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Biomedical subjects

G Cairella

Publications and source records attributed to G Cairella.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Nutrition and prevention of ischemic stroke: present knowledge, limitations and future perspectives.

Stroke, particularly ischemic stroke, has a major impact on public health due to its high incidence, prevalence and rate of subsequent disability in Italy as in most industrialised countries. Apart from age, many modifiable factors, such as hypertension, smoking, diabetes, dyslipidemia, obesity, physical inactivity, alcohol abuse and hyperhomocysteinemia, have been recognised as playing a role in the pathogenesis of this disease. While appropriate pharmacological therapy has proven effective in the prevention of stroke in particular categories of patients, most of the above mentioned predisposing conditions are amenable to be affected by nutrition. Unequivocal demonstration of a protective or adverse role of single foods and nutrients against the risk of stroke has been however difficult to achieve due to confounding by biological variability, methodological inadequacies in the assessment of individual nutritional habits and difficulty to carry out long-term randomised controlled trials in the nutritional area. Notwithstanding, in several cases, causal relationships could be inferred from case-control and cohort studies in the presence of plausible and reproducible associations, evidence of dose-dependent effects and consistency in the results of different studies. The aim of this paper was to review present knowledge and highlight limitations and future perspectives about the role of nutrition in the prevention of ischemic stroke.

Brain Ischemia↗
PubMed2000

Nutritional variables related to gingival health in adolescent girls.

In order to study the nutritional variables associated with gingival health, a case-control study was designed to control strong variables whose effect on gingival status may obscure the potential effect of weaker ones, such as nutrition. Two groups of 27 gingivitis-affected and -unaffected female adolescents were selected. All were aged 17-19 years, with mean age of the two groups statistically not different. All were non-smokers, all reported daily toothbrushing frequency of twice/day or more, and none had clinical signs of hyponutrition. Mean DMFT of the two groups was statistically not different. The effect of nutritional variables, obtained by a three-day food record and by assessing the nutritional status of the girls, on presence/absence of gingivitis was evaluated by a variety of stepwise logistic regression analyses. Age (positive correlation), riboflavin, calcium and frequency of fibre intake (negative correlations) significantly explained the risk for gingivitis. Strong intercorrelation between riboflavin and calcium was also found, due to the high quantity of milk consumed by the girls, since this food provided the main source of riboflavin and calcium. The data suggest that some dietary measures may be useful for the maintenance of healthy gingival status.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Rampant early childhood dental decay: an example from Italy.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to estimate the prevalence and related prediction factors for dental caries in 3- to 5-year-old children in Rome, Italy. METHODS: From a sample of 2,025 children, 1,494 (73.8%) were included in the analysis. Children with at least two primary maxillary incisors showing evidence of caries experience were considered affected by rampant early childhood dental decay (RECDD). Behavioral and socioeconomic variables, mutans streptococci counts, diet, and nutritional status were investigated for their association with RECDD using regression analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence of any caries was 27.3 percent, and was 7.6 percent for RECDD. Among all children, mean dft and dt scores per person were 1.1 (SD = 2.4) and 0.9 (SD = 2.3), respectively; among those classified as having RECDD, scores were 6.9 (SD = 4.2) and 6.7 (SD = 4.3), respectively. Children with RECDD had 56 percent of all the decayed teeth in the sample. Low and medium social classes, use of a baby bottle filled with sweetened beverages, high salivary mutans streptococcal levels, and malnutrition were directly associated with RECDD; milk and yogurt consumption and low Plaque Index scores were inversely associated with the condition. CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of RECDD suggests that the implementation of preventive programs should be a priority for dental public health. Because of its high prevalence among children as young as 3 years of age, preventive measures targeted toward pregnant women and toddlers should be developed and tested, while kindergarten students could be used for monitoring RECDD prevalence and for detection of communities at risk.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Childhood obesity: a risk factor for traumatic injuries to anterior teeth.

