Evaluation of vitamin D status, parathyroid hormone, and calcium among Iranian pregnant women with preeclampsia: A case-control study

Background: Preeclampsia is considered as a serious life-threatening condition that could affect both maternal and fetal outcome. Many studies have examined the association of nutritional factors with the incidence of preeclampsia. However, little is known about the possible role of vitamin D in the development of preeclampsia among the Iranian population. Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between vitamin D status and preeclampsia. Materials and Methods: A total of 120 pregnant women who were referred to Kamali and Alborz General Hospital located in the Karaj City were enrolled in this study and categorized into preeclamptic and control groups (n = 60/each). The clinical details of patients such as demographic characteristics and laboratory findings were obtained from the patients. The serum levels of vitamin D, calcium, phosphorus, and parathormone were also measured. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess for independent predictors of preeclampsia. Results: The mean age among pregnant women with preeclampsia and control group were 31.48 ± 5.25 and 29.01 ± 5.28, respectively. The mean body mass index among the preeclamptic group was 27.92 ± 4.98, which was significantly higher compared to the control group (p < 0.001). The serum vitamin D levels were significantly lower in women with preeclampsia compared to the control subjects (p = 0.007). Moreover, no correlation between vitamin D deficiency and predisposing factors of preeclampsia was observed after adjusting for confounding factors. Conclusion: Our study revealed that serum vitamin D level is significantly lower in among the pregnant women diagnosed with preeclampsia compared to the healthy subjects. However, no correlation was observed between the vitamin D status and the risk of preeclampsia development. Key words: Preeclampsia, Vitamin D, 25-Hydroxyvitamin D, Pregnancy

Effect of dietary approaches to stop hypertension, and standard diets with and without curcumin on interleukin-1 alpha, 5-alpha reductase gene expressions, and androgenic and glycemic profile in polycystic ovary syndrome women undergoing IVF

Full Title: Effect of dietary approaches to stop hypertension, and standard diets with and without curcumin on interleukin-1 alpha, 5-alpha reductase gene expressions, and androgenic and glycemic profile in polycystic ovary syndrome women undergoing in vitro fertilization treatment: A study protocol Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine diseases with major reproductive and metabolic complications with an impact on public health. Hyperandrogenism and chronic inflammation have been suggested as the leading cause of pathophysiology and clinical manifestations associated with PCOS. It seems that the altered expression of genes involved in the synthesis of proinflammatory cytokine and androgens contribute to the promotion of PCOS. Objective: This trial aims to determine the effects of dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) and standard diets with and without curcumin supplementation on the gene expression of interleukin (IL)-1α alpha, IL-5α reductase and androgenic and glycemic profile among PCOS patients, who are candidates for in vitro fertilization. Materials and Methods: 96 infertile women with PCOS, aged 18-40 yr, will participate in this randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Based on treatment conditions and body mass index, the participants will be randomly divided into 4 equal groups using a randomized block design. They will receive a DASH or standard diet containing 52% carbohydrate, 18% protein, and 30% total fat, with the same prescribed sodium, plus 500 mg twice daily curcumin or placebo for 12 wk. The mRNA expression of IL-1α, 5α reductase, and androgenic and glycemic profiles will be measured at baseline and at the end of the study. Conclusion: Concomitant administration of DASH diet and curcumin supplementation may reduce IL-1α, 5α reductase gene expressions, and improve glycemic and androgenic profiles. Key words: Polycystic ovary syndrome, Dietary approaches to stop hypertension, Curcumin, Fertilization in vitro, Gene expression

Effects of Coenzyme Q10 Level on Clinical Parameters in Cystic Fibrosis Patients

Background: Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a hereditary autosomal recessive genetic disorder that can affect many organs including the lungs and the digestive system. We aimed to assess the effects of coenzyme Q10 level on clinical parameters in cystic fibrosis patients. Materials and Methods This cross-sectional study was performed on 40 patients (13 females and 19 males) with cystic fibrosis who were admitted in Masih Daneshvari Hospital in Tehran- Iran, in 2017. A researcher-made questionnaire was distributed among them, and then the height, weight and arm circumference of the patients were measured and also their serum Q10 levels were evaluated. Then, the pulmonary function was evaluated using a 6-minute respiration test and a spirometry test. Finally, their total scores were calculated based on Shwachman score. Results: The age range of participants was from 6 to 27 years old. Anthropometric indices such as weight (p=0.02, r=-0.408), age (p=0.016, r=-0.422), height (p=0.002, r=-0.520), birth weight (p=0.0113, R=-0.286), and height at birth (p=0.037, r=-0.37) had a significant negative relationship with coenzyme Q10. There was relationship between anthropometric indices and spirometry tests, including the association of FEV1 (act) with weight (p=0.00), and arm circumference (p=0.00) which were determined. Conclusion: According to the results, there was no direct relationship between muscle mass and Q10. Besides, the mean age of Q10 was greater than that of in age group of 9-16 years old, which can be considered for nutrition or childhood reserves for coenzyme Q10 production, which is decreased due to increasing age and lack of intake or loss of body power for the production of coenzyme Q10

