Brewer's yeast improves glycemic indices in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Brewer's yeast may have beneficial effects on insulin receptors because of its glucose tolerance factor in diabetic patients. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of brewer's yeast supplementation on glycemic indices in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. In a randomized double blind controlled clinical trial, 84 adults [21 men and 63 women] aged 46.3 +/- 6.1 years old with type 2 diabetes mellitus were recruited and divided randomly into two groups: Supplement group receiving brewer's yeast [six 300mg tablets/day, total 1800 mg] and control group receiving placebo [six 300mg tablets/day] for 12 weeks. Body weight, height, body mass index, food consumption [based on 24h food record], fasting blood sugar [FBS], glycosylated hemoglobin, insulin sensitivity, and insulin resistance were measured before and after the intervention. Data analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences [version 18.0]. The changes in FBS, glycosylated hemoglobin, and insulin sensitivity were significantly different between the two groups during the study [respectively P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P = 0.02 independent sample t-test]. There was a significant difference in FBS, glycosylated hemoglobin, and insulin sensitivity at the end of the study between the two groups after removing the effects of baseline values [respectively P = 0.002, P < 0.001, P = 0.02, analysis of covariance]. Changes in body mass index, 24h food record, insulin resistance were not significant. Dietary supplementation with brewer's yeast besides the usual treatment of diabetes can ameliorate blood glucose variables in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Outcomes of a comprehensive healthy lifestyle program on cardiometabolic risk factors in a developing country: the Isfahan healthy heart program

This study evaluated the outcome of a comprehensive, community-based healthy lifestyle program on cardiometabolic risk factors. The Isfahan Healthy Heart Program [IHHP] was a comprehensive action-oriented, multi-component intervention with a quasi-experimental design and reference area. IHHP targeted the population-at-large [n = 2,180,000] in three districts in central Iran. Data from independent sample surveys before [2000 - 2001] and after [2007] this program were used to compare differences in the intervention area and reference area over time after controlling for age, education level and income. The samples in 2000 - 2001 and 2007 included 6175 and 4719 participants in intervention area, and 6339 and 4853 in reference area, respectively. Multiple interventional activities were performed based on the four main strategies of healthy nutrition, increased physical activity, tobacco control and coping with stress. The prevalence of abdominal obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia and high LDL-C decreased significantly in the intervention area versus the reference area in both sexes. However the reduction in overweight and obesity was significant only in females [P < 0.05 for all]. There were no significant changes in the prevalence of diabetes mellitus. In the intervention area, the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia decreased from 23.5% to 12.5% among females without any changes in females in the reference area [p < 0.0001]. In males, hypercholesterolemia decreased significantly in both intervention area [18.5% to 9.6%] and reference area [14.4% to 9.8%; p = 0.005]. Mean triglyceride levels had a significant decrease in the intervention area and a non-significant decrease in the reference area [p < 0.0001]. A comprehensive healthy lifestyle program comprising preventive and promotional activities that considers both population and high risk approaches can be effective in controlling cardiometabolic risk factors in a middle-income country

effect of Omega-3 supplements on antioxidant capacity in patients with type 2 diabetes

Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in which antioxidant capacity changes. Omega-3 fatty acids have extensive biological effects including their advantage on lipoprotein metabolism, platelet function, cytokine production, clotting, fibrinolysis, and inflammatory factors. This study aimed to investigate the effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplements on antioxidant capacity in patients with type 2 diabetes. This clinical trial enrolled 71 women with type 2 diabetes in two case [treated with omega-3 capsules] and control [treated with placebo] groups. In the first stage, participants filled out a demographics questionnaire including age, height, weight, waist circumference, and hip circumference. Their blood sample was taken to evaluate glycosylated hemoglobin and antioxidant capacity. Then the case group received intervention for 8 weeks and weight, waist circumference, and hip circumference were measured and a blood sample was taken again. The data were analyzed using SPSS 18 software. The mean difference of antioxidant capacity before and after intervention was significant [P < 0.001]. Antioxidant capacity increased in the case group and reduced in the control group. With regard to the results of the present study, patients with type 2 diabetes increase their antioxidant capacity, enhance their antioxidant defense system, and probably prevent diabetes complications and related disease progress by taking omega-3 supplements

Lipid profiles and serum Visfatin concentrations in patients with type II diabetes in comparison with healthy controls

Visfatin is a new adipocytokine which is largely secreted by visceral adipose tissue and its effects in the development of diabetes and inflammatory reactions are similar to insulin. It acts synergistically with insulin in increasing glucose cellular uptake, stimulating glucose transfer to the muscle and adipose tissue, as well as in preventing hepatic glucose production. Its insulin-like effects are mediated through direct connection and activation of insulin receptors without any change or competition with the insulin. This case-control study was conducted among 64 women consisting of 32 diabetic patients, and 32 age-matched healthy controls. The case group consisted of 32 post-menopausal diabetic women, aged 45-65 years. Those patients were eligible who had a history of at least five years of type II diabetes, without any complications of diabetes, and who were treated only by oral glucose-lowering medications. Those individuals with C-reactive protein [CRP] test of 3+ and above were excluded from the study. Results were compared with age- and sex- matched controls. Average visfatin level was significantly higher in diabetic patients than in controls [4.3 +/- 1.06ng/dl vs. 3.15 +/- 0.74ng/dl, respectively< 0.001]. The mean values of anthropometric indexes and lipid profile were not significantly different between diabetic patients and controls. This study documented an inverse relationship between circulating level of visfatin and fasting blood glucose. This finding may suggest the role of increased visfatin level and increase in synthesis and secretion of the cytokines from adipocytes. These findings may be useful for primary and secondary preventive issues in diabetic and pre-diabetic individuals

[Management of an interventional community-based program based on information resulted from process evaluation: Isfahan healthy heart program]

Evaluation of interventional community-based initiatives is a basic issue for improvement and management of programs toward the goals of the health system. This paper presents the qualitative part of the process evaluation [PE] of a community-based educational program entitled Isfahan Healthy Heart Program [IHHP] conducted for prevention and control of non-communicable diseases. PE of IHHP aimed to shed insight about implementing interventions; guiding program management and corrective decision makings have been done respectively. In this qualitative survey, the study population consisted of policy-makers, managers, principal practitioners and their coworkers as well as stakeholders of IHHP. The study was directed in the same place as practicing interventional projects located in Isfahan province. It was begun in 2005 and data analysis phase was completed in 2008. The data were collected through conducting interview with a purposive sample of 60 participants and were analyzed using qualitative content analysis method. Qualitative data were categorized in several headings. Four of the most important headings were as experiences of resources, attitude towards interventions, motivating factors and consistent partnership. Emphasizing on usefulness of qualitative data in process evaluation of IHHP, findings of the present study disclosed some of the effective underpinning factors that the most important of them was described as [executive level human factors]. The study findings emphasized on the vital role of the resources, nevertheless [accepting] the used resources as well interventions specifically on behalf of managers and executive agents were primarily affected by their humanistic qualities such as attitude and willingness to moving towards aimed change. Accepting the program in behalf of users, specifically executive agents, must be considered in such a vast community-based educational program