Introduction: Epidemiologic data on the association between legume intakes and chronic disease are sparse. Our objective was to study the association between dietary legume intake and METABOLIC SYNDROME and its COMPONENTs. Materials and Methods: This case-control study was conducted on 80 subjects newly diagnosed with METABOLIC SYNDROME as cases and 160 controls without the METABOLIC SYNDROME. The METABOLIC SYNDROME in patients was defined based on Adult Treatment Panel III, and biochemical profiles, anthropometric and dietary intakes were documented. Intakes of legumes were determined in the two groups and subjects with METABOLIC SYNDROME were divided into four groups according to the cut-offs of legume intake among controls.Results: Mean age of subjects in the two groups was 41.4 years (range 25-55 y). Mean (±SD) intake of energy-adjusted legume intake was 137.8±13.6 and 130.0±12.2 g/wk (P< 0.005) in controls and cases, respectively. The prevalence of the METABOLIC SYNDROME was lower in the highest as compared with the lowest quartile of legume intake, 16.7% and 46.7 respectively (P< 0.005). After statistical control for confounders, decreases in triglyceride concentrations, fasting blood glucose, systolic blood pressure, and increase in HDL-C concentration were observed across increasing quartile categories of legume intake. After control for confounding factors, subjects in the highest quartile of legumes intake had a lower chance of having the METABOLIC SYNDROME than did those in the lowest quartile (OR 0.27; 95%CI 0.08-0.91).Conclusion: Dietary legume intake is inversely associated with the risk of having METABOLIC SYNDROME and some of its COMPONENTs.

METABOLIC SYNDROME (MetS), characterized by a cluster of METABOLIC abnormalities including hypertension, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and dyslipidemia, is a well-known cardiovascular risk factor (CVRF). Cardiovascular disease (CVD) represents a massive healthcare burden worldwide. In recent years, with regard to the adverse effects of synthetic drugs, increasing attention has been paid by researchers to herbal medicines for a variety of disorders such as CVD. A large body of literature supports different pharmacological actions of Berberis vulgaris (B. vulgaris) and its active COMPONENT, berberine (BBR), such as antidiabetic, antiobesity, hypotensive and hypolipidemic properties that could be interesting in the management of MetS associated with high CVD risk. Numerous preclinical in vitro and in vivo studies support all these effects. In this review, we evaluated the most related original articles to discover the role of B. vulgaris on various constituents of MetS and CVRF comprising dyslipidemia, obesity, high blood pressure and high blood glucose. This review suggests a potential role of B. vulgaris and BBR in the managing of MetS; nevertheless more investigations, especially reliable clinical trials, need to be accomplished to evaluate their effectiveness.

Background& Aims: Considering the importance of the diagnosis of METABOLIC SYNDROME and its effects on maternal and neonatal outcomes, this study was performed to determine the prevalence of the METABOLIC SYNDROME and its COMPONENTs in mid-pregnancy.Materials & Methods: A descriptive study was performed on 241 pregnant women at 24-28 weeks of gestation, undergoing 50 gr glucose challenge test (GCT), in Tehran, 2013-14. Before admission, complete information about the study was provided for all participants, and a written consent was obtained. METABOLIC SYNDROME was diagnosed with 3 or more of the following criteria: triglyceride ≥150 mg/dl; HDL-cholesterol <50 mg/dl; GCT ≥140 mg/dl; pre-pregnancy body mass index ≥30 kg/m2; blood pressure ≥130/85 mmHg. Data were analyzed using SPSS V.21, p-values<0.05 were considered significant.Results: The most prevalent COMPONENT of the METABOLIC SYNDROME was hypertriglyceridemia (82.6%) and impaired GCT (40.2%))The overall frequency of METABOLIC SYNDROME among pregnant women 18-40 years old was 6.2% by modified ATPIII definition. Women with METABOLIC SYNDROME had significantly higher body mass indexes (P=˂.001), blood pressures (P=˂.001). These women also had significantly lower HDL-cholesterol levels (p=.03), higher glucose challenge test (P=˂.001). There was no statistically significant difference in mean triglyceride levels between women with and without METABOLIC SYNDROME in pregnancy.Conclusions: The findings of our study showed a high prevalence of the METABOLIC SYNDROME in mid-pregnancy, more studies are needed to establish a relationship.

