A Positive Association between a Western Dietary Pattern and High LDL-C among Iranian Population

Associations of major dietary patterns with cardiometabolic risk factors among Iranian patients with type 1 diabetes

Objective

To examine the associations between dietary patterns and cardiometabolic risk factors among type 1 diabetic (T1D) patients.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 229 Iranian T1D patients. Data on dietary intakes were collected using a 168-item food frequency questionnaire. To identify major dietary patterns, we merged data on the 168 food items to obtain 23 food groups. Then, we constructed major dietary patterns using factor analysis with varimax rotation. We used binary logistic regression to assess the association between dietary patterns and cardiometabolic risk factors, in which potential confounders were adjusted.

Results

Four dietary patterns were identified: Western, unhealthy, traditional, and semi-healthy patterns. After adjusting for confounders including demographic variables, physical activity, energy intake, and medical history, participants in the highest tertile of the Western dietary pattern had 2.53 (95 % CI: 1.03-6.22) and 3.37 (95 % CI: 1.18-9.63) times more odds of elevated HbA1c and low estimated glucose disposal rate (eGDR), respectively, compared with those in the lowest tertile. Such the positive association was also seen for elevated fasting blood glucose (FBG). Moreover, individuals in the top tertile of unhealthy diet had more odds of elevated LDL-c and abdominal obesity than those in the lowest tertile. Regarding the semi-healthy diet, higher adherence was associated with 51 % lower odds of elevated FBG (OR: 0.49, 95 % CI: 0.24-0.99). For other outcomes, no significant association was found.

Conclusion

We found that T1D patients may take benefit from adherence to a semi-healthy diet with a low amount of unhealthy and Western-related foods.

Prevalence of dyslipidemias in the Middle East region: A systematic review & meta-analysis study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Dyslipidemia is a known main risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, and it can be controlled to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular diseases. This meta-analysis aimed to estimate the prevalence of dyslipidemias in the Middle East.

METHODS

The relevant published articles between 2000 and 2021 that investigated the prevalence of dyslipidaemias in the Middle East were found through international data sources such as Medline, PubMed, and Google Scholar. The random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence with 95% confidence intervals.

RESULTS

The pooled prevalence of dyslipidemias, hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the Middle East were 54.08% (95% CI: 43.83-66.71), 32.51% (95% CI: 28.59-36.43), 29.44% (95% CI: 18.74-40.13), 32.09% (95% CI: 22.17-42.01), 44.71% (95% CI: 37.86-51.57), respectively. During the last two decades, an increasing trend in the prevalence of dyslipidemias was observed overall and in both sexes. Also, the age groups over 30 significantly had the highest prevalence of hypercholesterolemia, high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The increasing trend in the prevalence of dyslipidemias during the last two decades is an alarming and significant concern in the Middle East. Therefore, special measures are needed to deal with dyslipidemias as a health priority in the Middle East.

MetS Prevalence and Its Association with Dietary Patterns among Chinese Middle-Aged and Elderly Population: Results from a National Cross-Sectional Study

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) increased dramatically over the past years among adults in a separate province in China; little is known about newly diagnosed MetS in middle-aged and above residents nationwide. We investigated the prevalence of MetS and its components, the dietary patterns, and their relationship among the middle-aged and above population of China by using data from a national cross-sectional survey. General information involving lifestyles and health stations was collected, and dietary intake using a 3-day 24 h dietary recall and weighing method for edible oil and condiments was conducted. Height, weight, waist circumference, and blood pressure were measured, and fasting serum lipids and glucose were tested by trained clinical staff. Dietary patterns were derived from 23 food categories by using cluster analysis, and a multivariate logistic regression model was used to evaluate the odd ratio of MetS and its component across obtained dietary patterns. The estimated prevalence of MetS was 37.1% among 40,909 middle-aged and older participants in the study. Participants were classified into diversity pattern, northern pattern, and southern pattern that, respectively, accounted for 9.8%, 47.2%, and 43.0% of the total. Compared with those inclined to the northern pattern, participants prone to the southern pattern decreased the risk of MetS (OR = 0.81, 95%CI: 0.75- 0.87; p < 0.001), central obesity (OR = 0.70, 95%CI: 0.65−0.76; p < 0.001), and HDL-C (OR = 0.82, 95%CI: 0.76−0.89; p < 0.001), and elevated BP (OR = 0.86, 95%CI: 0.79−0.93; p < 0.001) respectively. However, participants of the southern pattern tended to have a higher risk of elevated glucose; the OR (95%CI) was 1.13 (1.05, 1.22; p = 0.002) after adjusting for potential confounding factors. Greater adherence to diverse dietary patterns was negatively related to the risk of central obesity and elevated blood pressure with an OR (95%CI) of 0.82 (0.71, 0.94; p = 0.005) and 0.77 (0.67, 0.88; p < 0.001), respectively. We concluded that dietary improvement and health promotion for MetS should be based on the district-specific nutritional status of the Chinese middle-aged and elderly population.

