The effects of olive leaf extract on cardiovascular risk factors in the general adult population: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the effect of olive leaf extract (OLE) supplementation on cardiovascular-related variables, including lipid, glycemic, inflammatory, liver and renal-related factors, as well as blood pressure. METHODS: PubMed, ISI Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane library were searched, up to October 2021, for relevant controlled trials. Mean differences and standard deviations were pooled for all outcomes, using a random-effects model. The methodological quality, as well as quality of evidence were assessed using standard tools. RESULTS: Twelve studies (n = 819 participants) were included in our analyses. Overall analyses showed that OLE supplementation significantly decreased triglyceride (TG) levels (WMD = − 9.51 mg/dl, 95% CI − 17.83, − 1.18; P = 0.025; I(2) = 68.7%; P-heterogeneity = 0.004), and systolic blood pressure (SBP) (WMD = − 3.86 mmHg, 95% CI − 6.44, − 1.28 mmHg; P = 0.003; I(2) = 19.9%; P-heterogeneity = 0.28). Subgroup analyses also revealed a significant improvement in SBP (− 4.81 mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure (− 2.45 mmHg), TG (− 14.42 mg/dl), total cholesterol (TC) (− 9.14 mg/dl), and low-density lipoprotein-C (LDL-C) (− 4.6 mg/dl) measurements, in patients with hypertension. Significant reductions were also observed in TC (− 6.69 mg/dl), TG (− 9.21 mg/dl), and SBP (− 7.05 mmHg) in normal-weight individuals. However, no meaningful changes were seen in glucose hemostasis, liver and kidney, or inflammatory markers. CONCLUSION: The present study revealed that supplementation with OLE yielded beneficial effects for blood pressure and lipid profile in adults, especially in patients with hypertension. As the quality of evidence for glucose hemostasis variables, liver, kidney, and inflammatory markers, were low-to-very low, higher quality RCTs may impact the overarching results. This study was registered at PROSPERO with the code CRD42022302395. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13098-022-00920-y

Effect of oral Utrogestan in comparison with Cetrotide on preventing luteinizing hormone surge in IVF cycles: A randomized controlled trial

Background: Oral progesterone is recommended as an alternative to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists and antagonists to prevent luteinizing hormone (LH) surge in assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles. However, there are little data regarding its use. Objective: We aimed to compare the effect of oral Utrogestan and Cetrotide (a GnRH antagonist) on preventing LH surge in ART cycles. Materials and Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, 100 infertile women undergoing ART who received recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) at 150- 225 IU/day were randomly assigned to receive either Utrogestan 100 mg twice a day (case group) or GnRH antagonist protocol (control group) from cycle day 3 until the trigger day. Triggering was performed with 10,000 IU hCG) when there were at least three mature follicles. Viable embryos were cryopreserved for transfer in the next cycle for both groups. The number of oocytes retrieved and transferred embryos were compared between groups. Results: The case group had significantly higher progesterone levels on triggering day, more follicles of >14 mm with higher maturity, and more oocytes retrieved with a higher rate of embryos transferred. A small increase in the pregnancy rate was observed in the case group, with no significant between-group differences. The most important result was the lack of premature LH surge in either group upon serum LH assessment on the triggering day. Conclusion: Utrogestan is an alternative treatment that could reduce the LH surge rate and increase the ART outcomes including the number of oocytes retrieved and transferred embryos compared with GnRH agonists and antagonists. Key words: In vitro fertilization, Premature luteinization, Utrogestan

Effect of carbohydrate restriction on body weight in overweight and obese adults: a systematic review and dose–response meta-analysis of 110 randomized controlled trials

