified by their ICD-10 codes or classifications in stroke databases.There were 148,895 stroke admissions in the 1 year immediately before compared with 138,453 admissions during the 1-year pandemic, representing a 7% decline (95% CI [95% CI 7.1-6.9]; p < 0.0001). ICH volumes declined from 29,585 to 28,156 (4.8% [5.1-4.6]; p < 0.0001) and IVT volume from 24,584 to 23,077 (6.1% [6.4-5.8]; p < 0.0001). Larger declines were observed at high-volume compared with low-volume centers (all p < 0.0001). There was no significant change in mechanical thrombectomy volumes (0.7% [0.6-0.9]; p = 0.49). Stroke was diagnosed in 1.3% [1.31-1.38] of 406,792 COVID-19 hospitalizations. SARS-CoV-2 infection was present in 2.9% ([2.82-2.97], 5,656/195,539) of all stroke hospitalizations.There was a global decline and shift to lower-volume centers of stroke admission volumes, ICH volumes, and IVT volumes during the 1st year of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the prior year. Mechanical thrombectomy volumes were preserved. These results suggest preservation in the stroke care of higher severity of disease through the first pandemic year.This study is registered under NCT04934020.
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| 3. |
- Santos-Lozano, Alejandro, et al.
(författare)
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Successful aging : Insights from proteome analyses of healthy centenarians
- 2020
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Ingår i: Aging. - : Impact Journals, LLC. - 1945-4589. ; 12:4, s. 3502-3515
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Healthy aging depends on a complex gene-environment network that is ultimately reflected in the expression of different proteins. We aimed to perform a comparative analysis of the plasma proteome of healthy centenarians (n=9, 5 women, age range 100-103 years) with a notably preserved ambulatory capacity (as a paradigm of 'successful' aging), and control individuals who died from a major age-related disease before the expected life expectancy (n=9, 5 women, age range: 67-81 years), and while having impaired ambulatory capacity (as a paradigm of 'unsuccessful' aging). We found that the expression of 49 proteins and 86 pathways differed between the two groups. Overall, healthy centenarians presented with distinct expression of proteins/pathways that reflect a healthy immune function, including a lower pro-inflammatory status (less 'inflammaging' and autoimmunity) and a preserved humoral immune response (increased B cell-mediated immune response). Compared with controls, healthy centenarians also presented with a higher expression of proteins involved in angiogenesis and related to enhanced intercellular junctions, as well as a lower expression of proteins involved in cardiovascular abnormalities. The identification of these proteins/pathways might provide new insights into the biological mechanisms underlying the paradigm of healthy aging.
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| 4. |
- Valenzuela, Pedro L., et al.
(författare)
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Lifestyle interventions for the prevention and treatment of hypertension
- 2021
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Ingår i: Nature Reviews Cardiology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1759-5002 .- 1759-5010. ; 18:4, s. 251-275
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Hypertension affects approximately one third of the world’s adult population and is a major cause of premature death despite considerable advances in pharmacological treatments. Growing evidence supports the use of lifestyle interventions for the prevention and adjuvant treatment of hypertension. In this Review, we provide a summary of the epidemiological research supporting the preventive and antihypertensive effects of major lifestyle interventions (regular physical exercise, body weight management and healthy dietary patterns), as well as other less traditional recommendations such as stress management and the promotion of adequate sleep patterns coupled with circadian entrainment. We also discuss the physiological mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of these lifestyle interventions on hypertension, which include not only the prevention of traditional risk factors (such as obesity and insulin resistance) and improvements in vascular health through an improved redox and inflammatory status, but also reduced sympathetic overactivation and non-traditional mechanisms such as increased secretion of myokines.
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| 5. |
- Valenzuela, Pedro L., et al.
