Daily folate consumption is associated with reduced all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality among US adults with diabetes, prediabetes, or insulin resistance

Whole egg consumption in relation to bone health of the US population: a cross-sectional study

Osteoporosis, a condition that is characterized by low bone mineral density (BMD), is a serious health concern worldwide. This study aims to explore the relationship between whole egg consumption and BMD levels in the US population. This study involves 19 208 participants with valid BMD and egg consumption data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) during 2005-2006, 2007-2008, 2009-2010, 2013-2014 and 2017-2018. Linear regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the association between whole egg consumption and BMD levels. Mediation analysis was used to investigate the role of serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in the above relationship. After multivariate adjustment, participants consuming whole eggs over 3.53 ounce per day in their diet were found to have elevated BMD levels in the femur (0.013 g cm-2 with 95% CI: 0.004, 0.022) and lumbar spine (0.013 g cm-2 with 95% CI: 0.002, 0.024) (Ptrend < 0.05). The additive interaction of egg consumption and body mass index (BMI) on the BMD of both the femur and lumbar spine (Pinteraction < 0.05) was also analyzed. The association between whole egg consumption and BMD of both the femur and lumbar spine were significantly mediated by ALP with 71.8% and 83.3% mediation proportion, respectively. In general, higher whole egg consumption is positively related to an increase in the BMD scores of both the femur and lumbar spine among the US population.

The effect of B-vitamins on the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis

CONTEXT

Previous research evaluating the effects in B-vitamins on the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD) has substantial limitations and lacks recently published large prospective studies; hence, conducting an updated meta-analysis is needed.

OBJECTIVE

We investigated the association between vitamin B status and human CVD development in order to provide more specific advice about vitamin B intake for those at risk of CVD.

DATA SOURCES

Relevant articles were identified by JSTOR, PubMed, and ProQuest databases.

DATA EXTRACTION

Key words used to identify the studies included the different combinations of B-vitamins, folate, folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, homocysteine, cardiovascular disease, stroke, coronary disease, myocardial infarction, and cerebrovascular and transient ischemic attack. The database search was supplemented by hand-searching of reference lists of selected articles.

DATA ANALYSIS

Pooled estimates were calculated from the mean differences using a random-effects model.

RESULTS

Supplementation with folic acid was reported to have a clinical benefit of significantly reducing carotid intima-media thickness. Higher intakes of folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 were generally associated with a lower risk of CVD in the general population, except in those without normal renal function and those with unstable angina or past non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

CONCLUSION

Vitamin B supplementation resulted in the greatest cardiovascular benefit in those with normal renal function and without unstable angina or non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction recently. Factors such as age, gender, and genetic polymorphisms contribute to varying effects.

The triglyceride-glucose index is associated with atherosclerosis in patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease, regardless of diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidaemia

BACKGROUND

Diabetes and hyperlipidaemia are both risk factors for coronary artery disease, and both are associated with a high triglyceride-glucose index (TyG index). The TyG index has been presented as a marker of insulin resistance (IR). Its utility in predicting and detecting cardiovascular disease has been reported. However, few studies have found it to be a helpful marker of atherosclerosis in patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease (CAD). The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that the TyG index can serve as a valuable marker for predicting coronary and carotid atherosclerosis in symptomatic CAD patients, regardless of diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidaemia.

METHODS

This study included 1516 patients with symptomatic CAD who underwent both coronary artery angiography and carotid Doppler ultrasound in the Department of Cardiology at Tianjin Union Medical Center from January 2016 to December 2022. The TyG index was determined using the Ln formula. The population was further grouped and analysed according to the presence or absence of diabetes and hyperlipidaemia. The Gensini score and carotid intima-media thickness were calculated or measured, and the patients were divided into four groups according to TyG index quartile to examine the relationship between the TyG index and coronary or carotid artery lesions in symptomatic CAD patients.

RESULTS

In symptomatic CAD patients, the TyG index showed a significant positive correlation with both coronary lesions and carotid plaques. After adjusting for sex, age, smoking, BMI, hypertension, diabetes, and the use of antilipemic and antidiabetic agents, the risk of developing coronary lesions and carotid plaques increased across the baseline TyG index. Compared with the lowest quartile of the TyG index, the highest quartile (quartile 4) was associated with a greater incidence of coronary heart disease [OR = 2.55 (95% CI 1.61, 4.03)] and carotid atherosclerotic plaque [OR = 2.31 (95% CI 1.27, 4.20)] (P < 0.05). Furthermore, when compared to the fasting blood glucose (FBG) or triglyceride (TG) level, the TyG index had a greater area under the ROC curve for predicting coronary lesions and carotid plaques. The subgroup analysis demonstrated the TyG index to be an equally effective predictor of coronary and carotid artery disease, regardless of diabetes and hyperlipidaemia.

CONCLUSION

The TyG index is a useful marker for predicting coronary and carotid atherosclerosis in patients with symptomatic CAD, regardless of diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidaemia. The TyG index is of higher value for the identification of both coronary and carotid atherosclerotic plaques than the FBG or TG level alone.