Predicting dyslipidemia incidence: unleashing machine learning algorithms on Lifestyle Promotion Project data.

BACKGROUND: Dyslipidemia, characterized by variations in plasma lipid profiles, poses a global health threat linked to millions of deaths annually. OBJECTIVES: This study focuses on predicting dyslipidemia incidence using machine learning methods, addressing the crucial need for early identification and intervention. METHODS: The dataset, derived from the Lifestyle Promotion Project (LPP) in East Azerbaijan Province, Iran, undergoes a comprehensive preprocessing, merging, and null handling process. Target selection involves five distinct dyslipidemia-related variables. Normalization techniques and three feature selection algorithms are applied to enhance predictive modeling. RESULT: The study results underscore the potential of different machine learning algorithms, specifically multi-layer perceptron neural network (MLP), in reaching higher performance metrics such as accuracy, F1 score, sensitivity and specificity, among other machine learning methods. Among other algorithms, Random Forest also showed remarkable accuracies and outperformed K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) in metrics like precision, recall, and F1 score. The study's emphasis on feature selection detected meaningful patterns among five target variables related to dyslipidemia, indicating fundamental shared unities among dyslipidemia-related factors. Features such as waist circumference, serum vitamin D, blood pressure, sex, age, diabetes, and physical activity related to dyslipidemia. CONCLUSION: These results cooperatively highlight the complex nature of dyslipidemia and its connections with numerous factors, strengthening the importance of applying machine learning methods to understand and predict its incidence precisely.

Association of dietary and lifestyle inflammation score (DLIS) with chronic migraine in women: a cross-sectional study.

Due to more frequent and intense attacks, chronic migraine (CM) sufferers usually report more disability compared to patients with episodic migraine (EM). There is increasing evidence that points to inflammatory diet and lifestyle as a probable underlying cause of migraine. The present study investigated the association of dietary and lifestyle inflammation scores (DLIS) with the odds of CM in Iranian women. In the current study, 285 women with migraine enrolled. Migraine was diagnosed by a single neurologist based on the third edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-III). The women were categorized into CM and EM groups based on their attack frequency per month. Adherence to the dietary inflammation score (DIS), Lifestyle Inflammatory Score (LIS), and DLIS (DIS + LIS) was assessed based on last year's dietary intakes collected using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The Odds Ratio (OR) for CM across the DIS, LIS, and DLIS tertiles were assessed through logistic regression. Most of the participants were overweight or obese (74.4%). The percentage of women with CM was 40.7%. Women with CM had significantly higher DIS (P = 0.002) and DLIS (P = 0.04) than women with EM. There was a significant positive association between CM and DIS. Those in the third tertile of the DIS had almost two times higher chance of experiencing chronic migraine compared with those in the first tertile [OR = 2.02; 95% CI 1.06-3.82; P = 0.03]. the P-value for the trend also was significant (0.03). In terms of LIS and DLIS tertiles, no significant association was observed. Adherence to the more inflammatory diets was associated with higher chances of experiencing CM in women.

Eating disorders, body image dissatisfaction and their association with gluten-free diet adherence among patients with celiac disease.

BACKGROUND: Considering the higher prevalence of psychological problems in patients with Celiac disease (CD), the current study aims to assess the prevalence of eating disorders (EDs) and body image disturbance in patients with CD and examine the possible correlation between EDs, body image dissatisfaction and distortion, and gluten-free diet (GFD) adherence in these patients. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 217 patients with CD (18-55 years old) were recruited randomly from the CD registry database. EDs and body image issues were assessed using the 26-item Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26) and Stunkard Figure Rating Scale (FRS), respectively. Adherence to GFD was evaluated by the Celiac Dietary Adherence Test (CDAT) questionnaire. RESULTS: The prevalence of EDs was 43.5%. Furthermore, the prevalence of body dissatisfaction and distortion was 65.9% and 41.1%, respectively. The logistic regression demonstrated a significant negative association between adherence to the GFD and EDs (OR = 2.09, 95% CI: 1.11-3.91, P = 0.022). However, there was no significant association between following GFD and body image dissatisfaction (OR = 1.70, CI: 0.92-3.17, P = 0.090), and distortion (OR = 0.65, CI: 0.36-1.18, P = 0.163). CONCLUSION: Considering the high prevalence of EDs in patients with CD and owing to the inverse association between EDs and GFD adherence, nutritionists should consider the psychological barriers in adhering to a GFD when consulting patients with CD.

