Dietary patterns in relation to glioma: a case-control study.

Although the association of individual foods and nutrients with glioma have been investigated, studies on the association of major dietary patterns and glioma are scarce. The aim of this study was to examine the association between major dietary patterns and risk of glioma in a group of Iranian adults. In this hospital-based case-control design, we recruited 128 newly diagnosed glioma cases and 256 controls in Tehran from 2009 to 2011. A Willett-format-validated 126-item semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was used to assess participants' dietary intake. Factor analysis was used to identify major dietary patterns. We identified 3 major dietary patterns using factor analysis: high protein, vegetarian and western dietary pattern. After several adjustments for potential confounders, adherence to the high protein dietary pattern was inversely associated with risk of glioma (OR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.23, 0.95). Consumption of vegetarian dietary pattern was also associated with a reduced risk of glioma (OR: 0.16; 95% CI: 0.07, 0.34). Greater adherence to the western dietary pattern was associated with a greater chance of glioma (OR: 3.30; 95% CI: 1.52, 7.17). We found that high protein, vegetarian and western dietary pattern were significantly associated with glioma risk. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Mediterranean diet adherence and sleep pattern: a systematic review of observational studies.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Despite a huge body of evidence on the linkage between dietary intakes and pattern of sleeping, the findings are controversial. The current study aimed to summarize earlier findings on the association between adherence to Mediterranean diet (MD) and pattern of sleeping. METHODS: This study performed based on PRISMA guideline. Systematically search was applied in PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar to find out relevant publications appeared up to February 2023. No restrictions on language and time of publication were applied. Duplicate citations were removed. We included observational studies which assessed MD as the main exposure and kind of sleep disorders as the main outcome. RESULTS: A total of 20 observational studies included. Out of these studies, two were cohort studies and 18 had a cross-sectional design. A total of 21,714 participants included. Usual dietary intakes were assessed using a validated Food Frequency Questionnaire, and a diet history questionnaire. Some studies did not report methods of measuring habitual dietary intakes. Adherence to MD was evaluated by KIDMED questionnaire, PREMED, alternate Mediterranean (aMed) questionnaire, MEDAS questionnaire, MedDietScore, MEDI-LITE score, modified Mediterranean Diet Score (mMDS), Mediterranean food pattern (MFP) and modified Mediterranean diet score (mMED). Pattern of sleeping was examined as sleep quality, sleep duration, sleep latency, sleep efficacy, sleepiness, sleep disturbance, taking a nap and some other sleep disorders. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, findings of published studies highlighted the importance of consumption of MD for better sleep quality.

Dietary intake of phytochemicals in association with irritable bowel syndrome in adults.

BACKGROUND & AIM: There is limited data regarding the association between phytochemical-rich diets and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The current study aimed to cross-sectionally evaluate the association of dietary phytochemical index (DPI) with the odds and severity of IBS. METHODS: In this study, which included 3362 Iranian healthcare staffs, a dish-based semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (DS-FFQ) was utilized to collect dietary information. The DPI was defined as the daily percentage of calories consumed from phytochemical-rich foods. The IBS assessment was performed using a revised Iranian version of the Rome III questionnaire. We applied the restricted cubic spline (RCS) to detect the possible non-linear dependency of the relationship between DPI and the odds of IBS. RESULTS: The mean age, Body Mass Index (BMI), and DPI scores of the participants were 36.29 ± 7.8 years, 24.90 ± 3.8 kg/m2, and 16.07 ± 9.01, respectively. After adjusting for possible confounders, no significant association was observed between DPI and odds of IBS in the whole study population or in gender- and BMI-stratified analyses. We found a significant inverse association between DPI and IBS severity in the study population (OR: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.51-0.98). Concerning gender, such an association was only found in women (OR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.44-0.96). However, there was no significant relationship between DPI and IBS severity in BMI subgroups. In addition, we found no meaningful relationship between DPI and IBS subtypes. The RCS model showed that there is no non-linear relationship between DPI classification and IBS (non-linear test, χ2 = 1.14, Pnon-linearity = 0.513). CONCLUSIONS: Higher phytochemical intake was associated with reduced IBS severity, particularly in women. Further prospective studies are required to confirm these findings.