The relationship between obesity and traumatic dental injuries was evaluated in a study population of 938 6- to 11-year-old schoolchildren from Rome, Italy, and it was suggested by the lifestyle and the physical activity of obese children, which, according to many authors, is different from the lifestyle of other children. The subjects were examined at school: presence and type of dental injury, overjet, incisor protrusion, upper lip incompetence and presence of obesity were recorded. Trauma predisposition was evaluated with a questionnaire investigating the behaviour which may predispose to impacts. Six out of eight questions in this questionnaire concerned the children's lifestyle and the trauma predisposition score was therefore also considered an estimate of lifestyle and physical activity. The dental injury prevalence of the study population was 21.3% and obesity prevalence was 11.4%. Of the obese children 30.8% had dental injuries vs. only 20.0% of non-obese subjects (P = 0.007). Obese children had only enamel and enamel-dentine fractures and the main reported trauma cause was indoor play; conversely, lean children also had other types of injuries and the most frequently reported cause was outdoor play. The main predisposing factors significantly affecting the probability of dental injury, evaluated with multiple logistic regression, were upper lip uncoverage (OR: 1.23; P = 0.02), overjet larger than 3 mm (OR: 1.68; P = 0.001) and obesity (OR: 1.45; P = 0.01). Surprisingly, trauma predisposition was a protective factor (OR: 0.50; P = 0.00001). The results of this study were explained by the significant inverse correlation between obesity and trauma-predisposing behaviour, thus suggesting that subjects frequently playing sports and lively games were not only less obese but also more skillful and, for this reason, less prone to trauma when they fell or sustained impacts.

Accident Proneness↗
PubMed1992

[Changes in dietary intake of obese patients treated by diet associated with d-fenfluramine].

The object of the present research was to study the effect of dexfenfluramine (d-F) and placebo (P) on compliance with dietary treatment, especially as far as changes in kcal and macronutrient intake are concerned. A double-blind study d-F vs P was performed in 36 obese females, age range 20-59 years (mean 37.22 +/- 12.41), with a mean BMI of 33.95 +/- 5.36, suffering from obesity due to overeating without complications: Outpatient control every 30 days. The study protocol provided for a 14-month double-blind treatment with daily administration of either P (2 capsules) or d-F (two 15 mg capsules). Dietary prescription of 1200 kcal (5016 kJ) was given 15 days before enrollment (T/0) and during this period enrollment criteria were checked prior to randomization. Dietary intake was checked by a three-day recall (one working day, one half-holiday and one full holiday) in basal conditions and after 6-12 and 14 months. Administration of d-F and P brought about changes in alimentary behaviour in obese patients according to the dietary regime prescribed. In our patients, no highly significant differences between d-F and P were observed; however, the effect of P on macronutrient intake (carbohydrates, lipids and proteins) tended to peter out around the 12th month. Treatment with d-F reduced the consumption of simple carbohydrates, animal fats but not of animal proteins.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Socioeconomic status and chronic diseases of the aged. A multicenter study].

The above study was carried out in a population sample of 1250 elderly subjects living at home, from five Italian regions (Budrio in Emilia-Romagna, Ponte S. Nicolò in Veneto, Bernareggio in Lombardy, Sezze in Latiumm, Melito in Campania). The results obtained lead to the following conclusions: 1. The condition of loneliness appears to have a detrimental influence on health in both sexes. Among other consequences, loneliness leads to progressive spontaneous reduction of daily milieu and social requirements, as well as to an impression of dependence that cannot be easily overcome. 2. The study of the relationship between the presence or absence of chronic pathologies and legal title of domicile has shown that if the home is their own by legal property or usufruct this has a favorable influence, especially in males. Property also satisfies emotional needs, through the profound ties between personal history and certain places. 3. Positive changes in life style may have beneficial effects on the interaction between socio-economic variables and the onset of chronic pathologies, especially in old age.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) and nutritional risk in elderly. A proposal of nutritional surveillance system for the Department of Public Health].

Objective of the study is to present an intervention model to evaluate nutritional risk of institutionalised elderly, suitably with the aims and resources of the Hygiene of Nutrition Services, and to individuate predictive variables of nutritional vulnerability. 237 subjects from the residential homes of ASL RMB were involved in the study; to each subject was administered: a) the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA); b) a questionnaire for the analysis of the risk factors. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the influence of the risk factors on nutritional status. On the basis of BMI the prevalence of malnutrition is 6.5% and the prevalence of overweight and obesity is respectively 41.6% and 22.9%; on the basis of MNA, 5.1% of the subjects is malnourished and 60.3% at risk for malnutrition. The absence of chewing difficulties (OR 2.94; I.C. 1.46-5.91) and the habit to eat all foods served at meals (OR 2.83; I.C. 1.46-5.91) are associated with a good nutritional status. The age > or = 90 years is a risk factor for malnutrition at the limit of statistical significance (OR 0.44; I.C. 0.14-1.00). Carrying out the MNA resulted easy and quick, confirming the hypothesis for feasibility of this protocol in the Hygiene of Nutrition Services. The results highlight an high nutritional risk of the elderly nursing home residents and the importance of planning programs of nutritional surveillance with particular attention on masticatory function impairments, meal intake and on the oldest subjects among the elderly as a group greatly vulnerable. We believe that these areas are very important in defining public health intervention programs.

Aged↗