Caffeine intake and its association with nutrition, sleep, and physical activity among schoolchildren in the United Arab Emirates: a national cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: Recent surveys indicate a significant increase in total caffeine intake among schoolchildren. Limited research has been published concerning the total intake of caffeine among schoolchildren in the Middle East and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, including the UAE. METHODS: This cross-sectional survey estimated the total caffeine intake from foods and beverages among 10,275 schoolchildren in the UAE. Caffeine intakes were related to the European Food Safety Authority's level of no safety concern (3.0 mg/kg BW) and level of effects on sleep (1.4 mg/kg BW). RESULTS: More than half (56.2%) of the students consumed more than 100 mg (the upper limit allowed) of caffeine from dietary sources. High intake of caffeine (> 100 mg/day) was significantly associated (p = 0.001) with reduced sleep duration, difficulty falling asleep, infrequent exercising, using smart devices for more than 2 h a day, getting a lower GPA, skipping breakfast, eating fewer servings of vegetables than recommended, frequent consumption of fast food and more frequent snack consumption. CONCLUSION: Excessive intake of caffeine from different dietary sources coexists with unhealthy dietary and lifestyle behaviors and sleep problems. Tailoring educational programs and intervention strategies is warranted to correct the unhealthy intake of caffeine and the associated unhealthy dietary and lifestyle behaviors among schoolchildren in the UAE.

Detection and genotyping of torque teno virus (TTV) in healthy blood donors and patients infected with HBV or HCV in Qatar.

Torque Teno virus (TTV) has been associated with non A-G hepatitis. The goal of this study was to estimate the infection rates and genotypic characteristics of TTV in the State of Qatar. A total of 644 blood samples representing different nationalities: (i) Qatari (118) and (ii) non-Qatari (526) nationals (mostly from Arab and South Eeast Asia countries) were tested for the presence of TTV DNA by nested PCR. The majority (573) of the blood samples belonged to healthy blood donors, whereas 54 and 53 of the blood samples belonged to patients infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV), respectively. The results obtained showed that the TTV infection rates in the healthy blood donors, and those infected with HBV or HCV patients were 81.4, 90.75 and 84.9%, respectively. Significant association between TTV viremia and age, or nationality was observed. Sequence analysis of PCR fragments amplified from the 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR) of all (531) TTV positive samples showed that 65.5% (348/531) of the PCR fragment sequences were classified into main genogroup 3, followed by main genogroups 5 (24%), 2 (5.8%), and 1 (4.7%). Genogroup 4 was not detected among the our studied subjects. Phylogenetic and pairwise analyses using sequences from TTV viremic samples also showed an overall close similarity to the main genogroup 3. In conclusion, there was no significant difference in the rates of TTV detection among Qataris and non-Qataris and several genotypes, mainly genotype 3, were isolated.

Adolescents' use of online food delivery applications and perceptions of healthy food options and food safety: a cross-sectional study in the United Arab Emirates.

Introduction: This cross-sectional study aimed to assess Online food delivery applications (OFDA) usage trends among adolescent users in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), focusing on their perceptions of healthy food options and food safety (n = 532). Methods: Sociodemographic information, frequency of OFDA use, factors affecting food choices, and perceptions of healthy food and food safety were investigated. A total perception score was calculated for each participant. Results: Most participants used OFDAs weekly (65.4%), favoring fast food (85.7%). Factors like appearance and price drove food choices (65.0%), while taste and cost hindered healthy food orders (29.7 and 28.2%). Younger and frequent users had lower scores for perceiving healthy food, while seeking healthy options was associated with higher scores (p < 0.05). Females and those seeking healthy food showed higher food safety scores (p < 0.05). Discussion: The study suggests tailored interventions to promote healthier choices and improve food safety perceptions among adolescents using OFDAs in the UAE.

An innovative state-of-the-art health storytelling technique for better management of type 2 diabetes.

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a chronic lifelong disease that requires long-term prevention and management strategies in a community setting. A health story is a novel technique that may be used as an effective tool for better prevention and management of T2D. Objective: The main objective of this study is to develop a story to be used as a social health technique based on contemporary scientific knowledge that may be used at a community level for better communication and management of T2D. Methods: A community-academic partnership was formed with a not-for-profit Nutrition Education, Awareness, and Training (NEAT) organization in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. We agreed to develop a story that may be used as a health and nutrition education communication tool for better management of patients with T2D. The following phases were followed during the story creation process: (1) the theory phase, (2) the modeling phase, and (3) the evaluation phase. Raters evaluated the story to determine its literary and scientific quality, comprehensiveness, and T2D specificity. Results: The title of the story translated into English is "The Story of Diabetes-The Story of Success." It is text based and contains 86 pages in the local language, "Pashto," with an English translation. The story is divided into five chapters and describes the initial diagnosis, fear associated with the disease, issues related to referral to certified practitioners, the importance of a balanced diet, and related lifestyle habits. After story evaluation, the raters suggested its literary and scientific quality, comprehensiveness, and T2D specificity (Pearson correlation scores of >0.8). Conclusion: This unique story was created for T2D and found to be of significant quality in terms of its literary and scientific quality, as well as its comprehensiveness and diabetes specificity. As a result, it may be suggested that it can be used in subsequent studies to improve T2D management among adult patients.

Metformin enhances LDL-cholesterol uptake by suppressing the expression of the pro-protein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) in liver cells.