The landscape of exosomal non-coding RNAs in breast cancer drug resistance, focusing on underlying molecular mechanisms.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignancy among women worldwide. Like many other cancers, BC therapy is challenging and sometimes frustrating. In spite of the various therapeutic modalities applied to treat the cancer, drug resistance, also known as, chemoresistance, is very common in almost all BCs. Undesirably, a breast tumor might be resistant to different curative approaches (e.g., chemo- and immunotherapy) at the same period of time. Exosomes, as double membrane-bound extracellular vesicles 1) secreted from different cell species, can considerably transfer cell products and components through the bloodstream. In this context, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including miRNAs, long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs), are a chief group of exosomal constituents with amazing abilities to regulate the underlying pathogenic mechanisms of BC, such as cell proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion, metastasis, migration, and particularly drug resistance. Thereby, exosomal ncRNAs can be considered potential mediators of BC progression and drug resistance. Moreover, as the corresponding exosomal ncRNAs circulate in the bloodstream and are found in different body fluids, they can serve as foremost prognostic/diagnostic biomarkers. The current study aims to comprehensively review the most recent findings on BC-related molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways affected by exosomal miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs, with a focus on drug resistance. Also, the potential of the same exosomal ncRNAs in the diagnosis and prognosis of BC will be discussed in detail.

The association between dietary total antioxidant capacity and odds and severity of irritable bowel syndrome among Iranian adults: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Little evidence is available in terms of the role of dietary antioxidants in the management of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) disease. This study aimed to examine the association between dietary total antioxidant capacity (dTAC) and odds of IBS and its severity. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 3,362 Iranian adults who were referred to health centers in Isfahan province, Iran. Participants' dietary intakes were collected using a semi-quantitative validated food frequency questionnaire (DS-FFQ). The dTAC was measured by the ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) method. Multivariable binary or ordinal logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate any associations between dTAC and odds of IBS, IBS severity, and IBS subtypes. RESULTS: The average age and BMI of the participants and dTAC score were 36.3 ± 7.87 year, 24.9 ± 3.82 kg/m2. The prevalence of IBS, IBS with constipation (IBS-C), IBS with diarrhoea (IBS-D), mixed IBS (IBS-M), and un-subtyped IBS (IBS-U) were 22.2, 7.5, 4.6, 3.8, and 6.2%, respectively. In crude and adjusted models, the results did not show any significant association between dTAC and odds of IBS among whole and gender-age stratified populations. Being in the third compared with the first tertile of dTAC was not also significantly associated with odds of IBS severity. Besides, there were no significant associations between dTAC and odds of IBS-C, IBS-D, IBS-M, and IBS-U. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that dTAC may not be associated with the odds of IBS and its severity even after stratification for gender and body mass index.

The association between dietary acid load and odds and severity of irritable bowel syndrome in adults.

No study has been conducted to investigate the association between dietary acid load and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). So, this cross-sectional study was performed to investigate the association between dietary acid load and odds of IBS, its severity, and IBS subtypes. A sample of 3362 Iranian subjects was selected from health centers in Isfahan province. A validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (DS-FFQ) was applied to estimate dietary intakes. The dietary acid load was measured using net endogenous acid production (NEAP), dietary acid load (DAL), and potential renal acid load (PRAL) scores. In crude models, the highest compared with the lowest category of the PRAL score was significantly associated with increased odds of IBS severity in participants with BMI ≥ 25 (kg/m2) (OR = 1.54; 95% CI = (1.03-2.32). Also, the results indicated a significant positive association between the PARL and odds of mixed subtype of IBS (OR = 1.74; 95% CI = (1.11-2.74); P trend = 0.02). In propensity score-adjusted model with potential confounders, only a positive association was found between PRAL and odds of mixed subtype of IBS (OR = 1.78; 95% CI = (1.05-3.00); P trend = 0.03). The DAL and NEAP scores tended to show non-significant similar findings. This study indicates that dietary acid load might be associated with odds of mixed type of IBS. However, further research is warranted to infer these findings.

Association of dietary acid-base load and diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A case-control study.

