1 6732 80 WESTERN DIET AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM: AN INFLAMMATORY CONNECTION. THE CONSUMPTION OF WESTERN-TYPE CALORICALLY RICH DIETS COMBINED WITH CHRONIC OVERNUTRITION AND A SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE IN WESTERN SOCIETIES EVOKES A STATE OF CHRONIC METABOLIC INFLAMMATION, TERMED METAFLAMMATION. METAFLAMMATION CONTRIBUTES TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF MANY PREVALENT NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES (NCDS), AND THESE LIFESTYLE-ASSOCIATED PATHOLOGIES REPRESENT A RISING PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM WITH GLOBAL EPIDEMIC DIMENSIONS. A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW MODERN LIFESTYLE AND WESTERN DIET (WD) ACTIVATE IMMUNE CELLS IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF EFFICIENT PREVENTIVE AND THERAPEUTIC STRATEGIES FOR COMMON NCDS. HERE, WE REVIEW THE CURRENT MECHANISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE WESTERN LIFESTYLE CAN INDUCE METAFLAMMATION, AND WE DISCUSS HOW THIS KNOWLEDGE CAN BE TRANSLATED TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM THE HEALTH BURDEN ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR SELECTED LIFESTYLE. 2019 2 65 28 A JOURNEY FROM MICROENVIRONMENT TO MACROENVIRONMENT: THE ROLE OF METAFLAMMATION AND EPIGENETIC CHANGES IN CARDIORENAL DISEASE. CHRONIC NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES HAVE BECOME A PANDEMIC PUBLIC PROBLEM IN THE 21ST CENTURY, CAUSING ENORMOUS BURDEN ON THE ECONOMY, HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF SOCIETIES. THE ROLE OF A CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY STATE IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF CHRONIC DISEASE HAS BEEN MORE COMPREHENSIVELY RECOGNIZED BY RECENT FINDINGS. THE NEW PARADIGM 'METAFLAMMATION' FOCUSES ON METABOLISM-INDUCED (HIGH FAT OR FRUCTOSE-BASED DIET OR EXCESSIVE CALORIE INTAKE) CHRONIC INFLAMMATION. THERE IS A CLOSE CORRELATION BETWEEN THE INCREASED INCIDENCE OF CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE (CKD) AND CHRONIC HEART FAILURE WITH BOTH INCREASED INFLAMMATORY MARKER LEVELS AND WESTERN-TYPE DIET. IN THIS REVIEW WE DESCRIBE THE CONCEPT OF METAFLAMMATION, ITS ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CKD AND CHRONIC HEART DISEASE, THE MOLECULAR AND SIGNALLING PATHWAYS INVOLVED AND THE THERAPEUTIC CONSEQUENCES. 2019 3 6380 28 THE ROLE OF OBESITY AND DIABETES IN DEMENTIA. CHRONIC CONDITIONS SUCH AS OBESITY, DIABETES, AND DEMENTIA ARE INCREASING IN THE UNITED STATES (US) POPULATION. KNOWLEDGE OF THESE CHRONIC CONDITIONS, PREVENTATIVE MEASURES, AND PROPER MANAGEMENT TACTICS IS IMPORTANT AND CRITICAL TO PREVENTING DISEASE. THE OVERLAP BETWEEN OBESITY, DIABETES, AND DEMENTIA IS BECOMING FURTHER ELUCIDATED. THESE CONDITIONS SHARE A SIMILAR ORIGIN THROUGH THE COMPONENTS OF INCREASING AGE, GENDER, GENETIC AND EPIGENETIC PREDISPOSITIONS, DEPRESSION, AND A HIGH-FAT WESTERN DIET (WD) THAT ALL CONTRIBUTE TO THE INFLAMMATORY STATE ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF OBESITY, DIABETES, AND DEMENTIA. THIS INFLAMMATORY STATE LEADS TO THE DYSREGULATION OF FOOD INTAKE AND INSULIN RESISTANCE. OBESITY IS OFTEN THE CORNERSTONE THAT LEADS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF DIABETES AND, SUBSEQUENTLY, IN THE CASE OF TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS (T2DM), PROGRESSION TO "TYPE 3 DIABETES MELLITUS (T3DM)". OBESITY AND DEPRESSION ARE CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH DIABETES. HOWEVER, DEMENTIA CAN BE AVOIDED WITH LIFESTYLE MODIFICATIONS, BY SWITCHING TO A PLANT-BASED DIET (E.G., A MEDITERRANEAN DIET (MD)), AND INCREASING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. DIET AND EXERCISE ARE NOT THE ONLY TREATMENT OPTIONS. THERE ARE SEVERAL SURGICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS AVAILABLE FOR PREVENTION. CURRENT AND FUTURE RESEARCH WITHIN EACH OF THESE FIELDS IS WARRANTED AND OFFERS THE CHANCE FOR NEW TREATMENT OPTIONS AND A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PATHOGENESIS OF EACH CONDITION. 