Increasing technological advances have generated a digital dependency in the population, resulting in a group of digitally excluded vulnerable people that lack basic digital skills. The aim of this study was to assess the digital divide in patients in relation to the healthcare environment. We explored the extent and effects of the digital health divide by undertaking a systematic review of the academic literature and comparing our findings with the results of a cross-sectional in-person survey answered by 881 people at four community pharmacies. In terms of the sociodemographic profile of the patients, we collected data regarding their gender, age, education level, and location (periphery or urban). The parameters evaluated were use of the internet to search for health information, use of telemedicine, use of different medical/healthcare applications, understanding explanations given by physicians regarding health, and asking pharmacists for help about newly prescribed treatments. Moreover, 168 pharmacists answered an online survey about how often they helped patients to make health center appointments or to download their COVID-19 vaccination certificate. Gender did not influence these results, but age, education level, and population location did. Those with the lowest levels of education required more help to request a health center appointment. People with high education levels and those living in an urban environment more often searched the internet for information about treatments that were new to them. Finally, people living in periphery areas received more help from their pharmacists, 60% of which said they had helped patients to download their COVID-19 vaccination certificate, with 24% of them saying they helped patients with this on a daily basis.

Introduction: Cognitive impairment (CI) is known to be mediated by several risk and protective factors, many of which are potentially modifiable. Therefore, it is important to have up-to-date studies that address a standard assessment of psychosocial, clinical and lifestyle variables.Materials and methods: We conducted a cross-sectional observational study, with a 24-month timeframe, to estimate the relationship between risk and protective factors associated with dementia, according to the A-to-Z Dementia Knowledge. Participants were considered at CI risk if they tested positive for at least one of three validated CI screening tests: The Memory Impairment Screening, Short Portable Mental State Questionnaire, and Semantic Verbal Fluency. The A-to-Z data Collection included Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener and Geriatric Depression Scale.Results: The estimated prevalence of CI was 22.6% in a sample of 709 patients with an average of 69.3±10.3 years. The risk factors gradually associated with cognitive decline were hypertension, loneliness, and depression. In contrast, the protective factors gradually associated with less cognitive decline were internet use, reading, and intellectually stimulating jobs. Finally, living alone, having diabetes, taking benzodiazepines, and sleeping more than 9 h were statistically significant associated with CI, whereas to do memory training or a family history of dementia was characteristic of patients without CI.Conclusion: A joint assessment of the influence of psychosocial, clinical, and lifestyle-related factors is needed to develop dementia prevention strategies.

Cardiovascular (CV) diseases remain a leading global health challenge, being influenced by diet and systemic inflammation. Adherence to healthy dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean (MED), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and Anti-inflammatory (AnMED) diets, may reduce the CV risk. Background/Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the association between the adherence to healthy dietary patterns and CV treatments. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Valencian Community, Spain. Nutritional data were collected using a food frequency questionnaire to assess the adherence to MED, DASH, and AnMED dietary patterns. Statistical analyses, including Kruskal–Wallis tests and linear regression models, evaluated dietary adherence, nutrient intake, the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), and medication use. Results: Of 468 participants initially recruited, were included in the final analysis after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria (88.48% female, mean age: 66.16 ± 9.59 years). A significant association was observed between the DII and antihypertensive use (p-value < 0.001), with higher DII scores correlating with increased antihypertensive consumption. Among dietary patterns, the AnMED diet exhibited the strongest association with the DII (p-adjust < 0.001). Predictive modeling revealed a 14.28% increase in antihypertensive use per unit rise in the DII. The AnMED diet was the only pattern significantly linked to improved micronutrient intake, including calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium. Conclusions: The DII is a useful tool for assessing the inflammatory potential of diets. Diets with lower DII scores, such as the AnMED diet, may reduce systemic inflammation and improve CV health. Adherence to the AnMED diet may lower blood pressure and reduce reliance on antihypertensive medications, supporting anti-inflammatory dietary patterns for CV disease prevention and management.

