Is vitamin D status a determining factor for metabolic syndrome? A case-control study

This study was undertaken to assess vitamin D status in nonmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome (MeS) and to evaluate its possible role in inflammation and other components of MeS. A case-control study was conducted during late fall and winter 2009–10. A total of 375 women with waist circumference (WC) ≥88 cm were examined to find 100 who met MeS criteria according to the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP)/Adult Treatment Panel (ATP) III criteria (NCEP/ATP III). Of those without MeS, 100 age- and residence area-matched women were selected as a control group. Anthropometric and laboratory evaluations were performed. Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), body mass index (BMI), homeostatic model of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and body fat mass (FM) were also evaluated. Women with MeS had significantly higher BMI, waist circumference (WC) and FM but lower serum osteocalcin than controls. There was no significant difference in serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D), intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) or vitamin D status between the two groups. Serum highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) concentration was significantly higher in the MeS group, compared to the controls (3.4 ± 3.3 vs 2.0 ± 1.9 mg/L, P < 0.001). The difference remained significant even after controlling for BMI (P = 0.011), WC (P = 0.014) and FM (P = 0.005). When comparison was made only in those subjects with insulin resistance (HOMA-IR > 2.4), hsCRP was still higher in the MeS group (n = 79) than in the control group (n = 61) (P < 0.001). When data were categorized according to vitamin D status, in the MeS group significantly higher plasma glucose concentrations were observed in subjects with vitamin D deficiency compared to those with insufficiency or sufficiency (104.0 ± 11.7, 83.0 ± 11.3 and 83.2 ± 9.9 mg/dL, respectively, P < 0.001). Interestingly, their WC or WHR did not show any significant difference. In stepwise regression analysis, 25(OH)D was the main predictor of both hsCRP and plasma glucose. Vitamin D status may, at least in part, be a determining factor of systemic inflammation and the related metabolic derangements of MeS

Validity, Reliability and Feasibility of the Eating Behavior Pattern Questionnaire (EBPQ) among Iranian female students

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the validity, reliability and feasibility of eating behavior pattern questionnaire (EBPQ) in female university students. Methods: In this study, after forward-backward translation, the questionnaire was reviewed by a panel of nutritionists and a psychologist and further thirty participants for the content validity measurement. The translated and modified questionnaire was completed by 225 female students of Tabriz University in 2013. Principle axis factoring, confirmatory factor analysis and known group analysis were conducted for construct, convergent and discriminant validity. Internal consistency and test–retest reliability were assessed by Cronbach’s α coefficient and intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). Ceiling and floor effects were also performed for evaluating the feasibility of the instrument. Results: By using exploratory factor analysis, nine factors were extracted. Con-firmatory factor analysis confirmed the convergent validity. Cronbach ’s αand ICC were ranged between 0.55 to 0.78 and 0.67 to 0.89, respectively. The signif-icant difference for some three subscales between diabetes and healthy subjects determined the discriminant validity. No ceiling and floor effects were found. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate the initial validity, reliability and feasibil-ity of the Iranian version of EBPQ as a useful tool for eating behavior studies in young females

Folate and Homocysteine Levels and Their Association with Dietary Intakes in Iranian Patients Infected with Helicobacter Pylori: a Case-Control Study

The association between Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection and concentration of folate or homocysteine are still unclear. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of  HP infection on folate and homocysteine concentrations in patients infected with HP and healthy participants. We also assessed dietary intakes of folate, vitamins B6 and B12 in two groups. In this case-control study, 44 participants with HP-infection and 46 healthy controls were studied. Participants were recruited from those referred to the central laboratory of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Blood samples were collected to determine serum folate and homocysteine levels. The presence of both IgG and IgA in serum was considered as HP positive. Dietary intakes were assessed in all participants by 24-hour dietary recalls by trained interviewers for three days. The mean concentration of serum folate was significantly lower in HP-positive patients than in controls (8.49 nmol/L vs. 10.95 nmol/L, respectively; P=0.01). Although the mean concentration of serum homocysteine differed between groups, statistical significance was missed (HP infected patients: 9.35 µmol/L; healthy participants: 8.96 µmol/L; P=0.064). Macro- and micronutrient intakes showed no significant difference between participants with and without HP infection. In logistic regression models, there was a negative correlation between folate concentration and HP infection even after controlling for confounding factors (OR=0.82; CI95%=0.79-0.97). In this study, authors showed that a negative association presents between HP infection and serum  folate concentrations, but the homocysteine status was not differed significantly between HP-positive and HP-negative participants

Effect of Orlistat on anthropometrics and metabolic indices in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background Childhood obesity is one of the main concerns of public health. Considering its long-term adverse health effect, various studies investigated the effect of drug therapy on anthropometric parameters and provided mixed results. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to determine the effect of Orlistat on anthropometrics and biochemical parameters in children and adolescents. Materials and methods The databases of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched until September 2022. Experimental and semi-experimental studies were included if they evaluated the effect of Orlistat on obesity-related parameters in children and reported the before and after anthropometric values. A revised Cochrane risk-of-bias (Rob2) was used to evaluate the methodological quality. STATA software version 16.0 was used for the meta-analysis of the random-effect model. Results Of 810 articles retrieved in the initial search, four experimental and two semi-experimental studies were selected for systematic review. The result of the meta-analysis of experimental studies indicated the significant effect of Orlistat on waist circumference (SMD: -0.27, 95% CI: -0.47, -0.07) and serum insulin level (SMD: -0.89, 95% CI: -1.52, 0.26). However, there were no significant effects of orlistat on body weight, body mass index, lipid profile, and serum glucose level. Conclusion The present meta-analysis showed the significant effect of Orlistat on the reduction of waist circumference and insulin level in overweight and obese adolescents. However, due to the paucity of studies included in the meta-analysis, more prospective studies with longer duration and more sample sizes will be needed in this age group

Vitamin D Deficiency is Associated with the Metabolic Syndrome in Subjects with Type 2 Diabetes

Background and Objectives: There is convincing evidence that subjects concomitantly affected by type 2 diabetes (T2D) and metabolic syndrome (MeS) are at greater risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Many metabolic derangements in T2D might be attributed to poor vitamin D status. The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations among vitamin D status, MeS and glycemic status in subjects with T2D. Materials and Methods: A total of 101 known cases of T2D (39 males, 62 females) were enrolled in a cross-sectional study by convenient sampling. Serum 25(OH)D3, glycemic markers and lipid profile were assessed. Results: Mean concentration of serum 25(OH)D3 was 42.2±33.8 nmol/L. Prevalence of undesirable vitamin D status (25(OH)D < 50nmol/L) was significantly higher among the subjects with MeS as compared to those without MeS (p=0.020). The subjects with sufficient vitamin D status had 50% lower risk for MeS compared to those who had vitamin D deficiency, and this association remained significant even after additional adjustment for body mass index (BMI), percent of fat mass or waist circumference. Conclusions: Our data showed that firstly higher vitamin D status is inversely associated with fasting glycemia, and secondly serum 25(OH)D3 predicts MeS risk in the subjects with T2D. Demonstrating the association of hypovitaminosis D with disorders of glucose metabolism and higher risk for development of further complications, notably CVD, may lead to a new target for preventive efforts at the population level. Keywords: Vitamin D, Type 2 diabetes, Metabolic syndrome, Cardiovascular diseas