Risk Of Lifestyle Diseases Research Articles

Preventive health-care behavior: a serial multiple mediation analysis

Purpose Preventive health-care behavior (PHB) adoption as a primordial prevention to stay healthy and avoid lifestyle disease risk is a global trend. This paper aims to use the PHB model and stimulus-organism-response theory to empirically examine the role of individual and technological factors in influencing primordial PHB. Design/methodology/approach A sequential mixed-method was adopted to identify the primordial PHB adoption and propose a conceptual framework. The identified determinants and the hypothesized relationships were empirically tested using a convenience sample of 406 urban Indians. Partial least square structural equation modeling is used for data analysis. Findings The derived conceptual framework was empirically tested to assess the role of health literacy (HL), health value (HV) and digital health information seeking (DHIS) on primordial PHB. Findings confirmed the significant influence of DHIS on HL, HL on HV and PHB and HV on PHB. The direct effects of DHIS on PHB and HV were insignificant. HL solely mediated the indirect effect of DHIS on PHB, while the mediation of HV was insignificant. HL and HV fully mediated the relationship between DHIS and PHB. Research limitations/implications The impact of DHIS on PHB adoption and the serial multiple mediating roles of HL and HV are significant in understanding primordial PHB adoption for both academic theory and practice. However, the cross-sectional study on urban Indians needs further validation across geographies. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this pioneering study is among the first to propose and validate a comprehensive model of primordial PHB adoption.

TRANSFORMING PERIMENOPAUSAL HEALTH: NUTRITIONAL AND MOVEMENT-BASED INTERVENTIONS

Perimenopause, a transitional phase preceding menopause, signifies a decline in estrogen levels, often manifesting in one's 40s or even 30s, with associated symptoms such as irregular menstrual cycles, hot flashes, mood swings, and altered body composition. These symptoms not only affect quality of life but also pose long-term health risks, including cardiovascular disease, hypertension and osteoporosis. Given the complex hormonal changes during perimenopause, effective interventions are imperative. This study in Ambala, Haryana, aimed to assess the impact of dietary and physical activity interventions on perimenopausal women's health. Fifty women aged 35 to 50, self-reporting perimenopause, underwent a three-month intervention. The experimental group received tailored nutrition and movement guidance, while the control group maintained their usual lifestyle. Noteworthy enhancements were observed in dietary habits, anthropometric measurements, and biochemical parameter in the experimental group. These improvements included increased intake of nutrient-rich foods, reduction in weight, BMI, WC, HC, WHR and improvements in perimenopausal symptoms and related biochemical marker like hypertension. These findings underscore the efficacy of personalized interventions in mitigating perimenopausal symptoms and improving overall health, emphasizing the importance of lifestyle modifications during this transitional phase. This study investigates the effects of dietary and exercise interventions on physical health markers, dietary habits, physical activity levels, BMI and biochemical assessment of perimenopausal women. By exploring the impact of lifestyle modifications, the research aims to alleviate symptoms, enhance quality of life and reduce the risk of lifestyle diseases during this transitional phase.

Unraveling Lifestyle Disease Vulnerabilities among Adolescents: A Comprehensive Comparative Analysis of Private and Government School Students in Rawalpindi and Islamabad

Purpose: The increasing prevalence of lifestyle diseases in adults necessitates a closer examination of risk factors that manifest during adolescence. This study addresses this imperative, aiming to comprehensively compare lifestyle disease risk factors among adolescents attending private and government schools, with a specific focus on the distinctive nuances present within diverse educational environments. The primary objective of this cross-sectional study is to provide a thorough exploration of lifestyle disease risk factors, thereby contributing to a more nuanced understanding of the complexities inherent in adolescent health within different school settings. The study's aim is to not only identify prevalent risk factors but also to highlight the variations that exist between students in private and government schools.
 Methodology: The study engaged 600 adolescents from secondary schools in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, with 300 participants from each sector, employing purposive sampling for selection. Beyond the standard measurements of Body Mass Index (BMI), height, and weight, a comprehensive assessment encompassed dietary habits, physical activity levels, screen time, family history of lifestyle diseases, and active/passive smoking.
 Findings: Noteworthy findings include a substantial 81% of overweight individuals affiliated with private schools, indicating a distinct prevalence in this demographic. Dietary disparities were evident, with private schools displaying a 60% daily consumption of fruits and vegetables, in contrast to 40% in government schools. Further distinctions were observed in daily dairy intake (54% in private schools vs. 46% in government schools) and weekly meat consumption (56% in private schools vs. 44% in government schools). Private schools exhibited higher rates of daily and weekly fast food (54%) and soft drink consumption (67%) compared to government schools (46% and 33%, respectively).
 Physical activity engagement was reported by 45% of private school students and 55% of government school students, while screen time exceeding 2 hours was reported by 55% of private school students and 45% of government school students. Family history of lifestyle diseases was more significant among government school students. Additionally, 8% of private school students and 7% of government school students reported smoking, with 20% of private school students and 24% of government school students indicating a history of passive smoking.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice, and Policy: The study enriches theoretical understanding by offering a nuanced exploration of lifestyle disease risks and disparities among adolescents. In practical terms, the findings provide insights for designing targeted interventions tailored to the specific needs of private and government school students, informing health promotion programs and strategies. Policy relevance is emphasized through recommendations for school-specific health policies, considering socioeconomic factors, and advocating for long-term monitoring to facilitate effective public health planning. The identification of nuanced lifestyle disease risks within distinct school environments adds a critical dimension to our understanding of adolescent health and informs future policies and interventions

