Age-related changes in organ function, immune dysregulation, and the effects of senescence explain in large part the high prevalence of infections, including respiratory tract infections in older persons. Poor nutritional status in many older persons increases susceptibility to infection and worsens prognosis. Interestingly, there is an association between the amount of saturated fats in the diet and the rate of community-acquired pneumonia. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 LC-PUFAs) including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), have well-known anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antimicrobial effects, which may, in theory, be largely induced by PUFAs-derived lipids such as specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs). In adults, preliminary results of studies show that ω-3 LC-PUFAs supplementation can lead to SPM generation. SPMs have a crucial role in the resolution of inflammation, a factor relevant to survival from infection independent of the pathogen’s virulence. Moreover, the immune system of older adults appears to be more sensitive to ω-3 PUFAs. This review explores the effects of ω-3 LC-PUFAs, and PUFA bioactive lipid-derived SPMs in respiratory tract infections and the possible relevance of these data to infectious disease outcomes in the older population. The hypothesis that PUFAs have beneficial effects via SPM generation will need to be confirmed by animal experiments and patient-derived data.

BACKGROUND: Substituting different types of protein intake may be associated with cardiovascular risk factors and inflammatory biomarkers. However, there are few studies conducted on elders and the findings are contradictory. OBJECTIVE: We decided to examine the association of substituting plant protein for animal protein with cardiovascular risk factors and inflammatory biomarkers among elderly men. METHOD: The current cross-sectional study included 357 elderly men chosen from health centres in southern Tehran, Iran. They provide written consent to be included in the study. We used a validated and reliable food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to assess dietary intake. All biochemical factors like lipid profile, fasting blood sugar (FBS), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin 6 (IL6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured. Waist circumference (WC) and blood pressure (BP) were also assessed. The substitution analysis by STATA was used to examine the aforementioned association. RESULTS: Substituting animal protein with plant protein had significant beneficial association with WC (OR: –4.28; 95% CI: –8.51, –0.62; Ptrend = 0.047) and LDL/HDL (OR: –0.26; 95% CI: –0.48, –0.05; Ptrend = 0.018). CONCLUSION: In elderly men, substituting animal protein with plant protein had favorable association with some of cardiovascular risk factors including WC and LDL/HDL but there was no significant association for inflammatory biomarkers.

OBJECTIVE: To associate motivation with diet quality in older people (OP) who practice running. METHODS: Cross-sectional observational analytical study, which was applied to a probabilistic sample of OP who practice running. Each participant was applied a survey including sociodemographic variables and experiences concerning the practice of Running, diet quality questionnaire for OP (ECAAM, for its acronym in Spanish) and the Motivation of Marathoners Scales-34 (MOMS-34) were used. RESULTS: The total number of participants was 68, who were mostly men (69.1%), the predominant age was 60–69 years (69.1%). Women showed a higher proportion in diet quality when compared to men (71.4% vs 36.2%). The association between motivation subscales and food groups showed that the Weight Concern subscale was associated with junk food ( Δ=1.55 (95% CI: 0.58; 2.52). The Personal goal achievement-Competition subscale was associated with meat ( Δ=1.81 (95% CI: 0.62; 3.00). Recognition was associated with meat ( Δ=1.12 (95% CI: 0.22; 2.03), and Health Orientation with alcohol ( Δ=0.76 (95% CI: 0.02; 1.50). CONCLUSIONS: Motivation is positively associated with diet in OP who practice running, especially for the motivation subscales Weight Concern, Personal goal achievement-Competition, Recognition and Health orientation.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is among the most frequent chronic diseases in virtually all countries, posing a global health threat. Therefore, Preventive interventions are critical for reducing the enormous burden of diabetes. Flavanols may assist people with metabolic disorders to maintain glucose homeostasis by inhibiting digestive enzymes and glucose transporters. Green Tea (GT) and cocoa have gotten much attention since their flavanols are high. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effects of polyphenols from GT and cocoa (>4 weeks) on reducing the incidence of complications and improving glycaemic control and insulin sensitivity in adult patients with T2DM through outcomes Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG), Fasting Blood Insulin (FBI), Haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR). METHODOLOGY: An electronic research programme was applied, using different databases (including Web of Science, PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and Cochrane Reviews) to find studies that have evaluated the impact of polyphenols from GT and cocoa on reducing the incidence of complications and improving glycaemic control and insulin sensitivity in adult patients with T2DM. Articles published between 2005 and 2021 in English were selected. RESULTS: 15 and 7 studies involved 738 participants on GT (348 male/390 female). In contrast, the ones focused on cocoa had 331 participants (83 male/ 248 female) with T2DM aged 18–65 years, and a BMI range of 25–34.9 kg/m2 was identified and included in the present review. 43 and 27% of studies were low-risk bias in cocoa and GT, respectively. The results of the meta-analysis showed no significant difference in FBG levels following GT and cocoa consumption compared to the control group (SMD: –0.08; 95% CI: –0.43 to 0.28; P = 0.68 and SMD: –0.65; 95% CI, –1.40 to 0.10; P = 0.09, respectively). Also, the results showed no significant difference for GT and cocoa intervention (SMD: 0.18; 95% CI: –0.27 to 0.64; P = 0.43 and SMD: –0.80; 95% CI: –1.92 to 0.31; P = 0.16, respectively). In addition, the results of the HbA1c analysis showed no significant reduction after GT and cocoa consumption (SMD: –0.41; 95% CI: –0.85 to 0.03; P = 0.07 and SMD, –0.37; 95% CI, –0.77 to 0.04; P = 0.08, respectively). There was no evidence that GT and cocoa interventions effectively improved HOMA-IR (SMD: 0.02; 95% CI: –0.16 to 0.20; P = 0.80 and SMD, –1.65; 95% CI, –3.77 to 0.46; P = 0.13, respectively CONCLUSION: The evidence shows that the short-term administration of cocoa and GT did not significantly reduce the FBG, FBI, HbA1c, and HOMA-IR levels in adult patients with T2DM.

