IRANIAN JOURNAL OF ENDOCRINOLOGY AND METABOLISM (IJEM)
Year:2020 | Volume:22 | Issue:4|Papers Count:7

Introduction: The prevalence of overweight and obesity is alarmingly rising around the world. With the increasing prevalence of obesity, study of thyroid disorders, caused by an abnormal increase in the body mass index (BMI), is becoming more and more important. This study aimed to evaluate the association between increased BMI and thyroid hormones among Iranians participating in the Tehran Thyroid Study. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 3079 female and 2274 male participants, who were categorized into two groups: one with abnormal BMI>25 kg/m2 and the other with normal BMI<25 kg/m2. Thyroid hormone levels were also evaluated and compared. The linear regression analysis and Spearman's coefficient test were used to determine the correlations between BMI and thyroid hormones. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were measured to study the impact of obesity on thyroid function. Results: BMI had a positive correlation with the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level (r=0. 04, 95% CI: 0. 01, 0. 07; P<0. 05) and a negative correlation with the free thyroxine (FT4) level (r=-0. 18, 95% CI:-0. 21,-0. 16; P<0. 05). Also, BMI above 25 kg/m2 was associated with a higher OR of clinical hypothyroidism (OR=1. 71, CI: 1. 04, 2. 79; P<0. 05). No significant association was observed between abnormal BMI and other thyroid dysfunctions. Also, no significant association was found between an abnormal increase in BMI and TPOAb positivity in the adjusted results. Conclusion: This study showed that an abnormal increase in BMI was associated with altered thyroid functions. Consequently, weight control and reduction can be suggested to individuals with overweight and obesity to improve their thyroid function.

Introduction and Objectives: Type 2 diabetes is a common metabolic disorder worldwide. Health policymakers face challenges in the management of this chronic disease. According to previous studies, due to the complex nature of diabetes, the use of support resources can be effective in improving disease management. The current study aimed to identify the sources of support for patients with type 2 diabetes and to investigate their effectiveness in the outcomes of this disease in Iran. Materials and Methods: In this systematic review, a search of articles published in Iranian databases, including SID, ELMNet, IranDoc, and MagIran, was conducted using keywords, including “ type 2 diabetes” , “ support resources” , and “ clinical trials” , in Persian and English languages from March 21, 2001 to February 9, 2020. Finally, 16 articles were retrieved based on the inclusion criteria. Results: According to the findings, support by family members and peers was the most important source of support for patients with type 2 diabetes in Iran. Also, in most studies, the effectiveness of these support resources was desirable in the outcomes of these patients, including HbA1c, quality of life, and self-care behaviors. Conclusion: The findings of the current study showed that family and peer support for type 2 diabetic patients is the most effective source of support for disease management in Iran. However, to obtain reliable evidence for the use of support resources to improve diabetes management, clinical trials with a stronger methodology are needed.

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the interactions of weight change and fruit and vegetable intake with the incidence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) among adults. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted within the framework of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS) among 1915 adults during 8. 9 years of follow-up. Dietary data were assessed using the food frequency questionnaire. Anthropometric, biochemical, and body weight data were measured at baseline and during the follow-up. MetS was defined according to the adult treatment panel III. The association between fruit and vegetable intake and MetS by adjusting weight was assessed using Cox regression analysis. Results: The median intake of fruit, vegetables, and both fruit and vegetables was 3. 5 (IQR: 2. 0-5. 5), 3. 1 (IQR: 1. 9-5. 9), and 6. 9 (IQR: 4. 0-7. 8) servings per day, respectively. The intake of both fruit and vegetables was significantly and inversely associated with the MetS incidence after controlling for the confounders (hazard ratio: 0. 73; 95% CI: 0. 66-0. 87). No significant association was found between the intake of fruit and vegetables and the risk of MetS. Based on the results, in participants with weight change less than 7%, the intake of fruit and vegetables and the intake of both fruit and vegetables reduced the risk of MetS. However, no association was observed among participants with weight gain more than 7% during the follow-up. Conclusion: Weight change modifies the association between fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of MetS.

Introduction: In high-fat diet-induced obesity, the levels of cathepsin L (CTSL) and cathepsin B (CTSB) increase in adipocytes, resulting in insulin resistance in the adipose tissue. In this study, the preventive effect of endurance training on the gene expression of CTSL and CTSB was investigated in the adipose tissue of mice with a high-fat diet. Materials and Methods: Twenty-one male mice (age: four weeks, weight: 12 g) were assigned to three groups, including control (n=7), high-fat diet (HFD) (n=7), and endurance training/high-fat diet (ET-HFD) (n=7). The mice of the HFD group were fed HFD (42% fat) for 12 weeks. The mice in the ET-HFD group, along with HFD feeding, were submitted to continuous endurance training on a treadmill for six weeks (five sessions per week), with a progressive increase in intensity and volume. The real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was used to assess the gene expression of CTSL and CTSB. Results: The HFD was fattening (P=0. 001). The gene expression of CTSL did not significantly change in the groups (P=0. 118). However, the gene expression of CTSB increased fivefold in the HFD group as compared to the control group (P=0. 001). The increase in the level of CTSB was 50% lower in the ET-HFD group compared to the HFD group (P=0. 013). Conclusion: Endurance training could partially prevent the upregulation of CTSB induced by a high-fat diet. It seems that the preventive effect of endurance training against obesity-related complications is partly due to the inhibition of CTSB expression in the adipose tissue.

