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Biomedical subjects

F Fidanza

Publications and source records attributed to F Fidanza.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Dietary intake in five ageing cohorts of men in Finland, Italy and The Netherlands.

OBJECTIVE: To obtain insight into dietary habits of elderly people and how these habits have evolved from middle to old age. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of dietary patterns around 1990; retrospective cohort study of changes in dietary intake since middle age. SETTING: Five cohorts: East and West Finland, Zutphen (Netherlands), Crevalcore (Italy), and Montegiorgo (Italy). SUBJECTS: Men aged 70-90 years around 1990. METHODS: Food intake was estimated using a cross-check dietary history adjusted to the local situation. RESULTS: (i) Cross-sectional: Significant differences were observed between the countries for all food groups, energy and nutrients (P < 0.05). The Finnish diet was characterised by a high consumption of animal products and potatoes, the Italian diet by a high consumption of cereals, vegetables, fruits and alcohol. The Dutch diet was generally intermediate. (ii) Longitudinal: The decrease in energy intake since middle age varied from 4.2 MJ/day in the Finnish cohorts to 2.1 MJ/day in Italy. Also the consumption of most food groups decreased but the consumption of vegetables and fruits increased. Saturated fatty acid intake decreased by 3 E% in the Finnish cohorts and decreased by < 1 E% in Italy. Alcohol intake decreased by approximately 7 E% in Italy while it increased by 2.5 E% in the Netherlands. CONCLUSIONS: Although the general patterns of dietary intake of the different cultures still can be recognised at old age, the variation between them has become smaller. Compared to their dietary intake at middle age, however, the dietary pattern of the Finnish and Dutch cohorts has changed slightly in the direction of a healthy diet, while the diet of the Italian men remained Mediterranean, and thus more healthy, at old age.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Vitamin and mineral nutritional status and other biochemical data assessed in groups of men from Crevalcore and Montegiorgio (Italy).

The vitamin and mineral nutritional status of 34 elderly (mean age 77.6 +/- 4.7 years) and 39 younger subjects (mean age 41.7 +/- 7.5 years) from Crevalcore and Montegiorgio (the two rural areas of The Seven Countries Study) was studied. Comparisons have been made between centres, between age groups, and with data obtained from similar surveys performed in 1960 and 1970. Levels of thiamin and riboflavin nutritional status were higher in 1991 than in 1970. Plasma retinol values were above levels of deficiency, but vitamin E and beta-carotene tended to be low. The zinc status of the populations, as assessed by leucocyte zinc concentrations, was generally low. A decline in copper intake during the past ten years may be responsible for the low leucocyte copper concentration which was more apparent in the younger subjects. Serum cholesterol was above, and HDL cholesterol below, the European Atherosclerosis Society recommendations.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Changes in body weight in relation to mortality in 6441 European middle-aged men: the Seven Countries Study.

OBJECTIVES: To study the relation between changes in body weight and subsequent mortality. DESIGN: Prospective follow-up study. SETTING: Population study. SUBJECTS: 6441 men aged 40-59 y at baseline participating in the European cohorts of the Seven Countries Study. The men were divided into groups depending on their weight pattern ascertained from three weight measurements with intervals of 5 years. They were also divided in quartiles according to the degree of weight variability. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: All-cause and cause-specific mortality during 15 years following the last weight measurement. Deaths occurring during the first 5 years of follow-up were excluded. RESULTS: Significantly elevated hazard ratios (RR) for death from all causes (RR = 1.3; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2-1.5), all cardiovascular diseases (RR = 1.2; 95% CI: 1.0-1.5) and other causes (RR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.2-2.2) were found for men with a decreasing weight compared with men with a constant weight. A fluctuating weight was associated with an increased risk of all cause mortality (RR = 1.2; 95% CI: 1.0-1.4), coronary heart disease (RR = 1.5; 95% CI: 1.0-1.9) and myocardial infarction (RR = 1.5; 95% CI: 1.0-2.2). The group of men with an increasing body weight also had elevated hazard ratios for dying from coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction, but these were only significant when the total 15-year follow-up was analyzed. The risks of dying from all-causes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and other causes were increased in the upper quartile versus the lower quartile of weight variability. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study show that a decreasing and a fluctuating body weight are associated with increased mortality. An average increase of 7 kg body weight was associated with an elevated risk of dying from coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction. Lowest mortality in these middle-aged men was found in those who maintained a constant body weight.

Aging↗
PubMed1994

Dietary studies on two rural Italian population groups of the Seven Countries Study. 1. Food and nutrient intake at the thirty-first year follow-up in 1991.

