Ricerc@Sapienza

The prevalence of valvular heart disease (VHD) rises with age, reaching 11.7% in individuals older than 75 years.1 In young individuals, VHD is usually related to the presence of a congenital valve abnormality, as bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) or mitral valve prolapse. This is also the case for athletes, where in the presence of these abnormalities few restrictions exist in eligibility

Active transportation is defined as travelling on foot, by bicycle or other non-motorized means, sometimes in combination with other forms of public transportation, in contrast with the use of motor vehicles. The prevalence of sedentary lifestyle and physical inactivity is a growing epidemic in most developed countries that spread over the last three decades; active transportation may be a promising approach to increase physical activity and reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases improving cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiometabolic health.

The gut microbiota is implicated in digestive, metabolic and immune processes of the host. The physiological and pathophysiological functions of the intestinal microbiota depend of its composition, and several individual or external factors may be associated with the presence of some categories, phyla or species of microorganisms in the gut. In particular, two bacterial phyla - Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes - are predominant in the human gut and their relative concentrations seem to be related with age, gender, diet habits and weight status.

We welcome the paper by Bhuva et al. (1) who investigated whether real-world exercise training for a first-time marathon can reverse age-related aortic stiffening, concluding that training even at relatively low exercise intensity reduces central blood pressure and aortic stiffness, equivalent to a 4-year reduction in vascular age. Nonetheless, although we found these data particularly interesting and novel, the report raises additional issues that should be addressed by the authors. First, only marathon finishers were included in the study.

Activin negatively affects muscle fibers and progenitor cells in aging (sarcopenia) and in chronic diseases characterized by severe muscle wasting (cachexia). High circulating activin levels predict poor survival in cancer patients. However, the relative impact of activin in mediating muscle atrophy and hampered homeostasis is still unknown.

Activin negatively affects muscle fibers and progenitor cells in aging (sarcopenia) and
in chronic diseases characterized by severe muscle wasting (cachexia). High circulating
activin levels predict poor survival in cancer patients. However, the relative impact of
activin in mediating muscle atrophy and hampered homeostasis is still unknown. To
directly assess the involvement of activin, and its physiological inhibitor follistatin, in
cancer-induced muscle atrophy, we cultured C2C12 myotubes in the absence or in

Physical activity and exercise have been identified as behaviors to preserve physical and mental health in older adults. The aim of the present study was to test the Integrated Behavior Change model in exercise and physical activity behaviors. The study evaluated two different samples of older adults: the first engaged in exercise class, the second doing spontaneous physical activity. The key analyses relied on Variance-Based Structural Modeling, which were performed by means of WARP PLS 6.0 statistical software.

Importance: There is no definitive evidence that changes in physical activity/sedentary behavior can be maintained long term in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Objective: To investigate whether a behavioral intervention strategy can produce a sustained increase in physical activity and reduction in sedentary time among individuals with type 2 diabetes. Design, Setting, and Participants: The Italian Diabetes and Exercise Study 2 was an open-label, assessor-blinded, randomized clinical superiority trial, with recruitment from October 2012 to February 2014 and follow-up until February 2017.

Objective Current guidelines recommend precautionary disqualification from competitive sports in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). We assessed the incidence of cardiovascular events in a cohort of patients with HCM engaged in long-term exercise programmes and competitive sport. Methods We reviewed data on 88 consecutive athletes diagnosed with HCM, from 1997 to 2017; 92 male, 98 Caucasian, median age 31 (IQR: 19-44) years. All participated in regular exercise programmes and competitive sport at study entry. We performed follow-up evaluation after 7±5 (1-21) years.

Introduction Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with an increased fracture risk despite normal-to-increased bone mineral density, suggesting reduced bone quality. Exercise may be effective in reducing fracture risk by ameliorating muscle dysfunction and reducing risk of fall, though it is unclear whether it can improve bone quality.