The Association of Iron Intake and Hypertension, Does Iron Intake Decrease Blood Pressure?

Previous studies reported that iron may have an indispensable role in the risk of hypertension (HTN). However, the result of the studies on the relationship between iron and risk of HTN is inconsistent. This study aimed to assess the association between the association of dietary iron intake and HTN in the Iranian population. This case-control study was conducted on 4184 people aged 35 to 70, including 1239 people with HTN and 2945 people with normal blood pressure (BP) in Sabzevar, Iran. Dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The Nutritionist IV software was used in terms of the assessment of dietary intake of iron. An inverse association was found between iron intake and HTN (OR = 0.97, CI 95%: 0.94-0.99, P = 0.04). The association remained significant after adjustment for age, gender, smoking, drinking alcohol, calorie intake, and BMI (OR = 0.94, CI 95%: 0.89-0.98, P = 0.01). As a conclusion, iron intake was inversely associated with HTN. Further longitudinal studies on the effect of iron intake on BP are required to confirm this finding.

The effects of omega-3 fatty acids supplementation on hemoglobin, hematocrit, and platelet levels of patients with ESRD condition undergoing dialysis.

Background: Concomitant inflammation may boost the cardiovascular complications in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD). Omega-3 fatty acids may have certain health benefits in HD patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of omega-3 fatty acids supplementation on hematocrit (HCT), hemoglobin (HB) level and platelet (PLT) counts of HD patients. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted on HD patients at a private dialysis center in Rasht, Iran. Three omega-3 fatty acid supplement capsules (3 g/d) were administered daily for two months to patients in the intervention group (n = 55). The control group (n = 60) were given three placebo capsules containing medium chain triglyceride (MCT) oil, similar to the supplemental dose of the intervention group at the same period. Three parameters of HCT, HB and PLT were measured at baseline and after the intervention. Results: The PLT count decreased in the intervention group compared to the control group (173.38 ± 74.76 vs. 227.68 ± 86.58 103/mm3, F = 4.83, P = 0.03). No significant change was found on the levels of HCT and HB parameters between the two groups after the intervention. Conclusion: Omega-3 supplementation in HD patients may decrease the risk of forming blood clots in the blood vessels. Further studies are warranted.

Association of dietary fats with ischemic heart disease (IHD): a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the association between different types of dietary fats with ischemic heart disease (IHD). METHODS: This case-control study was conducted on 443 cases and 453 controls aged 40-80 years in Tehran, Iran. The semi-quantitative 237-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to assess the amount of food intake. Nutritionist IV was applied to test the amount of consumption of dietary fats. RESULTS: The case group had a lower intake of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (11.36 ± 12.58 vs. 14.19 ± 19.57, P = 0.01) than the control group. A negative association was found between IHD and DHA (OR 0.98, CI 95% 0.97-0.99, P = 0.01). No significant association was observed between IHD with the intake of cholesterol, trans fatty acids (TFA), saturated fatty acids (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), eicosatetraenoic acid (EPA), and α-Linolenic acid (ALA). CONCLUSION: It was found that DHA may reduce the risk of IHD, whereas there was no significant association between other types of dietary fats with the odds of IHD. If the results of this study are confirmed in future research, a higher intake of DHA in diet can be recommended as a strategy to prevent IHD events.

Naturally nutrient rich (NNR) score and the risk of colorectal cancer: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: The association between colorectal cancer (CRC) and nutrients has been studied frequently. However, the association of nutrient density of diets with the risk of CRC has been less studied. This study aimed to investigate the association between CRC and naturally nutrient rich (NNR) score in Iranian adults. METHOD: This case-control study included 160 patients with colorectal cancer and 320 controls aged 35-70 years in Tehran, Iran. Dietary intake was assessed using a 168-item food frequency questionnaire. The NNR score was obtained by calculating the average daily value of 14 nutrients including protein, vitamins A, C, D, E, B1, B2, B12, calcium, zinc, iron, folate, potassium and unsaturated fatty acids. RESULTS: Regarding dietary intake of the components of NNR score, the case group had a lower intake of polyunsaturated fat (15.41±4.44 vs 16.54±4.20 g/day, p=0.01), vitamin E (10.15±4.16 vs 13.1±5.33; p=0.001), vitamin B1 (2±0.86 vs 2.19±0.84 mg/day, p=0.03) and folate (516.45±96.59 vs 571.05±80.31; p=0.001) and a higher intake of oleic acid (8.21±5.46 vs 5.59±3.17 g/day, p=0.01) compared with the control group. Colorectal cancer risk was inversely associated with the NNR score after adjusting for the confounders (OR 0.92; 95% CI 0.88 to 0.97; p=0.03). CONCLUSION: Low NNR scores may be linked to CRC. If confirmed by future longitudinal research, this result may help prevent CRC by recommending nutrient-rich diets.

Egg consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease: a PERSIAN cohort-based study.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are one of the main causes of death worldwide. Data on the effect of eggs consumption on the risk of CVDs are still unreliable. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between CVDs and the consumption of eggs. METHODS: In this case-control study, the required data were extracted from the Prospective Epidemiologic Research Studies in Iran (PERSIAN) cohort in Sabzevar, Iran. A total of 4241 adults participated including 1535 patients with CVDs as the case group and 2706 healthy people as controls. Egg consumption was assessed using a valid food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). RESULTS: A significant association was observed between eggs consumption and stroke after adjustment for physical activity, body mass index (BMI), smoking, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), using alcohol, lipid profile, diabetes, and the intake of energy, lipid, protein, carbohydrate, and cholestrol (OR:1.007, 95% CI:1.001-1.013, P = 0.03). No association was found between egg consumption with hypertension, cardiac ischemia, and myocardial infarction. CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant association between the consumption of eggs and stroke. However, more studies are needed to examine the effect of eggs on CVDs.

