Prevalence, Structure and Clinical and Functional Characteristics of Risk Factors for the Development of Cardiovascular Diseases in Adults in Children of School Age

Relevance. Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Known modifiable and unmodifiable risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease in adults are found already in childhood, are relatively persistent, leading not only to the formation of cardiovascular disease, but also to disability and death at a young age. Objective. Study of the prevalence, structure and clinical and functional characteristics of risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease in adults in school-age children in Bishkek. Research methods. The material for the study was the analysis of survey data of 2856 schoolchildren aged 10 to 17 years, selected as a result of a one-step cross-sectional study of students from 5 educational institutions in Bishkek. To study cardiovascular disease RF in children, a specially developed questionnaire and survey card were used. Results of work. As a result of the questionnaire, the presence of hereditary cardiovascular disease burden was revealed in 26.5% (771) schoolchildren and 2.4% (72) of them confirmed heart disease in their parents. The smoking factor was detected in 8.5% (245) schoolchildren, and 40.6% (1160) schoolchildren indicated low physical activity. An increased body mass index as one of the main risk factors was found in 7.4% (211) schoolchildren. Daily consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits was revealed only in 41.3% of schoolchildren, which indicates an insufficiently balanced diet of the surveyed children. Scope of the results. The results of the study will make it possible to take certain measures to predict morbidity, develop preventive measures among children and adolescents for the development of serious diseases of the heart and blood vessels in the future.

Analysis of Electric Energy Consumption Profiles Using a Machine Learning Approach: A Paraguayan Case Study

Correctly defining and grouping electrical feeders is of great importance for electrical system operators. In this paper, we compare two different clustering techniques, K-means and hierarchical agglomerative clustering, applied to real data from the east region of Paraguay. The raw data were pre-processed, resulting in four data sets, namely, (i) a weekly feeder demand, (ii) a monthly feeder demand, (iii) a statistical feature set extracted from the original data and (iv) a seasonal and daily consumption feature set obtained considering the characteristics of the Paraguayan load curve. Considering the four data sets, two clustering algorithms, two distance metrics and five linkage criteria a total of 36 models with the Silhouette, Davies–Bouldin and Calinski–Harabasz index scores was assessed. The K-means algorithms with the seasonal feature data sets showed the best performance considering the Silhouette, Calinski–Harabasz and Davies–Bouldin validation index scores with a configuration of six clusters.

Associations of Nutritional Behavior and Gut Microbiota with the Risk of COVID-19 in Healthy Young Adults in Poland

The numerous consequences of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in healthy young people and the lack of clarity as to the long-term disease outcomes have spurred the search for risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection. We aimed to evaluate the associations of nutritional behaviors, gut microbiota, and physical activity with the risk of COVID-19 in healthy young nonobese people. Data on body composition, anthropometric measurements, physical activity, dietary intake, and gut microbiota were obtained from 95 adults (mean age, 34.66 ± 5.76 years). A balanced diet rich in vegetables and fruit, including nuts, wholegrain cereal products, and legumes, covers the need for vitamins and minerals. Such a diet can be an effective measure to reduce the risk of COVID-19 in nonobese healthy physically active young people with normal immune function. People with balanced diet and an average daily consumption of >500 g of vegetables and fruit and >10 g of nuts had an 86% lower risk of COVID-19 compared with those whose diet was not balanced and who consumed lower amounts of these products. It is well documented that proper nutrition, physical activity, and maintenance of normal weight facilitate good health by ensuring optimal immune function. The beneficial effects of these interventions should be strongly emphasized during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Phytonutrients of Bitter Apricot Seeds Modulate Human Lipid Profile and LDL Subfractions in Adults with Elevated Cholesterol Levels

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of short-term consumption of bitter apricot seeds phytonutrients on cardiovascular risk factors with a special focus on LDL cholesterol subfractions using the Lipoprint system. A group of 34 adult volunteers (21 female/13 male) consumed 60 mg kg−1 of body weight of bitter apricot seeds daily for 42 days. Subjects were divided into two groups: one with normal cholesterol levels (NTC) and one with elevated total cholesterol levels (ETC). Blood serum levels of total cholesterol (T-C), low-density cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglycerides (TG) did not change significantly (p > 0.05) in NTC group. However, there were significant decreasing of T-C (p ˂ 0.05) and LDL-C (p < 0.01) in ETC group. The LDL1, LDL2, and atherogenic LDL3−7 subfractions progressively decreased after 42 days of apricot seeds consumption in ETC group (p < 0.05). Apricot seeds consumption was associated with a significant increase in the mean LDL particle size especially in ETC group (p ˂ 0.01). The results of the present study support the hypothesis that daily consumption of bitter apricot seeds for 42 days positively modified the lipoprotein profile in the group with elevated total cholesterol.

Determinants of Preference and Consumption of Healthy Food in Children

According to recent findings, action is urgently needed to promote healthy eating habits among children, especially to increase daily consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables [...]

