Is dietary vitamin B intake associated with weight disorders in children and adolescents? The weight disorders survey of the CASPIAN-IV Study.

Background: Weight disorders are highly prevalent at the global level. Vitamin B groups are clearly involved in intracellular mechanisms, energy equation, and weight gain. The present study aims to evaluate the association of dietary vitamin B intake and obesity in a large pediatric population. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among children and adolescents, aged 6-18years, living in urban and rural areas of 30 provinces of Iran. The BMI-for-age classifications were as follow: percentile <0.1, (emaciated), 0.1 ≤percentile <2.35 (thin), 2.35 ≤percentile≤84.1 (normal), 84.1

Dietary Patterns Are Associated with Risk of Diabetes Type 2: A Population-Based Case-Control Study.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess the relationship between major dietary patterns and risk of diabetes type 2 among Iranian adults. METHODS: In this population-based case-control study in Mazandaran province, we enrolled 332 subjects (110 newly diagnosed cases and 222 controls) aged 43 - 77 years. Dietary intakes were collected using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Data on demographic, anthropometric, socioeconomic characteristics and other covariates were collected using structured lifestyle questionnaires. Factor analysis was used to identify major dietary patterns. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated for risk of type 2 diabetes across quartiles of dietary pattern scores. RESULTS: Three major dietary patterns were identified, including: "healthy", "transitional" and "traditional". A significant direct association was found between the transitional dietary pattern and risk of diabetes type 2 after adjustment of potential confounders (OR = 2.17; 95% CI: 1.0, 4.50; Ptrend = 0.02). The traditional dietary pattern was significantly associated with the increased risk of diabetes type 2 after controlling for confounders (OR = 2.13; 95% CI: 1.03, 4.41; Ptrend = 0.01). There was no significant relationship between healthy dietary pattern and risk of diabetes type 2. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, transitional dietary pattern characterized by high consumption of salt, organ meats, dried fruits, poultry, tea, low- fat dairy and other vegetables. Traditional dietary pattern characterized by high intakes of garlic, dough, high- fat dairy, dried fruits, red meats, grains, as well as animal and hydrogenated fats were associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. No significant associations were found between the healthy dietary pattern and risk of diabetes type 2.

The Combined Effects of Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors on All-Cause Mortality: The Golestan Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Most studies that have evaluated the association between combined lifestyle factors and mortality outcomes have been conducted in populations of developed countries. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to examine the association between combined lifestyle scores and risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality for the first time among Iranian adults. METHODS: The study population included 50,045 Iranians, 40 - 75 years of age, who were enrolled in the Golestan Cohort Study, between 2004 and 2008. The lifestyle risk factors used in this study included cigarette smoking, physical inactivity, and Alternative Healthy Eating Index. The lifestyle score ranged from zero (non-healthy) to 3 (most healthy) points. From the study baseline up to analysis, a total of 4691 mortality cases were recorded. Participants with chronic diseases at baseline, outlier reports of calorie intake, missing data, and body mass index of less than 18.5 were excluded from the analyses. Cox regression models were fitted to establish the association between combined lifestyle scores and mortality outcomes. RESULTS: After implementing the exclusion criteria, data from 40,708 participants were included in analyses. During 8.08 years of follow-up, 3,039 cases of all-cause mortality were recorded. The adjusted hazard ratio of a healthy lifestyle score, compared with non-healthy lifestyle score, was 0.68 (95% CI: 0.54, 0.86) for all-cause mortality, 0.53 (95% CI: 0.37, 0.77) for cardiovascular mortality, and 0.82 (95% CI: 0.53, 1.26) for mortality due to cancer. When we excluded the first two years of follow up from the analysis, the protective association between healthy lifestyle score and cardiovascular death did not change much 0.55 (95% CI: 0.36, 0.84), but the inverse association with all-cause mortality became weaker 0.72 (95% CI: 0.55, 0.94), and the association with cancer mortality was non-significant 0.92 (95% CI: 0.58, 1.48). In the gender-stratified analysis, we found an inverse strong association between adherence to healthy lifestyle and mortality from all causes and cardiovascular disease in either gender, but no significant relationship was seen with mortality from cancer in men or women. Stratified analysis of BMI status revealed an inverse significant association between adherence to healthy lifestyle and mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease and cancer among non-obese participants. CONCLUSION: We found evidence indicating that adherence to a healthy lifestyle, compared to non-healthy lifestyle, was associated with decreased risk of all-cause mortality and mortality from cardiovascular diseases in Iranian adults.

