Gazpacho consumption is associated with lower blood pressure and reduced hypertension in a high cardiovascular risk cohort. Cross-sectional study of the PREDIMED trial

Hypertension is a major public health problem and a leading cause of death and disability in both developed and developing countries, affecting onequarter of the world"s adult population. Our aim was to evaluate whether the consumption of gazpacho, a Mediterranean vegetable-based cold soup rich in phytochemicals, is associated with lower blood pressure (BP) and/or reduced prevalence of hypertension in individuals at high cardiovascular risk. Methods and results: We selected 3995 individuals (58% women, mean age 67 y) at high cardiovascular risk (81% hypertensive) recruited into the PREDIMED study. BP, weight, and dietary and physical activity data were collected. In multivariate linear regression analyses, after adjustment, moderate and high gazpacho consumption categories were associated with reduced mean systolic BP of 1.9 mm Hg [95% confidence interval (CI): 3.4; 0.6] and 2.6 mm Hg (CI: 4.2; 1.0), respectively, and reduced diastolic BP of 1.5 mm Hg (CI: 2.3; 0.6) and 1.9 mm Hg (CI: 2.8; 1.1). By multiple-adjusted logistic regression analysis, gazpacho consumption was associated with a lower prevalence of hypertension, with OR Z 0.85 (CI: 0.73; 0.99) for each 250 g/week increase and OR Z 0.73 (CI: 0.55; 0.98) for high gazpacho consumption groups compared to the no-consumption group. Conclusions: Gazpacho consumption was inversely associated with systolic and diastolic BP and prevalence of hypertension in a cross-sectional Mediterranean population at high cardiovascular risk. The association between gazpacho intake and reduction of BP is probably due to synergy among several bioactive compounds present in the vegetable ingredients used to make the recipe.

A short screener is valid for assessing mediterranean diet adherence among older spanish men and women

Ensuring the accuracy of dietary assessment instruments is paramount for interpreting diet-disease relationships. The present study assessed the relative and construct validity of the 14-point Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS) used in the Prevencio´n con Dieta Mediterra´nea (PREDIMED) study, a primary prevention nutrition-intervention trial. A validated FFQ and the MEDAS were administered to 7146 participants of the PREDIMED study. The MEDASderived PREDIMED score correlated significantly with the corresponding FFQ PREDIMED score (r = 0.52; intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.51) and in the anticipated directions with the dietary intakes reported on the FFQ. Using Bland Altman"s analysis, the average MEDAS Mediterranean diet score estimate was 105% of the FFQ PREDIMED score estimate. Limits of agreement ranged between 57 and 153%. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that a higher PREDIMED score related directly (P , 0.001) to HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) and inversely (P , 0.038) to BMI, waist circumference, TG, the TG:HDL-C ratio, fasting glucose, and the cholesterol:HDL-C ratio. The 10-y estimated coronary artery disease risk decreased as the PREDIMED score increased (P , 0.001). The MEDAS is a valid instrument for rapid estimation of adherence to the Mediterranean diet and may be useful in clinical practice.

A 14-item Mediterranean diet assessment tool and obesity indexes among high-risk subjects: the PREDIMED trial

Objective: Independently of total caloric intake, a better quality of the diet (for example, conformity to the Mediterranean diet) is associated with lower obesity risk. It is unclear whether a brief dietary assessment tool, instead of full-length comprehensive methods, can also capture this association. In addition to reduced costs, a brief tool has the interesting advantage of allowing immediate feedback to participants in interventional studies. Another relevant question is which individual items of such a brief tool are responsible for this association. We examined these associations using a 14-item tool of adherence to the Mediterranean diet as exposure and body mass index, waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) as outcomes. Design: Cross-sectional assessment of all participants in the"PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea" (PREDIMED) trial. Subjects: 7,447 participants (55-80 years, 57% women) free of cardiovascular disease, but with either type 2 diabetes or $3 cardiovascular risk factors. Trained dietitians used both a validated 14-item questionnaire and a full-length validated 137-item food frequency questionnaire to assess dietary habits. Trained nurses measured weight, height and waist circumference. Results: Strong inverse linear associations between the 14-item tool and all adiposity indexes were found. For a two-point increment in the 14-item score, the multivariable-adjusted differences in WHtR were 20.0066 (95% confidence interval,- 0.0088 to 20.0049) for women and-0.0059 (-0.0079 to-0.0038) for men. The multivariable-adjusted odds ratio for a WHtR.0.6 in participants scoring $10 points versus #7 points was 0.68 (0.57 to 0.80) for women and 0.66 (0.54 to 0.80) for men. High consumption of nuts and low consumption of sweetened/carbonated beverages presented the strongest inverse associations with abdominal obesity. Conclusions: A brief 14-item tool was able to capture a strong monotonic inverse association between adherence to a good quality dietary pattern (Mediterranean diet) and obesity indexes in a population of adults at high cardiovascular risk.

