Background and Objectives: Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is an autoimmune disease, characterized by abnormal elevation in thyroid peroxidase antibody and/or thyroglobulin antibody. In recent decades, HT disease has become more and more widespread. Patients always report multiple symptoms, even though their thyroid hormone levels are kept in normal ranges. However, no treatment exists to effectively reduce the levels of thyroid antibodies. Our study aims to determine whether calorie-restricted diet is helpful in improving health of HT patients. Methods and Study Design: This is a 3-month randomized controlled trial. HT patients will be randomized into a calorie-restricted (CR) group or a calorie-unrestricted control group. All the participants will be instructed to consume a diet that includes a combination of 45-55% calories from carbohydrates, 20-30% from fats, and 15-25% from proteins, according to current Chinese Dietary Guidelines. Participants in CR group need to limit their calories intake equal to their basal energy expenditure, which means that their daily caloric intake will be limited by about 20-30%. Results: The study population is planned to be 66 HT patients aged 18 to 65 years. The primary outcome is change of thyroid antibody levels from baseline. Secondary outcomes include the changes of non-hypothyroid symptoms scores, thyroid function indexes, morphology of thyroid, T lymphocyte subpopulations, inflammatory biomarkers and lipids from baseline to 12 weeks. Conclusions: This trial will have implications for nutrition treatment policy in regard to thyroid antibodies control, immune dysfunction and related non-hypothyroid symptoms improvement among HT patients.
Background and Objectives: Metabolically unhealthy obesity is characterized by the presence of cardiovascular metabolic risks such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, and hyperglycemia. Research has shown a correlation between remnant cholesterol (RC) concentrations and abdominal obesity in children. However, the effect of RC concentration on metabolically unhealthy obesity remains unclear. Methods and Study Design: This study included 3114 Chinese adolescents who received health check-ups. We used logistic regression models and receiver operating characteristic analysis to evaluate the correlation between RC concentration and metabolically unhealthy obesity in a cross-sectional design. Results: After controlling for possible confounding variables, we found that individuals in the top and fourth quintiles of RC concentrations had a significantly higher likelihood of developing metabolically unhealthy obesity compared to those in the bottom quintile (ORs, 4.810 and 1.836; 95% CIs, 3.209–7.212 and 1.167–2.890, respectively). The risk of metabolically unhealthy obesity tended to increase with RC concentration (ptrend<0.001). In addition, boys showed positive associations between RC concentration and both BMI (r = 0.305, p<0.001) and waist circumference (r = 0.306, p<0.001). According to the analysis, the predictive accuracy of metabolically unhealthy obesity was 0.736 (95% CI, 0.690–0.781) for boys and 0.630 (95% CI, 0.573–0.687) for girls. The ideal prediction threshold was 0.66 for boys and 0.59 for girls. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that elevated RC concentration is linked to a higher likelihood of developing metabolically unhealthy obesity in young individuals, regardless of other known risk factors.
Background and Objectives: Dyslipidemia has been reported to contribute to the psoriasis pathogenesis. Thus, evinacumab, a novel lipid-lowering drug targeting angiopoietin-like 3, may have therapeutic potential to treat and/or manage psoriasis. Methods and Study Design: Summary statistics were obtained from genome-wide association studies addressing psoriasis (FinnGen Consortium; n=216,752) and serum lipid concentrations (United Kingdom Biobank; n=403,943–440,546). Two-sample Mendelian randomization analyses were conducted to evaluate the associations of serum lipid concentrations and genetically mimicked effects of evinacumab, respectively, with the risks of psoriasis and its subtypes. Results: Genetically determined per standard deviation increase in triglyceride concentrations was associated with increased risk of psoriasis (OR: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.03–1.32, p=0.018), whereas that in low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) was associated with both psoriasis (OR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.05–1.43, p=0.011) and its subtypes, including arthropathic psoriasis (OR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.02–1.65, p=0.032), psoriasis vulgaris (OR: 1.87, 95% CI: 1.16–2.99, p=0.0095), and guttate psoriasis (OR: 2.19, 95% CI: 1.17–4.07, p=0.014). Moreover, genetically mimicked effects of evinacumab, via angiopoietin-like 3 inhibition, significantly reduced the risk of psoriasis (OR: 0.752 per standard deviation reduction in triglycerides, 95% CI: 0.577–0.982, p=0.036) and arthropathic psoriasis (OR: 0.266 per standard deviation reduction in LDL-C, 95% CI: 0.0886–0.799, p=0.018). Conclusions: The genetically mimicked effect of evinacumab has the potential to reduce the risk of psoriasis and arthropathic psoriasis by lowering circulating triglyceride and LDL-C concentrations, respectively. These findings suggest that evinacumab may help prevent psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis progression in clinical practice.
