Beans comsumption can contribute to the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the major cause of global mortality, accounting for 31% of deaths worldwide. Healthy eating habits based on the consumption of bioactive molecules present in plant-based diets can contribute to the prevention of CVD. In this context, the consumption of common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is relevant. There are several species of beans, all of which provide proteins, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phenolic compounds. More recently, the complexity of phytochemical components has expanded, including the role of antinutritional factors in nutrient bioavailability and immune responses. Experimental and clinical studies have shown that the consumption of beans results in less food consumption, control of body weight, and improvement of metabolic biochemical parameters. Thus, the consumption of beans is associated with a decrease in CVD risk factors. To date, there have been no interventional studies assessing CVD outcomes, such as hospitalization, infarction, and mortality, in the context of bean consumption. Furthermore, studies on the effect of bean consumption on metabolomics and intestinal microbiota are lacking. The purpose of this review is to explore the nutritional properties of beans and discuss the main effects of the consumption of beans on cardiovascular health. In conclusion, eating habits based on the consumption of bioactive molecules present in beans can contribute to the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, there is a large gap in the literature regarding the consumption of beans associated with clinical outcomes, such as hospitalization and mortality.

Comparison between FRAIL Scale and Clinical Frailty Scale in predicting hospitalization in hemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND: To assess the prevalence of frailty by the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) and the 5-item FRAIL scale and their association with hospitalization in hemodialysis (HD) patients. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study. We included patients of both genders ≥ 18 years old in HD treatment for at least 3 months. Demographic, clinical, and routine laboratory data were retrieved from the medical charts. Two different frailty assessment tools were used, the CFS and the FRAIL scale. Participants were followed up for 9 months and hospitalizations for all causes were evaluated. A Venn diagram was constructed to show the overlap of possible frailty and pre-frailty. Cox regression was used to identify the association between frailty and hospitalization. The significance level was 5%. RESULTS: A total of 137 subjects were included in the analysis. The median age was 61 (52-67) years and 60% were male. The hospitalization rate and mortality in 9 months were 22.6% and 7.29%, respectively. Regarding frailty, the overall prevalence was 13.8% assessed by CFS and 36.5% according to the FRAIL scale. In the Cox regression, frailty by FRAIL scale was associated with a 2.8-fold increase in the risk of hospitalization (OR = 2.880; 95% CI = 1.361-6.096; p = 0.006), but frailty assessed by the CFS was not associated with the need for hospitalization. CONCLUSION: In HD patients, the FRAIL scale proved to be an easy-to-apply tool, identifying a high prevalence of frailty and being a predictor of hospital admission.

Nutritional Parameters in Early and Late Kidney Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Kidney transplantation (KT) has the advantage of providing a better quality of life and freedom for the patient. However, nutritional changes can occur, with clinical repercussions. The aim of the study was to compare the nutritional status in the initial and late post-KT period. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 169 outpatients post-KT. Clinical, demographic, biochemical, food intake, handgrip strength (HGS), and anthropometric data were collected from medical records for the first nutritional care after KT. Statistical tests were performed to compare the groups according to the time of KT: early (≤1 year) and late (>1 year). The level of significance adopted was 5%. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 46 years (range, 38-57), 50.3% were men, and it was observed that 66.9% underwent KT with a deceased donor. There was a higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus (42.6% vs 23.5%; P = .011), and higher body mass index (28.80 ± 7.26 vs 26.51 ± 6.62 kg/m2; P = .046), arm muscle circumference (25.84 ± 4.63 vs 24.09 ± 3.36 cm; P = .019), and HGS (26.97 ± 10.70 vs 20.21 ± 10.83 kg; P = .010) in patients with late KT. Linear regression analysis showed that at each log of time, there was an increase of 1.90 kg in HGS (P = .045) and 0.48 cm (P = .036) in mid-arm muscle circumference. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated that late kidney transplantation was associated with higher values of body mass index, mid-arm muscle circumference, and HGS.

Insights Into Thiamine Supplementation in Patients With Septic Shock.

Septic shock is associated with unacceptably high mortality rates, mainly in developing countries. New adjunctive therapies have been explored to reduce global mortality related to sepsis. Considering that metabolic changes, mitochondrial dysfunction and increased oxidative stress are specific disorders within the path of septic shock, several micronutrients that could act in cellular homeostasis have been studied in recent decades. Thiamine, also known as vitamin B1, plays critical roles in several biological processes, including the metabolism of glucose, synthesis of nucleic acids and reduction of oxidative stress. Thiamine deficiency could affect up to 70% of critically ill patients, and thiamine supplementation appears to increase lactate clearance and decrease the vasopressor dose. However, there is no evident improvement in the survival of septic patients. Other micronutrients such as vitamin C and D, selenium and zinc have been tested in the same context but have not been shown to improve the outcomes of these patients. Some problems related to the neutrality of these clinical trials are the study design, doses, route, timing, length of intervention and the choice of endpoints. Recently, the concept that multi-micronutrient administration may be better than single-micronutrient administration has gained strength. In general, clinical trials consider the administration of a single micronutrient as a drug. However, the antioxidant defense is a complex system of endogenous agents in which micronutrients act as cofactors, and the physiological interactions between micronutrients are little discussed. In this context, the association of thiamine, vitamin C and corticoids was tested as an adjunctive therapy in septic shock resulting in a significant decrease in mortality. However, after these initial results, no other study conducted with this combination could reproduce those benefits. In addition, the use of low-dose corticosteroids is recommended in patients with septic shock who do not respond to vasopressors, which can affect the action of thiamine. Therefore, given the excellent safety profile, good biologic rationale and promising clinical studies, this review aims to discuss the mechanisms behind and the evidence for single or combined thiamine supplementation improving the prognosis of patients with septic shock.