Gazpacho consumption is associated with lower blood pressure and reduced hypertension in a high cardiovascular risk cohort. Cross-sectional study of the PREDIMED trial

Hypertension is a major public health problem and a leading cause of death and disability in both developed and developing countries, affecting onequarter of the world"s adult population. Our aim was to evaluate whether the consumption of gazpacho, a Mediterranean vegetable-based cold soup rich in phytochemicals, is associated with lower blood pressure (BP) and/or reduced prevalence of hypertension in individuals at high cardiovascular risk. Methods and results: We selected 3995 individuals (58% women, mean age 67 y) at high cardiovascular risk (81% hypertensive) recruited into the PREDIMED study. BP, weight, and dietary and physical activity data were collected. In multivariate linear regression analyses, after adjustment, moderate and high gazpacho consumption categories were associated with reduced mean systolic BP of 1.9 mm Hg [95% confidence interval (CI): 3.4; 0.6] and 2.6 mm Hg (CI: 4.2; 1.0), respectively, and reduced diastolic BP of 1.5 mm Hg (CI: 2.3; 0.6) and 1.9 mm Hg (CI: 2.8; 1.1). By multiple-adjusted logistic regression analysis, gazpacho consumption was associated with a lower prevalence of hypertension, with OR Z 0.85 (CI: 0.73; 0.99) for each 250 g/week increase and OR Z 0.73 (CI: 0.55; 0.98) for high gazpacho consumption groups compared to the no-consumption group. Conclusions: Gazpacho consumption was inversely associated with systolic and diastolic BP and prevalence of hypertension in a cross-sectional Mediterranean population at high cardiovascular risk. The association between gazpacho intake and reduction of BP is probably due to synergy among several bioactive compounds present in the vegetable ingredients used to make the recipe.

The mediterranean diet pattern and its main components are associated with lower plasma concentrations of tumor necrosis factor receptor 60 in patients at high risk for cardiovascular disease

Adherence to aMediterranean diet (MD) is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease. However, themolecular mechanisms involved are not fully understood. The aim of this studywas to compare the effects of 2MD with those of a lowfat- diet (LFD) on circulating inflammatory biomarkers related to atherogenesis. A total of 516 participants included in the PreventionwithMediterraneanDiet Studywere randomized into 3 intervention groups [MD supplementedwith virgin olive oil (MD-VOO); MD supplemented with mixed nuts (MD-Nuts); and LFD]. At baseline and after 1 y, participants completed FFQ and adherence to MD questionnaires, and plasma concentrations of inflammatory markers including intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1), IL-6, and 2 TNF receptors (TNFR60 and TNFR80) were measured by ELISA. At 1 y, the MD groups had lower plasma concentrations of IL-6, TNFR60, and TNFR80 (P , 0.05), whereas ICAM-1, TNFR60, and TNFR80 concentrations increased in the LFD group (P , 0.002). Due to between-group differences, participants in the 2 MD groups had lower plasma concentrations of ICAM-1, IL-6, TNFR60, and TNFR80 compared to those in the LFD group (P # 0.028). When participants were categorized in tertiles of 1-y changes in the consumption of selected foods, those in the highest tertile of virgin olive oil (VOO) and vegetable consumption had a lower plasma TNFR60 concentration compared with those in tertile 1 (P,0.02).Moreover, the only changes in consumption thatwere associated with 1-y changes in the geometricmean TNFR60 concentrations were those of VOO and vegetables (P = 0.01). This study suggests that a MD reduces TNFR concentrations in patients at high cardiovascular risk.