Background and Objectives: Growing evidence has explored the effects of water-soluble vitamins supplementation on glycemic control and insulin resistance in diabetic patients; however, the results of previous meta-analyses are inconsistent. In this regard, we performed an umbrella review to synthesize evidence on the effects of water-soluble vitamin supplementation on glycemic control and insulin resistance. Methods and Study Design: A systematic literature search in Web of science, PubMed, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews was performed from 2012 to November 2022. Quality assessment of the meta-analyses was performed using AMSTAR-2 and GRADE. Results: Fourteen systematic reviews and meta-analyses were eligible, which studied the effects of five water-soluble vitamins (vitamin B-1, vitamin B-3, biotin, vitamin B-9, and vitamin C supplementation) supplements on glycemic control and insulin resistance. Results of the review suggest that vitamin C supplementations can improve glycemic control in type 2 diabetes indicated by reduced FBG and HbA1c, and having more significant effects with durations >30days on FBG. Conclusions: Insulin resistance is improved by folic acid supplementations. More well-designed individual randomized controlled trials are needed in the future, as well as meta-analysis of higher quality.
Background and Objectives: Mechanism studies have indicated that magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) had important biological functions in glucose regulation, but epidemiological data on their associations with glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) are sparse. We aimed to explore the associations of Mg and Ca with abnormal HbA1c, and examined the mediating effects of inflammation in coronary artery disease (CAD) Chinese adults. Methods and Study Design: A hospital–based cross–sectional study of 11934 patients with CAD was conducted. Serum Mg and Ca concentrations were measured. Results: In multivariable analyses, Mg and Mg/Ca ratio were inversely associated with abnormal HbA1c (Q4 vs Q1: ORMg: 0.61, 95% CIMg: 0.53, 0.71; ORMg/Ca ratio: 0.67, 95% CIMg/Ca ratio: 0.54, 0.84). However, null association of Ca with abnormal HbA1c was shown (Q4 vs Q1: OR: 1.15, 95% CI: 0.92, 1.44). Serum Mg and Mg/Ca ratio were inversely associated with abnormal fasting blood glucose (FBG). In contrast, serum Ca was positively associated with abnormal FBG. Path analysis indicated that there were no mediating effects of hypersensitivity C reactive protein (hsCRP) on Mg and Mg/Ca-abnormal HbA1c associations. Conclusions: Our study suggested that serum Mg and Mg/Ca ratio were inversely associated with abnormal HbA1c in Chinese adults with CAD. The Mg-abnormal HbA1c relationship might not be mediated by hsCRP.
Background and Objectives: The role of serum copper in modulating body composition in patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) remains uncertain. This study aimed to illustrate the correlation between serum copper concentrations and body composition in children with SMA. Methods and Study Design: This study was conducted at a pediatric medical center in China from July 2019 to August 2022. The study encompassed anthropometric measurements, serum analysis for copper, magnesium, zinc, and iron, as well as comprehensive body composition assessments. Multivariate analysis was utilized to assess the connection between serum copper concentrations and metrics of body composition. Results: This cross-sectional analysis encompassed 87 patients [median (IQR) age: 7 years (5–10), 58.0% female] diagnosed with SMA who were undergoing comprehensive multidisciplinary management. The results revealed a positive association between the serum copper concentration and both fat mass percentage (β = 0.50, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.07 to 0.92, p = 0.025) and fat-muscle ratio (β = 0.02, 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.03, p = 0.009). Conversely, a negative correlation was detected between the concentrations of serum copper and muscle mass percentage (β = -0.70, 95% CI: -1.11 to -0.29, p = 0.001). Conclusions: These findings suggest a correlation between copper concentrations and body composition in SMA, which offers valuable insights for addressing metabolic dysregulation in patients with SMA.
