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1.
Sci Rep ; 13(1): 9035, 2023 06 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-20244246

ABSTRACT

In respiratory infections, anemia is both a consequence of acute inflammation and a predictor of poor clinical outcomes. There are few studies investigating the role of anemia in COVID-19, suggesting a potential role in predicting disease severity. In this study, we aimed to assess the association between the presence of anemia at admission and incidence of severe disease and death in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. Data from all adult patients admitted for COVID-19 in University Hospital "P. Giaccone" Palermo, and University Hospital of Bari, Italy, were retrospectively collected from 1st of September 2020 to 31 August 2022. The association between anemia (defined as Hb < 13 g/dl and < 12 g/dl in males and females, respectively), in-hospital mortality and severe COVID-19 was tested using a Cox's regression analysis. Severe COVID-19 forms were defined as admission to intensive or sub-intensive care unit or a qSOFAscore ≥ 2 or CURB65scores ≥ 3. p values were calculated using the Student's t test for continuous variables and the Mantel-Haenszel Chi-square test for categorical ones. The association between anemia and the mortality was made using a Cox's regression analysis, adjusted, in two models, for the potential confounders and using a propensity score. Among the 1562 patients included in the analysis, prevalence of anemia was 45.1% (95% CI 43-48%). Patients with anemia were significantly older (p < 0.0001), reported more co-morbidities, and presented higher baseline levels of procalcitonin, CRP, ferritin and IL-6. Overall, the crude incidence of mortality was about four times higher in patients with anemia compared to those without. After adjusting for 17 potential confounders, the presence of anemia significantly increased the risk of death (HR = 2.68; 95% CI: 1.59-4.52) and of risk of severe COVID-19 (OR = 2.31; 95% CI: 1.65-3.24). The propensity score analysis substantially confirmed these analyses. Our study provides evidence that, in patients hospitalized for COVID-19, anemia is both associated with a more pronounced baseline pro-inflammatory profile and higher incidence of in-hospital mortality and severe disease.


Subject(s)
Anemia , COVID-19 , Male , Adult , Female , Humans , COVID-19/complications , Retrospective Studies , Anemia/epidemiology , Risk Factors , Disease Progression
2.
Front Public Health ; 11: 1117709, 2023.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-20242625

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Worldwide, COVID-19 pandemic lead to a large fall in the number of newly reported TB cases. In sub-Saharan Africa, microbiological diagnosis of TB is generally based on smear microscopy and Xpert MTB/RIF on sputum samples, but good quality sputum samples are often difficult to obtain, leading clinicians to rely on more invasive procedures for diagnosis. Aim of this study was to investigate pooled sensitivity and specificity of Xpert MTB/RIF on stool samples compared to respiratory microbiological reference standards in African countries. Methods: Four investigators independently searched PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Science until 12th October 2022, then screened titles and abstracts of all potentially eligible articles. The authors applied the eligibility criteria, considered the full texts. All the studies reported the data regarding true positive (TP), true negative (TN), false positive (FP) and false negative (FN). Risk of bias and applicability concerns were assessed with the Quadas-2 tool. Results: overall, among 130 papers initially screened, we evaluated 47 works, finally including 13 papers for a total of 2,352 participants, mainly children. The mean percentage of females was 49.6%, whilst the mean percentage of patients reporting HIV was 27.7%. Pooled sensitivity for Xpert MTB/RIF assay for detecting pulmonary tuberculosis was 68.2% (95%CI: 61.1-74.7%) even if characterized by a high heterogeneity (I2=53.7%). Specificity was almost 100% (99%, 95%CI: 97-100%; I2 = 45.7%). When divided for reference standard, in the six studies using sputum and nasogastric aspirate the accuracy was optimal (AUC = 0.99, SE = 0.02), whilst in the studies using only sputum for tuberculosis detection the AUC was 0.85 (with a SE = 0.16). The most common source of bias was exclusion of enrolled patients in the analysis. Conclusions: Our study confirms that, in Africa, stool Xpert MTB/RIF may be a useful rule-in test for children above and below 5 years of age under evaluation for pulmonary tuberculosis. Sensitivity increased substantially when using both sputum and nasogastric aspirate as reference samples.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Mycobacterium tuberculosis , Tuberculosis, Pulmonary , Child , Female , Humans , Sputum/microbiology , Pandemics , Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/diagnosis , Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/microbiology , Africa South of the Sahara , COVID-19 Testing
3.
Nutrients ; 15(4)2023 Feb 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2267726