Physical activity in type II diabetes

INTRODUCTION AND AIM OF WORK 
 A factor significantly influencing the risk of lifestyle diseases, including diabetes, is physical activity. The last decades have been characterized by reduced physical activity in developed countries. This is associated with deteriorating population health and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Appropriately tailored physical effort is essential for the proper functioning of the body.
 
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 
 The aim of the study is to compare the physical activity levels among individuals with diabetes. To achieve this goal, a survey was created and subsequently distributed via social media (Telegram platform) in August 2023.
 
 RESULTS
 A total of 101 surveys were collected, with the average age of respondents being 34 years old. Among the respondents, 25 individuals (24.75%) had diabetes, while the rest did not have the condition. Out of the participants, 46 respondents indicated a family history of diabetes. Diabetes was statistically significantly associated with a family history of diabetes (p=0.037). Furthermore, the diabetes group exhibited a higher frequency of overweight and obesity (p=0.027). The respondents' body weight was positively correlated with both the frequency of food intake (r=0.31, p=0.011) and negatively correlated with the frequency of exercise (r= -0.22, p=0.046).
 
 CONCLUSIONS
 The gathered results confirm the familial nature of diabetes occurrence. They also highlight the significant role of exercise in maintaining body weight, as well as the importance of diet.

Physicochemical and sensory properties of jameed enriched with orange albedo and apple peel powder

Jameed is a dried fermented milk product with long shelf life and can be stored for several months at room temperature (15-30⁰ C) without deterioration or affecting its functional, biological and nutritional values. Mansaf contains high amount of fat, which comes from the meat and ghee or oil, which is added to it. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of adding apple peel powder and orange albedo powder at different percentages (3%, 5% and 7%), as sources of dietary fiber, on physicochemical (protein, fiber, ash content and wettability, and separation layer content), and sensory properties of jameed. This is the first study that addresses adding fiber to jameed to reduce the risk of life-style diseases. The results showed that all treatments of apple peels and orange albedo used for jameed were effective in increasing the protein, fiber, ash content and wettability when compared with the control. The highest treatment that significantly increased these parameters was 7% for both apple peels and orange albedo treatments. All percentage concentrations of orange albedo and apple peel treatments significantly (p ≤ 0.05) decreased the separation layer when compared to the control. The most effective treatment in decreasing the separation layer (20%) was the 7% apple peel treatment when compared to control. When comparing orange albedo treatments with apple peels treatments of jameed, results showed that orange albedo treatments at all levels increased the wettability better than apple peels. Sensorial characteristics of jameed treated with apple peels and orange albedo as sources of fiber were attractive to the consumers. The sensory attributes of jameed including appearance, color, flavor, taste, texture, consistency and overall acceptability were significantly improved (p ≤ 0.05) by adding orange albedo and apple peel at different percentages (3%, 5%, and 7%). When comparing apple peel and orange albedo treatments for jameed in all scores, there were no significant differences in overall acceptability scores between them. Key words: Jameed, Mansaf, orange albedo, apple peel, dietary fiber, wettability, separation layer

Comparative study to assess the lifestyle disease risk factors among high school students of government and private schools in Tirupati

Comparative study to assess the lifestyle disease risk factors among high school students of government and private schools in Tirupati