(författare)
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Obesity and the risk of cardiometabolic diseases
- 2023
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Ingår i: Nature Reviews Cardiology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1759-5002 .- 1759-5010. ; 20:7, s. 475-494
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The prevalence of obesity has reached pandemic proportions, and now approximately 25% of adults in Westernized countries have obesity. Recognized as a major health concern, obesity is associated with multiple comorbidities, particularly cardiometabolic disorders. In this Review, we present obesity as an evolutionarily novel condition, summarize the epidemiological evidence on its detrimental cardiometabolic consequences and discuss the major mechanisms involved in the association between obesity and the risk of cardiometabolic diseases. We also examine the role of potential moderators of this association, with evidence for and against the so-called ‘metabolically healthy obesity phenotype’, the ‘fatness but fitness’ paradox or the ‘obesity paradox’. Although maintenance of optimal cardiometabolic status should be a primary goal in individuals with obesity, losing body weight and, particularly, excess visceral adiposity seems to be necessary to minimize the risk of cardiometabolic diseases.
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| 6. |
- Borba, Vânia, et al.
(författare)
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Interaction between vitamin D deficiency and COVID-19
- 2022
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Ingår i: Autoimmunity, COVID-19, Post-COVID19 Syndrome and COVID-19 Vaccination. - 9780443185663 - 9780443185670 ; , s. 685-709
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) poses an enormous challenge to health care systems throughout the world, but it doesn’t affect every individual to the same extent. There is great variability in disease outcomes. Therefore, identifying the main prognostic risk factors is of paramount importance. These include increased age, skin pigmentation, obesity, pre-existing illness, and vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is a molecule with established effectiveness against various upper respiratory infections. This is due to its pivotal role as modulator of the innate and adaptative immune system through different mechanisms. Moreover, vitamin D can regulate the renin-angiotensin system that is exploited by SARS-CoV-2 for entry into the host cells. Vitamin D supplementation is thus a therapeutic option to consider, especially since it has low toxicity, and there are few currently available drugs for COVID-19 treatment. In this review chapter, we engage an immunological lens to discuss potential mechanisms by which vitamin D signaling might regulate COVID-19 disease susceptibility, severity, and by consequence, mortality. Hence, a critical analysis of the clinical trials published to date has been undertaken to address the value of vitamin D supplementation. We also discuss, based on plausible immunological mechanisms, the relationship between vitamin D and Long-COVID, as well as its effect on SARS-CoV-2 vaccination responsiveness.
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| 7. |
- Carrera-Bastos, Pedro, et al.
(författare)
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C-reactive protein in traditional melanesians on Kitava
- 2020
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Ingår i: BMC Cardiovascular Disorders. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2261. ; 20:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Population-based levels of the chronic low-grade systemic inflammation biomarker, C-reactive protein (CRP), vary widely among traditional populations, despite their apparent absence of chronic conditions associated with chronic low-grade systemic inflammation, such as type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. We have previously reported an apparent absence of aforementioned conditions amongst the traditional Melanesian horticulturalists of Kitava, Trobriand Islands, Papua New Guinea. Our objective in this study was to clarify associations between chronic low-grade systemic inflammation and chronic cardiometabolic conditions by measuring CRP in a Kitava population sample. For comparison purposes, CRP was also measured in Swedish controls matched for age and gender. Methods: Fasting levels of serum CRP were measured cross-sectionally in ≥ 40-year-old Kitavans (N = 79) and Swedish controls (N = 83). Results: CRP was lower for Kitavans compared to Swedish controls (Mdn 0.5 mg/L range 0.1—48 mg/L and Mdn 1.1 mg/L range 0.1—33 mg/L, respectively, r =.18 p =.02). Among Kitavans, there were small negative associations between lnCRP for CRP values < 10 and total, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and non-high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL) cholesterol. Among Swedish controls, associations of lnCRP for CRP values < 10 were medium positive with weight, body mass index, waist circumference, hip circumference and waist-hip ratio and low positive with triglyceride, total cholesterol-HDL cholesterol ratio, triglyceride-HDL cholesterol ratio and serum insulin. Conclusions: Chronic low-grade systemic inflammation, measured as CRP, was lower among Kitavans compared to Swedish controls, indicating a lower and average cardiovascular risk, respectively, for these populations.
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| 8. |
- Carrera-Bastos, Pedro, et al.