2022 4 2930 22 GENES AND DIET IN THE PREVENTION OF CHRONIC DISEASES IN FUTURE GENERATIONS. NUTRITION IS A MODIFIABLE KEY FACTOR THAT IS ABLE TO INTERACT WITH BOTH THE GENOME AND EPIGENOME TO INFLUENCE HUMAN HEALTH AND FERTILITY. IN PARTICULAR, SPECIFIC GENETIC VARIANTS CAN INFLUENCE THE RESPONSE TO DIETARY COMPONENTS AND NUTRIENT REQUIREMENTS, AND CONVERSELY, THE DIET ITSELF IS ABLE TO MODULATE GENE EXPRESSION. IN THIS CONTEXT AND THE ERA OF PRECISION MEDICINE, NUTRIGENETIC AND NUTRIGENOMIC STUDIES OFFER SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE THE PREVENTION OF METABOLIC DISTURBANCES, SUCH AS TYPE 2 DIABETES, GESTATIONAL DIABETES, HYPERTENSION, AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES, EVEN WITH TRANSGENERATIONAL EFFECTS. THE PRESENT REVIEW TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN DIET, GENES AND HUMAN HEALTH, AND PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF THE ROLE OF NUTRIGENETICS, NUTRIGENOMICS AND EPIGENETICS IN THE PREVENTION OF NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES. MOREOVER, WE FOCUS OUR ATTENTION ON THE MECHANISM OF INTERGENERATIONAL OR TRANSGENERATIONAL TRANSMISSION OF THE SUSCEPTIBILITY TO METABOLIC DISTURBANCES, AND UNDERLINE THAT THE REVERSIBILITY OF EPIGENETIC MODIFICATIONS THROUGH DIETARY INTERVENTION COULD COUNTERACT PERTURBATIONS INDUCED BY LIFESTYLE AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. 2020 5 2584 27 EPIGENETICS OF OBESITY. OBESITY IS A METABOLIC DISEASE, WHICH IS BECOMING AN EPIDEMIC HEALTH PROBLEM: IT HAS BEEN RECENTLY DEFINED IN TERMS OF GLOBAL PANDEMIC. OVER THE YEARS, THE APPROACHES THROUGH FAMILY, TWINS AND ADOPTION STUDIES LED TO THE IDENTIFICATION OF SOME CAUSAL GENES IN MONOGENIC FORMS OF OBESITY BUT THE ORIGINS OF THE PANDEMIC OF OBESITY CANNOT BE CONSIDERED ESSENTIALLY DUE TO GENETIC FACTORS, BECAUSE HUMAN GENOME IS NOT LIKELY TO CHANGE IN JUST A FEW YEARS. EPIGENETIC STUDIES HAVE OFFERED IN RECENT YEARS VALUABLE TOOLS FOR THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLDWIDE SPREAD OF THE PANDEMIC OF OBESITY. THE INVOLVEMENT OF EPIGENETIC MODIFICATIONS-DNA METHYLATION, HISTONE TAILS, AND MIRNAS MODIFICATIONS-IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OBESITY IS MORE AND MORE EVIDENT. IN THE EPIGENETIC LITERATURE, THERE ARE EVIDENCES THAT THE ENTIRE EMBRYO-FETAL AND PERINATAL PERIOD OF DEVELOPMENT PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN THE PROGRAMMING OF ALL HUMAN ORGANS AND TISSUES. THEREFORE, THE MOLECULAR MECHANISMS INVOLVED IN THE EPIGENETIC PROGRAMMING REQUIRE A NEW AND GENERAL PATHOGENIC PARADIGM, THE DEVELOPMENTAL ORIGINS OF HEALTH AND DISEASE THEORY, TO EXPLAIN THE CURRENT EPIDEMIOLOGICAL TRANSITION, THAT IS, THE WORLDWIDE INCREASE OF CHRONIC, DEGENERATIVE, AND INFLAMMATORY DISEASES SUCH AS OBESITY, DIABETES, CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES, NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES, AND CANCER. OBESITY AND ITS RELATED COMPLICATIONS ARE MORE AND MORE ASSOCIATED WITH ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS (OBESOGENS), GUT MICROBIOTA MODIFICATIONS AND UNBALANCED FOOD INTAKE, WHICH CAN INDUCE, THROUGH EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS, WEIGHT GAIN, AND ALTERED METABOLIC CONSEQUENCES. 2016 6 6858 19 [NUTRIGENOMICS, OBESITY AND PUBLIC HEALTH]. FUNCTIONAL GENOMICS WILL CHANGE KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE IN CLINICAL NUTRITION IN THE FORTHCOMING YEARS. THE POSSIBILITY OF PERFORMING AN INDIVIDUAL'S GENETIC PROFILE (GENETIC VARIATIONS AND EPIGENETIC MODIFICATIONS) AS WELL AS THE ABILITY OF ITS INTEGRATION IN A COMPLEX NETWORK OF METABOLIC INTERACTIONS REPRESENTS A HUGE CHALLENGE IN HUMAN NUTRITION. THE INFLUENCE OF NUTRIGENOMICS IN TERMS OF PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF CHRONIC DISEASES, SUCH AS OBESITY, TYPE 2 DIABETES AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IN A POPULATION LEVEL REMAINS UNDETERMINED FOR THE MOMENT. THE OPPORTUNITY OF NUTRITIONAL INTERVENTION IN CRITICAL STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT AND THE CHANCE OF CHANGING GENETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY TO DISEASES THROUGH DIET IN A PUBLIC HEALTH BASIS SHOULD LEAD THE FUTURE OF NUTRIGENOMICS BEYOND THE MERE DESIGN OF "PERSONALIZED" FUNCTIONAL FOOD OR DIETS. 