[Association between major dietary patterns and risk factors for cardiovascular disease among women]

Some cardiovascular risk factors are more prevalent in Middle Eastern countries than in other parts of the world. Lifestyle-related factors, including diet, might account for this discrepancy. We aimed to identify the association between food intake patterns and cardiovascular risk factors among Iranian adult women. In this cross-sectional study, 486 apparently healthy Iranian women aged 40-60 years were studied. A Willett-format FFQ was used to collect dietary data. Fasting plasma glucose [FPG] concentrations, lipid profiles, and blood pressure were measured. Diabetes was defined as FPG > or = 126 mg/dl; diagnosis of dyslipidemia was based on Adult Treatment Panel III and that of hypertension on Joint National Committee VI recommendations. The presence of at least 1 or 2 of the 3 major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases [hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes] was also evaluated. We identified 3 major [healthy, Western, and Iranian] eating patterns. After controlling for potential confounders, the subjects in the top quintile of the healthy dietary pattern were less likely to have dyslipidemia [odds ratio [OR], 0.36; 95% CI, 0.19-0.53], hypertension [OR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.17-0.60], at least 1 [OR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.18-0.58], and at least 2 risk factors [OR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.20-0.77] compared with the lowest quintile. In contrast, those with greater adherence to the Western dietary pattern had greater odds for cardiovascular risk factors [OR, 2.59-3.11; P < 0.05]. The Iranian dietary pattern was significantly associated with dyslipidemia [OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.02-2.99] and at least 1 risk factor [OR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.05-3.20]. The major dietary patterns were not associated with diablets risk. It seems that major dietary patterns are associated with cardiovascular risk factors among Tehranian women

[ effects of monounsaturated fatty acid-rich diet on the serum levels of visfatin, insulin and interleukin-6 in overweight women]

Little information is available on the effects of monounsaturated fatty acid-rich [MUFA-rich] diets on the serum adipocytokine levels. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of a MUFA-rich diet on the serum levels of insulin, visfatin and IL-6 in overweight women [25.0 >/= BMI

[Home use of vegetable oils, markers of systemic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction among women]

Most of the information on the adverse health effects of trans fats has been mainly obtained from studies done in western populations; very little information is available in this area from the Middle-East. The objective of this study was to determine the association between consumption of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils [PHVOs] and non-HVOs and circulating levels of inflammatory markers among Tehrani female-teachers 40-60 years old. Usual dietary intakes of 486 apparently healthy women were assessed using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. The vegetable oils consumed were catagorized into PHVOs [commonly used for cooking in Iran] and non-HVOs [sunflower, corn, canola, soybeanm., and olive oils] Anthropometric measurements were made and fasting blood samples were taken for measuring inflammatory markers. The energy-adjusted daily intakes of PHVOs and non-HVOs were 23 +/- 11 and 22 +/- 10 g/d, respectively. After controlling for potential confounders, the plasma levels of CRP, TNF-alpha, IL-6, and soluble intercellular adhesion molecules [sICAM-1] of the women in the top quintile of PHVOs intake [as compared to the lowest quintile] were 45% [P[trend]< 0.01], 66% [P[trend]< 0.1], 72% [P[trend]< 0.05], and 22%[P[trend]<0.01], respectively. In contrast, a higher consumption of non-HVOs was associated with lower circulating levels of CRP [-23%, P[trend]=0.05], TNF-alpha [-29%, P[trend]<0.01], SAA [-24%, P[trend]<0.01], and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule ICAM-1 [-19%, P[trend]<0.05] when the top intake quantile was compared with the lowest. Adjustment for body mass index, fasting plasma glucose, and lipid profile slightly attenuated the associations in some cases. Higher intakes of PHVOs are associated with elevated levels of inflammatory biomarkers, while higher intakes of non-HVOs are associated with lower plasma levels of these biomarkers in female-teachers