The food and nutrient intake at the thirty-first follow-up in 1991 of 16 surviving elderly from Crevalcore and Montegiorgio, two Italian rural ares of the Seven Countries Study, are reported. For dietary appraisal the individual weighed record method for 3 and 9 days in three seasons was used. In autumn the dietary history method was also used. Because the number of survivors was small, 15 additional elderly subjects in both areas were surveyed. Then, to detect any change related to age in food intake, 41 younger subjects were assessed with the dietary history method. The results in both areas showed in general a high intra-individual variability and no statistically significant difference in food group and nutrient intake between seasons. Between the two methods for dietary survey no statistically significant difference, in general, was observed (P > 0.05 only for a few items). The diet of the subjects of Crevalcore was characterized by a rather high intake of milk and meat and a low intake of fish and legumes. In Montegiorgio the picture was similar to that of Crevalcore, but at a lower level of intake. In both areas, but particularly in Montegiorgio, these subjects have been abandoning the traditional Mediterranean diet.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Dietary studies on two rural Italian population groups of the Seven Countries Study. 2. Concurrent validation of protein, fat and carbohydrate intake.

On 18 subjects from two rural areas in Italy which were part of the Seven Countries Study (Crevalcore and Montegiorgio), we carried out the concurrent validation of protein, fat, fatty acid and carbohydrate intake in the diet at the thirty-first year follow-up in 1991. The values of the above nutrients obtained using food composition tables from the weighted record method for dietary surveys were compared with the values from chemical analysis of food composites. In both areas for protein, fat and carbohydrate intake the inter-individual variation was large. For protein intake the mean difference was statistically significant but not for fat intake. From 1960 to 1991 protein and fat intake tended to decrease and for protein the means of differences between analysis and calculation were, in general, statistically different. For dietary saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, the means of differences were statistically significant in Crevalcore, but this was not the case in Montegiorgio for polyunsaturated fatty acids. The intake of trans fatty acids in both areas was rather low. Available and unavailable carbohydrate intake of both areas showed no statistically significant difference. The mean differences between analysis and calculation for both areas were statistically significant with the exception of cellulose in Crevalcore and sugars in Montegiorgio.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Is diet an independent risk factor for mortality? 20 year mortality in the Italian rural cohorts of the Seven Countries Study.

The relation of diet to mortality is examined using the data of the Italian rural cohorts of the Seven Countries Study, a prospective investigation of factors related to cardiovascular disease. The present analysis includes 1536 men aged 45-64 years, whose dietary habits and food consumption, including alcoholic beverages, were measured in 1965. Of the 1536, 668 (43.5%) died during a follow-up period of 20 years. Large differences in survival probabilities were observed for different dietary patterns (i.e. for different intakes of energy and nutrients). The dietary pattern that corresponded to the lowest mortality rate (27% after 20 years) was: more than 2800 kcal/d (11.7 MJ/d), with more than 41% of the calories coming from carbohydrates, more than 9% from proteins, between 16% and 23% from unsaturated lipids, and between 13% and 19% from alcohol. As the number of disagreements from the previous conditions increases, the mortality rate increases to reach 69% in 20 years in the worst case. Differences in mortality persisted after adjustment for confounders and some major established mortality risk factors.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed1993

Inter-cohort differences in coronary heart disease mortality in the 25-year follow-up of the seven countries study.

Sixteen cohorts of men aged 40-59 years at entry were examined with the measurement of some risk factors and then followed-up for mortality and causes of death for 25 years. These cohorts were located in the USA (1 cohort), Finland (2), the Netherlands (1), Italy (3), the former Yugoslavia (5), Greece (2), and Japan (2), and included a total of 12,763 subjects. Large differences in age-adjusted coronary heart disease (CHD) death rates were found, with extremes of 45 per 1000 in 25 years in Tanushimaru, Japan, to 288 per 1000 in 25 years in East Finland. In general, higher rates were found in the US and Northern European cohorts as compared to the Southern European and Japanese cohorts. However, during the last 10 years of follow-up large increases of CHD death rates were found in some Yugoslavian areas. Out of 5 measured entry characteristics treated as age-adjusted levels (serum cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, cigarette smoking, body mass index and physical activity at work), only serum cholesterol was significant in explaining cohort differences in CHD death rates. Over 50% of the variance in CHD death rates in 25 years was accounted for by the difference in mean serum cholesterol. This association tended to decline with increasing length of follow-up, but this was due to the great changes in mean serum cholesterol in the two Yugoslavian cohorts of Velika Krsna and Zrenjanin. When these two cohorts were excluded the association increased with time. Changes in mean serum cholesterol between year 0 and 10 helped in explaining differences in CHD death rates from year 10 onward. It can be concluded that this study suggests that mean serum cholesterol is the major risk factor in explaining cross-cultural differences in CHD.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Inter- and intra-individual variability in food intake of elderly people in Perugia (Italy).