OBJECTIVES: The higher acid-forming potential of a diet, could be associated with diabetes. No study has been done to investigate the association between Dietary Acid Load (DAL) and polyneuropathy in patients with diabetes. This study aimed to examine the linkage between the DAL and Diabetic Sensory-motor Polyneuropathy (DSPN) in a case-control study. METHOD: This case-control study was performed at Diabetes Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, in Kermanshah, Iran between April 2020 and August 2020. A total of 185 subjects with DSPN and 185 sex- and age-matched people in the control group (30-60 years old) participated in this study. Dietary intakes of all people were assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. DAL was evaluated through the Potential Renal Acid Load (PRAL) and Net Endogenous Acid Production (NEAP). Toronto clinical neuropathy score was applied to define DSPN. Anthropometrics data, and fasting blood glucose levels were measured. RESULTS: The Binary logistic regression was used to estimate the Odds Ratios (ORs) and 95% Confidence Intervals (95% CIs) of NEAP and PRAL in relation to DSPN. After adjustment for age, sex, energy people with higher DAL had increased odds for DSPN (ORPRAL = 3.0; 95%CI: 1.8-5.1; p-trend <0.001 and ORNEAP = 3.8; 95%CI: 2.2-6.5; p-trend <0.001). Additional adjustment for physical activity, education, smokers, and economic status strengthened the association (ORPRAL = 3.3; 95%CI:1.9-5.8; p-trend <0.001 and ORNEAP = 3.7; 95%CI: 2.2-6.5; p-trend<0.001). Finally, after additional adjustment for BMI in the full adjustment model, compared to people in the first tertile of DAL, participants in the third tertile had approximately 3.5 times significant greater odds for DSPN (ORPRAL = 3.3; 95%CI: 1.9-5.7; p-trend <0.001 and ORNEAP = 3.6; 95%CI: 2.2-6.2; p-trend<0.001). CONCLUSION: Patients with a higher acidic diet had greater odds for DSPN compared to people with lower DAL.

Association between Dietary Macronutrient Intake and Symptoms in Uninvestigated Dyspepsia: Evidence from a Population-Based, Cross-Sectional Study.

(1) Background: Limited evidence from laboratory-based studies suggests that specific dietary macronutrients, particularly fat, can induce dyspeptic symptoms. Through a population-based study, we investigated the relationship between dietary macronutrients and dyspeptic symptoms and sought to determine macronutrient intake thresholds to predict or prevent dyspepsia and reduce symptoms in patients with dyspepsia. (2) Methods: A total of 4763 Iranian people were enrolled in this population-based, cross-sectional study. Uninvestigated dyspepsia (UD) and its symptoms, including postprandial fullness, early satiation, and epigastric pain, were evaluated using a modified Persian version of the Rome III criteria. The dietary intakes of participants were evaluated using a validated food−frequency questionnaire. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to calculate threshold intakes of dietary macronutrients to prevent UD in the general population. The analysis was then repeated in those with UD to calculate intake thresholds for reducing UD symptoms. (3) Results: Early satiation occurred in 6.3% (n = 302), postprandial fullness in 8.0% (n = 384) and epigastric pain in 7.8% (n = 371) of participants. The prevalence of UD was 15.2%. Compared with individuals without UD, those with UD had a lower intake of carbohydrates (48.2% vs. 49.1%) and a higher intake of fats (38.3% vs. 37.4%), while protein and energy intakes did not differ. Higher dietary fat and protein intakes were associated with a higher prevalence of postprandial fullness and epigastric pain, respectively. Macronutrient intakes to predict UD in the general population were <49% of energy from carbohydrates, >14.7% from protein, and >37.7% from fats. Carbohydrate, protein, and fat intakes to prevent symptoms among those with UD were calculated to be >48.2%, <14.6%, and <38.6%, respectively. (4) Conclusion: Higher carbohydrate intake and lower fat or protein intakes were associated with a lower likelihood of UD. Prospective studies carefully manipulating dietary macronutrient composition are warranted to investigate the value of dietary changes to improve symptoms in people with UD.

Association between Dietary Inflammatory Index Scores and Diabetes Sensorimotor Polyneuropathy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Case-Control Study.

