Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to review the current corpus of human studies to determine the association of various doses and durations of fructose consumption on metabolic syndrome. ...Methods We searched human studies in PubMed, Scopus, Ovid, ISI Web of Science, Cochrane library, and Google Scholar databases. We searched for the following keywords in each paper: metabolic syndrome x, insulin resistance, blood glucose, blood sugar, fasting blood sugar, triglycerides, lipoproteins, HDL, cholesterol, LDL, blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, hypertens*, waist circumference, and fructose, sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup, or sugar. Results Overall, 3102 articles were gathered. We excluded studies on natural fructose content of foods, non-clinical trials, and trials in which fructose was recommended exclusively as sucrose or high-fructose corn syrup. Overall, 3069 articles were excluded. After review by independent reviewers, 15 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Fructose consumption was positively associated with increased fasting blood sugar (FBS; summary mean difference, 0.307; 95% confidence interval CI, 0.149–0.465; P = 0.002), elevated triglycerides (TG; 0.275; 95% CI, 0.014–0.408; P = 0.002); and elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP; 0.297; 95% CI, 0.144–0.451; P = 0.002). The corresponding figure was inverse for high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (−0.267; 95% CI, −0.406 to −0.128; P = 0.001). Significant heterogeneity existed between studies, except for FBS. After excluding studies that led to the highest effect on the heterogeneity test, the association between fructose consumption and TG, SBP, and HDL became non-significant. The results did not show any evidence of publication bias. No missing studies were identified with the trim-and-fill method. Conclusion Fructose consumption from industrialized foods has significant effects on most components of metabolic syndrome.
Neurofeedback is a kind of biofeedback, which teaches self-control of brain functions to subjects by measuring brain waves and providing a feedback signal. Neurofeedback usually provides the audio ...and or video feedback. Positive or negative feedback is produced for desirable or undesirable brain activities, respectively. In this review, we provided clinical and technical information about the following issues: (1) Various neurofeedback treatment protocols i.e. alpha, beta, alpha/theta, delta, gamma, and theta; (2) Different EEG electrode placements i.e. standard recording channels in the frontal, temporal, central, and occipital lobes; (3) Electrode montages (unipolar, bipolar); (4) Types of neurofeedback i.e. frequency, power, slow cortical potential, functional magnetic resonance imaging, and so on; (5) Clinical applications of neurofeedback i.e. treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, depression, epilepsy, insomnia, drug addiction, schizophrenia, learning disabilities, dyslexia and dyscalculia, autistic spectrum disorders and so on as well as other applications such as pain management, and the improvement of musical and athletic performance; and (6) Neurofeedback softwares. To date, many studies have been conducted on the neurofeedback therapy and its effectiveness on the treatment ofmany diseases. Neurofeedback, like other treatments, has its own pros and cons. Although it is a non-invasive procedure, its validity has been questioned in terms of conclusive scientific evidence. For example, it is expensive, time-consuming and its benefits are not long-lasting. Also, it might take months to show the desired improvements. Nevertheless, neurofeedback is known as a complementary and alternative treatment of many brain dysfunctions. However, current research does not support conclusive results about its efficacy.
The relation of early menarche with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains inconsistent across studies. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis of published population-based ...observational studies was to assess the association between age at menarche and T2DM risk. We searched online data bases through December 2013 and examined the reference lists of pertinent articles. Summary relative risks (RRs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated with a random-effects model. A total of 14 effect estimates from 10 eligible studies (three cross-sectional and seven cohort studies) included 315,428 participants and 22,085 cases of T2DM. Compared with the highest or middle category, women in the lowest category of age at menarche had higher risk of T2DM summary RR (95 % CI) 1.22 (1.17, 1.28). These results were consistent between studies that conducted in the United States and in Europe. The association between age at menarche and T2DM was slightly stronger for cohort than for cross-sectional studies. These findings strongly support an association between younger age at menarche and increased risk of T2DM. Age at menarche may help identify women with increased risk of developing T2DM.
Abstract
Background
Evidence concerning the impact of long-term exposure to fine Particulate Matter ≤2.5 μm (PM
2.5
) on Cardio-Vascular Diseases (CVDs) for those people subject to ambient air ...pollution in developing countries remains relatively scant. This study assessed the relationship of 15-year PM
2.5
exposure with cardiovascular incidence and mortality rate in Isfahan province, Iran.
Methods
The cohort comprised 3081 participants over 35 years old who were free of CVDs. They were selected through multi-stage cluster sampling in Isfahan, Iran. PM
2.5
exposure was determined separately for each individual via satellite-based spatiotemporal estimates according to their residential addresses. In this context, CVD is defined as either fatal and non-fatal Acute Myocardial Infarctions (AMI) or stroke and sudden cardiac death. The incidence risk for CVD and the ensuing mortality was calculated based on the average PM
2.5
exposure within a study period of 15 years using the Cox proportional hazards frailty model upon adjusting individual risk factors. The mean annual rate of PM
2.5
and the follow-up data of each residential area were combined.
