Background: Over the last decade, an emerging role of novel cytokines in the pathogenesis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has been proposed. The present study was implemented to provide a more accurate estimate of the effect size of the association between leptin, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and the risk of GDM.Methods: Online databases were looked up to January 2023 using the search string: (leptin OR TNF-α OR IL-6) AND “gestational diabetes.” Observational studies investigating the association of selected cytokines and GDM risk were included. Odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were extracted and random-effects models were used to estimate the pooled effect.Results: Twenty-four studies were included in the meta-analysis. A significant association was found between higher circulating leptin and the risk of GDM and the pooled estimate was 1.16 (95%CI: 1.07, 1.27). Higher circulating levels of IL-6 and TNF-α were associated with increased risk of GDM, and the pooled estimates were 1.35 (95%CI: 1.05, 1.73) and 1.28 (95%CI: 1.01, 1.62), respectively.Conclusions: The studied cytokines could be implicated in the GDM pathogenesis and used as potential biomarkers for assessing the GDM risk. Additional longitudinal studies with large sample sizes are needed for a further evaluation of these findings.

Food craving (FC) is associated with a higher body mass index (BMI) and less healthy food choices. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have garnered interest as a strategy to address maladaptive eating behaviors. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of MBIs in reducing FC. We included controlled trials involving adult participants. A comprehensive search of Embase, MEDLINE (via PubMed), Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, and CENTRAL was conducted up to July 7, 2024. The Cochrane RoB2 tool was used to assess the risk of bias in included studies, and the GRADE framework was applied to evaluate the certainty of evidence. Effect sizes were calculated using Hedges’ g with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results favoring MBIs over control conditions were interpreted as statistically significant positive effects. A total of 24 studies (1920 participants) were included. FC intensity was significantly reduced in the MBI group compared to controls (Hedges’ g = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.07–0.48, p = .008, n = 23), with subgroup analysis suggesting the strongest effect for the decentering strategy. The certainty of evidence was rated as low. FC frequency did not differ significantly between the MBI and control groups (g = 0.11, 95% CI: − 0.28 to 0.49, p = .59, n = 9). The MBI group exhibited significantly lower rebound intake (i.e., food consumption following the conclusion of the restrictive phase of the study) (g = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.24–1.41, p = .006, n = 5) and a non-significant reduction in overall intake (g = 0.46, 95% CI: − 0.02 to 0.93, p = .06, n = 9) relative to controls. No adverse effects were reported. Preliminary findings suggest that MBIs may be effective and safe interventions for managing FC intensity but not frequency. However, additional high-quality studies are needed to strengthen the evidence base. CRD42024584334.

Controversy exists regarding the association of dietary advanced glycation end products (dAGEs) with the risk of disease outcomes and mortality. We aimed to examine, prospectively, the association between dAGEs intake and the risk of overall and cause-specific mortality in the Golestan Cohort Study. The cohort was conducted between 2004 and 2008 in Golestan Province (Iran) recruiting 50,045 participants aged 40–75 years. Assessment of dietary intake over the last year was performed at baseline using a 116-item food frequency questionnaire. The dAGEs values for each individual were calculated based on published databases of AGE values of various food items. The main outcome was overall mortality at the time of follow-up (13.5 years). Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for overall and cause-specific mortality were estimated according to the dAGEs quintiles. During 656, 532 person-years of follow-up, 5406 deaths in men and 4722 deaths in women were reported. Participants at the highest quintile of dAGE had a lower risk of overall mortality (HR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.84, 0.95), CVD mortality (HR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.84, 0.95), and death from other causes (HR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.84, 0.95) compared to those in the first quintile after adjusting for confounders. We found no association of dAGEs with risk of mortality from cancer (all), respiratory and infectious diseases, and injuries. Our findings do not confirm a positive association between dAGEs and the risk of mortality in Iranian adults. There is still no agreement among studies investigating dAGEs and their health-related aspects. So, further high-quality studies are required to clarify this association.