Nutrition and health

Type 1 diabetes mellitus decreases bone mineral density in children and adolescents

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Objectives:
Does type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) decrease bone mineral density (BMD) in children and adolescents?

Study design:
This review article included 9 cross-sectional studies with a total of 1,522 children and adolescents.

Funnel plot and the Egger test did not reveal significant publication bias.

Results and conclusions:
The investigators found a significant decrease in bone mineral density Z-score in the whole body [pooled WMD = -0.47, 95% CI = -0.92 to -0.02, I2 = 80.2%] and lumbar spine [pooled WMD = -0.41, 95% CI = -0.69 to -0.12, I2 = 80.3%] in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus, which was consistent in published studies from Asia and South America, but inconsistent in the North America and Europe.
Sensitivity analyses did not modify these findings.

The investigators found, importantly, the differences in bone mineral density Z-scores were independent of age, level of glucose control (HbA1c) and prepubertal stage.

The investigators concluded type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) decreases bone mineral density (BMD) Z-scores in the whole body and lumbar spine in children and adolescents.

Original title:
Association between type 1 diabetes mellitus and reduced bone mineral density in children: a meta-analysis by Zhu Q, J Xu J, […], Shi J.

Link:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33404757/  

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Omega-3 fatty acids consumption reduce recurrent venous thromboembolism

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Objectives:
Is fish or omega-3 fatty acids consumption associated with a lower risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE)?

Study design:
This review article included 8 prospective cohort studies.
The follow-up duration ranged from 0.5 to 19 years.
The sample size ranged from 595 to 80,263.
The fish and omega-3 fatty acids consumption was assessed by food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in all studies.
The diagnosis of venous thromboembolism was obtained in registered medical record (imaging or autopsy) and food was considered as the source of omega-3 fatty acids in all included studies.
Begg's rank-correlation test showed no evidence of publication bias.

Results and conclusions:
The investigators found the overall multi-variable adjusted RR showed no significant relationship between fish consumption and the risk of venous thromboembolism [RR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.93 to 1.11, p = 0.709, I2 = 33%, p = 0.176].
The sensitivity analysis showed only minimal changes in magnitude of the pooled RR when any study was excluded from the meta-analysis, suggesting that no individual study had excessive influence on these robust aggregate results.

The investigators found the overall multi-variable adjusted RR showed that omega-3 fatty acids consumption was associated with a lower risk of 11% for venous thromboembolism [RR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.80 to 0.98, p = 0.024, I2 = 0%, p = 0.469].
The sensitivity analysis showed only minimal changes in magnitude of the pooled RR when any study was excluded from the meta-analysis, suggesting that no individual study had excessive influence on these robust aggregate results.

The investigators found the overall multi-variable adjusted RR showed that omega-3 fatty acids consumption was associated with a lower risk of 55% for recurrent venous thromboembolism [RR = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.25 to 0.81, p = 0.008, I2 = 26.4%, p = 0.244].
Significant because RR of 1 was not found in the 95% CI of 0.25 to 0.81. RR of 1 means no risk/association.

The investigators concluded omega-3 fatty acids consumption is associated with a lower risk of both venous thromboembolism and recurrent venous thromboembolism.

Original title:
Associations of Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids Consumption With the Risk of Venous Thromboembolism. A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies by Zhang Y, Ding J, [...],Li Y.

Link:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7793732/

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Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a condition in which a blood clot forms most often in the deep veins of the leg, groin or arm (known as deep vein thrombosis, DVT) and travels in the circulation, lodging in the lungs (known as pulmonary embolism, PE).

 

Melatonin supplements have positive effects on sleep quality in adults with metabolic disorders

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Objectives:
Do melatonin supplements improve sleep quality as assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) in adults with various diseases?

Study design:
This review article included a total of 23 RCTs.

