b. nikooyeh

This report was a part of the National Food and Nutrition Surveillance Program, analyzing anthropometric statuses of children aged 24–60 m in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran, as well as their associated demographic and socioeconomic determinants, 1401.

A total of 280 children aged 24–60 m were included in the study via multi-stage cluster random sampling proportional to cluster size method. Data on socioeconomic status of the household and demographic characteristics of the children were collected by health workers using face-to-face interviews with the mother/caregiver of the children. Necessary training to carry out anthropometric measurements was provided to the health workers through several workshops and webinars. Descriptive and analytical analyses were carried out using STATA v.17.0 (Stata, College Station TX, USA).

  The mean age of the studied children was 41.9 m ±0.6 with similar gender distribution (141 girls and 142 boys). Analyses showed that socioeconomic status was the most important determinant of stunting and underweight in children aged 24–60 m in Sistan and Baluchestan Province. Chances of being stunt and underweight in children, who were living in higher socioeconomic status, were respectively 60 and 80% lower than children whose families were in lower socioeconomic statuses.

Evidence indicate need of rapid intervention, including enhancement of access and purchasing power of the households living in the province and possibly  other deprived provinces of the country.

Systemic inflammation is thought to have a central role in diabetic long-term complications. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of vitamin D either with or without extra calcium on certain inflammatory biomarkers in the subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

This was a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial conducted over 12 wk in 90 T2D subjects aged 30–60 yr from both sexes. Subjects were randomly allocated to one of three groups to receive two 250-ml bottles a day of plain Persian yogurt drink or doogh (PD, containing 150 mg calcium and no detectable vitamin D3/250 ml), vitamin D-fortified doogh (DD, containing 500 IU vitamin D3 and 150 mg calcium/250 ml), or calcium + vitamin D3-fortified doogh (CDD, containing 500 IU vitamin D3 and 250 mg calcium/250 ml). The changes in inflammatory markers were evaluated.

Compared to the baseline values, highly sensitive C-reactive protein, IL-1β, IL-6, fibrinogen, and retinol binding protein-4 concentrations significantly decreased in both the DD and CDD groups. Although the decrement in highly sensitive C-reactive protein and fibrinogen was more in CDD compared to DD (−4.0 ± 8.5 vs. −1.3 ± 2.8 mg/liter, and −0.40 ± 0.74 and −0.20 ± 0.52 mg/liter, respectively), the differences were not significant. There was a significant increase in serum adiponectin in both the DD and CDD groups (51.3 ± 65.3 vs. 57.1 ± 33.8 μg/liter P < 0.05). Mean adiponectin changes in CDD were significantly higher than in PD (P = 0.021).

Daily intake of vitamin D-fortified doogh improved inflammatory markers in T2D subjects, and extra calcium conferred additional benefit only for the antiinflammatory adipokine, i.e. adiponectin.

To assess vitamin D status of 9-12 years old primary school children in Tehran during fall and winter 2007-8. Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study Setting: Primary schools of Tehran city, Iran.

A total of 1111 9-12 years old children (573 boys and 538 girls) from 60 primary schools were enrolled in the study. Weight, height, body mass index (BMI) and serum levels of calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, 25(OH)D, intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), osteocalcin (OST), bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP) were assessed for all the participants. Dietary calcium intake was also evaluated using a quantitative food frequency questionnaire (qFFQ) for a sub-sample of the study population (n=503). Vitamin D sufficiency was defined based on serum levels of 25(OH)D as either ≥ 37nmol/L (criterion 1) or ≥ 50 nmol/L (criterion 2).

Daily intake of calcium did not differ significantly between boys and girls (929.6± 436.7 mg and 909.5±465.5 mg, respectively). However, based on the first criterion, some 86% of the children had vitamin D deficiency with 38.3% of severe deficiency (25(OH)D < 12.5 nmol/L). By using the second criterion, prevalence of vitamin D deficiency rose to 91.7%. Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was higher in girls than in boys by either criterion. Serum levels of 25(OH)D inversely correlated with iPTH (r= -0.154, p<0.001) and BMI (r= -0.092, p=0.002) but directly correlated with duration of sun exposure (r= 0.115, p<0.001).

The high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among school children (especially girls) warrants immediate interventions for proper nutritional support.

High levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and oxidative stress play a key role in development of complications in type 2 diabetes (T2D). It has been reported that glycemic optimizing affects vitamin D in patients with T2D. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of daily consumption of vitamin D and vitamin D-calcium-fortified yogurt drink on serum levels of AGEs and ox-LDL in T2D patients.

Sixty diabetic subjects aged 30-60 years were assigned randomly to one of the three groups: 1- plain yogurt drink; 2-yogurt drink fortified with 500IU cholecalciferol per 250 mL bottle; and 3- yogurt drink fortified with 500IU cholecalciferol and 250 mg calcium per 250 mL bottle. Participants were instructed to consume 2 bottles of the yogurt drink daily for 12 weeks. The anthropometric، dietary and laboratory assessments were done at baseline and at the end of intervention.

Mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D increased significantly from 40. 6±30. 1 to 76. 8±32. 6 nmol/L (p<0. 001) in group 2 and from 45. 1±38. 7 to 72. 7±35. 3nmol/L in group 3. Fasting glucose (p =0. 016 and p=0. 040، respectively)، insulin (p<0. 001 and p=0. 009، respectively)، HbA1c (p=0. 001 and p=0. 003، respectively)، HOMA-IR (p<0. 001 and p=0. 002، respectively) and serum level of AGEs (p=0. 029 and p=0. 001، respectively) decreased significantly. There was no significant within and between group changes in ox-LDL serum levels.

Our results showed that daily intake of 1000 IU vitamin D with or without calcium significantly increased serum levels of 25 (OH) D، improved glycemic control and decreased serum levels of AGEs but had no effect on ox-LDL levels in diabetic patients.