Lactation Initiation During COVID-19 at a Single Military Hospital.

INTRODUCTION: Human milk is associated with positive short- and long-term health outcomes. Women's choice to breastfeed is influenced by personal, social, health, and economic factors. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted health care delivery, non-emergent health care services, and family lifestyles, primarily in the early months of 2020. The aim of this study was to determine if breastfeeding initiation rates differed during a global pandemic among women in the military health care system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional chart review study. We compiled all birthing event health records from March to August in 2019 and 2020 from a single military medical center. Of the 2,737 maternal-infant dyads available, 1,463 met complete inclusion criteria and were analyzed to determine associations between delivery year, maternal and infant characteristics, and initial feeding methods. Institutional research approvals were obtained from the university and medical center institutional review boards. RESULTS: There was no significant association between breastfeeding initiation rates and delivery year (X2(1) = 2.898, P = .089). Some maternal and infant characteristics significantly associated with the feeding method in the logistic regression model and differed by delivery year. Black women were 1.9 times less likely to initiate breastfeeding compared to White women; this disparity became more pronounced in 2020. Multiparous mothers, those who gave birth via cesarean section, and those at earlier gestational ages (32-37 weeks) were less likely to initiate breastfeeding. Models differed by delivery year, with only Black race and cesarean birth significantly impacting the overall model in 2020. Maternal age, military status, military rank, marital status, birth complications, and infant gender were not associated with the feeding method. CONCLUSIONS: Overall breastfeeding initiation rates did not differ during the COVID-19 pandemic when rates in 2020 were compared to those in the year prior. Race, birth method, parity, and gestational age were associated with breastfeeding initiation rates in women cared for at military centers.

Mediterranean diet scoring systems: understanding the evolution and applications for Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean countries.

The Mediterranean diet (MedD) is a flexible dietary pattern which has such variability that has led to inconsistencies in definitions and assessment. The purpose of this narrative review is to evaluate scoring systems in a cultural and geographic context, from Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean countries, for comparison and application. The early MedD scoring systems (i.e. Trichopoulou's MedD Scale (T-MDS) and alternative MedD Scale (aMed)) are widely applied throughout the world but use population-specific median cut-offs which limit interpretation and cross-study comparisons. The T-MDS and aMed also do not account for non-traditional MedD foods which are consumed in greater quantities than when the scoring systems were developed. Scoring systems developed after the MedD pyramid publication in 2011 have generally used these recommendations as a basis for food group intake cut-offs, incorporating more foods/food groups as negative components, and some have included dietary and lifestyle behaviours. The different approaches to MedD assessment have created much variability in the foods/food group components included in scoring systems. Assessments that include dietary and lifestyle behaviours may reflect the nutrition transition occurring in Mediterranean countries and better guide clinical intervention approaches. While the new scoring systems are theorised to better capture MedD adherence and behaviours, comparisons are sparse in the literature and none exists outside of Europe. Consensus on food and dietary behaviours to include as well as the methodology for assigning points in MedD scoring systems is needed to advance our understanding of MedD and health relationships to promote public health messaging and clinical application.

Frailty and Nutrition Risk Screening in Home-Delivered Meal Clients.

Community service providers, such as Meals on Wheels (MOW) programs, help older adults remain in their homes despite advanced care needs. The purpose of this study was to determine if a frailty index (FI) could be calculated from self-reported health, function, and nutrition information already collected by MOW providers to provide additional information for care planning and risk stratification. Data from 258 MOW clients at one provider were used to calculate the FI from 40 possible health and age-related variables collected during routine health assessments. The average FI was 0.29 ± 0.13(SD), range 0.05-0.68. Frailty was categorized as non-frail, vulnerable, frail, and most frail; nutrition risk increased incrementally with these categories; however, they appear to assess risk from differing angles and etiologies. The addition of the FI can provide a more holistic picture of MOW client health than nutrition risk alone and the FI can be calculated from routinely-collected data.

High-dose eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid supplementation reduces bone resorption in postmenopausal breast cancer survivors on aromatase inhibitors: a pilot study.