Bacillus Coagulans and its Spore as Potential Probiotics in the Production of Novel Shelf- Stable Foods

The synbiotic foods with therapeutic activities have been beneficial to gut health and immunity development, including Bacillus coagulans as the probiotic microorganism. It is preferred over other lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as it can produce spores. It is grown in the pH range of 5.5 to 6.2 and releases spores at 37 °C. These microbial spores can withstand environments with high temperatures, acidic conditions, and salinity, making it a viable probiotic organism for production of novel shelf-stable foods. It has become an essential ingredient in the functional food industry due to its probiotic characteristics and great resistance to stressful conditions. For extensive commercial use and a wide range of food applications, apart from probiotic characteristics, a probiotic organism must be cost-effective, convenient and remain viable throughout the processing, storage and consumption. The non-spore- forming lactic acid bacteria can be utilized to make probiotic products and fermented dairy products under controlled processing and storage conditions. The spore- forming probiotic organism can be delivered into the human gut through novel food products derived from cereals, legumes, fruits and vegetables, confectionery products, and meat and non-dairy products. This has led to the development of convenient and shelf-stable non-dairy probiotics. These non-dairy-based probiotics are cheaper, resilient against various processing conditions, high in bioactive components, and can mitigate the risk of lifestyle diseases and reduce. Further, lactose intolerance is associated with the consumption of dairy probiotics. Therefore, this review aimed to assess the utilization of probiotic Bacillus coagulans spores in emerging shelf-stable novel non-dairy products with probiotic potential.

RNA-sequencing reveals significant differences in the inflammatory response of iPSC-derived endothelial cells from ACS patients and healthy controls

Abstract Background Coronary artery disease (CAD) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in general still represent the leading cause of death worldwide. As a multifactorial disease entity, genetic predisposition and lifestyle strongly impact disease development and progression. Here, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) are an ideal tool to differentiate (epi-)genetic from lifestyle disease risk modulation and identify the underlying molecular mechanisms. Aim This study aims to determine differences in iPSC-derived endothelial cell (iPSC-EC) characteristics and functionality between healthy donors and high-risk CAD patients. Methods IPSC from participants with similar lifestyle but different disease status (healthy >65 y/o, n=5, acute coronary syndrome (ACS) <65y/o, n=6) were differentiated into iPSC-EC. Cells were exposed to inflammatory stimulation with tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a) followed by bulk RNA-seq. Monocyte (THP-1) recruitment was assessed under protective and atherogenic flow conditions. Mitotic age was calculated based on DNA-methylation via Hannum estimate (1) for each donor at the iPSC and iPSC-EC (passage 4) stage. Results ACS-iPSC-EC had significantly higher upregulation of E-selectin upon TNF-a stimulation on mRNA level (ACS: 532.1-fold±48.7 vs healthy: 322.3-fold±55.7 with p=0.02). Similarly, ICAM1 protein upregulation was higher in ACS-iPSC-EC compared to healthy iPSC-EC as determined by flow cytometry (ACS: 1.4-fold±0.01 vs healthy: 1.1-fold±0.0007; p<0.001). ACS-iPSC-EC recruited significantly more THP-1 per view field under protective (high shear stress, laminar) flow conditions (ACS: 78.4±20.7 vs healthy: 33.25±12.3 with p=0.04) compared to healthy iPSC-EC. While both groups recruited significantly more THP-1 under atherogenic than protective conditions (ACS: 302±38.9 with p=0.0055 vs healthy: 340±70.4 with p=0.0005), there was no difference between the donor groups (p=0.43). Analysis of bulk RNA-seq data showed significant differences in TNF-a-induced transcriptome changes. Gene set enrichment analysis identified differences in signalling pathways related to leukocyte and lymphocyte-mediated immunity, adaptive immune response, cytokine activity, and many more as shown in Figure 1 (p.adj ≤1e-10). IPSC of both groups had a negative calculated mitotic age (in years) which significantly increased after endothelial differentiation and four population doublings (ACS-iPSC: −14.1±0.7 vs ACS-EC: −0.1±1.1, p<0.0001 and healthy-iPSC: −13.7±0.8 vs healthy-EC: 2.5±1.5, p=0.0001). Conclusion The higher rate of basal THP-1 recruitment and upregulation of adhesion molecules on mRNA and protein level and the distinct transcriptome changes suggest intrinsic differences between patient and healthy iPSC-EC both in the basal state and in inflammatory response. Furthermore, this demonstrates iPSC as a viable in vitro model also for polygenetic diseases such as CAD. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Foundation. Main funding source(s): German Cardiac Society, Research Scholarship

Wholegrain intake, growth and metabolic markers in Danish infants and toddlers: a longitudinal study.

