Breast cancer and dietary fat quality indices in Iranian women: A case–control study

BackgroundThe association between breast cancer (BC) and different indices of dietary fats has not been well-studied. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the association between BC and dietary fat quality (DFQ) indices in Iranian women.MethodsThis case–control study was conducted on 120 women with breast cancer and 240 healthy women in Tehran, Iran. Food Frequency Questionnaire and nutritionist IV software were used to assess the intake of dietary fats and to calculate the DFQ indices.ResultsThe patients with BC had a higher total fat (TF) (P < 0.01) and a lower ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) omega-3 to PUFAs omega-6 (ω-3/ω-6) compared with the controls (P < 0.001). TF had a significant association with BC risk (OR: 1.16; 95% CI: 1.01–1.33, P < 0.001). No significant association was found between BC and PUFA/saturated fatty acid ratio or the ω-3/ω-6 ratio.ConclusionThe patients with BC had a lower ω-3/ω-6 ratio and a higher total dietary fat intake than the healthy women. Total dietary fat intake was also directly associated with the risk of BC. Thus, low-fat diets may have beneficial effects for BC prevention. Further longitudinal studies are warranted

Effects of N‐acetylcysteine on oxidative stress biomarkers, depression, and anxiety symptoms in patients with multiple sclerosis

Abstract Aim N‐acetylcysteine (NAC), a thiol‐containing antioxidant and glutathione (GSH) precursor, attenuates oxidative stress, and possibly improves psychiatric disorders. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of oral NAC on oxidative stress, depression, and anxiety symptoms in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods This clinical trial was conducted on 42 MS patients randomly assigned to intervention (n = 21) and control (n = 21) groups. The intervention group received 600 mg of NAC twice daily for 8 weeks, and the control group received a placebo with the same prescription form. An analysis of serum malondialdehyde (MDA), serum nitric oxide (NO), and erythrocyte GSH was carried out on both groups, along with a complete blood count. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to assess symptoms of depression (HADS‐D) and anxiety (HADS‐A). Results Compared to the control group, NAC consumption significantly decreased serum MDA concentrations (−0.33 [−5.85–2.50] vs. 2.75 [−0.25–5.22] μmol/L; p = 0.03) and HADS‐A scores (−1.6 ± 2.67 vs. 0.33 ± 2.83; p = 0.02). No significant changes were observed in serum NO concentrations, erythrocyte GSH levels, and HADS‐D scores (p > 0.05). Conclusions Based on the findings of the present study, NAC supplementation for 8 weeks decreased lipid peroxidation and improved anxiety symptoms in MS patients. The aforementioned results suggest that adjunctive therapy with NAC can be considered an effective strategy for MS management. Further randomized controlled studies are warranted

Association between type 2 diabetes and branched chain amino acids (BCAA); a case-control study

Background Several amino acids and their derivatives have been implicated in insulin resistance (IR) and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). This research sought to establish a relationship between the dietary levels of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) and the risk of T2DM. Methods This case-control study was carried out on 4200 participants consisting of 589 people with T2DM and 3611 non-diabetic aged 35 to 70 years residents in Sabzevar, Iran. Data on the economic-social, employment status, medical history, lifestyle, and sleep habits were collected via interview. The food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to check the nutritional status. Participants’ dietary BCAA consumption was estimated using Nutritionist IV software. Results A significant negative association between the incidence of T2DM and the dietary levels of BCAAs after adjustment for age and sex (OR = 0.972, CI 95%:0.648–0.996, P = 0.022). The negative association remained significant after additional adjustments for body mass index (BMI) and physical activity (OR = 0.967, CI 95%: 0.943–0.992, P = 0.010). Interestingly, a positive association was found between T2DM and total BCAAs (OR = 1.067, CI 95%: 1.017–1.119, P = 0.008), Isoleucine (OR = 1.248, CI 95%: 1.043–1.494, P = 0.016), Leucine (OR = 1.165, CI 95%: 1.046–1.299, P = 0.006) and Valine (OR = 1.274, CI 95%: 1.088–1.492, P = 0.003) after further adjustment for calorie intake. Conclusions Our results demonstrate branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) including isoleucine, leucine, and valine are negatively associated with the incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) after adjusting for age and sex, BMI, and physical activity. However, adjusting for calorie intake reversed the association between T2DM and BCAAs. These findings suggest that the association between BCAAs and T2DM may be influenced by calorie intake. Future longitudinal studies are warranted

Egg consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease: a PERSIAN cohort-based study

Abstract Background Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are one of the main causes of death worldwide. Data on the effect of eggs consumption on the risk of CVDs are still unreliable. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between CVDs and the consumption of eggs. Methods In this case-control study, the required data were extracted from the Prospective Epidemiologic Research Studies in Iran (PERSIAN) cohort in Sabzevar, Iran. A total of 4241 adults participated including 1535 patients with CVDs as the case group and 2706 healthy people as controls. Egg consumption was assessed using a valid food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Results A significant association was observed between eggs consumption and stroke after adjustment for physical activity, body mass index (BMI), smoking, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), using alcohol, lipid profile, diabetes, and the intake of energy, lipid, protein, carbohydrate, and cholestrol (OR:1.007, 95% CI:1.001–1.013, P = 0.03). No association was found between egg consumption with hypertension, cardiac ischemia, and myocardial infarction. Conclusions There was a significant association between the consumption of eggs and stroke. However, more studies are needed to examine the effect of eggs on CVDs

The effects of FTO gene rs9939609 polymorphism on the association between breast cancer and dietary intake

Breast cancer (BC) is the leading cause of cancer‐related deaths in females worldwide and is related to genetic and environmental factors. Dietary components may strongly influence the risk of BC. A possible association was also reported between the fat mass and obesity‐associated (FTO) single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and BC. This study aimed to investigate the impact of FTO rs9939609 polymorphism on the association between BC and dietary intake. This study was conducted on 180 women with BC as the case group and 360 healthy women as the control group. The dietary intakes were assessed by a valid 168‐item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The FTO gene was genotyped for rs9939609 polymorphism. After adjusting the confounding variables, there was no significant association between dietary intake and BC in individuals without risk allele. A positive association between dietary intake of omega‐6 fatty acids and BC was found only in individuals with risk allele of FTO gene (OR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.08–1.60, p: 0.006). FTO gene risk allele may influence the effect of diet on breast cancer risk. Further studies are needed to assess the possible effects of the FTO genotype on the association between BC risk and dietary components