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Background and objectives: Lipid abnormalities, especially high serum Lp(a) concentration, is one of the major causes of cardiovascular diseases in peritoneal dialysis patients. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of soy consumption on serum lipid and apoprotein levels in peritoneal dialysis patients. Materials and methods: The study was a randomized clinical trial in which 40 peritoneal dialysis patients (20 males and 20 females) were randomly assigned to either a soy or a control diet. The patients in the soy group received 28 g/d textured soy flour (containing 14 g soy protein) for 12 weeks, while the patients in the control group consumed their usual diet without any soy. At the baseline and at the end of the period, from each patient 5 ml blood were collected after a 12- to 14-hour fast and serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, apoAI, apoB100, Lp(a), TNF-α, albumin, and phosphorus measured. Results: The serum Lp(a) concentration in more than 86% of the peritoneal dialysis patients was above the normal range. As compared to the baseline value, the mean serum Lp(a) concentration decreased significantly by 41% (P<0.01) in the soy group at the end of 8-week period, and the reduction was significant as compared to the control group (P<0.05). The mean serum Lp(a) concentration did not change significantly in the control group. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups with regard to mean changes in the serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, apoB100, apoAI, TNF-α, albumin or phosphorus levels. Conclusion: The results of the present study indicate that soy consumption reduces serum Lp(a) concentration considerably in peritoneal dialysis patients. Therefore, it may be effective in preventing cardiovascular diseases in these patients.

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The effects of probiotic yoghurt consumption on blood pressure and serum lipids in type 2 diabetic patients: Randomized clinical trial Ejtahed H1, Mohtadi Nia J*2, Homayouni Rad A3, Niafar M4, Asghari Jafarabadi M5, Mofid V6 1- M.Sc in Nutrition Science, Faculty of Health and Nutrition, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. 2-*Corresponding author: Associate Prof, Dept. of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Health and Nutrition, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. E-mail: jmohtadinia@yahoo.com 3- Assistant Professor, Dept. of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Health and Nutrition, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. 4- Associate Professor, Dept. of endocrinal glands, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. 5- Assistant Professor, Dept. of Statistics and Epidemiology and National Public Health Management Center (NPMC), Faculty of Health and Nutrition, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. 6- M.Sc in Food Technology, Iran Dairy Industries Company, Tehran, Iran. Received 18 Mar, 2011 Accepted 10 Jun, 2011 Background and Objective:Considering the high prevalence of hypertension and dyslipidemia in type 2 diabetic patients, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of probiotic yoghurt on blood pressure and serum lipid concentrations in these patients. Materials and Methods:In this controlled, double-blind, randomized clinical trial, 60 patients (23 males and 37 females) with type 2 diabetes and an LDL-cholesterol level higher than 100 mg/dL were assigned to one of two groups. Subjects in the intervention group consumed daily 300 gr of probiotic yoghurt containing Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis, and those in the control group consumed daily 300 gr of conventional yoghurt, for 6 weeks. Dietary intakes, anthropometric measurements, blood pressure and serum lipids concentrations were measured at the baseline and at the end of the study. Statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS software, the statistical tests being analysis of covariance and paired-samples t-test. Results: Systolic and diastolic blood pressure remained unchanged in both groups, while the total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentrations decreased by 4.54% and 7.45% in the intervention group, respectively, as compared with the control values (P = 0.008 andP = 0.004, respectively). However, no significant differences were observed between the initial and final triglyceride and HDL-cholesterol concentrations in the intervention group. Conclusion:Consumption of probiotic yoghurt can decrease the total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol in type 2 diabetic patients however, it has no effect on blood pressure. This study shows that probiotic yoghurt may help reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors in type 2 diabetes. Keywords: Probiotic yoghurt, Type 2 diabetes, Blood pressure, Serum lipids

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Background and Objective: Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of death among diabetics. Strawberries have high micronutrient and phenolic compound contents, which makes them the subject of considerable interest. This study investigated the effects of freeze-dried strawberry powder (FDS) on cardiovascular complications in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients. Materials and Methods: Thirty-six subjects with T2D (23 females BMI: 27.90 ± 3.7 kg/m2 age: 51.57 ±10 yr (means ± SE)) consumed 2 cups of freeze-dried strawberry beverage (50 g freeze-dried strawberries ∼ 500 g fresh strawberries) or iso-caloric placebo powder that resembled FDS in flavor and color daily for 6 wk in a randomized-double blind controlled trial. Anthropometrics, assessment of dietary intake, HbA1c, and lipid profile were recorded at baseline and week 6 of the study. Results: Strawberry supplementation significantly decreased HbA1c (-5.5%, p = 0.002). Total cholesterol (-7.5%, p = 0.000) and the ratio of total cholesterol to high density lipoprotein (-7.1, p = 0.002) also decreased. There were no significant changes observed for low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL). Conclusion: Supplementation with FDS can be considered an adjunct therapy to ameliorate the complications of type 2 diabetes. Keywords: Type 2 diabetes, Freeze-dried strawberry powder, Serum lipids, HbA1C