PURPOSE: Metformin (MF) intake associates with reduced levels of circulating low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C). This has been attributed to the activation of AMPK, which differentially regulates the expression of multiple genes involved in cholesterol synthesis and trafficking. However, the exact mechanism underlying the LDL-C lowering effect of MF remains ambiguous. METHODS: MF-treated Hep-G2 and HuH7 cells were evaluated for cell viability and the expression status of key lipid metabolism-related genes along with LDL-C uptake efficiency. RESULTS: MF treatment resulted in decreased expression and secretion of PCSK9, increased expression of LDLR and enhanced LDL-C uptake in hepatocytes. It also resulted in increased expression of activated AMPK (p-AMPK) and decreased expression of SREBP2 and HNF-1α proteins. Transcriptomic analysis of MF-treated Hep-G2 cells confirmed these findings and showed that other key lipid metabolism-related genes including those that encode apolipoproteins (APOB, APOC2, APOC3 and APOE), MTTP and LIPC are downregulated. Lastly, MF treatment associated with reduced HMG-CoA reductase expression and activity. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that MF treatment reduces circulating LDL-C levels by suppressing PCSK9 expression and enhancing LDLR expression; hence the potential therapeutic utility of MF in hypercholesterolemia.

Effect of Essential Oils and Vacuum Packaging on Spoilage-Causing Microorganisms of Marinated Camel Meat during Storage.

The use of essential oils (EOs) and/or vacuum packaging (VP) with meats could increase product shelf-life. However, no studies investigating the effect of EOs and VP on camel meat background microbiota have been conducted previously. The study aimed to analyze the antimicrobial effect of essential oils (EOs) carvacrol (CA), cinnamaldehyde (CI), and thymol (TH) at 1 or 2% plus vacuum packaging (VP) on the growth of spoilage-causing microorganisms in marinated camel meat chunks during storage at 4 and 10 °C. VP is an effective means to control spoilage in unmarinated camel meat (CM) and marinated camel meat (MCM) compared to aerobic packaging (AP). However, after EO addition to MCM, maximum decreases in spoilage-causing microorganisms were observed under AP on day 7. Increasing the temperature from 4 to 10 °C under AP increased the rate of spoilage-causing bacterial growth in CM and MCM; however, EOs were more effective at 10 °C. At 10 °C the maximum reductions in total mesophilic plate counts, yeast and molds, mesophilic lactic Acid bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, and Pseudomonas spp. were 1.2, 1.4, 2.1, 3.1, and 4.8 log CFU/g, respectively. Incorporating EOs at 2% in MCM, held aerobically under temperature abuse conditions, delayed spoilage.

Prevalence and risk factors for incontinence among Emirati women with diabetes.

PURPOSE: To estimate the prevalence and risk factors for urinary incontinence among a sample of Emirati women with diabetes. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey design using probability sampling was employed to evaluate incontinence among 350 Emirati diabetic women. Age, body mass index, history of urinary tract infections, parity, diabetes duration, and type of diabetes management were evaluated as potential risk factors for incontinence. To assess type and frequency of incontinence, items from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey-Kidney Condition-Urology were used. FINDINGS: A total of 225 (64.3%) participants reported incontinence, with 110 (31.4%) expressed having an episode once a week or more. Both stress (n = 197, 56.3%) and urge incontinence (n = 208, 59.4%) were seen; 96 (48.7%) reported at least weekly stress incontinence episodes, and 109 (52.4%) reported weekly or more urge episodes. Results of logistic regression indicated that diabetes duration was the most significant risk factor for incontinence. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of incontinence in Emirati women was higher than that reported by diabetic women in other cultures. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Clinicians working with Emirati diabetic women should endeavor to enhance screening for incontinence and design culturally appropriate strategies for teaching and treating this complication of diabetes.

Analysis of the relationship of leptin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, adiponectin, insulin, and uric acid to metabolic syndrome in lean, overweight, and obese young females.

OBJECTIVE: Over the last decade there has been a steady rise in obesity and co-morbidity, but little is known about the rate of metabolic dysfunction among young adults in the United Arab Emirates. Various factors have been implicated as biomarkers of metabolic syndrome. The objective of this study was to analyze the relationships of leptin, C-reactive protein (CRP), adiponectin, insulin, and uric acid to the metabolic syndrome components in lean, overweight, and obese young females. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of 69 apparently healthy young females, who were classified according to their body mass index (BMI) (kg/m(2)) into three groups: lean (25 and <30), and obese (>or=30). Estimated biomarkers were: leptin, insulin, adiponectin, high-sensitivity [hs]-CRP, uric acid, blood sugar, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), total cholesterol, and triglycerides (TG). Anthropometric measures, blood pressure, and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were also measured. RESULTS: Serum leptin, hs-CRP, insulin, and uric acid increased significantly (p < 0.01) with increased BMI. Only one significant correlation (p < 0.05) between the biomarkers and the metabolic syndrome components was found in lean subjects (leptin vs. waist circumference r = 0.48) as opposed to six in the obese group (hs-CRP vs. waist circumference and systolic blood pressure [SBP], r = 0.45 and r = -0.41, respectively; insulin vs. diastolic blood pressure [DBP], r = 0.47; adiponectin vs. blood sugar, r = -0.44; and uric acid vs. waist circumference and TG, r = 0.5 and r = 0.51, respectively). CONCLUSION: Estimation of the levels of studied biomarkers could be an important tool for early detection of metabolic syndrome before the appearance of its frank components. Uric acid seems to be the most reliable biomarker to identify obese subjects with metabolic syndrome.