Background and Objectives: On the basis of the previous population-based observations linking serum vitamin D to depression in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) phenotype, the precise correlation between serum vitamin D and depression among NAFLD individuals remains controversial and in dispute. Thus, we conducted this study to evaluate the relationship between serum vitamin D and depression in NAFLD participants diagnosed via transient elastography. Methods and Study Design: This cross-sectional study was extracted from the latest NHANES 2017–2018 dataset. Depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scores of ≥10. NAFLD phenotype was identified by vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) examination based on diagnostic criteria. Binary logistic regression models were applied to estimate the impact of increased serum vitamin D on the decreased risk of depression based on sample weights. Results: A total of 1339 participants with NAFLD were included in this investigation, of which 127 (8.58%) were diagnosed with depression according to PHQ-9 scores. Binary logistic regression analysis presented that high serum vitamin D level was a protective factor for depression in NAFLD (OR=0.61, 95% CI: 0.37–0.99, p=0.048) after adjusting for all confounding factors. In subgroup analyses, these associations were more pronounced among men (OR=0.32, 95% CI: 0.13-0.81, p=0.024) and obesity population (OR=0.53, 95% CI: 0.33-0.86, p=0.019). Conclusions: Increased serum vitamin D was negatively related with the prevalence of depression in males and obese subjects with NAFLD diagnosed by VCTE.
Background and Objectives: This study investigated the influence of dietary intake on the relationship between serum uric acid (SUA) levels and the risk of hypertension. Methods and Study Design: Data from the 7th and 8th Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationally representative survey, were analyzed. A total of 19,140 adults aged 19–64 years were included. Dietary intake was assessed using a 24–hour recall method. SUA levels were measured using a Hitachi Automatic Analyzer 7600–210. Hypertension was defined as a systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg, or the use of antihypertensive medication. Statistical analyses included generalized linear regression, Cochran–Mantel–Haenszel analysis, and multivariate logistic regression. Results: The highest SUA quartile (Q4) had an odds ratio (OR) of 1.68 (95% CI: 1.41–1.99) for hypertension compared to the lowest quartile (Q1). Additionally, the association between elevated SUA levels and increased hypertension risk was stronger in participants who consumed fewer fruits (OR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.44–2.21), vegetables (1.80, 1.43–2.25), nuts (1.87, 1.51–2.33), and milk (2.20, 1.73–2.79). The ORs (95 % CI) for the highest SUA quartile on hypertension were 1.68 (1.39–2.04), 1.35 (1.13–1.62), and 1.89 (1.57–2.27) in those consuming more seafood, meat, and alcohol, respectively. Conclusions: Reduced intake of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and milk, and increased consumption of seafood and alcohol, exacerbates the positive association between SUA levels and the risk of hypertension. These findings suggest dietary modifications as a potential strategy for hypertension prevention and management.
Background and Objectives: Prioritizing key preventive and therapeutic interventions are the one of the actions to accelerate the reduction of anemia. This study aimed to examine interventions intended for preventing anemia. Methods and Study Design: The systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library. Analysis of publication bias was done using The Joanna-Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool. Data collected from articles included author, year of publication, setting and location of the study, study type, participant of the study, intervention and control given, main outcome, main findings, and risk of bias. Results: Three nutrition-specific interventions aimed at preventing iron deficiency anemia in low- and middle-income countries utilized diverse types and dosages of iron. While most studies showed success, some indicated a worsening trend in anemia, even with standard dosages and the same form of iron. Determining effective interventions requires consideration of factors such as other micronutrient composition, compliance rate, availability of educational intervention, and dietary backgrounds in those countries. Conclusions: Supplementation, fortification, and food-based interventions generally result in higher hemoglobin levels and lower prevalence of anemia. It is important to consider several factors before deciding on an approach.
Background and Objectives: Previous studies have reported there were associations with ovarian function for dietary factors, metabolic factors and gut microbiota. However, it is not clear whether causal associations exist. We aimed to explore the causal relationship of these factors with risk of primary ovarian failure (POF). Methods and Study Design: Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed to genetically predict the causal effects of dietary and metabolic factors and gut microbiota on POF. The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was used as the primary statistical method. A series of sensitivity analyses, including weighted median, MR-Egger, simple mode, weighted mode methods, and leave-one-out analysis, were conducted to assess the robustness of the MR analysis results. Results: IVW analysis revealed that cigarettes smoked per day, coffee intake and cooked vegetable intake were not causally correlated with POF at the genetic level. However, there were associations with POF for fresh fruit intake, BMI, Eubacterium (hallii group), Eubacterium (ventriosum group), Adlercreutzia, Intestinibacter, Lachnospiraceae (UCG008), and Terrisporobacter. These findings were robust according to extensive sensitivity analyses. Conclusions: This study identified several dietary and metabolic factors and gut microbiota taxa that may be causally implicated in POF, which may provide potential therapeutic targets for POF.