Background: The METABOLIC SYNDROME is associated with increased risks of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus. Objectives: As alternative medicine emerged worldwide, this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Berberis vulgaris (barberry fruit) in the treatment of METABOLIC SYNDROME. Methods: This is a randomized, placebo controlled, double-blind, trial with two treatment arms. A total of 60 patients with METABOLIC SYNDROME were randomly assigned to receive barberry or placebo tablets (one 550 mg tablets per day for 3 weeks). Total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglyceride, fasting blood sugar and hematocrit were measured before and after 21 days of treatment. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U and paired t-test by SPSS (V. 15) software. P-values < 0. 05 were considered to be significant. Results: In the barberry group, there was a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure (pre-treatment 123. 1  13. 1 vs. posttreatment 117. 7  13. 2, P-value = 0. 04), waist circumference (pre-treatment 105. 9  7. 5 vs. post-treatment105  7. 7, P-value = 0. 04) and hematocrit (pre-treatment 45  3. 6 vs. post-treatment 43. 5  2. 7, P-value = 0. 004) but other parameters did not change significantly. Serum cholesterol was significantly reduced after intervention in the barberry group (-17  61. 1 vs. 23. 6  45, P-value = 0. 02). Conclusions: We observed a significant effect of barberry on systolic blood pressure and waist circumference. Further studies with larger samples are needed to longitudinally investigate the effect of METABOLIC SYNDROME.

Introduction: Some studies conducted so far suggest that exercising during adolescence and young age can increase the amount and density of bone minerals to be stored for the age of senility. However, it has not been confirmed yet what type and intensity of bone minerals may provide for a maximum rate of the anabolic stimulation. Thus, the purpose of this study is to compare the amount and density of the bone minerals in male soccer and handball professional athletes with those of male non-athletes’.Materials and Methods: This is a an experimental research study on 42 males ranging 20-30 years old who were divided into three groups consisting of: 14 professional soccer athletes (Experimental Group 1) ,14 professional handball athletes (Experimental Group 2) and 14 young male non-athletes (Control Group). The athletes had the experience of at least three continuous years of regular professional exercising (3 sessions a week) and participating in national championships. These participants were selected from Mashhad athletic clubs, while the non-athletes were experiencing their first session of exercising in the club. Using DEXA, the participants’ BMD of arm femur and bone mass was measured. Then, the collected data were investigated at the significance level of 5 percent, using descriptive statistics and unilateral variance analysis as well as LSD pursuit test.Results: The obtained results from this research indicate that there was not any significant difference among the three groups of the study in terms of BMD of the arms. Also, in terms of femur and bone mass, there was no significant difference between two groups of athletes, i.e. soccer players and handball players (P=0.465). However, the findings suggest a significant difference between the control group and soccer player group (P=0.001) and also between the control and handball player group (P=0.004).Conclusion: As a result, the findings of this study conform to the theory which states that bone response to the mechanical loading depends on the type and style of athletic activities.

The METABOLIC SYNDROME - the clustering of abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia and hypertension - is a major public health challenge worldwide. The METABOLIC SYNDROME is not benign; it is associated with a substantially elevated risk of type 2 diabetes (5-fold) and of cardiovascular disease (CVD) (2-3-fold), and its increasing prevalence could possibly reverse the gains made through recent declining CVD mortality. The METABOLIC SYNDROME is not a new condition. It was first described in the 1920s by Kylin, a Swedish physician, as the association of hypertension, hyperglycemia and gout.3 In the 1940s, attention was drawn to upper body adiposity (android or male-type obesity) as the obesity phenotype commonly associated with type 2 diabetes and CVD …