A study by ADEMA Salud of IUNICS, published in Nutrients, reveals keys to arterial and cardiac aging.
>> Women in the Balearic Islands are six years younger than men in cardiovascular health, according to research. >> Researchers have identified that smoking, consuming alcohol, following an unhealthy diet and leading a sedentary lifestyle can triple the risk of premature aging of the heart and arteries. A study conducted by the ADEMA Salud research team at IUNICS, published in Nutrients, one of Europe’s leading scientific journals, has revealed that women in the Balearic Islands and the rest of Spain have better cardiovascular health than men, with a significantly lower vascular and cardiac age. According to Dr. Arturo López, Director of R&D and Scientific Publications at the ADEMA University School, “on average, men have six years more vascular age (VE) and cardiac age (CA) than their chronological age indicates, while in women this difference is barely a year.” The analysis, conducted on a sample of 139,634 workers from different sectors and regions of Spain (with a strong representation from the Balearic Islands), evaluated how sociodemographic factors and lifestyle habits influence cardiovascular aging. “The data show that 40.5% of the participants were women and that the average age of all the workers analyzed was slightly over 40,” explained Dr. Arturo López. The study confirms that women have significantly better values in almost all cardiovascular health indicators. For example, the average systolic blood pressure in men was 126.2 mmHg, while in women it was 115.6 mmHg. The same is true for diastolic blood pressure (76.6 mmHg in men versus 71.1 mmHg in women) and total cholesterol levels (199.6 mg/dL in men and 194.6 mg/dL in women). Another relevant finding is the difference in adherence to the Mediterranean diet: 47.2% of women follow this dietary pattern, compared to only 34.2% of men. This factor is crucial, as the study shows that poor adherence to the Mediterranean diet doubles the risk of having an elevated heart rate. Furthermore, a sedentary lifestyle is more common in men (62.4% do not engage in regular physical activity, compared to 51.4% in women), and alcohol consumption is significantly higher among men (32.7% compared to 15.6% in women). These factors largely explain the difference in cardiovascular aging rates between the sexes. Factors that most influence cardiovascular aging Researchers have identified that smoking, alcohol consumption, an unhealthy diet, and a sedentary lifestyle can triple the risk of premature aging of the heart and arteries. Smokers have a 2.88 times greater risk of having a heart age older than their chronological age and a 2.95 times greater risk of having an elevated vascular age. For regular alcohol consumers, the risk of accelerated aging increases 3.20 times. Furthermore, socioeconomic status also plays a role. Workers in social class III (unskilled jobs) have a 2.70 times higher risk of having an elevated vascular age, compared to those in social class I (managerial, professional, and artistic). This phenomenon could be explained by lower health education, poorer eating habits, and less access to prevention resources. Vascular and cardiac aging, a preventable problem For Dr. Pere Riutord, president of the Research Advisory Council at the ADEMA University School, “the results of the study reinforce the importance of promoting healthy lifestyle habits from an early age to slow cardiovascular aging. Regular physical activity reduces the risk of advanced vascular age by 66%, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet reduces this risk by more than 60%.” In light of these conclusions, the research team recommends that the public become aware of the importance of these factors. Although genetics plays a role in cardiovascular aging, the study shows that most of the risk is modifiable. In the words of Dr. Arturo López: “We can’t change our chronological age, but we can influence the actual age of our heart and arteries.”
The aptitude tests for admission to the University Degrees in Dentistry, Human Nutrition and Fine Arts at ADEMA are carried out with high participation and success.