Association between hedonic hunger and body mass index in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Hedonic hunger has been proposed as one of the important causes of obesity in recent years. In the present study, we systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed the relationship between hedonic hunger and body mass index (BMI) in healthy adults. PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched until January 19, 2023. All English-language original observational studies conducted on healthy adult subjects, which used the Power of Food Scale (PFS) to evaluate hedonic hunger were included. Quality assessment was done using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist, and StataMP-17 software was used for the meta-analysis. After screening, 25 observational studies with a total of 14457 participants were included. Twenty-four studies were cross-sectional, and one was a cohort study. Twenty-two studies examined both sexes, two studies were conducted only on women, and one study conducted analysis separately on men and women. The results of the meta-analysis showed a positive and significant association between hedonic hunger and BMI with a small effect size (r = 0.13, 95% CI: 0.08, 0.18). In addition, a positive significant association was observed between subscales of PFS ("food available", "food present", and "food tasted") and BMI. The association between hedonic hunger and BMI was not affected by the results of meta-regression analysis of %female, mean age & BMI, and sample size. In conclusion, there was a positive significant association between hedonic hunger and BMI, but the effect size was weak. Considering the low quality of included studies, we need longitudinal design studies considering the association between these two variables as a primary outcome for a more accurate conclusion.

Gut microbiota and childhood malnutrition: Understanding the link and exploring therapeutic interventions.

Childhood malnutrition is a metabolic condition that affects the physical and mental well-being of children and leads to resultant disorders in maturity. The development of childhood malnutrition is influenced by a number of physiological and environmental factors including metabolic stress, infections, diet, genetic variables, and gut microbiota. The imbalanced gut microbiota is one of the main environmental risk factors that significantly influence host physiology and childhood malnutrition progression. In this review, we have evaluated the gut microbiota association with undernutrition and overnutrition in children, and then the quantitative and qualitative significance of gut dysbiosis in order to reveal the impact of gut microbiota modification using probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, and engineering biology methods as new therapeutic challenges in the management of disturbed energy homeostasis. Understanding the host-microbiota interaction and the remote regulation of other organs and pathways by gut microbiota can improve the effectiveness of new therapeutic approaches and mitigate the negative consequences of childhood malnutrition.

Compliance and Lifestyle of Children with Celiac Disease in the Iranian Children.

Background: Celiac disease is popular and needs a proper and constant gluten-free diet. However, data on the experience of the disease by children are insufficient. A few children have difficulty adjusting their lifestyles, and gluten-free foods are difficult for them. The present study aimed to find influential factors in the growth disorders and nonresponse to the treatment diet in celiac patients. Materials and Methods: We gave a list of all children with celiac disease to the project manager and according to the criteria extracted additional information from their files. Duodenal biopsies on 382 patients with suspected celiac disease and 93 patients with positive pathology were included in the study, regardless of antibody and genetic titer, then analyzed their information using appropriate statistical tests. Results: The mean age of individuals was 9.48 ± 3.88, and 35 were male and 58 female. At the age of <5, there was more growth disorder than other age groups. The recovery percentage in short stature was significantly better in children with higher marches, and they responded better to the treatment regimen. Individuals with comorbidities had higher anti-tTG and lower Hb levels, higher incidence of growth disorder, did not respond to the treatment regimen. Those with a first-degree relative with celiac disease had a lower growth disorder than others. Conclusion: Identifying and correcting nutritional disorders in patients with celiac disease need to evaluate persistent symptoms and identify their causes to plan appropriate treatment and follow-up of patients with celiac disease step by step and continuously.

