Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://drepo.sdl.edu.sa/handle/20.500.14154/10
Browse
5 results
Search Results
Item Restricted The Effect of Dietary Interventions on Arterial Stiffness in Men. A Systematic review of the literature(University of Nottingham, 2024) Almutairi, Mohammed; Rocha, LuciaAbstract Background and introduction Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally, encompassing conditions like coronary heart disease and strokes. Risk factors include hypertension, diabetes, and lifestyle choices such as smoking. Arterial stiffness is a crucial risk factor in hypertension, refers to the reduced flexibility of the arterial walls. This condition arises as blood vessels age and is associated with various cardiovascular diseases. Studies have shown that dietary interventions can significantly reduce CVD risks by improving factors like blood pressure and arterial stiffness, particularly in men. This paper is to systematically review the current literature on the effects of different dietary interventions on arterial stiffness in men Methodology This systematic review adheres to PRISMA guidelines, employing a flow diagram to outline the article selection process, focusing on adult males at risk for cardiovascular diseases. It assesses the impact of dietary interventions on arterial stiffness, measured by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV). The review specifically includes randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from January 2015 to June 2024 that are in English and utilize PWV for measuring arterial stiffness. Excluded are non-RCT studies, those combining diet with exercise, and those involving females, children, or mixed groups. Primary outcomes are changes in PWV, while secondary outcomes include variations in systolic blood pressure, heart rate, and triglycerides. Results The systematic review process identified five randomized controlled trials (RCTs) met the inclusion criteria out of an initial 1,131 papers after rigorous screening. Only one study using cocoa flavanol intervention achieved significant reduction on the pulse wave velocity, the same study also showed significant decrease in systolic blood pressure, also another study showed significant reduction in systolic blood pressure after consumption of high fat beef patties. Conclusion This review indicated that cocoa flavanols can significantly improve arterial stiffness and systolic blood pressure, but other dietary interventions lacked similar impactful results. The findings suggest that effective strategies might need to integrate diet with exercise and other lifestyle changes to significantly enhance cardiovascular health.12 0Item Restricted An acute dietary intervention in lactation has variable impacts on the maternal and infant microbiota and milk antimicrobial proteins(The University of Western Australia, 2025-01-01) Sindi, Azhar; Payne, Matthew; Geddes, Donna; Stinson, LisaThe first years of life are a critical period for microbial colonisation of the infant gut, which has been linked with health and disease outcomes in later life. Breastfeeding has been shown to have a significant impact on both composition and function of the infant gut microbiome. This is due to vertical transmission of microbes and exposure to other non-microbial factors, such as antimicrobial proteins, in human milk (HM). Given the importance of HM and the infant gut microbiome for lifelong health, this thesis investigated factors that influence HM composition (both microbial and non-microbial), with a focus on maternal diet as a modifiable determinant. Further, by utilising an acute maternal dietary intervention during lactation, the significance of maternal diet for infant gut composition and function was explored. While many studies have assessed the determinants of the HM microbiota, this has not been investigated in an Australian population. To address this gap, we first collected HM samples from a small cohort (n=29) of Australian mothers to characterise HM bacterial profiles. We investigated potential associations between HM bacterial composition and maternal factors, such as body mass index (BMI), mode of delivery, breast pump use, allergy, and parity, and infant factors, such as sex, mode of feeding, pacifier use, and introduction of solids. Our findings confirmed previous reports that maternal BMI, mode of delivery, and breast pump use are associated with HM bacterial profiles. Additionally, we found that infant pacifier use was associated with an altered HM microbiome, the first report of such a finding. With a more complete picture of the HM microbiome in Australian women and its key determinants, we next sought to focus on maternal diet and its impact on the maternal and infant microbiota, as diet is the single biggest modifiable determinant of the human microbiome. Previous observational studies have linked maternal diet with the HM microbiota. Such studies have also associated maternal diet during pregnancy with the infant gut microbiota. However, the impact of diet during lactation on the maternal and infant microbiota has not been examined. To address this gap, we performed an interventional study, in which exclusively breastfeeding mothers (n=11) were placed on a low-sugar, low-fat, high-fibre diet for two weeks. We analysed maternal faecal and HM samples collected immediately before, immediately after, and 4-8 weeks after the intervention. Full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used for high-resolution bacterial profiling. Additionally, infant faecal samples were collected for shotgun metagenomic sequencing immediately pre- and postintervention to examine the effect of maternal diet on both composition and function of the infant gut microbiome. The intervention had no significant impact on infant gut microbiome composition; however, it was associated with significant changes in the functional capacity of the infant gut microbiome. The intervention also elicited small changes in a low number of bacterial taxa in both the maternal faecal and HM microbiota, some of which persisted 4-8 weeks post-intervention. Given that the dietary intervention shifted the function, but not the composition, of the infant gut microbiome, we next investigated whether the diet modulated other biologically relevant components in HM, namely the antimicrobial proteins lysozyme and lactoferrin. However, given that little is known about daily, circadian, and between-breast variations in the concentrations of lysozyme and lactoferrin, the stability of these proteins in mature HM needed to first be established. HM samples were collected from 18 mothers who undertook our acute dietary intervention across a 3-week period; daily, three times a day, and from both breasts. Both lactoferrin and lysozyme showed small, but statistically significant, variability over time, with significant day-to-day and circadian differences; however, no significant variation was detected between breasts. These findings underscore the need to standardise sample collection time, or to collect samples at multiple time points throughout the day, in order to obtain reliable estimation of HM lysozyme/lactoferrin content. The concentration of HM lysozyme was reduced during the first week of the dietary intervention, while HM lactoferrin levels were lower in the