Repositioning of the global epicentre of non-optimal cholesterol NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC)* High blood cholesterol is typically considered a feature of wealthy western countries 1,2. However, dietary and behavioural determinants of blood cholesterol are changing rapidly throughout the world 3 and countries are using lipid-lowering medications at varying rates. These changes can have distinct effects on the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol, which have different effects on human health 4,5. However, the trends of HDL and non-HDL cholesterol levels over time have not been previously reported in a global analysis. Here we pooled 1,127 population-based studies that measured blood lipids in 102.6 million individuals aged 18 years and older to estimate trends from 1980 to 2018 in mean total, non-HDL and HDL cholesterol levels for 200 countries. Globally, there was little change in total or non-HDL cholesterol from 1980 to 2018. This was a net effect of increases in low-and middle-income countries, especially in east and southeast Asia, and decreases in high-income western countries, especially those in northwestern Europe, and in central and eastern Europe. As a result, countries with the highest level of non-HDL cholesterol-which is a marker of cardiovascular riskchanged from those in western Europe such as Belgium,

Background and Objectives: Recent studies have shown the existence of a positive relationship between physical exercise, symptomatic improvement, and reduction of damage caused by comorbidities associated with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) in children, adolescents, and adults. The aim of this systematic review with meta-analysis (SRM) was to estimate the effects of physical exercise (PE) on the stereotyped behaviors of children with a diagnosis of ASD in intervention studies. Materials and Methods: The design followed the PRISMA guidelines and the TREND statement to assess the quality of information in each study. Nine non-randomized intervention trial studies with low, moderate, and vigorous physical exercise, with a duration varying from 8 to 48 weeks and a frequency of 3 times a week, were included in the SRM. The dependent variable episodes of stereotypical behaviors was analyzed in all studies and assessed as the number of episodes demonstrated by the child in pre- versus post-exercise intervention conditions. Results: The eight studies included a total 129 children (115 males and 14 females) with an average age of 8.93 ± 1.69 years. Children with ASD showed a reduction of 1.1 in the number of occurrences of stereotypical behaviors after intervention with physical exercise. Conclusion: Evidence was found to support physical exercise as an effective tool in reducing the number of episodes of stereotypical behaviors in children diagnosed with ASD.

Background: Children are often exposed to too much screen time but few studies have explored the use of old and new digital media among young children. This study assesses screen time, including traditional and mobile devices, in preschool and elementary school-aged children, according to their gender, age, and socioeconomic position (SEP). Methods: A total of 8430 children (3 to 10 years; 50.8% boys) from the north, center and south-central Portugal were included in the present study. Data was collected by a parental questionnaire during 2016/2017. Children's screen time (by media device, weekdays and at the weekend; calculated by mean minutes per day) were reported by parents. Analysis were carried to compare screen time by children's age, gender and family SEP (classified using father's educational degree). Results: Daily screen time was high both in children aged 3 to 5 and 6 to 10 years-154 min/day (95% CI: 149.51-158.91) and 200.79 min/day (95% CI: 197.08-204.50), respectivelyand the majority of children, independently of their gender, exceed the recommended 2 h/day of screen viewing. Children are still primarily engaging in screen time through television but the use of mobile devices, particularly tablets, were already high among 3 year-old children and increased with age. SEP was a negative predictor of screen time in the linear regression analysis, including after adjustment. Conclusions: Considering the negative health impacts of excessive screen time, recognizing subgroups at risk of excessive screen time and identifying how each device is used according to age is fundamental to enable appropriate future interventions. The screen time in children aged 3-10 years is longer than the recommended, particularly among boys and in those children from lower SEP. Parents and policymakers should have in mind that children spend most of their screen time watching television but mobile devices are becoming extremely popular starting at a young age.

Background: Habitual PA may be influenced by a broader range of neighborhood, school, community, and family factors. Young people, particularly girls, tend to show lower habitual PA than boys and should be a target for prevention strategies aimed at healthy lifestyles. The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to determine which neighborhood perceived attributes are related to active behaviors; 2) to analyze which neighborhood perceived attributes are related to BMI of children. Methods:The sample comprised 1825 girls aged 7-9 years. Height and weight were measured, and Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated subsequently. Participants were classified as normal weight or overweight/obese (Cole et al., 2000). Environmental variables and physical activities were assessed by questionnaire filled by their parents -the Environmental Module of the International Physical Activity Prevalence Study (IPS, 2002) was used. Multiple linear regressions, with adjustments for parental education, were used.Results: Data revealed that neighbors with recreational facilities and infrastructure for walking and cycling were predictors of active behaviors; neighborhood safety was an additional related factor of habitual PA. On the other hand, neighbors with better access to destinations and with interesting things to look at while walking are significantly associated with lower BMI in Portuguese children. Conclusion:The study found some significant relationships between parental perceptions of the environment and BMI and habitual PA of Portuguese girls, especially related to security for walking and unpleasant neighborhood, and access to destinations.