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The coronavirus disease (COVID-19), during its course, may involve several organs, including the skin with a petechial skin rash, urticaria and erythematous rash, or varicella-like eruption, representing an additional effect of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, as commonly observed in other viral diseases. Considering that symptomatic patients with COVID-19 generally undergo multidrug treatments, the occurrence of a possible adverse drug reaction presenting with cutaneous manifestations should be contemplated. Pleomorphic skin eruptions occurred in a 59-year-old Caucasian woman, affected by a stable form of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, treated with a combination of hydroxychloroquine sulfate, darunavir, ritonavir, sarilumb, omeprazole, ceftriaxone, high-flow oxygen therapy devices, filgrastim (Zarzio®) as a single injection, and enoxaparin. The patient stopped all treatment but oxygen and enoxaparin were continued and the patient received a high-dose Desametasone with complete remission of dermatological impairment in 10 days. It is very important to differentially diagnose COVID-19 disease-related cutaneous manifestations, where is justified to continue the multidrug antiviral treatment, from those caused by an adverse drug reaction, where it would be necessary to identify the possible culprit drug and to start appropriate antiallergic treatment.

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Objective:To investigate, through a questionnaire, older adults' demographic and socio-economic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes and practices in terms of food safety and healthy diet; and to develop dietary and hygiene indices able to represent participants' nutritional and food safety behaviour, exploring their association with demographic and socio-economic factors.Design:One-year cross-sectional study.Setting:Gemelli Teaching Hospital (Rome, Italy).Participants:People aged ≥65 years, Italian speaking, accessing the Centre of Ageing Medicine.Results:Mean age of the sample was 74 (sd 7·7) years. Subjective perception of a safe diet was high: 64·2 % of respondents believed they have a balanced diet. Interviewees got informed about proper nutrition mainly from television, magazines, newspapers, Internet (29·9 %) and from health professionals (34·8 %) such as dietitians, whereas 15·4 % from general practitioners. Regarding food safety, 33·8 % of participants reported to consume expired food, even more than once per month; between 80 and 90 % of participants reported to follow food safety practices during preparation and cooking, even though 49·3 % defrosted food at room temperature. Calculated dietary and hygiene indices showed that the elderly participants were far from having optimal nutritional and food safety behaviours.Conclusions:These results suggest it is necessary to increase the awareness of older adults in the matter of healthy diet and food safety. Specific and targeted educational interventions for the elderly and their caregivers could improve the adoption of recommended food safety practices and safe nutritional behaviours among older adults.

It is estimated that by 2025 more than 20% of Europeans will be 65 or over, with a particularly rapid increase in the number of over 80s. Chronic diseases, malnutrition, weakened immune system and other health factors increase risk of foodborne illness and hazardous nutritional habits in elderly. Food safety and nutrition security are essential to promote active ageing. In order to evaluate elderly’s perceptions, practices and attitudes with respect to food safety, an articulate questionnaire was elaborated to investigate knowledge and critical aspects about unsafe food-handling practices and nutrition habits, including ethical aspects. This study was conducted in Gemelli Teaching Hospital, in Rome, Italy, between April 2014 and March 2015. Were interviewed 201 elderly 65 years old attending the Geriatrics Ward, the Outpatient Unit and the Gym of the Centre of Aging Medicine. Data were analyzed by means of frequencies and mean and standard deviations. The mean age of the sample was 74 years (SD = 7.7). The subjective perception of safe nutrition is high, in fact 64.2% of the elderly respondents think to have a balanced diet. Interviewed people get information about proper nutrition mainly from TV, papers and Internet (30%) and from health workers (34.8%) such as dietitian and nutritionist whereas only 15.4% from general practitioners. Regarding food safety and hygiene, 33.8% refers to consume expired food, even more than once a month. Between 80% and 90% of all the participants affirm to follow all the food safety practices during preparation and cooking, even though 49.3% defrost food at room temperature before preparation. These results underline the need for empowerment of elderly with respect to nutritional health and food safety. In fact, specific and targeted educational interventions for the elderly and their care-givers could be promoted in order to improve adoption of recommended food safety practices and safe nutritional habits among older adults. Key mess

