Cinzia Giuli - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Cinzia Giuli
The journal of nutrition, health & aging, 2010
To identify the relationship among cognitive status, psychological conditions, anthropometric mea... more To identify the relationship among cognitive status, psychological conditions, anthropometric measurements and life-style in a sample of elderly Italian men and women. Three hundred and six volunteers for ZINCAGE Project recruited. The sample was made up of healthy older adults living in the Marche Region aged 65 and over. All elderly were given a complete medical, anthropometric assessment, and psycho-social evaluation. Overall, the participants perceived themselves to be in very good or good (22%) or fair (69%) health; only 9% reported a poor health status. The 46% of the sample fell within the normal body mass index (BMI) range, though 38% were overweight, 12% were obese, and only 4% were underweight. In both sexes, BMI significantly decreased with age (p<0.001). BMI was positively associated with performing sedentary activities (r=0.188; p<0.001). Levels of both sedentary (r=0.221; p<0.001) and non-sedentary (r=0.258; p<0.001) leisure activities were positively assoc...
The journal of nutrition, health & aging, 2012
To analyse dietary habits and explore the role of socioeconomic status in a sample of elderly Ita... more To analyse dietary habits and explore the role of socioeconomic status in a sample of elderly Italians. Observational. 306 elderly subjects aged 65 and over living in the Marche Region (Italy). Assessment of dietary habits and life-style characteristics using a "Life-style questionnaire". Nutritional data collected by means of a 53-item "Frequency food questionnaire". The study revealed differences in dietary patterns and food consumption. Age was negatively related to all food categories. Some socio-economic characteristics (level of education and economic status) were correlated with consumption of many foods, such ad Fish, Red Meat and Diary products. Between-the-sexes differences were also documented. Our findings showed that the nutritional and dietary habits varied greatly within the sample investigated. The mapping of these dietary and nutritional patterns may be of value for future research in elderly populations, particularly those with low educational status and poor economic means. Conclusively, greater promotion of healthy dietary habits should be targeted towards elderly populations.
Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, 2014
Many observations suggest that mutations of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) could be responsible for th... more Many observations suggest that mutations of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) could be responsible for the neurodegenerative changes of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here we examined the signal intensity of the four alleles of each mtDNA nucleotide position (np) in whole blood of AD patients and age-matched controls using MitoChip v2.0 array. Our analysis identified 270 significantly different nps which, with one exception, showed an increased contribution of non-reference alleles in AD patients. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis showed that five of these nps could discriminate AD from control subjects with 80% of cases correctly classified. Our data support the hypothesis of mtDNA alterations as an important factor in the etiology of AD.
Objective. The aim of this study is to assess a possible relationship between telomere length and... more Objective. The aim of this study is to assess a possible relationship between telomere length and cognitive function in old healthy subjects.
Rejuvenation Research, 2006
It is very interesting and innovative to study the interrelationships between biological characte... more It is very interesting and innovative to study the interrelationships between biological characteristics, particularly zinc status, and psychosocial conditions in old age, because there are few and fragmentary data in the literature. The aim of this study was to examine the interrelationship between serum albumin value (an indicator of zinc status) and some psychosocial characteristics in elderly Italian volunteers recruited for the ZINCAGE project, which is supported by the European Commission in the Sixth Framework Programme (Food-CT-2003- 506850). A protocol of tests and questionnaires was used: the Lifestyle Questionnaire, the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS, 15 items), and the Perceived Stress Scale. A sample of 174 old subjects were recruited in Region Marche (Central Italy), and classified into three age groups: 65 to 74 years old, 75 to 84 years old, and &amp;amp;amp;gt;85 years old (including some nonagenarians). The preliminary results show that 69.7% of the subjects have no cognitive impairment; 66.5% have a value of the GDS scale indicating no depression; and 17% have an albumin deficiency. The majority of these are &amp;amp;amp;gt;85 years old and women. A relationship between level of albumin (used as indicator of zinc status) and depression has been found: 71% of subjects with albumin deficiency displayed a higher value on the depression test against 29% of subjects with a normal value (p &amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.01). These preliminary results show a relationship between serum albumin and psychological characteristics, in particular depression in an old Italian population. This further suggests that a zinc deficiency, via hypoalbumin values, is involved in impaired psychological characteristics in the elderly.