2007 7 2226 27 EPIGENETIC MODIFICATIONS INDUCED BY NUTRIENTS IN EARLY LIFE PHASES: GENDER DIFFERENCES IN METABOLIC ALTERATION IN ADULTHOOD. METABOLIC CHRONIC DISEASES, ALSO NAMED NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES (NCDS), ARE CONSIDERED MULTIFACTORIAL PATHOLOGIES, WHICH ARE DRAMATICALLY INCREASED DURING THE LAST DECADES. NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES SUCH AS CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES, OBESITY, DIABETES MELLITUS, CANCERS, AND CHRONIC RESPIRATORY DISEASES MARKEDLY INCREASE MORBIDITY, MORTALITY, AND SOCIOECONOMIC COSTS. MOREOVER, NCDS INDUCE SEVERAL AND COMPLEX CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS THAT LEAD TO A GRADUAL DETERIORATION OF HEALTH STATUS AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF AFFECTED INDIVIDUALS. MULTIPLE FACTORS ARE INVOLVED IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRESSION OF THESE DISEASES SUCH AS SEDENTARY BEHAVIOR, SMOKING, POLLUTION, AND UNHEALTHY DIET. INDEED, NUTRITION HAS A PIVOTAL ROLE IN MAINTAINING HEALTH, AND DIETARY IMBALANCES REPRESENT MAJOR DETERMINANTS FAVORING CHRONIC DISEASES THROUGH METABOLIC HOMEOSTASIS ALTERATIONS. IN PARTICULAR, IT APPEARS THAT SPECIFIC NUTRIENTS AND ADEQUATE NUTRITION ARE IMPORTANT IN ALL PERIODS OF LIFE, BUT THEY ARE ESSENTIAL DURING SPECIFIC TIMES IN EARLY LIFE SUCH AS PRENATAL AND POSTNATAL PHASES. INDEED, EPIDEMIOLOGIC AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES REPORT THE DELETERIOUS EFFECTS OF AN INCORRECT NUTRITION ON HEALTH STATUS SEVERAL DECADES LATER IN LIFE. DURING THE LAST DECADE, A GROWING INTEREST ON THE POSSIBLE ROLE OF EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS AS LINK BETWEEN NUTRITIONAL IMBALANCES AND NCDS DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN OBSERVED. FINALLY, BECAUSE OF THE PIVOTAL ROLE OF THE HORMONES IN FAT, CARBOHYDRATE, AND PROTEIN METABOLISM REGULATION THROUGHOUT LIFE, IT IS EXPECTED THAT ANY HORMONAL MODIFICATION OF THESE PROCESSES CAN IMBALANCE METABOLISM AND FAT STORAGE. THEREFORE, A PARTICULAR INTEREST TO SEVERAL CHEMICALS ABLE TO ACT AS ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS HAS BEEN RECENTLY DEVELOPED. IN THIS REVIEW, WE WILL PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW AND DISCUSS THE EPIGENETIC ROLE OF SOME SPECIFIC NUTRIENTS AND CHEMICALS IN THE MODULATION OF PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS. 2019 8 2855 31 FROM INFLAMMAGING TO HEALTHY AGING BY DIETARY LIFESTYLE CHOICES: IS EPIGENETICS THE KEY TO PERSONALIZED NUTRITION? THE PROGRESSIVELY OLDER POPULATION IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES IS REFLECTED IN AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM AGE-RELATED CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASES SUCH AS METABOLIC SYNDROME, DIABETES, HEART AND LUNG DISEASES, CANCER, OSTEOPOROSIS, ARTHRITIS, AND DEMENTIA. THE HETEROGENEITY IN BIOLOGICAL AGING, CHRONOLOGICAL AGE, AND AGING-ASSOCIATED DISORDERS IN HUMANS HAVE BEEN ASCRIBED TO DIFFERENT GENETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS (I.E., DIET, POLLUTION, STRESS) THAT ARE CLOSELY LINKED TO SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS. THE COMMON DENOMINATOR OF THESE FACTORS IS THE INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE. CHRONIC LOW-GRADE SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION DURING PHYSIOLOGICAL AGING AND IMMUNOSENESCENCE ARE INTERTWINED IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF PREMATURE AGING ALSO DEFINED AS 'INFLAMMAGING.' THE LATTER HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH FRAILTY, MORBIDITY, AND MORTALITY IN ELDERLY SUBJECTS. HOWEVER, IT IS UNKNOWN TO WHAT EXTENT INFLAMMAGING OR LONGEVITY IS CONTROLLED BY EPIGENETIC EVENTS IN EARLY LIFE. TODAY, HUMAN DIET IS BELIEVED TO HAVE A MAJOR INFLUENCE ON BOTH THE DEVELOPMENT AND PREVENTION OF AGE-RELATED DISEASES. MOST PLANT-DERIVED DIETARY PHYTOCHEMICALS AND MACRO- AND MICRONUTRIENTS MODULATE OXIDATIVE STRESS AND INFLAMMATORY SIGNALING AND REGULATE METABOLIC PATHWAYS AND BIOENERGETICS THAT CAN BE TRANSLATED INTO STABLE EPIGENETIC PATTERNS OF GENE EXPRESSION. THEREFORE, DIET INTERVENTIONS DESIGNED FOR HEALTHY AGING HAVE BECOME A HOT TOPIC IN NUTRITIONAL EPIGENOMIC RESEARCH. INCREASING EVIDENCE HAS REVEALED THAT COMPLEX INTERACTIONS BETWEEN FOOD COMPONENTS AND HISTONE MODIFICATIONS, DNA METHYLATION, NON-CODING RNA EXPRESSION, AND CHROMATIN REMODELING FACTORS INFLUENCE THE INFLAMMAGING PHENOTYPE AND AS SUCH MAY PROTECT OR PREDISPOSE AN INDIVIDUAL TO MANY AGE-RELATED DISEASES. REMARKABLY, HUMANS PRESENT A BROAD RANGE OF RESPONSES TO SIMILAR DIETARY CHALLENGES DUE TO BOTH GENETIC AND EPIGENETIC MODULATIONS OF THE EXPRESSION OF TARGET PROTEINS AND KEY GENES INVOLVED IN THE METABOLISM AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE DIETARY CONSTITUENTS. HERE, WE WILL SUMMARIZE THE EPIGENETIC ACTIONS OF DIETARY COMPONENTS, INCLUDING PHYTOCHEMICALS, AND MACRO- AND MICRONUTRIENTS AS WELL AS METABOLITES, THAT CAN ATTENUATE INFLAMMAGING. WE WILL DISCUSS THE CHALLENGES FACING PERSONALIZED NUTRITION TO TRANSLATE HIGHLY VARIABLE INTERINDIVIDUAL EPIGENETIC DIET RESPONSES TO POTENTIAL INDIVIDUAL HEALTH BENEFITS/RISKS RELATED TO AGING DISEASE. 