(författare)
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Randomised controlled trial of lifestyle interventions for abdominal obesity in primary health care
- 2024
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Ingår i: PRIMARY HEALTH CARE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. - 1463-4236 .- 1477-1128. ; 25
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim: Assess effects on waist circumference from diet with or without cereal grains and with or without long-term physical exercise.Background: Elevated waist circumference is an indicator of increased abdominal fat storage and is accordingly associated with increased cardiovascular mortality. This is likely due to the association between lifestyle-induced changes in waist circumference and cardiovascular risk factors. Reductions in waist circumference may be facilitated by diet without cereal grains combined with long-term physical exercise.Methods: Two-year randomised controlled trial with factorial trial design in individuals at increased risk of cardiovascular disease with increased waist circumference. Participants were allocated diet based on current Swedish dietary guidelines with or without cereal grains (baseline diet information supported by monthly group sessions) and with or without physical exercise (pedometers and two initial months of weekly structured exercise followed by written prescription of physical activity) or control group. The primary outcome was the change in waist circumference.Findings: The greatest mean intervention group difference in the change in waist circumference among the 73 participants (47 women and 26 men aged 23-79 years) was at one year between participants allocated a diet without cereal grains and no exercise and participants allocated a diet with cereal grains and no exercise [M = -5.3 cm and -0.9 cm, respectively; mean difference = 4.4 cm, 4.0%, 95% CI (0.0%, 8.0%), P = 0.051, Cohen's d = 0.75]. All group comparisons in the change in waist circumference were non-significant despite the greatest group difference being more than double that estimated in the pre-study power calculation. The non-significance was likely caused by too few participants and a greater than expected variability in the change in waist circumference. The greatest mean intervention group difference strengthens the possibility that dietary exclusion of cereal grains could be related to greater reduction in waist circumference.
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| 9. |
- Carrera-Bastos, Pedro, et al.
(författare)
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Serum Zonulin and endotoxin levels in exceptional longevity versus precocious myocardial infarction
- 2018
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Ingår i: Aging and Disease. - 2152-5250. ; 9:2, s. 317-321
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Endotoxemia-induced inflammation has been associated with insulin resistance and atherosclerosis, ultimately increasing the risk of coronary heart disease. Increased intestinal permeability is an important event leading to endotoxemia. This study aims to elucidate the possible association between endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide) and zonulin (a biomarker of intestinal permeability) levels and the risk of coronary heart disease, and thus healthy aging. Serum levels of zonulin, lipopolysaccharide and soluble CD14 (a protein that binds lipopolysaccharide) were measured in disease-free centenarians, young healthy controls and patients with precocious acute myocardial infarction. Disease-free centenarians had significantly lower levels of serum zonulin (P < 0.01) and lipopolysaccharide (P < 0.001) than young patients with acute myocardial infarction, and had significantly lower concentrations of serum lipopolysaccharide than young healthy controls (P < 0.05). No significant differences were found for soluble CD14 between groups. Our findings may stimulate further research into the role played by intestinal permeability and endotoxemia not only in coronary heart disease but also in lifespan modulation.
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| 10. |
- Fiuza-Luces, Carmen, et al.
(författare)
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Exercise benefits in cardiovascular disease : beyond attenuation of traditional risk factors
- 2018
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Ingår i: Nature Reviews Cardiology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1759-5002 .- 1759-5010. ; 15:12, s. 731-743
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Despite strong scientific evidence supporting the benefits of regular exercise for the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease (CVD), physical inactivity is highly prevalent worldwide. In addition to merely changing well-known risk factors for systemic CVD, regular exercise can also improve cardiovascular health through non-traditional mechanisms. Understanding the pathways through which exercise influences different physiological systems is important and might yield new therapeutic strategies to target pathophysiological mechanisms in CVD. This Review includes a critical discussion of how regular exercise can have antiatherogenic effects in the vasculature, improve autonomic balance (thereby reducing the risk of malignant arrhythmias), and induce cardioprotection against ischaemia–reperfusion injury, independent of effects on traditional CVD risk factors. This Review also describes how exercise promotes a healthy anti-inflammatory milieu (largely through the release of muscle-derived myokines), stimulates myocardial regeneration, and ameliorates age-related loss of muscle mass and strength, a frequently overlooked non-traditional CVD risk factor. Finally, we discuss how the benefits of exercise might also occur via promotion of a healthy gut microbiota. We argue, therefore, that a holistic view of all body systems is necessary and useful when analysing the role of exercise in cardiovascular health.
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