Long-Term Tea Intake is Associated with Reduced Prevalence of (Type 2) Diabetes Mellitus among Elderly People from Mediterranean Islands: MEDIS Epidemiological Study

Demosthenes B. Panagiotakos,Christos Lionis,Akis Zeimbekis,Kyriaki Gelastopoulou,Natassa Papairakleous,Undurti N. Das,Evangelos Polychronopoulos 연세대학교의과대학 2009 Yonsei medical journal Vol.50 No.1

Purpose: We sought to evaluate the link between long-term tea intake and prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, in a sample of elderly adults. Materials and Methods: During 2005- 2007, 300 men and women from Cyprus, 142 from Mitilini, 100 from Samothraki, 114 from Kefalonia, 131 from Crete, 150 from Corfu and 103 from Zakynthos (aged 65 to 100 years) were enrolled. Dietary habits (including tea consumption) were assessed through a food frequency questionnaire. Among various factors, fasting blood glucose was measured and prevalence of (type 2) diabetes mellitus was estimated. Results: 54% of the participants reported that they consume tea at least once a week (mean intake 1.6±1.1cup/day). The majority of the participants (98%) reported green or black tea consumption. The participants reported that they consume tea for at least 30 years of their life. After adjusting for various confounders, tea intake was inversely associated with lower blood glucose levels (b±SEM per 1 cup: -5.9±2.6mg/dL, p=0.02). Moreover, multiple logistic regression revealed that moderate tea consumption (1-2 cups/day) was associated with 70% (95% CI 41% to 86%) lower odds of having (type 2) diabetes, irrespective of age, sex, body mass, smoking, physical activity status, dietary habits and other clinical characteristics. Conclusion: The presented findings suggest that long- term tea intake is associated with reduced levels of fasting blood glucose and lower prevalence of diabetes, in a cohort of elderly people living in Mediterranean islands.

The Impact of Educational Status on 10-Year (2004-2014) Cardiovascular Disease Prognosis and All-cause Mortality Among Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients in the Greek Acute Coronary Syndrome (GREECS) Longitudinal Study

Venetia Notara,Demosthenes B. Panagiotakos,Yannis Kogias,Petros Stravopodis,Antonis Antonoulas,Spyros Zombolos,Yannis Mantas,Christos Pitsavos,GREECS Study Investigators 대한예방의학회 2016 Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health Vol.49 No.4

Objectives: The association between educational status and 10-year risk for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and all-cause mortality was evaluated. Methods: From October 2003 to September 2004, 2172 consecutive ACS patients from six Greek hospitals were enrolled. In 2013 to 2014, a 10-year follow-up (2004-2014) assessment was performed for 1918 participants (participation rate, 88%). Each patient’s educational status was classified as low (<9 years of school), intermediate (9 to 14 years), or high (>14 years). Results: Overall all-cause mortality was almost twofold higher in the low-education group than in the intermediate-education and high-education groups (40% vs. 22% and 19%, respectively, p<0.001). Additionally, 10-year recurrent ACS events (fatal and non-fatal) were more common in the low-education group than in the intermediate-education and high-education groups (42% vs. 30% and 35%, p<0.001), and no interactions between sex and education on the investigated outcomes were observed. Moreover, patients in the high-education group were more physically active, had a better financial status, and were less likely to have hypertension, diabetes, or ACS than the participants with the least education (p<0.001); however, when those characteristics and lifestyle habits were accounted for, no moderating effects regarding the relationship of educational status with all-cause mortality and ACS events were observed. Conclusions: A U-shaped association may be proposed for the relationship between ACS prognosis and educational status, with participants in the low-education and high-education groups being negatively affected by other factors (e.g., job stress, depression, or loneliness). Public health policies should be aimed at specific social groups to reduce the overall burden of cardiovascular disease morbidity.

The Impact of Educational Status on 10-Year (2004-2014) Cardiovascular Disease Prognosis and All-cause Mortality Among Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients in the Greek Acute Coronary Syndrome (GREECS) Longitudinal Study

Notara, Venetia,Panagiotakos, Demosthenes B.,Kogias, Yannis,Stravopodis, Petros,Antonoulas, Antonis,Zombolos, Spyros,Mantas, Yannis,Pitsavos, Christos The Korean Society for Preventive Medicine 2016 Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health Vol.49 No.4

Objectives: The association between educational status and 10-year risk for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and all-cause mortality was evaluated. Methods: From October 2003 to September 2004, 2172 consecutive ACS patients from six Greek hospitals were enrolled. In 2013 to 2014, a 10-year follow-up (2004-2014) assessment was performed for 1918 participants (participation rate, 88%). Each patient's educational status was classified as low (<9 years of school), intermediate (9 to 14 years), or high (>14 years). Results: Overall all-cause mortality was almost twofold higher in the low-education group than in the intermediate-education and high-education groups (40% vs. 22% and 19%, respectively, p<0.001). Additionally, 10-year recurrent ACS events (fatal and non-fatal) were more common in the low-education group than in the intermediate-education and high-education groups (42% vs. 30% and 35%, p<0.001), and no interactions between sex and education on the investigated outcomes were observed. Moreover, patients in the high-education group were more physically active, had a better financial status, and were less likely to have hypertension, diabetes, or ACS than the participants with the least education (p<0.001); however, when those characteristics and lifestyle habits were accounted for, no moderating effects regarding the relationship of educational status with all-cause mortality and ACS events were observed. Conclusions: A U-shaped association may be proposed for the relationship between ACS prognosis and educational status, with participants in the low-education and high-education groups being negatively affected by other factors (e.g., job stress, depression, or loneliness). Public health policies should be aimed at specific social groups to reduce the overall burden of cardiovascular disease morbidity.