A short screener is valid for assessing mediterranean diet adherence among older spanish men and women

Ensuring the accuracy of dietary assessment instruments is paramount for interpreting diet-disease relationships. The present study assessed the relative and construct validity of the 14-point Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS) used in the Prevencio´n con Dieta Mediterra´nea (PREDIMED) study, a primary prevention nutrition-intervention trial. A validated FFQ and the MEDAS were administered to 7146 participants of the PREDIMED study. The MEDASderived PREDIMED score correlated significantly with the corresponding FFQ PREDIMED score (r = 0.52; intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.51) and in the anticipated directions with the dietary intakes reported on the FFQ. Using Bland Altman"s analysis, the average MEDAS Mediterranean diet score estimate was 105% of the FFQ PREDIMED score estimate. Limits of agreement ranged between 57 and 153%. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that a higher PREDIMED score related directly (P , 0.001) to HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) and inversely (P , 0.038) to BMI, waist circumference, TG, the TG:HDL-C ratio, fasting glucose, and the cholesterol:HDL-C ratio. The 10-y estimated coronary artery disease risk decreased as the PREDIMED score increased (P , 0.001). The MEDAS is a valid instrument for rapid estimation of adherence to the Mediterranean diet and may be useful in clinical practice.

Recomendaciones para la implementación del artículo 37 Difusión en Acceso Abierto de la Ley de la Ciencia, la Tecnología y la Innovación

La Ley de la Ciencia, la Tecnología y la Innovación, publicada en junio de 20111, recoge en su artículo 37 los principales aspectos a tener en cuenta a la hora de llevar a cabo la difusión en abierto de los resultados de la investigación financiada con fondos públicos y aceptados para su publicación en publicaciones de investigación seriadas o periódicas. Sin embargo, las dudas que han surgido en los diferentes ámbitos de aplicación han motivado la realización de un ejercicio de reflexión que permita ordenar cuáles son los pasos que los diferentes agentes involucrados deberían abordar para un correcto cumplimiento de la normativa legal y facilitar así la adecuada aplicación del artículo sobre “Difusión en acceso abierto”.El objetivo de este documento es contar con una guía práctica que defina los aspectos principales de la política nacional de acceso abierto y despeje el camino a todos los actores afectados, al especificar cuáles son los nuevos roles que habrán de adoptarse y elaborar una serie de recomendaciones destinadas a todos los colectivos implicados en la producción y gestión del mercado de la información científica...

Recomendaciones para la implementación del artículo 37 Difusión en Acceso Abierto de la Ley de la Ciencia, la Tecnología y la Innovación

La Ley de la Ciencia, la Tecnología y la Innovación, publicada en junio de 20111, recoge en su artículo 37 los principales aspectos a tener en cuenta a la hora de llevar a cabo la difusión en abierto de los resultados de la investigación financiada con fondos públicos y aceptados para su publicación en publicaciones de investigación seriadas o periódicas. Sin embargo, las dudas que han surgido en los diferentes ámbitos de aplicación han motivado la realización de un ejercicio de reflexión que permita ordenar cuáles son los pasos que los diferentes agentes involucrados deberían abordar para un correcto cumplimiento de la normativa legal y facilitar así la adecuada aplicación del artículo sobre “Difusión en acceso abierto”.El objetivo de este documento es contar con una guía práctica que defina los aspectos principales de la política nacional de acceso abierto y despeje el camino a todos los actores afectados, al especificar cuáles son los nuevos roles que habrán de adoptarse y elaborar una serie de recomendaciones destinadas a todos los colectivos implicados en la producción y gestión del mercado de la información científica...

