To identify nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and liver stiffness in Mexican subjects with different body mass index (BMI). A cross-sectional study was conducted in 505 adults. Risk for NASH was defined as the presence of one or more of the following biochemical and metabolic parameters (BMPs): fasting glucose ≥100 mg/dl, triglycerides (TG) ≥150 mg/dl, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) ≥2.5, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) >54 IU/L and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) >42 IU/L. Body mass index measurement and nutritional assessment were performed by standard procedures. Liver fibrosis stage was determined by liver stiffness measurement using transitional elastography (TE) or by liver biopsy (LB). Risk for NASH was 57% (290/505). Most BMPs values incremented by BMI category. Among 171 at-risk patients, 106 subjects were evaluated by TE and 65 subjects by LB. Abnormal liver stiffness (≥6.0 kPa) was prevalent in 54% (57/106) of the cases, whereas by LB, 91% (59/65) of patients with obesity had NASH and liver fibrosis. Furthermore, liver fibrosis was prevalent in 46% (6/13) in normal weight individuals, whereas 4.6% (3/65) of patients with a BMI ≥ 35 kg/m² showed no histopathological abnormalities. Overall, 67.8% (116/171) of the patients had abnormal liver stiffness or NASH. The normal weight patients with liver damage consumed relatively a higher fat-rich diet compared to the other groups whereas the remaining subgroups shared a similar dietary pattern. Young patients with overweight and obesity showed a high prevalence of altered BMPs related to abnormal liver stiffness assessed by TE and NASH by LB. Early diagnostic strategies are required to detect the risk for NASH and avoid further liver damage in populations with a rising prevalence of obesity by defining the risk factors involved in the onset and progression of NASH.

Diet-related adaptive gene (DRAG) polymorphisms identified in specific populations are associated with chronic disorders in carriers of the adaptive alleles due to changes in dietary and lifestyle patterns in recent times. Mexico’s population is comprised of Amerindians (AM) and Mestizos who have variable AM, European (EUR) and African genetic ancestry and an increased risk of nutrition-related chronic diseases. Nutritional advice based on the Mexican genome and the traditional food culture is needed to develop preventive and therapeutic strategies. Therefore, we aimed to provide a prevalence profile of several DRAG polymorphisms in the Mexican population, including Central West (CW) Mexico subpopulations. Geographic heat maps were built using ArcGIS10 (Esri, Redlands, CA, USA) software, based on the published data of the MTHFR C677T (rs1801133), ABCA1 Arg230Cys (rs9282541), APOE T388C (rs429358)/C526T (rs7412), LCT C-13910T (rs4988235) polymorphisms and AMY1 copy number variation (CNV). Also, new data obtained by allelic discrimination-real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays for the MTHFR, ABCA1, and APOE polymorphisms as well as the AMY1 CNV in the CW Mexico subpopulations with different proportions of AM and EUR ancestry were included. In the CW region, the highest frequency of the MTHFR 677T, ABCA1 230C and APOE ε4 adaptive alleles was observed in the AM groups, followed by Mestizos with intermediate AM ancestry. The LCT-13910T allele frequency was highest in Mestizos-EUR but extremely low in AM, while the AMY1 diploid copy number was 6.82 ± 3.3 copies. Overall, the heat maps showed a heterogeneous distribution of the DRAG polymorphisms, in which the AM groups revealed the highest frequencies of the adaptive alleles followed by Mestizos. Given these genetic differences, genome-based nutritional advice should be tailored in a regionalized and individualized manner according to the available foods and Mexican traditional food culture that may lead to a healthier dietary pattern.