ABSTRACT

Magnesium (Mg) plays a key role in infections. However, its role in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still underexplored, particularly in long-term sequelae. The aim of the present study was to examine the prognostic value of serum Mg levels in older people affected by COVID-19. Patients were divided into those with serum Mg levels ≤1.96 vs. >1.96 mg/dL, according to the Youden index. A total of 260 participants (mean age 65 years, 53.8% males) had valid Mg measurements. Serum Mg had a good accuracy in predicting in-hospital mortality (area under the curve = 0.83; 95% CI: 0.74-0.91). Low serum Mg at admission significantly predicted in-hospital death (HR = 1.29; 95% CI: 1.03-2.68) after adjusting for several confounders. A value of Mg ≤ 1.96 mg/dL was associated with a longer mean length of stay compared to those with a serum Mg > 1.96 (15.2 vs. 12.7 days). Low serum Mg was associated with a higher incidence of long COVID symptomatology (OR = 2.14; 95% CI: 1.30-4.31), particularly post-traumatic stress disorder (OR = 2.00; 95% CI: 1.24-16.40). In conclusion, low serum Mg levels were significant predictors of mortality, length of stay, and onset of long COVID symptoms, indicating that measuring serum Mg in COVID-19 may be helpful in the prediction of complications related to the disease.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Male , Humans , Aged , Female , Magnesium , Prognosis , Hospital Mortality , Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome , Retrospective Studies
4.
Aging Clin Exp Res ; 35(5): 1139-1143, 2023 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2277429

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Only limited studies analyzed a possible relationship between frailty and infections. Our aim was to investigate the possible association between higher multidimensional prognostic index (MPI) values, a tool for evaluating multidimensional frailty, and the prevalence of infectious diseases, including antibiotics' cost and the prevalence of MDR (multidrug resistance) pathogens. METHODS: Older patients, affected by COVID-19, were enrolled in the hospital of Palermo over four months. RESULTS: 112 participants (mean age 77.6, 55.4% males) were included. After adjusting for potential confounders, frailer participants had a higher odds of any positivity to pathogens (prevalence: 61.5%, odds ratio = 15.56, p < 0.0001) compared to a prevalence of 8.6% in more robust, including MDR, and a higher costs in antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: Higher MPI values, indicating frailer subjects, were associated with a higher prevalence of infections, particularly of MDR pathogens, and a consequent increase in antibiotics' cost.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Frailty , Male , Humans , Aged , Female , Prognosis , Frailty/diagnosis , Frailty/epidemiology , COVID-19/epidemiology , Hospitals , Geriatric Assessment/methods
5.
Exp Gerontol ; 174: 112121, 2023 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2257425

ABSTRACT

The current pandemic of obesity represents a major global public health problem, mainly due to its association with chronic non-communicable disabling conditions and with increased mortality. Population aging increases the chances of non-communicable chronic diseases allowing a longer exposure to risk factors for these disabling conditions. Obesity is a major risk factor contributing to pathological aging. Numerous epidemiological studies have shown that the risk of death due to cardiovascular disease and cancer increases progressively as overweight and obesity rise. Nutrition research is now focused on the effects of combinations of foods in dietary patterns instead of those of single nutrients or foods. The dietary model with the largest body of evidence of health benefit is that traditionally followed by inhabitants of some Mediterranean countries. There is evidence confirming the inverse association of adhering to Mediterranean diet with overweight and obesity. Four meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials, including up to 16 trials, have shown a greater reduction of body weight and BMI with MedDiet compared to other diets, while a meta-analysis of 7 prospective cohort studies, found a reduced risk of becoming obese and gaining weight over time associated with a higher adherence to MedDiet. This narrative review examines studies reporting inverse associations of a higher adherence to the MedDiet with overweight/obesity and with age-associated chronic diseases related to obesity.


Subject(s)
Diet, Mediterranean , Humans , Overweight/complications , Prospective Studies , Obesity/complications , Body Weight
6.
Int J Mol Sci ; 24(2)2023 Jan 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2230352