IntroductionCarbohydrate-restricted diets are one of the most effective dietary interventions for weight loss. However, the optimum carbohydrate intake for implementing the most effective weight-loss interventions is still being discussed. We aimed to determine the optimum carbohydrate intake for short- and long-term weight loss in adults with overweight and obesity.MethodsWe searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and CENTRAL from inception to May 2021 for randomized controlled trials examining the effect of a carbohydrate-restricted diet (≤45% of energy intake) as compared to a control diet (carbohydrate intake >45% of energy intake) on body weight in adults with overweight/obesity. A random-effects dose–response meta-analysis was conducted to calculate the mean difference for each 10% decrease in carbohydrate intake at the 6-month follow-up (1 to 6 months), 12-month follow-up (6 to 12 months), and follow-up longer than 12 months. The shape of the dose-dependent effects was also evaluated. The certainty of the evidence was rated using the GRADE approach. The minimal clinically important difference (MCID) threshold was defined as 5% weight loss (equal to 4.39 kg).ResultsA total of 110 trials were selected for the present meta-analysis. In the linear dose–response meta-analysis, each 10% decrease in carbohydrate intake reduced body weight by 0.64 kg (95% CI: −0.79 to −0.49; n = 101 trials with 4,135 participants, high-certainty evidence) at the 6-month follow-up and by 1.15 kg (95% CI: −1.61 to −0.69; 42 trials with 2,657 participants, moderate-certainty evidence) at the 12-month follow-up. Non-linear dose–response meta-analyses indicated a monotonic reduction in body weight with the decrease in carbohydrate intake, with the greatest reduction at 5% at the 6-month follow-up (mean difference 5%: −3.96 kg, 95% CI: −4.92 to −3.00) and 10% at the 12-month follow-up (mean difference 10%: −6.26 kg, 95% CI: −10.42 to −2.10). At follow-up longer than 12 months, dose–response analyses suggested a non-linear effect, wherein carbohydrate intakes higher than 40% and lower than 30% were not effective for weight loss.DiscussionCarbohydrate restriction is an effective dietary strategy for important weight loss in adults with overweight and obesity. At 6-month and 12-month follow-ups, body weight decreased proportionally, more than the MCID threshold, along with the decrease in carbohydrate intake. At follow-up longer than 12 months, there was a non-linear effect, with the greatest reduction at 30% carbohydrate intake.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42022315042

Interactions of Colorectal Cancer, Dietary Fats, and Polymorphisms of Arachidonate Lipoxygenase and Cyclooxygenase Genes: A Literature Review

ObjectiveGenetics and dietary factors play important roles in the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the underlying mechanisms of the interactions between CRC, gene polymorphisms, and dietary fat are unclear. This review study investigated the effects of polymorphisms of arachidonate lipoxygenase (ALOX) and cyclooxygenase (COX) genes in the association between CRC and dietary fat.MethodsAll the related papers published from 2000 to 2022 were collected from different databases such as PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Cochran using related keywords such as colorectal cancer, ALOX, COX, polymorphism, and dietary fat. Non-English and unrelated documents were excluded.ResultsSome single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ALOX and COX genes, such as rs2228065, rs6413416, and rs4986832 in the ALOX gene, and rs689465 in the COX gene may play significant roles in the association between the risk of CRC and dietary fats. SNPs of ALOX and COX genes may influence the effects of dietary fatty acids on the risk of CRC.ConclusionSome polymorphisms of the ALOX and COX genes may have important roles in the effects of dietary fat on the risk of CRC. If future studies confirm these results, dietary recommendations for preventing colorectal cancer may be personalized based on the genotype of the ALOX and COX genes

Global, regional, and national prevalence of depression among cancer patients:A systematic review and meta-analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to provide a summary of the existing evidence on the prevalence of depression among cancer patients worldwide to assist health policymakers in adopting appropriate measures to prevent and control depression in these patients. EMBASE, Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science databases were searched for original studies published in English from January 2000 to July 2019. The studies were screened on the basis of quality and relevance criteria. The statistical analyses were conducted in the R software. Out of 182,521 cancer patients examined in 183 studies, 49,280 (~27%) had depression (95% confidence interval [CI] = 24%-30%). The highest prevalence of depression was among patients with colorectal cancer with 32% (95% CI = 20%-47%). Among countries, Pakistan with 43% (95% CI = 26%-64%), and among continents, Africa with 36% (95% CI = 29%-43%) had the highest prevalence of reported depression in cancer patients. Adjusting for sample size, the prevalence of depression among female cancer patients, 31% (95% CI = 26%-36%), was higher than men, 26% (95% CI = 21%-31%). The prevalence of depression among cancer patients is increasing by an average of 0.6% per year. The findings show higher prevalence of depression among cancer patients in underdeveloped and developing countries compared to the developed nations and the global average