Rejuvenation Research, 2008
Zinc is relevant for psychological dimensions, which are altered in zinc deficiency, as in aging.... more Zinc is relevant for psychological dimensions, which are altered in zinc deficiency, as in aging. Since zinc deficiency and the beneficial effect of zinc supplementation may be related to genotypes of IL-6 -174 polymorphism, the main goal was to examine psychological dimensions in relationship to plasma zinc and genetic background of IL-6 in healthy elderly subjects, recruited in Italy, Greece, and Poland, before and after zinc supplementation. On the basis of IL-6 -174 polymorphism, significant restoration occurs for PSS, especially in Greece and Poland, less for MMSE and GDS, after zinc supplementation, suggesting zinc is important in reducing stress in elderly people.
The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 2010
Overweight and obesity are associated with low grade of inflammation and chronic inflammatory res... more Overweight and obesity are associated with low grade of inflammation and chronic inflammatory response characterized by abnormal production and activation of some pro-inflammatory signalling pathways. Taking into account that obesity is the direct result of an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure, the nutritional factors in the diet, with particular focus on zinc, may play a pivotal role in the development of obesity-associated comorbidities. Considering the potential interactions among zinc nutritional status, inflammation, overweight/obesity and insulin secretion, the aim of the present work was to clarify the influence of zinc dietary intake on some metabolic, inflammatory and zinc status parameters in adult overweight/obese subjects. We found a close interrelationship between nutritional zinc and obesity. In particular, subjects with a lower zinc dietary intake display a deeper inflammatory status, general impairment of the zinc status, an altered lipid profile and increased insulin production with respect to obese subjects with normal zinc dietary intake. Moreover, in the presence of low dietary zinc intake, the obese subjects are less capable to respond to oxidative stress and to inflammation leading to the development of obesity or to a worsening of already preexisting obesity status. In conclusion, a possible zinc supplementation in obese subjects with a deeper inflammatory status and more altered zinc profile may be suggested in order to limit or reduce the inflammation, taking also into account that zinc supplementation normalizes &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;inflammaging&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; as well as zinc profile leading to a correct intra- and extracellular zinc homeostasis.
Neurogastroenterology and motility : the official journal of the European Gastrointestinal Motility Society, 2010
Cannabinoids (CBs) evoke their effects by activating the cannabinoid receptor subtypes CB1-r and ... more Cannabinoids (CBs) evoke their effects by activating the cannabinoid receptor subtypes CB1-r and CB2-r and exert anti-inflammatory effects altering chemokine and cytokine expression. Various cytokines and chemokines are produced and released by rodent pancreatic acini in acute pancreatitis. Although CB1-r and CB2-r expressed in rat exocrine pancreatic acinar cells do not modulate digestive enzyme release, whether they modulate inflammatory mediators remains unclear. We investigated the CB-r system role on exocrine pancreas in unstimulated conditions and during acute pancreatitis.
Experimental Gerontology, 2008
Abbreviations: Zn/Alb = Plasma Zn/albumin (molar ratio), MT = Metallothionein (protein expression... more Abbreviations: Zn/Alb = Plasma Zn/albumin (molar ratio), MT = Metallothionein (protein expression), RBC-Zn = Zinc in erythrocytes, iZn L = intracellular labile zinc, iZn R = intracellular NO-induced release of Zn by MT Running Title : Zinc deficiency and IL-6 polymorphism in ageing peer-00499042, version 1 -Abstract IL-6 SNP at positions -174 is associated with age-related diseases characterized by an impaired Zn status. This polymorphism seems also relevant in regulating the expression of proteins, such as Metallothioneins (MT), involved in the modulation of Zn homeostasis. Since high IL-6 levels in elderly induce hypozinchemia, the IL-6 -174 SNP may be useful to identify old subjects who are at risk for Zn deficiency. The objectives of this study are: 1) to choose old subjects who effectively need Zn supplementation and 2) to study the effect of Zn supplementation on Zn, immune and psychological status in genetically selected subjects. For this purpose, a baseline study comprising 895 healthy old subjects recruited in Central-Northern and Southern European Countries was
Educational Gerontology, 2007
A best practice guide for improving the computer skills of the elderly and disabled is presented.... more A best practice guide for improving the computer skills of the elderly and disabled is presented. A set of user devices was made available to old and disabled people attending computer science courses and a Web site specifically designed for such users was ...
