Introduction: The current understanding of prognostic factors of functional recovery after a proximal femoral fracture is limited, and enhancements could improve the prognostic accuracy and target... Show moreIntroduction: The current understanding of prognostic factors of functional recovery after a proximal femoral fracture is limited, and enhancements could improve the prognostic accuracy and target subgroups for additional care strategies. This systematic review aims to identify all studied factors with an independent prognostic value for the long-term functional recovery of patients with a proximal femoral fracture.Materials and methods: Observational studies with multivariate analyses on prognostic factors of long-term functional outcome after proximal femoral fractures were obtained through an electronic search performed on November 9, 2018.Results: In the 31 included articles, thirteen prognostic factors were studied by at least two independent studies and an additional ten by only one study. Age, comorbidity, functionality and cognition were factors for which the majority of studies indicated a significant effect. The majority of studies which included sex as a factor found no significant effect. The level of evidence for the remaining factors was deemed too low to be conclusive on their relevance for long-term functional outcome.Conclusion: The identified factors showed overlap with prognostic factors of short-term functional outcomes and mortality. The validity and applicability of prognostic models based on these factors may be of interest for future research. Show less
Introduction: The ageing process can be influenced by different dietary patterns and dietary factors.Aim: To analyse the association of dietary factors, which include the Mediterranean diet... Show moreIntroduction: The ageing process can be influenced by different dietary patterns and dietary factors.Aim: To analyse the association of dietary factors, which include the Mediterranean diet adherence, the compliance with the "Sociedad Espanola de Nutricion Comunitaria" food portion recommendations, and the intake of different food groups, with the secreted form of the alpha-Klotho gene (S-Klotho as an anti-ageing marker) in middle-aged sedentary adults.Methods: A total of 74 (39 women) middle-aged sedentary adults participated in the study. Dietary factors were assessed with a food frequency questionnaire and the PREDIMED questionnaire. The S-Klotho plasma levels were measured using a soluble alpha-Klotho ELISA assay kit.Results: We observed: (i) a negative association between the adherence to the Mediterranean diet and the S-Klotho plasma levels (beta = - 53.219; R-2 = 0.078; P = 0.020), (ii) a higher intake of wine (> 7 glasses/week), was associated with lower S-Klotho plasma levels (P = 0.039), and (iii) a positive association between nuts portion intake and the S-Klotho plasma levels (beta = 26.087; R-2 = 0.070; P = 0.029). All the associations disappeared after controlling for lean mass index (LMI) (all P > 0.05).Conclusion: Our study suggests that, although dietary factors could be related to S-Klotho plasma levels in middle-aged sedentary adults, LMI is the main determinant in this regard. Show less
Evidence is mounting that reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced because of stressful challenges could interfere with the proper functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis,... Show moreEvidence is mounting that reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced because of stressful challenges could interfere with the proper functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, resulting in greater vulnerability to aging and neurodegeneration Here we tested the hypothesis that p66(Shc-/-) mice, which have been described to have an extended life span and a high resistance to oxidative stress, might be less susceptible to the effects of inflammatory insults at adulthood Although adrenocortical reactivity in response to bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide. LPS) did not differ as a function of the genotype, a hyperdrive of the HPA axis was revealed following treatment with a synthetic glucocorticoid agonist When measuring changes in hippocampal oxidative status following LPS, only wild-type (WT) subjects showed increased levels of F-2-isoprostanes, an index of lipid peroxidation and free radical formation. At the same time, the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor was selectively increased in WT subjects, while levels of prostaglandin E-2 were decreased in the mutants Overall, the greater resilience to inflammation-Induced changes in the p66(Shc-/-) mutants might underlie the better health status and the longevity characterizing these mice. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc All rights reserved Show less
