This systematic review was conducted to assess the effect of grape seed extract on changes in blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), lipid levels, and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. MEDLINE (1950 to 2010), Agricola (1970 to 2010), Scopus (1996 to 2010), and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (through 2010) were searched for human randomized controlled trials of grape seed extract reporting efficacy data on at least one of the following end points: systolic or diastolic BP, HR, total cholesterol, low-density or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, or CRP. Nine randomized, controlled trials (n=390) met the inclusion criteria and a meta-analysis was conducted. Upon meta-analysis, grape seed extract significantly lowered systolic BP (95% CI: -2.85 to -0.22, P=0.02]) and HR (95% CI: -2.50 to -0.34, P=0.01). No significant effect on diastolic BP, lipid levels, or CRP was found. The authors concluded that based on the currently available literature, grape seed extract appears to significantly lower systolic BP and HR, with no effect on lipid or CRP levels. Larger randomized, double-blinded trials evaluating different dosages of grape seed extract and for longer follow-up durations are needed. J Am Diet Assoc. 2011 Aug;111(8):1173-81. PMID: 21802563.

Short sleep duration is related to several endocrine and metabolic dysfunctions but evidence of the association between insufficient sleep and bone health is limited. The current study examined the relationship between sleep duration and bone mineral density (BMD). Subjects included 602 Chinese women aged 18–80 years. Sleep duration was collapsed to form categories of five hours or less, six hours, seven hours, eight hours, and nine hours or more. Total and regional BMD were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Women with a short sleeping duration were more likely to have lower total and all body regional BMD after adjusting for potential covariates (all p values < 0.05). Compared to those who slept eight hours, individuals who slept five hours or less and six hours had significantly lower total and regional BMD (all p < 0.05). Upon dividing women into 18–44 years old and 45 years or older groups and repeating the regression models, the significant associations between BMD and sleep duration were only observed in the 45 years or older group. These findings may lead to the development of better preventive approaches to osteoporosis. Bone. 2011 Aug 12. PMID: 21864732.

The current study was conducted to examine the association between maternal trans fatty acid intake during pregnancy and fetal growth. A prospective cohort study of pregnant women and their offspring were studied, including 1369 mother-child pairs. Trans fatty acid consumption was assessed using a validated semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire in each of the first and second trimesters of pregnancy. Fetal growth was estimated as the birth-weight-for-gestational-age (BW/GA) z value in infants born at term. No associations between first-trimester trans fatty acid consumption and fetal growth were observed. Total trans fatty acid consumption during the second trimester, on the other hand, was positively associated with the fetal growth z score (0.29 units; 95% CI: 0.07-0.51 units) for each 1% increment in energy from trans fatty acids as a replacement for carbohydrates. The associations were limited to the trans fatty acids 16:1t (0.12 units; 95% CI: 0.02-0.22 units) and 18:2tc (0.53 units; 95% CI: 0.09-0.96 units). The authors concluded that a higher maternal intake of trans fatty acids, especially 16:1t and 18:2tc, during the second trimester of pregnancy was associated with greater fetal growth. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Sep 14. PMID: 21918217

Low serum testosterone is associated with increased adiposity, an adverse metabolic risk profile, and atherosclerosis while polymorphisms in the sex hormone–binding globulin (SHBG) gene are associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes. However, few studies have addressed whether endogenous testosterone or SHBG are predictors of cardiovascular (CV) events. In this prospective population-based Swedish study (2416 men; aged 69 to 81 years), gas chromatography/mass spectrometry was used to analyze baseline levels of testosterone and SHBG was measured by immunoradiometric assay. During a median five-year follow-up, 485 CV events occurred. Both total testosterone and SHBG levels were inversely associated with the risk of CV events (p = 0.009 and p = 0.012, respectively). Men in the highest quartile of testosterone (≥550 ng/dl) had a lower risk of CV events compared with men in the three lower quartiles (hazard ratio: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.56-0.88). This association remained after adjustment for traditional CV risk factors and was not changed in the analyses excluding men with known CV disease at baseline. The authors concluded that high serum testosterone predicted a reduced five-year risk of CV events in elderly men. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2011 Oct 11;58(16):1674-81. PMID: 21982312.

A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted of studies investigating the association between secondhand tobacco smoke (SHTS) and middle ear disease (MED) in children. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CAB abstracts (through December 2010) and reference lists were searched. Sixty-one epidemiological studies of children assessing the effect of SHTS on outcomes of MED were included. Articles were reviewed and the data were extracted and synthesized by two researchers. Living with a smoker was associated with an increased risk of MED in children by an odds ratio (OR) of 1.62 (95% CI: 1.33-1.97) for maternal postnatal smoking and by 1.37 (95% CI: 1.25-1.50) for any household member smoking. Prenatal maternal smoking (OR: 1.11; 95% CI: 0.93-1.31) and paternal smoking (OR: 1.24; 95% CI: 0.98-1.57) were associated with a nonsignificant increase in the risk of MED. The strongest effect was on the risk of surgery for MED, where maternal postnatal smoking increased the risk by an OR of 1.86 (95% CI: 1.31-2.63) and paternal smoking by 1.83 (95% CI: 1.61-2.07). The authors concluded that exposure to SHTS, particularly to smoking by the mother, significantly increases the risk of MED in childhood. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2011 Sep 5. PMID: 21893640.