Results and conclusions:
The investigators found that melatonin supplements had significant effects on sleep quality as assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) [WMD = -1.24, 95% CI = -1.77 to -0.71, p = 0.000, I2 = 80.7%, p = 0.000].

The investigators found subgroup analysis based on health status revealed melatonin supplements in subjects with respiratory diseases [WMD = -2.20, 95% CI = -2.97 to -1.44, p = 0.000], metabolic disorders [WMD = -2.74, 95% CI = -3.48 to -2.00, p = 0.000] and sleep disorders [WMD = -0.67, 95% CI = -0.98 to -0.37, p = 0.000] had significant effects on sleep quality.

The investigators concluded the treatment with exogenous melatonin (melatonin supplements) has positive effects on sleep quality as assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) in adults, particularly with respiratory diseases, metabolic disorders, primary sleep disorders; however, not with mental disorders, neurodegenerative diseases and other diseases.

Original title:
Effect of melatonin supplementation on sleep quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials by Fatemeh G, Sajjad M, […], Khadijeh M.

Link:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33417003/

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Undernutrition increases mortality and tuberculosis among adults living with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa

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Objectives:
Undernutrition is one of the most common problems among people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), contributing to premature death and the development of comorbidities within this population. In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the impacts of these often inter-related conditions appear in a series of fragmented and inconclusive studies. Therefore, this review article has been conducted.

Does undernutrition increase the risk of mortality and morbidity among adults living with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)?

Study design:
This review article included 53 studies (cohort and cross-sectional studies) with a total of 367,680 adults living with HIV (76.2% females).
Publication year of the included studies ranged from 2006 to 2019.
The sample size of the included studies ranged from 71 in Kenya to 68,378 in Tanzania. Most were cohort studies (n = 47, 88.7%). About 63.8% of the included cohort studies had a follow-up period of less than 5 years for mortality and/or less than 2 years for morbidities.
NOS quality scores ranged from 5 to 9 for cohort studies and 8 to 10 for cross-sectional studies.
The mean quality score of the included studies was 7.34 [SD = 0.14].
There was no publication bias.

Results and conclusions:
The investigators found a meta-analysis of 23 cohort studies (involving 125,790 individuals) indicated that undernutrition significantly [AHR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.8 to 2.4, I2 = 66.4%, p  0.001] increased the risk of mortality among adults living with HIV, while severely undernourished adults living with HIV were at higher risk of death [AHR = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.9 to 2.8) as compared to mildly undernourished adults living with HIV.

The investigators found, furthermore, the pooled estimates of 10 cohort studies (involving 104,387 adults living with HIV) revealed that undernutrition significantly increased the risk of developing tuberculosis [AHR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.6 to 2.7, I2 = 75.2%, p  0.001] among adults living with HIV.

The investigators concluded that undernutrition has significant effects on mortality and morbidity among adults living with HIV. As the degree of undernutrition became more severe, mortality rate also increased. Therefore, these findings may be used to update the nutritional guidelines used for the management of people living with HIV (PLHIV), by different stakeholders, especially in limited-resource settings.

Original title:
Effects of undernutrition on mortality and morbidity among adults living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis by Alebel A, Demant D, […], Sibbritt D.

Link:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7780691/

Additional information of El Mondo:
Find more information/studies on food fortification/malnutrition right here.

No association between fish intake and pancreatic cancer

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Objectives:
Although several epidemiological studies have investigated associations between poultry and fish consumption and pancreatic cancer (PC) risk, these findings have been inconsistent. Therefore, this review article has been conducted.

Do high dietary poultry or fish intakes increase risk of pancreatic cancer?

Study design:
This review article included 25 studies (cohort studies and case-control studies).

Results and conclusions:
The investigators found for the highest vs. lowest poultry intake category a significantly increased risk of 14% for pancreatic cancer [pooled RR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.02 to 1.26] in cohort studies.
Significant because RR of 1 was not found in the 95% CI of 1.02 to 1.26. RR of 1 means no risk/association.