The relation of adherence to the DASH diet with migraine attack frequency and pain intensity in Iranian women: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Migraine is a debilitating neurological discomfort characterized by moderate to severe unilateral headaches. Adherence to healthy dietary patterns like the DASH diet has been considered a complementary solution to migraine management. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we assessed the relation of adherence to the DASH diet with migraine attack frequency and pain intensity in women with migraine. METHODS: 285 female women with migraine were recruited in the current study. Migraine was diagnosed by a single neurologist based on the third edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-III). Migraine attack frequency was determined based on the number of attacks per month. Pain intensity was assessed by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and migraine index. Last year dietary intakes of women were collected using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). RESULTS: Almost 91% of the women had migraine without aura. Most of the participants reported more than 15 attacks per month (40.7%) and pain intensity in the range of 8-10 in every attack (55.4%). Based on the ordinal regression, those in the first tertile of the DASH score had significantly higher odds for attack frequency (OR = 1.88; 95% CI: 1.11-3.18; P = .02) and migraine index score (OR = 1.69; 95% CI: 1.02-2.79; P = .04, respectively) than those in the third tertile. CONCLUSION: This study showed that a higher DASH score is associated with a lower migraine attack frequency and migraine index score in female sufferers.

The effect of zinc supplementation on anthropometric measurements in healthy children over two years: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Zinc deficiency is one of the most important micronutrient deficiencies in children that can affect the children's growth pattern. In this regard, different studies were conducted to assess the effect of zinc supplementation on growth patterns in healthy children. To the best of our knowledge, no systematic review has summarized the results of these studies. So, in the present study, we systematically reviewed the result of the studies that assessed the effect of zinc supplementation on anthropometric parameters in healthy, over 2-year-old children. METHODS: A systematic search was carried out in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception to November 2021. Data were pooled using the random-effects method and were expressed as weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: The pooled results of eight studies, including 1586 participants, showed that zinc supplementation significantly increases height [(WMD): 0.9, 95% CI: (0.27, 1.52), p < 0.001], weight [(WMD): 0.51, 95% CI: (0.06, 0.97), p < 0.001], height for age (HAZ) [(WMD): 0.07, 95% CI: (0.03, 0.10), p < 0.001]. Also, meta-regression analysis did not reveal any significant association between dose and duration of intervention and anthropometric parameters. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates the beneficial effects of zinc supplementation on weight, height, and HAZ.

Effect of Orlistat on anthropometrics and metabolic indices in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Childhood obesity is one of the main concerns of public health. Considering its long-term adverse health effect, various studies investigated the effect of drug therapy on anthropometric parameters and provided mixed results. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to determine the effect of Orlistat on anthropometrics and biochemical parameters in children and adolescents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The databases of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched until September 2022. Experimental and semi-experimental studies were included if they evaluated the effect of Orlistat on obesity-related parameters in children and reported the before and after anthropometric values. A revised Cochrane risk-of-bias (Rob2) was used to evaluate the methodological quality. STATA software version 16.0 was used for the meta-analysis of the random-effect model. RESULTS: Of 810 articles retrieved in the initial search, four experimental and two semi-experimental studies were selected for systematic review. The result of the meta-analysis of experimental studies indicated the significant effect of Orlistat on waist circumference (SMD: -0.27, 95% CI: -0.47, -0.07) and serum insulin level (SMD: -0.89, 95% CI: -1.52, 0.26). However, there were no significant effects of orlistat on body weight, body mass index, lipid profile, and serum glucose level. CONCLUSION: The present meta-analysis showed the significant effect of Orlistat on the reduction of waist circumference and insulin level in overweight and obese adolescents. However, due to the paucity of studies included in the meta-analysis, more prospective studies with longer duration and more sample sizes will be needed in this age group.