Wholegrain intake is linked to lower risk of lifestyle diseases, but little is known about its role in growth and metabolic health during the first years of life. We characterized wholegrain and dietary fibre intake in 439 Danish children at 9 and 36months of age and explored associations with height z-scores (HAZ), body mass index z-scores (BMIZ) and metabolic markers. We used pooled data from two infant cohorts and estimated intakes of total wholegrain, dietary fibre and wholegrain subtypes from 7-day dietary records. Associations with HAZ, BMIZ and non-fasting plasma low-density (LDLC) and high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, triacylglycerol, insulin and glucose were analysed in mixed models, adjusted for potential confounders. Median (25th, 75th percentile) wholegrain intake was 7.5 (4.9, 10.5) and 6.5 (4.6, 9.0) g/MJ at 9 and 36months. Neither wholegrain nor dietary fibre intake were associated with HAZ (P ≥ 0.09). At 36months, wholegrain intake was inversely associated with LDLC (P = 0.05) and directly with glucose (P < 0.001). In secondary analyses, wholegrain rye was inversely associated with glucose at 9months and insulin at 36months (both P ≤ 0.03). Oat and wheat wholegrain were directly associated with glucose (both P ≤ 0.01) and wheat with BMIZ (P = 0.02) at 36months. Danish infants and toddlers have high intakes of wholegrain and dietary fibre, with no indication of compromised growth. In line with studies in adults, wholegrain intake was inversely associated with LDLC. The observed direct association between wholegrain intake and plasma glucose and associations with wholegrain subtypes should be investigated further.

The Impact of COVID-19 Restrictions on the Healthy Eating and Movement Behaviors of 0-12-Year-Old Children in Western Sydney, Australia.

This study examined effects of COVID-19 restrictions in early 2020 on movement (physical activity, sedentary behavior and sleep) and healthy eating behaviors in families with 0–12-year-old children in western Sydney, Australia. A total of 1,371 parents completed an online survey about changes in children's and families' food intake and movement behaviors. There was an increase in sedentary screen use by children (4.18/5.00) and families (3.91/5.00) and a slight increase in reported physical activity (3.56/5.00), amount of food consumed (3.58/5.00) and meals and snacks eaten (3.69/5.00) during the height of the COVID-19 restrictions compared to before. There was little change in reported sleep (3.17/5.00). Lower socioeconomic families were disproportionately affected, with greater increases in unhealthy eating (t = 2.739, P = 0.06), lower levels of improvement in physical activity, such as walking and cycling (t = −7.521, P < 0.001) and outdoor activity (t = 5.415, p < 0.001), and higher increases in family sedentary behavior (t = 2.313, P = 0.021). Therefore, even short periods of restrictions can result in detrimental health behavior changes. Such changes could become entrenched leading to increased risk of lifestyle diseases. Programmatic and policy strategies should be geared toward promoting healthy movement behaviors, focusing on families of lower socioeconomic status to ensure the pandemic does not widen an existing gap.

Hospitalisation time is associated with weight gain in forensic mental health patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder

Introduction People with mental disorders have higher mortality from lifestyle diseases than the general population. Forensic mental health patients (FMHPs) are often hospitalised for longer periods of time than non-FMHPs. Thus, hospitalisation may have a greater effect on the risk of lifestyle diseases in FMHPs. Objective Investigate associations between proportional hospitalisation time (PHT) and change in body weight or other cardiometabolic risk factors among FMHPs. Methods Retrospective cohort study including all FMHPs with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, prescribed antipsychotics, and treated between 01 January 2016 and 06 April 2020 in the Region of Southern Denmark either in forensic units or as outpatients. Associations between PHT and, respectively, primary and secondary outcomes were analysed using linear regression. PHT was determined between each measurement of the outcomes as the number of days hospitalised divided by the total number of days within the time-period. The primary outcome was weight change and secondary outcomes were change in waist circumference (WC), blood pressure, estimated average glucose (eAG), HDL, LDL, total cholesterol, and triglycerides. Analyses were adjusted for gender, age, smoking, and antipsychotics. Results The cohort included 490 FMHPs, of which 440 were diagnosed with schizophrenia. PHT had a significant positive dose-response association with weight change, with an estimated difference of +4.0 kg/year for FMHPs who were hospitalised 100% of the time, compared to FMHPs who were exclusively treated as outpatients. The association interacted with baseline BMI. From the secondary outcomes, the association with PHT was only statistically significant for WC. Conclusions PHT was positively associated with weight gain.