The investigators found there was no association between fish intake and pancreatic cancer risk [RR = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.93 to 1.07].
No association because RR of 1 was found in the 95% CI of 0.93 to 1.07. RR of 1 means no risk/association.

The investigators concluded that large amount of poultry intake increases pancreatic cancer risk, while fish intake is unlikely to be linked to pancreatic cancer risk. These findings require further investigation, particularly between poultry and pancreatic cancer.

Original title:
Poultry and Fish Intake and Pancreatic Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis by Gao Y, Ma Y, […], Wang X.

Link:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33432844/

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No association between dietary acrylamide intake and breast, endometrial and ovarian cancer

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Objectives:
Does dietary acrylamide intake increase risk of breast, endometrial and ovarian cancer?

Study design:
This review article included 14 prospective cohort studies.

Results and conclusions:
The investigators found no significant association between dietary acrylamide intake and the risk of breast [RR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.90 to 1.01], endometrial [RR = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.89 to 1.19] and ovarian cancers [RR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.84 to 1.24].
In addition, no significant association between dietary acrylamide intake and the risk of breast, endometrial and ovarian cancers in different subgroup analyses by smoking status, menopausal status, BMI status and different types of breast cancer.

The investigators concluded there is no significant association between dietary acrylamide intake and the risk of breast, endometrial and ovarian cancers.

Original title:
Dietary acrylamide intake and risk of women's cancers: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies by Benisi-Kohansal S, Salari-Moghaddam A, […], Esmaillzadeh A.

Link:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33413725/

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Acrylamide is a chemical that naturally forms in starchy food products during high-temperature cooking processes, such as frying, roasting and baking. Acrylamide in food forms from sugars and an amino acid that are naturally present in food.
 

75-87.5 nmol/L vitamin D decrease mortality in the general population

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Objectives:
Is there a relationship between serum 25(OH)D (vitamin D blood level) and mortality risk in the general population?

Study design:
This review article included 14 prospective cohort studies that involved 5562 deaths out of 62548 individuals.
In the parametric model, which is based on 11 studies and 59231 individuals, the lowest quantile as the reference category has been used.

Evidence of heterogeneity for the RR was apparent when highest were compared with lowest categories [p = 0.008, I2 = 58%].

There was no evidence of publication bias.

Results and conclusions:
The investigators found for “highest compared with lowest” categories of 25(OH)D, a significant reduced risk of 29% for mortality [RR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.50-0.91].

The investigators found in the parametric model, the estimated summary RRs of mortality were 0.86 [95% CI = 0.82-0.91], 0.77 [95% CI = 0.70-0.84] and 0.69 [95% CI = 0.60-0.78] for individuals with an increase of 12.5, 25 and 50 nmol 25(OH)D serum values/L, respectively, from a median reference category of ∼27.5 nmol/L.
However, no significant decrease in mortality was found above ∼87.5 nmol/L.

The investigators concluded there is a nonlinear decrease in mortality risk as circulating 25(OH)D increases, with optimal concentrations ∼75-87.5 nmol/L. Because many adults do not achieve these 25(OH)D values, large prospective randomized trials are urgently needed to investigate whether vitamin D supplementation is able to reduce mortality risk in the general population.

Original title:
Vitamin D deficiency and mortality risk in the general population: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies by Zittermann A, Iodice S, [...], Gandini S.

Link:
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/95/1/91.full

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A low GI diet decreases LDL-cholesterol

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Objectives:
Low glycaemic index (GI) diets are beneficial in the management of hyperglycemia. Cardiovascular diseases are the major cause of mortality in diabetes therefore it is important to understand the effects of GI on blood lipids. Therefore, this review article has been conducted.

Does a low GI diet lower the cholesterol levels?

Study design:
This review article included 28 RCTs comparing low with high GI diets over at least 4 weeks. These 28 RCTs contained 1272 participants with studies ranged from 6 to 155 participants, one was powered on blood lipids and 3 had adequate allocation concealment.