BMC Public Health, 2014
Background: Obesity is a complex multifactorial disease, which also has an impact on quality of l... more Background: Obesity is a complex multifactorial disease, which also has an impact on quality of life. The aim of this paper is to identify the correlates of perceived health related quality of life in obese, overweight and normal weight Italians older adults. Methods: 205 subjects at the age ≥ 60 yrs. were recruited into the Division of Endocrinology of the Polytechnic University of Marche Region, Ancona (Italy). A protocol of questionnaires was constructed for data collection, and included domains such as physical activity, quality of life, socio-psychological aspects. The association of the latter variables with SF-36 Health Survey physical component (PCS-36) were evaluated in the whole sample. Multiple linear regression models were used to assess the effect of independent variables on PCS-36 and the physical subscales of SF-36. Results: PCS-36 showed a lower score in the obese and overweight subjects than the normal weight group (post-hoc test, p < 0.001 and p < 0.05 respectively). Age, gender (male), Body Mass Index, years of education, Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) total score, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale anxiety, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale depression, number of medications prescribed and number of diseases were included in the model. Negative and significant PCS-associated variables included depression (p = 0.009), BMI (p = 0.001), age in years (p = 0.007), whereas positive and significant PCS-associated independent variables were years of education (p = 0.022), physical activity (p = 0.026). BMI was negatively associated with all the physical subscales of SF-36 (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Research funding should be invested in the study of the benefits accruing from reducing obesity in the elderly.
Biogerontology, 2006
The paper shows the results on the relationship between zinc status, psychological dimensions (co... more The paper shows the results on the relationship between zinc status, psychological dimensions (cognitive functions, mood, perceived stress) and nutritional aspects in European healthy old subjects recruited for ZINCAGE Project (supported by the European Commission in the Sixth Framework Programme). The old healthy subjects were recruited in Italy, Greece, Germany, France, Poland taking into account the different dietary habits between Northern and Southern European Countries and the pivotal role played by zinc for psychological functions. Measures of the cognitive status, mood and perceived stress level were obtained at baseline, using the &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE)&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;; the &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS - 15 items)&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; and the &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;, respectively. Nutritional status was assessed using &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;Frequency Food Questionnaire&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;. The sample included 853 old subjects, classified in 4 groups of age: 60-69-years-old (n = 359); 70-74-years-old (n = 225); 75-79-years-old (n = 153); 80-84-years-old (n = 116). Subjects were studied on the basis of plasma zinc, in which zinc &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/=11 microM means marginal zinc deficiency. The total samples showed that the 82% had no cognitive decline, whereas 76% presented a low GDS value indicating no depression. However, all psychological variables were related to plasma zinc values and nutritional assessment. In particular, a relationship between marginal zinc deficiency and impaired psychological dimensions occurred in Greece than in other European countries due to low intake and less variety of foods rich of zinc. This phenomenon was independent by the age, suggesting that a correct zinc intake from a wide range of foods may be useful to maintain a satisfactory plasma zinc levels as well as psychological status in elderly with subsequent achievement of healthy ageing.
Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 2009
Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 2012
This paper analyses variables associated with community-dwelling older people&amp;amp;amp... more This paper analyses variables associated with community-dwelling older people&amp;amp;amp;#39;s engagement in physical activity (PA). Data were examined using the results from the European ZINCAGE study on 306 community-dwelling Italians aged 65 years and over. The lifestyle questionnaire was used to evaluate the data. Levels of regular/non-regular PA were based on ≥ 1 h of weekly exercise. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the predictors of PA. Participants reported the time they had spent per week engaging in PA over the last year. Overall, 56.2% of them engaged in regular physical exercise. PA levels decreased in subjects with probable cognitive decline, depression and high perceived stress levels (p&amp;amp;amp;lt;0.001). Lower age, a lower body mass index (BMI), better health status, absence of depression, being married, were all associated with regular PA. The importance of monitoring PA in the elderly emerged, in particular in those having some certain social-demographic characteristics.
Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 2007
Urban and rural living environments play a key role in social gerontology. The aim of this paper ... more Urban and rural living environments play a key role in social gerontology. The aim of this paper is to examine urban-rural differences in Italy against some influencing key factors as well as to analyse whether these differences can be explained by the environmental setting or the age and, in some cases, the education of its elderly population. The study is based on data collected from the European funded MOBILATE 2000 project, which was carried out in Finland, The Netherlands, Hungary, Germany, and Italy. The Italian sample (600 subjects) was divided into rural and urban areas, and stratified according to gender and age. Older people living in rural areas were always significantly less well educated than those in urban areas. The average rural household size was larger than its urban counterpart. In general, Italian elderly people living in rural areas were less likely to live alone than their European peers. The social network was usually located close to the respondents' houses. Investigation of leisure activities and the use of new technologies revealed that elderly urban dwellers were not only more active than their rural peers, but also more technologically minded. A regression analysis (R 2 = 0.551) of the number of new technologies used by subjects, yielded living area, age, years of education (the strongest explanatory variable), and number of leisure activities performed as predictors. #
Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 2012
Background: Elderly people are particularly vulnerable to the effects of social reduction, so the... more Background: Elderly people are particularly vulnerable to the effects of social reduction, so there is an urgent need to identify the risks associated with social isolation. The aim of this paper was to analyze associations between psychological, socio-demographic, functional aspects on the risk of social isolation, mortality and re-hospitalization in older persons. Methods: This is a longitudinal study on 580 hospitalized elderly sample aged !70 yrs recruited from 2005 to 2007 in the Geriatrics Operative Unit of INRCA in Fermo, Italy. The comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) was used. Outcome measures included 36-month mortality and re-hospitalization. Results: In all patients, approximately 20% (n = 112) of the subjects were socially isolated. Women perceived their social support significantly worse than men (77.7 vs. 22.3%; p < 0.001). A multiple logistic regression analysis (goodness of fit x 2 = 102.86, p < 0.001) with risk of social isolation as the dependent variable, showed that women were at a greater risk than men for social isolation (OR = 1.99, 95% CI = 1.13-3.50). Furthermore, patients with a higher number of family components (OR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.59-0.88) and good parameters of quality of life (PCS-12: OR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.91-0.98; MCS-12: OR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.92-0.97) were less likely to be socially isolated. Cox regression models adjusted for gender, quality of life and number of family components, showed that the social isolation did not predict mortality (HR = 1.44, 95% CI = 0.84-2.46, p = 0.19), but was associated with higher re-hospitalization rates (HR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.02-1.59, p = 0.03). Conclusions: Our findings highlight several aspects related to the risk of social isolation and rehospitalization in a specific group of older persons. ß
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2007
Aging is an inevitable biological process that is associated with gradual and spontaneous biochem... more Aging is an inevitable biological process that is associated with gradual and spontaneous biochemical and physiological changes and increased susceptibility to diseases. Because nutritional factors are involved in improving immune functions, metabolic harmony, and antioxidant defense, some nutritional factors, such as zinc, may modify susceptibility to disease and promote healthy aging. In vitro (human lymphocytes exposed to endotoxins) and in vivo (old or young mice fed with low zinc dietary intake) studies revealed that zinc is important for immune efficiency (innate and adaptive), antioxidant activity (supeoxide dismutase), and cell differentiation via clusterin/apolipoprotein J. Intracellular zinc homeostasis is regulated by metallothioneins (MT) via ion release through the reduction of thiol groups in the MT molecule. This process is crucial in aging because high MT levels are not able to release zinc, resulting in low intracellular free ion availability for biological functions. Improvement in these functions occurs in the elderly after physiological zinc supplementation. In this study, the selection of elderly subjects for zinc supplementation is discussed in relation to the genetic background of MT and pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-6, because the latter is involved both in MT-gene expression and in intracellular zinc homeostasis.
Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 2010
The journal of nutrition, health & aging, 2010
To identify the relationship among cognitive status, psychological conditions, anthropometric mea... more To identify the relationship among cognitive status, psychological conditions, anthropometric measurements and life-style in a sample of elderly Italian men and women. Three hundred and six volunteers for ZINCAGE Project recruited. The sample was made up of healthy older adults living in the Marche Region aged 65 and over. All elderly were given a complete medical, anthropometric assessment, and psycho-social evaluation. Overall, the participants perceived themselves to be in very good or good (22%) or fair (69%) health; only 9% reported a poor health status. The 46% of the sample fell within the normal body mass index (BMI) range, though 38% were overweight, 12% were obese, and only 4% were underweight. In both sexes, BMI significantly decreased with age (p<0.001). BMI was positively associated with performing sedentary activities (r=0.188; p<0.001). Levels of both sedentary (r=0.221; p<0.001) and non-sedentary (r=0.258; p<0.001) leisure activities were positively assoc...
The journal of nutrition, health & aging, 2012
To analyse dietary habits and explore the role of socioeconomic status in a sample of elderly Ita... more To analyse dietary habits and explore the role of socioeconomic status in a sample of elderly Italians. Observational. 306 elderly subjects aged 65 and over living in the Marche Region (Italy). Assessment of dietary habits and life-style characteristics using a "Life-style questionnaire". Nutritional data collected by means of a 53-item "Frequency food questionnaire". The study revealed differences in dietary patterns and food consumption. Age was negatively related to all food categories. Some socio-economic characteristics (level of education and economic status) were correlated with consumption of many foods, such ad Fish, Red Meat and Diary products. Between-the-sexes differences were also documented. Our findings showed that the nutritional and dietary habits varied greatly within the sample investigated. The mapping of these dietary and nutritional patterns may be of value for future research in elderly populations, particularly those with low educational status and poor economic means. Conclusively, greater promotion of healthy dietary habits should be targeted towards elderly populations.
Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, 2014
Many observations suggest that mutations of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) could be responsible for th... more Many observations suggest that mutations of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) could be responsible for the neurodegenerative changes of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here we examined the signal intensity of the four alleles of each mtDNA nucleotide position (np) in whole blood of AD patients and age-matched controls using MitoChip v2.0 array. Our analysis identified 270 significantly different nps which, with one exception, showed an increased contribution of non-reference alleles in AD patients. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis showed that five of these nps could discriminate AD from control subjects with 80% of cases correctly classified. Our data support the hypothesis of mtDNA alterations as an important factor in the etiology of AD.
Objective. The aim of this study is to assess a possible relationship between telomere length and... more Objective. The aim of this study is to assess a possible relationship between telomere length and cognitive function in old healthy subjects.
Rejuvenation Research, 2006
It is very interesting and innovative to study the interrelationships between biological characte... more It is very interesting and innovative to study the interrelationships between biological characteristics, particularly zinc status, and psychosocial conditions in old age, because there are few and fragmentary data in the literature. The aim of this study was to examine the interrelationship between serum albumin value (an indicator of zinc status) and some psychosocial characteristics in elderly Italian volunteers recruited for the ZINCAGE project, which is supported by the European Commission in the Sixth Framework Programme (Food-CT-2003- 506850). A protocol of tests and questionnaires was used: the Lifestyle Questionnaire, the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS, 15 items), and the Perceived Stress Scale. A sample of 174 old subjects were recruited in Region Marche (Central Italy), and classified into three age groups: 65 to 74 years old, 75 to 84 years old, and &amp;amp;amp;gt;85 years old (including some nonagenarians). The preliminary results show that 69.7% of the subjects have no cognitive impairment; 66.5% have a value of the GDS scale indicating no depression; and 17% have an albumin deficiency. The majority of these are &amp;amp;amp;gt;85 years old and women. A relationship between level of albumin (used as indicator of zinc status) and depression has been found: 71% of subjects with albumin deficiency displayed a higher value on the depression test against 29% of subjects with a normal value (p &amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.01). These preliminary results show a relationship between serum albumin and psychological characteristics, in particular depression in an old Italian population. This further suggests that a zinc deficiency, via hypoalbumin values, is involved in impaired psychological characteristics in the elderly.
