Nutritional factors and metabolic variables in relation to the risk of coronary heart disease: A case control study in Armenian adults.

INTRODUCTION: Dietary factors can affect the coronary heart disease (CHD). Results of previous studies on the association between the diet and CHD are not consistent in different countries. There were no data on this association in Armenia. OBJECTIVE: Aims of this case-control study were to evaluate the association between nutritional factors and CHD among Armenians in Yerevan. METHODS: During 2010 and 2011, we randomly selected 320 CHD patients with a diagnosis of CHD less than 6 months and 320 subjects without CHD (≥30years old) from the hospitals and polyclinics in Yerevan. Dietary intakes with 135 food items over the previous 12 months were evaluated using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. RESULTS: After adjusting for some CHD risk factors higher intakes of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) were associated with a reduced risk of CHD, while this association was not witnessed for saturated fatty acids (SFA). In addition, findings indicated an inverse relation between vitamins (E, B6 and B12, folic acid) and fiber with CHD. In this population, smoking, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome (MetS) were significantly more common among patients with CHD. CONCLUSION: The intake of vitamins E, B6 and B12, folic acid, PUFA, MUFA and fiber appeared to be predictors of CHD, independently of other risk factors.

Adherence to the DASH diet and prevalence of the metabolic syndrome among Iranian women.

PURPOSE: Epidemiologic data linking adherence to the dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet and metabolic abnormalities is sparse and inconsistent. The association between habitual intake of the DASH diet and metabolic syndrome (MetS) has not been investigated in the Middle East. We aimed to determine whether usual adherence to the DASH dietary pattern was associated with MetS in a group of Iranian women. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2012 among a representative sample of Isfahani female nurses. A validated, dish-based semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire was used for assessing usual dietary intakes. The DASH score was constructed based on 8 main foods and nutrients emphasized or minimized in the DASH diet. The MetS was defined according to the Joint Scientific Statement. RESULTS: After controlling for potential confounders, individuals in the highest tertile of the DASH diet score had 81% lower odds of MetS than those in the lowest category (OR 0.19; 95% CI 0.07-0.96). Further, adjustment for body mass index slightly weakened the association (OR 0.37; 95% CI 0.14-0.91). Participants with the greater adherence to the DASH diet were 54, 73, 78, and 80% less likely to have enlarged waist circumference, hyperglyceridemia, low HDL-C levels, and high blood pressure, respectively, compared with those in the lowest tertile. No significant association was seen between consumption of a DASH diet and abnormal fasting plasma glucose. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to the DASH eating plan was inversely associated with the odds of MetS and most of its features among a group of Iranian women.

Effect of zinc and iron supplementation on indicators of iron, zinc and vitamin A status of primary school children.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of supplementation of iron and zinc, alone or combined, on iron, zinc and vitamin A status in primary school children. The study was a randomized double-blind clinical trial in which 79 primary school children, 11 year of age, were randomly supplemented for 4 months with iron (20 mg day(-1)), zinc (20 mg day(-1)), or iron+ zinc (20 mg of each day(-1)). Serum zinc significantly increased in all supplemented groups. Compared with iron alone, zinc supplementation and zinc plus iron were associated with higher serum zinc and plasma ferritin levels. Zinc supplementation resulted in a decrease in serum ferritin. Children deficient in zinc at the beginning of the study had a significantly greater increase in serum zinc than did children with adequate serum zinc. Four months after supplementation, hemoglobin remained unchanged in all supplemented group. Plasma retinol levels decreased in all supplemented groups. Supplementation with iron plus zinc improved serum zinc and plasma ferritin. However, since plasma retinol levels decreased as a result of supplementation, more studies are needed on the matter.