Total polyphenol intake, polyphenol subtypes and incidence of cardiovascular disease: The SUN cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Polyphenol-rich diets have been associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, few prospective epidemiological studies have examined the relationship between classes of ingested polyphenols and risk of CVD. Our aim was to evaluate the association between polyphenol intake and risk of major cardiovascular events in a prospective Spanish cohort. METHODS AND RESULTS: We included 17,065 university graduates (60.7% women, mean age: 37.2 years, age range: 20-89) followed-up for a mean of 10.1 years. Polyphenol intake was assessed at baseline using a validated semi-quantitative 136-item food frequency questionnaire and matching food consumption data with the Phenol-Explorer database. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for incident cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, stroke or cardiovascular death). Cherries, chocolate, coffee, apples, and olives were the major sources of variability in polyphenol intake. Participants with higher flavonoids intake (fifth quintile) had a 47% lower incidence of cardiovascular events compared to those in the lowest quintile (HR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.29-0.98; P for trend = 0.09) after adjusting for potential confounders. The results were non-significant for other polyphenol types. CONCLUSION: The intake of flavonoids showed an inverse association with risk of cardiovascular events in a prospective cohort of Spanish middle-aged adult university graduates. REGISTRATION NUMBER FOR CLINICAL TRIALS: NCT02669602 in Clinical Trials.

[Comparison between two methods to estimate physical activity in obese women: accelerometry and self-administered questionnaire]. / Comparación de la estimación de la actividad física en una población de mujeres obesas por acelerometría y con cuestionario.

The aims of this study were to describe a female obese population according to their food intake and physical activity, and to compare two methods to estimate physical activity (PA). The study included a nutritional interview where a detailed dietary history was done, an initial clinical day in which measurements of body composition and basal metabolic rate (BMR) were carried out and an estimation of PA by means of a triaxial accelerometer and a PA questionnaire. The group of volunteers showed a mean BMI of 37.15 kg/m2, a waist/hip ratio of 0.82 and a mean body fat mass of 43.34%. The average of BMR was 1720 Kcal/d and the CRNP of 0.79. The total caloric intake was 3344 Kcal/d with a energy-distribution of 43.1% Carbohydrates, 16.4% Proteins, 40.3% Lipids. Weight and BMI showed a positive correlation (p < 0.05) with the sedentary index (SI). Also, weight presented a positive correlation with the heart rate (p < 0.05). The estimates of PA derived from the questionnaire showed a positive correlation with the triaxial accelerometer (p < 0.01); and this one, revealed a negative correlation with the SI (p < 0.01). Anthropometric, metabolic and food intake variables are comparable to the results found in obese women from similar socioeconomic background. The estimates of PA according to the questionnaire were significantly correlated to the results of the triaxial accelerometer, thus confirming the validity of the questionnaire to assess PA in an obese population.

[The perception of body image as a qualitative approach to nutritional status]. / Percepción de la imagen corporal como aproximación cualitativa al estado de nutrición.

OBJECTIVE: To compare body image perception with body mass index (BMI) calculated from the weight and size declared by subjects, and to evaluate its usefulness in classifying the nutritional status. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A representative sample of the Spanish population was selected consisting of 517 males and 483 females older than 15 years of age. Variables were sex, age, educational level, BMI and perceived body image. Differences between groups were estimated with the chi 2 test. Specificity and sensitivity of the agreement between body mass and image were assessed. RESULTS: The nutritional status for both indicators revealed higher overweight prevalence in males and obesity in females, which increase with age and decrease with greater educational level. Perceived body image differed between sexes, and among ages and educational levels (p < 0.01). Sensitivity and specificity as well as positive and negative predictive values were higher than 0.90 in subjects belonging to extreme cases. Precision was higher for sensitivity than for specificity. In all groups, categorization was better in females than in males and so was Spearman's correlation (p < 0.001). The Kendall W coefficient ranked high for both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Body image allowed the identification of individuals with normal, excessive or lean nutrition. This indicator can therefore be useful in epidemiological surveys, considering some limitations for individualized diagnoses.