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.

Female infertility and dietary antioxidant index (DAI); a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Adequate intake of natural antioxidants may improve female fertility. The aim of this study was to examine the link between female infertility and dietary antioxidant index (DAI). METHODS: This case-control study was conducted on 125 women with recently diagnosis of reduced ovarian reserves (AMH < 1.1) as the case group and 125 women with normal ovarian reserve as the control group in Rasht, Iran. The amount of food intake was assessed using the food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and the DAI was calculated to estimate the antioxidant capacity of the diet. RESULTS: Regarding dietary intake, the infertile women had a lower intake of potassium (2789.25 ± 777 vs. 2593.68 ± 443 mg/d, P = 0.02), magnesium (204.12 ± 66 vs. 189.73 ± 34 mg/d, P = 0.03), copper (0.93 ± 0.40 vs. 0.82 ± 0.20 mg/d, P < 0.01), vitamin C (133.99 ± 46 vs. 122.62 ± 24 mg/d, P = 0.02), and fiber (14.53 ± 3 vs. 13.44 ± 2 g/d, P < 0.05), and a higher intake of cholesterol (205.61 ± 58 vs. 227.02 ± 46 mg/d, P < 0.01) than the control group (All P < 0.05). The DAI was negatively associated with infertility (OR: 0.94, CI 95%: 0.88-0.97, P = 0.03). The association remained significant after adjustments for age, BMI, the underlying diseases, fertility frequency, IVF failure, and calorie intake. CONCLUSION: Following an antioxidant-rich diet may reduce the risk of infertility. More longitudinal studies are warranted to confirm these results and discover the underlying mechanisms.