Nutritional Efficacy of Maize based Functional Flour Developed for Minimizing the Risk of Lifestyle Diseases in Relation to Normal Wheat Flour

Background: Lifestyle diseases are ailments caused due to unhealthy living pattern. Maize being an affordable and inexpensive cereal crop for unprivileged people and has potential benefits also which can be utilized with other grains to develop functional flour. Methods: The present investigation was conducted during 2020-21 in the Laboratory of Department of Food and Nutrition, Dr. RPCAU. The raw ingredients viz. maize (variety ‘Lakshmi’), flaxseed, chickpea, barley, ragi and wheat were procured from local market Pusa or farmers. After processing with various methods, different proportions of flour were developed. Bulk density, water absorption capacity and proximate composition were determined. Result: The result showed that bulk density ranged from 0.57 to 0.67 g/ml, whereas water absorption capacity varied from 1.08 to 2.16 g/ml. Proximate composition such as moisture content ranged from 6.53 to 11.55 g/100 g, ash 1.26 to 1.9 g/100 g, protein 5.83 to 11.08 g/100 g, fat 1.60 to 5.33 g/100 g, fibre 11.09 to 18.27 g/100 g, carbohydrate 56.45 to 65.09 g/100 g whereas level of minerals like iron varied from 3.68 to 5.71 mg/100 g, zinc 2.83 to 3.76 mg/100 g and calcium 25.73 to 132.28 mg/100 g.

Study of Prevalence of Lifestyle Diseases and Comparison of their Risk Factors among Serving Personnel of Army

Introduction: Lifestyle diseases have multifactorial causation risk factors. Armed forces personnel although constitute healthier sections of society but are not spared from prevalent pandemic of lifestyle diseases in country. This research aims to study the prevalence of lifestyle disease to highlight the importance of keeping suitable preventive measures in place to control the epidemic of lifestyle diseases among the middle-aged army personnel. Materials and Methods: The study is a cross-sectional community-based epidemiological design of 2956 armed forces personnel, aged 35 years and above, selected by multistage random sampling. Data were collected on pretested open-ended questionnaire. Statistical analysis was done using Chi-square test, unpaired t-test, and multiple logistic regression techniques. Results: The study revealed that consistent statistically significant association between major sociodemographic, potential behavioral, and clinical risk factors of lifestyle diseases, especially dietary risk factors, namely snacking in between meals, consumption of energy-dense foods, physical inactivity among tradesman, cooks, clerks contributing to higher prevalence of lifestyle diseases among them. The study indicates that the prevalence of overweight and prehypertensive among study sample is suggestive of alarming proportions. Conclusion: Multi-cross-sectoral-integrated strategies for provisioning of comprehensive health-care and strengthening surveillance mechanism pertaining to prevention and control of lifestyle diseases are the need of the hour. Genuine dietary modifications; improving cooking practices; sustained efforts to be physical active, stringent mechanisms to ensure definite working hours, minimize work-related stress; institutional checks on tobacco, alcohol, substance abuse; screening for lifestyle disease risk factors; addressing common risk factors are desirable lifestyle interventions.

The Association between Lifestyle Choices and Schizophrenia Symptoms.

Due to poor eating habits, insufficient physical activity, and nicotine use, schizophrenia patients are at increased risk of lifestyle diseases. Factors contributing to unhealthy behaviors include lower socioeconomic status and level of education as well as social isolation. Schizophrenia manifestations such as amotivation, apathy, and cognitive deficits can further hinder development of proper health habits. The aim of this study was to assess the possible association between lifestyle-related choices and schizophrenia symptoms severity. This observational study enrolled 106 patients with schizophrenia (42 Males/64 Females), 18–69 years (mean: 41.89 ± 9.7 years). Mean duration of schizophrenia was 14.61 ± 9.7 years. Multiple significant correlations were found between patients’ lifestyle and their biochemical laboratory parameters (lipid profile and fasting glucose). Most importantly, a significant link emerged between presented habits and schizophrenia symptom severity. There were also significant gender differences in the intake of sweets and sweet beverages. Quite unexpectedly, a behavioral shift towards more healthy lifestyle choices was observed after completion of questionnaires on lifestyle and health habits. There are clear benefits to systematic provision of educational interventions concerning physical activity and proper eating habits to schizophrenia patients. These simple preventive measures could significantly improve both mental and physical health outcomes in schizophrenia patient populations.