Background: Diabetes sensorimotor polyneuropathy (DSPN) is a common complication of diabetes. Diet has been previously related to DSPN. However, no studies have investigated the relationship between the inflammatory potential of the whole diet and DSPN. So, we aimed to examine the association between dietary inflammatory index (DII) and DSPN in Iranian adults. Methods: A total of 185 subjects with DSPN and 185 sex- and age-matched controls were selected in this case-control study. A 168-item validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to assay dietary intakes. DII was calculated based on the developed formula. The Toronto clinical neuropathy score was applied to define DSPN. Binary logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) of DII in relation to DSPN. Results: Mean values of age and BMI for all the participants were reported as 50.79 and 28.60, respectively. Also, the median (IQR) of DII for all the participants was estimated as -0.091 (-0.93, 1.07). Our findings suggest that participants in the highest quartile of the DII had higher odds of DSPN (OR = 1.76; 95% CI: 1.03, 3.36) (p-trend = 0.01) compared to subjects in the lowest quartile of DII scores after adjustment for age and sex. Additionally, a strong association was observed after adjusting for energy intake, physical activity, education, smoking status, economic status, marital status, job, BMI, and WC in model 2 (OR = 2.23, 95% CI = 1.13-4.39) (p-trend = 0.0048). Conclusion: Higher DII score was associated with an increased risk of DSPN. Therefore, it is possible that a diet rich in anti-inflammatory nutrients and foods could improve and prevent DSPN.

Association Between Red and Processed Meat Consumption and Risk of Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Debate on the potential carcinogenic effects of meat intake is open and the relationship between meat consumption and risk of prostate cancer remains uncertain. This meta-analysis was conducted to summarize earlier prospective studies on the association of meat consumption with risk of prostate cancer. METHODS: Relevant studies were identified by exploring PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases up to December 2020. Fixed-effects and random-effects meta-analyses were used for pooling the relative risks (RRs). Heterogeneity across studies was evaluated using the Q-statistic and I-square (I 2). A funnel plot and Egger's test was used to detect publication bias. Linear and non-linear dose-response analyses were performed to estimate the dose-response relations between meat intake and risk of prostate cancer. RESULTS: Twenty-five prospective studies were included in this meta-analysis. Totally, 1,900,910 participants with 35,326 incident cases of prostate cancer were investigated. Pooling the eligible effect sizes, we observed that high consumption of processed meat might be associated with an increased risk of "total prostate cancer" (RR: 1.06; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.10; I 2 = 1.5%, P = 0.43) and "advanced prostate cancer" (1.17; 1.09, 1.26; I 2 = 58.8%, P = 0.01). However, the association between processed meat and "advanced prostate cancer" was not significant in the random-effects model: 1.12 (95% CI: 0.98, 1.29). A linear dose-response analysis indicated that an increment of 50 grams per day of processed meat intake might be related to a 4% greater risk of "total prostate cancer" (1.04; 1.00, 1.08; I 2 = 0.0%, P = 0.51). "Total meat intake" was marginally associated with all outcomes of prostate cancer risk (1.04; 1.01, 1.07; I 2 = 58.4%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies indicated that increased consumption of "total meat" and "processed meat" might be associated with a higher risk of prostate cancer. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=230824, identifier: CRD42021230824.

Dietary intake of total, animal and plant proteins and the risk of coronary heart disease and hypertension: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Previous findings assessing the association between long-term protein intake and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are inconsistent. This study aimed to summarize previous investigations on the association between total, animal and plant proteins intake and the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and hypertension (HTN) in adults. METHODS: Related papers were found by searching through PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and Google Scholar up to April 2020. Prospective cohort studies examined the association between consumption of the dietary protein from different sources and the risk of CHD and HTN in general population, were included. The random-effects model was used to pool the reported relative risks (RR). Dose-response associations were modeled by restricted cubic splines. RESULTS: Thirteen prospective studies, in total, including 547,303 participants- 11,590 cases with total CHD and 5,620 with HTN- were included. Dietary intake of total protein was not significantly associated with the risk of total CHD (RR: 0.97; 95%CI: 0.90-1.05) and HTN (RR: 1.01; 95% CI: 0.90-1.14). Moreover, consumption of both dietary plant and animal protein was not related to the risk of total CHD and HTN. Dose-response analysis indicated that the risk of CHD and HTN did not change significantly with increasing dietary total protein intake from 10% to 25% of total calorie intake. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary protein intake from different sources had no significant association with risk of CHD and HTN. Further high-quality research is needed to examine the potential mechanistic links between dietary protein intake and health outcomes.