ABSTRACT

The immune response to infection plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of COVID-19, but several patients develop a wide range of persistent symptoms, which is becoming a major global health and economic burden. However, reliable indicators are not yet available to predict the persistence of symptoms typical of the so-called long COVID. Our study aims to explore an eventual role of IL-6 levels as a marker of long COVID. Altogether, 184 patients admitted to the COVID Medicine Unit of the University Hospital in Palermo, Italy, from the 1st of September 2020, were analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups according to the IL-6 serum levels (normal or elevated), considering the serum IL-6 levels measured during the first four days of hospitalization. In our study, higher serum IL-6 levels were associated with a doubled higher risk of long COVID (OR = 2.05; 95% CI: 1.04-4.50) and, in particular, they were associated with a higher incidence of mobility decline (OR = 2.55; 95% CI: 1.08-9.40) and PTSD (OR = 2.38; 95% CI: 1.06-8.61). The analysis of our case series confirmed the prominent role of IL-6 levels in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection, as predictors not only of COVID-19 disease severity and unfavorable outcomes, but also long COVID development trends.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Humans , SARS-CoV-2 , Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome , Interleukin-6 , Hospitalization
7.
J Clin Med ; 12(2)2023 Jan 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2228599

ABSTRACT

During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, frailty and patients' poor outcomes seem to be closely related. However, there is no clear indication of the significance of this connection and the most adequate risk index in clinical practice. In this study, we compared a short version of MPI (multidimensional prognostic index) and other two prognostic scores for COVID-19 as potential predictors of poor patient outcomes. The patients were consecutively enrolled in the hospital of Palermo for COVID-19. The accuracy of Brief-MPI, 4C score and COVID-GRAM score in points was evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC) with 95% CI, taking mortality or sub-ICU admission as outcome. The study included 112 participants (mean age 77.6, 55.4% males). During a mean of 16 days of hospitalization, Brief-MPI significantly increased by 0.03 ± 0.14 (p = 0.04), whilst COVID-GRAM did not. Brief-MPI, 4C score and COVID-GRAM scores had good accuracy in predicting negative outcomes (AUC > 0.70 for all three scores). Brief-MPI was significantly associated with an increased mortality/ICU admission risk, indicating the importance of multidimensional impairment in clinical decision-making with an accuracy similar to other prognostic scores commonly used in COVID-19 study, providing information regarding domains for which interventions can be proposed.

9.
Internal and emergency medicine ; : 1-9, 2022.
Article in English | EuropePMC | ID: covidwho-2147209

ABSTRACT

The long-term consequences of the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) are likely to be frequent but results hitherto are inconclusive. Therefore, we aimed to define the incidence of long-term COVID signs and symptoms as defined by the World Health Organization, using a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. A systematic search in several databases was carried out up to 12 January 2022 for observational studies reporting the cumulative incidence of long COVID signs and symptoms divided according to body systems affected. Data are reported as incidence and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Several sensitivity and meta-regression analyses were performed. Among 11,162 papers initially screened, 196 were included, consisting of 120,970 participants (mean age: 52.3 years;48.8% females) who were followed-up for a median of six months. The incidence of any long COVID symptomatology was 56.9% (95% CI 52.2–61.6). General long COVID signs and symptoms were the most frequent (incidence of 31%) and digestive issues the least frequent (7.7%). The presence of any neurological, general and cardiovascular long COVID symptomatology was most frequent in females. Higher mean age was associated with higher incidence of psychiatric, respiratory, general, digestive and skin conditions. The incidence of long COVID symptomatology was different according to continent and follow-up length. Long COVID is a common condition in patients who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2, regardless of the severity of the acute illness, indicating the need for more cohort studies on this topic.

10.
Intern Emerg Med ; 2022 Nov 30.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2129115

ABSTRACT

The long-term consequences of the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) are likely to be frequent but results hitherto are inconclusive. Therefore, we aimed to define the incidence of long-term COVID signs and symptoms as defined by the World Health Organization, using a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. A systematic search in several databases was carried out up to 12 January 2022 for observational studies reporting the cumulative incidence of long COVID signs and symptoms divided according to body systems affected. Data are reported as incidence and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Several sensitivity and meta-regression analyses were performed. Among 11,162 papers initially screened, 196 were included, consisting of 120,970 participants (mean age: 52.3 years; 48.8% females) who were followed-up for a median of six months. The incidence of any long COVID symptomatology was 56.9% (95% CI 52.2-61.6). General long COVID signs and symptoms were the most frequent (incidence of 31%) and digestive issues the least frequent (7.7%). The presence of any neurological, general and cardiovascular long COVID symptomatology was most frequent in females. Higher mean age was associated with higher incidence of psychiatric, respiratory, general, digestive and skin conditions. The incidence of long COVID symptomatology was different according to continent and follow-up length. Long COVID is a common condition in patients who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2, regardless of the severity of the acute illness, indicating the need for more cohort studies on this topic.

