[Effects of daily consumption of Iranian yogurt drink doogh fortified with vitamin D or vitamin D plus calcium on the anthropometric and glycemic indices in type-2 diabetes patients]

Poor vitamin D status has been associated with impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of daily intakes of Iranian yogurt drink doogh fortified with vitamin D or vitamin D + calcium on anthropometric and glycemic status in type-2 diabetes patients. Ninety patients with type-2 diabetes were randomly allocated to one of three groups as follows: group1: plain doogh; group 2: vitamin D-fortified doogh [fortified with 500 IU vitamin D3 and 150 mg Ca/250 mL]; group 3: vitamin D + calcium-fortified doogh [fortified with 500 IU vitamin D3 and 250 mg Ca/250 mL]. The subjects took their respective doughs twice per day for 12 weeks. Anthropometric markers [weight, body mass index, and waist circumference], fasting serum glucose [FSG], glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c], and homeostasis model of insulin resistance [HOMA-IR] were measured before and after the intervention. In both groups 2 and group 3, the mean serum 25[OH]D3 level increased significantly [P>0.001]. As compared to group 1, in groups 2 and 3 the decreases in FSG [-12.9 +/- 33.7 mg/dL [P = 0.015] and -9.6 +/- 46.9 mg/dL [P = 0.035], respectively], Hb A1c [-0.4 +/- 1.2% [P<0.001] and -0.4 +/- 1.9% [P, 0.001], respectively], HOMA-IR [-0.6 +/- 1.4 [P = 0.001] and -0.6 +/- 3.2 [P, 0.001], respectively], and waist circumference [WC; -3.6 +/- 2.7 and -2.9 +/- 3.3, respectively; P<0.001 for both] were significantly higher. An inverse correlation was observed between changes in serum 25[OH]D3 and FSG [r = 20.208, P = 0.049] and HOMA-IR [r = 20.219, P = 0.005]. Daily consumption of vitamin D-fortified doogh with or without added calcium, improves anthropometric and glycemic status in diabetic patients

Effects of beta-carotene-fortified carrot juice on the lipid profile in type-2 diabetes patients

Hyperlipedemia is a health problem in type-2 diabetes patients. This study was designed to investigate the effects of carrot juice fortified with beta-carotene on the blood lipids in these patients. This controlled randomized double-blind clinical trial was performed on 44 patients with type 2 diabetes. They were randomly divided into two groups receiving, daily for 8 weeks, either 200 ml carrot juice fortified with 10 mg beta-carotene [group A] or 200 ml ordinary carrot juice [group B]. All the subjects would drink the juice [exchanged for one serving of bread] at lunch. Twenty-four hour dietary recalls were done on 3 consecutive days and 6 alternate days by a nutritionist at the beginning and the end of the period. Initial and final fasting blood glucose, beta-carotene, and lipids were also measured. The dietary data were analyzed using Nutritionist IV and statistical analysis was done using SPSS[11.5]. The serum level of beta-carotene increased and that of total cholesterol and triglyceride, as well as the LDL-C/HDL-C and TC/HDL-C ratios, decreased significantly in group A as compared to group B. The treatments did not affect HDL-C or glucose concentrations in either group. Daily consumption of both 200 ml carrot juice fortified with 10 mg beta-carotene and ordinary carrot juice for 8 weeks brings about desirable changes in some of the blood lipids in type-2 diabetic subjects without any change in the serum glucose level, although fortified carrot juice is more effective. Such an intervention may prevent hyperlipedemia in these patients

Iranian diabetics may not be vitamin D deficient more than healthy subjects

There are some reports of decreased serum levels of 25[OH]D in the subjects with impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes mellitus [T2DM]. To assess vitamin D status of the Iranian diabetics, a pilot study was conducted on 90 subjects with either type 1 diabetes mellitus [T1DM] [n= 30], T2DM [n= 30], or apparently healthy subjects [n= 30] during fall and winter of 2005. Serum samples were analyzed for 25-hydroxycholecalciferol using three different methods: high-performance liquid chromatography [HPLC], competitive protein-binding assay [CPBA] and radioimmunoassay [RIA]. In this study serum levels of 25[OH]D were categorized as follows: sufficient. 37 nmol/L; 25 nmol/L. mild deficiency < 37 nmol/L; 12.5 nmol/L. moderate deficiency < 25 nmol/L; severe deficiency < 12.5 nmol/L. Results showed that the occurrence of vitamin D insufficiency was almost the same in patients with T1DM and healthy controls. Mean serum level of 25[OH]D in patients with T2DM was significantly higher than in T1DM, as judged by HPLC [58.2'] 8.5 vs. 35'] 5 nmol/L, Mann Whitney U-Wilcoxon, P= 0.024]. Moreover, both CPBA and RIA showed some over-estimation of serum 25[OH]D compared to HPLC. Our findings suggest that, at least in the cold seasons, vitamin D status of the healthy subjects may not be higher than that of T1DM patients

[Investigation of insulin resistant in patients with liver cirrhosis and its relationship with severity of disease]

Insulin resistance and glucose intolerance are commonly associated with liver cirrhosis. Resistance to insulin is an important prognostic factor in liver cirrhosis. To determine the relationship between insulin resistance and severity of liver cirrhosis. This was a descriptive-analytic study carried out on 76 patients with stablished liver cirrhosis in Booali hospital [Qazvin] in 2006 and 2007. Their fasting blood sugar, serum insulin level and oral glucose tolerance test [OGTT] were measured. Patients divided into three groups of A, B and C according to the child-pugh classification. Insulin resistance was determined by the homeostasis model assessment [HOMA-IR] in all patients. Data analysis was performed using t test, variance analysis, chi-square and Fishers exact test. Cirrhosis was found to be strongly associated with insulin resistance [60.5%] and the values obtained for prevalence of insulin resistance for groups A, B, and C of Child-Pugh Classification were%31.6,%66.7 and%74.1, respectively. The relationship between IR and severity of liver cirrhosis was significant, statistically [p=0.01]. Diabetes mellitus was diagnosed in 26 subjects [34.2%], impaired glucose tolerance in 24 [31.6%] and normal glucose tolerance in 26 [34.2%] using OGTT. Insulin resistance increased with stage of liver cirrhosis as defined by Child-Pugh score