The Pink Oyster Mushroom, Pleurotus djamor (Agaricomycetes): A Potent Antioxidant and Hypoglycemic Agent

The present investigation aimed to study the physicochemical properties, nutritional indices, antioxidant properties, and hypoglycemic effects of dried pink oyster mushroom (Pleurotus djamor) powder. The yield of dried mushroom powder was 8.54%, the oil absorption capacity was 3.34 mL/g, and the swelling index was 0.33 mL/g. A qualitative analysis of mycoconstituents revealed that tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides, and saponins were present in P. djamor. Free radical scavenging activity on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl was 6.22%. Hypoglycemic testing revealed that the highest (P < 0.05) glucose consumption by poultry hepatocytes was at 2 mL of mushroom extract at 100 mg% glucose exposures, followed by 200 and 150 mg% exposures. These results indicated that P. djamor powder can be used to lower the risk of lifestyle diseases, including diabetes, and to alleviate malnutrition.

Intake of ω-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid-Rich Vegetable Oils and Risk of Lifestyle Diseases

Although excessive consumption of deep-fried foods is regarded as 1 of the most important epidemiological factors of lifestyle diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity, the exact mechanism remains unknown. This review aims to discuss whether heated cooking oil-derived peroxidation products cause cell degeneration/death for the occurrence of lifestyle diseases. Deep-fried foods cooked in ω-6 PUFA-rich vegetable oils such as rapeseed (canola), soybean, sunflower, and corn oils, already contain or intrinsically generate “hydroxynonenal” by peroxidation. As demonstrated previously, hydroxynonenal promotes carbonylation of heat-shock protein 70.1 (Hsp70.1), with the resultant impaired ability of cells to recycle damaged proteins and stabilize the lysosomal membrane. Until now, the implication of lysosomal/autophagy failure due to the daily consumption of ω-6 PUFA-rich vegetable oils in the progression of cell degeneration/death has not been reported. Since the “calpain-cathepsin hypothesis” was formulated as a cause of ischemic neuronal death in 1998, its relevance to Alzheimer’s neuronal death has been suggested with particular attention to hydroxynonenal. However, its relevance to cell death of the hypothalamus, liver, and pancreas, especially related to appetite/energy control, is unknown. The hypothalamus senses information from both adipocyte-derived leptin and circulating free fatty acids. Concentrations of circulating fatty acid and its oxidized form, especially hydroxynonenal, are increased in obese and/or aged subjects. As overactivation of the fatty acid receptor G-protein coupled receptor 40 (GPR40) in response to excessive or oxidized fatty acids in these subjects may lead to the disruption of Ca2+ homeostasis, it should be evaluated whether GPR40 overactivation contributes to diverse cell death. Here, we describe the molecular implication of ω-6 PUFA-rich vegetable oil-derived hydroxynonenal in lysosomal destabilization leading to cell death. By oxidizing Hsp70.1, both the dietary PUFA- (exogenous) and the membrane phospholipid- (intrinsic) peroxidation product “hydroxynonenal,” when combined, may play crucial roles in the occurrence of diverse lifestyle diseases including Alzheimer’s disease.

Influence of a community-based approach to improve risk factors of lifestyle diseases by Japanese public health nurses: A case-control study.

It is important to examine the roles of specific health check-up and specific health guidance in individuals at high riskof common lifestyle diseases, but evaluation based on a stratified analysis of people undergoing a health check-up has not been adequately performed. In this study, we examined the effects of providing specific health guidance to individuals considered at high risk for alifestyle disease after specific health check-ups. Subjects who underwent a specific health check-up in 2012 were assigned to either a group that received health guidance from public health nurses over three years (n = 393) or a control group (n = 109). Clinical findings of both groups were analysed to evaluate the correlation between their changes and health guidance. A significant decrease was observed in blood pressure, and lipid and glucose levels only in the health guidance group. Multiple regression analysis revealed that health guidance was the explanatory variable of serum lipid improvement. Continued support by Japanese public health nurses through health guidance closely related to the subject's lifestyle over three years may lead to a comprehensive reduction in the risk of lifestyle diseases.