Introduction Nearly one third of the EU citizens will be aged 65 or over in 2060, with significant challenges for welfare systems. Nutrition security and food safety as well as knowledge of necessary measures to protect oneself from unbalanced or hazardous nutritional habits are essential for active aging. In fact, older adults are more vulnerable to food-borne illness. In people >85 years, the risk for infection and deaths related to food-borne pathogens increases, because of the decrease in immune function, concomitant chronic diseases, malnutrition, immobility and other factors. In order to evaluate knowledge, experiences and attitudes of a sample of elderly >65 years old attending the Centre of Aging Medicine of Gemelli Teaching Hospital (GTH), an articulate questionnaire (49 question) was elaborated to investigate which socioeconomic or ethical factors are related to the risk for unsafe food assumption and unsecure nutrition habits. Methods The Chi-Square test was used to study the association between socioeconomic variables and frequency of fish consumption and perception of fish safety. These variables were chosen because of the important nutritional and safety implications of fish. Results We interviewed 30 elderly attending the Geriatrics Ward (n = 10), the Outpatient unit (n = 10) and the Gym (n = 10) of the Center of Aging Medicine of GTH. The mean age of the sample was 76 years. 60% of them eat pasta daily; 50% seldom red meat; 63% fish 1-2 time a week; 86 % olive oil daily, 100% fresh fruit and 83% fresh vegetables daily; 96% drink coffee daily. The preliminary results show a statistically significant association between work and infrequent fish consumption (p = 0.004) and between increasing level of education and perception that fish is unsafe (p = 0.026). Conclusions These preliminary results underline the need for empowerment of elderly with respect to nutritional health and food safety. They could help to promote specific and targeted educational in

Physical activity has been demonstrated to be effective in the prevention and treatment of different chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes (T2D). In particular, several studies highlighted how the beneficial effects of physical activity may be related to the stability of the DNA molecule, such as longer telomeric ends. Here we analyze the effect of exercise training on telomere length, spontaneous and H2O2-induced DNA damage, as well as the apoptosis level in leukocytes from untrained or trained T2D patients vs. age-matched control subjects (CS) (57-66 years). Moreover, expression analysis of selected genes belonging to DNA repair systems, cell cycle control, antioxidant and defence systems was performed. Subjects that participated in a regular exercise program showed a longer telomere sequence than untrained counterparts. Moreover, ex vivo treatment of leukocytes with H2O2 highlighted that: (1) oxidative DNA damage induced similar telomere attrition in all groups; (2) in T2D subjects, physical activity seemed to prevent a significant increase of genomic oxidative DNA damage induced by chronic exposure to pro-oxidant stimulus, and (3) decreased the sensitivity of leukocytes to apoptosis. Finally, the gene expression analysis in T2D subjects suggested an adaptive response to prolonged exercise training that improved the response of specific genes.

Aging is characterized by an impaired capacity to maintain the redox balance both in physiological and pathological situations associated with an increased production of reactive oxygen species. Since the extent of this phenomenon may be influenced by an antioxidants-rich diet, we investigated the effect of supplementation with fresh red orange juice (ROJ) on biochemical and cellular biomarkers of oxidative stress in healthy, trained elderly women after a single bout of exhaustive exercise (EE). To this purpose, a sample of 22 females, 15 (69.0 ± 5.1 years) taking the ROJ supplementation and 7 (68.1 ± 2.7 years) as Control group, was constituted. Blood samples were collected immediately before, 30 minutes, and 24 hr after a single bout of EE, at baseline and after 4 weeks. Our results demonstrate that markers of DNA damage or apoptosis were not affected by EE both in Control and ROJ group, and by ROJ, whereas, exercise temporarily affected the redox balance in both groups. Controls didn't change their response to EE after the experimental period, but experimental group after ROJ supplementation had lower EE-induced MDA, consumed less ascorbic acid, and had less activation of the hypoxanthine/xanthine system, i.e., they seemed to be protected from hypoxia/reoxygenation mechanisms.

To evaluate whether the excess mortality in men with AD can be explained by a gender difference in the predictors of mortality.

HYPOTHESIS: Immediate enteral feeding following major abdominal surgery reduces postoperative complications and mortality when compared with parenteral nutrition. DESIGN: A prospective multicenter randomized trial. SETTING: A university hospital department of digestive surgery. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTIONS: Two hundred forty-one malnourished patients undergoing major elective abdominal surgery were randomly assigned to receive, after surgery, either enteral (enteral nutrition group: 119 patients) or parenteral nutrition (total parenteral nutrition group: 122 patients). The patients were monitored for postoperative complications and mortality. RESULTS: The rate of major postoperative complications was similar in the enteral and parenteral groups (enteral nutrition group: 37.8%; total parenteral nutrition group: 39.3%; P was not significant), as were the overall postoperative mortality rates (5.9% and 2.5%, respectively; P was not significant). CONCLUSION: The present study failed to demonstrate that enteral feeding following major abdominal surgery reduces postoperative complications and mortality when compared with parenteral nutrition.