11.
Viruses ; 14(9)2022 08 24.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1997811

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Although the understanding of several aspects of long COVID-19 syndrome is increasing, there is limited literature regarding the treatment of these signs and symptoms. The aim of our systematic review was to understand which therapies have proved effective against the symptoms of long COVID-19. METHODS: A systematic search for randomized controlled or clinical trials in several databases was conducted through 15 May 2022. Specific inclusion criteria included: (1) intervention studies, either randomized controlled (RCTs) or clinical trials; (2) diagnosis of long COVID-19, according to the World Health Organization criteria; (3) presence of long COVID-19 for at least 12 weeks after SARS-CoV-2 infection. RESULTS: We initially found 1638 articles to screen. After removing 1602 works based on their title/abstract, we considered 35 full texts, and among them, two intervention studies were finally included. The first RCT focused on the greater improvement of treatment combining olfactory rehabilitation with oral supplementation with Palmitoylethanolamide and Luteolin in patients with olfactory dysfunction after COVID-19. The second study evaluated the positive impact of aromatherapy vs. standard care in adult females affected by fatigue. CONCLUSION: Our systematic review found only two intervention studies focused on patients affected by long COVID-19. More intervention studies are needed to investigate potentially positive interventions for long COVID-19 symptoms.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Adult , COVID-19/complications , COVID-19/therapy , Female , Humans , Luteolin , SARS-CoV-2 , Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
12.
Microorganisms ; 10(8)2022 Aug 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1987895

ABSTRACT

Recently, numerous cases of monkeypox were reported from several non-endemic countries in Europe, North America, and Oceania, suggesting an unusual and alarming public health issue, particularly considering that the disease is not directly related to human or animal travels. Attention is currently being drawn to this phenomenon since more than 70% of the global population is no longer vaccinated against smallpox. Indeed, the smallpox vaccination also confers some indirect degree of protection against other poxviruses, including monkeypox. We performed a narrative review to describe the existing literature with regard to monkeypox using the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Scopus databases. This review aims to provide updated evidence of findings on the epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis, management, and prevention of monkeypox, also considering the concurrent zoonotic pandemic caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2.

13.
Vaccines (Basel) ; 10(6)2022 Jun 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1884429

ABSTRACT

Existing literature on the association between influenza vaccination and COVID-19 infection/outcomes is conflicting. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between influenza vaccination and COVID-19 outcomes in a large cohort of adults who participated in the SHARE (Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe). Information regarding influenza vaccination in the previous year, and medical and demographic characteristics, were self-reported. Positivity for COVID-19, symptomatology, and hospitalization were also ascertained using self-reported information. An adjusted logistic regression analysis (including 15 baseline factors or propensity score) was used to assess the association between influenza vaccination and COVID-19 outcomes. A total of 48,408 participants (mean age 67 years; 54.1% females) were included. The prevalence of influenza vaccination was 38.3%. After adjusting for 15 potential confounders, influenza vaccination was significantly associated with a lower risk of positivity for COVID-19 (OR = 0.95; p < 0.0001), symptomatic forms (OR = 0.87; p < 0.0001), and hospitalization for COVID-19 (OR = 0.95; p < 0.0001). The results were similar when using a propensity score approach. In conclusion, influenza vaccination may be beneficial for the prevention of COVID-19, as the present study found that influenza vaccination was associated with a small/moderate lower risk of COVID-19 infection and adverse outcomes.

15.
Vaccines (Basel) ; 10(4)2022 Apr 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1810349

ABSTRACT

It is known that influenza, herpes zoster, pneumococcal and pertussis infections may increase morbidity and mortality in older people. Vaccinations against these pathogens are effective in older adults. Frailty seems to be an important determinant of vaccination rates, yet data supporting this association are still missing. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of four recommended vaccinations (influenza, herpes zoster, pneumococcal and diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis) and the association with multidimensional frailty assessed using a self-reported comprehensive geriatric assessment tool, i.e., the multidimensional prognostic index (SELFY-MPI). Older participants visiting the outpatient clinic of Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria, Palermo, Italy were included. The SELFY-MPI questionnaire score was calculated based on eight different domains, while the vaccination status was determined using self-reported information. We included 319 participants from the 500 initially considered (63.8%). Vaccination against influenza was observed in 70.5% of the cases, whilst only 1.3% received the vaccination against diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis. Participants with higher SELFY-MPI scores were more likely to report vaccination against pneumococcus (45.6 vs. 28.3%, p = 0.01), whilst no significant differences were observed for the other vaccinations. In conclusion, the coverage of recommended vaccinations is low. Higher SELFY-MPI scores and vaccination status, particularly anti-pneumococcus, appear to be associated, but future studies are urgently needed for confirming that frailty is associated with vaccination status in older people.

