Intravenous ascorbic acid and lung function in severely ill COVID-19 patients

Current evidence suggests that ascorbic acid improves the host’s immune system and, therefore, may play a role in reducing the severity of infectious diseases. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is a potentially life‐threatening viral infection that mainly infects the lungs. The objective of this review was to synthesize the existing findings from studies related to the effect of intravenous ascorbic acid on lung function in COVID‐19 patients. For this review, PubMed, Cochrane, SCOPUS, EMBASE, Clinical Trial Registry, and Google Scholar databases were searched from December 2019 to May 2022. There was a total of six studies that investigated the large dose of ascorbic acid infusion intravenously on lung function in severely ill subjects with COVID‐19. Out of six, three studies found that high‐dose intravenous ascorbic acid improved lung function markers, and three studies found null results. Infusions of 12 g/d and 24 g/d of intravenous ascorbic acid had shown a significant improvement in lung function markers in two clinical trials. Studies that administered 8 g/d, 2 g/d, and 50 mg/kg/d of intravenous ascorbic acid found no influence on mechanical ventilation need and other lung function markers in critically ill subjects with COVID‐19. Overall, the effect of intravenous ascorbic acid on the lung function of subjects with COVID yielded equivocal findings. More double‐blinded, randomized, clinical studies with a larger sample size are required to confirm the effect of ascorbic acid in ameliorating the lung pathologies associated with COVID infection

Dietary patterns and glycaemic control among Qatari adults with type 2 diabetes.

To assess the association between dietary patterns and glycaemic control among Qatari adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Cross-sectional analysis using data from the Qatar Biobank Study. Poor glycaemic control was defined as HbA1c ≥7·0 %. Dietary patterns were constructed using factor analysis based on habitual food intake assessed by a FFQ. Medication use was based on self-report. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association. Qatar. Adults aged ≥18 years (n 1000) with known diabetes. The mean age of the participants was 52·3 (sd 11·5) years. Overall, the prevalence of poor glycaemic control was 57·6 %, and 27·7 % of the participants were insulin users. Three dietary patterns were identified. The modern dietary pattern (high intake of fast food, croissants, white bread and cheese) was inversely associated with poor glycaemic control. The sd increments of the modern pattern had OR for poor glycaemic control of 0·86 (95 % CI 0·68, 1·08) in men and 0·76 (95 % CI 0·61, 0·95) in women. There was a significant interaction between the modern pattern and diabetes medication in men but not in women. In men without diabetes medication, the modern pattern was positively associated with poor glycaemic control with an OR of 2·35 (95 % CI 1·13, 4·87). Male diabetes patients took medication to control diabetes but ate more unhealthy food. In men who were not taking diabetes medication, modern dietary pattern was associated with poor glycaemic control. Promoting healthy eating should be encouraged especially among those under diabetes medication

Associations of the MIND Diet with Cardiometabolic Diseases and Their Risk Factors: A Systematic Review

Purpose: Recent studies have expanded the scope of research on the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet beyond its impact on cognitive performance. These investigations have specifically explored its potential to provide protection against cardiometabolic diseases and associated risk factors, including obesity and dyslipidemia. Methods: We systematically summarized and evaluated all existing observational and trial evidence for the MIND diet in relation to cardiometabolic diseases and their risk factors in adults. PubMed, Embase, CINAHL and Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched to extract original studies on humans published until September 2023, without date restrictions. A total of 491 studies were initially retrieved, out of which 23 met the eligibility criteria and were included in the final review. Duplicated and irrelevant studies were screened out by five independent reviewers using the Rayyan platform. Quality assessment was ascertained using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for observational studies and the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool (RoB 2) for randomized trials. Results: Across the different study designs, the MIND diet was generally associated with an improvement in anthropometric measures and other cardiometabolic outcomes, such as blood pressure, glycemic control, lipid profile, inflammation and stroke. The effects of the MIND eating pattern on some cardiovascular diseases are less conclusive. Conclusion: The findings of this systematic review support the recommendation of the MIND diet as a strategy to reduce cardiometabolic risk in adults. Further well-designed and long-term studies are warranted

Dietary Patterns and Glycemic Control Among Qatari Adults with Type 2 Diabetes

Background: No studies assess the effect of dietary pattern on glycemic control among Qatari adults with T2DM. Objective: To assess the association between dietary patterns, and glycemic control among Qatari adults with T2DM. Method: Data from 1000 adults with known diabetes attending the Qatar Biobank Study were analyzed. Poor glycemic control was defined as HbA1c ≥7.0%. Dietary pattern was constructed using factor analysis based on habitual food intake data assessed by a food frequency questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between dietary patterns and poor glycemic control. The following covariates were considered: education, age, gender, smoking, BMI and medication. All analyses were conducted using STATA15. Result: The odds ratio for poor glycemic control was 0.86 (95%CI 0.68-1.08) in men, 0.76(95%CI 0.61-0.95) in women. For men without diabetes medication, fast food pattern was positively but traditional pattern was inversely associated with poor glycemic control 2.35(95%CI 1.13-4.87) (p=0.021) and 0.49 (95%CI 0.22-1.07) (p=0.075) respectively. And among younger participants, the use of insulin was higher than older participants as it was 77 (SD 30.8%). Conclusion: Fast food pattern was inversely associated with glycemic control which is most likely linked to medication use. In men who were not under diabetes medication, fast food pattern was associated with poor glycemic contro