BACKGROUND: Diet quality is suggested to be an important element in a healthy aging experience among elderly population. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the association of diet quality and parameters related to healthy aging in elderly living in urban areas. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out on 1,355 older adults aged 60 years or older living in big cities in Indonesia from April 2016 until June 2017. Diet quality was assessed using the healthy eating index (HEI-2015) while healthy aging was determined using the healthy aging index (HAI) consisting of 5 physiological indicators: systolic blood pressure, forced vital capacity, random blood glucose, serum cystatin C, and digit symbol substitution test. The correlation among study variables was analyzed using Spearman’s correlation test and linear regression test. RESULTS: The HEI-2015 and HAI scores obtained in this study were (48.8±3.5) and (5.2±0.3) respectively, thus demonstrating a slightly poor diet quality and health status. The HEI-2015 score was strongly associated with the HAI (ρ=–0.85, p<0.05; β=–0.08, 95% CI: –0.13–(–0.02), p<0.05). Four components of the HEI-2015 were found to be strongly associated with the HAI score: whole fruits, total vegetables, sodium, and added sugars. The physiological parameters of the HAI correlating strongly with the HEI-2015 score were systolic blood pressure and random blood glucose. CONCLUSIONS: Our study is the first to establish the strong correlation between the HEI-2015 and HAI. Our findings suggest that improving diet quality would help urban elderly support their healthy aging experience.

BACKGROUND: Muscle loss is one of the features associated with aging with significant impacts on the quality of life. Yap/Taz, the effectors of the Hippo pathway, was shown to regulate organ size and may be associated with aging. We postulate that Yap/Taz modulation may play a role in maintaining muscle fiber size or mediating the function of autophagy during aging and sarcopenia. OBJECTIVE: The research aim to explore sarcopenia and its relationship to autophagy and Yap/Taz expression. Additionally, we also explored the relationship of autophagy function and Yap/Taz on skeletal muscle tissue during aging. METHODS: We conducted experiments on two groups of rats kept at 16 and 80 weeks. Skeletal muscle tissue from the soleus muscle was harvested, and mRNA expression of Yap/Taz and genes associated with the autophagy pathway were quantified. Immunoblotting was done with antibodies against Yap/Taz and autophagy proteins. Bafilomycin and Verteporfin were used on the C2C12 cell line to elucidate the interaction between autophagy and Yap/Taz. RESULTS: Old rats were found to have a smaller fiber surface area of the soleus muscle and was associated with increased Yap mRNA and protein expression. The inhibition of autophagy increased Yap levels. However, the inhibition of Yap/Taz function did not affect autophagy in skeletal muscle. CONCLUSIONS: With current evidence, increased Yap was paradoxically associated with sarcopenia, and this increase was caused by the decreased autophagic flux caused by aging.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) has caused significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Diabetes mellitus (DM) and related comorbidities have a significant impact on clinical presentation and outcomes. The aim is to compare clinical presentation and outcomes among COVID-19 patients with or without DM. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Data from 312 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 at a single hospital were collected respectively from January to April 2021. It included demographic data, clinical symptoms, underlying comorbidities, clinical chemistry, and hematological laboratory findings. Different inflammation indices were calculated. The findings of COVID-19 diabetic and non-diabetic patients were compared. RESULTS: The percentage of COVID-19 patients with DM and hypertension or cardiovascular diseases was significantly higher compared to non-diabetic patients (78.6 % vs. 35%, and 46.4% vs. 23%, p < 0.001) respectively. The diabetic patients showed a significant increase in D-dimer and alkaline phosphatase levels (1922.2 vs.1154.5, p = 0.007 and 85.3 vs.75.5, p = 0.01) respectively. On the other hand, diabetic patients showed a significant decrease in serum albumin (3.5 vs.3.6, p = 0.012). The mean death probability indicator (ANDC), and ICU admission were higher in diabetic patients (72.2%, and 36.6%; respectively) versus the non-diabetic patients (60.7% and 26.1%; p < 0.001, 0.071; respectively). Also, the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was significantly higher in diabetic patients as compared to non-diabetic patients. CONCLUSION: The diabetic patients had more comorbidities, a higher rate of ICU admission.

