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The human lifespan and quality of life depend on complex interactions among genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Aging research has been remarkably advanced by the development of high-throughput “omics” technologies. Differences between chronological and biological ages, and identification of factors (eg, nutrition) that modulate the rate of aging can now be assessed at the individual level on the basis of telomere length, the epigenome, and the metabolome. Nevertheless, the understanding of the different responses of people to dietary factors, which is the focus of precision nutrition research, remains incomplete. The lack of reliable dietary assessment methods constitutes a significant challenge in nutrition research, especially in elderly populations. For practical and successful personalized diet advice, big data techniques are needed to analyze and integrate the relevant omics (ie, genomic, epigenomic, metabolomics) with an objective and longitudinal capture of individual nutritional and environmental information. Application of such techniques will provide the scientific evidence and knowledge needed to offer actionable, personalized health recommendations to transform the promise of personalized nutrition into reality.

Context and Objective Direct comparisons between types of dietary carbohydrate in terms of cardiometabolic risk indicators are limited. This study was designed to compare the effects of an isocaloric exchange of simple, refined, and unrefined carbohydrates on serum cardiometabolic risk indicators, adipose tissue inflammatory markers, and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) fractional cholesterol efflux. Design, Participants, and Measures Participants [postmenopausal women and men (N = 11), 65 ± 8 years, body mass index 29.8 ± 3.2 kg/m2, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol ≥2.6 mmol/L] were provided with diets (60% energy from total carbohydrate, 15% from protein, 25% from fat) for 4.5 weeks in a randomized crossover design, with 2-week washout periods. The variable component was an isocaloric exchange of simple, refined, or unrefined carbohydrate–containing foods. Serum lipoprotein, glucose, insulin, and inflammatory marker concentrations were measured. Abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue was aspirated to assess macrophage and inflammatory marker gene expression and ex vivo cytokine secretion, and PBMCs were isolated to assess ex vivo fractional cholesterol efflux. Results Fasting serum LDL and non–high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentrations were higher after the refined compared with simple or unrefined carbohydrate–enriched diets (P < 0.01). Other serum measures, ex vivo fractional cholesterol efflux and adipose tissue gene expression and ex vivo cytokine secretion, were similar between diets. Conclusions Diets enriched in refined compared with simple or unrefined carbohydrate resulted in higher fasting serum LDL and non-HDL cholesterol concentrations but had little effect on other cardiometabolic risk indicators. This small study raises the intriguing possibility that refined carbohydrate may have unique adverse effects on cardiometabolic risk indicators distinct from simple and unrefined carbohydrate.

Food preferences and cognitive control influence dietary habits thus affecting compliance with dietary advice and the risk of chronic diseases. A complex mix of genetic and environmental, cultural ...

Resumen Se han publicado multitud de estudios sobre la relacion entre el riesgo de enfermedad cardiovascular y diversos nutrientes, alimentos y patrones de alimentacion. A pesar del concepto bien aceptado de que la dieta tiene una influencia significativa en el desarrollo y la prevencion de la enfermedad cardiovascular, los alimentos considerados saludables o perjudiciales han variado con el paso de los anos. Esta revision tiene como objetivo resumir la evidencia cientifica existente sobre el efecto cardioprotector de los alimentos y nutrientes que se ha considerado saludables y el de aquellos a los que se ha atribuido un caracter no saludable en algun momento de la historia. Para este fin, se ha revisado la literatura cientifica mas reciente empleando las palabras clave foods y nutrients (p. ej., carne, omega-3) y terminos relacionados con la enfermedad cardiovascular (p. ej., enfermedades cardiovasculares, ictus). Se ha hecho especial enfasis en los metanalisis y las revisiones Cochrane. En general, son escasos los estudios de intervencion con un nivel de evidencia alto que respaldan los efectos beneficiosos de los alimentos saludables (como frutas y verduras), mientras que la evidencia que respalda los argumentos en contra de los alimentos considerados menos saludables (como las grasas saturadas) parece haberse debilitado con la evidencia mas reciente. En resumen, la mayor parte de la evidencia que respalda los efectos beneficiosos y nocivos de alimentos y nutrientes se basa en estudios epidemiologicos observacionales. Los resultados de los ensayos clinicos aleatorizados revelan un cuadro mas confuso, en el que la mayoria de los estudios muestran unos efectos muy pequenos en uno u otro sentido; la evidencia mas solida es la que procede de los patrones de alimentacion. El conocimiento actual de la relacion entre dieta y riesgo de enfermedad cardiovascular requiere unas recomendaciones mas individualizadas, basadas en tecnicas de genomica.

