Association between carbohydrate quality index and general and central obesity in adults:A population-based study in Iran

Introduction: To determine whether dietary carbohydrates quality index (CQI), glycemic index, and glycemic load is associated with general and abdominal obesity. Methods: 850 participants, 20 to 59 years old, were enrolled in a cross-sectional study from five Tehran districts through health houses. The 168 items in the semi--quantitative food frequency questionnaire were used to assess dietary intake. The CQI was calculated by using the following four components: glycemic index, total fiber, solid carbohydrate to total carbohydrate ratio, and whole grains: total grains ratio. Results: After adjusting for confounding factors, the chance of obesity in men (OR=0.38, 95% CI 0.15to 0.95; P =0.04) measured by waist circumference (WC) was significantly lower in the fourth quintile of CQI in comparison with the first quintile. In addition, OR for obesity in men (OR=2.53, 95% CI0.52 to 1.37; P =0.04) was significantly 2.5 times higher among those in the fourth quintile of glycemic index compared with those in the lowest quintile. There was no significant association between dietary carbohydrates with general obesity in men and women. Conclusion: In summary, dietary CQI is significantly inversely related to central obesity in men,according to this study. Additionally, adherence to a diet with a higher glycemic index in men is positively associated with central obesity

The efficacy and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines around the world: a mini-review and meta-analysis

Abstract Objectives This meta-analysis evaluated the Efficacy and Effectiveness of several COVID-19 vaccines, including AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, Bharat, and Johnson & Johnson, to better estimate their immunogenicity, benefits, or side effects. Methods Studies reporting the Efficacy and Effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines from November 2020 to April 2022 were included. The pooled Effectiveness/Efficacy with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI) with Metaprop order was calculated. The results were presented in forest plots. Predefined subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses were also performed. Results A total of twenty articles were included in this meta-analysis. After the first dose of the vaccine, the total effectiveness of all COVID-19 vaccines in our study was 71% (95% CI 0.65, 0.78). The total effectiveness of vaccines after the second dose was 91% (95% CI 0.88, 0.94)). The total efficacy of vaccines after the first and second doses was 81% (95% CI 0.70, 0.91) and 71% (95% CI 0.62, 0.79), respectively. The effectiveness of the Moderna vaccine after the first and second dose was the highest among other studied vaccines ((74% (95% CI, 0.65, 0.83) and 93% (95% CI, 0.89, 0.97), respectively). The highest first dose overall effectiveness of the studied vaccines was against the Gamma variant (74% (95% CI, 0.73, 0.75)), and the highest effectiveness after the second dose was observed against the Beta variant (96% (95% CI, 0.96, 0.96)). The Efficacy for AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines after the first dose was 78% (95% CI, 0.62, 0.95) and 84% (95% CI, 0.77, 0.92), respectively. The second dose Efficacy for AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Bharat was 67% (95% CI, 0.54, 0.80), 93% (95% CI, 0.85, 1.00), and 71% (95% CI, 0.61, 0.82), respectively. The overall efficacy of first and second dose vaccination against the Alfa variant was 84% (95% CI, 0.84, 0.84) and 77% (95% CI, 0.57, 0.97), respectively, the highest among other variants. Conclusion mRNA-based vaccines against COVID-19 showed the highest total efficacy and effectiveness than other vaccines. In general, administering the second dose produced a more reliable response and higher effectiveness than a single dose