Age-dependent dichotomous effect of superoxide dismutaseAla16Val polymorphism on oxidized LDL levels

George V. Dedoussis,Stavroula Kanoni,Eirini Louizou,Efi Grigoriou,Christina Chrysohoou,Christos Pitsavos,Christodoulos Stefanadis,Demosthenes B. Panagiotakos 생화학분자생물학회 2008 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.40 No.1

We investigated the association between superoxide dismutase (SOD) Ala16Val polymorphism and the levels of oxidized LDL lipoprotein-C (ox-LDL-C) in two age-different Greek cohorts. Four hundred fifteen middle- aged (n = 147 females: 43.2 ± 13 years, n = 268 males: 43.3 ± 14 years) Caucasian Greek subjects consisted the middle aged cohort. One hundred seventy five elderly (n = 88 females: 79.9 ± 4 years; n = 87 males: 80.6 ± 4 years) were selected from the elderly cohort. Genotype data were obtained for all of them. Multiple linear regression analysis, stratified by gender and adjusted for age, smoking habits and body mass index as covariates, showed higher ox-LDL-C levels for the middle aged men with the Val/Val genotype, compared to the other allele (Ala/Ala and Ala/Val) carriers (65.9 ± 25.7 vs. 55.7 ± 20.5 mg/dl; standardized β coefficient = 0.192, P = 0.012). On the contrary, elderly women with the Val/Val genotype occurred with lower ox-LDL-C levels compared to the Ala/Ala or Ala/Val genotype (74.2 ± 22.1 vs. 86.5 ± 26.6 mg/dl; standardized β coefficient = -0.269, P = 0.015). The same trend was also recorded in elderly men, however without reaching statistical signifi significance (standardized β coefficient = -0.187, P = 0.077). Moreover, elderly men and women with the Ala/Ala or Ala/Val genotype presented higher triglycerides levels compared to Val/Val (women: 145.2 ± 68.7 vs. 114.3 ± 34.3 mg/dl, P = 0.027; men: 147.8 ± 72.4 vs. 103.7 ± 38.0 mg/dl, P = 0.002). Additionally, middle aged men with the Val/Val genotype had higher HDL-C levels compared to the Ala allele carriers. The results suggest that SOD Ala16Val polymorphism is an age-dependent modulator of ox-LDL-C levels in middle-aged men and elderly women. We investigated the association between superoxide dismutase (SOD) Ala16Val polymorphism and the levels of oxidized LDL lipoprotein-C (ox-LDL-C) in two age-different Greek cohorts. Four hundred fifteen middle- aged (n = 147 females: 43.2 ± 13 years, n = 268 males: 43.3 ± 14 years) Caucasian Greek subjects consisted the middle aged cohort. One hundred seventy five elderly (n = 88 females: 79.9 ± 4 years; n = 87 males: 80.6 ± 4 years) were selected from the elderly cohort. Genotype data were obtained for all of them. Multiple linear regression analysis, stratified by gender and adjusted for age, smoking habits and body mass index as covariates, showed higher ox-LDL-C levels for the middle aged men with the Val/Val genotype, compared to the other allele (Ala/Ala and Ala/Val) carriers (65.9 ± 25.7 vs. 55.7 ± 20.5 mg/dl; standardized β coefficient = 0.192, P = 0.012). On the contrary, elderly women with the Val/Val genotype occurred with lower ox-LDL-C levels compared to the Ala/Ala or Ala/Val genotype (74.2 ± 22.1 vs. 86.5 ± 26.6 mg/dl; standardized β coefficient = -0.269, P = 0.015). The same trend was also recorded in elderly men, however without reaching statistical signifi significance (standardized β coefficient = -0.187, P = 0.077). Moreover, elderly men and women with the Ala/Ala or Ala/Val genotype presented higher triglycerides levels compared to Val/Val (women: 145.2 ± 68.7 vs. 114.3 ± 34.3 mg/dl, P = 0.027; men: 147.8 ± 72.4 vs. 103.7 ± 38.0 mg/dl, P = 0.002). Additionally, middle aged men with the Val/Val genotype had higher HDL-C levels compared to the Ala allele carriers. The results suggest that SOD Ala16Val polymorphism is an age-dependent modulator of ox-LDL-C levels in middle-aged men and elderly women.