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Obesity is an important feature of the metabolic syndrome and is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between body fat percentage and an imbalance of the prooxidant/antioxidant balance (PAB), serum superoxide dismutase (SOD1) and inflammation (serum hs-CRP) and increase risk of metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus. In this study, 9154 individuals were recruited as part of the Mashhad Stroke and Heart Association Disorder (MASHAD) study. Subjects were categorized into two groups according to body fat percentage as defined >25% in male and > 30% in female, according to gender. Biochemical factors, including serum PAB, SOD1, and hs-CRP were measured in all subjects. SPSS version 18 was used for statistical analyses for all. GraphPad Prism 6 for figures was used. Of total number of subjects (9154), 6748 (73.7%) were found to have a high body fat (BF) percentage. Serum hs-CRP and PAB were significantly higher in individuals with a high BF percentage (P 0.05). BF percentage, serum PAB and serum hs-CRP were significantly higher in individuals with metabolic syndrome and diabetes versus those without metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus (P < 0.05), however serum SOD1 was significantly lower in individuals with metabolic syndrome (P < 0.005). Oxidative stress and inflammation are two factors that may link the presence of high BF percentage with the development of metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. © 2018 BioFactors, 45(1):35-42, 2019.

Introduction Oxidative stress is associated with metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. Crocin, is a natural carotenoid that has anti-oxidant properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a crocin preparation extracted from saffron on a measure of serum pro-oxidant/anti-oxidant status in subjects with metabolic syndrome. Materials and methods This randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial (RCT) was carried out on 60 volunteers with metabolic syndrome. The latter was defined using the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. Participants were randomly allocated to one of two groups of 30 subjects as the intervention and control groups. The intervention group received crocin tablets for 8 weeks at a dose of 15 mg twice a day; the control group were given a placebo over the same period. Blood samples were taken before and after the intervention period. Pro-oxidant–anti-oxidant balance (PAB) assay was used to evaluate the change in serum pro-oxidant, anti-oxidant balance. Results Mean serum PAB fell by 11.7% in the intervention group ( p : 0.006), whilst there was no significant change in serum PAB in the control group ( p > 0.05). The change in mean serum PAB was statistically significant between the groups ( p = 0.014). No statistically significant differences were observed in fasting blood glucose (FBG) and blood lipid profile (including cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL and HDL) between the two groups before and after the intervention ( p > 0.05). Conclusion This study demonstrates that crocin, a derivative of saffron, at a dose of 30 mg/d can significantly reduce serum PAB in individuals with metabolic syndrome.

Obesity is one of the greatest public health concerns worldwide. Weight loss surgeries have been increased in recent decades due to the world's epidemic of obesity. The aim of this prospective study is investigating metabolic factors of morbid obese patients following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery.This was a nonrandomized prospective cohort study conducted from 2010 to 2013 on 60 consecutive patients who had body mass index (BMI) of more than 40 kg/m(2) and met the surgical indication criteria of bariatric surgery. Upon discharge, patients were followed in outpatient clinic of Qaem Hospital, Mashhad, Iran, each 3 months for 12 months. Measurement of anthropometric and metabolic indices was done in each postoperative visit.Mean BMI reduction was 15.26 ± 3.45 kg/m(2) in the patients with an average value of 28.84 ± 3.94 (range from 22 to 40 kg/m(2)), which was significantly lower than the base value (p 0.001). After a 12-month follow up, patients had lower low-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, and total cholesterol (p 0.001 for all the variables), while achieving a greater high-density lipoprotein (p = 0.004). An improvement was seen in all of hypertensive patients after a 3-month follow up and blood pressure remained within normal limit in further follow ups. Complete remission was observed in all the patients with obstructive sleep apnea.It appears reasonable that multidisciplinary treatment including surgical alternatives should be concerned for all morbidly obese patients, considering high rate of failure of conservative medical therapy in this setting.