second week of the intervention. Thus, maternal diet may impact HM antimicrobial protein concentrations. We hypothesise that this may be due to dietary effects on maternal systemic inflammation. Together, these data demonstrate the importance of maternal factors, including BMI and maternal diet and infant feeding practices, including breast pump and pacifier use, as potential modifiers of HM microbial composition. In addition, a controlled maternal dietary intervention elicited small but significant changes to the maternal faecal and HM microbiota, and to HM antimicrobial proteins. While these changes were associated with significant alterations to the functional potential of the infant gut microbiome, they did not affect its composition. The data presented in this thesis therefore highlight potential limitations of maternal diet as a target to improve infant health via manipulation of the microbiome.17 0Item Restricted The Association between Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors and Polypharmacy in Older Adults: The Loma Linda Longevity Study(Loma Linda University, 2024) Bardesi, Abrar; Dos Santos, HildemarIntroduction: Polypharmacy—defined as taking numerous medications that may not be clinically necessary—is becoming a significant concern among the older adult population. This study examined the associations between lifestyle behaviors and the number of prescribed medications in older adults (75 years and older) living in the counties of San Bernardino and Riverside. Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional survey to assess lifestyle behaviors and medication use in 611 older adults aged 75 or over. Bivariate correlation and linear regression analyses were used to assess potential relationships between lifestyle behaviors and the number of prescribed medications. Results: Fruit consumption (p=0.005), mild physical activity per week (p<.001), and lifestyle index (p=0.003) had a highly significant inverse association with the number of prescribed medications. Fat consumption had a direct positive relationship with the number of prescribed medications (p=0.02). Conclusion: Higher fat intake was directly linked to an increased need for medications, while regular physical activity, a higher fruit intake, and a healthy overall lifestyle were all associated with a lower likelihood of polypharmacy. Future research can explore the mechanisms linking these behaviors with medication usage.37 0Item Restricted Exploring the current practice of dental professionals in discussing diet with parents/carers of children aged up to 2 years old(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-11-23) Alshammari, Faris; Owen, Jenny; Burrows, Kara-Gray; Leggett, HeatherBackground: Early childhood caries (ECC) is a prevalent oral disease affecting young children and is associated with inadequate feeding practices. The early years after birth are crucial for children's oral health due to the significant shift in diet from liquid to solid. Dental professionals are responsible for providing dietary advice to parents/carers during dental appointments to prevent ECC and promote healthy dietary habits for young children. Understanding the current practices of dental professionals in discussing diet with parents of children up to 2 years old is essential for improving oral health outcomes in this vulnerable age group. Aim: To explore the current practices of dental professionals in discussing diet with parents/carers of children aged 0-2, to identify any challenges that could limit dietary advice delivery and assess the solutions that may facilitate the provision of dietary advice. Methods: A cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire was sent through social media platforms. The questionnaire explored demographic characteristics, current participants’ dietary advice practice, challenges experienced and potential solutions. Results: Of the responses of 195 participants, only 63 participants indicated that they usually see children for their first dental appointment before the age of three. Of 63 participants, 60 reported providing dietary advice to parents/carers of children aged 0-2 years as part of a typical dental appointment. The common topic in participants' dietary advice was sugar consumption, breastfeeding, and bottle feeding. Conclusion: Most participants who reported seeing parents/carers of children aged 0-2, discussed the child's diet to prevent early childhood caries (ECC). However, the small number of those participants may impact the findings' generalisability. Research is needed to support these findings and understand dental professionals' dietary advice practices for preventing ECC. The key challenges were clinical time constraints and lack of parents'/carers' awareness and receptivity. The study has identified possible solutions to enable dietary advice delivery, including allocating time slots for dietary advice, increasing awareness, teamwork collaboration, training, and educational courses.40 0Item Restricted Diet and exercise interventions for mitigating the effects of antipsychotic medications on body weight in individuals with severe mental illness (Narrative review)(Saudi Digital Library, 2023) Alswaidani, Salma; Ranawana, VirenBackground: Individuals with severe mental illness (SMI), including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, who are treated with antipsychotic medication are at higher risk for early death, obesity, and chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Antipsychotic medications are strongly associated with rapid weight gain, and a variety of interventions are available to help patients using these medications to lose weight. Aim: This review aimed to identify dietary patterns and physical activity that can be adopted by patients with SMI to aid in weight loss while receiving treatment with antipsychotic medication. Method: A narrative review of the literature with the use of three electronic multidisciplinary databases: Psych info via Ovid, CINHAL via EBSCO, and Medline via Ovid. Cross-referencing and a manual search of journals were also employed. A systematic search was implemented for studies on lifestyle intervention that combined diet and physical activity in adult participants. All studies were published in the English language. Results: A total of 1176 relevant research papers were identified from all sources, and 12 studies met the inclusion criteria. There were different dietary patterns that were used to reduce body weight in SMI patients using antipsychotics. These dietary patterns were a diabetic diet, Dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH diet), a low-fat diet, a Mediterranean diet, a low-calorie diet, and recommendations based on German and Canadian dietary guidelines. In addition, most of the studies focused on the effects of aerobic exercise, such as walking or cycling, and a few studies examined the use of resistance exercise. Conclusion: Lifestyle interventions that combine aerobic exercise and a personalised reduced-calorie diet may result in promising effects for reducing weight in adult patients with SMI who are treated with second-generation antipsychotic (SGAs) medications. In addition, lifestyle interventions also may help reduce central obesity, waist circumference, fasting blood glucose, and cholesterol levels.60 0