Adherence to the nordic diet is associated with anxiety, stress, and depression in recovered COVID-19 patients, a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Follow-up of COVID-19 recovered patients to discover important adverse effects on other organs is required. The psychological health of COVID-19 patients may be affected after recovery. AIM: We aimed to evaluate the association between adherence to the Nordic diet (ND) and psychological symptoms caused by COVID-19 after recovery. METHOD: Dietary data on 246 qualified adults (123 cases and 123 controls). The dietary intake in this case-control study was calculated by a reliable and valid food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) were used to analyze participant's anxiety, stress, depression, sleep quality, insomnia, and quality of life of participants. RESULTS: There was a significant inverse relationship between total anxiety, stress, and depression scores and the intake of whole grains (P < 0.05). Furthermore, there was a significant inverse association between depression and fruit intake (P < 0.05). A significant negative correlation was found between insomnia and sleep quality and the intake of root vegetables (P < 0.05). In the multinomial-regression model, a significant association between the Nordic diet and anxiety, stress, and depression was found only in the case group (OR = 0.719, 95% CI 0.563-0.918, p-value = 0.008; OR = 0.755, 95% CI 0.609-0.934, P-value = 0.010, and, OR = 0.759, 95% CI 0.602-0.956, P-value = 0.019 respectively). CONCLUSION: Adherence to the Nordic diet might reduce anxiety, stress, and depression in recovered COVID-19 patients.

Association between Genetic Variants Linked to Premature Ovarian Insufficiency and Inflammatory Markers: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Premature menopause (PM) is the cessation of ovarian function before age 40. PM women are more likely to have cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), diabetes, and mental disorders. This is the first study that assessed the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with anti-heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27), High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs- CRP), and PM and serum pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB), as putative risk factors for CVDs. We aimed to explore the association of oxidative stress markers with eight different SNPs shown to be related to premature menopause. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional research, we included 183 healthy women and 117 premature menopausal women. We determined baseline characteristics for all participants and measured serum hs-CRP, anti-HSP-27 antibody titer, and PAB levels using the established methods. Genotyping for eight SNPs was done using the tetra amplification refractory mutation system polymerase chain reaction (Tetra-ARMS PCR) and allele-specific oligonucleotide PCR (ASO-PCR) methods. RESULTS: We found a significant difference between mean serum PAB levels and the genetic variant of rs16991615 (P=0.03). ANCOVA showed a significant effect of the genotypes rs4806660 and rs10183486 on hs-CRP serum levels in the case and control groups, respectively (P=0.04 and P=0.007). ANCOVA also showed an association between rs244715 genotypes and anti-hsp27 serum levels in the case group (P=0.02). There was a significant effect of the genotypes of rs451417 on the serum hs-CRP level in the control group (P=0.03). CONCLUSION: There was a significant association of the genetic variants related to PM with oxidative stress and inflammatory markers (serum PAB, anti-hsp27 antibody, and hs-CRP). Accordingly, this seems to be an effective approach to predicting susceptible subjects for cardiovascular and mental disorders as well as various cancers.

The association of hematological inflammatory markers and psychological function in COVID-19 patients: A cross-sectional study.

Mental health disorders are linked to systemic inflammation. Due to high inflammation and mental health disorders in COVID-19 patients, we aimed to investigate the relationship between blood inflammatory markers such as red cell distribution width to platelet ratio (RPR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), red cell distribution width (RDW), white blood cell (WBC), and psychological function in COVID-19 patients. In the current cross-sectional study, neuro-psychological function, and a complete blood count (CBC) were measured on 120 COVID-19 patients aged >30 years from the Imam Reza Hospital in Mashhad, Iran. Our results showed that anxiety related to MCHC (mean ± SD: 32.71 ± 1.68, p < 0.05), WBC (mean ± SD: 12.23 ± 5.43, p < 0.05), and PLR (median (IQR): 28.72 (15.88-41.31), p < 0.05) significantly. In the stress subgroup, only RPR was associated with stress (p < 0.05). Linear regression between hematological parameters and psychological score indicated that RDW and PLR had a significantly positive association with depression (ß = 0.086; p = 0.045 and ß = 1.326; p = 0.016, respectively) and anxiety scores (ß = 0.100; p = 0.038 and ß = 1.356; p = 0.010, respectively). Moreover, a positive correlation was found between PLR and stress (ß = 1.102; p = 0.012). This study showed a positive association between depression/anxiety/stress symptoms and levels of hematological inflammatory markers including PLR and RDW. The findings of this study provide novel insights into mental health and physiological markers, underscoring the potential influence of inflammation on mood disorders. Our findings offer exciting prospects for future research and may lead to innovative approaches in the management and treatment of depression, anxiety, and stress.

