Background: Patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), have a higher risk of future cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Meanwhile, probiotics are shown to positively impact CVD-related parameters. This randomized controlled trial sought to evaluate the effects of probiotic supplementation on fundamental CVD-related parameters including atherogenic index of plasma (AIPs), blood pressure, the Framingham risk score, and antioxidant markers in patients with T2DM. Methods: Eligible participants were randomly assigned to receive 2 capsules/day of probiotics [each containing 500 mg of L.acidophilus(5 × 10¹⁰ CFU/g), L.plantarum(1.5 × 10¹⁰ CFU/g), L.fermentum(7 × 10⁹ CFU/g), L.Gasseri(2 × 10¹⁰ CFU/g) and 38.5 mg of fructo-oligo-saccharides], or placebo for 6 weeks. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures (SBP and DBP, respectively), mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), atherogenic indices (the ratios of TC/HDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C, and logTG/HDL-C), the 10-year Framingham CVD risk score, as well as total anti-oxidant capacity (TAC), paraoxonase (PON) and total oxidant status (TOS) were evaluated before and after the study. Final analyses were adjusted based on baseline parameters, and potential covariates including age, sex, PUFA and sodium intakes. Results: Sixty participants completed the study. Compared with placebo, probiotic supplementation resulted in a significant decrease in SBP[-9.24 mmHg(− 14.5, − 3.9)], DBP[− 3.71 mmHg(− 6.59, − 0.83)], MAP[− 5.55 mmHg(− 8.8, − 2.31)], the Framingham risk categories [medium–low(1.5) vs. 2 (medium)] and logTG/HDL-C ratio [− 0.08 (− 0.14, 0)] (All P < 0.05) at the end of the study. No significant changes were observed in the antioxidant markers. Conclusion: Overall, probiotic supplementation for 6 weeks led to a significant improvement in major CVD-related parameters in populations with T2DM, suggesting the possible beneficial role of probiotics in lowering the risk of future CVDs associated with diabetes. Nevertheless, more studies are needed to confirm the veracity of these results. Trial registration: IRCT2013100714925N1 (registered on November, 9th, 2013).

Obesity is a major public health problem in recent decades. The accumulation of excessive fat promotes inflammatory status. Meanwhile, herbal products are marketed for their weight-loss properties, such as Nigella sativa (N. Sativa) which has been used for centuries to treat rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and asthma; recently, the anti-obesity characteristics of N. sativa have also been indicated. However, the exact mechanisms and cellular-related pathways are still unclear. Thus, we will aim to assess the effects of oral N. sativa on the gene expression of inflammatory and adipogenesis-related factors, including TNF-α, PPAR-γ, and adiponectin as well as assessing their serum concentrations among obese and overweight individuals. Obese and overweight women aged 25–55 years with a body mass index (BMI) of 25–35 kg/m2 will be recruited from the Obesity Clinic in Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences and will be assessed for eligibility against inclusion criteria. They will be randomly assigned into two groups to receive either two capsules of N. sativa or two capsules of placebo per day for eight weeks (each capsule contains 1000 mg of N. sativa or placebo). There will be a four-week wash-out period and then participants will receive the reverse supplements for another eight weeks. Biochemical assessments and gene expressions (using real-time polymerase chain reaction) will be conducted at the beginning and at the end of every intervention period. The present study will investigate the probable cellular pathways for the anti-obesity effects of N. sativa in overweight/obese women. Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials, IRCT20180528039884N1 . Registered on 2nd of July, 2018.

Background: Despite the favorable effects of well-known dietary patterns in the treatment of hypertension (HTN), such as the Mediterranean (MED) and Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diets, it is uncertain if adherence to these diets can reduce the risk of HTN, especially in non-Mediterranean populations. Moreover, none of the previous studies evaluated the association between the MED-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet adherence and the incidence of HTN. Therefore, we aimed to assess the association of adherence to these diets with the development of HTN in adults. Methods: This prospective study included 2706 adults free of HTN who were selected from the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study. The MED, DASH, and MIND diet scores were computed at baseline using dietary information collected with the food frequency questionnaire. Associations between the dietary indices and risk of HTN over a median follow-up of 7.4 years were examined using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Results: The baseline mean age of participants was 37.9 ± 12.5 years (age range: 20–79 years), and 52.4% were women. During the 18262 person-years follow-up, 599 incidents of HTN were identified. There was no significant relationship between the dietary scores and the risk of HTN, either as continuous or categorical variables, even after excluding individuals with early/late HTN diagnosis, prehypertension, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease at baseline. A significant interaction was found between body mass index (BMI) and DASH (P-interaction < 0.001). Stratified analyses based on baseline BMI status revealed an inverse association between DASH and HTN risk in individuals with normal-weight (HR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.71–0.98, P = 0.031), although this association did not reach statistical significance across the tertiles of DASH. Conclusions: In this study, MED, DASH, and MIND showed no significant association with the occurrence of HTN in adults. Further prospective studies on diverse populations are required to assess whether adherence to the MED, DASH, and MIND diets is an effective strategy for reducing the occurrence HTN.

Background: Women with GDM have a higher risk of future cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Meanwhile, synbiotics have been demonstrated to have favorable impacts on atherogenic indices, and inflammatory and oxidative stress indicators, all of which are known to be CVD-predictive factors. The aim of this randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the effects of synbiotic supplementation on the atherogenic indices of plasma, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) in women with GDM. Methods: Eligible pregnant women with GDM were randomized into two groups to receive a daily synbiotic capsule [500 mg of L.acidophilus(5 × 10¹⁰ CFU/g), L.plantarum(1.5 × 10¹⁰ CFU/g), L.fermentum(7 × 10⁹ CFU/g), L.Gasseri(2 × 10¹⁰ CFU/g) and 38.5 mg of fructo-oligo-saccharides], or placebo, for 6 weeks. The ratios of TC/HDL-C, LDL/HDL-C, and logTG/HDL-C were calculated as the atherogenic indices. Serum hs-CRP and MDA concentrations were quantified before and after the intervention. Cohen’s d(d) was used to calculate the magnitude of the effect. Results: Ninety participants completed the study. There was no significant difference in dietary antioxidant and mineral intakes between the two groups. Compared with placebo, synbiotic supplementation resulted in a significant decrease in logTG/HDL-C ratio with a medium–low effect size (mean difference = −0.11; 95% CI −0.21, 0; P values for the placebo and the intervention groups were 0.02, and 0.042, respectively; P between groups = 0.003; d = 0.25). No significant changes were observed in other parameters. Conclusions: Overall, 6 weeks of synbiotic supplementation in women with GDM resulted in a significant improvement in logTG/HDL-C, suggesting that synbiotics may have a beneficial role in reducing the risk of future CVDs associated with GDM. Nevertheless, more studies are needed to confirm the veracity of these results. Trial Registration IRCT201511183140N16 (December 29th, 2015).