Association between type 2 diabetes and branched chain amino acids (BCAA); a case-control study.

Background: Several amino acids and their derivatives have been implicated in insulin resistance (IR) and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). This research sought to establish a relationship between the dietary levels of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) and the risk of T2DM. Methods: This case-control study was carried out on 4200 participants consisting of 589 people with T2DM and 3611 non-diabetic aged 35 to 70 years residents in Sabzevar, Iran. Data on the economic-social, employment status, medical history, lifestyle, and sleep habits were collected via interview. The food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to check the nutritional status. Participants' dietary BCAA consumption was estimated using Nutritionist IV software. Results: A significant negative association between the incidence of T2DM and the dietary levels of BCAAs after adjustment for age and sex (OR = 0.972, CI 95%:0.648-0.996, P = 0.022). The negative association remained significant after additional adjustments for body mass index (BMI) and physical activity (OR = 0.967, CI 95%: 0.943-0.992, P = 0.010). Interestingly, a positive association was found between T2DM and total BCAAs (OR = 1.067, CI 95%: 1.017-1.119, P = 0.008), Isoleucine (OR = 1.248, CI 95%: 1.043-1.494, P = 0.016), Leucine (OR = 1.165, CI 95%: 1.046-1.299, P = 0.006) and Valine (OR = 1.274, CI 95%: 1.088-1.492, P = 0.003) after further adjustment for calorie intake. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) including isoleucine, leucine, and valine are negatively associated with the incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) after adjusting for age and sex, BMI, and physical activity. However, adjusting for calorie intake reversed the association between T2DM and BCAAs. These findings suggest that the association between BCAAs and T2DM may be influenced by calorie intake. Future longitudinal studies are warranted. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40200-023-01247-9.

The effects of dietary supplements in patients with cervical cancer: a comprehensive systematic review.

Background: Recent studies reported that complementary therapy including dietary supplements may has a beneficial role in cervical cancer. However, the results are inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate the association between cervical cancer and dietary supplements. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted to summarize and quantify the most recent findings on dietary supplement and cervical cancer. Several databases were checked for relevant publications published in English up to March 2023. Of the 32 articles identified, only 20 met the inclusion criteria and were included. Results: Women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia may benefit from folate supplementation against oxidative stress and inflammation. Vitamin D may reduce oxidative stress and may have a therapeutic effect. Zinc promotes the clearance of the human papilloma virus and reduces the chance of viral infection. The use of probiotic supplements may improve the complications associated with chemotherapy in patients with cervical cancer, such as diarrhea and abdominal pain. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy complications may also be reduced by omega-3 fatty acids. Conclusion: Some dietary supplements including folate, vitamin D, zinc, probiotics, and omega-3 fatty acids may have beneficial effects in patients with cervical cancer. Further studies are warranted to confirm these results.

The effects of FTO gene rs9939609 polymorphism on the association between colorectal cancer and dietary intake.

Background: FTO gene is associated with obesity, dietary intake, and the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). In this study, patients with colorectal cancer were assessed for the interactions between FTO gene polymorphisms and dietary intake. Methods: This case-control study was carried out on 450 participants aged 35-70 years including 150 patients with colorectal cancer and 300 healthy controls. Blood samples were collected in order to extract DNA and genotyping of FTO gene for rs9939609 polymorphism. A validated 168-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and the Nutritionist-IV software were used to assess dietary intake. Results: In the participants with the TT genotype of FTO rs9939609 polymorphism, CRC risk was significantly associated with higher intake of dietary fat (OR:1.87 CI95%:1.76-1.99, p = 0.04), vitamin B3 (OR:1.20 CI95%:1.08-1.65, p = 0.04), and vitamin C (OR:1.06 CI95%:1.03-1.15, p = 0.04) and lower intake of ß-carotene (OR:0.98 CI95%:0.97-0.99, p = 0.03), vitamin E (OR:0.77 CI95%:0.62-0.95, p = 0.02), vitamin B1 (OR:0.15 CI95%:0.04-0.50, p < 0.01), and biotin (OR:0.72 CI95%:0.0.57-0.92, p = 0.01). No significant association was found between CRC and dietary intake in carriers of AA/AT genotypes after adjustments for the confounders. Conclusion: CRC risk may be decreased by ß-carotene, vitamins E, B1, and biotin only in those without the risk allele of the FTO gene. The association of CRC and diet may be influenced by FTO genotype. Further studies are warranted.

Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) in Refined and Cold-Pressed Vegetable Oils Distributed in Ahvaz, Iran: a Probabilistic Health Risk Assessment.

The concentration of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in vegetable oils using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was measured. Probabilistic non-carcinogenic risk in consumers was estimated using the target hazard quotient (THQ) and total target hazard quotient (TTHQ) by Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) method. The highest content of PTEs was found in blend oil for As (0.39 ± 0.07 mg/L), in cold-pressed rapeseed oil for Cd and Cu (0.07 ± 0 and 0.40 ± 0.06 mg/L) respectively, in cold-pressed sunflower oil for Fe (0.15 ± 0.10 mg/L), in refined sesame oil for Ni and Pb (0.44 ± 0.07 and 0.65 ± 0.07 mg/L, respectively), and in cold-pressed sunflower and rapeseed oils for Zn (0.19 ± 0.04 mg/L). THQ in adults and children due to individual vegetable oils (cold-pressed and refined vegetable oil) was lower than 1 value. TTHQ in adults and children due to consumption of cold-pressed vegetable oils was 0.05 and 0.26, and also refined vegetable oil was 0.51 and 0.33, respectively. TTHQ due to consumption of both types of oils was less than 1; therefore, the population is not at risk of non-carcinogenicity.