Activación de expresiones idiomáticas incompletas y prominencia semántica en la Sombra del Viento de Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Las expresiones idiomáticas manifiestan comportamientos de tipos diversos, ya sea por su complejidad morfológica, por las reglas de composicionalidad o no/composicionalidad que las rigen o por el modo de inferir su significado. En la novela La sombra del viento, Carlos Ruiz Zafón experimenta con las propiedades de estos recursos lingüísticos a partir de grupos léxicos concretos cuyos componentes textuales suscitan expresiones idiomáticas. La prominencia semántica que ejercen el contexto y los elementos léxicos presentes en el texto son suficientes para recuperar la expresión idiomática al completo y su significado idiomático. En este estudio se analiza este recurso estilístico teniendo en cuenta los procesos mentales implicados en la identificación de las expresiones modificadas y los mecanismos de recuperación de sus significados idiomáticos, tales como la prominencia semántica o las relaciones entre los componentes contextuales, así como las relaciones que se establecen entre la expresión idiomática y el contexto.

Competències d'exposició oral acadèmica: treball en equip docent interassignatures en el grau de Psicologia

Con el presente trabajo queremos dar a conocer los primeros resultados de un Pro-yecto de Innovación Docente (UB), “Competencias de exposición oral en contextos académicos: trabajo en equipo docente interasignaturas”; concretamente dos mate-riales elaborados en el marco de desarrollo del mencionado proyecto.

Competències d'exposició oral acadèmica: treball en equip docent interassignatures en el grau de Psicologia

Con el presente trabajo queremos dar a conocer los primeros resultados de un Pro-yecto de Innovación Docente (UB), “Competencias de exposición oral en contextos académicos: trabajo en equipo docente interasignaturas”; concretamente dos mate-riales elaborados en el marco de desarrollo del mencionado proyecto.

Felisa Jordán, la madre de Estanislao Zeballos. Prácticas asociativas, espacio público y proyección femenina en Argentina (1870-1880)

La reconstrucción de la historia de la madre del conocido Estanislao Severo Zeballos es el objetivo de este artículo que se centra en la búsqueda del rol ejercido por Felisa Jordán durante la organización del Estado-Nación de la República Argentina. Zeballos divulgó algunos datos de su vida privada, como su parentesco con los Urquiza y los Ruiz Moreno, o su condición de propietario de 351.562 hectáreas en el Chaco Boreal gracias a la mediación que practicó en el transcurso de la firma del tratado boliviano-paraguayo que fijó la línea de statu-quo de 1907. Pero el relato más creativo del rosarino Estanislao fue la gestión de su madre Felisa Jordán de Zeballos en el marco del ámbito asociativo de la ciudad de Rosario. Para describir esta llamativa vinculación entre Zeballos y su madre Felisa Jordán me he centrado en dos fuentes documentales singulares que nos permiten abordar las prácticas asociativas, los espacios públicos y la proyección femenina en Argentina entre 1869 y 1872. En primer lugar en los documentos privados de las mujeres de élite de la Ciudad de Rosario, en particular las actas y la correspondencia de la asociación benéfica Damas de Caridad. Esta documentación signó durante años mi investigación sobre el Asilo de Huérfanos y Expósitos cuyo nombre fue modificado por Hogar del Huérfano por el peronismo, una institución que hoy día se encuentra en un futuro incierto. La secretaria de aquella asociación femenina fue la llamativa Felisa Jordán, la viuda del militar Estanislao Zeballos, que colaboraba activamente con la presidenta de la asociación Damas de Caridad, María de los Ángeles Rodríguez de Rosas, y con la tesorera Blanca Musch de Villegas en cuyo domicilio se reunieron por primera vez para formar la entidad en el año 1869, es decir, en plena Guerra de la Triple Alianza. La documentación de las hoy llamadas Damas de Protección al Huérfano se conserva en el archivo del Hogar del Huérfano, otrora denominado Hogar de Huérfanos y Expósitos, y hace referencia a aspectos de la vida cotidiana de la entidad, de la asociación femenina y de sus socias.