16.
Aging Clin Exp Res ; 34(5): 1187-1194, 2022 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1756982

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: During the last two years, COVID-19 affected older people with dementia or mild cognitive impairment (MCI), but conflicting and sparse results are still present. The objective of this study was to investigate the frequency and type of changes in functional, cognitive and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), and caregiver's stress during the period of quarantine in 2020 in patients affected by dementia/MCI living in Palermo, Sicily. METHODS: Outpatients affected by MCI/dementia were evaluated before and after COVID-19 quarantine. Functional status was investigated using basic and instrumental activities of daily living (ADL); cognitive performance with the mini-mental state examination; BPSD through the neuropsychiatric inventory (NPI). All scales were reported as pre/post-COVID-19 quarantine and a logistic regression analysis was performed for investigating the factors associated with worsening in NPI in patients and their caregivers. RESULTS: One hundred patients (mean age 77.1; females = 59%) were evaluated over a median of 10 months. In the sample as whole, a significant decline in functional and cognitive status was observed (p < 0.001 for both comparisons). The NPI significantly increased by 3.56 ± 8.96 points after the COVID-19 quarantine (p < 0.0001), while the caregivers' stress increased by 1.39 ± 3.46 points between the two evaluations (p < 0.0001). The decline was more evident in people with milder dementia. Higher values of instrumental ADL at baseline were associated with a significant lower worsening in NPI and caregiver's stress. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 quarantine negatively affected functional, cognitive, and neuropsychiatric symptoms in older people affected by dementia/MCI, highlighting the impact of COVID-19 quarantine for this population.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Cognitive Dysfunction , Dementia , Activities of Daily Living/psychology , Aged , Cognition , Cognitive Dysfunction/diagnosis , Dementia/diagnosis , Female , Humans , Quarantine/psychology
17.
Psychogeriatrics ; 22(3): 402-412, 2022 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1673279

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic may have a disproportionate impact on people with dementia/mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to isolation and loss of services. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in people living with dementia/MCI. Two authors searched major electronic databases from inception to June 2021 for observational studies investigating COVID-19 and NPS in people with dementia/MCI. Summary estimates of mean differences in NPS scores pre- versus post-COVID-19 were calculated using a random-effects model, weighting cases using inverse variance. Study quality and risk of bias were assessed by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. From 2730 citations, 21 studies including 7139 patients (60.0% female, mean age 75.6 ± 7.9 years, 4.0% MCI) with dementia were evaluated in the review. Five studies found no changes in NPS, but in all other studies, an increase in at least one NPS or the pre-pandemic Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) score was found. The most common aggravated NPS were depression, anxiety, agitation, irritability, and apathy during lockdown, but 66.7% of the studies had a high bias. Seven studies including 420 patients (22.1% MCI) yielded enough data to be included in the meta-analysis. The mean follow-up time was 5.9 ± 1.5 weeks. The pooled increase in NPI score before compared to during COVID-19 was 3.85 (95% CI:0.43 to 7.27; P = 0.03; I2  = 82.4%). All studies had high risk of bias. These results were characterized by high heterogeneity, but there was no presence of publication bias. There is an increase in the worsening of NPS in people living with dementia/MCI during lockdown in the COVID pandemic. Future comparative studies are needed to elucidate whether a similar deterioration might occur in people without dementia/MCI.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Cognitive Dysfunction , Dementia , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , COVID-19/epidemiology , Cognitive Dysfunction/diagnosis , Communicable Disease Control , Dementia/psychology , Female , Humans , Male , Neuropsychological Tests , Pandemics
18.
Lab Med ; 52(5): 493-498, 2021 Sep 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1526169

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to assess the role of midregional proadrenomedullin (MR-proADM) in patients with COVID-19. METHODS: We included 110 patients hospitalized for COVID-19. Biochemical biomarkers, including MR-proADM, were measured at admission. The association of plasma MR-proADM levels with COVID-19 severity, defined as a requirement for mechanical ventilation or in-hospital mortality, was evaluated. RESULTS: Patients showed increased levels of MR-proADM. In addition, MR-proADM was higher in patients who died during hospitalization than in patients who survived (median, 2.59 nmol/L; interquartile range, 2.3-2.95 vs median, 0.82 nmol/L; interquartile range, 0.57-1.03; P <.0001). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed good accuracy of MR-proADM for predicting mortality. A MR-proADM value of 1.73 nmol/L was established as the best cutoff value, with 90% sensitivity and 95% specificity (P <.0001). CONCLUSION: We found that MR-proADM could represent a prognostic biomarker of COVID-19.


