There is an increasing interest in the study of the relation between alterations in systemic lipid metabolism and neurodegenerative disorders, in particular in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD). In ALS these alterations are well described and evident not only with the progression of the disease but also years before diagnosis. Still, there are some discrepancies in findings relating to the causal nature of lipid metabolic alterations, partly due to the great clinical heterogeneity in ALS. ALS presentation is within a disorder spectrum with Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), and many patients present mixed forms of ALS and FTD, thus increasing the variability. Lipid metabolic and other systemic metabolic alterations have not been well studied in FTD, or in ALS–FTD mixed forms, as has been in pure ALS. With the recent development in lipidomics and the integration with other -omics platforms, there is now emerging data that not only facilitates the identification of biomarkers but also enables understanding of the underlying pathological mechanisms. Here, we reviewed the recent literature to compile lipid metabolic alterations in ALS, FTD, and intermediate mixed forms, with a view to appraising key commonalities or differences within the spectrum.

Background/Objectives: After diagnosis, it is common for women with breast cancer to gain weight, which is associated with worse clinical outcomes. However, traditional measures such as body weight, BMI, and waist circumference do not detect key changes in body composition, such as fat redistribution or muscle loss. The objective of this exploratory study was to assess the evolution of body composition and muscle strength after one year of treatment, and their relationship with metabolic biomarkers. Methods: Prospective observational study in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. Body composition was assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and ultrasound (US); muscle strength was measured by handgrip dynamometry. Biomarkers analyzed included glucose, insulin, Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), total cholesterol (and its fractions), triglycerides, C-reactive protein (CRP), 6-interleukin (IL-6), vitamin D, myostatin, and fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21). Results: Sixty-one women (mean age 58 years) were included. After one year, fat mass and related parameters significantly increased, while skeletal muscle mass and muscle strength decreased. Sarcopenic obesity prevalence rose from 1.16% to 4.9%. No significant changes were found in biomarkers, but positive correlations were observed between fat parameters and insulin, HOMA-IR, and triglycerides, and negative correlations with HDL-cholesterol. Conclusions: BIA and US can detect unfavorable changes in body composition that are not reflected in conventional measurements. At one year post-diagnosis, women showed increased fat accumulation, muscle loss, and reduced strength, even without significant metabolic biomarker changes. Further research is warranted to elucidate the long-term clinical implications of these findings and the external validity in larger cohorts.

Dietary assessment is affected by recall, reporting, portion-size error, and food-composition inconsistencies. Hypaphorine, a tryptophan-derived betaine alkaloid found in pulses and other foods, has been proposed as a marker of legume exposure, but its performance in free-living populations remains uncertain. In this cross-sectional study of 138 adults, dietary intake was assessed by food-frequency questionnaire, and legume intake was represented by an FFQ-derived variable within the EAT-Lancet food-group framework. Urinary hypaphorine was quantified by targeted hydrophilic-interaction liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Associations were examined using Spearman correlations and multivariable linear models with HC3 robust standard errors. Predictive performance was assessed using repeated 10-fold cross-validation. Hypaphorine correlated with legume intake (ρ = 0.240; p = 0.0047). After adjustment for age, sex, BMI, energy intake, and log10-transformed urinary creatinine signal, each 10 g/day increment in legume intake was associated with 19.1% higher hypaphorine (95% CI, 7.2–32.2%; p = 0.0014). Estimation of the FFQ-derived legume-intake variable was limited (cross-validated R² = 0.061), whereas discrimination between intake above and at or below the sample median was modest (AUC = 0.653). In the exploratory clinical screen, the inverse correlation with leukocyte count did not remain below the 0.05 FDR threshold (q = 0.090). A focused adjusted model yielded an inverse association (β = −1.38 × 10³/µL; p = 0.030), but exclusion of the most influential observation attenuated statistical support (p = 0.061). Urinary hypaphorine may provide modest information for ranking FFQ-derived legume exposure but should not be considered a quantitative measure of individual intake without further validation.

To evaluate the long‒term effect of a Mediterranean-based nutritional (MedDiet) intervention during pregnancy on the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) six years postpartum, and to determine the predictive value of postpartum lifestyle behaviours for MetS prevention. A prospective follow‒up study included 1,715 women randomised during pregnancy to an intervention or control group. Anthropometric, metabolic, and lifestyle parameters were assessed six years postpartum. Multivariate models were used to identify independent predictors of MetS. The intervention group showed a significantly lower prevalence of MetS (7.3 vs. 10.4 %, p = 0.034) and improved metabolic parameters. Elevated pre-pregnancy BMI (OR = 7.912 [5.411‒11.57]) and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM), diagnosed by the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups criteria [(OR = 2.958 [2.056‒4.256]), were the strongest MetS modifiable risk factors. ROC analysis identified that, six years postpartum, a healthy lifestyle‒MedDiet (≥7.5 points) and physical activity (≥307.5 MET·min/week)‒reduced MetS risk by up to 62 %, after adjusting for confounders. GDM diagnosed using IADPSG criteria identifies women at increased long-term risk of MetS confirming its cardiovascular relevance. Early MedDiet intervention (8-12 GW) during pregnancy provides sustained metabolic benefits while pre-pregnancy BMI and GDM emerge as key modifiable determinants. Lifestyle cut-off points relevant to postpartum MetS prevention were identified.