METHODS: A month-long cross-sectional study was conducted in health and non-health colleges affiliated to Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Convenient sampling was employed, and the data was gathered through an online survey using the English and Arabic versions of the Dietary Supplement Questionnaire (DSQ). The data was analyzed using SPSS version 23 and Medcalc. The study was approved by an ethics committee.
RESULTS: Data from 545 participants was collected. The overall prevalence of dietary supplement use was 32.7% (95% CI: 29.06%- 36.51%). The prevalence was 29.77% (95% CI: 25.29%- 34.56%) among students at all health colleges combined and, it was 37.50% (95% CI: 31.36%- 43.96%) among students at all non-health colleges. Most students used a brand product, spent a monthly cost of SAR 286 (USD 76.3) on supplements and agreed that supplements were good for health (N = 392, 71.9%). Students from non-health- colleges agreed that dietary supplements are good for health in greater numbers as compared to non-health college students (p < 0.001). Students aged ≥ 20 years, studying in a non-health college and up to 3rd year of study, were more 2 times more likely to agree that dietary supplements are good for health.
CONCLUSION: Supplements were commonly used among female students at this university however, it was quite low as compared to students from other local and regional universities. Prevalence was higher in non-health colleges as compared to health colleges and the most commonly used supplements were brand products and, multivitamins, used for general health and well-being. This highlights the inclination of students towards supplement use.
METHODS: We conducted an extensive search via Cochrane Library, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases to acquire the reported RCTs up to October 2020.
RESULTS: The results showed no effects of α-tocopherol supplementation on lipid profile in DM patients except when used ≥12 weeks.
CONCLUSIONS: α-tocopherol supplementation in DM patients had no significant effect on lipid profiles.
OBJECTIVE: This study examines the potential role of FO in suppressing LPS-induced neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment in diabetic animals (DA).
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty male Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups: i) DA received LPS induction (DA-LPS); ii) DA received LPS induction and 1 g/kg FO (DA-LPS-1FO); iii) DA received LPS induction and 3 g/kg FO (DA-LPS-3FO); iv) animals received normal saline and 3 g/kg FO (NS-3FO) and v) control animals received normal saline (CTRL). Y-maze test was used to measure cognitive performance, while brain samples were collected for inflammatory markers and morphological analysis.
RESULTS: DA received LPS induction, and 1 or 3 g/kg FO significantly inhibited hyperglycaemia and brain inflammation, as evidenced by lowered levels of pro-inflammatory mediators. Additionally, both DA-LPS-1FO and DA-LPS-3FO groups exhibited a notable reduction in neuronal damage and glial cell migration compared to the other groups. These results were correlated with the increasing number of entries and time spent in the novel arm of the Y-maze test.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: This study indicates that supplementation of menhaden FO inhibits the LPS signaling pathway and protects against neuroinflammation, consequently maintaining cognitive performance in diabetic animals. Thus, the current study suggested that fish oil may be effective as a supporting therapy option for diabetes to avoid diabetes-cognitive impairment.
METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between March and May 2019 among the elderly aged ≥60 years old. The participants with the following criteria were included in the study: aged ≥60 years, residing in Puncak Alam and able to understand Malay or English language. Data were collected using a pre-validated questionnaire. All statistical analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS ver. 23.
RESULTS: Overall, 336 out of 400 elderly responded to the survey, achieving a response rate of 84%. This study observed that almost 50% of the respondents were using at least one type of HDS in the past one month of the survey. Among HDS non-users, most of them preferred to use modern medicines (62.6%, 114/182). Among the HDS users, 75.3% (116/154) were using at least one type of modern medicine (prescription or over-the-counter medicine). Multivariate analysis showed that having good to excellent perceived health (adjusted OR = 2.666, 95% CI = 1.592-4.464), having felt sick at least once in the past one month (adjusted OR = 2.500, 95% CI = 1.426-4.383), and lower body mass index (adjusted OR = 0.937, 95% CI = 0.887-0.990) were associated with HDS use. It was noted that only a small percentage of HDS users (16.2%, 25/154) had informed healthcare providers on their HDS use.
CONCLUSION: The use of HDS is common among the elderly sampled. Hence, healthcare providers should be more vigilant in seeking information of HDS use for disease management in their elderly patients. Campaigns that provide accurate information regarding the appropriate use of HDS among the elderly are pertinent to prevent misinformation of the products.
METHODS: Participants took 6 mg of lutein and 1 mg of zeaxanthin, along with 100 mg elderberry extract once daily for a duration of 20 days. Ocular health was assessed using the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), while immune status was evaluated with the Immune Status Questionnaire (ISQ).
RESULTS: Results showed that combined supplementation significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the OSDI scores in the intervention group from 38.15 ± 11.14 to 18.26 ± 5.57, reflecting a 52.2% reduction. A similar trend was observed with the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), indicating significant (p < 0.05) improvement from 5.31 ± 1.62 to 6.73 ± 1.74, equivalent to a 26.7% improvement. Although the intervention group showed a 15.9% improvement in ISQ scores by the study's end, this was not significantly different from the placebo group, suggesting that higher dosages or longer durations may be needed to observe a meaningful effect. Additionally, findings from the Food Frequency Questionnaire revealed that the average dietary intake of lutein and zeaxanthin among participants was only 663.49 µg, equating to just 5.5% of the suggested optimal daily intake. This low consumption is concerning, as it is inversely correlated with the risk of ocular diseases.
CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, these findings support the use of combined supplementation as an adjuvant approach to improving ocular health.
METHODS: A comprehensive search of various databases was performed to identify relevant RCTs published up to September 2024. A random-effects model was employed for the meta-analysis, which included 27 RCTs with 1,685 participants.
RESULTS: The findings indicated that PBE supplementation significantly reduced systolic blood pressure (SBP) (weighted mean difference (WMD): -2.26 mmHg, 95% confidence interval (CI): -3.73, -0.79; P = 0.003), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (WMD: -2.62 mmHg, 95% CI: -3.71, -1.53; P