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Nutrition, Lifestyle, and Diet-Related Non-communicable Diseases Prevention and Treatment

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Guest Editor
Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Nutrition Research Institute, Kannapolis, NC 28081, USA
Interests: metabolomics; pharmacology; toxicology; carcinogenesis; metabolic reprogramming; aflatoxins; mycotoxins

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Proper nutrition is necessary to provide substrates and co-factors needed for the hundreds of metabolic pathways within the body, and these pathways play critical roles in key biological processes such as gene expression, cell division, various cell signaling pathways, and others. Many lifestyle factors, such as exercise, smoking, stress levels, etc., are known to influence these biochemical processes and therefore have significant impacts on human health. Because of this, nutrition and lifestyle have been linked to increased mortality and healthcare costs for cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and many others. For this reason, a better understanding is needed of how diet and lifestyle factors influence our biochemical processes, and how this can be linked to the prevention and/or treatment of disease. This Special Issue is aimed at the most recent advances for how diseases impact nutrient-related biochemical processes, and how these processes can be targeted through nutritional and/or lifestyle interventions to prevent/treat non-communicable diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and neurological disorders. 

Dr. Blake Rushing
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • nutrition
  • lifestyle
  • exposures
  • prevention
  • treatment
  • metabolism

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 560 KiB  
Article
Effectiveness of Health Coaching in Smoking Cessation and Promoting the Use of Oral Smoking Cessation Drugs in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Trial
by Li-Chi Huang, Yao-Tsung Chang, Ching-Ling Lin, Ruey-Yu Chen and Chyi-Huey Bai
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(6), 4994; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20064994 - 12 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2038
Abstract
Introduction: This study looked into the effectiveness of a 6 month health coaching intervention in smoking cessation and smoking reduction for patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: The study was carried out via a two-armed, double-blind, randomized-controlled trial with 68 participants at a [...] Read more.
Introduction: This study looked into the effectiveness of a 6 month health coaching intervention in smoking cessation and smoking reduction for patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: The study was carried out via a two-armed, double-blind, randomized-controlled trial with 68 participants at a medical center in Taiwan. The intervention group received health coaching for 6 months, while the control group only received usual smoking cessation services; some patients in both groups participated in a pharmacotherapy plan. The health coaching intervention is a patient-centered approach to disease management which focuses on changing their actual behaviors. By targeting on achieving effective adult learning cycles, health coaching aims to help patients to establish new behavior patterns and habits. Results: In this study, the intervention group had significantly more participants who reduced their level of cigarette smoking by at least 50% than the control group (p = 0.030). Moreover, patients participating in the pharmacotherapy plan in the coaching intervention group had a significant effect on smoking cessation (p = 0.011), but it was insignificant in the control group. Conclusions: Health coaching can be an effective approach to assisting patients with type 2 diabetes participating in a pharmacotherapy plan to reduce smoking and may help those who participate in pharmacotherapy plan to quit smoking more effectively. Further studies with higher-quality evidence on the effectiveness of health coaching in smoking cessation and the use of oral smoking cessation drugs in patients with type 2 diabetes are needed. Full article
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11 pages, 1194 KiB  
Article
Association between Dietary Fatty Acid Intake and Liver Steatosis and Fibrosis in a Sample of Mexican-Origin Hispanic Adults with Overweight or Obesity
by Melissa Lopez-Pentecost, Brian Hallmark, Cynthia A. Thomson, Floyd Chilton and David O. Garcia
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 3103; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043103 - 10 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2263
Abstract
Rates of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) vary dramatically among Hispanic subpopulations, with Mexican-origin (MO) Hispanics experiencing a disproportionate burden. This study examined dietary fatty acid (FA) intake among overweight and obese MO Hispanic adults in the United States (US) and evaluated its [...] Read more.
Rates of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) vary dramatically among Hispanic subpopulations, with Mexican-origin (MO) Hispanics experiencing a disproportionate burden. This study examined dietary fatty acid (FA) intake among overweight and obese MO Hispanic adults in the United States (US) and evaluated its association with liver steatosis and fibrosis. Participants (N = 285, MO Hispanic adults) completed 24-h dietary recalls to assess dietary FA exposure. Liver steatosis and fibrosis were estimated using transient elastography (FibroScan®). Multiple regression analysis tested relationships between FA intakes and liver steatosis or fibrosis, adjusting for age, sex, body mass index (BMI) and total energy. A total of 51% (n = 145) of participants were suspected to have NAFLD and 20% self-reported a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. No significant association was observed between Linoleic Acid and α-Linolenic Acid (LA:ALA) ratio, or omega-6 to omega-3 (n-6:n-3) ratio and liver steatosis. However, a one-point increase in the LA:ALA ratio resulted in a 1.01% increase in the liver fibrosis scores (95% CI: [1.00, 1.03]; p = 0.03), and a one-point increase in the n-6:n-3 ratio resulted in a 1.02% increase in liver fibrosis score (95% CI: [1.01, 1.03]; p = 0.01). Further research is needed to determine if modulation of FA intake could reduce NAFLD risk in this high-risk population. Full article
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28 pages, 3722 KiB  
Article
Commonalities in Metabolic Reprogramming between Tobacco Use and Oral Cancer
by Blake R. Rushing, Spencer Tilley, Sabrina Molina, Madison Schroder and Susan Sumner
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(16), 10261; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191610261 - 18 Aug 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2782
Abstract
Tobacco use is a major public health concern and is linked to myriad diseases, including cancer. The link between tobacco use and oral cancer, specifically, is very strong, making tobacco use one of the primary risk factors for oral cancer. While this association [...] Read more.
Tobacco use is a major public health concern and is linked to myriad diseases, including cancer. The link between tobacco use and oral cancer, specifically, is very strong, making tobacco use one of the primary risk factors for oral cancer. While this association is well known, the underlying biochemical changes that result from tobacco use, and how this links to metabolic phenotypes of oral cancer, is not well understood. To address this knowledge gap, a combination of literature reviews and metabolomics studies were performed to identify commonalities in metabolic perturbations between tobacco use and oral cancers. Metabolomics analysis was performed on pooled reference urine from smokers and non-smokers, healthy and malignant oral tissues, and cultured oral cells with or without treatment of the well-known tobacco carcinogen 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK). Alterations in amino acid metabolism, carbohydrates/oxidative phosphorylation, fatty acid oxidation, nucleotide metabolism, steroid metabolism, and vitamin metabolism were found to be shared between tobacco use and oral cancer. These results support the conclusion that tobacco use metabolically reprograms oral cells to support malignant transformation through these pathways. These metabolic reprogramming events may be potential targets to prevent or treat oral cancers that arise from tobacco use. Full article
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