Adherence to the dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) dietary pattern and osteoporosis risk in postmenopausal Iranian women.

This is the first study to examine the association of adherence to the dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) dietary pattern and osteoporosis risk in postmenopausal Iranian women. Findings suggest the inverse association of adherence to the DASH dietary pattern and osteoporosis risk in postmenopausal Iranian women. INTRODUCTION: This study was aimed to examine the association of adherence to the dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) dietary pattern and osteoporosis risk in postmenopausal Iranian women, hypothesizing that higher adherence to this pattern is associated with lower risk of postmenopausal osteoporosis. METHODS: One hundred fifty-one postmenopausal Iranian women aged 50-85 years participated in this cross-sectional study. Lumbar spine and femoral neck bone mineral densities (BMDs) were measured via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Postmenopausal osteoporosis was then defined using the WHO criteria as a BMD T-score of ≤ - 2.5 standard deviations. The usual past-year dietary intakes were assessed by a valid and reliable 168-item food frequency questionnaire. The DASH score was then calculated based on energy-adjusted intakes of eight major dietary components usually emphasized (i.e., fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes, low-fat dairy products, and whole grains) or minimized (i.e., sodium, sweets, and red or processed meats) in the DASH diet. The higher the DASH score of a participant, the higher the adherence to the DASH dietary pattern. RESULTS: After adjusting for several potential covariates in the multivariable-adjusted binary logistic regression analysis, participants in the highest tertile of DASH score had lower risk of osteoporosis at lumbar spine than those in the lowest tertile (odds ratio = 0.28; 95% confidence interval, 0.09-0.88; p = 0.029). However, no significant association was observed between adherence to the DASH dietary pattern and risk of osteoporosis at femoral neck. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest the inverse association of adherence to the DASH dietary pattern and osteoporosis risk in postmenopausal Iranian women.

Nutrient patterns and asthenozoospermia: a case-control study.

The association of dietary nutrient patterns and sperm motility is not yet well elucidated, and previous studies have just focused on the isolated nutrients. This case-control study examined the association of nutrient patterns with asthenozoospermia among Iranian men. In total, 107 incident asthenozoospermic men and 235 age-matched controls were interviewed through the infertility clinics in Tehran, Iran, from January 2012 to November 2013. Semen quality data were analysed according to the fifth edition of WHO guideline. Nutrient patterns were identified using principal component analysis based on semiquantitative 168-item food frequency questionnaires. All nutrient intakes were energy-adjusted by the residual method. In principal component analysis, three dietary patterns emerged. The first pattern, which was high in vitamin E, vitamin D, vitamin C, zinc, folate, total fibre, selenium and polyunsaturated fatty acids, was significantly associated with lower risk of asthenozoospermia. After adjustment for potential confounders, participants in the highest tertile of the first pattern scores had 51% lower risk of asthenozoospermia compared with those in the lowest (p-trend: .004). Our findings suggest that adherence to the pattern comprising mainly of antioxidant nutrients may be inversely associated with asthenozoospermia.

Dietary total antioxidant capacity and the risk of breast cancer: a case-control study.

There is growing evidence that dietary antioxidants may have favourable effects in reducing cancer risk. In a case-control study we investigated the association of dietary total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and risk of breast cancer. Sociodemographic data, medical history and anthropometric measurements were collected from 275 women (100 breast cancer cases & 175 controls). Participants' usual dietary intake was measured using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire and their dietary TAC was estimated. An inverse, but non-significant, association was observed between dietary TAC and breast cancer risk. Multiple logistic regression models based on TAC of individual food groups showed that consumption of fruits and vegetables with higher TAC (µmolTE/100 g) was associated with a significantly decreased risk of breast cancer. Our study supports a protective effect of dietary antioxidants in relation to breast cancer risk. Food selection based on TAC of foods may be an effective strategy to modify the risk of cancer.

Oral health behaviours in relation to caries and gingivitis in primary-school children in Tehran, 2008.

The objectives of this cross-sectional study were to determine the prevalence of caries, severe caries and gingivitis in Tehran primary-school children and to analyse the relationship between children's oral hygiene habits and prevalence of these oral health diseases. Data were collected on the oral hygiene habits of 1271 Tehran schoolchildren (637 boys, 634 girls) aged 9-13 years. Clinical examinations were performed to determine the decayed, missed and filled teeth (DMFT) and the presence of gingivitis. Total DMFT > or = 1 was observed in 83.3% of children; 55.5% had tDMFT > or = 4 and 87.7% had > or = 1 site affected by gingivitis. Dental visits of 48.2% of children were limited to toothache occasions and parents' lack of belief in the importance of oral health was the most commonly cited reason (P < or = 0.05). The source of oral health education had the strongest independent association with severe dental caries (OR= 2.35; 95% CI: 1.80-2.60); dental flossing frequency was the strongest predicting factor correlated with gingivitis (OR = 3.51; CI: 1.46-8.44).

Nutrient patterns and risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a case-control study.

Although Iran is a high-risk country for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), the contribution of overall nutrient intakes to this high incidence rate is not yet clear. The aim of this study was to examine the association between nutrient patterns and risk of ESCC in Iran. Forty-seven patients with ESCC and 96 frequency-matched hospital controls underwent private interviews, and dietary habits were collected using a validated food-frequency questionnaire. Factor analysis was conducted and two major nutrient patterns were retained; factor 1 (high in pantothenic acid, vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B(6), magnesium, folate, thiamin, copper, carbohydrate, vitamin K, niacin, α-tocopherol, zinc, total fiber, fluoride, and polyunsaturated fatty acids) and factor 2 (high in saturated fatty acid, biotin, selenium, monounsaturated fatty acids, riboflavin, sodium, fat, cholesterol, calcium, phosphorus, protein, iron, vitamin E, manganese, vitamin D, and vitamin B(12)). Factor 2 was inversely associated with ESCC (OR = 0.06, 95% CI: 0.01-0.28; P = 0.008), whereas no significant association was found for factor 1 (OR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.11-1.82). The results of the present study suggested a possible role for a nutrient pattern similar to factor 2 in reducing the risk of ESCC.