Results
Mean three-year PM
2·5
exposure for the cohort was measured at 45.28 μg/m
3
, ranging from 20.01 to 69.80 μg/m
3
. The median time period for conducting necessary follow-ups was 12.3 years for the whole population. Notably, 105 cardiovascular and 241 all-cause deaths occurred among 393,786 person-months (27 and 61 per 100,000 person-months, respectively). In well-adjusted models, 10 μg/m
3
increase in PM
2.5
corresponded to a 3% increase in the incidence rate of CVDs 0.95 CI = 1.016, 1.036 (in case of
p
= 0.000001 per 10 μg/m
3
increase in PM
2.5
, the Hazard Ratio (HR) for AMI and Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) was 1.031 0.95 CI = 1.005, 1.057 and 1.028 0.95 CI = 1.017, 1.039), respectively. No consistent association was observed between PM
2.5
concentration and fatal CVD (fatal AMI, fatal stroke, SCD (Sudden Cardiac Death)) and all-cause mortality.
Conclusions
Results from analyses suggest that the effect of PM
2.5
on cardiovascular disease occurrence was stronger in the case of older people, smokers, and those with high blood pressure and diabetes. The final results revealed that long-term exposure to ambient PM
2.5
with high concentrations positively correlated with IHD incidence and its major subtypes, except for mortality. The outcome accentuates the need for better air quality in many countries.
In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic with no designated cure or vaccine, the only way to break the infection chain is self-isolation and maintaining the physical distancing. In this article, ...we present a potential application of the Internet of Things (IoT) in healthcare and physical distance monitoring for pandemic situations. The proposed framework consists of three parts: a lightweight and low-cost IoT node, a smartphone application (app), and fog-based Machine Learning (ML) tools for data analysis and diagnosis. The IoT node tracks health parameters, including body temperature, cough rate, respiratory rate, and blood oxygen saturation, then updates the smartphone app to display the user health conditions. The app notifies the user to maintain a physical distance of 2 m (or 6 ft), which is a key factor in controlling virus spread. In addition, a Fuzzy Mamdani system (running at the fog server) considers the environmental risk and user health conditions to predict the risk of spreading infection in real time. The environmental risk conveys from the virtual zone concept and provides updated information for different places. Two scenarios are considered for the communication between the IoT node and fog server, 4G/5G/WiFi, or LoRa, which can be selected based on environmental constraints. The required energy usage and bandwidth (BW) are compared for various event scenarios. The COVID-SAFE framework can assist in minimizing the coronavirus exposure risk.
Irisin, a myokine that is responsive to exercise, induces significant changes in subcutaneous adipose tissue. By promoting the browning of white fat tissue, it enhances energy expenditure, thereby ...addressing overweight and obesity. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare the effects of different types of physical exercises on irisin levels in overweight and obese adults.
Specifically, the review focused on studies involving obese or overweight individuals who participated in exercise training for a minimum of 8 weeks, with measured and reported changes in serum irisin levels compared to a control group. Data were collected from four databases (Google Scholar, ISI Web of Science Core Collection, PubMed, and Scopus). The risk of bias was assessed using the Begg and Egger tests, and the results were synthesized.
Initial searches identified 560 titles, out of which only seven met the criteria for inclusion in the systematic review. Statistical analysis demonstrated a significant increase in serum irisin concentration (SMD = 0.957,
= 0.005) among obese and overweight individuals who engaged in exercise, compared to the passive control group. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) (SMD = 1.229,
< 0.001) had a more pronounced effect on increasing serum irisin levels than other exercise protocols. Furthermore, the effectiveness of exercise varied based on the participants' weight status (significant changes for overweight individuals;
< 0.001 and insignificant changes for obese individuals;
= 0.1), age (significant changes for those under 40 years old;
< 0.001 and insignificant changes for those over 40 years old;
= 0.322), and gender (significant changes for men;
< 0.001 and insignificant changes for women;
= 0.285).
Consequently, exercise can elevate serum irisin levels, leading to alterations in adipose tissue phenotype and thermogenesis, ultimately contributing to weight reduction in obese and overweight individuals.
Sexual function is a component of quality of life, and sexual dysfunction entails reduced satisfaction with life and impaired mood and quality of relationships and affects not only the individual's ...quality of life, but her partner's life as well. Since Sexual Dysfunction (SD) is among the most common complaints of patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), this study was conducted to determine the prevalence of SD among women with MS and its effect on quality of life.
This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2018 on 300 women with MS aged 22-50 years in Isfahan, Iran, selected through systematic random sampling. Data were collected using the standard Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and MSQOL-54 and analyzed in SPSS using descriptive and analytical statistics.
The overall prevalence of SD was found as 69.8% in women with MS, with the dimension of sexual desire being affected in 38.6% of the cases, sexual arousal in 38.6%, lubrication in 23.7%, orgasm in 37.3%, satisfaction in 23.4% and pain in 16.9%. SD was found to have significant relationships with age, duration of marriage, fatigue, EDSS and the combined physical and mental health aspects of quality of life (P < 0.05). Moreover, logistic regression analysis revealed that there was a higher probability of a sexual dysfunction among patients with MS and a high fatigue score 1.228(1.003 to 1.504); P = 0.047. The mean score of the combined physical and mental health aspects of quality of life was lower in the group of women with MS and SD compared to those without SD, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05).
