Association of adherence to the dietary approach to stop hypertension diet and diet quality indices among women in Tehran: A cross- sectional study

The effects of an anti-inflammatory diet alone or in combination with acupuncture on mental health, anthropometric indices, and metabolic status in diabetic patients with depression: a randomized, controlled clinical trial

BACKGROUND

The present clinical trial examined the efficacy of an anti-inflammatory diet combined with acupuncture compared to an anti-inflammatory diet alone and standard treatment in depressed patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM).

METHODS

In this 8-week randomized controlled clinical trial, 90 patients with T2DM who were experiencing mild to moderate depression were included. The participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (i) acupuncture combined with an anti-inflammatory diet, (ii) an anti-inflammatory diet alone, and (iii) standard treatment. The combination therapy group received acupuncture therapy twice a week. Mental health outcomes, biochemical parameters, dietary intake, and anthropometric indices were assessed at baseline and the end of the trial.

RESULTS

Of the 90 diabetic patients, 83 completed the intervention. Acupuncture therapy combined with diet resulted in an ~20% reduction in depression and anxiety, 4.28 and 0.82% reduction in waist circumference (WC) and HbA1C levels, respectively at the end of the trial. This combination therapy also significantly decreased WC (p = 0.04) and HbA1c levels (p = 0.008), while increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations (p = 0.02) compared to diet alone.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that acupuncture, in conjunction with an anti-inflammatory diet, may be more effective in enhancing mental health, reducing HbA1C levels, and decreasing abdominal obesity compared to an anti-inflammatory diet alone in patients with T2DM experiencing mild-to-moderate depression after 8 weeks. However, further clinical trials with larger sample sizes and extended durations are recommended to confirm the efficacy of this adjunctive therapy.

The association Malnutrition-Inflammation Score with chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus and quality of life in hemodialysis patients: a multicenter cross-sectional study

Malnutrition is prevalent among hemodialysis patients, negatively impacting their quality of life (QoL) and chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus (CKD-aP). This study investigates the association between the Malnutrition-Inflammation Score (MIS) and CKD-aP, as well as QoL, in hemodialysis patients. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 479 HD patients (279 males and 200 females) referred to eight dialysis centers. A food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form (KDQOL-SF™), and Yosipovitch Itch Questionnaire (YIQ) were used to assess nutritional status, QoL, and CKD-aP, respectively. Anthropometric indices, body mass index (BMI), biochemical parameters, and adequacy of dialysis (Kt/V) were also measured in all patients. Significant differences were observed across MIS quartiles in terms of age, dialysis vintage, dialysis time, and urine volume (p < 0.05 for all). QoL scores showed significant differences, with the physical component score and symptoms/problems score being lower in higher MIS quartiles (p < 0.05 for all). Multivariate analyses revealed that higher MIS quartiles were significantly associated with worse QoL scores, including symptoms/problems and physical component scores, even after adjusting for confounders (p < 0.05 for all). Moreover, the pruritus VAS score, as well as the burden of kidney disease and mental component, had a significant negative association with MIS after adjusting for confounders (p < 0.05 for all). This study demonstrates that higher MIS, indicating poorer nutritional status, is associated with impaired QoL, particularly in the symptoms/problems, physical, and mental components among hemodialysis patients. However, no significant association was found between MIS and CKD-aP.

Trend of nutrition research in endocrine disorders, gaps, and future plans: a collection of experiences of an endocrinology research institute

BACKGROUND

Nutrition plays a pivotal role in the prevention and treatment of endocrine disorders. The aim of this study was to provide a window in order to display the 25-year activities of Endocrinology & Metabolism Research Institute (EMRI), and the gaps and future plans in the field of nutrition and endocrine disorders.

METHODS

To collect papers affiliated to the EMRI in field of nutrition from the inception to December 1st 2019, the electronic databases including PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched. Publications in English and Persian languages were included. Scientific Landscapes (VOS viewer) software version 1.6.13 was used to provide bibliometric maps.

RESULTS

Of 4082 studies identified in the initial search, 319 relevant papers were included. They contributed systematic review and meta-analysis/review (n = 76), clinical trials (n = 58), cross-sectional (n = 171), case-control studies (n = 11), and animal studies (n = 3). Accordingly, most nutrition studies were dedicated to the level of evidence III (cross-sectional studies: 53.60%) followed by systematic review studies (23.82%) with the level of evidence I. There was also an increasing trend in the nutrition studies through years, with a peak in 2019.

CONCLUSION

An increasing trend in the publications related to nutrition science is observed at EMRI. However, nutrition research and publications can grow further through expanding collaborations with other fields related to endocrine. Given nutritional assessments in national projects and focusing on the identification of preventive nutritional strategies, considering the situations of our society can be helpful to make nutritional findings more practical.