Dietary insulin index and load and cardiometabolic risk factors among people with obesity: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The hypothesis of the effect of the insulinogenic effects of diet on the development of cardiometabolic disorders has been suggested, but limited data are available for adults with obesity. This study aimed to determine the association of dietary insulin index (DII) and dietary insulin load (DIL) with cardiometabolic risk factors among Iranian adults with obesity. METHODS: The study was conducted with a total of 347 adults aged 20-50 years in Tabriz, Iran. Usual dietary intake was assessed through a validated 147-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). DIL was computed using published food insulin index (FII) data. DII was calculated by dividing DIL by the total energy intake of each participant. Multinational logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between DII and DIL and cardiometabolic risk factors. RESULTS: Mean age of participants was 40.78 ± 9.23 y, and mean body mass index (BMI) was 32.62 ± 4.80 kg/m2. Mean of DII and DIL was 73.15 ± 37.60 and 196,242 ± 100,181. Participants with higher DII had higher BMI, weight, waist circumference (WC), and blood concentrations of triglyceride (TG) and Homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) (P < 0.05). After taking potential confounders into account, DIL was positively associated with MetS (OR: 2.58; 95% CI: 1.03-6.46), and high blood pressure (OR: 1.61; 95% CI: 1.13-6.56). Moreover, after adjustment for potential confounders, moderate DII was associated with increased odds of MetS (OR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.36-4.21), high TG (OR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.17-5.02), and high blood pressure (OR: 1.88; 95% CI: 1.06-7.86). CONCLUSION: This population-based study revealed that adults with higher DII and DIL associated with cardiometabolic risk factors and consequently, replacement of high with low DII and DIL may have reduce the risk of cardiometabolic disorders. Further studies with longitudinal design are required to confirm these findings.

AZAR eye and vision cohort study.

According to World Health Organization (WHO), currently, 2.2 billion people are living with visual impairment worldwide, of which almost half could have been prevented. There are both modifiable and unmodifiable factors leading to visual disability and, ultimately, blindness. Several population-based studies in different parts of Iran have tried to determine these factors concerning their specific population and environment-related characteristics. AZAR Eye and Vision cohort is the second-largest cohort study in the whole country. AZAR Eye and Vision cohort is the ophthalmologic branch of AZAR cohort which is the largest eye cohort study in the country, which is trying to determine the prevalence and incidence of visual impairment, blindness, and other major ophthalmologic conditions and their associated risk factors in East Azerbaijan province located in Iran, a middle eastern country. A recently emerging phenomenon is the drying of the ultra-salty lake of Urmia located in the West Azerbaijan province which is a direct neighbor of our studied population and has caused recurrent salt storms in the immediate near areas. This phenomenon could adversely affect visual health via different conditions which our study will elucidate. The enrollment phase took place between 2014 and 2017 and 11,208 participants were enrolled out of 15,000 participants in the primary cohort. The resurvey phase will begin five years after the enrollment phase. In this phase, 30% of the participants are randomly selected to be reexamined and complete questionnaires. The participants showing any issues such as diabetes and being a glaucoma suspect will be included in the resurvey phase, too. Data categories gathered include demographics, lifestyle factors, past medical and drug histories, and a diet quality and quantity questionnaire including 130 edible items. Urine, hair, nail, and 25-ml blood samples, were collected from the participants. Then they were referred to an optometrist to complete an ophthalmologic questionnaire and undergo eye examination and lensometry. Then they underwent slit-lamp examinations and pictures were taken of the lens and fundus. People with suspected visual impairment were referred to an ophthalmology clinic. The data are processed and a four-level quality check is performed on each block. The most common visual impairment is cataracts. This study's most important aim is to evaluate the effect of local environmental and ethnic factors on eye diseases in this specific population.

Circulating chemerin level and the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: Chemerin is participating in inflammation procedure and it has role in developing metabolic diseases. In the term of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the result of published studies are conflicting. So, in this study, the results of different studies investigating the relationship between chemerin level and NAFLD were summarized. Method: The databases of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase were systematically searched until October 2022. The inclusion criteria were as follow: measured the mean chemerin level in adults and children with NAFLD and compared it with non-NAFLD population or reported the association between chemerin level and NAFLD. The methodological quality was assessed by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) tool. The meta-analysis was done by STATA software. The pooled results were stated as the standardized mean difference (SMD) and odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: Sixteen studies were included in the systematic review, of which 13 studies remained for meta-analysis. The mean serum chemerin level was not significantly different between the groups [SMD: 0.52, 95% CI: -0.35, 1.39]. Moreover, there was no significant correlation between the chemerin level and NAFLD [OR: 1.01, 95% CI: 1, 1.02]. Besides, subgroup analysis indicated a significant correlation between serum chemerin level and NAFLD in children [OR: 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.03]. Conclusion: There were no significant differences in chemerin levels between the NAFLD and healthy adults; however, the association was significant in children. However, due to the lack of studies in this age group, the conclusion should be made with caution. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40200-023-01187-4.