Daily consumption of wild olive (acebuche) oil reduces blood pressure and ameliorates endothelial dysfunction and vascular remodelling in rats with L-NAME-induced hypertension

Purpose: Despite numerous reports on the beneficial effects of olive oil in the cardiovascular context, very little is known about the olive tree’s wild counterpart (Olea europaea, L. var. sylvestris), commonly known as acebuche (ACE) in Spain. The aim of this study was to analyse the possible beneficial effects of an extra virgin ACE oil on vascular function in a rodent model of arterial hypertension induced by L-NAME (NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester). Methods: Four experimental groups of male Wistar rats were studied: 1) normotensive rats (Control group); 2) normotensive rats fed a commercial diet supplemented with 15% (w/w) ACE oil (Acebuche group); 3) rats made hypertensive following administration of L-NAME (L-NAME group); and 4) rats treated with L-NAME and simultaneously supplemented with 15% ACE oil (LN+ACE group). All treatments were maintained for 12 weeks. Results: Besides a significant blood pressure-lowering effect, the ACE oil-enriched diet counteracted the alterations found in aortas from hypertensive rats in terms of morphology and responsiveness to vasoactive mediators. In addition, a decrease in hypertension-related fibrotic and oxidative stress processes was observed in L-NAME-treated rats subjected to ACE oil supplement. Conclusion: Using a model of arterial hypertension via nitric oxide depletion, here we demonstrate the beneficial effects of a wild olive oil based upon its vasodilator, antihypertensive, antioxidant, antihypertrophic and antifibrotic properties. We postulate that regular inclusion of ACE oil in the diet can alleviate the vascular remodelling and endothelial dysfunction processes typically found in arterial hypertension, thus resulting in a significant reduction of blood pressure.

Suitability of Fruits and Vegetables for Provision of Daily Requirement of Dietary Fiber Targets

The risk factors associated with low dietary fiber intake and the synergy with its role in colon prebiotic activity has stimulated a re-awakening in the scientific research. Dietary fiber intake has reduced all over the world, and so it has been labelled as a major shortfall nutrient of important in public health. Changes in lifestyle and improved standard of living have affected the diet of consumers in so many ways. Observation of these facts have spurred a special interest in the search for functional foods that contains essential nutrients like dietary fiber whose nutritional value improves the health of the consumer, enhances their physical and mental state and prevent lifestyle diseases. Fruits and vegetables are a modest source of total dietary fiber with nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, including polyphenols, which provide support for their biological plausibility and enhance their health benefits. This chapter therefore reviews existing literature on the utilization of fruits and vegetables as rich sources of fiber; their fiber concentration, their appropriateness in meeting the adequate fiber intake for daily consumption and their overlapping roles as a fiber source and as nutraceuticals.

Possible relationships of selected food items to osteoporosis among a group of Iraqi women

Background: Osteoporosis is a global health problem which is estimated to affect more than 200 million people worldwide, especially postmenopausal women. It is characterized by decreased bone mineral density leading to fragility and increased risk of fractures. Objective: This study was conducted to explore the consumption of inappropriate foods related to osteoporosis among a group of Iraqi women. JFac Med Baghdad 2021; Vol.63, No. 4 Received: Sep., 2021 Accepted: Nov., 2021 Published: Jan., 2021 Patients and methods: A cross sectional study of 140 females aged ≥ 40 years attending polyclinics in Al-Dora sector in Baghdad city from 18th January to 24th April 2021. The bone mineral density was measured by portable quantitative calcaneal ultrasound machine (osteosystem) and the bone was assessed for osteoporosis by T-score. Food frequency questionnaire was used for collecting data related to food consumption. Results: Out of the total sample, 74 (52.9%) were found to be osteoporotic. There was a significant association with high salt and coffee consumption with the occurrence of osteoporosis (77.3% and 83.3%, respectively, p = 0.001), compared to those who did not consume caffeinated drinks. Participants with daily consumption of caffeinated drinks had a highly significant association with osteoporosis (21.8% vs 100%, p = 0.001). Conclusion: Excessive consumption of salty foods and caffeinated beverages appears to exert a negative effect on bone mineral density and the occurrence of osteoporosis among the studied group of Iraqi women.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Osteoporosis Risk Factors among Jazan University Students, 2019

Osteoporosis is one of the non-communicable diseases that closely links to lifestyle and nutrition. This is a cross-sectional descriptive epidemiologic study, carried out on 440 Jazan university students (males& females). They are chosen by a stratified multistage cluster sampling technique to assess their knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) about osteoporosis risk factors. The data are collected using a validated semi structured Arabic questionnaires. The findings revealed that almost all survey participants agreed with the definition of osteoporosis, which is the decrease of bone density, with only 8.7% disagreeing. Furthermore, 80.0 percent of survey participants classified osteoporosis as a cause of bone fracture. The findings suggest that the study participants' good attitudes toward risk factor prevention of osteoporosis are linked to the daily consumption of an acceptable amount of milk. Another positive attitude toward osteoporosis prevention stemmed from a reduction in the amount of energy drinks consumed, which has been identified as an osteoporosis risk factor. The study recommends that university students of all grades participate in health education programs about osteoporosis risk factors and preventive treatment.