Empirically derived dietary patterns and postpartum depression symptoms in a large sample of Iranian women.

BACKGROUND: Postpartum Depression (PPD) is a major depressive disorder that mainly begins within one month after delivery. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between dietary patterns and the occurrence of high PPD symptoms in women participating in the initial phase of the Maternal and Child Health cohort study, Yazd, Iran. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out in the years 2017-2019 included 1028 women after childbirth The Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) were study tools. The EPDS questionnaire was used to measure postpartum depression symptoms and a cut-off score of 13 was considered to indicate high PPD symptoms. The baseline data related to dietary intake was collected at the beginning of the study at the first visit after pregnancy diagnosis and the data related to depression, were collected in the second month after delivery. Dietary patterns were extracted by exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Frequency (percentage) and mean (SD) were used for description. Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, independent sample t-test, and multiple logistic regression (MLR) were used for data analysis. RESULTS: The incidence of high PPD symptoms was 24%. Four posterior patterns were extracted including prudent pattern, sweet and dessert pattern, junk food pattern and western pattern. A high adherence to the western pattern was associated with a higher risk of high PPD symptoms than a low adherence (ORT3/T1: 2.67; p < 0.001). A high adherence to the Prudent pattern was associated with a lower risk of high PPD symptoms than a low adherence (ORT3/T1: 0.55; p = 0.001). There are not any significant association between sweet and dessert and junk food patterns and high PPD symptoms risk (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: High adherence to prudent patterns was characterized by high intake of vegetables, fruit and juice, nuts and beans, low-fat dairy products, liquid oil, olive, eggs, fish, whole grains had a protective effect against high PPD symptoms, but the effect of western pattern was characterized by high intake of red and processed meats and organs was reverse. Therefore, it is suggested that health care providers have a particular emphasis on the healthy food patterns such as the prudent pattern.

Effects of Oral L-Carnitine Supplementation on Leptin and Adiponectin Levels and Body Weight of Hemodialysis Patients: a Randomized Clinical Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Carnitine supplementation may improve the general health and quality of life of hemodialysis patients by improving adipokines levels. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of L-carnitine supplementation on leptin levels, adiponectin levels, and body weight of hemodialysis patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty hemodialysis patients were randomly divided into the carnitine group, who received oral L-carnitine, 1 g/L for 3 months, and the control group. Anthropometric measurements and serum levels of adipokines were measured at baseline and at the end of the intervention. RESULTS: Forty-two participants completed the study. Serum leptin concentrations decreased after 12 weeks of the intervention in both groups, but these changes were not significant. The mean change of leptin concentration were, -1.7 ± 19.0 µg/mL and -7.1 ± 20.0 µg/mL in the carnitine group and the control group, respectively (P = .39). The mean adiponectin levels at baseline and after the intervention were 8.6 ± 11.19 µg/mL and 9.8 ± 4.1 µg/mL in the carnitine group (P = .67) and 5.0 ± 2.5 µg/mL and 11.2 ± 5.4 µg/mL in the control group, respectively (P  < .001). Serum adiponectin levels increased significantly in the control group only. The decrease in body mass index was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that a daily supplementation of 1000 mg oral syrup of L-carnitine for 12 weeks did not affect leptin and adiponectin levels or the body weight or body mass index of hemodialysis patients.