Association between plant-based diets and metabolic syndrome in obese adults from Iran: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a common chronic disease with several complications. Given that, studies on the association of plant-based diet indices (PDIs) with risk of MetS among adults with obesity, are limited, we aimed to examine the association between PDIs (including overall PDI, healthy PDI (hPDI), unhealthy PDI (uPDI)) and MetS in Iranian adults with obesity. METHODS: In Tabriz, Iran, a total of 347 adults between the ages of 20 and 50 participated in this cross-sectional research study. We created an overall PDI, hPDI, and uPDI from validated semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) data. To investigate the association between hPDI, overall PDI, uPDI, and MetS and its components, a binary logistic regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: The average age was 40.78 ± 9.23 years, and the average body mass index was 32.62 ± 4.80 kg/m2. There was no significant association between overall PDI (OR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.54-1.47), hPDI (OR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.48-1.40), and uPDI (OR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.87-2.46) with MetS, even after adjustment for confounders. Moreover, our findings showed that participants with the highest adherence to uPDI had a higher chance of hyperglycemia (OR: 2.50; 95% CI: 1.13-5.52). Also, this association was significant in the first (OR: 2.51; 95% CI: 1.04-6.04) and second (OR: 2.58; 95% CI: 1.05-6.33) models, after controlling for covariates. However, in both adjusted and crude models, we did not find a significant association between hPDI and PDI scores and MetS components such as high triglyceride, high waist circumference, low High-density lipoprotein cholesterol, raised blood pressure, and hyperglycemia. Moreover, those in the top tertile of uPDI had higher fasting blood sugar and insulin levels when compared with those in the first tertile, and subjects in the last tertile of hPDI compared with participants in the first tertile had lower weight, waist-to-hip ratio, and fat-free mass. CONCLUSION: We found a direct significant association between uPDI and odds of hyperglycemia in the whole population of study. Future large-scale, prospective studies on PDIs and the MetS are necessary to confirm these findings.

The effect of melatonin on irritable bowel syndrome patients with and without sleep disorders: a randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled trial study.

BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the world's most common gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, and current treatments do not meet patients' demands. This study aimed to investigate melatonin's therapeutic effects on IBS score, GI symptoms, quality of life, and sleep parameters in both groups of IBS patients with and without sleep disorders. METHODS: In this randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled trial study, 136 patients with a diagnosis of IBS based on ROME IV criteria were enrolled and then divided into two groups respecting having sleep disorders or not. Patients of each group were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive melatonin 6 mg daily (3 mg fasting and 3 mg at bedtime) for 2 months (8 weeks). Blocked randomization was used in this process. All patients were evaluated both at the beginning and the end of the trial regarding IBS score, GI symptoms, quality of life, and sleep parameters through valid questionnaires. RESULTS: In both groups of patients with and without sleep disorders, a significant improvement was observed in IBS score and GI symptoms, including the severity and the frequency of abdominal pain, the severity of abdominal bloating, satisfaction with bowel habits, disease's impact on patient's life, and stool consistency; however, there was no significant improvement in the frequency of defecations per week. In patients with sleep disorders, significant improvement in sleep parameters, including subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, and daytime dysfunction, was observed, while in patients without sleep disorders, there was no significant improvement in sleep parameters. In addition, quality-of-life improvement was observed in a significant number of melatonin recipients compared to placebo in both groups of patients. CONCLUSION: Melatonin can be considered an effective treatment for improving IBS score, GI symptoms, and quality of life in IBS patients with and without sleep disorders. It is also effective to improve sleep parameters in IBS patients with sleep disorders. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study has been registered to the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) with the approval number IRCT20220104053626N2 on the date of 13/02/2022.

Role of Probiotics and Synbiotics in Preventing Chemoradiotherapy-Associated Toxicity in Colorectal Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review.