BACKGROUND: An altered plasma fatty acid (FA) profile and desaturase activities have been associated with several metabolic diseases, including the MetS, but studies in the general populations are lacking, and only few studies have investigated a broad spectrum of FA in plasma phospholipids (PL). OBJECTIVE: We investigated, cross-sectionally, the relationship of the FA profile and desaturase activities in plasma PL with the prevalence of MetS in a general population in The Netherlands. METHODS: Baseline characteristic data from 850 participants (male: 50.2%) aged 38-68 years recruited in the Lifelines cohort study were obtained. The FA profile was determined in fasting plasma PL, and desaturase activities were estimated from product/precursor ratios. The MetS was defined according to International Diabetes Federation. Logistic regressions were used to examine the relation of the FA profile with the prevalence of MetS, and Bonferroni correction was applied to account for multiple testing. RESULTS: 151 participants (17.7%) had the MetS. After adjustment for several confounders and Bonferroni correction, higher tertiles of C18 : 0 (the early precursor of de novo lipogenesis pathway), C18 : 3n6 and C20 : 3n6 (both consistent with a high Δ6 desaturase (D6D) activity), and D6D activity itself were associated with a higher prevalence of MetS, while higher tertiles of C18 : 1n7, C24 : 0, and C24 : 1n9 (very long chain FA) as well as stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD)-18 were inversely associated with the MetS. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that a wide-ranging plasma PL FA profile and estimated desaturase activities were different between adults with and without the MetS in a general representative population and implicates the importance of monitoring individual FAs and desaturase activities as novel modifiable biomarkers for the MetS.

Background: Dietary restriction (DR) is a widely used experimental intervention in aging research due to its consistent ability to extend lifespan in most species tested. DR is an all-encompassing term describing interventions that restrict some aspect of nutrition - from calorie amount to calorie type to timing of food intake - and yet share common functional endpoints including extended longevity, but also improvements in healthspan, or the time spent in good health, as well as metabolic fitness and stress resistance. Recent studies highlight the preponderance of sexual dimorphisms in the response to DR and argue for the importance of inclusion of both sexes in preclinical research. OBJECTIVE: We set out to perform a comprehensive assessment of documented health and lifespan outcomes of interventional DR studies in mice that display sexual dimorphism. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted according to the PRISMA statement to identify mouse DR studies in which both sexes were included using PubMed. The specific DR interventions examined included calorie restriction (CR), intermittent fasting (IF), protein restriction (PR) and methionine restriction (MetR), with experimental endpoints focused on lifespan and healthspan. RESULTS: Sexual dimorphism in the lifespan and healthspan effects of various DR regimens is a common finding in mice, with the magnitude and direction of dimorphic responses influenced by the specific dietary intervention as well as the strain of mouse used in the study. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the fact that preclinical lifespan and healthspan analyses in mice reveal sexual dimorphism in the response to DR, there is still a large gap in our understanding of how sex affects dietary outcomes. More preclinical research comparing both sexes in the same study with better attention to reporting metrics during peer review and in easily searchable text including title and abstract is required to further our understanding of the impact of sex on health and lifespan in response to DR in rodent studies.

BACKGROUND: A healthy lifestyle provides a number of benefits, few comprehensive studies have assessed functional fitness and its association with physical activity, nutrition and body composition in older people. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between functional fitness, physical activity, nutrition and body composition of women aged above 60 years. METHODS: A group of 168 women was divided into two subgroups (‘active’ and ‘inactive’) based on their participation in organized exercise. Physical activity was measured with ActiGraph GT3-BT, nutrition was evaluated with the 4-day record intake, body composition was assessed with a bioelectrical impedance analyzer, functional fitness was measured using the Senior Fitness Test. RESULTS: A significant relationship was found between the functional fitness index, age and body fat in the ‘active’ group. In the ‘inactive’ group, a relationship was found between the length of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day, Healthy Diet Indicator, body fat and functional fitness index. CONCLUSION: Fat mass is of significant importance in maintaining functional fitness in women over 60 years of age, regardless of undertaking organized physical activity