Results and conclusions:
The investigators found that compared to high GI diet low GI diet significantly reduced total cholesterol by 0.13 mmol/L [95% CI = -0.22 to -0.04, p = 0.004, 27 trials, 1441 participants]. Significantly means, it can be said with 95% confidence that low GI diet really lowered the total cholesterol levels with 0.13 mmol/L.

The investigators found that compared to high GI diet low GI diet significantly reduced LDL-cholesterol by 0.16 mmol/L [95% CI = -0.24 to -0.08, p 0.0001, 23 studies, 1281 participants]. Significantly, because the p-value was less than 0.05.

The investigators found subgroup analyses suggested that reductions in LDL-cholesterol were greatest in studies of shortest duration and greatest magnitude of GI reduction. Furthermore, lipid improvements appeared greatest and most reliable when the low GI intervention was accompanied by an increase in dietary fiber.

The investigators found sensitivity analyses, removing studies without adequate allocation concealment, lost statistical significance but retained suggested mean falls of 0.10 mmol/L in both.

The investigators found no effects on HDL-cholesterol [MD = -0.03 mmol/L, 95% CI = -0.06 to 0.00, I2 = 0%], or triglycerides [MD was 0.01 mmol/L, 95% CI = -0.06 to 0.08, I2 = 0%].

The researchers concluded that low GI diets reduce total and LDL-cholesterol (bad cholesterol) but had no effect on HDL-cholesterol (good cholesterol) or triglycerides.

Original title:
Low glycemic index diets and blood lipids: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials by Goff LM, Cowland DE, [...], Frost GS.

Link:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0939475312001524

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High LDL-cholesterol levels and high triglyceride levels increase the risk of getting cardiovascular diseases whereas high HDL-cholesterol levels decrease the risk of getting cardiovascular diseases.

A low GI diet is a diet with a GI value of 55 or lower.

Daily 54 mg soy isoflavone for 6 weeks to 12 months reduces the frequency and severity of hot flashes

Objectives:
Does soy isoflavone reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes?

Study design:
This review article included 19 trials (13 included hot flash frequency, of which 10 for severity and 3 for composite scores).
17 trials were selected for meta-analyses to clarify the effect of soybean isoflavones on hot flash frequency (13 trials) and severity (9 trials).

Results and conclusions:
The investigators found intake of soy isoflavones (median = 54 mg aglycone equivalents) for 6 weeks to 12 months significantly reduced the frequency (combined fixed-effect and random effects model) of hot flashes by 20.6% [95% CI = -28.38 to -12.86, p 0.00001] compared with placebo [p heterogeneity = 0.0003, I2 = 67% for random effects model].

The investigators also found isoflavones significantly reduced hot flash severity by 26.2% [95% CI = -42.23 to -10.15, p = 0.001] compared with placebo [p heterogeneity 0.00001, I2 = 86% for random effects model].

The investigators found isoflavone supplements providing more than 18.8 mg of genistein (the median for all studies) were more than twice as potent at reducing hot flash frequency than lower genistein supplements.

The investigators concluded soy isoflavone supplements (54 mg per day for 6 weeks to 12 months), derived by extraction or chemical synthesis, are significantly more effective than placebo in reducing the frequency and severity of hot flashes. Additional studies are needed to further address the complex array of factors that may affect efficacy, such as dose, isoflavone form, baseline hot flash frequency and treatment duration.

Original title:
Extracted or synthesized soybean isoflavones reduce menopausal hot flash frequency and severity: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials by Taku K, Melby MK, […], Messina M.

Link:
http://journals.lww.com/menopausejournal/Abstract/2012/07000/Extracted_or_synthesized_soybean_isoflavones.11.aspx

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Dietary intakes of vitamin C and E lower risk of Alzheimer's disease

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Objectives:
In view of the vital role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the potential of antioxidant supplements to prevent AD have gained much interest, while there are conflicting results on this topic in recent years. Therefore, this review article has been conducted.