Background: Previous studies found that the use of probiotics may have a protective effect on chemotherapy-associated toxicity in cancer patients. A systematic review was conducted to evaluate the effect of probiotics and synbiotics on chemoradiotherapy-associated toxicity in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Methods: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was performed to assess the effect of probiotics and synbiotics in CRC patients undergoing chemotherapy. All RCTs in English, up to January 2021, were included through a literature search in Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed (PMC Central, MEDLINE), ClinicalTrials.gov, and ProQuest databases. The impact of probiotics and synbiotics on the side effects associated with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and chemoradiotherapy in CRC patients was evaluated. The quality of the RTCs was independently assessed by two reviewers. EndNote X8 software was used to manage the search results. Results: Of the 904 identified articles, three studies finally met the inclusion criteria and were systematically reviewed. Two studies reported that patients who received probiotics had less abdominal discomfort and required less bowel toxicity-related hospital care. Although probiotic supplementation lowered radiation-associated diarrhea, it had no significant effect when anti-diarrheal drugs were used. Another study reported that synbiotic supplementation improved quality of life and marginally reduced diarrhea and serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-2 and MMP-9). Conclusion: Probiotics and synbiotics do not have a significant effect on reducing chemotherapy-associated toxicity and diarrhea in CRC patients. These findings should be substantiated by further RCTs with rigorous placebo-controlled studies.

The association of dietary total antioxidant capacity with migraine attack frequency in women.

AIMS: There is substantial evidence considering oxidative stress as one of the migraine pathogeneses. It seems higher dietary antioxidant intake could modulate migraine symptoms in sufferers. Therefore, we assessed the relationship between the dietary total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and migraine attack frequency. METHOD: 289 volunteer women with migraine were recruited. The usual participants' dietary intakes were collected using a validated food frequency questionnaire. The dietary total antioxidant capacity of women was determined via three different indices including dTAC, DAI, and DAQs. dTAC was calculated based on the USDA oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) database. The dietary intakes of vitamins A, E, C, selenium, zinc, and manganese were applied for calculating the DAI (Dietary Antioxidant Index) and DAQs (Dietary Antioxidant Quality score). The multivariate-adjusted ordinal regression was used to assess the relation of three indices scores with migraine attack frequency. RESULTS: a lower score of dTAC was associated with a higher attack frequency [OR (95%CI) model3= 1.97(1.1-3.54), P-value= 0.02]. The women with DAQs= 1 and 3 had significantly higher migraine attack frequency compared to women with DAQs = 5 [DAQs = 1: OR (95%CI) model 3= 8.59 (1.06- 69.72), P-value = 0.04] and [DAQs = 3: OR (95%CI) model 3= 2.09 (1.13- 3.85), P-value= 0.02]. Moreover, the trend of changes among the DAQs and dTAC levels was significant (P-values for trend < 0.05). There was no significant association between tertiles of DAI and migraine attack frequency (P-value> 0.05). CONCLUSION: A high-quality diet in terms of antioxidant capacity is related to lower attack frequency in migrainous women.

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in East Azerbaijan-Iran and its determinants factors.

Introduction: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a prevalent metabolic disorder with increasing prevalence attributed to extended life expectancy. This study aims to investigate MetS prevalence and its determinants in the East-Azerbaijan population. Methods: Conducted as a cross-sectional study within the East Azerbaijan region, this research is based on a major Lifestyle Promotion Project. The study encompasses 700 participants aged 15 to 65 years, representing the general population and selected using probability proportional to size multistage stratified cluster sampling. MetS diagnoses were conducted using the adult Panel III criteria. Data on socio-demographics, smoking status, and physical activity levels were collected through questionnaires. Results: Among participants, the mean age was 42.4±12.38 years, and the mean body mass index was 27.69±4.94 kg/m2. The MetS group exhibited higher mean age and body mass index compared to the non-MetS group (P<0.001). The prevalence of MetS in the population was 34.2%, with higher rates in females (37.1%) compared to males (30.5%), though this difference wasn't statistically significant (P=0.11). Notably, a substantial distinction was observed between the two groups regarding education levels (P<0.001). Conclusion: The study reveals a significant association between increasing age and higher prevalence of MetS. Furthermore, lower educational levels were linked to an elevated prevalence of MetS. While other socio-demographic factors didn't demonstrate statistically significant relationships, these findings emphasize the importance of targeted interventions and education in mitigating MetS risks.