Postmenopausal breast cancer survivors are living longer; however, a common class of drugs, aromatase inhibitors (AI), depletes estrogen levels, promotes bone loss, and heightens fracture risk. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) may offset AI effects to bone because of the known effects on cellular processes of bone turnover. Therefore, we hypothesized that 4 g of EPA and DHA daily for 3 mo would decrease bone turnover in postmenopausal breast cancer survivors on AI therapy in a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled pilot study that included 38 women. At baseline and 3 mo, serum fatty acids, bone turnover, and inflammatory markers were analyzed. Serum EPA and DHA, total and long-chain (LC) omega (n)-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) increased, whereas arachidonic acid, total and LC n-6 PUFA, and the LC n-6:n-3 PUFA ratio decreased compared to placebo (all P < .05). Bone resorption was inhibited in the fish oil responders compared to placebo (P < .05). Inflammatory markers were not altered. This short-term, high-dose fish oil supplementation study's findings demonstrate that fish oil can reduce bone resorption; however, longer-term studies are needed to assess bone density preservation and to explore mechanistic pathways in this population at high risk for bone loss.

Soy proteins and isoflavones reduce interleukin-6 but not serum lipids in older women: a randomized controlled trial.

Soy foods contain several components, notably, isoflavones and amino acids, that may improve cardiovascular health. We evaluated the long-term effect of soy protein and/or soy isoflavones supplementation on serum lipids and inflammatory markers using a 1-year randomized, double-blind, placebo-control, clinical trial in 131 healthy ambulatory women older than 60 years. We hypothesized that soy protein, in combination with isoflavones, would have the largest positive effect on coronary heart disease risk factors (serum lipids and inflammatory markers) compared with either intervention alone and that, within groups receiving isoflavones, equol producers would have more positive effects on coronary heart disease risk factors than nonequol producers. After a 1-month baseline period, participants were randomized into 1 of 4 intervention groups: soy protein (18 g/d) and isoflavone tablets (105 mg/d isoflavone aglycone equivalents), soy protein and placebo tablets, control protein and isoflavone tablets, or control protein and placebo tablets. T Tests were used to assess differences between equol and nonequol producers. Ninety-seven women completed the trial. Consumption of protein powder and isoflavone tablets did not differ among groups, and compliance with study powder and tablets was 79% and 90%, respectively. After 1 year, in the entire population, there were either no or little effects on serum lipids and inflammatory markers, regardless of treatment group. Equol producers, when analyzed separately, had significant improvements in total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein/high-density lipoprotein ratios (-5.9%, P = .02; -7.2%, P = .04 respectively). Soy protein and isoflavone (either alone or together) did not impact serum lipids or inflammatory markers. Therefore, they should not be considered an effective intervention to prevent cardiovascular disease because of lipid modification in healthy late postmenopausal women lacking the ability to produce equol.

Hind limb suspension and long-chain omega-3 PUFA increase mRNA endocannabinoid system levels in skeletal muscle.

Muscle disuse has numerous physiological consequences that end up with significant catabolic metabolism and ultimately tissue atrophy. What is not known is how muscle atrophy affects the endocannabinoid (EC) system. Arachidonic acid (AA) is the substrate for anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonylgycerol (2-AG), which act as agonists for cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 found in muscle. Diets with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have been shown to reduce tissue levels of AA, AEA and 2-AG. Therefore, we hypothesized that hind limb suspension (HS)-induced muscle atrophy and intake of n-3 PUFA will change mRNA levels of the EC system. Mice were randomized and assigned to a moderate n-3 PUFA [11.7 g/kg eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)+docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)], high n-3 PUFA (17.6 g/kg EPA+DHA) or control diets for 12 days and then subjected to HS or continued weight bearing (WB) for 14 days. HS resulted in body weight, epididymal fat pad and quadriceps muscle loss compared to WB. Compared to WB, HS had greater mRNA levels of AEA and 2-AG synthesis enzymes and CB2 in the atrophied quadriceps muscle. The high n-3 PUFA diet resulted in greater mRNA levels of EC synthesis enzymes, and CB1 and CB2. The higher mRNA levels for EC with HS and dietary n-3 PUFA suggest that muscle disuse and diet induce changes in the EC system to sensitize muscle in response to metabolic and physiological consequences of atrophy.