A case-control study of the relationship between gastric cancer and meat consumption in Iran.

BACKGROUND: Despite the descending trends of gastric cancer in many parts of the world, its mortality rate has still remained high globally. Meat, red and processed meat in particular, may induce gastric carcinogenesis through potential mechanisms. However, the role of this dietary aspect in the risk of gastric cancer has not well been investigated so far. Therefore, we designed a study to assess the relation between meat consumption and the risk of gastric cancer in Golestan Province, a high- risk area for gastric malignancies in Iran. METHODS: Subjects of this population-based case-control study included 190 histologically confirmed cases of gastric cancer and 647 controls. Meat consumption was evaluated using a 116-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. A lifestyle questionnaire also collected data concerning demographic features, anthropometric measures, and other known risk factors of gastric cancer. We estimated crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the relation between meat intake and gastric cancer. RESULTS: After being adjusted for potential confounders, red meat intake was positively associated with gastric cancer which reached statistical significance (OR = 1.87, 95% CI: 1.01-3.47, Ptrend = 0.073). On the other hand, individuals in the highest quartile of white meat consumption had a statistically significant reduced risk of gastric cancer compared to those in the lowest quartile (OR = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.19-0.68, Ptrend = 0.005).  CONCLUSIONS: We observed a positive association between red meat consumption and the risk of gastric cancer, and a reverse relationship regarding white meat intake and the risk of this malignancy.

Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Among Never Smokers in Golestan Province, Iran, an Area of High Incidence of Esophageal Cancer - a Cross-Sectional Study with Repeated Measurement of Urinary 1-OHPG in Two Seasons.

Studies have suggested a possible role of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the etiology of esophageal cancer in Golestan Province, Iran, where incidence of this cancer is very high. In order to investigate the patterns of non-smoking related exposure to PAHs in Golestan, we conducted a cross-sectional study collecting questionnaire data, genotyping polymorphisms related to PAH metabolism, and measuring levels of 1-hydroxypyrene glucuronide (1-OHPG), a PAH metabolite, in urine samples collected in two seasons from the same group of 111 randomly selected never-smoking women. Beta-coefficients for correlations between 1-OHPG as dependent variable and other variables were calculated using linear regression models. The creatinine-adjusted 1-OHPG levels in both winter and summer samples were approximately 110 µmol/molCr (P for seasonal difference = 0.40). In winter, red meat intake (ß = 0.208; P = 0.03), processed meat intake (ß = 0.218; P = 0.02), and GSTT1-02 polymorphism ("null" genotype: ß = 0.228; P = 0.02) showed associations with 1-OHPG levels, while CYP1B1-07 polymorphism (GG versus AA + GA genotypes: ß = -0.256; P = 0.008) showed an inverse association. In summer, making bread at home (> weekly versus never: ß = 0.203; P = 0.04), second-hand smoke (exposure to ≥3 cigarettes versus no exposure: ß = 0.254; P = 0.01), and GSTM1-02 "null" genotype (ß = 0.198; P = 0.04) showed associations with 1-OHPG levels, but GSTP1-02 polymorphism (CT + TT versus CC: ß = -0.218; P = 0.03) showed an inverse association. This study confirms high exposure of the general population in Golestan to PAHs and suggests that certain foods, cooking methods, and genetic polymorphisms increase exposure to PAHs.