The Effects of Creatine Monohydrate on Permeability of Coronary Artery Endothelium and Level of Blood Lipoprotein in Diabetic Rats.

BACKGROUND: Creatine monohydrate has beneficial effects on serum glucose. This study aimed to investigate the effects of creatine on serum biochemical markers and permeability of coronary arteries among diabetic rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 32 Wistar rats, which weighed 150-200 grams were randomly divided into 4 groups including: group I, control; group II, creatine monohydrate; group III, diabetic rats; and group IV, diabetic rats + creatine. Creatine monohydrate was applied by 400 mg/kg/daily for 5 months. Animals' weights and blood samples were taken before and after the study. Endothelial permeability rate was measured by Evans Blue method. Data were analysed by SPSS 16. RESULTS: At the end of fifth month, rats' weights in diabetic group under treatment with creatine, compared to those without, increased significantly (p<0.0001). Also, the serum levels of triglyceride (TG), cholesterol, glucose and low density lipoprotein (LDL)- cholesterol decreased significantly among those under treatment with creatine (p<0.05), but high density lipoprotein (HDL)- cholesterol increased significantly (p<0.002). Permeability rate of coronary arteries was reduced significantly in the diabetic group treated by creatine compared to untreated groups, closed to the intact group (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Results of this study showed that creatine monohydrate caused an improvement of serum biochemical markers associated with diabetes and reduced the permeability rate of coronary arteries among diabetic rats.

Evaluation of the effect of cardiac rehabilitation on left ventricular diastolic and systolic function and cardiac chamber size in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: Exercise and rehabilitation are important methods for decreasing the risk factors of coronary artery disease (CAD). We aimed to evaluate the effect of the cardiac rehabilitation (CR) exercise program on the cardiac structure and physiology in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: In this randomized controlled study, 146 patients with CAD were divided equally into two groups: case group (undertaking CR after PCI) and control group (without rehabilitation after PCI). All the patients in the case group underwent echocardiography (before and after CR), and echocardiography was performed for the control group simultaneously. The CR exercise program encompassed 24 sessions, twice or three times a week, with each session lasting between 15 and 45 minutes, depending on the individual patient's tolerance. Left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, LV diastolic function, LV end-systolic and diastolic diameter, and right ventricular (RV) end-diastolic diameter were measured in the CR group before and after rehabilitation and compared to those in the control group at the same times. RESULTS: In this study, 146 patients (46 female and 100 male) were evaluated: 73 in the rehabilitation group and 73 in the control group. The mean age of the patients in the CR and control groups was 58.05 ± 10.27 and 56.76 ± 10.07 years, respectively. The CR exercise program had useful effects on LV diastolic function after PCI. The distribution of LV diastolic dysfunction after the CR exercise program was changed significantly only in the CR group (p value = 0.043). In the CR group, normal, grade I, grade II, and grade III LV diastolic dysfunction were observed in 20.5%, 69.8%, 6.8%, and 2.7%, respectively. This distribution was changed respectively to 30.1%, 61.6%, 5.4%, and 2.7% following CR, which showed a significant improvement due to CR in LV diastolic function, most prominently in the patients with grade I diastolic dysfunction (p value = 0.390). There was no significant change in LV and RV diameter before and after rehabilitation, while the ejection fraction increased significantly (p value < 0.05) in both groups. CONCLUSION: The RC exercise program can be effective in the augmentation of LV diastolic dysfunction after PCI, without significant changes in LV diameters.

Dietary intake of magnesium may modulate depression.

Depressive symptoms are frequent in students and may lead to countless problems. Several hypotheses associate magnesium with depression because of the presence of this mineral in several enzymes, hormones, and neurotransmitters, which may play a key role in the pathological pathways of depression. The aim of this study was to assess whether magnesium intake could modulate depressive symptoms. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a convenience sample of 402 Iranian postgraduate students studying in Malaysia to assess the relationship between magnesium intake and depressive symptoms. The mean age of the participants was 32.54 ± 6.22 years. The results of the study demonstrated an inverse relationship between magnesium intake and depressive symptoms, which persisted even after adjustments for sex, age, body mass index, monthly expenses, close friends, living on campus, smoking (current and former), education, physical activity, and marital status.

Contribution of diet and major depression to incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

BACKGROUND: Despite significant improvements in the treatment of coronary heart disease (CHD), it is still a major cause of mortality and morbidity among the Iranian population. Epidemiological studies have documented that risk factors including smoking and the biochemical profile are responsible for the development of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Psychological factors have been discussed as potential risk factors for coronary heart disease. Among emotional factors, depression correlates with coronary heart disease, particularly myocardial infarction. METHODS: This case-control study was conducted on 120 cases (69 males and 51 females) of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and 120 controls, with a mean age of 62.48 ± 15.39 years. Cases and controls were matched by age, residence and sex. RESULTS: The results revealed that severe depression was independently associated with the risk of AMI (P = 0.025, OR = 2.6, 95% CI 1.1-5.8). The analysis of variables indicated that risk factors for developing depression were unmarried, low levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), total dietary fiber (TDF) and carbohydrates. The levels of these dietary factors were lowest in severely depressed patients compared to those categorised as moderate or mild cases. Furthermore, severely depressed subjects were associated with higher levels of total cholesterol, high systolic blood pressure (SBP) and WHR. Age, income, a family history of coronary heart disease, education level, sex, employment and smoking were not associated with severe depression. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated that severe depression symptoms are independent risk factors for AMI. Furthermore, severe depression was associated with an unhealthy diet and AMI risk factors.