Development and multi-cohort validation of a clinical score for predicting type 2 diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Many countries lack resources to identify patients at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes mellitus (diabetes). We aimed to develop and validate a diabetes risk score based on easily accessible clinical data. METHODS: Prospective study including 5277 participants (55.0% women, 51.8±10.5 years) free of diabetes at baseline. Comparison with two other published diabetes risk scores (Balkau and Kahn clinical, respectively 5 and 8 variables) and validation on three cohorts (Europe, Iran and Mexico) was performed. RESULTS: After a mean follow-up of 10.9 years, 405 participants (7.7%) developed diabetes. Our score was based on age, gender, waist circumference, diabetes family history, hypertension and physical activity. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.772 for our score, vs. 0.748 (p<0.001) and 0.774 (p = 0.668) for the other two. Using a 13-point threshold, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (95% CI) of our score were 60.5 (55.5-65.3), 77.1 (75.8-78.2), 18.0 (16.0-20.1) and 95.9 (95.2-96.5) percent, respectively. Our score performed equally well or better than the other two in the Iranian [AUC 0.542 vs. 0.564 (p = 0.476) and 0.513 (p = 0.300)] and Mexican [AUC 0.791 vs. 0.672 (p<0.001) and 0.778 (p = 0.575)] cohorts. In the European cohort, it performed similarly to the Balkau score but worse than the Kahn clinical [AUC 0.788 vs. 0.793 (p = 0.091) and 0.816 (p<0.001)]. Diagnostic capacity of our score was better than the Balkau score and comparable to the Kahn clinical one. CONCLUSION: Our clinically-based score shows encouraging results compared to other scores and can be used in populations with differing diabetes prevalence

Editor\'s welcome

Food and Nutrition Security (FNS) has an evolving nature and during the last decades its theoretical, conceptual, structural, practical and programmatic notions evolved significantly and approaches toward food and nutrition have changed drastically. Now, more than ever before, the issue is considered as a fundamental component of sustainable development globally. For a better grasp of the complexities of the field, we need to remind ourselves that &ldquo;nutrition&rdquo; as science has a history of more than 100 years while nutrition as a &ldquo;factor&rdquo; in &ldquo;National development&rdquo; has a history of around fifty years. Considering distinct levels of development status in different contexts, FNS pattern is non-monotonic even in one country. Accordingly, struggling against food and nutrition insecurity is very thought to deal with and multi disciplinary and multi sectorial approaches should be applied. Providing robust evidences to feed policy making processes is one of the main prerequisites for evidence informed policy making and repositioning nutrition as central to sustainable development. This is a professional duty of scholars in different sectors engaging with human development. The journal of Nutrition and Food Security (JNFS) as a new journal in the field of food and nutrition security is trying to provide an excellent opportunity for researchers and scholars to publish their original works on approaches, challenges and solutions of food and nutrition hoping to provide data for decision makers to better design interventional programs aiming to eradicate food and nutrition insecurity. Editor in chief H. Mozaffari-Khosravi 22 Sep 201

The Effect of Ginger on Blood Lipid and Lipoproteins in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Controlled Trial

Background: Preliminary clinical trials showed that ginger improved lipid profile in type 2 diabetes patients (T2D). This trial was carried out to determine the effect of ginger on blood lipid and lipoproteins in T2D. Methods: this is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial on 88 T2D conducted in. The patients were randomly divided into two groups of ginger (GG) and placebo (PG), the GG consumed daily 3 one-gram capsules containing ginger powder whereas the other group received capsules of the same color and number as GG but containing cellulose microcrystalline, both after taking meals and for eight weeks. Serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), HDL-c, LDL-c, Apo B100 and Apo A1 were measured at the baseline and the end of trial. Results: Out of 88 patients who participated in the trial, 81 of them accomplished it. No significant changes were observed in mean of TC, TG, HDL-c, and Apo B100 within and between the groups. Serum LDL-c and LDL-c/HDL-c ratio were decreased significantly in the GG (P = 0.03, P = 0.028) at the end of trail but they were not significantly different between the two groups. Serum Apo A1 was increased significantly in the GG (P < 0.05) and PG (P < 0.05) at the end of trial but it was not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusions: This study indicated that daily consumption of 3 g of ginger powder in capsules for 8 weeks by T2D leads to lowering of LDL-c, LDL-c/HDL-c ratio, and Apo A1. Therefore, consumption of this supplementation is appropriate for this patient