Development of a Sleep Apnea Detection Algorithm Using Long Short-Term Memory and Heart Rate Variability.

Sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) is a prevalent disorder which causes daytime fatigue with the increased risk of lifestyle diseases. A large number of patients are undiagnosed and untreated partly because of the difficulty in performing its gold standard test, polysomnography (PSG). In this research, we propose a simple screening method utilizing heart rate variability (HRV) and long short-term memory (LSTM) which is a kind of neural network techniques. The result of applying this algorithm to clinical data demonstrates that it can discriminate between patients and healthy people with high sensitivity (100%) and specificity (100%).

Role of neck circumference in measuring obesity in healthy adults

Background: Visceral fat or intra-abdominal fat is the adipose tissue surrounding mesenteries and omentum. This has been linked to lifestyle diseases like heart diseases, arthritis, stroke and even cancer. At present we have three tools to measure visceral fat area (VFA) – Bio impedance analysis, Magnetic resonance analyser and DEXA scan. Neck circumference measurement is a simple, easy to do and a quantifiable method of measuring visceral fat. Aim &amp; Objective: This study aims to find correlation of visceral body fat with Neck Circumference (NC) and Body Mass Index. Methodology: A cross sectional study was carried out in a medical college of western Maharashtra, wherein 290 healthy males (&gt;18 years) were selected by simple random sampling over a period of 7 months from (February 2018 – August 2018). Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Visceral body fat was measured using Body Space 720 and neck circumference using measuring tape. Results: We found a significant association between neck circumference and VFA. There is a strong association between NC of &gt;35cm and VFA &gt;100cm2. NC can be useful in field settings as it can be used easily by health care workers in predicting risk of lifestyle diseases.

Mobile Game–Based Digital Vaccine for Reducing Risk of Lifestyle Diseases

Background: There is a rising epidemic of pediatric obesity in the United States and worldwide. While many factors contribute to pediatric overweight and obesity, dietary decisions are a leading cause. Children spend many hours a day playing video games, mostly on mobile devices. Hence, personalized gamification and learnification on mobile devices have great potential to influence children’s dietary-lifestyle behaviors during the habit formation stage of early childhood. In fact, video games on mobile devices have become a platform through which children learn in a fun and enjoyable way. While there is some early evidence of the positive impact of neuropsychology-based, cartoon-styled, immersive video games on healthy eating behaviors in children, the mechanisms underlying these improved outcomes are yet to be understood. Objective: To design appropriate interventions in the game environment for children’s behavior formation and change, we need to learn more about the underlying patterns of player behaviors evidenced during gameplay through techniques of machine learning and stochastic optimization. Building on prior descriptive work, this study examines the impact of a diet and lifestyle focused mobile game on children’s game play patterns and associate these patterns with their actual food choices using machine learning and statistical models. Methods: Our dataset was generated from an IRB-approved, informed consent–based randomized controlled trial (RCT) with pre- and post-treatment measurements of almost 100 school children using fooya!, a novel mobile gaming, iOS/Android based App that is being developed as a low-risk and non-invasive “digital vaccine” for lifestyle diseases, for 2 exposures of 20 minutes each. Based on artificial intelligence, neuropsychology and cognitive behavior therapy, fooya! has been shown to deliver positive outcomes with respect to food choices, self-reported dietary choices, and healthy eating intentions. We first model the process of game playing at any level across all students as a discrete, time-homogeneous, first-order Markov chain with multiple states, each representing a status of the game. Process mining identifies distinct patterns in the game sequences and statistical models establish the relationship between game patterns combined with demographic and behavioral data with actual food choices at the end of the game. Results: We find strong evidence of the positive effect of the mobile game on actual food choices, just after 40 minutes of intervention exposure (T: 2.46; C: 1.10; P<.001). Analysis of children’s play patterns shows significant variations in game play mechanics among players. Regression analyses further reveal that more engaged, dynamic, and strategic game play patterns are associated with better actual food choices. Conclusions: This study adds to the growing body of evidence that learning about healthy eating in a fun and exciting way via mobile games, acting as Digital Vaccines, can positively impact children’s actual food choices. While promising, additional RCTs in varied settings and deeper analysis of the resulting data are needed to confirm Digital Vaccines’ potential to reduce the long-term risk of nutrition related non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, as well as health risks from the double burden of overweight vs malnutrition and under-nutrition by educating children regarding healthy lifestyle choices using mobile games.