Associations between Global Diet Quality Score and Risk of Metabolic Syndrome and Its Components: Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study.

Background: Various food quality indicators have been proposed as tools for predicting metabolic syndrome (MetS). This study investigated the association between global diet quality score (GDQS) and the risks of developing MetS and its components. Methods: In this secondary analysis, we included elective adult participants (n=4,548) from the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study. Dietary data were collected by a valid and reliable semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. MetS was defined according to the Iranian modified National Cholesterol Education Program. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to estimate the incidence of MetS in association with GDQS. Results: This study involved 1,762 men and 2,786 women with a mean±standard deviation age of 38.6±14.3 and 35.9±11.8 years, respectively. A total of 1,279 subjects developed MetS during the mean follow-up of 6.23 years. Incidence of MetS was associated with GDQS (hazard ratio [HR], 1.00; 0.90 [95% confidence interval, CI, 0.82 to 0.98]; 0.84 [95% CI, 0.76 to 0.91]; 0.80 [95% CI, 0.73 to 0.89]; P for trend <0.001) after adjusting for confounding variables. The healthy food group component of GDQS was related to MetS incidence. GDQS in the range of 12%-17% in the fourth quartile was associated with a decrease in incidence of MetS components. Both healthy and unhealthy food group components of the GDQS decreased the incidence of high triglycerides, high blood pressure, and high fasting blood glucose. Conclusion: Higher GDQS was associated with a lower risk of the incidence of MetS or its components among Tehranian adults. Higher intake of healthy food group components and lower consumption of unhealthy food group components of the GDQS predicted lower MetS incidence and risk factors.

Effect of Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation on Vascular Endothelial Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

INTRODUCTION: Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) has gained attention as a potential therapeutic agent for improving endothelial function. Several randomized clinical trials have investigated CoQ10 supplementation's effect on endothelial function. However, these studies have yielded conflicting results, therefore this systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted. AIM: This systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to assess the effects of CoQ10 supplementation on endothelial factors. METHODS: A comprehensive search was done in numerous databases until July 19th, 2023. Quantitative data synthesis was performed using a random-effects model, with weight mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Standard methods were used for the assessment of heterogeneity, meta-regression, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias. RESULTS: 12 studies comprising 489 subjects were included in the meta-analysis. The results demonstrated significant increases in Flow Mediated Dilation (FMD) after CoQ10 supplementation (WMD: 1.45; 95% CI: 0.55 to 2.36; p < 0.02), but there is no increase in Vascular cell adhesion protein (VCAM), and Intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM) following Q10 supplementation (VCAM: SMD: - 0.34; 95% CI: - 0.74 to - 0.06; p < 0.10) (ICAM: SMD: - 0.18; 95% CI: - 0.82 to 0.46; p < 0.57). The sensitivity analysis showed that the effect size was robust in FMD and VCAM. In meta-regression, changes in FMD percent were associated with the dose of supplementation (slope: 0.01; 95% CI: 0.004 to 0.03; p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: CoQ10 supplementation has a positive effect on FMD in a dose-dependent manner. Our findings show that CoQ10 has an effect on FMD after 8 weeks of consumption. Additional research is warranted to establish the relationship between CoQ10 supplementation and endothelial function.

Association between the empirical dietary inflammatory index and musculoskeletal pain in community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: Inflammation has been proposed to be one of the main causes of musculoskeletal pain. Diet is a lifestyle factor that plays an important role in managing inflammation; thus, we assessed the inflammatory potential of diets using the empirical dietary inflammatory index (EDII) to investigate the relationship between diet and musculoskeletal pain. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 212 elderly individuals who were selected from health centers in Tehran, Iran. Dietary intake was evaluated using a valid and reliable 147-item food frequency questionnaire. To measure the intensity of pain, a visual analogue scale was used. Multiple linear regression was applied to assess the association between the EDII and musculoskeletal pain. RESULTS: In total, 62.7% and 37.3% of participants had mild and severe pain, respectively. The EDII values were 0.97±0.72 and 1.10±0.66, respectively, in those with mild and severe pain. A higher EDII score was associated with more intense musculoskeletal pain after adjusting for age and sex (ß=0.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.06-0.26; p<0.001), but not after adjustment for other confounders (ß=-0.13; 95% CI, -1.54 to 0.60; p=0.39). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicated that higher dietary inflammation might not be associated with musculoskeletal pain in older adults. However, further investigations are required to confirm these findings.

Association between dietary inflammatory potential and the probable sarcopenia among community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Unlike the numerous studies concerning the role of dietary inflammatory potential in chronic diseases, limited studies focused on the association of dietary inflammatory potential with handgrip strength (HGS) and probable sarcopenia (PS). This study tends to explore the association between dietary inflammatory potential and PS among older adults in Tehran. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted between May and October 2019 on 201 randomly selected older adults in Tehran, Iran. A validated food frequency questionnaire was utilized for recording dietary intake. Dietary habits were evaluated through Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) and Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Index (EDII). PS assessment was done by HGS estimation. Statistical evaluation included descriptive analyses, logistic, and linear regression. RESULTS: Those probably suffering from sarcopenia were older than healthy ones (p < 0.0001) and had significantly higher DII scores (p = 0.05) but not EDII (p = 0.85). Besides, PS subjects had a lower intake of anti-inflammatory nutrients. The odds of PS were doubled in people on the top tertile of DII (OR = 2.49, 95% (CI) = 1.11-5.58) and second tertile of EDII (OR = 2.29, 95% (CI) = 1.03-5.07) relative to bottom tertiles after adjusting for confounders. The relationships between index scores and HGS were simply significant in the adjusted model of EDII and HGS (B = -0.49, p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Conclusively, participants adhering to a pro-inflammatory diet had more likelihood of PS. Findings are in line with current recommendations to reduce unhealthy foods with more inflammatory potential. These findings warrant confirmation in high-quality interventional studies.

Musculoskeletal Pain Is Associated with Dietary Diversity Score among Community-Dwelling Older Adult: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal pains (MSP) are the most common cause of long-term severe pain and physical disability among older adults. This study is aimed at determining the relationship between dietary diversity score (DDS) and MSP in Tehran's older adults. METHODS: The study was a cross-sectional one that employed 213 participants with and without MSP complaints between May and October 2019 in Tehran, Iran. A 100 mm length visual analog scale questionnaire was used to assess pain along with a validated 147-item food frequency questionnaire for DDS evaluation. Statistical analyses included descriptive analysis and multiple linear regression with a significance level of p < 0.05. RESULTS: 85% of the participants had a range of MSP with a low but insignificant DDS compared to individuals without pain (p = 0.12, 3.24 (±0.86) vs. 3.43 (±0.85), respectively). A significant association was observed among the quartiles of DDS that most of the subjects with MSP were in the lowest quartile relative to the highest one (p = 0.02). Moreover, the association between DDS and MSP remained significant in the adjusted model (OR = 0.28, 95%(CI) = 0.08 - 0.99). CONCLUSION: A high-quality diet is important. Our study showed that a higher dietary diversity might be associated with lower MSP in older adults. More robust interventional studies are thus warranted to confirm the results.