Rejuvenation Research, 2008
Zinc is relevant for psychological dimensions, which are altered in zinc deficiency, as in aging.... more Zinc is relevant for psychological dimensions, which are altered in zinc deficiency, as in aging. Since zinc deficiency and the beneficial effect of zinc supplementation may be related to genotypes of IL-6 -174 polymorphism, the main goal was to examine psychological dimensions in relationship to plasma zinc and genetic background of IL-6 in healthy elderly subjects, recruited in Italy, Greece, and Poland, before and after zinc supplementation. On the basis of IL-6 -174 polymorphism, significant restoration occurs for PSS, especially in Greece and Poland, less for MMSE and GDS, after zinc supplementation, suggesting zinc is important in reducing stress in elderly people.
The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 2010
Overweight and obesity are associated with low grade of inflammation and chronic inflammatory res... more Overweight and obesity are associated with low grade of inflammation and chronic inflammatory response characterized by abnormal production and activation of some pro-inflammatory signalling pathways. Taking into account that obesity is the direct result of an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure, the nutritional factors in the diet, with particular focus on zinc, may play a pivotal role in the development of obesity-associated comorbidities. Considering the potential interactions among zinc nutritional status, inflammation, overweight/obesity and insulin secretion, the aim of the present work was to clarify the influence of zinc dietary intake on some metabolic, inflammatory and zinc status parameters in adult overweight/obese subjects. We found a close interrelationship between nutritional zinc and obesity. In particular, subjects with a lower zinc dietary intake display a deeper inflammatory status, general impairment of the zinc status, an altered lipid profile and increased insulin production with respect to obese subjects with normal zinc dietary intake. Moreover, in the presence of low dietary zinc intake, the obese subjects are less capable to respond to oxidative stress and to inflammation leading to the development of obesity or to a worsening of already preexisting obesity status. In conclusion, a possible zinc supplementation in obese subjects with a deeper inflammatory status and more altered zinc profile may be suggested in order to limit or reduce the inflammation, taking also into account that zinc supplementation normalizes &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;inflammaging&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; as well as zinc profile leading to a correct intra- and extracellular zinc homeostasis.
Neurogastroenterology and motility : the official journal of the European Gastrointestinal Motility Society, 2010
Cannabinoids (CBs) evoke their effects by activating the cannabinoid receptor subtypes CB1-r and ... more Cannabinoids (CBs) evoke their effects by activating the cannabinoid receptor subtypes CB1-r and CB2-r and exert anti-inflammatory effects altering chemokine and cytokine expression. Various cytokines and chemokines are produced and released by rodent pancreatic acini in acute pancreatitis. Although CB1-r and CB2-r expressed in rat exocrine pancreatic acinar cells do not modulate digestive enzyme release, whether they modulate inflammatory mediators remains unclear. We investigated the CB-r system role on exocrine pancreas in unstimulated conditions and during acute pancreatitis.
Experimental Gerontology, 2008
Abbreviations: Zn/Alb = Plasma Zn/albumin (molar ratio), MT = Metallothionein (protein expression... more Abbreviations: Zn/Alb = Plasma Zn/albumin (molar ratio), MT = Metallothionein (protein expression), RBC-Zn = Zinc in erythrocytes, iZn L = intracellular labile zinc, iZn R = intracellular NO-induced release of Zn by MT Running Title : Zinc deficiency and IL-6 polymorphism in ageing peer-00499042, version 1 -Abstract IL-6 SNP at positions -174 is associated with age-related diseases characterized by an impaired Zn status. This polymorphism seems also relevant in regulating the expression of proteins, such as Metallothioneins (MT), involved in the modulation of Zn homeostasis. Since high IL-6 levels in elderly induce hypozinchemia, the IL-6 -174 SNP may be useful to identify old subjects who are at risk for Zn deficiency. The objectives of this study are: 1) to choose old subjects who effectively need Zn supplementation and 2) to study the effect of Zn supplementation on Zn, immune and psychological status in genetically selected subjects. For this purpose, a baseline study comprising 895 healthy old subjects recruited in Central-Northern and Southern European Countries was
Educational Gerontology, 2007
A best practice guide for improving the computer skills of the elderly and disabled is presented.... more A best practice guide for improving the computer skills of the elderly and disabled is presented. A set of user devices was made available to old and disabled people attending computer science courses and a Web site specifically designed for such users was ...