2015 9 5821 27 STRESS IN OBESITY AND ASSOCIATED METABOLIC AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISORDERS. OBESITY HAS SIGNIFICANT IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTHCARE, SINCE IT IS A MAJOR RISK FACTOR FOR BOTH TYPE 2 DIABETES AND THE METABOLIC SYNDROME. THIS SYNDROME IS A COMMON AND COMPLEX DISORDER COMBINING OBESITY, DYSLIPIDEMIA, HYPERTENSION, AND INSULIN RESISTANCE. IT IS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGH ATHEROSCLEROTIC CARDIOVASCULAR RISK, WHICH CAN ONLY PARTIALLY BE EXPLAINED BY ITS COMPONENTS. THEREFORE, TO EXPLAIN HOW OBESITY CONTRIBUTES TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF METABOLIC AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISORDERS, MORE AND BETTER INSIGHT IS REQUIRED INTO THE EFFECTS OF PERSONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS ON DISEASE PROCESSES. IN THIS PAPER, WE SHOW THAT OBESITY IS A CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE, WHICH HAS MANY MOLECULAR MECHANISMS IN COMMON WITH ATHEROSCLEROSIS. FURTHERMORE, WE FOCUS ON THE ROLE OF OXIDATIVE STRESS ASSOCIATED WITH OBESITY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE METABOLIC SYNDROME. WE DISCUSS HOW SEVERAL STRESS CONDITIONS ARE RELATED TO INFLAMMATION AND OXIDATIVE STRESS IN ASSOCIATION WITH OBESITY AND ITS COMPLICATIONS. WE ALSO EMPHASIZE THE RELATION BETWEEN STRESS CONDITIONS AND THE DEREGULATION OF EPIGENETIC CONTROL MECHANISMS BY MEANS OF MICRORNAS AND SHOW HOW THIS IMPAIRMENT FURTHER CONTRIBUTES TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF OBESITY, CLOSING THE VICIOUS CIRCLE. FINALLY, WE DISCUSS THE LIMITATIONS OF CURRENT ANTI-INFLAMMATION AND ANTIOXIDANT THERAPY TO TREAT OBESITY. 2012 10 1415 28 DIETARY POLYPHENOLS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO THE MODULATION OF NON-COMMUNICABLE CHRONIC DISEASES AND EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS: A MINI-REVIEW. CHRONIC NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES (NCDS) HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED A GLOBAL HEALTH PROBLEM, CHARACTERIZED AS DISEASES OF MULTIPLE FACTORS, WHICH ARE DEVELOPED THROUGHOUT LIFE, AND REGARDLESS OF GENETICS AS A RISK FACTOR OF IMPORTANT RELEVANCE, THE INCREASE IN MORTALITY ATTRIBUTED TO THE DISEASE TO ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AND THE LIFESTYLE ONE LEADS. ALTHOUGH THE REACTIVE SPECIES (ROS/RNS) ARE NECESSARY FOR SEVERAL PHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESSES, THEIR OVERPRODUCTION IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE PATHOGENESIS AND AGGRAVATION OF NCDS. IN CONTRAST, DIETARY POLYPHENOLS HAVE BEEN WIDELY ASSOCIATED WITH MINIMIZING OXIDATIVE STRESS AND INFLAMMATION. IN ADDITION TO THEIR ANTIOXIDANT POWER, POLYPHENOLS HAVE ALSO DRAWN ATTENTION FOR BEING ABLE TO MODULATE BOTH GENE EXPRESSION AND MODIFY EPIGENETIC ALTERATIONS, SUGGESTING AN ESSENTIAL INVOLVEMENT IN THE PREVENTION AND/OR DEVELOPMENT OF SOME PATHOLOGIES. THEREFORE, THIS REVIEW BRIEFLY EXPLAINED THE MECHANISMS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOME NCDS, FOLLOWED BY A SUMMARY OF SOME EVIDENCE RELATED TO THE INTERACTION OF POLYPHENOLS IN OXIDATIVE STRESS, AS WELL AS THE MODULATION OF EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS INVOLVED IN THE MANAGEMENT OF NCDS. 2023 11 6204 22 THE INFLUENCE OF EPIGENETICS AND INFLAMMATION ON CARDIOMETABOLIC RISKS. CARDIOMETABOLIC DISEASES INCLUDE METABOLIC SYNDROME, OBESITY, TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS, AND HYPERTENSION. EPIGENETIC MODIFICATIONS PARTICIPATE IN CARDIOMETABOLIC DISEASES THROUGH SEVERAL PATHWAYS, INCLUDING INFLAMMATION, VASCULAR DYSFUNCTION, AND INSULIN RESISTANCE. EPIGENETIC MODIFICATIONS, WHICH ENCOMPASS ALTERATIONS TO GENE EXPRESSION