Is It Feasible to Predict Cardiovascular Risk among Healthy Vegans, Lacto-/Ovo-Vegetarians, Pescatarians, and Omnivores under Forty?

Guidelines for cardiovascular (CV) risk assessment among young adults are uncertain. Researchers are still looking for new tools for earlier diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), the leading cause of mortality in the modern world. This study aimed to assess whether CV risk estimation is possible in groups of healthy individuals under the age of 40 on different dietary patterns (vegans-VEGAN (n = 48), lacto-/ovo-vegetarians-VEGE (n = 49), pescatarians-PESCA (n = 23), and omnivores-OMN (n = 35)) during the pandemic period. Four metrics containing selected risk classifiers were created, and participants were assessed using them. Groups including meat consumption showed increased CV risk predictions in the metrics assessment. The next analyzes showed statistically significant relationships between the results from the created metrics and selected non-basic biomarkers for ApoA1 (OMN group, p = 0.028), IL-6 (PESCA group, p = 0.048), HCY (VEGAN group, p = 0.05), and hsCRP (OMN + PESCA groups, p = 0.025). We found that predicting CV risk among healthy people under 40 adhering to different dietary patterns, taking into account basic and non-basic laboratory assessments and created metrics, is challenging but feasible. Furthermore, the OMN group appeared to be at the highest risk of increased CV risk in the future, while risk tended to be the lowest in the VEGAN group.

Beneficial Effects of Oral Nutritional Supplements on Body Composition and Biochemical Parameters in Women with Breast Cancer Undergoing Postoperative Chemotherapy: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis.

Aim: Recently, more attention has been paid to the role of nutritional intervention in preventing the side effects of chemotherapy in oncology patients. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to analyze the effects of oral nutritional supplements on the body composition and biochemical parameters in women with breast cancer receiving postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. Patients and Methods: The study involved women diagnosed with breast cancer who underwent surgical treatment and were qualified for chemotherapy (doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide). Women were divided into two groups, depending on whether oral nutritional supplements were used during chemotherapy. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters were analyzed twice in all patients: before and after six weeks of chemotherapy. Propensity score (PS) matching was performed to select patients balanced in terms of age, BMI, and clinicopathological features of the tumor. Statistical comparisons were conducted in a propensity-matched cohort of patients. Results: The value of BMI was maintained constant in the supplemented women older than 56 years after six weeks of chemotherapy. Regardless of age in the supplemented women, a significant increase in muscle mass, fat free mass (FFM), and fat free mass index (FFMI) was demonstrated. An increase in fat mass (FM) including visceral fat was observed only in the non-supplemented control. Regardless of age or initial FM, supplemented women exhibited a constant level of albumin. Moreover, in the supplemented women with normal initial FM, the stable values of triglycerides and HDL cholesterol were maintained after six weeks of chemotherapy. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that oral nutritional supplements could improve body composition and prevent hypoalbuminemia and lipid abnormalities in women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

Dietary fibre as an important constituent of the diet.

The intake of fibre in the diet of a child or an adult, through various foods (such as wholegrain foods, nuts, fruits and vegetables), plays an important role in reducing the risk and lowering the incidence of numerous diseases. The interest of researchers and consumers in the role of diet in the prevention or treatment of many illnesses, and maintaining the general and oral health, has been growing lately. The aim of our study was to underline the role of dietary fibre through its effects on many aspects of the human body and metabolism. Evidence has been found that dietary fibre from whole foods or supplements may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by improving serum lipids and reducing serum total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentrations in adults and children. Increased fibre content decreases the glycaemic index of foods, which leads to a significant improvement in glycaemic response. High fibre intake is associated with reduced risk of colorectal and breast cancer. In contemporary children, the reluctance to chew raw, hard plant foods may result in a risk of malocclusion and a lack of tooth wear, which cause the need for orthodontic intervention. Fibre consumption is associated with high nutritional value and antioxidant status of the diet, enhancing the effects on human health.

Evaluation of deciduous-tooth wear in children living in the middle ages.

PURPOSE: To investigate the importance and range of tooth wear in deciduous teeth from the 14th century based on the examination of child skeletons from the Cedynia cemetery in Poland. As mechanical wear was widespread in early human populations, this study recorded symptoms of attrition and abrasion (facets and scoops), relating them to possible causative factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study material comprised 84 child skulls (458 teeth) categorised into two age groups: 1. up to 7 years; 2. from 8 to 14 years. The degree of tooth wear was determined on the basis of a modified Smith and Knight's classification. Significant differences between examined features were determined by the chi-square and Fisher Freeman Halton non-parametric tests with the significance level set al p < 0.05. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences between age groups in the canines and molars were found (p < 0.05). More advanced wear of deciduous teeth was noticed in the older group. There was no difference in distribution of tooth wear between the maxilla and the mandible. CONCLUSION: Examination of children's dentition showed that wear of deciduous teeth rose with the age of individuals, which agrees with the referenced literature data. This study confirms the relationship between dietary patterns and tooth wear and corroborates a role of tooth wear in determining developmental age and growth of the masticatory system.

[The impact of tobacco smoking on the selected risk factors for cardiovascular disease in students of Poznan University of Medical Sciences]. / Wplyw palenia tytoniu na wybrane czynniki ryzyka chorób sercowo-naczyniowych u studentów Uniwersytetu Medycznego w Poznaniu.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of tobacco smoking on the selected risk factors for cardiovascular disease in young adults. MATERIAL AND METHODS: we analyzed the results of cardiovascular screening management on medical students aged 20-24. The study was conducted on 438 persons, 350 non-smokers (N) and 88 smokers (S) declared as healthy individuals: 274 females (F), 230 non-smokers (FN) and 44 smokers (FS), and 164 males (M), 120 non-smokers (MN) and 44 smokers (MS). The subjects were measured waist, body mass index (BMI), systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure, They were assessed fasting capillary blood tests: glucose, total cholesterol (T-C), triacylglycerols (TAG), HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), nonHDL-C, T-C/HDL-C ratio, using analyzer Reflotron Plus (Roche Diagnostics, USA). The results collected in groups of females (F), males (M), non-smokers (N) and smokers (S) were calculated using Statistica 10 version. RESULTS: Females and males did not differ with their age, BMI, TAG, LDL-C and nonHDL-C, but males presented physiological higher waist and T-C/HDL-C ratio, decreased HDL-C, and higher SBP and DBP, although within references. N and S females did not differ with waist, BMI, SBP and DBP, similar to N and S males. Smokers (S) presented increased TAG, decreased HDL-C and higher waist, comparing with non-smokers (N) - without relation of TAG and HDL-C to either waist or BMI. FS group were found increased TAG and correlation TAG&BMI (R=0,45), as compared with FN group. MS group had higher TAG and lower HDL-C than MN group, and negative correlation TAG&HDL-C (R=-0,39). CONCLUSION: Tobacco smoking, an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, can modify plasma lipid profile in young adults to increase the risk more, especially in males.