The effects of high dose vitamin D supplementation as a nutritional intervention strategy on biochemical and inflammatory factors in adults with COVID-19: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: Low serum vitamin D has been shown to be a risk factor for Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). The aim of this study was to assess the effects of high dose vitamin D supplementation on hs-CRP, ESR and clinical outcomes, including duration of hospitalization, quality of life and New York Heart Association (NYHA) Functional Classification, in adults with COVID-19. Methods: This double-blind, randomized control trial will be conducted on patients with RT-PCR and/or chest CT scan diagnosis of COVID-19 admitted in Imam Reza Hospital, Mashhad, Iran. Participants will be randomized into control and intervention groups based on randomization sampling. The intervention group will receive soft gel containing 50,000 IU vitamin D on the first day followed by 10,000 IU/day through a supplement drop daily for 29 days. The control group will receive 1000 IU vitamin D daily through supplement drop and a placebo soft gel. All participants will undergo laboratory assessment including inflammatory markers, serum 25)OH)D, complete blood count (CBC), liver and renal profile, lipid profile and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) at baseline and at day 30. The mortality rate will be recorded in both groups. Results: Data will be presented using descriptive statistics. Comparison of changes in study parameters over the study period will be performed using analysis of covariance adjusting for possible confounders. Conclusions: The findings of this will provide evidence on the effects of high dose vitamin D supplementation on inflammatory markers in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

The relationship between genetic variants associated with primary ovarian insufficiency and lipid profile in women recruited from MASHAD cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) is defined by the occurrence of menopause before the age of 40 years. It is often associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between POI-associated genotypes cardiometabolic disorder risk factors. METHODS: One hundred seventeen women with POI and one hundred eighty-three healthy women without POI were recruited in this study. DNA was extracted and analyzed using ASO-PCR or Tetra ARMS-PCR. Lipid profiles were also assessed. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that individuals with GG vs. TT genotype of the rs1046089 SNP were more likely to have a higher serum LDL (p = 0.03) compared to the control group. There was also a significant association between low serum HDL and rs2303369 and rs4806660 SNP genotypes in the POI group. In the POI group, the percentage of those with high total cholesterol was lower in those with a CC genotype compared to those with a TT genotype (p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Some SNPs reported to be associated with POI appear to be independently associated with dyslipidemia. These results may be helpful to identify subjects with POI who may be susceptible to CVD.

Relationship Between Clinical, Demographic and Socioeconomic Factors with Suicide Ideation; A Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Suicide has grown in global prevalence as a public health problem. We aimed to evaluate the association of socioeconomic factors, biochemical and hematologic tests, and suicide ideation. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 8267 Iranian adults aged 35 - 65 years old were enrolled. The assessment of suicide ideation was made by the completion of Beck's depression inventory (BDI) questionnaire; according to one specific item on the questionnaire: "have you ever decided to suicide in the past week?" RESULTS: According to our results, 6.9 % of subjects had ideation of suicide. The results showed high levels of FBG, RBC, MCHC, and hs-CRP were associated with suicide ideation. Obese, single subjects, and current-smokers had a higher risk of suicide ideation. CONCLUSION: Increased physical activity, obesity, and smoking are associated with a high risk of suicide ideation; whilst, a high MCHC is related to a low risk of suicide ideation in Iranian adults.

Reference intervals for routine biochemical markers and body mass index: A study based on healthcare center database in northeastern Iran.

