Effects of Health Risk Assessment and Counselling on Fruit and Vegetable Intake in Older People: A Pragmatic Randomised Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVES: Interventions to increase fruit and vegetable intake among community-dwelling older people have shown mixed effects. We investigated whether an intervention based on an initial multidimensional health risk assessment and subsequent physician-lead nutrition counselling has favourable effects on dietary intake among community-dwelling older people. DESIGN: Randomised controlled trial comparing the intervention versus usual care. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Non-disabled persons aged 65 years or older at an ambulatory geriatric clinic in Bucharest, Romania, allocated to intervention (n=100) and control (n=100) groups. INTERVENTION: Participants received a computer-generated health profile report based on answers to a health risk assessment questionnaire, followed by monthly individual counselling sessions with a geriatrician on topics related to health promotion and disease prevention, with a special focus on adequate fruit and vegetable consumption. MEASUREMENTS: Fruit and vegetable intake at baseline and at 6-month follow-up. RESULTS: At baseline, fruit and vegetable intake was below the recommended five portions per day in most study participants (85% in the intervention group, and 86% among controls, respectively). At six months, intake increased in the intervention group from a median of 3.8 to 4.6 portions per day, and decreased in the control group due to a seasonal effect from a median of 3.8 to 3.1 portions per day. At six months, fruit and vegetable consumption was significantly higher among persons in the intervention group as compared to controls (median difference 1.4 portions per day, 95% confidence interval 1.1-1.7, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Personalised food-based dietary guidance, delivered as part of multidimensional preventive health counselling during geriatric clinic visits, results in relevant improvement of fruit and vegetable intake in community-dwelling older adults.

Correlation between erythropoietin serum levels and erythrocyte susceptibility to lipid peroxidation in elderly with type 2 diabetes.

Erythropoietin (EPO), a key hormone involved in red blood cell formation has been recently acknowledged for its pleiotropic actions and protective role in ageing and various pathological conditions concurrent with oxidative stress, vascular diseases and metabolic abnormalities such as diabetes mellitus. The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between circulating erythropoietin levels and oxidative stress biomarkers, in elderly with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). The study was carried out in 67 subjects with T2DM (69 ± 5 years; n = 37) without anemia, and aged-matched controls (70 ± 6 years; n = 30). EPO serum levels, erythrocyte susceptibility to lipid peroxidation (ESP) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were evaluated. Lower EPO levels (p < 0.01) and higher ESP values (p < 0.001) were found in T2DM group, compared to healthy subjects. EPO levels showed significant negative associations with ESP, both in T2DM subjects (r = -0.565; p < 0.001) and in all study population (r = -0,600; p < 0,001; n = 67). In conclusion, we provide new data regarding the cytoprotective effect of EPO exerted at systemic level on erythrocyte membrane, in the particular state of impaired glucose metabolism associated with oxidative stress, in the elderly.

Variation of correlation coefficient among aging and certain biological variables in man.

Researches concerning the variation of correlation coefficient (r) in man in relation to four sets of variables were carried out, namely: a set of ten fundamental variables (in which the dependent variable is represented by aging), a set of variational variables (variation ranks of the r), a set of reference variables (r, age, blood pressure, sex and ABO genetic system) and a set of relational variables (relations). This research contributes to the study of multidimensional variational network of the human gerontogenesis (G. Acilugaritei, 1993-1995).

Contribution to the study of the multidimensional variational network of the human gerontogenesis.

The present paper makes a contribution to the study of the multidimensional variational network of the human gerontogenesis (G. Acalugaritei, 1993-1995). In this respect was rendered evident the variation of the multiple regression coefficient (R) in relation to four sets of variables, as follows: a set of fundamental variables, a set of variational variables (variation ranks of the R), a set of reference variables (R, aging, blood pressure, sex and ABO genetic system) and a set of relational variables (relations).