Background and Objectives: This study aims to investigate the respiratory quotient (RQ) levels and its trend in the early postoperative period of patients with heart disease through prospective observation. Additionally, we explored factors influencing RQ and evaluated the predictive capabilities of RQ and lactic acid for various outcomes. Methods and Study Design: In this prospective observational study, participants included heart disease patients aged 18-80 years who underwent elective open-heart surgery and were subsequently admitted to the cardiothoracic surgery ICU post-operation. Indirect calorimetry (IC) measurements were conducted on patients during the first three days after surgery to assess their RQ levels. Clinical data, including personal information, postoperative characteristics, and duration of surgery, were documented based on the patient's medical history. Results: In the study, 135 patients, of whom 57.04% were male, underwent a total of 247 IC measurements following cardiac surgery. On the first, second, and third days of admission to the ICU, the RQ values were 0.77±0.09, 0.80±0.07, and 0.78±0.05, respectively. The ROC curve analysis shows that on the first day of admission to the ICU, RQ was a better predictor of prolonged mechanical ventilation, LOS in ICU, and LOS in hospital compared to lactate level. However, on the second day of ICU admission, neither RQ nor lactate level could predict longer durations of mechanical ventilation, LOS in ICU, and LOS in hospital. Conclusions: RQ may serve as a potential predictor for LOS in patients after cardiac surgery.
Background and Objectives: This study aimed to investigate readiness for hospital discharge of patients requiring home nutrition support and explore the factors that influence this readiness. Methods and Study Design: This cross-sectional survey included 220 patients discharged from the general surgery department of a tertiary-care teaching hospital in China with home nutrition support. Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale and Quality of Discharge Teaching Scale scores were calculated and general and disease- and therapy-related information were collected. Univariate, correlation, and multiple linear regression analyses were performed. Results: The mean standardized total Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale score was 7.33±1.65, with the subscales expected support, personal status, perceived coping ability, and knowledge scoring 7.40±1.78, 7.35±1.66, 7.30±1.73, and 7.26±1.74, respectively. The mean standardized Quality of Discharge Teaching Scale score was 7.48±1.59. The Quality of Discharge Teaching Scale score, length of hospital stay, expected length of home nutrition support, first-time use of home nutrition support, Nutrition Risk Screening 2002 score, and diagnosis were all identified as influencing factors of readiness for discharge (adjusted R2=0.564, F=14.5, p<0.001). Conclusions: Patients requiring home nutrition support were only moderately ready for discharge. Enhancing the quality of discharge teaching could significantly improve readiness for discharge, with more attention needed for patients who have been in hospital longer, are expected to use home nutrition support long-term, are at risk of malnutrition, are using home nutrition support for the first time, or have a digestive system malignancy.
Background and Objectives: This study aimed to examine whether eating alone, folate intake, and n-3 PUFA intake are independently associated with psychological distress in older adults. Methods and Study Design: We analyzed cross-sectional data from 1011 study participants aged ≥65 years in Japan. We assessed psychological distress using the Kessler 6 scale, whether the participants ate alone or with others, and folate and n-3 PUFA intake using a short food frequency questionnaire. Results: Of 1011 study participants, 465 (46.0%) were male and the mean (SD) age was 71.6 (4.8) years. In a multivariable logistic regression analysis, the odds ratio (OR) for psychological distress in participants eating alone compared to those eating with others was 1.32 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.76–2.31). The ORs in the second and third tertiles compared to the first tertile, which had the lowest folate intake, were 0.92 (95% CI, 0.62–1.37) and 1.12 (95% CI, 0.73–1.73), respectively. The ORs in the second and third tertiles compared to the first tertile, which had the lowest n-3 PUFA intake, were 0.83 (95% CI, 0.56–1.24) and 0.95 (95% CI, 0.62–1.45), respectively. In an additional analysis, the OR in those eating alone combined with the first tertile of n-3 PUFA intake compared to those eating with others combined with the third tertile was 2.18 (95%CI, 1.05–4.55). Conclusions: Eating alone, folate intake, and n-3 PUFA intake were not independently associated with psychological distress in older adults, although eating alone combined with low n-3 PUFA intake was associated with psychological distress.
