Correlation between dietary glycemic index and blood lipids abnormality as a main risk factor of atherosclerosis in healthy women from Ahvaz

Background: Atherosclerosis and subsequent coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death in Iranian population. High serum lipid levels, especially the elevated level of low-density lipoprotein [LDL], have been shown to be strongly related to the development of atherosclerosis. The relationship between dietary glycemic index [GI] and lipid profile, particularly in nonwestern populations, has not been well studied; also, the result of studies are inconsistent. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between dietary glycemic index [GI] and main risk factor of atherosclerosis including abnormal blood lipid levels in healthy women

Methods: This cross-sectional study was done to investigate the associations between dietary GI and lipid profile. The subjects were 87 female personnel of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences aged 25-55 y; they were recruited randomly. Dietary GI was calculated from six 24 hour recalls [including 4 usual days and 2 holidays]

Results: The mean of dietary GI was 72.1+/-4.07. After adjustment for potential dietary and non- dietary confounding factors, no significant relationship was found between dietary GI with HDL-C and LDL-C. There was also no statistically significant relationship between GI and total cholesterol or fasting Triacylglycerol

Conclusion: Findings of this study did not support the hypothesis of physiologic relevance of GI and lipid profile abnormality as a potential risk factor for atherosclerosis

Comparison of components of metabolic syndrome among metabolically obese normal weight, metabolically benign normal weight, and metabolically abnormal obese Iranian children and adolescents in Ahvaz

Background: Metabolically obese normal-weight [MONW] children and adolescents are characterized by body mass index [BMI] lower than +1SD with metabolic disorders such as hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and/or hypertension. This study wants to determineprevalence of MONW, metabolically benign normal weight [MBNW], metabolically abnormality obese [MAO] and comparethe components of metabolic syndrome [MetS] in some Iranian normal-weight children and adolescents in Ahvaz, Iran

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 1124 boys and 1128 girls, aged 10-18 y, Ahvaz, Khuzestan.Participants were selected from 6 health centers in Ahvaz by a multistage cluster random sampling method. The Mets was defined according to the modified Adult Treatment Panel III [ATP III]. Anthropometric measurements and blood pressure were measured according to standard protocols. Fasting blood samples were collected for biochemical assessment

Results: MetS prevalence in normal weight group was 5.4% and 1.45% in boys and girls, respectively [P = 0.001] showing a significant difference. Triglyceride abnormality percentages [MBNW = 23.9%, MAO = 88.8%, MONW = 91%] and high density lipoprotein [MBNW = 19.2%, MAO = 73.8% and MONW = 67.2%] were higher than other MetS components in these groups

Conclusions: Since BMI in children and adolescents with metabolically obese-normal weight is normal‚ the continuous measurements and treatment of MetS components especially in boys are important from public health view. The components mean of MetS was higher in MONW and MAO individuals compared with MBNW

fuzzy logic decision support system for assessing clinical nutritional risk

Introduction: Studies have indicated a global high prevalence of hospital malnutrition on admission and during hospitalization. Clinical Nutritional Risk Screen [CNRS] is a way to identify malnutrition and manage nutritional interventions. Several traditional and non-computer based tools have been suggested for screening nutritional risk levels. The present study was an attempt to employ a computer based fuzzy model decision support system as a nutrition-screening tool for inpatients

Method: This is an applied modeling study. The system architecture was designed based on the fuzzy logic model including input data, inference engine, and output. A clinical nutritionist entered nineteen input variables using a windows-based graphical user interface. The inference engine was involved with knowledge obtained from literature and the construction of [IF-THEN] rules. The output of the system was stratification of patients into four risk levels from [No] to [High] where a number was also allocated to them as a nutritional risk grade. All patients [121 people] admitted during implementing the system participated in testing the model. The classification tests were used to measure the CNRS fuzzy model performance. IBM SPSS version 21 was utilized as a tool for data analysis with alpha = 0.05 as a significance level

Results: Results showed that sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and precision of the fuzzy model performance were 91.67% [ +/- 4.92], 76% [ +/- 7.6], 88.43% [ +/- 5.7], and 93.62% [ +/- 4.32], respectively. Instant performance on admission and very low probability of mistake in predicting malnutrition risk level may justify using the model in hospitals