BMC Public Health, 2014
Background: Obesity is a complex multifactorial disease, which also has an impact on quality of l... more Background: Obesity is a complex multifactorial disease, which also has an impact on quality of life. The aim of this paper is to identify the correlates of perceived health related quality of life in obese, overweight and normal weight Italians older adults. Methods: 205 subjects at the age ≥ 60 yrs. were recruited into the Division of Endocrinology of the Polytechnic University of Marche Region, Ancona (Italy). A protocol of questionnaires was constructed for data collection, and included domains such as physical activity, quality of life, socio-psychological aspects. The association of the latter variables with SF-36 Health Survey physical component (PCS-36) were evaluated in the whole sample. Multiple linear regression models were used to assess the effect of independent variables on PCS-36 and the physical subscales of SF-36. Results: PCS-36 showed a lower score in the obese and overweight subjects than the normal weight group (post-hoc test, p < 0.001 and p < 0.05 respectively). Age, gender (male), Body Mass Index, years of education, Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) total score, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale anxiety, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale depression, number of medications prescribed and number of diseases were included in the model. Negative and significant PCS-associated variables included depression (p = 0.009), BMI (p = 0.001), age in years (p = 0.007), whereas positive and significant PCS-associated independent variables were years of education (p = 0.022), physical activity (p = 0.026). BMI was negatively associated with all the physical subscales of SF-36 (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Research funding should be invested in the study of the benefits accruing from reducing obesity in the elderly.
Biogerontology, 2006
The paper shows the results on the relationship between zinc status, psychological dimensions (co... more The paper shows the results on the relationship between zinc status, psychological dimensions (cognitive functions, mood, perceived stress) and nutritional aspects in European healthy old subjects recruited for ZINCAGE Project (supported by the European Commission in the Sixth Framework Programme). The old healthy subjects were recruited in Italy, Greece, Germany, France, Poland taking into account the different dietary habits between Northern and Southern European Countries and the pivotal role played by zinc for psychological functions. Measures of the cognitive status, mood and perceived stress level were obtained at baseline, using the &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE)&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;; the &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS - 15 items)&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; and the &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;, respectively. Nutritional status was assessed using &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;Frequency Food Questionnaire&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;. The sample included 853 old subjects, classified in 4 groups of age: 60-69-years-old (n = 359); 70-74-years-old (n = 225); 75-79-years-old (n = 153); 80-84-years-old (n = 116). Subjects were studied on the basis of plasma zinc, in which zinc &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/=11 microM means marginal zinc deficiency. The total samples showed that the 82% had no cognitive decline, whereas 76% presented a low GDS value indicating no depression. However, all psychological variables were related to plasma zinc values and nutritional assessment. In particular, a relationship between marginal zinc deficiency and impaired psychological dimensions occurred in Greece than in other European countries due to low intake and less variety of foods rich of zinc. This phenomenon was independent by the age, suggesting that a correct zinc intake from a wide range of foods may be useful to maintain a satisfactory plasma zinc levels as well as psychological status in elderly with subsequent achievement of healthy ageing.
Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 2009
Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 2012
This paper analyses variables associated with community-dwelling older people&amp;amp;amp... more This paper analyses variables associated with community-dwelling older people&amp;amp;amp;#39;s engagement in physical activity (PA). Data were examined using the results from the European ZINCAGE study on 306 community-dwelling Italians aged 65 years and over. The lifestyle questionnaire was used to evaluate the data. Levels of regular/non-regular PA were based on ≥ 1 h of weekly exercise. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the predictors of PA. Participants reported the time they had spent per week engaging in PA over the last year. Overall, 56.2% of them engaged in regular physical exercise. PA levels decreased in subjects with probable cognitive decline, depression and high perceived stress levels (p&amp;amp;amp;lt;0.001). Lower age, a lower body mass index (BMI), better health status, absence of depression, being married, were all associated with regular PA. The importance of monitoring PA in the elderly emerged, in particular in those having some certain social-demographic characteristics.
Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 2007
Urban and rural living environments play a key role in social gerontology. The aim of this paper ... more Urban and rural living environments play a key role in social gerontology. The aim of this paper is to examine urban-rural differences in Italy against some influencing key factors as well as to analyse whether these differences can be explained by the environmental setting or the age and, in some cases, the education of its elderly population. The study is based on data collected from the European funded MOBILATE 2000 project, which was carried out in Finland, The Netherlands, Hungary, Germany, and Italy. The Italian sample (600 subjects) was divided into rural and urban areas, and stratified according to gender and age. Older people living in rural areas were always significantly less well educated than those in urban areas. The average rural household size was larger than its urban counterpart. In general, Italian elderly people living in rural areas were less likely to live alone than their European peers. The social network was usually located close to the respondents' houses. Investigation of leisure activities and the use of new technologies revealed that elderly urban dwellers were not only more active than their rural peers, but also more technologically minded. A regression analysis (R 2 = 0.551) of the number of new technologies used by subjects, yielded living area, age, years of education (the strongest explanatory variable), and number of leisure activities performed as predictors. #
Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 2012
Background: Elderly people are particularly vulnerable to the effects of social reduction, so the... more Background: Elderly people are particularly vulnerable to the effects of social reduction, so there is an urgent need to identify the risks associated with social isolation. The aim of this paper was to analyze associations between psychological, socio-demographic, functional aspects on the risk of social isolation, mortality and re-hospitalization in older persons. Methods: This is a longitudinal study on 580 hospitalized elderly sample aged !70 yrs recruited from 2005 to 2007 in the Geriatrics Operative Unit of INRCA in Fermo, Italy. The comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) was used. Outcome measures included 36-month mortality and re-hospitalization. Results: In all patients, approximately 20% (n = 112) of the subjects were socially isolated. Women perceived their social support significantly worse than men (77.7 vs. 22.3%; p < 0.001). A multiple logistic regression analysis (goodness of fit x 2 = 102.86, p < 0.001) with risk of social isolation as the dependent variable, showed that women were at a greater risk than men for social isolation (OR = 1.99, 95% CI = 1.13-3.50). Furthermore, patients with a higher number of family components (OR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.59-0.88) and good parameters of quality of life (PCS-12: OR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.91-0.98; MCS-12: OR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.92-0.97) were less likely to be socially isolated. Cox regression models adjusted for gender, quality of life and number of family components, showed that the social isolation did not predict mortality (HR = 1.44, 95% CI = 0.84-2.46, p = 0.19), but was associated with higher re-hospitalization rates (HR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.02-1.59, p = 0.03). Conclusions: Our findings highlight several aspects related to the risk of social isolation and rehospitalization in a specific group of older persons. ß
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2007
Aging is an inevitable biological process that is associated with gradual and spontaneous biochem... more Aging is an inevitable biological process that is associated with gradual and spontaneous biochemical and physiological changes and increased susceptibility to diseases. Because nutritional factors are involved in improving immune functions, metabolic harmony, and antioxidant defense, some nutritional factors, such as zinc, may modify susceptibility to disease and promote healthy aging. In vitro (human lymphocytes exposed to endotoxins) and in vivo (old or young mice fed with low zinc dietary intake) studies revealed that zinc is important for immune efficiency (innate and adaptive), antioxidant activity (supeoxide dismutase), and cell differentiation via clusterin/apolipoprotein J. Intracellular zinc homeostasis is regulated by metallothioneins (MT) via ion release through the reduction of thiol groups in the MT molecule. This process is crucial in aging because high MT levels are not able to release zinc, resulting in low intracellular free ion availability for biological functions. Improvement in these functions occurs in the elderly after physiological zinc supplementation. In this study, the selection of elderly subjects for zinc supplementation is discussed in relation to the genetic background of MT and pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-6, because the latter is involved both in MT-gene expression and in intracellular zinc homeostasis.
Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 2010