Background and Objectives: Evidence regarding the relationship between dietary and plasma lutein + zeaxanthin levels and the risk of depression is scarce. This study aimed to investigate the associations of dietary consumption of lutein + zeaxanthin and plasma lutein + zeaxanthin level with risk of depression in adult of United States by using data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Methods and Study Design: A total of 7,829 and 7,324 individuals aged≥ 20 years were included from the NHANES to analyze separately the relation between dietary lutein + zeaxanthin and depression, as well as plasma lutein + zeaxanthin levels with the risk of depression, respectively. The multivariable logistic regression analyses were used. Subsequently, the dose-response relationships were conducted using restricted cubic splines. Results: In the multivariable model, the highest quartile of dietary lutein + zeaxanthin intake was associated with a significantly lower risk of depression compared to the lowest quartile (OR = 0.68, 95%CI: 0.52, 0.89, p ˂ 0.01). Similarly, the highest quartile of plasma lutein + zeaxanthin levels was linked to a reduced risk of depression compared to the lowest quartile (OR = 0.58, 95%CI: 0.44, 0.76, p < 0.001). Conclusions: This study suggests that appropriate increased dietary lutein + zeaxanthin intake and higher plasma lutein + zeaxanthin levels are associated with a lower risk of depression. These results should be confirmed by randomized controlled trial (RCTs) to explore the effects of supplementing lutein + zeaxanthin on depression.
Background and Objectives: Previous studies on the risk factors for prolonged pleural effusion (PPE)have primarily focused on surgical-related risk factors, with little research exploring the influence of postoperative nutritional factors on this delay. This study aimed to identify the nutritional risk factors for PPE in Chinese infants following congenital heart disease (CHD) surgery. Methods and Study Design: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients under 3 years old with chylothorax following CHD surgery from 2016 to 2020. PPE was defined as pleural effusion lasting over 14 days. Logistical regression analysis was conducted to identify the risk factors. Results: : A total of 136 patients were included in this study, with 42 patients developing PPE (30.9%). The PPE group had significantly lower Height-for-Age Z-scores (HAZ) compared to the non-PPE group, while other demographic factors were not significantly different. Univariate analysis revealed that patients in PPE group exhibited delayed onset of chylothorax, prolonged duration of mechanical ventilation support, increased chest effusion volume on the first postoperative day, and a reduced proportion of energy intake from enteral nutrition (EN) during the stable phase. Variables with p-value of <0.1 in univariate logistic regression analysis were included in the multivariate logistic regression analysis. A delayed onset of chylothorax, extended periods of mechanical ventilation, and a lower HAZ were significantly correlated with the development of PPE. Conclusions: A delayed onset of chylothorax, extended periods of mechanical ventilation, a lower HAZ, and a reduced proportion of energy intake from EN during the recovery phase predict a higher risk of PPE.
Background and Objectives: The association of niacin intake with dyslipidemia remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to explore the association between dietary niacin intake and the prevalence of dyslipidemia among adults in the United States (US). Methods and Study Design: Data were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted between 2005 and 2014. The exposure variable was dietary niacin intake, measured through 24-hour dietary recall interviews and treated as both a continuous and categorical variable. Dyslipidemia, defined by diagnostic criteria, was the outcome. Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline models were applied to examine the association between niacin intake and the prevalence of dyslipidemia. Results: Among the 19,275 individuals, the prevalence of dyslipidemia was 78.8%. Compared with individuals with lower niacin consumption Q1 (≤15.9 mg/day), the adjusted OR values for dietary niacin intake and dyslipidemia in Q3 (22.7–31.8 mg/day) and Q4 (≥31.8 mg/day) were 0.78 (95% CI: 0.64–0.94, p = 0.011) and 0.77 (95% CI: 0.61–0.98, p = 0.033), respectively. The association between niacin intake and the prevalence of dyslipidemia followed a L-shaped dose-response curve (non-linear, p = 0.009). Participants with a niacin intake of <22.3 mg/day exhibited an OR of 0.98 (95% CI: 0.96–0.99, p = 0.040) for dyslipidemia. In subgroup analyses, the inverse associations of niacin intake with the prevalence of dyslipidemia remained robust only in female. Conclusions: In the 2005-2014 NHANES population, higher levels of niacin intake were associated with decreased odds of dyslipidemia overall. Further studies are needed to examine the potential protective effects of niacin on dyslipidemia risk.