Does dietary intake of vitamin C and E and β-carotene decrease risk of Alzheimer's disease?

Study design:
This review article included 7 articles (dietary intake, but no supplements).

Results and conclusions:
The investigators found a significant decreased risk for Alzheimer disease of 24% [pooled relative risk = 0.76 95% CI = 0.67-0.84] for dietary intake of vitamin E and of 17% [pooled relative risk = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.72-0.94] for dietary intake of vitamin C.

However, the investigators found a non-significant decreased risk of 12% [pooled relative risk = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.73-1.03] for dietary intake of β-carotene.

The investigators concluded dietary intakes of vitamin C and E lower the risk of Alzheimer's disease, with vitamin E exhibiting the most pronounced protective effects. The findings will be of significance to the prevention and interventional treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Original title:
Dietary intakes of vitamin E, vitamin C, and β-carotene and risk of Alzheimer's disease: a meta-analysis by Li FJ, Shen L and Ji HF.

Link:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22543848

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Diabetes increases risk of dementia and mild cognitive impairment

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Objectives:
Does diabetes increase risk of incident dementia and mild cognitive impairment?

Study design:
This review article included 19 prospective longitudinal studies including 6184 subjects with diabetes and 38530 subjects without diabetes. All subjects were without dementia or mild cognitive impairment at baseline (=at the beginning of the study).

There was no publication bias.

Results and conclusions:
The investigators found persons with diabetes had a significant increased risk of 46% for Alzheimer's disease [RR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.20-1.77]. Significant means that there is an association with a 95% confidence.

The investigators found persons with diabetes had a significant increased risk of 148% for vascular dementia [RR = 2.48, 95% CI = 2.08-2.96].

The investigators found persons with diabetes had a significant increased risk of 51% for any dementia [RR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.31-1.74]. Significant because RR of 1 was not found in the 95% CI of 1.31 to 1.74. RR of 1 means no risk/association.

The investigators found persons with diabetes had a significant increased risk of 21% for mild cognitive impairment [RR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.02-1.45].

The investigators concluded diabetes is a risk factor for incident dementia (including Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia and any dementia) and mild cognitive impairment.

Original title:
Diabetes as a risk factor for dementia and mild cognitive impairment: a meta-analysis of longitudinal studies by Cheng G, Huang G, [...], Wang H.

Link:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1445-5994.2012.02758.x/epdf

Additional information of El Mondo:
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240 mg magnesium per day decrease systolic blood pressure

Objectives:
An increased intake of magnesium might lower blood pressure (BP), yet evidence from clinical trials is inconsistent, perhaps as a result of small sample size or heterogeneity in study design. Therefore, this review article (meta-analysis) has been conducted.

Are there dose-dependent effects of magnesium supplementation on blood pressure?

Study design:
This review article included 20 RCTs included 14 of hypertensive and 6 of normotensive persons totaling 1220 participants.
The doses of magnesium ranged from 10 to 40 mmol/day (median: 15.4 mmol/day or 370 mg per day).

Results and conclusions:
The investigators found magnesium supplementation resulted in only a small overall non-significant reduction in blood pressure. The pooled net estimates of blood pressure change were -0.6 mmHg [95% CI = -2.2 to 1.0] for systolic blood pressure and -0.8 mmHg [95% CI = -1.9 to 0.4] for diastolic blood pressure.

However, the investigators found an apparent dose-dependent effect of magnesium, with significant reductions of 4.3 mmHg systolic blood pressure [95% CI = 6.3 to 2.2, p 0.001) and non-significant reductions of 2.3 mmHg diastolic blood pressure [95% CI = 4.9 to 0.0, p = 0.09) for each 10 mmol/day (240 mg/day) increase in magnesium dose.

