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Aims:We hypothesised that omega-3 fatty acids would be an appropriate adjunct therapy for alleviating the inflammatory response and clinical manifestation in hospitalised patients with Covid-19 disease. Methods: This was a single-blind randomised controlled trial in Amir-Alam hospital in Tehran. Thirty adult men and women diagnosed with Covid-19 were allocated to either control group (receiving Hydroxychloroquine) or intervention group (receiving Hydroxychloroquine plus 2 grams of Docosahexaenoic acid [DHA] + Eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA]) for 2 weeks. Primary outcome of the intervention including C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) as well as clinical symptoms including body pain, fatigue, appetite and olfactory and secondary outcomes including liver enzymes were determined at the baseline and after omega-3 supplementation. Clinical signs were measured using self-reported questionnaires. There were commercial kits for determination of CRP and liver enzymes concentrations in the serum of patients. For determination of ESR automated haematology analyser was applied. The study of "Comparison of the effectiveness of omega-3 and Hydroxychloroquine on Inflammatory factors, liver enzymes and clinical symptoms in diabetic Covid-19 patients" was registered in Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) with ID number: IRCT20200511047399N1. Results:In comparison to control group, patients receiving omega-3 indicated favourable changes in all clinical symptoms except for olfactory (P < .001 for body pain and fatigue, P = .03 for appetite and P = .21 for olfactory). Reducing effects of omega-3 supplementation compared with control group were also observed in the levels of ESR and CRP after treatment (P < .001 for CRP and P = .02 for ESR).However, no between group differences in the liver enzymes serum concentrations were observed after supplementation (P > .05). Conclusion:Current observations are very promising and indicate that supplementation with moderate dosages of omega-3 fatty acids may be beneficial in the management of inflammation-mediated clinical symptoms in Covid-19 patients.

Background Despite a large body of evidence on the link between dietary inflammatory index (DII) and several chronic conditions, limited data are available about the association of DII and sarcopenia. This study aimed to examine the relationship between inflammatory potential of the diet (as measured by DII) and sarcopenia and its components among community-dwelling elderly population. Methods This population-based cross-sectional study was performed in 2011 among 300 elderly people (150 men and 150 women) aged ≥55 years, who were selected using cluster random sampling method. Dietary assessment was done using a pre-tested food frequency questionnaire. Energy-adjusted DII was calculated based on earlier studies. Sarcopenia and its components were determined based on the European Working Group on Sarcopenia (EWGSOP) definition. Results Mean age of study participants was 66.7 ± 7.7 y. Subjects in the highest tertile of DII score (i.e. those with a more pro-inflammatory diet) were more likely to be older (P = 0.02). The prevalence of sarcopenia (P = 0.016) and low muscle mass (P = 0.041) was significantly higher among subjects in the top tertile compared with those in the bottom tertile of DII. After adjustment for potential confounders, those with the highest DII were 2.18 times (95% CI: 1.01–4.74) more likely to have sarcopenia than those with the lowest DII. With regard to components of sarcopenia, subjects in the top tertile of DII had not significantly greater odds of low muscle mass (OR: 1.38; 95% CI: 0.72–2.63), abnormal handgrip strength (OR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.49–1.89), and abnormal gait speed (OR: 1.61; 95% CI: 0.84–3.08) than those in the bottom tertile. Conclusions In conclusion, a diet with more pro-inflammatory potential was associated with a greater odds of sarcopenia. Further studies are required to confirm these findings.

BackgroundLipid and glycemic abnormalities are prevalent in diabetes leading to long term complications. Use of safe and natural foods instead of medications is now considered by many scientists.ObjectivesThis study aimed at determining the effect of ginger on lipid and glucose levels of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.MethodsIn a double‐blind placebo-controlled trial, 50 patients with type 2 diabetes were randomly allocated to 2 groups of intervention (n = 25) and placebo (n = 25). Each patient received 2000 mg per day of ginger supplements or placebo for 10 weeks. Serum levels of fasting blood sugar (FBS), total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C) were analyzed. Daily dietary intakes and anthropometric parameters were also determined.ResultsData from 45 patients were analyzed (23 patients in the ginger group and 22 patients in the control group) at the end of the study. Ginger consumption significantly reduced serum levels of fasting blood glucose (-26.30 ± 35.27 vs. 11.91 ± 38.58 mg/dl; P = 0.001) and hemoglobin A1C (-0.38 ± 0.35 vs. 0.22 ± 0.29 %; P < 0.0001) compared to the placebo group. Ginger consumption also reduced the ratio of LDL-C/HDL-C (2.64 ± 0.85 vs. 2.35 ± 0.8; P = 0.009). However, there was no significant change in serum concentrations of triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL-C, and HDL-C due to the ginger supplements.ConclusionsThe current results showed that ginger could reduce serum levels of fasting blood glucose and hemoglobin A1C in patients with diabetes.

BackgroundThe elderly populations increase in world because of improved health status in communities, so health and independency of seniors has become and will be one of the main priorities of public health systems.Ageing have been associated with changes in body composition, including loss of muscle mass, loss of bone mass and increase fat mass. Involuntary age related loss of muscle mass, sarcopenia,has been linked to functional impairment and physical disability. Several definitions for sarcopenia have been presented based on the method of measuring body composition, but an internationally accepted definition doesn’t presently exist yet.In 2010, the European working group on sarcopenia developed a new definition for sarcopenia according to measure muscle mass and muscle function. Several studies have been done about sarcopenia in world, but to our knowledge this study is the first in Iran which is one of the largest countries of the Middle East that faces a fast growing elderly population. The aim of this study is to evaluate sarcopenia and related risk factors in Iran according new definition of sarcopenia.MethodsThis study will be conducted in two phase among elderly men and women over 55 years in the 6th district of TehranThe first phase will be a population-based cross-sectional study to determine the frequency of sarcopenia in the study population, and to conduct case finding for the second phase. The second phase will be a case–control study to comparison the metabolic and inflammatory factors in sarcopenic and non sarcopenic groups.The association between sarcopenia and major dietary pattern will be evaluated using factor analysis.ConclusionThis study is the first study that evaluates sarcopenia and its risk factor in Iranian elderlies.We discuss details of how we collect the data and appropriate instruments to measure muscle mass, muscle power and muscle strength, and suitable cut- off to define sarcopenia in Iranian elderlies. We believe the result of our study can be useful to health policy makers prepare the necessary infrastructure for elderly health improvements and increase the quality of life in geriatric.

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Background & Objective: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in childhood. The exact etiology of this disease is unknown, but it is believed to be related to the disorder of catecholaminergic and serotonergic systems. Also, serum vitamin D levels in patients with ADHD is lower. Several studies have also shown the effect of vitamin D on the synthesis pathways of dopamine, serotonin, and a number of neurotrophic factors. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of vitamin D3 supplementation on serum levels of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), dopamine, and serotonin in school-aged children with ADHD. Methods: Eighty-six children with ADHD were divided into two groups, based on randomized permuted blocks. Patients received 2000 IU vitamin D/day or a placebo for 12 weeks. Serum levels of BDNF, dopamine, serotonin, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] were measured at baseline and at the end of the study. Results: Serum levels of 25(OH)D and dopamine significantly increased in the vitamin D group, compared to the placebo group (p < 0.05). However, serum BDNF and serotonin levels did not change significantly. Conclusion: Vitamin D3 supplementation in children with ADHD can increase serum dopamine levels, but further studies are needed to determine the effects of vitamin D on neurotrophic factors and serotonin.