Background and Objectives: This study investigated the iodine status of pregnant women at an average altitude of about 2000 meters in Qujing, China, and analyzed the relationship between iodine and thyroid function in different trimesters, as well as the relationship between iodine and adverse pregnancy and fetal outcomes. Methods and Study Design: A total of 1,025 pregnant women who were admitted to Qujing Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University from January, 2019 to August, 2021, were included. Urinary iodine concentration(UIC) was detected by colorimetric method, and serum thyroid function was detected by chemiluminescence. Among them, 537 pregnant women were followed up to analyze the association of iodine nutrition with adverse pregnancy and fetal outcomes. Results: The median UIC was 127.2 μg/L. Serum triiodothyronine, thyroxine, free triiodothyronine, and free thyroxine were negatively associated with urinary iodine concentration in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy. The positive proportion of thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO-Ab) and the prevalence of thyroid autoimmunity (TAI) increased significantly in the iodine more than adequate and iodine excess groups. Logistic regression analysis showed maternal iodine nutrition was not associated with adverse pregnancy and fetal outcomes. Conclusions: Mild iodine deficiency is common among pregnant women in plateau areas of China. The relationship between iodine and thyroid function is significant in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy， especially with moderate to severe iodine deficiency. Abnormal iodine nutrition in pregnant women was not significantly associated with adverse pregnancy and fetal outcomes in areas with predominantly mild iodine deficiency.
Background and Objectives: This cross-sectional study aimed to examine associations between diet quality scores and adverse cardiometabolic status in young Japanese women. Methods and Study Design: In total, 1084 female dietetics students aged 18–22 years completed a validated self-administered diet history questionnaire. Diet quality was assessed using the Diet Quality Score for Japanese (DQSJ), Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015), Alternate Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010), Alternate Mediterranean Diet score (AMED), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension score (DASH), and Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top score (JFGST). Adverse cardiometabolic status was defined as the highest quartile of the sum of z scores for waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (multiplied by –1), triacylglycerol, glucose, and insulin. Results: After adjustment for potential confounding factors, adverse cardiometabolic status was significantly associated with all the diet quality scores except for AMED, with adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) in the highest quartile compared with the lowest of 0.39 (0.25–0.61) for DQSJ, 0.40 (0.26–0.61) for DASH, 0.44 (0.30–0.66) for AHEI-2010, 0.59 (0.39–0.88) for HEI-2015, 0.67 (0.45–0.99) for JFGST, and 0.80 (0.54–1.18) for AMED. Associations with each of the cardiometabolic risk factors were most prominent for AHEI-2010 (significant associations with all factors except triacylglycerol), followed by DQSJ (significant associations with all factors except triacylglycerol and glucose). Conclusions: This cross-sectional study of young Japanese women showed associations between several diet quality scores and cardiometabolic status. These should be confirmed in other populations, prospectively where possible.
Background and Objectives: To investigate the underlying inflammatory markers of frailty and evaluate the predictive power of frailty and nutritional risk screening for in-hospital complications in elderly patients with hip fractures. Methods and Study Design: A total of 233 elderly patients with hip fractures participated in the study. Frailty and nutritional risk screening was performed on all participants, who were then divided into frail (‘frail only’ and ‘frail and malnourished’) and non-frail (‘robust’ and ‘malnourished only’) cohorts. The clinical data were collected for all participants, and in-hospital complications were followed up. Results: Among the patients, 39.9% were frail, 26.2% were malnourished and 15.5% were both frail and malnourished. The frail group were older and had higher Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) scores, systemic immune–inflammation index (SII) levels and fibrinogen levels than patients in the other cohorts. After adjusting for age, CCI and nutritional status,the SII was an independent predictor of frailty,indicating its role as an inflammatory marker of frailty. Frail patients had significantly higher rates of total complications, lower limb deep vein thrombosis (DVT), infections and cardiac complications than the non-frail group. Patients who were both frail and malnourished had a 1.98 times higher risk of nosocomial infection than those who were only frail. Conclusions: The SII is a significant predictor of frailty, and it may be used as an inflammatory marker of frailty. The fatigue, resistance, ambulation, illnesses and loss of weight scale can effectively predict the in-hospital complications of elderly patients with hip fractures.
Background and Objectives: Postprandial hyperglycemia is a risk factor not only for diabetes mellitus, but also arteriosclerosis. Therefore, controlling the rapid postprandial increase in blood glucose levels is necessary. This study aimed to develop a mulberry leaf and water chestnut husk tea and investigate its effect on postprandial blood glucose levels. Methods and Study Design: We measured the polyphenols and 1-deoxynojirimycin contents as well as antioxidant activity of mulberry leaf and water chestnut husk tea in an in vitro experiment. The effect of the tea on postprandial blood glucose levels in 30 participants with borderline diabetes was investigated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover comparison study. Results: The 1-deoxynojirimycin and total polyphenol contents in the tea (test food, 3g) were 10.2±0.8 and 61.3±1.4 mg, respectively. The test food showed higher antioxidant activity than the placebo food. Compared with those in the placebo group, blood glucose levels in the test group significantly decreased 30 and 60 min after eating rice. Additionally, insulin was significantly lower at all time points (30, 60, 90, and 120 min after rice consumption). Conclusions: The mulberry leaves and water chestnut mix tea may be an effective beverage to reduce insulin secretion and prevent rapid increases in blood glucose levels in patients with borderline diabetes.