The Effect of ginger powder supplementation on Blood Pressure of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Controlled Trial

Background: Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common chronic metabolic disorders. Nowadays there is an uprising trend toward new approaches in type 2 diabetes management. In this study the effect of Ginger supplementation on blood pressure in type 2 diabetic patients was examined. Methods: 81 patients with type 2 diabetes who were referred to Yazd Diabetes Research Center participated in this randomized clinical trial. Patients were randomly divided into two groups; Placebo (PG) and ginger supplemented (GG) groups. GG were supplemented with 3 ginger capsules (1 g ginger powder in each capsule) and PG received placebo. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), Pulse pressure (PP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were measured before the intervention, 2nd week, 4th week, 6th week, and at the end of the study (8th week). Results: The SBP, DBP, PP and MAP were decreased significantly in the GG (P = 0.001) group at the end of week 8 and significantly decreased at the end of the study compared to the beginning of the study. No significant changes were observed in the PG. However, its mean was statistically different between two groups at the end of intervention. Conclusion: This study indicated that daily consumption of 3 g of ginger powder in capsules for 8 weeks by patients with type 2 diabetes decreases SBP, DBP, PP and MAP

The Effect of a Single Mega dose Injection of Vitamin D on Blood Pressure in Mothers at First Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Background: Health benefits of vitamin D has been proved by a large number of studies, however, to the best of our knowledge there has been no study investigating the effect of mega dose of vitamin D on gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). This study was the first to assess the effect of postpartum injection of mega dose of vitamin D on blood pressure (BP) in GDM. Methods: This is a randomized controlled clinical trial conducted on 58 pregnant women suffering from GDM who were randomly assigned into control (CG, n = 24) and intervention group (IG, n = 24). Patients in intervention group (IG) received an intramuscular injection of 300,000 IU of vitamin D. BP, Serum concentration of 25 (OH) D3, parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcium, phosphor, diastolic (DBP) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were measured at the baseline and after 3 months. Results: Mega dose supplementation resulted in increased serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D concentrations in IG compared with the CG (62.10 nmol/l compared with 24.10 nmol/l, P < 0.001). Additionally, injection of vitamin D significantly reduced SBP (98.1 &plusmn; 9.0 mmHg compared with 106.9 &plusmn; 15.9 mmHg, P = 0.02) and slightly decreased DBP but it was not statistically significant (63.3 &plusmn; 1.5 mmHg compared with 73.6 &plusmn; 10.3 mmHg, P = 0.13). Serum PTH significantly decrease after intervention in IG compared with CG (2.88 &plusmn; 1.60 pmol/l compared with 4.78 &plusmn; 2.4 pmol/l P = 0.003). Conclusions: This study strongly improved vitamin D status in women with GDM and consequently confirmed the efficacy of a mega dose of vitamin D injection on decreasing of BP

The Effect of Green Tea versus Sour Tea on Insulin Resistance, Lipids Profiles and Oxidative Stress in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: By decreasing oxidative stress and whereby decreasing insulin resistance, it may be possible to decrease complications of Diabetes Mellitus (DM). Green tea and sour tea contain phytochemicals which have anti-oxidative function. The aim of this study is to compare the effect of sour and green tea consumption on insulin resistance and oxidative stress in DM. Methods: This study is a randomized clinical trial in which 100 type 2 diabetes patients were randomly assigned into sour tea group (ST) and green tea group (GT). The patients were instructed to drink 150ml sour tea and green tea infusion, respectively, three times a day for 4 weeks. Fasting blood sugar (FBS), fructosamine, lipid profiles, fasting blood insulin (FBI), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR); beta cell function (b%), insulin sensitivity (S%) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were monitored. Results: HDL-c significantly increased in both groups. The median of FBI in GT showed significant decrease (8.5 to 6.6 μIU/mL) unlike the ST which showed significant increase (8.2 to 16.3 μIU/mL). The median of HOMA-IR after the intervention in GT showed lower levels than the ST (1.1 vs. 1.6, P=0.004). The median of b% only in ST showed significant increase from 38.2% at the baseline to 47.7% after the intervention. The mean of S% only in ST showed significant decrease after the intervention. Conclusion: This study shows that the use of 150 ml infusion of green tea or sour tea, three times a day for four weeks, has positive effect on insulin resistance and certain lipoproteins in type 2 DM. Trial Registration Number: IRCT201107317161N