WITHOUT MUTATING THE DNA SEQUENCE, HAVE GAINED MUCH ATTENTION IN RECENT YEARS, SINCE THEY HAVE BEEN CORRELATED WITH CARDIOMETABOLIC DISEASES AND MAY BE TARGETED FOR THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS. EPIGENETIC MODIFICATIONS ARE GREATLY INFLUENCED BY ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, SUCH AS DIET, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, CIGARETTE SMOKING, AND POLLUTION. SOME MODIFICATIONS ARE HERITABLE, INDICATING THAT THE BIOLOGICAL EXPRESSION OF EPIGENETIC ALTERATIONS MAY BE OBSERVED ACROSS GENERATIONS. MOREOVER, MANY PATIENTS WITH CARDIOMETABOLIC DISEASES PRESENT WITH CHRONIC INFLAMMATION, WHICH CAN BE INFLUENCED BY ENVIRONMENTAL AND GENETIC FACTORS. THE INFLAMMATORY ENVIRONMENT WORSENS THE PROGNOSIS OF CARDIOMETABOLIC DISEASES AND FURTHER INDUCES EPIGENETIC MODIFICATIONS, PREDISPOSING PATIENTS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF OTHER METABOLISM-ASSOCIATED DISEASES AND COMPLICATIONS. A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF INFLAMMATORY PROCESSES AND EPIGENETIC MODIFICATIONS IN CARDIOMETABOLIC DISEASES IS NECESSARY TO IMPROVE OUR DIAGNOSTIC CAPABILITIES, PERSONALIZED MEDICINE APPROACHES, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF TARGETED THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS. FURTHER UNDERSTANDING MAY ALSO ASSIST IN PREDICTING DISEASE OUTCOMES, ESPECIALLY IN CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS. THIS REVIEW DESCRIBES EPIGENETIC MODIFICATIONS AND INFLAMMATORY PROCESSES UNDERLYING CARDIOMETABOLIC DISEASES, AND FURTHER DISCUSSES ADVANCES IN THE RESEARCH FIELD WITH A FOCUS ON SPECIFIC POINTS FOR INTERVENTIONAL THERAPY. 2023 12 4280 22 MICRONUTRIENTS IN EARLY LIFE AND OFFSPRING METABOLIC HEALTH PROGRAMMING: A PROMISING TARGET FOR PREVENTING NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES. CHRONIC NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES ARE THE LEADING CAUSE OF MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY WORLDWIDE. DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING EFFECTIVE PREVENTIVE STRATEGIES IS THE BEST WAY TO ENSURE THE OVERALL METABOLIC HEALTH STATUS OF THE POPULATION AND TO COUNTER THE GLOBAL BURDEN OF NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES. PREDISPOSITION TO OBESITY AND OTHER NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES IS DUE TO A COMBINATION OF GENETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS THROUGHOUT LIFE, BUT THE EARLY ENVIRONMENT, PARTICULARLY THE ENVIRONMENT DURING THE FETAL PERIOD AND THE EARLY YEARS OF LIFE, IS CRUCIAL IN DETERMINING METABOLIC HEALTH, HENCE THE CONCEPT OF 'FETAL PROGRAMMING'. THE ORIGINS OF THIS CAUSAL LINK BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AND DISEASE LIE IN EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS. AMONG THE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, DIET PLAYS A CRUCIAL ROLE IN THIS PROCESS. SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE DOCUMENTED THE KEY ROLE OF MACRONUTRIENTS IN THE PROGRAMMING OF METABOLIC DISEASES EARLY IN LIFE. RECENTLY, THE EFFECT OF MATERNAL MICRONUTRIENT INTAKE ON OFFSPRING METABOLIC HEALTH IN LATER LIFE EMERGED. THE PURPOSE OF THIS NARRATIVE REVIEW IS TO BRING TO LIGHT AVAILABLE EVIDENCE IN THE LITERATURE ON THE EFFECT OF MATERNAL MICRONUTRIENT STATUS ON OFFSPRING METABOLIC HEALTH AND UNDERLYING EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS THAT DRIVE THIS LINK TO HIGHLIGHT ITS POTENTIAL ROLE IN THE PREVENTION OF NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES. 2023 13 6379 17 THE ROLE OF NUTRITION ON META-INFLAMMATION: INSIGHTS AND POTENTIAL TARGETS IN COMMUNICABLE AND CHRONIC DISEASE MANAGEMENT. PURPOSE OF REVIEW: CHRONIC LOW-GRADE INFLAMMATION MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THE ONSET AND PROGRESSION OF COMMUNICABLE AND CHRONIC DISEASES. THIS REVIEW EXAMINED THE EFFECTS AND EVENTUAL MEDIATION ROLES OF DIFFERENT NUTRITIONAL FACTORS ON INFLAMMATION. RECENT FINDINGS: POTENTIAL NUTRITIONAL COMPOUNDS INFLUENCING INFLAMMATION PROCESSES INCLUDE MACRO AND MICRONUTRIENTS, BIOACTIVE MOLECULES (POLYPHENOLS), SPECIFIC FOOD COMPONENTS, AND CULINARY INGREDIENTS AS WELL AS STANDARDIZED DIETARY PATTERNS, EATING HABITS, AND CHRONONUTRITION FEATURES. THEREFORE, RESEARCH IN THIS FIELD IS STILL REQUIRED, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT CRITICAL ASPECTS OF HETEROGENEITY INCLUDING TYPE OF POPULATION, MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM INTAKES AND ADVERSE EFFECTS, COOKING METHODS, PHYSIOPATHOLOGICAL STATUS, AND TIMES OF INTERVENTION. MOREOVER, THE INTEGRATIVE ANALYSIS OF TRADITIONAL VARIABLES (AGE, SEX, METABOLIC PROFILE, CLINICAL HISTORY, BODY PHENOTYPE, HABITUAL DIETARY INTAKE, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVELS, AND LIFESTYLE) TOGETHER WITH INDIVIDUALIZED ISSUES (GENETIC BACKGROUND, EPIGENETIC SIGNATURES, MICROBIOTA COMPOSITION, GENE EXPRESSION PROFILES, AND METABOLOMIC FINGERPRINTS) MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THE KNOWLEDGE AND PRESCRIPTION OF MORE PERSONALIZED TREATMENTS AIMED TO IMPROVING THE PRECISION MEDICAL MANAGEMENT OF INFLAMMATION AS WELL AS THE DESIGN OF ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIETS IN CHRONIC AND COMMUNICABLE DISEASES. 2022 14 5586 23 ROLE OF PERSONALIZED NUTRITION IN CHRONIC-DEGENERATIVE DISEASES. HUMAN NUTRITION IS A BRANCH OF MEDICINE BASED ON FOODS BIOCHEMICAL INTERACTIONS WITH THE HUMAN BODY. THE PHENOTYPIC TRANSITION FROM HEALTH TO DISEASE STATUS CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO CHANGES IN GENES AND/OR PROTEIN EXPRESSION. FOR THIS REASON, A NEW DISCIPLINE HAS BEEN DEVELOPED CALLED "-OMIC SCIENCE". IN THIS REVIEW, WE ANALYZED THE ROLE OF "-OMICS SCIENCES" (NUTRIGENETICS, NUTRIGENOMICS, PROTEOMICS AND METABOLOMICS) IN THE HEALTH STATUS AND AS POSSIBLE THERAPEUTIC TOOL IN CHRONIC DEGENERATIVE DISEASES. IN PARTICULAR, WE FOCUSED ON THE ROLE OF NUTRIGENETICS AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EATING HABITS, CHANGES IN THE DNA SEQUENCE AND THE ONSET OF NUTRITION-RELATED DISEASES. MOREOVER, WE EXAMINED NUTRIGENOMICS AND THE EFFECT OF NUTRIENTS ON GENE EXPRESSION. WE PERUSED THE ROLE OF PROTEOMICS AND METABOLOMICS IN PERSONALIZED NUTRITION. IN THIS SCENARIO, WE ANALYZED ALSO HOW DYSBIOSIS OF GUT MICROBIOTA CAN INFLUENCE THE ONSET AND PROGRESSION OF CHRONIC DEGENERATIVE DISEASES. MOREOVER, NUTRIENTS INFLUENCING AND REGULATING GENE ACTIVITY, BOTH DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY, PAVES THE WAY FOR PERSONALIZED NUTRITION THAT PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF CHRONIC DEGENERATIVE DISEASES. 2019 15 3169 29 GUIDE FOR CURRENT NUTRIGENETIC, NUTRIGENOMIC, AND NUTRIEPIGENETIC APPROACHES FOR PRECISION NUTRITION INVOLVING THE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH OBESITY. CHRONIC DISEASES, INCLUDING OBESITY, ARE MAJOR CAUSES OF MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY IN MOST COUNTRIES. THE ADVERSE IMPACTS OF OBESITY AND ASSOCIATED COMORBIDITIES ON HEALTH REMAIN A MAJOR CONCERN DUE TO THE LACK OF EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS FOR PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT. PRECISION NUTRITION IS AN EMERGING THERAPEUTIC APPROACH THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT AN INDIVIDUAL'S GENETIC AND EPIGENETIC INFORMATION, AS WELL AS AGE, GENDER, OR PARTICULAR PHYSIOPATHOLOGICAL STATUS. ADVANCES IN GENOMIC SCIENCES ARE CONTRIBUTING TO A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE ROLE OF GENETIC VARIANTS AND EPIGENETIC SIGNATURES AS WELL AS GENE EXPRESSION PATTERNS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF DIVERSE CHRONIC CONDITIONS, AND HOW THEY MAY MODIFY THERAPEUTIC RESPONSES. THIS KNOWLEDGE HAS LED TO THE SEARCH FOR GENETIC AND EPIGENETIC BIOMARKERS TO PREDICT THE RISK OF DEVELOPING CHRONIC DISEASES AND PERSONALIZING THEIR PREVENTION AND TREATMENT. ADDITIONALLY, ORIGINAL NUTRITIONAL INTERVENTIONS BASED ON NUTRIENTS AND BIOACTIVE DIETARY COMPOUNDS THAT CAN MODIFY EPIGENETIC MARKS AND GENE EXPRESSION HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED. ALTHOUGH CAUTION MUST BE EXERCISED, THESE SCIENTIFIC INSIGHTS ARE PAVING THE WAY FOR THE DESIGN OF INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES FOR THE CONTROL OF CHRONIC DISEASES ACCOMPANYING OBESITY. THIS DOCUMENT PROVIDES A NUMBER OF EXAMPLES OF THE HUGE POTENTIAL OF UNDERSTANDING NUTRIGENETIC, NUTRIGENOMIC, AND NUTRIEPIGENETIC ROLES IN PRECISION NUTRITION. 