Obesity-related chronic diseases (CD) are highly prevalent in Mexicans who show moderate to high frequencies of diet-related adaptive gene (DRAG) polymorphisms and recent shifts in traditional dietary habits and lifestyles. This study first evaluated the effects of a regionalized genome-based Mexican (GENOMEX) diet on anthropometric and biochemical parameters and, subsequently their relationship with the genetic profile of DRAG polymorphisms in subjects with metabolic risk factors for obesity-related CD. Thirty-seven eligible subjects underwent a 24-week dietary intervention with a GENOMEX diet. The DRAG polymorphisms were determined by an allelic discrimination real-time assay to evaluate their association with the clinical response to diet. The GENOMEX diet significantly improved anthropometric parameters such as total weight, body mass index, waist circumference, and body fat percentage, with an average weight loss of 6.6% (5.3 ± 5.3 kg). The frequency of subjects with insulin resistance, hypertriglyceridemia and elevated VLDL-c (48.5% vs. 24.2%, p = 0.041; 45.5% vs. 12.1%, p = 0.003; and 39.4% vs. 15.2%, p = 0.027, baseline vs. 24-weeks, respectively) was reduced. A more significant favorable effect in HOMA-IR and insulin was observed in MTHFR 677T adaptive allele carriers, but no other DRAG polymorphism was associated with clinical changes. The GENOMEX diet improved the metabolic risk factors for obesity-related CD. The recommendation and habitual consumption of a traditional Mexican diet based on knowledge of the population’s genetic and cultural history may be effective in preventing current obesity-related CD.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) represent a major health problem worldwide. In Italy, despite the decline in CVD mortality and disability-adjusted life years recently observed, CVD remains the leading cause of death. The development of CVD has a complex and multifactorial etiology that involves environmental, lifestyle/behavioral (e.g., unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, smoking, and alcohol abuse), metabolic, and genetic factors. Although a large number of CVD susceptibility genetic variants have been identified, some seem to confer risk according to the genetic background or ethnicity of the population. Some CVD-associated polymorphisms with appreciable frequency in the Italian population may be important contributors to the development and progression of the most prevalent CVD in the population. This literature review aims to provide an overview of the epidemiology of CVD in Italy, as well as to highlight the main genetic, lifestyle/behavioral, and metabolic factors contributing to CVD risk in this population.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is closely associated with obesity and other cardiometabolic risk factors. MASLD has rapidly become the most common cause of liver disease worldwide, currently affecting 38% of the global population. Excess weight causes chronic inflammation and the activation of different pathways involved in liver damage. MASLD can progress from simple steatosis to steatohepatitis, giving way to its inflammatory component, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), previously recognized as non-alcoholic steatosis hepatitis (NASH). Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains a significant challenge to liver health as it triggers hepatic inflammation, metabolic disruption, and hepatic steatosis. The convergence of MASLD and chronic HCV infection can significantly alter the course of liver disease and accelerate the progression to severe liver damage. Currently, HCV treatment has a high cure rate. However, in patients who achieve a sustained virological response after treatment with direct-acting antivirals, weight gain, and excessive calorie intake may contribute to increased liver steatosis and a higher risk of liver disease progression. Therefore, the effective clinical and nutritional management of HCV patients, both before and after viral eradication, is crucial to reducing the risk of death from hepatocellular carcinoma. Understanding the complex interactions between MASLD and HCV infection is crucial for managing these patients appropriately. Herein, host and viral mechanisms inducing liver damage during the coexistence of MASLD and HCV infection are described, and their therapeutic and dietary management are discussed.

Traditional diets are known to be beneficial; however, both Italian and Mexican populations are gradually moving away from the Mediterranean and traditional Mexican diets. Since women play a key role in safeguarding dietary traditions and may reflect population dietary changes, we aimed to identify Italian and Mexican women’s current dietary patterns (DPs) and characterize their nutrient content. Cross-sectional analyses were separately conducted on two convenience samples of 811 women from Southern Italy and 215 women from Western Mexico. Food frequency questionnaires, 24 h recalls, and a principal component analysis (PCA) approach were used to derive a posteriori DPs. In Italian women, the first DP was characterized by the consumption of legumes, vegetables, and fish (8.8% of the total variance), while the second DP was characterized by snack foods, processed meats, and non-olive oils. In Mexican women, the first DP was characterized by the consumption of meats and processed foods (12.6% of the total variance), while the second DP by fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. In both populations, adhering to the DPs rich in healthy foods (i.e., fruits, vegetables, legumes, and fish) was associated with a higher quality of diet in terms on nutrient content. However, adherence to the Western-type DPs was more common among women of younger age (p < 0.035). Thus, more extraordinary efforts are needed in promoting each country’s traditional healthy diet, especially among the new generations.