This study examines the challenges related to pharmacological outcomes in Fibromyalgia (FM), a multifaceted syndrome characterized by widespread pain, cognitive impairment, and fatigue. It aims to evaluate medication use patterns, identify potential drug-drug interactions, assess adherence to clinical guidelines, and determine how these pharmacological factors may contribute to symptoms often described as fibro-fog and influence overall health and well-being. This cross-sectional study analyzed medication usage and potential drug interactions in women with FM. Tools such as CheckTheMeds® and the CRIDECO Anticholinergic Load Scale were employed to assess the pharmacological appropriateness of treatments in alignment with clinical guidelines and to quantify anticholinergic burden. A total of 881 medication alerts were reviewed, corresponding to 108 women with FM (mean age: 54.06 ± 8.43). Pain management medications accounted for 72.94% of the total medications prescribed. The analysis revealed a significant anticholinergic burden in 50.93% of the patients. Pharmacological reviews are essential in the management of FM, as they enhance treatment safety, minimize risks such as CNS depression and excessive anticholinergic burden. Optimizing medication regimens may indirectly influence symptoms commonly reported in fibromyalgia, including those often referred to as fibro-fog, while supporting safer and more individualized treatment strategies.

Background: Chronic pain and early cognitive vulnerability frequently co-occur in older women and may share inflammatory mechanisms. Objective: We examined whether dietary inflammatory load, assessed using the dietary inflammatory index (DII), and Mediterranean-derived dietary patterns (Mediterranean diet (MED), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), Mediterranean–DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) and anti-inflammatory Mediterranean Diet (AnMED)) are associated with pain and early cognitive outcomes. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among women aged ≥50 years recruited from community pharmacies and healthcare centers in the Comunidad Valenciana (Spain). Dietary intake was assessed using the PREDIMED Food Frequency Questionnaire to derive DII and dietary pattern scores. Outcomes included pain intensity, subjective memory complaints (SMC) and semantic verbal fluency (SVF). Analyses were adjusted for sociodemographic, clinical and lifestyle covariates, with false discovery rate correction. Results: Complete case samples comprised 470 women for SMC and SVF, with 328 also included for pain. Higher DII was consistently associated with greater pain intensity, increased odds of SMC, and lower SVF scores. No dietary pattern was associated with pain after correction. AnMED was associated with lower odds of SMC and higher SVF, while DASH was also positively associated with SVF. Bridge analysis showed that lower DII was associated with both MIND and AnMED, with a stronger association for AnMED. Conclusions: Dietary inflammatory load showed the most consistent associations with pain and early cognitive vulnerability, whereas Mediterranean-derived patterns differed in their inflammatory and cognitive relevance.

Background: Cognitive impairment (CI) is often diagnosed at moderate stages, with an estimated time for diagnosis of two years. However, the early diagnosis of CI allows the control of modifiable risk factors to prevent the development of dementia at later ages. In addition, the community pharmacy is a close, accessible, and trustworthy health establishment where the pharmacist often participates in disease prevention, becoming a suitable healthcare center for facilitating the detection of cases of CIMethod: A cross‐sectional observational study was designed using a structured personal interview. Participants were aged 50 or older with subjective memory complaints. Pharmacies in the province of Valencia (Spain) were invited to participate voluntarily by the organization entities. Before the start‐up of the service, the participating pharmacists received specific training. In the personal interview with the patient, after signing the corresponding informed consent, three validated questionnaires were conducted to assess their cognitive status: Memory Impairment Screening (MIS), Semantic Verbal Fluency (FVS), and Pfeiffer’s Short Portable Mental State Questionnaire (SPMSQ). Whenever possible, a fourth questionnaire was carried out: Brief Informant Test (Brief TIN). Data collection was carried out through a computer platform. This project was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University CEU‐Cardenal Herrera (registration number CEEI21/198).Result: Between February 2021 and July 2023, 44 pharmacies participated, and 534 patients were screened. Of them, 194 (36%) had at least one positive test result, therefore having possible CI. After their corresponding referral to the doctor, 52 (29%) patients were referred to the hospital neurology department, of which 42 (81%) had been diagnosed with cognitive decline. Finally, the average time from the first evaluation by a pharmacist to a diagnosis by the specialist was six months.Conclusion: Preliminary results of the screening for cognitive impairment show that the community pharmacy is a critical point in the approach to early detection of dementia and that collaboration and coordination between different levels of care is enhanced through such programs.