The investigators concluded there is a dose-dependent blood pressure reductions, especially systolic blood pressure from magnesium supplementation. However, adequately powered trials with sufficiently high doses of magnesium supplements need to be performed to confirm this relationship.

Original title:
The effect of magnesium supplementation on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials by Jeea SH, Miller ER, [...], Klagb MJ.

Link:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0895706102029643

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High intake of vegetables and fruit decreases risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Afbeelding

Objectives:
Quantification of the association between the intake of fruit and vegetables and risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is controversial even though several studies have explored this association. Therefore, this review article (meta-analysis) has been conducted.

Does a high intake of vegetables and fruit decrease risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma?

Study design:
This review article included a total of 32 observational studies involving 10037 cases of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

There was no evidence of publication bias.

Results and conclusions:
The investigators found highest vs. lowest vegetable intake, significantly reduced risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma with 44% [SRR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.45-0.69, p-heterogeneity 0.001]. Significant means there is an association with a 95% confidence.

The investigators found highest vs. lowest fruit intake, significantly reduced risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma with 47% [SRR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.44-0.64, p-heterogeneity 0.001].

The investigators found similar results in a linear dose-response analysis and there was evidence of non-linear associations for intakes of fruit [p non-linearity 0.001] and vegetables [p non-linearity = 0.041].

The investigators concluded that intakes of vegetables and fruit reduce risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Further investigation with prospective designs, validated questionnaires and good control of important confounders is warranted.

Original title:
Intake of fruit and vegetables and risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: A meta-analysis of observational studies by Liu J, Wang J, […], Lv C.

Link:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23319052

Additional information of El Mondo:
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Flavonoid supplements show significant improvements in vascular function and blood pressure

Afbeelding

Objectives:
Previous systematic reviews suggest beneficial effects of flavonoids on biomarkers of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, but have overlooked the impact of dose response or food complexity. Therefore, this review article has been conducted.

Do taking flavonoid supplements improve flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and blood pressure?

Study design:
This review article included 63 RCTs.

Results and conclusions:
The investigators found meta-analyses of combined flavonoid subclasses showed significant improvements in FMD [chronic: 0.73%, 95% CI = 0.17 to 1.30, 14 RCTs and acute: 2.33%, 95% CI = 1.58 to 3.08, 18 RCTs].

The investigators found meta-analyses of combined flavonoid subclasses showed significant improvements in blood pressures [systolic: -1.46 mmHg, 95% CI = -0.38 to -0.53, 63 RCTs and diastolic: -1.25 mmHg, 95% CI = -1.82 to -0.67, 63 RCTs].

The investigators found similar benefits were observed for the flavan-3-ol, catechol flavonoids (catechins, quercetin, cyanidin etc.), procyanidins, epicatechin and catechin subgroups.

The investigators found dose-response relationships were non-linear for FMD (R2 ≤ 0.30), with greater associations observed when applying polynomial regression analyses (R2 ≤ 0.72). However, there was no indication of a dose response for blood pressure.

The investigators concluded flavonoid subclasses supplements show significant improvements in FMD and blood pressure. However, the flavonoid bioactivity does not follow a classical linear dose-response association and this may have important biological implications.

Original title:
Relative impact of flavonoid composition, dose and structure on vascular function: A systematic review of randomised controlled trials of flavonoid-rich food products by Kay CD, Hooper L, […], Cassidy A.

Link:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mnfr.201200363/abstract;jsessionid=2CCB9E4E779A221E42AA38998C865DA6.d02t03?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false

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The optimal blood pressure for a healthy adult is120 mmHg systolic pressure and 80 mmHg diastolic pressure.

When blood flow increases through a vessel, the vessel dilates. This phenomenon has been coined flow-mediated dilatation (FMD). Flow-mediated dilation is an accepted technique to quantify endothelial function and has shown to have prognostic value for future cardiovascular disease (CVD).