Introduction: Progranulin (PGRN) has been recently introduced as a new indicator of chronic inflammatory response in type 2 diabetes. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of combined training on serum levels of progranulin, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and insulin resistance in overweight and obese women with type 2 diabetes. Materials and Methods: A total of 36 women were divided into three groups: control, combined exercise 1 (combined aerobicresistance training), and combined exercise 2 (combined resistance-aerobic exercise training, including aerobic exercises with an intensity of 80% to 95% of maximum heart rate and resistance training with an intensity of 60% to 85% of one-repetition maximum). Anthropometric indices, muscle strength, aerobic capacity, variations of PGRN, HbA1c, and insulin resistance were also measured before and after training. To analyze the data, repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used, and the level of statistical significance was set at <0. 05. Results: The main and interaction effects of training on PGRN, HbA1c, insulin resistance, muscle strength, and aerobic capacity were significant over time (P=0. 001). Despite improvements in PGRN, HbA1c, insulin resistance, lower-body muscle strength, and aerobic capacity in the training groups, no significant difference was observed between the combined training groups and the control group (P<0. 05). However, the upper-body muscle strength significantly increased in both combined training groups, compared to the control group (P=0. 001). Conclusion: The use of combined exercise training in different orders for 12 weeks did not have any significant effects on the PGRN, HbAc1, insulin resistance, and functional factors.

Introduction: Irisin is secreted in response to exercise training, with strong metabolic effects on the muscle and fat tissue. On the other hand, consumption of sugary drinks is one of the main causes of overweight and insulin resistance, which seems to disrupt the secretion of irisin. This study aimed to investigate the effect of sucrose consumption following a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session on the plasma levels of irisin, insulin, and glucose in overweight and obese women. Materials and Methods: Twenty-four overweight and obese women (age: 47. 18± 2. 76 years; BMI: 30. 11± 2. 60 kg/m2) were randomly divided into two sucrose supplementation (n=12) and control (n=12) groups. The HIIT session consisted of six sets of exercise with six repetitions at 50% of maximum aerobic speed; at the end of each set, two minutes of active rest was considered. The sucrose supplementation group received 1. 2 g of sucrose per minute of activity in a water solution, and the control group received pure water in a similar bottle. Blood samples were collected before exercise, immediately after exercise, and two hours after exercise. A two-way analysis of variance (time×group) was also used to analyze the data. Results: There was no significant difference in the irisin levels between the two groups at different intervals (P=0. 313). However, significant changes were observed in insulin (P=0. 003) and glucose (P=0. 022) levels between the two groups at different intervals. Based on the post-hoc test, two hours after exercise, the insulin and glucose levels were significantly higher in the sucrose supplementation group, compared to the control group (P=0. 001 and P=0. 009, respectively). Also, there was no significant correlation between these indicators (P>0. 05). Conclusion: According to the results, there was no significant inverse correlation between the post-exercise consumption of sugary drinks and decreased irisin levels in obese and overweight women.

Introduction: Impairment in the endothelial function starts with aging; however, it can be reduced or prevented by regular exercise. This study aimed to investigate the response and compatibility of endothelial progenitor cells and to evaluate the gene expression of hypoxiainducible factor-1 (HIF-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) after eight weeks of resistance training in the elderly. Materials and Methods: In this semi-experimental study, 24 elderly men were randomly divided into equal experimental and control groups. Blood samples were collected in four stages, that is, before and after one session of resistance training (chest press, calf press, squats, leg curls, leg extensions, and underhand cable pushdowns) and before and after eight weeks of resistance training (bicep, tricep, quadricep, calf, chest, shoulder, and abdomen exercises). The samples were examined for the expression of HIF-1 and VEGF genes, and a flow cytometric analysis of endothelial progenitor cells from the mononuclear cell population of blood tissue was carried out. A mixed-design repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used in SPSS (P<0. 05) to investigate the differences between the groups. Results: The number of endothelial progenitor cells in the pretest and the first posttest increased in the experimental group, compared to the control group. Also, the gene expression of HIF-1 in the experimental group increased compared to the control group in the first posttest, pretest, and second posttest. As well as, the expression of VEGF gene increased in the experimental group in comparison with the control group in the first posttest, pretest, and second posttest. Conclusion: The present findings suggested that resistance training could be effective in the repair and regeneration of arteries after injuries, especially in the elderly.