Commercial Bakery, Fast-Food, and Soft Drink Consumption and Quality of Life in the SUN Project

Objective: Few studies have related nutritional factors with quality of life in healthy populations. Our aim was to analyze the relationship between commercial bakery, fast food or soft drinks consumption and mental and physical quality of life. Study Design: This analysis included 8335 participants from the 'Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra' (SUN) Project (a multipurpose, dynamic cohort). Methods: The consumption of commercial bakery, fast food and soft drinks was assessed through a validated food-frequency questionnaire at baseline. Quality of life was measured after 4 years of follow-up with the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) Health Survey. Generalized Linear Models were fit to assess the regression coefficients (b) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for the association between commercial bakery, fast food and soft drinks consumption and each domain and the two standardized measures of the SF-36. Results: As compared to the participants in the lowest quintile of consumption, those participants in the highest quintile of consumption of commercial bakery, fast food and soft drinks showed a score significantly lower (>2 points) for vitality (b = -2.14, 95% CI = -3.31 to -0.96), role emotional (b = -2.23, 95% CI = -4.33 to -0.13), and role physical (b = -2.31, 95% IC = -4.26 to -0.36) domains with statistically significant dose-response relationships (p for trend < 0.05). When the food groups were analysed separately, significant inverse associations were found only for commercial bakery and fast-food consumption. Conclusions: The results suggest that high consumption of commercial bakery, fast-food and soft drinks at baseline was associated with worse scores on self-perceived quality of life. This association was stronger for the mental domains of the SF-36.

Serum levels of the novel adipokine isthmin-1 are associated with obesity in pubertal boys

Objectives To evaluate whether there is an association between the serum levels of the novel insulin-like adipokine isthmin-1(ISM1)and obesity-related phenotypes in a population of Spanish children and to investigate the plausible molecular alterations behind the alteration of the serum levels of this protein in children with obesity.Methods The study population is a sub-cohort of the PUBMEP research project,consisting of a cross-sectional population of 119 pubertal children with overweight(17 boys,19 girls),obesity(20 boys,25 girls),and normal weight(17 boys,21 girls).All subjects were classified into experimental groups according to their sex,obesity,and insulin resistance(IR)status.They were counted anthropometry,glucose and lipid metabolism,inflammation and cardiovascular biomarkers as well as isthmin-1(ISM1)serum levels.This population was intended as a discovery population to elucidate the relationship between obesity and ISM1 levels in children.Furthermore,the study population had blood whole-genome DNA methylation examined,allowing deepening into the obesity–ISM1 molecular relationship.Results Higher serum ISM1 levels were observed in boys with obesity than in normal weight(P=0.004)and overweight(P=0.007)boys.ISM1 serum levels were positively associated with body mass index(BMI)Z-score(P=0.005)and fat mass(P=0.058)and negatively associated with myeloperoxidase(MPO)(P=0.043)in boys.Although we did not find associations between ISM1 serum levels and metabolic outcomes in girls,which may indicate a putative sexual dimorphism,fat mass was positively associated in all children,including boys and girls(P=0.011).DNA methylation levels in two-enhancer-related CpG sites of ISM1(cg03304641 and cg14269097)were associated with serum levels of ISM1 in children.Conclusions ISM1 is associated with obesity in boys at the pubertal stage,elucidating how this protein might be of special relevance as a new biomarker of obesity in children.Further studies including a longitudinal design during puberty are needed.

Parental perception of child's weight,their attitudes towards child's dietary habits and the risk of obesity

Background The association between parental perception of child's weight and their attitudes towards his/her dietary habits has not been reported yet.This study aimed to assess the association between parental underestimation of child's weight and parental attitudes towards child's dietary habits.Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of SENDO cohort participants recruited between January 2015 and June 2020.All information was collected through online questionnaires completed by parents.We calculated crude and multivariable-adjusted odds ratio(OR)and 95%confidence intervals(CI)for unhealthy attitudes towards child's dietary habits associated with parental underestimation of child's weight.Results Sixteen percent of children in the SENDO project had parents who underestimated their weight.Parents who under-estimated their child's weight status were more likely to have unhealthy attitudes toward his/her dietary habits[OR 3.35;95%CI(1.71-6.53)].Conclusions Parental underestimation of child's weight was associated with unhealthy attitudes towards child's dietary hab-its.Pediatricians and public health practitioners should pay attention to the parental perception of child's weight to identify parents who underestimate it as an at-risk group in which to inquire about lifestyle and dietary habits.

Natural products,PGC-1α,and Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptorγ(PPARγ)is a transcriptional coactivator that binds to a diverse range of transcription factors.PPARγcoactivator 1(PGC-1)coactivators possess an extensive range of biological effects in different tissues,and play a key part in the regulation of the oxidative metabolism,consequently modulating the production of reactive oxygen species,autophagy,and mitochondrial biogenesis.Owing to these findings,a large body of studies,aiming to establish the role of PGC-1 in the neuromuscular system,has shown that PGC-1 could be a promising target for therapies targeting neuromuscular diseases.Among these,some evidence has shown that various signaling pathways linked to PGC-1αare deregulated in muscular dystrophy,leading to a reduced capacity for mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and increased reactive oxygen species(ROS)production.In the light of these results,any intervention aimed at activating PGC-1 could contribute towards ameliorating the progression of muscular dystrophies.PGC-1αis influenced by different patho-physiological/pharmacological stimuli.Natural products have been reported to display modulatory effects on PPARγactivation with fewer side effects in comparison to synthetic drugs.Taken together,this review summarizes the current knowledge on Duchenne muscular dystrophy,focusing on the potential effects of natural compounds,acting as regulators of PGC-1α.