2017 16 44 25 A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW ON HIGH -FAT DIET-INDUCED DIABETES MELLITUS: AN EPIGENETIC VIEW. MODERN LIFESTYLE, GENETICS, NUTRITIONAL OVERLOAD THROUGH HIGH-FAT DIET ATTRIBUTED PREVALENCE AND DIABETES OUTCOMES WITH VARIOUS COMPLICATIONS PRIMARILY DUE TO OBESITY IN WHICH ENERGY-DENSE DIETS FREQUENTLY AFFECT METABOLIC HEALTH. ONE POSSIBLE ISSUE USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH ELEVATED CHRONIC FAT INTAKE IS INSULIN RESISTANCE, AND HYPERGLYCEMIA CONSTITUTES AN IMPORTANT FUNCTION IN ALTERING THE CARBOHYDRATES AND LIPIDS METABOLISM. SIMILARLY, IN ASSESSING HUMAN SUSCEPTIBILITY TO WEIGHT GAIN AND OBESITY, GENETIC VARIATIONS PLAY A CENTRAL ROLE, CONTRIBUTING TO KEEN INTEREST IN IDENTIFYING THE POSSIBLE ROLE OF EPIGENETICS AS A MEDIATOR OF GENE-ENVIRONMENTAL INTERACTIONS INFLUENCING THE PRODUCTION OF TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS AND ITS RELATED CONCERNS. EPIGENETIC MODIFICATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACCEPTANCE OF A SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE AND ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS FACTORS IN RESPONSE TO ENERGY INTAKE AND EXPENDITURE IMBALANCES COMPLEMENT GENETIC ALTERATIONS AND LEAD TO THE PRODUCTION AND ADVANCEMENT OF METABOLIC DISORDERS SUCH AS DIABETES AND OBESITY. METHYLATION OF DNA, HISTONE MODIFICATIONS, AND INCREASES IN THE EXPRESSION OF NON-CODING RNAS CAN RESULT IN REDUCED TRANSCRIPTIONAL ACTIVITY OF KEY BETA-CELL GENES THUS CREATING INSULIN RESISTANCE. EPIGENETICS CONTRIBUTE TO CHANGES IN THE EXPRESSION OF THE UNDERLYING INSULIN RESISTANCE AND INSUFFICIENCY GENE NETWORKS, ALONG WITH LOW-GRADE OBESITY-RELATED INFLAMMATION, INCREASED ROS GENERATION, AND DNA DAMAGE IN MULTIORGANS. THIS REVIEW FOCUSED ON EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS AND METABOLIC REGULATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGH-FAT DIET (HFD)-INDUCED DIABETES MELLITUS. 2022 17 4972 29 PATHOPHYSIOLOGICAL BASIS FOR COMPROMISED HEALTH BEYOND GENERATIONS: ROLE OF MATERNAL HIGH-FAT DIET AND LOW-GRADE CHRONIC INFLAMMATION. EARLY EXPOSURE TO A FAT-ENRICHED DIET PROGRAMS THE DEVELOPMENTAL PROFILE AND THUS IS ASSOCIATED WITH DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY IN SUBSEQUENT GENERATIONS. CHRONIC LOW-GRADE INFLAMMATION, RESULTING FROM MATERNAL HIGH-FAT DIET, IS ACTIVATED IN THE FETAL ENVIRONMENT AND IN MANY ORGANS OF OFFSPRING, INCLUDING PLACENTA, ADIPOSE, LIVER, VASCULAR SYSTEM AND BRAIN. THE PREVALENCE OF AN INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE IS HIGHLY ASSOCIATED WITH OBESITY INCIDENCE, CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES, NONALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE AND BRAIN DAMAGE. SUBSTANTIAL STUDIES USING HIGH-FAT MODEL HAVE CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATED THE INCIDENCE OF SUCH INFLAMMATORY REACTIONS; HOWEVER, THE POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTION OF ACTIVE INFLAMMATION TOWARD THE PHYSIOLOGICAL OUTCOMES AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISEASES IS NEITHER DISCUSSED IN DEPTH NOR SYSTEMICALLY INTEGRATED. THEREFORE, WE AIM TO SUMMARIZE THE CURRENT FINDINGS IN REGARDS TO HOW A MATERNAL HIGH-FAT DIET INFLUENCES THE INFLAMMATORY STATUS, AND PROBABLE PATHOGENIC EFFECTS ON THE OFFSPRING. MORE IMPORTANTLY, SINCE LIMITED RESEARCH HAS BEEN CONDUCTED TO REVEAL THE EPIGENETIC REGULATION OF THESE INFLAMMATORY MARKERS BY MATERNAL HIGH-FAT DIET, WE SINCERELY HOPE THAT OUR REVIEW WILL NOT ONLY OUTLINE THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGICAL RELEVANCE OF INFLAMMATION BUT ALSO IDENTIFY A FUTURE DIRECTION FOR MECHANISTIC INVESTIGATION AND CLINICAL APPLICATION. 2015 18 6165 20 THE GLOBAL DIABETES EPIDEMIC AS A CONSEQUENCE OF LIFESTYLE-INDUCED LOW-GRADE INFLAMMATION. THE RECENT MAJOR INCREASE IN THE GLOBAL INCIDENCE OF TYPE 2 DIABETES SUGGESTS THAT MOST CASES OF THIS DISEASE ARE CAUSED BY CHANGES IN ENVIRONMENT AND LIFESTYLE. ALL MAJOR RISK FACTORS FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES (OVERNUTRITION, LOW DIETARY FIBRE, SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE, SLEEP DEPRIVATION AND DEPRESSION) HAVE BEEN FOUND TO INDUCE LOCAL OR SYSTEMIC LOW-GRADE INFLAMMATION THAT IS USUALLY TRANSIENT OR MILDER IN INDIVIDUALS NOT AT RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES. BY CONTRAST, INFLAMMATORY RESPONSES TO LIFESTYLE FACTORS ARE MORE PRONOUNCED AND PROLONGED IN INDIVIDUALS AT RISK OF TYPE 2 DIABETES AND APPEAR TO OCCUR ALSO IN THE PANCREATIC ISLETS. CHRONIC LOW-GRADE INFLAMMATION WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO OVERT DIABETES IF COUNTER-REGULATORY CIRCUITS TO INFLAMMATION AND METABOLIC STRESS ARE COMPROMISED BECAUSE OF A GENETIC AND/OR EPIGENETIC PREDISPOSITION. HENCE, IT IS NOT THE LIFESTYLE CHANGE PER SE BUT A DEFICIENT COUNTER-REGULATORY RESPONSE IN PREDISPOSED INDIVIDUALS WHICH IS CRUCIAL TO DISEASE PATHOGENESIS. NOVEL APPROACHES OF INTERVENTION MAY TARGET THESE DEFICIENT DEFENCE MECHANISMS. 