The Relationship between Healthy Eating Index and Lipid Profile in Healthy Individuals: A Systematic Review.

Background: The Healthy Eating Index (HEI) and Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) are instruments developed by competing American research teams, aiming to assess the level of adherence to a dietary pattern, claimed to prevent chronic illness conditions such as dyslipidemia. This systematic review evaluated cross-sectional studies examining the association between HEI/AHEI score and the lipid profile in healthy participants. Methods: The systematic review was Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) compliant, and a search process was conducted through Scopus, Web of Knowledge, Google Scholar, Cochrane, PubMed, and ScienceDirect up to November 2022. Studies assessing the relationship between HEI/AHEI and lipid profile (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglyceride (TG)) were eligible for inclusion. The statistical differences in outcomes, anthropometric indices, and demographic data were extracted from the selected studies. Also, the quality assessment of studies was performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Results: The systematic search presented 17 cross-sectional studies. Most of the studies revealed a significant correlation between HEI score and lipid profile (LDL-C, HDL-C, TG, and TC) (P < 0.05), while a few of them indicated a significant relationship between AHEI score and these factors. Overall, the elevation of HEI/AHEI score was associated with the improvement in lipid profile (P < 0.05), though this association was more obvious for HEI compared with AHEI. Conclusions: Overall, the results of the study indicated that an improved lipid profile in healthy individuals is associated with a higher score in either HEI or AHEI. Further research in the future is required to confirm the claim.

Gender and urban-rural residency based differences in the prevalence of type-2 diabetes mellitus and its determinants among adults in Naghadeh: Results of IraPEN survey.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, with a high economic burden on health care systems. Since gender and residency can affect people's lifestyle and health behaviors, this study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of T2DM and its determinants by gender and residency. METHODS: A secondary analysis study was conducted on the survey data of the IraPEN (Iran's Package of Essential Non-Communicable Disease) pilot program conducted in 2017 in Naghadeh County, Iran. Data of 3,691 participants aged 30-70 years from rural and urban areas of the County were included into data analysis process. Sociodemographic factors, anthropometric measurements, and cardiovascular risk factors related to T2DM were assessed. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of T2DM within the population was 13.8%, which was significantly higher among women (15.5%) than men (11.8%), and non-significantly higher in urban (14.5%) areas than rural (12.3%) areas. In both genders, age (male: OR 1.01, 95% CI: 1.00-1.03; P = 0.012; female: OR 1.03, 95% CI: 1.02-1.04; P<0.001), blood pressure (male: OR 1.77, 95% CI: 1.13-2.79; P = 0.013; female: OR 2.86, 95% CI: 2.12-3.85; P<0.001), and blood triglycerides (male: OR 1.46, 95% CI: 1.01-2.11; P = 0.04; female: OR 1.34, 95% CI: 1.02-1.77; P = 0.035) had a significant relationship with the chance of developing T2DM. Among women, a significant relationship was found between abdominal obesity (OR 1.68, 95% CI: 1.17-2.40; P = 0.004) and the chance of developing T2DM. Age (rural: OR 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01-1.04; P<0.001; urban: OR 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01-1.04; P<0.001), blood pressure (rural: OR 3.14, 95% CI: 2.0-4.93; P<0.001; urban: OR 2.23, 95% CI: 1.66-3; P<0.001), and abdominal obesity (rural: OR 2.34, 95% CI: 1.41-3.87; P = 0.001; urban: OR 1.46, 95% CI: 1.06-2.01; P = 0.019), in both rural and urban areas, blood cholesterol (OR 1.59, 95% CI: 1.07-2.37; P = 0.02) in rural areas, and blood triglycerides (OR 1.51, 95% CI: 1.16-1.98; P = 0.002) in urban areas were significant predictors of T2DM. CONCLUSION: Given the higher prevalence of T2DM among females, risk reduction strategies at the community level should be more targeted at women. The higher prevalence of T2DM risk factors among the urban population is a wake-up call for policymakers to pay more attention to the consequences of unhealthy and sedentary lifestyles within urban communities. Future actions should be focused on appropriate timely action plans for the prevention and control of T2DM from early years of life.

A comprehensive insight into effects of resveratrol on molecular mechanism in rheumatoid arthritis: A literature systematic review.

AIM: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease, which is characterized by massive pain and destruction of synovial joints, leads to bone erosion, damage to cartilage, and disability. Several studies suggested that resveratrol supplementation may be effective in the prevention and management of RA. Therefore, a systematic review was conducted to summarize published studies that assess the effect of resveratrol supplementation on the complications of RA. METHODS: A comprehensive search to identify in vitro, animal, and human studies investigating the impact of resveratrol on the complications of RA was performed up to February 2022. Two independent reviewers evaluated studies based on inclusion/exclusion criteria and performed data extraction. RESULTS: All studies examining the effects of resveratrol supplementation on the complications of RA were included. From a total of 571 retrieved articles, 32 studies were eligible for the current systematic review. The evidence reviewed here indicates that resveratrol supplementation may exert beneficial effects on the complications of RA by attenuating inflammation and oxidative stress, modulating the immune response, and down-regulating the messenger RNA expression of genes related to inflammatory pathways. CONCLUSION: Due to the promising therapeutic effects of resveratrol on RA complications and limited number of human studies in this subject, further clinical trials are suggested.

Therapeutic Effects and Mechanisms of Action of Garlic (Allium sativum) on Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Comprehensive Systematic Literature Review.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is globally the leading cause of hepatic dysfunction. Garlic has many physiological benefits, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, lipid-lowering, and antidiabetes effects. The present study aimed to systematically review the effects of garlic (Allium sativum) and its mechanisms of function in managing NAFLD and its associated complications. The guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statements were applied to perform the study (CRD42021289348). The Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane PubMed, and Google Scholar databases were searched until February 2022. According to the inclusion criteria, finally, 12 studies were entered into the study. The evidence provided in the study revealed that garlic could regulate the development of NAFLD via several mechanisms of action, such as lowering body weight, modulating lipid and glucose metabolism, and reducing inflammation and oxidative stress (OS). Overall, the beneficial effects of garlic in the treatment of NAFLD make it a potential therapeutic and efficient agent in managing NAFLD and its related risk factors. There is an insufficient number of clinical trials addressing the effects of garlic in humans; therefore, conducting more human research in the future is recommended.