Conclusion: To conclude, the fuzzy model-screening tool is based on multiple nutritional risk factors, having the capability of classifying inpatients into several nutritional risk levels and identifying the level of required nutritional intervention

Controversies in obesity treatment

The markedly high prevalence of obesity contributes to the increased incidence of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, and heart disease. Because of high prevalence of obesity in almost all countries, it has been the focus of many researches throughout the world during the recent decades. Along with increasing researches, new concepts and controversies have been emerged. The existing controversies on the topic are so deep that some researches argue on absolutely philosophical questions such as "Is obesity a disease?" or "Is it corrects to treat obesity?" These questions are based on a few theories and real data that explain obesity as a biological adaptation and also the final results of weight loss programs. Many people attempt to lose weight by diet therapy, physical activity and lifestyle modifications. Importantly, weight loss strategies in the long term are ineffective and may have unintended consequences including decreasing energy expenditure, complicated appetite control, eating disorders, reducing self-esteem, increasing the plasma and tissue levels of persistent organic pollutants that promote metabolic complications, and consequently, higher risk of repeated cycles of weight loss and weight regain. In this review, major paradoxes and controversies on obesity including classic obesity paradox, pre obesity; fat-but-fit theory, and healthy obesity are explained. In addition, the relevant strategies like "Health at Every Size" that emphasize on promotion of global health behaviors rather than weight loss programs are explained

[Effect of low-calorie diet supplemented with genistein on lipid profile, blood glucose and proinflammatory biomarkers in diet-induced obese rats]

Obesity is a worldwide public health problem that results in comorbidities including diabetes, dyslipidemia, coronary artery disease and some types of cancer. It seems that soy isoflavones can improve obesity and reverse subsequent metabolic disorders. In this study, we assessed the effect of restriction of calorie supplemented with genistein on diet-induced obese rats. Thirty rats obesed with high fat diet were divided randomly into 3 experimental groups [n= I 0] as follows: group I: low calorie diet supplemented with 50mg/kgbw genistein, group2: low calorie diet supplemented with Dimethyl Sulphoxide [DMSO] [as vehicle] and group3: obese control rats with ad libitum access to standard food. After 4 weeks, fasting blood samples were collected and analyzed for biochemical analysis. The results showed that administration of genistein in conjunction with low calorie diet can synergistically improve triglyceride [p=0.005], VLDL [p=0.005], total cholesterol [p=0.002] and LDL-C [P=0.003] and increase HDL-C [p=0.001] but has no effect on body weight and proinflammatory biomarkers [resistin and CRP]. Restriction of calorie also resulted in the decrease of glucose level, TG, TC, LDL, proinflammatory biomarker [CRP] and increase in HDL-C [p<0.05] but has no effect on resistin level. It seems that administration of genistein with restriction of calorie is useful for improvement of hyperlipidemia in obese hyperlipidemic patients

Effect of daidzein-low-calorie diet on body weight, serum levels of glucose, resistin, and high sensitive C-reactive protein in high fat, high calorie diet induced rats

To assess the effect of restricting calories with or without daidzein on weight, serum levels of glucose, and inflammatory markers in obese rats. This experimental study was carried out in Jundishapur University, Ahvaz, Iran, from September 2010 to January 2011. Obesity was induced in 30 male Wistar rats [140-160, 6-8 weeks age] after 6 weeks by feeding them a high-fat diet. Then, the rats were divided into 3 groups: obese rats treated with low-calorie diet containing 50 mg/kg daidzein [n=10]; obese rats treated with low-calorie diet containing dimethyl sulfoxide [n=10]; and obese rats that were given ad libitum access to food as the control group [n=10]. After 4 weeks, blood samples were collected in order to analyze the levels of glucose, resistin, and high sensitive C-reactive protein [CRP]. Restriction of calories resulted in decreased blood glucose [p=0.002], and decreased levels of high sensitive CRP [p=0.000], but had no significant effect on resistin level. Daidzein administration had no significant effect on body weight, serum glucose, levels of resistin, and high sensitive CRP. Calorie restriction significantly affected body weight, serum glucose, low-grade inflammation biomarkers, and masked the effect of daidzein