Association between dietary glycemic index and glycemic load and glioma: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: Although glycemic index (GI) and load (GL) have been linked with several health outcomes, no information is available linking dietary GI and GL with glioma. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between dietary GI and GL and odds of glioma. METHODS: This hospital-based case-control study was conducted between November 2009 and September 2011 in the hospital affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. We recruited 128 newly diagnosed cases of glioma and 256 age- and sex-matched controls. All cases were pathologically diagnosed with glioma patients, with no history of any type of other pathologically confirmed cancers and chemotherapy or radiotherapy (due to cancers). Dietary GI and GL were measured by using a validated, self-administered, dish-based, semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire. RESULT: A significant positive association was found between dietary GI and glioma (OR: 3.01; 95% CI: 1.75-5.17, P < 0.001); such that after considering for potential confounders, participants in the highest tertile of dietary GI had 3.51 times greater risk of glioma than those in the lowest tertile (OR: 3.51; 95% CI: 1.69-7.28, Ptrend = 0.001). Furthermore, we observed a significant positive association between dietary and glioma (OR: 3.74; 95% CI: 1.97-6.11, Ptrend < 0.001). This association remained significant even after further controlling for potential confounders (OR: 2.42; 95% CI: 1.02-5.69, Ptrend = 0.04). DISCUSSION: We observed a significant positive association between dietary GI and GL and risk of glioma in adults. However, prospective cohort studies are required to confirm this association.

The effect of ketogenic diet on body composition and anthropometric measures: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

This study aimed to summarize earlier randomized controlled trials on the effects of ketogenic diet (KD) on body composition and anthropometric measures. Four databases were searched from inception to May 2020 using relevant keywords. All clinical trials investigating the effects of KD on body weight (BW), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM), lean body mass (LBM), visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and percentage body fat (PBF) in adults were included. Overall, 18 trials were included in the review. Pooled effect sizes revealed a significant effect of KD on BW (weighted mean differences [WMD]: -2.87 kg, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -3.84 to -1.89), BMI (WMD: -1.44 kg/m2, 95% CI: -2.07, -0.81), FM (WMD: -1.40 kg, 95% CI: -2.50, -0.30), FFM (WMD: -0.81 kg, 95% CI: -1.32, -0.30), LBM (WMD: -0.63 kg, 95% CI: -1.21, -0.06), WC (WMD: -3.23 cm, 95% CI: -4.38, -2.09), VAT (WMD: -28.91 g, 95% CI: -50.57, -7.24) and PBF (WMD: -2.81 kg, 95% CI: -3.82, -1.80), respectively. Taken together, the data suggest that KD has beneficial effects on BW, BMI, FM, FFM, LBM, WC, VAT, and PBF. However, the effectiveness of the long term effect of this dietary pattern is unclear.

The Association between Dietary Inflammatory Potential and Gastric Cancer: A Case Control Study.

OBJECTIVE: No report is available about diet-disease associations in the understudied region of Afghanistan. Although the inflammatory potential of diet has been linked with several cancers, information about gastric cancer is scarce. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between the inflammatory potential of the diet and odds of gastric cancer in Afghanistan. METHODS: In this hospital-based case-control study, we enrolled 90 newly-diagnosed cases of gastric cancer and 180 age (±5) and sex-matched controls. All cases were pathologically confirmed gastric cancer patients, with no history of any type of other pathologically confirmed cancers. Controls were healthy individuals and relatives of patients in the hospital. Dietary assessment was done by a pre-tested food frequency questionnaire. DII was calculated based on energy-adjusted amounts of several foods and nutrients with inflammatory or anti-inflammatory potential, as introduced by earlier studies. RESULTS: Mean age of study participants was 54 years, of them 73% were males. After adjustment for age and sex, individuals in the highest tertile of the inflammatory potential of the diet were 2.47 times (95% CI: 1.31-4.66) more likely to have gastric cancer compared with those in the lowest tertile. Further adjustment for other potential confounders did not substantially affect the association; such that participants with the greatest inflammatory potential of the diet had approximately 3.59 times (95% CI: 1.16-11.02) increased odds of gastric cancer than those with the lowest adherence. Additional adjustment for BMI strengthened the association (OR: 3.75; 95% CI: 1.14-12.30). CONCLUSION: We found a significant positive association between inflammatory potential of the diet and risk of gastric cancer. Further studies with prospective nature are required to confirm this association.

The Association between Dietary Insulin Index and Load with Gastric Cancer in Afghanistan.