Prevalence of Asthma in East Azerbaijan Adult Population and Its Determinants Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study from the Northwest of Iran.

Background: Asthma is one of the most common chronic respiratory diseases. It is estimated that more than 400 million people will suffer from it by 2025. This study aims to determine the prevalence of asthma in East Azerbaijan and investigate the association between asthma and some environmental and demographic factors. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study based on a major Lifestyle Promotion Project (LPP) conducted in the districts of East Azerbaijan, including 2641 participants aged 15 to 65 years of the general population selected through probability proportional to size (PPS) multistage stratified cluster sampling. We used the World Health Survey questionnaire about doctor-diagnosed asthma to determine the prevalence of asthma. Age, smoking status, physical activity level, socioeconomic variables such as job and education level, and body mass index (BMI) were used as covariates in regression models. A questionnaire was used to obtain socio-demographic information and smoking status. The short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to estimate the level of physical activity (IPAQ). Results: The mean age of participants was 40.9 ± 12.05 years including 1242 (47 %) males and 1399 (53 %) females. The prevalence of asthma was 3.3 %. The frequency of smokers was significantly higher in the asthmatic group compared with the non-asthmatic group (OR=2.33 [1.76-3.31]; p=0.03). There was no significant association between asthma and other demographic and lifestyle characteristics. Obesity has also played a significant role in the development of asthma. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, obesity and smoking have played a significant role in the development of asthma but there is no statistically significant relationship between socioeconomic and demographic factors.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of garlic in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analyses to examine the therapeutic effect of garlic on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS: We searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase databases for retrieving articles investigating the impact of garlic on NAFLD patients. The comprehensive meta-analysis software version 2.0 was used for statistical analysis. The standardized mean difference with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was reported and the effect size was calculated. RESULTS: A preliminary search yielded a total of 293 articles. After screening articles based on inclusion criteria, four articles were included in the final analyses. This systematic review included 186 patients with NAFLD. The result of the meta-analysis showed significant differences between the garlic and placebo groups regarding changes in alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglyceride, and fasting blood sugar. Moreover, the probability of a decrease in hepatic steatosis was 2.75 times lower in the garlic group compared with the placebo group (RR [95% CI]: 2.75 [1.79, 4.23], p-value<0.001). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis demonstrates that garlic supplementation had a positive effect on hepatic steatosis, liver enzyme levels, and metabolic profile of patients with NAFLD. However, considering the potential limitation of the included studies, more high-quality clinical trials are needed.

Effect of vitamin A supplementation on the outcome severity of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients: A pilot randomized clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: Vitamin A is one of the vitamins that is suggested as adjuvant therapy in viral infections due to its immune enhancing role. In the present clinical trial, we intended to assess the effect of vitamin A supplementation on Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) in hospitalized patients. METHODS: The present pilot randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on 30 hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Patients in the intervention group received 50000 IU/day intramuscular vitamin A for a maximum of two weeks. Patients in the control group continued their common treatment protocols. All participants were followed up until discharge from the hospital or death. The primary outcome of the study was time to achieve clinical response based on the six classes of an ordinal scale. Time to clinical response was calculated based on the days needed to improve two scores on the scale or patient's discharge. RESULTS: The time to clinical response was not significantly different between the two groups (7.23 ± 2.14 vs. 6.75 ± 1.85 days, respectively, p = 0.48). There was no significant difference between the groups regarding clinical response (hazard ratio: 1.76 [95% CI: 0.73, 4.26]). There were no significant differences between groups regarding the need for mechanical ventilation, duration of hospitalization, or death in the hospital. CONCLUSION: The results of this pilot clinical trial showed no benefit of vitamin A compared with the common treatment on outcome severity in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Although the results are negative, there is still a great need for future clinical studies to provide a higher level of evidence.