Background and Objectives: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major public health problem worldwide. Numerous traditional plants are used for preventing DM. However, limited evidence supports the association between garlic consumption and DM. Methods: Data used in this study was from the 2008-2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. Data on garlic consumption was obtained by questionnaire, and DM by self-reported diagnosis. A multivariate adjusted Cox regression model was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) to determine the incidence of DM. Results: A total of 1927 participants were included in this study, of which 24.08% consumed garlic daily and 20.08% developed DM. The HR for daily garlic consumption decreased by 42%, when compared to rare or no garlic consumption. Our subgroup analyses revealed that daily garlic consumption significantly reduced the risk of DM in older adults aged 65-79, rural, non-drinkers informal education, financial dependence, and working in agriculture (aged 65-79: HR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.36–0.80; rural area: HR = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.29–0.77; non-drinkers: HR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.41–0.86; informal education: HR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.29–0.74; financial dependence: HR = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.23–0.65; agricultural work: HR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.32–0.76). Conclusion: Garlic consumption can reduce the risk of DM in older Chinese adults. This benefit varies by age, current residence, drinking status, education level, occupation, and economic source. Future efforts should focus on developing dietary intervention strategies that consider demographic, educational, financial, and occupational disparities to effectively prevent diabetes in older populations.
Background and Objectives: Nutrient Reference Values play an important role in nutrition labeling and nutrition and health claims based on scientific data. This study, with a global perspective, reviewed recent trends in Nutrient Reference Values for adults and their establishment for infants and toddlers. Methods and Study Design: We searched for laws and regulations on official government websites for nutrition labeling in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, China, South Korea, Japan, the Codex Committee, and the European Union. Results: Nutrient Reference Value revisions have been made in the United States, Canada, and South Korea. In the United States and Canada, Nutrient Reference Values for most nutrients, including macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals, were revised in 2016, reflecting updated Dietary Reference Intakes and new scientific findings. Nutrient Reference Values for infants and toddlers have already been formulated in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea and are used for nutrition labeling. However, concerns have been raised regarding the labeling of all foods with Nutrient Reference Values for infants and toddlers, which may result in challenges in distinguishing foods formulated under different standards as appropriate for infants and toddlers. Conclusions: This study highlights recent general Nutrient Reference Value revisions and formulation status for infants and toddlers. This provides useful information for determining the basis for future updates and the development of Nutrient Reference Values in various countries.
Nutrition science has been represented as biomedical, environmental, societal and economic field, but quantum biology is sidestepped, thereby obscuring cognate problems and solutions. We are generally nourished for health, optimal well-being, longevity and personal security through sustainable livelihoods. Our nourishments include not only food and energy but also light from the sun, the firmament and the earth itself, along with information transmitted in subatomic particles and electromagnetic wave forms. We propose ‘quantum nutrition’ as an approach to reconcile quantum phenomena with nutritional biology. Appreciating quantum nutrition and recognizing its potential applications will provide opportunities for future health and well-being and for planetary habitability.
Background and Objectives: Measurement of vitamin B-12 deficiency using different methods may cause diagnostic difficulties. In order to rapidly and safely diagnose vitamin B-12 deficiency, it is important to determine the reference ranges of serum B-12 and its related biomarkers such as homocysteine, holotranscobalamine (holo-TC) and methylmalonic acid (MMA). This study aimed to determine reference interval (RI)s for serum vitamin B-12 and related markers. Methods and Study Design: Samples were collected from 404 young-to-middle-aged healthy adults aged 18-65 years. Vitamin B-12, homocysteine, holotranscobalamin, folate were analyzed using the Arcitect i2000 device. Plasma MMA was analyzed by LC/MS. RIs were then evaluated accordingly. Results: Vitamin B-12, folate, homocysteine, holotranscobalamin and plasma MMA were 139.1-619.1 pg/mL, 3.0-14.7 ng/mL, 5.6-18.4 μmol/L, 10.7-101.4pmol/L, and 0.01-0.8 μmol/L, respectively. Age group-specific RIs were also generated. Conclusions: This study revealed that the diagnosis of vitamin B-12 deficiency should not only be based on serum vitamin B-12 levels, but also of folate, homocysteine, holotranscobalamin and MMA levels; all which are related to vitamin B-12 metabolism.