BACKGROUND: Insulin has a critical role in the pathogenesis of several cancers. We are aware of no study that examined the association between dietary insulin index (DII) and dietary insulin load (DIL) and gastric cancer. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between dietary insulin index and DIL and odds of gastric cancer in Afghanistan. METHODS: In this hospital-based case-control study, we recruited 90 patients with newly-diagnosed gastric cancer and 180 healthy controls in Kabul, Afghanistan. Cases were chosen based on convenience-sampling method from the patients with pathologically confirmed gastric cancer aged between 20 and 75 years that had been referred to Jamhuriat Hospital, Kabul, Afghanistan. We applied a pre-tested food frequency questionnaire for dietary assessment of study participants. DIL and DII were calculated based on earlier publications. Multivariable logistic regression models were applied to examine the association between DII and DIL and gastric cancer. RESULTS: Mean BMI of study participants was 23.55 ± 3.06 kg/m2, of them 73% were males. After adjustment for potential confounders, participants in the top tertile of DII had 3.96 times greater odds for gastric cancer compared with those in the first tertile (95% CI: 1.23, 12.69; P-trend = 0.03). After adjustment for potential confounders, people in the highest tertile of DIL were 3.41 times more likely to have gastric cancer compared with those in the lowest tertile (95% CI: 1.28, 9.09; P-trend = 0.01). These associations remained significant even after further controlling for BMI, family history of cancer, H. pylori infection and salt intake. CONCLUSION: A significant positive association was seen between dietary insulin index and insulin load and odds of gastric cancer in Afghan adults. Prospective cohort studies are required to confirm our findings.

Validity of Self-reported Height, Weight, Body Mass Index, and Waist Circumference in Iranian Adults.

CONTEXT: The validity of self-reported anthropometric indices has been examined in previous studies in different populations. AIMS: The aim of our study was to evaluate the validity of self-reported height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference (WC) for the first time in middle-age staffs of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 171 men and women were selected from staffs of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Technician- and self-reported measurements of height, weight, and WC were collected from all participants. BMI was calculated by dividing weight in kg by height in meters squared. Overweight and obesity were defined as BMI ≥25-<29.9 and ≥30 kg/m2, respectively. Abdominal obesity was defined as WC ≥94 and ≥80 cm in men and women, respectively. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Independent t-test, chi-square, Pearson and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), as well as Kappa measurements, were used. RESULTS: Fifty and 19 percentages of the study population were overweight and obese, respectively. Self-reported height (r = 0.83, P < 0.001, ICC =0.89, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.85-0.92), weight (r = 0.95, P < 0.001, ICC = 0.979, 95% CI: 0.971-0.98), BMI (r = 0.70, P < 0.001, ICC = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.74-0.86), and WC (r = 0.60, P < 0.001, ICC = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.51-0.81) were highly correlated with actually measured ones. Approximately 80% and 65% of individuals who were defined as overweight and obese, respectively, based on actually measured data were correctly diagnosed as overweight and obese, respectively, based on self-reported data. The Kappa coefficients for different categories of weight situation and abdominal obesity were 0.59 and 0.32, respectively. Fifty-seven percent of participants who were diagnosed with abdominal obesity based on actually measured data were correctly diagnosed with abdominal obesity based on self-reported data. Also, approximately 48% and 69% of men and women, respectively, who were diagnosed with abdominal obesity based on actually measured data were correctly diagnosed with abdominal obesity based on self-reported ones. CONCLUSIONS: We found that self-reported data of anthropometric measures are reasonable in middle-age staff of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. Nevertheless, self-reported data on WC should be cautiously relined on, in particular, among men.

Association between dietary inflammatory potential and risk of developing gestational diabetes: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Limited and inconsistent data are available regarding the relationship between the dietary inflammatory potential (DIP) and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). OBJECTIVE: The present prospective study aimed to evaluate the association between DIP score during the first trimester of pregnancy and risk of developing GDM among Iranian women. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, 812 pregnant women aged 20-40 years, who were in their first trimester, were recruited and followed up until week 24-28 of gestation. Dietary intakes of study subjects were examined using an interviewer-administered validated 117-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). DIP score was calculated from 29 available food parameters based on earlier literature. The results of a fasting plasma glucose concentration and a 50-g, 1-h oral glucose tolerance test, between the 24th and 28th week of gestation, were used to diagnose GDM. The risk of developing GDM across quartiles of DIP score was estimated using Cox regression in several models. RESULTS: At study baseline, mean (SD) age and BMI of study participants were 29.4 (±4.84) y and 25.14 (±4.08) kg/m2, respectively. No significant association was found between DIP score and risk of GDM in the crude model (RR: 1.01; 95% CIs: 0.71-1.45). When we adjusted for age the association did not alter (RR: 1.04; 95% CIs: 0.72-1.48). Even after further adjustment for maternal weight gain we failed to find a significant association between DIP score and risk of GDM (RR: 0.97; 95% CIs: 0.66-1.41). CONCLUSION: We found no significant association between DIP and risk of developing GDM. Further longitudinal studies among other populations are needed to elucidate the association between DIP score and GDM.