2010 19 1241 24 CURRENT AND FUTURE NUTRITIONAL STRATEGIES TO MODULATE INFLAMMATORY DYNAMICS IN METABOLIC DISORDERS. OBESITY, TYPE 2 DIABETES, AND OTHER METABOLIC DISORDERS HAVE A LARGE IMPACT ON GLOBAL HEALTH, ESPECIALLY IN WESTERN COUNTRIES. AN IMPORTANT HALLMARK OF METABOLIC DISORDERS IS CHRONIC LOW-GRADE INFLAMMATION. A KEY PLAYER IN CHRONIC LOW-GRADE INFLAMMATION IS DYSMETABOLISM, WHICH IS DEFINED AS THE INABILITY TO KEEP HOMEOSTASIS RESULTING IN LOSS OF LIPID CONTROL, OXIDATIVE STRESS, INFLAMMATION, AND INSULIN RESISTANCE. ALTHOUGH OFTEN NOT YET DETECTABLE IN THE CIRCULATION, CHRONIC LOW-GRADE INFLAMMATION CAN BE PRESENT IN ONE OR MULTIPLE ORGANS. THE RESPONSE TO A METABOLIC CHALLENGE CONTAINING LIPIDS MAY MAGNIFY DYSFUNCTIONALITIES AT THE TISSUE LEVEL, CAUSING AN OVERFLOW OF INFLAMMATORY MARKERS INTO THE CIRCULATION AND HENCE ALLOW DETECTION OF EARLY LOW-GRADE INFLAMMATION. HERE, WE SUMMARIZE THE EVIDENCE OF SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION OF METABOLIC CHALLENGE TESTS IN TYPE 2 DIABETES, METABOLIC SYNDROME, OBESITY, AND UNHEALTHY AGING. WE ALSO REVIEW HOW METABOLIC CHALLENGE TESTS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY APPLIED TO EVALUATE NUTRITIONAL INTERVENTION EFFECTS, INCLUDING AN "ANTI-INFLAMMATORY" MIXTURE, DARK CHOCOLATE, WHOLE GRAIN WHEAT AND OVERFEEDING. ADDITIONALLY, WE ELABORATE ON FUTURE STRATEGIES TO (RE)GAIN INFLAMMATORY FLEXIBILITY. THROUGH EPIGENETIC AND METABOLIC REGULATION, THE INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE MAY BE TRAINED BY REGULAR MILD AND METABOLIC TRIGGERS, WHICH CAN BE UNDERSTOOD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF TRAINED IMMUNITY, HORMESIS AND PRO-RESOLUTION. NEW STRATEGIES TO OPTIMIZE DYNAMICS OF INFLAMMATION MAY BECOME AVAILABLE. 2019 20 13 33 360-DEGREE PERSPECTIVES ON OBESITY. ALARMING STATISTICS SHOW THAT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE AFFECTED BY EXCESSIVE WEIGHT HAS SURPASSED 2 BILLION, REPRESENTING APPROXIMATELY 30% OF THE WORLD'S POPULATION. THE AIM OF THIS REVIEW IS TO PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW OF ONE OF THE MOST SERIOUS PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEMS, CONSIDERING THAT OBESITY REQUIRES AN INTEGRATIVE APPROACH THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT ITS COMPLEX ETIOLOGY, INCLUDING GENETIC, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND LIFESTYLE FACTORS. ONLY AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE MANY CONTRIBUTORS TO OBESITY AND THE SYNERGY BETWEEN TREATMENT INTERVENTIONS CAN ENSURE SATISFACTORY OUTCOMES IN REDUCING OBESITY. MECHANISMS SUCH AS OXIDATIVE STRESS, CHRONIC INFLAMMATION, AND DYSBIOSIS PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF OBESITY AND ITS ASSOCIATED COMPLICATIONS. COMPOUNDING FACTORS SUCH AS THE DELETERIOUS EFFECTS OF STRESS, THE NOVEL CHALLENGE POSED BY THE OBESOGENIC DIGITAL (FOOD) ENVIRONMENT, AND THE STIGMA ASSOCIATED WITH OBESITY SHOULD NOT BE OVERLOOKED. PRECLINICAL RESEARCH IN ANIMAL MODELS HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN ELUCIDATING THESE MECHANISMS, AND TRANSLATION INTO CLINICAL PRACTICE HAS PROVIDED PROMISING THERAPEUTIC OPTIONS, INCLUDING EPIGENETIC APPROACHES, PHARMACOTHERAPY, AND BARIATRIC SURGERY. HOWEVER, MORE STUDIES ARE NECESSARY TO DISCOVER NEW COMPOUNDS THAT TARGET KEY METABOLIC PATHWAYS, INNOVATIVE WAYS TO DELIVER THE DRUGS, THE OPTIMAL COMBINATIONS OF LIFESTYLE INTERVENTIONS WITH ALLOPATHIC TREATMENTS, AND, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, EMERGING BIOLOGICAL MARKERS FOR EFFECTIVE MONITORING. WITH EACH PASSING DAY, THE OBESITY CRISIS TIGHTENS ITS GRIP, THREATENING NOT ONLY INDIVIDUAL LIVES BUT ALSO BURDENING HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS AND SOCIETIES AT LARGE. IT IS HIGH TIME WE TOOK ACTION AS WE CONFRONT THE URGENT IMPERATIVE TO ADDRESS THIS ESCALATING GLOBAL HEALTH CHALLENGE HEAD-ON. 2023