>> More than 90% of the students who have applied come from the Islands >> This is the first time that these selection tests have been started in the Degree in Fine Arts. The aptitude tests for admission to the University Degrees in Dentistry, Human Nutrition and Dietetics, and Fine Arts at ADEMA-UIB were held this morning with success and high participation. More than 150 students took the various tests, which consisted of two phases. More than 90 percent of the students who took the exam came from the Canary Islands. For the Degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics, prospective students complete a written exam to assess comprehension, analysis, and synthesis of information, as well as a personal interview. In the case of the Bachelor’s Degree in Dentistry, candidates were required to complete a written comprehension exam, an analysis and summary of information, and a manual aptitude test in the first phase. The second phase consisted of a personal interview. To gain admission to the Bachelor of Fine Arts, students must complete a creativity and drawing test and a personal interview. According to the Academic Secretary of the ADEMA-UIB University School, Dr. Pilar Tomás, “these tests, which were already implemented in previous years for the degrees in Dentistry and Human Nutrition and Dietetics and which have come into effect this year for the next academic year 2025/26 for the Degree in Fine Arts, guarantee that future students who join meet a recommended profile and are provided with greater stability in their studies.” Future students who wish to study these university degrees must have a vocation and motivation, as well as basic cognitive skills that allow them to optimally acquire the competencies, abilities and skills specific to these degrees. The final grade for these tests will be “pass” or “fail”. The order of priority for the enrolment of candidates will be determined by passing the personal aptitude test and the grades obtained in the PBAU or in the studies of origin, according to current regulations. On the other hand, Dr. Pilar Tomás emphasized that “the admission tests that have been implemented have been a success due to their acceptance and standardization of the process among students. This type of test is currently being implemented in various countries, such as Finland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as nationally in private universities and in some degree programs offered by public institutions, such as the Early Childhood and Primary Education Degrees at the UIB.” Phases and dates The provisional results of these tests will be published on March 28. The review process will be open from March 31 to April 2; and the final results will be published on April 15. Persons with disabilities or special needs may request the organizing committee to establish appropriate adaptations so that they can take the exam in conditions appropriate to their situation. ADEMA offers the following university degrees as a center affiliated with the UIB: Dentistry and Fine Arts (also in English), Human Nutrition and Dietetics, and the Official Master’s Degree in Digital Dentistry and New Technologies. Service learning methodology The center’s pedagogical methodology incorporates innovative teaching, technology, and research, with the goal of developing well-rounded individuals in both knowledge and the values that ADEMA considers essential: humanity, a vocation for service, social responsibility, quality, creativity, the ability to excel, and commitment. Innovative teaching activities that contribute to student skill acquisition are embodied in project-based learning, service-based learning, flipped and collaborative learning, and the use of digital technology. In this way, by working on real or simulated experiences, students acquire the skills specific to each subject. Furthermore, this center has a clear vocation for research, knowledge transfer, social impact, and health promotion. Another strategic focus is internationalization, with significant collaboration with national and international universities to work on joint projects and actively integrate them into the latest trends. International Teaching and Research Weeks are organized annually, making the center a hub for national and international experts who debate and analyze the latest developments and trends in different sectors.
ADEMA, winner of the Onda Cero Mallorca 2025 Award in the Education category
The Palma Auditorium was dressed up to host the 14th edition of the Onda Cero Mallorca Awards, an event that brought together more than 1,300 people last Monday, including authorities, guests and radio listeners. The ceremony, hosted with humour and dynamism by Agustín ‘el Casta’ and the journalist Elka Dimitrova, turned into an evening full of emotions, live music by Charly Taylor from Isla Iglú and unforgettable moments. Among the winners of this edition, ADEMA was recognized with the Onda Cero Mallorca 2025 Award in the Education category, an award that highlights its commitment to academic excellence, innovation in teaching methodologies and its impact on the training of future professionals. The president of ADEMA, Diego González, was in charge of collecting this prestigious recognition, awarded by the jury of the XIV Onda Cero Mallorca Awards. In his acceptance speech, González highlighted the work of the entire ADEMA team, the trust placed in the institution by families and students, as well as the collaboration of companies, institutions and NGOs that participate in learning projects, services and external internships. He also had words of gratitude for CECEIB Baleares, the educational cluster and the UIB. During his speech he also had a special memory for Cristina Rebassa, a student of ADEMA who sadly passed away on the eve of the awards ceremony, dedicating this award to her as a tribute to her memory. The event was attended by prominent authorities such as the President of the Balearic Government, Marga Prohens, who closed the event with a few words, as well as the President of the Parliament, Gabriel Le Senne; the President of the Consell de Mallorca, Llorenç Galmés; the delegate of the Government of Spain in the autonomous community, Alfonso Rodríguez, and several councillors of the Balearic executive, among other personalities. This year, the Onda Cero Mallorca 2025 Awards recognised the work of various entities and outstanding personalities in different fields. In the Solidarity category, the prize was awarded to the volunteers from Mallorca who were displaced to the Valencian Community after the devastating DANA on 29 October. In the Tourism category, the businesswoman Carmen Riu was honoured for her more than 40 years of experience. Licors Moyà was recognised as the outstanding company of the year, while the digital platform Eivo won the Communication Award for its innovation in the online broadcasting of Balearic grassroots sport. In the Science and Research category, the Balearic Islands Health Research Institute (IdISBa) was awarded, and the Balearic Association for Multiple Sclerosis (ABDEM) received the award in the Health category. The Mallorcan visual artist René Mäkelä was recognised in the Design and Trends category, while the Blue Marina project in Puerto Portals was awarded in the Environment category. The canoeist Marcus Cooper, the only Mallorcan to win an Olympic medal in each metal, received the award in the Sports category, and in the Culture category, tribute was paid to the Mallorcan glossa as a fundamental part of the native tradition. The Onda Cero Mallorca 2025 Awards have established themselves as an essential event in the island’s cultural and social calendar, a night in which the talent, dedication and commitment of those who contribute to making Mallorca a better place have been celebrated.