Sexual dysfunction is highly prevalent among women with MS and affects various dimensions of quality of life. Greater attention should be paid to the sexual problems faced by MS patients in order to improve their quality of life.
Abstract
Identifying the possible factors of psychiatric symptoms among children can reduce the risk of adverse psychosocial outcomes in adulthood. We designed a classification tool to examine the ...association between modifiable risk factors and psychiatric symptoms, defined based on the Persian version of the WHO-GSHS questionnaire in a developing country. Ten thousand three hundred fifty students, aged 6–18 years from all Iran provinces, participated in this study. We used feature discretization and encoding, stability selection, and regularized group method of data handling (GMDH) to classify the a priori specific factors (e.g., demographic, sleeping-time, life satisfaction, and birth-weight) to psychiatric symptoms. Self-rated health was the most critical feature. The selected modifiable factors were eating breakfast, screentime, salty snack for depression symptom, physical activity, salty snack for worriedness symptom, (abdominal) obesity, sweetened beverage, and sleep-hour for mild-to-moderate emotional symptoms. The area under the ROC curve of the GMDH was 0.75 (CI 95% 0.73–0.76) for the analyzed psychiatric symptoms using threefold cross-validation. It significantly outperformed the state-of-the-art (adjusted
p
< 0.05; McNemar's test). In this study, the association of psychiatric risk factors and the importance of modifiable nutrition and lifestyle factors were emphasized. However, as a cross-sectional study, no causality can be inferred.
Cancer is a collection of diseases that involves growing abnormal cells with the potential to invade or spread to the body. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women. A ...method for 5-year breast cancer recurrence prediction is presented in this manuscript. Clinicopathologic characteristics of 579 breast cancer patients (recurrence prevalence of 19.3%) were analyzed and discriminative features were selected using statistical feature selection methods. They were further refined by Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) as the inputs of the classification system with ensemble learning (Bagged Decision Tree: BDT). The proper combination of selected categorical features and also the weight (importance) of the selected interval-measurement-scale features were identified by the PSO algorithm. The performance of HPBCR (hybrid predictor of breast cancer recurrence) was assessed using the holdout and 4-fold cross-validation. Three other classifiers namely as supported vector machines, DT, and multilayer perceptron neural network were used for comparison. The selected features were diagnosis age, tumor size, lymph node involvement ratio, number of involved axillary lymph nodes, progesterone receptor expression, having hormone therapy and type of surgery. The minimum sensitivity, specificity, precision and accuracy of HPBCR were 77%, 93%, 95% and 85%, respectively in the entire cross-validation folds and the hold-out test fold. HPBCR outperformed the other tested classifiers. It showed excellent agreement with the gold standard (i.e. the oncologist opinion after blood tumor marker and imaging tests, and tissue biopsy). This algorithm is thus a promising online tool for the prediction of breast cancer recurrence.
•Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women.•Recurrence prediction could be used by clinicians to make proper treatment plan.•A hybrid prognosis tool with optimized ensemble learning is proposed in this paper.•579 breast cancer patients (with the recurrence prevalence of 19.3%) were analyzed.•The average accuracy and precision were 89.2±0.6% and 96.5±1.0%, respectively.
•This longitudinal study assessed the association of red meat consumption with lipid profile in healthy Iranian adults (n = 1387) using repeated measurements of red meat intake.•There was a direct ...association between red meat and organ meat consumption and lipid profile levels.•Reduction of red meat consumption, and replacement with other healthy dietary components, should be considered.
The long-term associations between red meat consumption and lipid profile are not completely known. This longitudinal study assessed the association of red meat consumption with lipid profile in healthy Iranian adults using repeated measurements of red meat intake.
The population-based longitudinal study was conducted within the framework of the Isfahan Cohort Study on a subsample of 1376 healthy adults, aged ≥35 y, for whom complete information was available in all three phases of the study. A simplified qualitative 48-item food frequency questionnaire, blood pressure, anthropometric measurements, and fasting serum lipids and blood sugar were evaluated in three phases. Mixed-effects linear regression was applied to examine the longitudinal associations between red meat consumption and lipid profile.
After adjustment for potential confounders, each single-serving increase in red meat and organ meat consumption was significantly associated with an increment in triacylglycerol (β = 6.30; 95% confidence interval CI, 3.97–8.63), total cholesterol (β = 3.03; 95% CI, 2.02–4.04), low-density lipoprotein (β = 3.40; 95% CI, 2.64–4.17), high-density lipoprotein (β = 0.60; 95% CI, 0.28–0.93), ratio of low-density to high-density lipoprotein (β = 0.03; 95% CI, 0.01–0.05), and non–high-density lipoprotein (β = 2.42; 95% CI, 1.41–3.43). However, processed meat consumption had no significant association with lipid profile.
Total red meat intake had a significant, direct association with lipid profile after a 13-year follow-up period in a cohort of the healthy Iranian population.
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