No abstract

Chronic cigarette smoking may influence chemosensory function, which in turn, may affect cigarette usage. Because menthol in cigarettes can attenuate nicotine bitterness, choice of menthol/ nonmenthol cigarettes may be influenced by ability to perceive bitterness. We examined chemosensory function of chronic smokers, hypothesizing they would show altered function in comparison to non-smokers and by menthol cigarette preference. In laboratory-based measures, chronic smokers (N=135; 84 menthol smokers) self-reported their chemosensory function and participated in smell (identification task with perceived intensity) and taste (quinine and NaCl intensity on tongue-tip and whole mouth) testing. A taste genetics probe (propylthiouracil (PROP) bitterness) also was assessed. Self-reported and measured chemosensory function were compared with nationally-representative 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data generated with similar measures. The taste measures also were compared between smokers and age-and sex-matched non-smokers from a laboratory database. Frequencies of self-reported smell and taste alterations among smokers exceeded NHANES prevalence estimates for non-smokers. The rate of measured smell dysfunction also exceeded NHANES prevalence for hyposmia. Compared to non-smokers, smokers reported elevated tongue-tip and whole mouth intensities from 1 M NaCl, with no significant differences in whole mouth quinine or 0.32M NaCl. Inconsistent with previous hypotheses, smokers were not more likely to report depressed PROP bitterness than non-smokers. However, as expected, menthol smokers reported

No abstract

Background: Fluid intelligence (FI) involves abstract problem-solving without prior knowledge. Greater age-related FI decline increases Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk, and recent studies suggest that certain dietary regimens may influence rates of decline. However, it is uncertain how long-term food consumption affects FI among adults with or without familial history of AD (FH) or APOE4 (ɛ4). Objective: Observe how the total diet is associated with long-term cognition among mid- to late-life populations at-risk and not-at-risk for AD. Methods: Among 1,787 mid-to-late-aged adult UK Biobank participants, 10-year FI trajectories were modeled and regressed onto the total diet based on self-reported intake of 49 whole foods from a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). Results: Daily cheese intake strongly predicted better FIT scores over time (FH-: β= 0.207, p <  0.001; ɛ4–: β= 0.073, p = 0.008; ɛ4+: β= 0.162, p = 0.001). Alcohol of any type daily also appeared beneficial (ɛ4+: β= 0.101, p = 0.022) and red wine was sometimes additionally protective (FH+: β= 0.100, p = 0.014; ɛ4–: β= 0.59, p = 0.039). Consuming lamb weekly was associated with improved outcomes (FH-: β= 0.066, p = 0.008; ɛ4+: β= 0.097, p = 0.044). Among at risk groups, added salt correlated with decreased performance (FH+: β= –0.114, p = 0.004; ɛ4+: β= –0.121, p = 0.009). Conclusion: Modifying meal plans may help minimize cognitive decline. We observed that added salt may put at-risk individuals at greater risk, but did not observe similar interactions among FH- and AD- individuals. Observations further suggest in risk status-dependent manners that adding cheese and red wine to the diet daily, and lamb on a weekly basis, may also improve long-term cognitive outcomes.

BACKGROUND:Aging is characterized by body composition alterations, including increased visceral adiposity accumulation and bone loss. Alcohol consumption may partially drive these alterations, but findings are mixed. This study primarily aimed to investigate whether different alcohol types (beer/cider, red wine, white wine/ Champagne, spirits) differentially associated with body composition. METHODS:The longitudinal UK Biobank study leveraged 1869 White participants (40-80 years; 59% male). Participants self-reported demographic, alcohol/dietary consumption, and lifestyle factors using a touchscreen questionnaire. Anthropometrics and serum for proteomics were collected. Body composition was obtained via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Structural equation modeling was used to probe direct/indirect associations between alcohol types, cardiometabolic biomarkers, and body composition. RESULTS:Greater beer/spirit consumptions were associated with greater visceral adiposity (β = 0.069, p < 0.001 and β = 0.014, p < 0.001, respectively), which was driven by dyslipidemia and insulin resistance. In contrast, drinking more red wine was associated with less visceral adipose mass (β = −0.023, p < 0.001), which was driven by reduced inflammation and elevated high-density lipoproteins. White wine consumption predicted greater bone density (β = 0.051, p < 0.005).DISCUSSION: Beer/spirits may partially contribute to the "empty calorie" hypothesis related to adipogenesis, while red wine may help protect against adipogenesis due to anti-inflammatory/eulipidemic effects. Furthermore, white wine may benefit bone health in older White adults.1