Background and Objectives: The proportion of noodles in the Korean diet is increasing, but the effect of noodle intake on metabolic syndrome has not been sufficiently investigated. Therefore, we investigated noodle consumption and its relation to metabolic syndrome in Korean adults. Methods and Study Design: This study was conducted on 10,505 adults using the combined data of the 2012–2016 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Noodle intake was evaluated with a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) based on 112 food items. To compute odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) controlled for confounders, multivariable logistic regression models were used. Results: Compared to people in the lowest levels of noodle intake, the OR of the metabolic syndrome of those in the highest levels was 1.48 (95% CI, 1.16-1.90; p-trend = 0.002). This positive association was also found for hypertriglyceridemia and abdominal obesity, which were metabolic syndrome components. Specifically, the odds of having hypertriglyceridemia were 38% (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.14-1.66; p-trend < 0.001) higher for people with high noodle consumption compared to those with low noodle consumption in the overall population. The tendency for people who consume a lot of noodles to have raised odds of metabolic syndrome was observed when analyzed by the type of noodles. Conclusions: This study suggested noodle intake was positively related to metabolic syndrome and its components in Korean adults. Further clinical trials and prospective cohort studies are required to identify a causal relationship between noodle intake and metabolic syndrome in Koreans.
Background and Objectives: Sarcopenia is the progressive loss of muscle mass and strength that can adversely affect an individual’s health and quality of life. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a combined nutritional and exercise intervention among older adults who were at risk of sarcopenia. Methods and Study Design: 46 older adults were included in a 30±3 days intervention that combined oral nutritional supplements with resistance exercise. Parameters were measured at baseline (day 0) and after intervention (day 30±3), including routine parameters of sarcopenia, blood tests, and body measurements. The ITT analysis method was used, and the data were analyzed using paired t-tests/paired Wilcoxon test, and ANOVA. Results: Among the 46 participants, there were no significant changes in hip circumference (HC), muscle mass of both lower limbs, appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI) , and hemoglobin (Hb) after intervention. However, both hand grip strength (GS) significantly increased, as did muscle mass of both upper limbs and the total muscle strength. Blood tests showed a slight increase in albumin (ALB) levels and a significant increase in 25-OH-VD levels, while the waist (WC) and calf circumferences (CC) also increased significantly after intervention. Somatic motor performance improved significantly in the 6-meter walk and 5 sit-ups tests. Conclusions: The combined nutritional and exercise intervention was feasible and effective in improving muscle mass and strength, especially in the upper limbs, as well as somatic motor performance among older adults at risk of sarcopenia. It could be beneficial among three stages of sarcopenia.
Background and Objectives: Chronic Heart Failure (CHF) is one of the leading cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), particularly in the Asian population. Individuals with specific health risks, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and coronary artery disease (CAD), are more susceptible to developing CHF. Current evidence is limited to understanding the link between gut microbiota dysbiosis and CHF. Therefore, this review aims to explore the potential connection between dietary patterns, gut microbiota, and its metabolites in individuals at risk of CHF in the Asian population. Methods and Study Design: A literature review of cross-sectional studies was conducted using primary keywords such as "Asian", "obesity", "type 2 diabetes", "hypertension", "dyslipidemia", "coronary artery disease", and "chronic heart failure". There was no restriction on sample size. Results: Several gut microbiotas were found to correlate with CHF risk factors. There were increased levels of Prevotella, Klebsiella, Romboutsia, Catenibacterium, Clostridium, Holdemanella, Ruminococcus, Coprococcus, Parabacteroides, Bacteroides, Lachnoclostridium, Streptococcus, and Megamonas, while decreased levels of Oscillibacter, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Akkermansia, Roseburia, Faecalibacterium, Pseudobutyrivibrio, and Eubacterium were reported. These microbiota shifts were linked to increased TMAO production and impaired short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production. Dietary intake and microbial metabolites were also identified as contributors to the gut microbiota associated with CHF. Conclusions: A potential link exists between the gut microbiota profile and CHF risk factors, possibly mediated by microbial metabolites. Dietary patterns may influence CHF-associated gut microbiota and metabolites. Future research is needed to investigate how dietary modifications can modulate gut microbiota and its metabolites in CHF patients.