Age- and sex-specific reference intervals (RIs) for some biochemical tests may be useful for their interpretation, due to the variations in lifestyle and genetic, or ethnic factors. The aim of this study was to obtain RIs for some routine biochemical markers including a serum lipid profile, fasting blood glucose (FBG), aspartate and alanine aminotransferase (AST and ALT), uric acid, and body mass index (BMI) in subjects who attended primary healthcare centers. The large database of primary healthcare centers uses RIs to report results for children, adolescents, and young and old adults. RIs were obtained by using the indirect method, recommended by the CLSI Ep28-A3 guidelines. RIs for FBG, BMI, and serum lipid profile, including triglyceride, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in people aged 18 to 120 years, were obtained without age/sex segmentation. RIs for serum AST, ALT, and uric acid were obtained without age segmentation, though these RIs were higher in males than females. The RIs for AST, ALT, and uric acid were higher in men, while the RIs for the other variables were similar in both sexes. This is the first study reporting the use of indirect RIs for BMI.

Evaluation of ABO blood group in subjects with CVD risk factors in a population sample from northeastern Iran.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The ABO blood group system is a genetic polymorphism which can affect the clearance of von Willebrand factor. We aimed to assess the levels of newer biomarkers of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk; pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and anti-heat-shock protein27 (anti-Hsp27) antibody titers in subjects with various blood groups (A, B, AB and O) and with or without traditional CVD risk factors. METHODS: The cross-sectional study comprised 6910 subjects. Antigen-antibody agglutination was evaluated by the slide test method for identification of ABO blood groups. RESULTS: Among three markers, only Serum anti-Hsp27 titers significantly differed between the four blood groups and showed the highest and lowest values in AB and O blood groups (0.26 ± 0.22 and 0.23 ± 0.18 OD, respectively; P < 0.05). Serum anti-Hsp27 was higher in individuals with an AB blood group with metabolic syndrome (MetS), dyslipidemia, hypertension (HTN) and obesity and it was lower in subjects with O blood group; though, two other biomarkers, serum PAB and hs-CRP, were not significantly different between the ABO blood groups. However, they were not different among blood groups in participants with or without diabetes mellitus (DM) (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Individuals with an AB blood group and high levels of anti-Hsp27 antibody titers may be predisposed to CVDs that can be mediated through the traditional CVD risk factors among middle-aged subjects from northeastern Iran. The fact that differences in anti Hsp27 are only found in the subgroup with other risk factors suggest that the difference between ABO blood groups is a consequence rather than a cause.

Sublingual Misoprostol versus Foley catheter for cervical ripening in women with preeclampsia or gestational hypertension: A randomized control trial.

BACKGROUND: Delivery is the only definite cure for hypertensive disorders. Therefore, cervical ripening and labor induction are important to achieve favorable outcomes. OBJECTIVE: This Randomized Control Trial (RCT) is aimed to compare the effects of sublingual misoprostol and Foley catheter in cervical ripening and labor induction among patients with preeclampsia or gestational hypertension. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total number of 144 women with preeclampsia or gestational hypertention with indication of pregnancy termination, who were referred to academic hospitals of the University of Medical Sciences in Mashhad, Iran, between March 2015 and December 2016, were randomly divided into two groups. In group one (n = 72), 25 µg of misoprostol tablet was administrated sublingually every 4 hr up to six doses. In group two (n = 72), a 16F Foley catheter was placed through the internal cervical os, inflated with 60 cc of sterile saline. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between groups regarding the demographic characteristics, primary bishop score, and pregnancy termination indication. The cervical ripening time (primary outcome) (8.2 vs 14.2 hr, p < 0.00), induction to delivery interval (15.5 vs 19.9 hr, p < 0.00), and vaginal delivery before 24 hr (63.9% vs 40%, p = 0.03) were significantly different between the two groups. There was no significant difference between groups in view of oxytocin requirement (p = 0.12), neonatal Apgar score (p = 0.84), or neonatal intensive care unit admission (p = 78). CONCLUSION: This trial showed that the application of sublingual misoprostol, compared to the Foley catheter, can reduce cervical ripening period and other parameters related to the duration of vaginal delivery. This misoprostol regimen showed inconsiderable maternal complications.