The “Elderly” Lesson in a “Stressful” Life: Italian Holistic Approach to Increase COVID-19 Prevention and Awareness

Angelini, Sabrina; Pinto, Alessandro; Hrelia, Patrizia; Malaguti, Marco; Buccolini, Fabio; Donini, Lorenzo M.; Hrelia, Silvana

doi:10.3389/fendo.2020.579401

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Just because of its widely demonstrated beneficial role on these risk factors [ 9 ], it would be worth recommending a high-quality dietary pattern such as the Mediterranean diet. However, some authors already have pointed out that there is a strong rationale for expecting a protective effect of the Mediterranean diet on COVID-19 [ [10] , [11] , [12] , [13] , [14] ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mediterranean diet and the risk of COVID-19 in the ‘Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra’ cohort

et al. 2022

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Background & aims A potential protection against COVID-19 infection by a high-quality dietary pattern is to be expected given the biological plausibility supporting the beneficial effects of adequate nutrition on the immune system. However, knowledge on the relationship between long-term maintained healthy dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet, and the risk of SARS-2-Cov infection is still sparse. We longitudinally assessed this association in a well-known Mediterranean cohort. Methods We assessed 9677 participants from the SUN Project, a prospective cohort of middle-aged university graduates in Spain. We inquired about a positive result in a COVID-19 diagnostic test during the months of February to December 2020. After excluding health professionals (HP), 5194 participants were included in the statistical analyses (mean age: 52.6, SD: 12.4; 55.2% women). Food habits were assessed at baseline using a previously validated semiquantitative 136-item food frequency questionnaire. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet (cumulative average of 2 repeated measurements separated 10 years apart) was assessed using the 0-to-9 Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS). We used multivariable logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for incident COVID-19 according to the MDS. Results Among 5194 non-HP participants, 122 reported to have received a diagnosis of COVID-19 based on a specific diagnostic test. Participants with intermediate adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MDS ≥4 & <7) had a significantly lower odds of developing COVID-19 (multivariable-adjusted OR = 0.50, 95% CI, 0.34–0.73), and those with the highest adherence (MDS ≥ 7) exhibited the lowest risk (multivariable-adjusted OR = 0.36, 0.16–0.84, p for trend < 0.001) as compared with participants with MDS ≤3. This inverse association remained robust within subgroups and in sensitivity analyses. Notwithstanding, no significant associations were observed for health professionals (p for interaction = 0.06). Conclusion In conclusion, better adherence to the Mediterranean diet may be associated with a lower risk of COVID-19. Our results are applicable only to persons who are not health professionals.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mediterranean diet and the risk of COVID-19 in the ‘Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra’ cohort

et al. 2022

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“…A lower rate of COVID-19 deaths in the elderly aged over 90 years has also been reported in Italy confirming the resilience of this population in fighting against Covid-19 disease. A North to South decreasing gradient in the percentage of > 90 being infected has been also reported (6-8% in northern regions, and 1-4% in southern regions) [11]. Genetic and epigenetic factors, a long-life adherence to Mediterranean diet as well as living in less polluted areas have been implicated to explain these observations.…”

Section: Advanced Agementioning

confidence: 89%

The mediterranean diet: Healthy and sustainable dietary pattern in the time of Sars-Cov-2

Bagnato

Perfetto

Labanca

et al. 2021

MNM

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COVID-19, first reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019 quickly spread worldwide leading to serious health, social and economic consequences. A crucial role in the pathogenesis of severe disease has been attributed to the inflammatory status, that in more severe cases may evolve in an overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines (“cytokine storm)” and fatal outcome. Non-communicable diseases, nutritional disorders and advanced age, conditions associated with a low-grade systemic inflammation and immune function alterations, have been identified as major risks for severe COVID-19. General recommendations for fighting COVID-19 highlighted the paramount importance of adopting a healthy plant-based dietary pattern and healthy lifestyle. The Mediterranean dietary pattern is considered as one of the healthiest dietary patterns, and its benefits are supported by a large body of evidence. Furthermore, it is considered as a sustainable lifestyle model. The aim of this research was to update the multiple benefits of the Mediterranean dietary pattern on physical and mental health, focusing on the effects that it may have in combating COVID-19. The potential effects and mechanisms of action of the main bioactive components of Mediterranean diet were also analyzed. Considering its effects in modulating inflammation and oxidative stress and supporting the immune system, the Mediterranean dietary pattern may be considered the most promising dietary approach to combat COVID-19.

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“…Indeed, for most viral infections, the outcome can vary widely depending on viral factors or host features, including the structure of the virus (RNA virus versus DNA), the viral load, the site of entry in the host, the infected cell types and viral immune-evasion strategies. Many modifiable factors potentially impacting host immune defenses have also been reported, including sleep [3], nutritional status, microbiota and even psychophysical factors (Figure 2) [4,5]. Among non-modifiable factors, age and genetic susceptibility might be considered the most important.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Host Defenses to Viruses: Lessons from Inborn Errors of Immunity

et al. 2022

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The constant battle between viruses and their hosts leads to their reciprocal evolution. Viruses regularly develop survival strategies against host immunity, while their ability to replicate and disseminate is countered by the antiviral defense mechanisms that host mount. Although most viral infections are generally controlled by the host’s immune system, some viruses do cause overt damage to the host. The outcome can vary widely depending on the properties of the infecting virus and the circumstances of infection but also depends on several factors controlled by the host, including host genetic susceptibility to viral infections. In this narrative review, we provide a brief overview of host immunity to viruses and immune-evasion strategies developed by viruses. Moreover, we focus on inborn errors of immunity, these being considered a model for studying host response mechanisms to viruses. We finally report exemplary inborn errors of both the innate and adaptive immune systems that highlight the role of proteins involved in the control of viral infections.

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The “Elderly” Lesson in a “Stressful” Life: Italian Holistic Approach to Increase COVID-19 Prevention and Awareness

Cited by 6 publications

References 48 publications

Mediterranean diet and the risk of COVID-19 in the ‘Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra’ cohort

Mediterranean diet and the risk of COVID-19 in the ‘Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra’ cohort

The mediterranean diet: Healthy and sustainable dietary pattern in the time of Sars-Cov-2

Host Defenses to Viruses: Lessons from Inborn Errors of Immunity

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