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Type 2 Diabetes

Increased Dietary Intake of L-Arginine Linked to Increased Risk for Type 2 Diabetes

People who consume higher levels of dietary L-arginine, an amino acid involved in the metabolism of glutamate and proline, were found to have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes (TD2), according to research results published in BMC Endocrine Disorders. In the context of total protein intake as well as L-arginine-to-protein ratio, however, no association was found between increased L-arginine intake and risk of T2D.

Research has suggested that L-arginine may be involved in nitric oxide-dependent pathways that affect the homeostasis of glucose and insulin. Currently, little data from long-term studies elucidate the effects of L-arginine intake on the risk for T2D.

In a recent prospective cohort study, a team of researchers from Iran examined the potential impact of dietary L-arginine intake on T2D incidence in 2139 adults (mean age, 38.9 years; 54.6% women) who participated in the third phase of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS) and who did not have T2D at baseline. Read more

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Popular Drinks That May Cause Lasting Damage to Your Kidneys: TLGS findings

Unfortunately, many popular drinks—some of which you may be consuming every day—can have serious side effects on your kidneys, potentially leading to major kidney damage over time. Read on to discover which drinks could put your kidney health in jeopardy in the long run. Read more

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Low-Fat Dairy Consumption Linked to Decreased Risk of Incident Metabolic Syndrome in Children, Adolescents

The consumption of dairy products, especially low-fat milk and yogurt products, was found to be associated with a lower risk of incident metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents, according to the results of a study published in Acta Diabetologica. Read more

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Chronic Kidney Disease Again Linked to High Consumption of Red Meat

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is more likely to develop in individuals who have a high intake of total red and processed red meat, according to investigators.

A study of 4881 participants in the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study found that, compared with patients in the lowest quartile of total red meat consumption, those in the highest quartile had 73% increased odds of CKD, after adjusting for age, sex, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, and other potential confounders, Parvin Mirmiran, PhD, of the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, Iran, and colleagues reported in the Journal of Renal Nutrition. Patients in the highest quartile of processed red meat intake had significant 99% increased odds of CKD. The investigators found no significant association between consumption of unprocessed red meat and CKD risk.

Each 1 serving per day increase in total red meat and processed red meat was associated with significant 15% and 28% increased odds of CKD, respectively. In substitution analyses, replacing 1 serving of total red meat and processed red meat with 1 serving of low-fat dairy, nuts, whole grains, and legumes was associated with a decreased risk of CKD, according to the investigators.

Study participants had a mean age of 40.1 years and normal kidney function at baseline; 47% were women. The investigators defined CKD as an estimated glomerular filtration rate below 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 calculated using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease study equation.

The investigators offered some potential mechanisms by which dietary red meat could adversely impact renal function. Higher dietary intake of meat generally results in greater dietary acid load, which is associated with higher CKD risk, they noted. In addition, the high content of advanced glycation end products in cooked red meat can have adverse effects on kidney function.

With respect to study limitations, Dr Mirmiran and colleagues noted that, like in most epidemiologic studies, their definition of CKD is based on a limited number of isolated creatinine measurements that were not repeated within 3 months to confirm a chronic reduction in eGFR.

The new findings build upon previous investigations showing a link between meat consumption and CKD risk. For example, a study of 11,952 participants aged 44 to 66 years in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study showed that the highest quintile of red meat intake was associated with a significant 19% increased risk of CKD compared with those in the first quintile, after adjusting for potential confounders, Bernhard Haring, MD, MPH, and colleagues reported in a 2017 article in the Journal of Renal Nutrition. The highest quintile of red and processed meat consumption was associated with a significant 23% increased risk. The study found no significant association between processed meat intake by itself and CKD risk.

References

Mirmiran P, Yuzbashian E, Aghayan M, et al. A prospective study of dietary meat intake and risk of incident chronic kidney disease. J Ren Nutr. 2019. doi: 10.1053/j.jrn.2019.06.008

Haring B, Selvin E, Liang M, et al. Dietary protein sources and risk for incident chronic kidney disease: Results from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. J Ren Nutr. 2017. doi: 10.1053/j.jrn.2016.11.004

 

Newswriter: Jody A. Charnow | Renal and Urology News

 

Golaleh Asghari

TLGS researcher wins Dr. Shousha Foundation Prize

Iranian researcher Golaleh Asghari, PhD in Nutritional Sciences, won Dr. Shousha Foundation Prize.
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Blood Test Helps Predict Menopause- TLGS findings

Researchers have developed a blood test they say can predict how long of a reproductive life a woman has before menopause.

The blood test measures levels of a hormone called anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH), which is produced by the cells in women’s ovaries and is a marker for ovarian function. The test could tell women as young as 20 when they would enter menopause. Sixty-three women reached menopause during the course of the study, and the test was able in most cases to predict the age within about four months of the woman’s actual age; the maximum margin of error was between three and four years. Read more