Association between dietary phytochemical index and breast cancer: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Dietary intake of isoflavones has been positively associated with risk of breast cancer (BC) in some earlier studies. In addition, most studies on diet-disease associations came from western countries and limited data are available in the Middle-East. METHODS: This case-control study was performed on 350 women with BC aged over 30 years who were recruited from hospitals or private clinics in Isfahan, Iran. All patients were diagnosed with BC during the maximum of the last 6 months using physical examination and mammography findings. Using cluster method sampling, 700 apparently healthy age- and socioeconomic status-matched controls were randomly selected from healthy women who had no relationship with BC patients and had no familial history of BC. Data on dietary intakes were collected using a validated food-frequency questionnaire. The DPI was calculated based on dietary energy derived from foods rich in phytochemicals (kcal) divided by total daily energy intake (kcal) of each participant. RESULTS: Mean ± SD age and BMI in the study participants were 62.4 ± 10.8 years and 24.3 ± 5.2 kg/m2, respectively. In the crude model, participants in the highest quartile of DPI had 63% lower odds of breast cancer compared to those in the lowest quartile (95% CI 0.26, 0.54; P-trend < 0.001). After adjustment for potential confounders, this inverse association became strengthened (95% CI 0.22, 0.49; P-trend < 0.001). Further adjustment for BMI did not change the association (OR for the highest quartile vs. the lowest quartile = 0.40, 95% CI 0.26, 0.60; P-trend < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, a protective association was observed between DPI and BC in this case-control study. Therefore, high consumption of foods rich in phytochemicals such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains might help reducing the odds of BC among women.

Relationship between dietary diversity score and general health in female students.

BACKGROUND: Adolescence is a critical period with respect to mental and psychological issues. The role of nutrients is well known in health condition in adolescents, but little emphasis is placed on total diet quality. Dietary diversity score (DDS) is often used to assess diet quality. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between DDS and general health in girl students. METHODS: The present research is a cross-sectional study which used descriptive-analytical approach. A total of 384 high-school female students selected using proportional stratified sampling. Physical activity level, diet and general health information collected using International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), Dietary Diversity Questionnaire (FAO-2013) and 28-item self-reported general health questionnaire (GHQ-28), respectively. In addition, weight, height and waist circumference (WC) measured. Data analyzed using Chi-Square test, one-way ANOVA and Multinomial Logistic Regression. RESULTS: Mean DDS was 4.43±1.09. After adjustment for confounders of age, body mass index, physical activity, socioeconomic status and nutritional supplement intake, students with higher DDS were less prone to general health disorders (P≤0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These finding implicate higher DDS in adolescents may associate with better general health.

The association between dietary glycemic index and load and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus: A prospective study.

AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the association between dietary GI and GL and risk of GDM in a group of pregnant women in Iran. METHODS: A number of 812 pregnant women were recruited in their first trimester in a prospective study. A validated 117-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire was used to assess usual dietary intakes of participants at study baseline. Dietary GI and GL were calculated based on earlier publications. GDM was diagnosed based on the results of a fasting plasma glucose concentration and a 50-g, 1-h oral glucose tolerance test at 24-28 weeks of gestation. Cox proportional hazards model was used to compute relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for GDM. RESULTS: Mean ± SD of age and BMI of study participants was 29.4 ± 4.84 y and 25.14 ± 4.08 kg/m2, respectively at study baseline. Mean ± SD of dietary GI was 58 ± 7 and that of dietary GL was 176 ± 42. Overall, 28.4% (n = 231) of study population developed GDM at weeks 24-28 of pregnancy. After adjustment for potential confounding variables, we found that women in the highest tertile of dietary GL were 43% more likely to develop GDM than those in the lowest tertile (95% CI: 1.01, 2.00; P-trend = 0.03). However, no significant association was seen between dietary GI (RR for the highest tertile compared to the lowest: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.61, 1.20; P-trend = 0.37), and risk of GDM. CONCLUSIONS: We found that women with the highest dietary GL were at a greater risk of developing GDM during pregnancy. No significant association was seen between dietary GI and risk of GDM.