Subject(s)
Adrenomedullin/blood , COVID-19/diagnosis , Hypertension/diagnosis , Lung Diseases/diagnosis , Protein Precursors/blood , Aged , Alanine Transaminase/blood , Aspartate Aminotransferases/blood , Biomarkers/blood , C-Reactive Protein/metabolism , COVID-19/blood , COVID-19/mortality , COVID-19/virology , Comorbidity , Female , Humans , Hypertension/blood , Hypertension/mortality , Hypertension/virology , Interleukin-6/blood , Lung Diseases/blood , Lung Diseases/mortality , Lung Diseases/virology , Male , Middle Aged , Patient Selection , Prognosis , Retrospective Studies , SARS-CoV-2 , Severity of Illness Index , Survival Analysis , Triage/methods
19.
Eur J Nutr ; 61(2): 625-636, 2022 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1482208

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: In less than one and a half year, the COVID-19 pandemic has nearly brought to a collapse our health care and economic systems. The scientific research community has concentrated all possible efforts to understand the pathogenesis of this complex disease, and several groups have recently emphasized recommendations for nutritional support in COVID-19 patients. In this scoping review, we aim at encouraging a deeper appreciation of magnesium in clinical nutrition, in view of the vital role of magnesium and the numerous links between the pathophysiology of SARS-CoV-2 infection and magnesium-dependent functions. METHODS: By searching PubMed and Google Scholar from 1990 to date, we review existing evidence from experimental and clinical studies on the role of magnesium in chronic non-communicable diseases and infectious diseases, and we focus on recent reports of alterations of magnesium homeostasis in COVID-19 patients and their association with disease outcomes. Importantly, we conduct a census on ongoing clinical trials specifically dedicated to disclosing the role of magnesium in COVID-19. RESULTS: Despite many methodological limitations, existing data seem to corroborate an association between deranged magnesium homeostasis and COVID-19, and call for further and better studies to explore the prophylactic or therapeutic potential of magnesium supplementation. CONCLUSION: We propose to reconsider the relevance of magnesium, frequently overlooked in clinical practice. Therefore, magnesemia should be monitored and, in case of imbalanced magnesium homeostasis, an appropriate nutritional regimen or supplementation might contribute to protect against SARS-CoV-2 infection, reduce severity of COVID-19 symptoms and facilitate the recovery after the acute phase.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Homeostasis , Humans , Magnesium , Pandemics , SARS-CoV-2
20.
Ageing Res Rev ; 72: 101489, 2021 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1466056

ABSTRACT

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been shown to have more severe health outcomes in older people specifically in relation to mortality and disability. Vaccination seems to be efficacious and safe for preventing the negative consequences of COVID-19, but vaccine hesitancy seems to be high in older adults. We therefore aimed to investigate the prevalence of unwillingness and the uncertainty to vaccinate against COVID-19 in older people and the factors that can be associated with the unwillingness to vaccinate. For this work, we searched several databases until 18th June 2021 for studies reporting the prevalence of unwillingness and the uncertainty to vaccinate against COVID-19 in people aged >60 years. A meta-analysis of the prevalence, with the correspondent 95% confidence intervals (CIs), was proposed. Factors that can be associated with the unwillingness to vaccinate against COVID-19 were explored through multivariable analyses and reported as odds ratios (ORs). Among 662 papers initially screened, we included 15 studies for a total of 9753 older adults. The prevalence of unwillingness to vaccinate against COVID-19 in older people was 27.03% (95%CI: 15.10-38.95%), whilst the correspondent figure of uncertainty was 19.33% (95%CI: 12.28-26.39). The risk of being unvaccinated was significantly higher in Hispanics (OR=1.197; 95%CI: 1.010-1.418) and in case of low education (OR=1.678; 95%CI: 1.170-2.408) and low income (OR=1.287; 95%CI: 1.127-1.469). In conclusion, the hesitancy for COVID-19 vaccination is a relevant problem in older people, particularly in those with a low income, a low level of education, and in Hispanics living in the United States.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 Vaccines , COVID-19 , Aged , Cross-Sectional Studies , Humans , Prevalence , SARS-CoV-2 , Uncertainty , Vaccination
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