It has been shown that each individual has a considerable day-to-day variation (intra-individual variation) in his or her level of food consumption. A large intra-individual variation has adverse effects on the reliability of research studies. The effect of the intra-individual variation can be minimized by taking food intake records over several days. An increase in the number of days entails higher costs, and this could limit the practicability of the study. In the recent literature on the methodology of dietary surveys, there is a growing interest in the estimation of the number of days required to conduct a reliable dietary survey. Recent developments in statistical theory allow the problem of large intra-individual variability to be overcome. These new statistical techniques require knowledge of the intra- and inter-individual variability and the appropriate adjustment of the statistical results. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the number of days of recorded intake required to obtain an estimate of the components of variance (the inter-individual and the intra-individual variability) focusing on foods rather than nutrients.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Alcohol and mortality in the Italian rural cohorts of the Seven Countries Study.

The relation of alcohol consumption to mortality is examined using the data of the Italian rural cohorts of the Seven Countries Study, a prospective investigation of factors related to cardiovascular disease (CVD). The present analysis includes 1536 men aged 45-64, whose dietary habits and food consumption, including alcoholic beverages, were measured in 1965. Of them, 463 men died in a follow-up period of 15 years. The analysis shows a J-shaped relationship between alcohol consumption, expressed as percentage of total daily energy intake, and both overall mortality and cardiovascular mortality; this J-shaped relationship is evident even after adjusting for age, cigarette smoking and occupation. The inverse relationship for consumption of small quantities of alcohol, which is represented by the left side of the J-curve, is no longer significant when all men with previous cardiovascular manifestations are excluded from the analysis, yet it is never completely eliminated.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1992

Nutritional status of a group of self-sufficient institutionalized elderly people in Perugia (Italy).

The nutritional status of forty-six self sufficient institutionalized elderly people of Perugia was assessed. The diet of this group is slightly better than that of other groups of elderly people previously examined. As observed in other studies, the diet of the elderly from this region of Italy does not seem to be of the Mediterranean type. The location of subcutaneous fat in elderly men is prevalent in the upper trunk and in women in the arms. The clinical signs of nutritional status among this group of self-sufficient institutionalized elderly people are in general not specific and mostly associated with old age. The pathological conditions observed and the administration of drugs do not appear to substantially influence the nutritional status of this group.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

[Omeprazole and misoprostol in acute gastroduodenal pathology. Physiopathological and therapeutic considerations in a surgical study].

In a clinical study on acute gastroduodenal pathology, the authors checked the therapeutical efficacy of Omeprazole and Misoprostol in comparison with H2-Antagonists. The study shows how Omeprazole could reduce to a half the treatment period necessary for H2-Antagonists to determine duodenal ulcer healing. Compared with these drugs, Omeprazole represents a real therapeutical progress. However, Omeprazole did not change the actual indications for surgical treatment in gastroduodenal ulcer. In drug-induced erosive gastritis treatment, Misoprostol proved to be unable to replace H2-Antagonists advantageously.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1991

All cause mortality and its determinants in middle aged men in Finland, The Netherlands, and Italy in a 25 year follow up.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The aims were (1) to compare all cause mortality in population samples of different cultures; and (2) to cross predict fatal event by risk functions involving risk factors usually measured in cardiovascular epidemiology. DESIGN: The study was a 25 year prospective cohort study. The prediction of all cause mortality was made using the multiple logistic equation as a function of 12 risk factors; the prediction of months lived after entry examination was made by the multiple linear regression using the same factors. POPULATION SAMPLES: There were five cohorts of men aged 40-59 years, from Finland (two cohorts, 1677 men), from The Netherlands (one cohort, 878 men), and from Italy (two cohorts, 1712 men). SETTING: The Finnish cohorts came from geographically defined rural areas, the Dutch cohort from a small town in central Holland, and the Italian cohorts from rural villages in northern and central Italy. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: All cause mortality was highest in Finland (557 per 1000), and lower in The Netherlands (477) and in Italy (475). The solutions of the multiple logistic function showed the significant and almost universal predictive role of certain factors, with rare exceptions. These were age, blood pressure, cigarette smoking, and arm circumference (the latter with a negative relationship). Similar results were obtained when solving a multiple linear regression equation predicting the number of months lived after entry examination as a function of the same factors. The prediction of fatal events in each country, using the risk functions of the others, produced limited errors, the smallest one being -2% and the largest +11%. When solving the logistic model in the pool of all the cohorts with the addition of dummy variables for the identification of nationality, it also appeared that only a small part of the mortality differences between countries is not explained by 12 available risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: A small set of risk factors seems to explain the intercohort differences of 25 year all cause mortality in population samples of three rather different cultures.

Adult↗