Polyphenol intake and mortality risk: a re-analysis of the PREDIMED trial

Background: Polyphenols may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and other chronic diseases due to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as their beneficial effects on blood pressure, lipids and insulin resistance. However, no previous epidemiological studies have evaluated the relationship between the intake of total polyphenols intake and polyphenol subclasses with overall mortality. Our aim was to evaluate whether polyphenol intake is associated with all-cause mortality in subjects at high cardiovascular risk. Methods: We used data from the PREDIMED study, a 7,447-participant, parallel-group, randomized, multicenter, controlled five-year feeding trial aimed at assessing the effects of the Mediterranean Diet in primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Polyphenol intake was calculated by matching food consumption data from repeated food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) with the Phenol-Explorer database on the polyphenol content of each reported food. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) between polyphenol intake and mortality were estimated using time-dependent Cox proportional hazard models. Results: Over an average of 4.8 years of follow-up, we observed 327 deaths. After multivariate adjustment, we found a 37% relative reduction in all-cause mortality comparing the highest versus the lowest quintiles of total polyphenol intake (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.63; 95% CI 0.41 to 0.97; P for trend = 0.12). Among the polyphenol subclasses, stilbenes and lignans were significantly associated with reduced all-cause mortality (HR =0.48; 95% CI 0.25 to 0.91; P for trend = 0.04 and HR = 0.60; 95% CI 0.37 to 0.97; P for trend = 0.03, respectively), with no significant associations apparent in the rest (flavonoids or phenolic acids). Conclusions: Among high-risk subjects, those who reported a high polyphenol intake, especially of stilbenes and lignans, showed a reduced risk of overall mortality compared to those with lower intakes. These results may be useful to determine optimal polyphenol intake or specific food sources of polyphenols that may reduce the risk of all-cause mortality.

Sevillian transport jars in early colonial America: the case of Santa María La Antigua del Darién (Colombia)

Within the scope of the TECNOLONIAL (HAR2008-02834/HIST) project, an archaeologi- cal and archaeometric research is being conduct- ed in order to clarify and systematize transport jars production in the Iberian peninsula and their distribution abroad, especially to the Americas, from the 15th to the 17th century. The production centre of Seville, in the Crown of Castile, produced large glazed and unglazed transport jars, called botijas, which were mainly devoted to the Atlantic trade network. The pres- ent study accounts for the first results obtained from an initial sample of 34 transport jars dated around the 15th-16th centuries from the produc- tion centre of Seville and the reception site of Santa María de la Antigua del Darién (gulf of Urabá, Colombia). This latter site is especially significant since it was the first Spanish founda- tion (1510) in continental America that obtained the title of town, and was the seat for the Governor of the new region called Castilla de Oro, as well as for the first diocese. All individuals were analyzed by means of x-ray fluorescence and diffraction analyses and then compared with the majolica production database from Seville. The results enabled us to define the first refer- ence groups for such modern transport jars, and to get a first insight into the jars coming to the Americas in the early 16th century whose prove- nance can be linked to Seville, but not Triana.

Early adversity and 5-HTT-BDNF genes: New evidences of Gene-Environment interactions on depressive symptoms in a general population

Background Adverse childhood experiences have been described as one of the major environmental risk factors for depressive disorder. Similarly, the deleterious impact of early traumatic experiences on depression seems to be moderated by individual genetic variability. Serotonin transporter (5-HTT) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) modulate the effect of childhood adversity on adult depression, although inconsistencies across studies have been found. Moreover, the gene×environment (G×E) interaction concerning the different types of childhood adversity remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to analyse the putative interaction between the 5-HTT gene (5-HTTLPR polymorphism), the BDNF gene (Val66Met polymorphism) and childhood adversity in accounting for adult depressive symptoms. Method A sample of 534 healthy individuals filled in self-report questionnaires of depressive symptomatology [the Symptom Check List 90 Revised (SCL-90-R)] and different types of childhood adversities [the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ)]. The 5-HTTLPR polymorphism (5-HTT gene) and the Val66Met polymorphism (BDNF gene) were genotyped in the whole sample. Results Total childhood adversity (β=0.27, p<0.001), childhood sexual abuse (CSA; β=0.17, p<0.001), childhood emotional abuse (β=0.27, p<0.001) and childhood emotional neglect (β=0.22, p<0.001) had an impact on adult depressive symptoms. CSA had a greater impact on depressive symptoms in Met allele carriers of the BDNF gene than in the Val/Val group (F=5.87, p<0.0001), and in S carriers of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism (5-HTT gene) (F=5.80, p<0.0001). Conclusions Childhood adversity per se predicted higher levels of adult depressive symptoms. In addition, BDNF Val66Met and 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms seemed to moderate the effect of CSA on adult depressive symptoms.