Association between Dietary Patterns and Low HDL-C among Community-Dwelling Elders in North China

We aimed to investigate the association between dietary patterns and low HDL-C among the elderly population living in North China. The data were from a national cross-sectional survey conducted in 2015. General information in terms of living habits, health status, and food intake using 24 h dietary recall for three consecutive days was procured, and the weight of edible oil and condiments recorded. Anthropometric index, blood pressure, and fasting serum lipids were measured using standard methods. Dietary patterns were derived from food categories by exploratory factor analysis, and multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratios of low HDL-C across quartiles of dietary patterns. Among 3387 elderly participants, 21.9% had low HDL-C levels. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, participants with highest score versus lowest score in the balanced dietary pattern had a decreased risk of low HDL-C (OR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.16-0.88, p for trend = 0.013) in the group with a BMI of 27.1 kg/m² and above. Compared to the lowest quartile, there was a statistically significant negative association between the highest scores of the Western dietary pattern and low HDL-C (OR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.17-0.82, p for trend = 0.018) in the group with a BMI of 21.6-24.8 kg/m². However, greater adherence to a thrifty dietary pattern (highest quartiles vs. lowest quartiles) was associated with increased risk of low HDL-C (OR = 3.31, 95% CI: 1.05-10.40, p for trend = 0.044), especially in the subgroup with a BMI of 21.6 kg/m² and below. The study revealed that it is urgent to develop district-specific dietary improvement plans for dyslipidemia based on the nutritional status of the elderly population in North China.

Exposure to Vicarious Social Defeat Stress and Western-Style Diets During Adolescence Leads to Physiological Dysregulation, Decreases in Reward Sensitivity, and Reduced Antidepressant Efficacy in Adulthood

A dramatic increase in the prevalence of major depression and diet-related disorders in adolescents has been observed over several decades, yet the mechanisms underlying this comorbidity have only recently begun to be elucidated. Exposure to western-style diet (WSD), high in both fats (45% kcal) and carbohydrates (35% kcal): e.g., high fat diet (HFD), has been linked to the development of metabolic syndrome-like symptoms and behavioral dysregulation in rodents, as similarly observed in the human condition. Because adolescence is a developmental period highlighted by vulnerability to both stress and poor diet, understanding the mechanism(s) underlying the combined negative effects of WSDs and stress on mood and reward regulation is critical. To this end, adolescent male C57 mice were exposed to vicarious social defeat stress (VSDS), a stress paradigm capable of separating physical (PS) versus psychological/emotional (ES) stress, followed by normal chow (NC), HFD, or a separate control diet high in carbohydrates (same sucrose content as HFD) and low in fat (LFD), while measuring body weight and food intake. Non-stressed control mice exposed to 5 weeks of NC or HFD showed no significant differences in body weight or social interaction. Mice exposed to VSDS (both ES and PS) gain weight rapidly 1 week after initiation of HFD, with the ES-exposed mice showing significantly higher weight gain as compared to the HFD-exposed control mice. These mice also exhibited a reduction in saccharin preference, indicative of anhedonic-like behavior. To further delineate whether high fat was the major contributing factor to these deficits, LFD was introduced. The mice in the VSDS + HFD gained weight more rapidly than the VSDS + LFD group, and though the LFD-exposed mice did not gain weight as rapidly as the HFD-exposed mice, both the VSDS + LFD- and VSDS + HFD-exposed mice exhibited attenuated response to the antidepressant fluoxetine. These data show that diets high in both fats and carbohydrates are responsible for rapid weight gain and reduced reward sensitivity; and that while consumption of diet high in carbohydrate and low in fat does not lead to rapid weight gain, both HFD and LFD exposure after stress leads to reduced responsiveness to antidepressant treatment.