Population-level risks of alcohol consumption by amount, geography, age, sex, and year: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2020

Background: The health risks associated with moderate alcohol consumption continue to be debated. Small amounts of alcohol might lower the risk of some health outcomes but increase the risk of others, suggesting that the overall risk depends, in part, on background disease rates, which vary by region, age, sex, and year. Methods: For this analysis, we constructed burden-weighted dose–response relative risk curves across 22 health outcomes to estimate the theoretical minimum risk exposure level (TMREL) and non-drinker equivalence (NDE), the consumption level at which the health risk is equivalent to that of a non-drinker, using disease rates from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2020 for 21 regions, including 204 countries and territories, by 5-year age group, sex, and year for individuals aged 15–95 years and older from 1990 to 2020. Based on the NDE, we quantified the population consuming harmful amounts of alcohol. Findings: The burden-weighted relative risk curves for alcohol use varied by region and age. Among individuals aged 15–39 years in 2020, the TMREL varied between 0 (95% uncertainty interval 0–0) and 0·603 (0·400–1·00) standard drinks per day, and the NDE varied between 0·002 (0–0) and 1·75 (0·698–4·30) standard drinks per day. Among individuals aged 40 years and older, the burden-weighted relative risk curve was J-shaped for all regions, with a 2020 TMREL that ranged from 0·114 (0–0·403) to 1·87 (0·500–3·30) standard drinks per day and an NDE that ranged between 0·193 (0–0·900) and 6·94 (3·40–8·30) standard drinks per day. Among individuals consuming harmful amounts of alcohol in 2020, 59·1% (54·3–65·4) were aged 15–39 years and 76·9% (73·0–81·3) were male. Interpretation: There is strong evidence to support recommendations on alcohol consumption varying by age and location. Stronger interventions, particularly those tailored towards younger individuals, are needed to reduce the substantial global health loss attributable to alcohol. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Mapping local patterns of childhood overweight and wasting in low- and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2017

A double burden of malnutrition occurs when individuals, household members or communities experience both undernutrition and overweight. Here, we show geospatial estimates of overweight and wasting prevalence among children under 5 years of age in 105 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) from 2000 to 2017 and aggregate these to policy-relevant administrative units. Wasting decreased overall across LMICs between 2000 and 2017, from 8.4% (62.3 (55.1–70.8) million) to 6.4% (58.3 (47.6–70.7) million), but is predicted to remain above the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Target of <5% in over half of LMICs by 2025. Prevalence of overweight increased from 5.2% (30 (22.8–38.5) million) in 2000 to 6.0% (55.5 (44.8–67.9) million) children aged under 5 years in 2017. Areas most affected by double burden of malnutrition were located in Indonesia, Thailand, southeastern China, Botswana, Cameroon and central Nigeria. Our estimates provide a new perspective to researchers, policy makers and public health agencies in their efforts to address this global childhood syndemic

Mapping local patterns of childhood overweight and wasting in low- and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2017

A double burden of malnutrition occurs when individuals, household members or communities experience both undernutrition and overweight. Here, we show geospatial estimates of overweight and wasting prevalence among children under 5 years of age in 105 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) from 2000 to 2017 and aggregate these to policy-relevant administrative units. Wasting decreased overall across LMICs between 2000 and 2017, from 8.4% (62.3 (55.1–70.8) million) to 6.4% (58.3 (47.6–70.7) million), but is predicted to remain above the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Target of <5% in over half of LMICs by 2025. Prevalence of overweight increased from 5.2% (30 (22.8–38.5) million) in 2000 to 6.0% (55.5 (44.8–67.9) million) children aged under 5 years in 2017. Areas most affected by double burden of malnutrition were located in Indonesia, Thailand, southeastern China, Botswana, Cameroon and central Nigeria. Our estimates provide a new perspective to researchers, policy makers and public health agencies in their efforts to address this global childhood syndemic