A multitude of studies have been published on the relationship between cardiovascular disease risk and a variety of nutrients, foods, and dietary patterns. Despite the well-accepted notion that diet has a significant influence on the development and prevention of cardiovascular disease, the foods considered healthy and harmful have varied over the years. This review aims to summarize the current scientific evidence on the cardioprotective effect of those foods and nutrients that have been considered healthy as well as those that have been deemed unhealthy at any given time in history. For this purpose, we reviewed the most recent literature using as keywords foods and nutrients (ie, meat, omega-3) and cardiovascular disease-related terms (ie, cardiovascular diseases, stroke). Emphasis has been placed on meta-analyses and Cochrane reviews. In general, there is a paucity of intervention studies with a high level of evidence supporting the benefits of healthy foods (ie, fruits and vegetables), whereas the evidence supporting the case against those foods considered less healthy (ie, saturated fat) seems to be weakened by most recent evidence. In summary, most of the evidence supporting the benefits and harms of specific foods and nutrients is based on observational epidemiological studies. The outcome of randomized clinical trials reveals a more confusing picture with most studies providing very small effects in one direction or another; the strongest evidence comes from dietary patterns. The current status of the relationship between diet and cardiovascular disease risk calls for more tailored recommendations based on genomic technologies.

The current epidemic of diabetes has its roots buried deep in the history of humankind. This disease has attracted the attention of our ancestors for thousands of years, and numerous and often contrasting remedies have been proposed along history. Today, we know that diabetes is the result of complex gene–environment interactions, and deeper knowledge of the genetic mechanisms involved in diabetic conditions is key to achieving efficacious prevention and therapy. Several studies have demonstrated significant gene–diet interactions modulating type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, most findings lack consistency across populations, and more solid experimental approaches will be needed to clarify the role of gene–diet interactions in the development of T2D. This knowledge will contribute to better risk prediction as well as the implementation of more precise and efficacious personalized dietary recommendations for its prevention and therapy.

Although apolipoprotein E (APOE) variants are associated with age-related diseases, the underlying mechanism is unknown and DNA methylation may be a potential one. With methylation data, measured by the Infinium Human Methylation 450 array, from 993 participants (age ranging from 18 to 87years) in the Genetics of Lipid Lowering Drugs and Diet Network (GOLDN) study, and from Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) consortium, combined with published methylation datasets, we described the methylation pattern of 13 CpG sites within APOE locus, their correlations with gene expression across cell types, and their relationships with age, plasma lipids, and sequence variants. Based on methylation levels and the genetic regions, we categorized the 13 APOE CpG sites into three groups: Group 1 showed hypermethylation (>50\%) and were located in the promoter region, Group 2 exhibited hypomethylation (50\%) and were located in the exon 4. APOE methylation was negatively correlated with gene expression (minimum r=-0.66, P=0.004). APOE methylation was significantly associated with age (minimum P=2.06E-08) and plasma total cholesterol (minimum P=3.53E-03). Finally, APOE methylation patterns differed across APOE epsilon variants (minimum P=3.51E-05) and the promoter variant rs405509 (minimum P=0.01), which further showed a significant interaction with age (P=0.03). These findings suggest that methylation may be a potential mechanistic explanation for APOE functions related to aging and call for further molecular mechanistic studies. This study is funded by National Heart Lung and Blood Institute Grant U01HL072524-04 and 5R01HL1043135-04, and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Grant T32NS054584. C. Smith is supported by K08 HL112845. Mention of trade names or commercial products in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the US Department of Agriculture. The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. This material is based upon work supported by the USDA, under agreement No. 58-1950-0-014. Any opinions, findings, conclusion, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the USDA. Sí