Dried plum is effective in both preventing and reversing bone loss. This study was conducted to examine the extent to which dried plum reverses bone loss in osteopenic postmenopausal women. Subjects included 160 women who were 1–10 years postmenopausal and were not on hormone replacement therapy or any other prescribed medication known to influence bone metabolism. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive either dried plum (100 g/d) or dried apple (comparative control) and they also received 500 mg calcium plus 400 IU (10 μg) vitamin D daily. Bone mineral density (BMD) of lumbar spine, forearm, hip and whole body was assessed at baseline and at the end of the study using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Blood samples were collected at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months to assess bone biomarkers. Dried plum significantly increased BMD of ulna and spine compared to dried apple and compared to corresponding baseline values, only dried plum significantly decreased serum levels of bone turnover markers, including bone-specific alkaline phosphatase and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-5b. These findings confirm the ability of dried plum to improve BMD in postmenopausal women in part due to suppressing the rate of bone turnover. Br J Nutr. 2011 Sep;106(6):923-30. PMID: 21736808.

A meta-analysis was performed on epidemiologic studies to assess the relationship between β-glucan consumption from oats and barley on blood cholesterol level, triglyceride/ triacylglycerol (TGL/TAG) level, and blood glucose level (BGL) in humans. Thirty research articles were analyzed that evaluated the effect of different exposure levels of β-glucan on blood cholesterol and BGL, yielding 126 clinical studies. A significant inverse relation in total cholesterol (TC) (−0.60 mmol/L; 95% CI: −0.85 to −0.34), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (−0.66 mmol/L; 95% CI: −0.96 to −0.36), and TGL/TAG (−0.04 mmol/L; 95% CI: −0.15 to 0.07) was found after consumption of β-glucan. In contrast, an increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) was noted (0.03 mmol/L; 95% CI: −0.06 to 0.13) with a random-effect model. The analysis also showed a significant change in BGL (−2.58 mmol/L; 95% CI: −3.22 to −1.84) but since there was high heterogeneity among studies, the authors concluded that the effect of β-glucan on BGL is still inconclusive. A fixed-effect model showed a significant change in TC, LDL, and BGL but no significant changes in HDL and TGL/TAG. The dose–response model showed that a 3g/day dose of oat or barley β-glucan was sufficient to decrease TC. Nutrition. 2011 Oct;27(10):1008-16. PMID: 21470820.

The current study was conducted to evaluate the association between tobacco smoking and bladder cancer. Men (n = 281 394) and women (n = 186 134) of the National Institutes of Health-AARP (NIH-AARP) Diet and Health Study cohort completed a lifestyle questionnaire and were followed up between the years of 1995 and 2006. Previous prospective cohort studies of smoking and incident bladder cancer were identified by systematic review. Former smokers [hazard ratios (HR): 2.22; 95% CI: 2.03-2.44; number needed to harm (NNH): 1250) and current smokers (HR: 4.06; 95% CI: 3.66-4.50; NNH: 727) had higher risks of bladder cancer than never smokers. In contrast, the summary risk estimate for current smoking in seven previous studies (initiated between 1963 and 1987) was 2.94 (95% CI: 2.45-3.54). The population attributable risk (PAR) for ever smoking in this study was 0.50 (95% CI: 0.45-0.54) in men and 0.52 (95% CI: 0.45-0.59) in women. Compared with a pooled estimate of US data from cohorts initiated between 1963 and 1987, relative risks for smoking in the more recent NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study cohort were higher, with PARs for women comparable with those for men. JAMA. 2011 Aug 17;306(7):737-45. PMID: 21846855.

The objective of the current study was to examine the associations between dietary folate, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and methionine intake and the risk of breast cancer by estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) status among Chinese women. A hospital-based case–control study was conducted from June 2007 to August 2008, with 438 cases and 438 age (five-year interval)- and residence (rural/urban)-matched controls. Dietary intake information was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire administered through an interview. A significant inverse association was found between dietary folate and vitamin B6 intake and breast cancer risk. The adjusted odds ratio of the highest versus the lowest quartile was 0.32 (95 % CI: 0.21-0.49; P< 0.001) for dietary folate and 0.46 (95 % CI: 0.30-0.69; P< 0.001) for vitamin B6. No associations were observed for vitamin B12 and methionine intake. A significant inverse association between dietary folate intake and breast cancer risk was observed in all subtypes of ER and PR status. These findings suggest that dietary folate and vitamin B6 intakes were inversely associated with breast cancer risk but this inverse association did not differ by ER and/or PR status. Br J Nutr. 2011 Sep;106(6):936-43. PMID: 21736840.

In a randomized, controlled pilot study, 18 clinically stable patients (12 men and 6 women) with schizophrenia (mean age 42±13.5) in a state psychiatric facility were randomized to an eight-week Yoga Therapy program (YT) and a Waitlist group (WL). YT intervention included yoga postures, breathing exercises, and relaxation. At baseline and at eight weeks, symptomatology was measured using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Secondary efficacy outcomes were measured with the World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). The YT group obtained significant improvements in positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia symptoms compared to WL, including PANSS scores on positive syndrome (p=0.02), negative syndrome (p<0.01), general psychopathology (p<0.00), activation (p<0.04), paranoia (p<0.01), and depression subscales (p<0.02). PANSS total scores also decreased for the YT group (p<0.00). YT had improved perceived quality of life in physical (p<0.04) and psychologic domains (p<0.01). The authors concluded that adults with schizophrenia who participated in an eight-week therapeutic yoga program showed significant improvements in psychopathology and quality of life compared with controls and that these findings should be confirmed in larger, more sufficiently powered studies with active control groups. J Altern Complement Med. 2011 Jul;17(7):601-7. PMID: 21711202.