Fereidoun Azizi

Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences

We aimed to investigate the effects of a multi-setting lifestyle education on men's cigarette, hookah, and passive smoking, and women's passive smoking, in Iran. Data of Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS) were used. TLGS started in 1999 with every-3-year follow-ups. Multi-stage cluster random sampling was used to recruit participants under the c...

Background We aimed to assess potential associations of habitual dietary pattern scores in relation to the risk of pre-diabetes (Pre-DM) progression to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) or the chance of returning to normal glycemia. Methods This cohort study included 334 Pre-DM individuals (mean age of 49.4 years, and 51.5% men) who participated in...

Despite solid evidence regarding the association of over-hypothyroidism with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the relationship between PCOS and subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is still a topic of debate. In the present population-based study, we aimed to assess if there is a difference between PCOS and the control group regarding the upper refere...

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare long-term outcomes in terms of new onset or worsening of GO in patients with Graves' disease treated with different therapeutic modalities for hyperthyroidism. Methods: A total of 1163 patients with Graves' disease entered this study; 263 patients were treated with radioiodine and 808 patients rece...

Background The role of higher insulinemic effects of dietary pattern and lifestyle factors on the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is not well-studied. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between the insulinemic potential of diet and lifestyle with the risk of CKD in adults. Methods A total of 6044 individuals withou...

Aim The hypothesis of the effect of the insulinogenic effects of diet on the development of cardiovascular diseases has been proposed, but the findings of previous studies are very contradictory. We investigated the association between dietary insulin index (DII) and dietary insulin load (DIL), and metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk. Another objective...

Type 2 diabetes, as a complex disorder, is one of the most prevalent endocrine disorders. Importantly, the extent of familial aggregation and heritability in Iran is unknown. The aim of the present study was to determine type 2 diabetes heritability in the Tehran families. The current research comprises 1691 diabetic and 12050 non-diabetic individu...

Background: Struma ovarii refers to rare mature cystic teratomas containing at least 50% of thyroid tissue, and malignant transformation is known to be even rarer. The synchronous development of malignant struma ovarii and cervical thyroid carcinoma are also scarce and poorly understood due to limited data about molecular features. Here, we present...

Background: Despite the favorable effects of well-known dietary patterns in the treatment of hypertension (HTN), such as the Mediterranean (MED) and Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diets, it is uncertain if adherence to these diets can reduce the risk of HTN, especially in non-Mediterranean populations. Moreover, none of the previous...

The impact of 3-year change in glycemic state on the risk of hypertension among Tehranian adults aged ≥20 years was assessed. The study population included 1679 men and 2348 women who were non-diabetic normotensive at enrollment. The following categories were defined both at baseline visit and three years later (second visit): normoglycemia [normal...

Background Data is inconsistent and, for the most part, not sufficient to demonstrate the association between serum Prolactin (PRL) concentration within the physiologic range and the incidence rate of type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) among men. Moreover, since both PRL and type 2 DM are associated with reproductive hormones, investigating these hormon...

Background We aimed to assess the gender-specific impact of 3-year changes in fasting plasma glucose (FPG) status on the risk of all-cause, cardiovascular (CV), and cancer mortality in individuals without type 2 diabetes (T2DM) during an 18-year follow-up. Methods The study population included 14,378 participants aged 30–60 years (8272 women) from...

Background To evaluate the impact of different definitions of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and their components on the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) among the Iranian population according to the World Health Organization (WHO), International Diabetes Federation (IDF), Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III), and Joint Interim Statement (JIS) criteria...

Background We assessed the sex differences in the association between blood pressure categories and glucose intolerance status with overall and ischemic stroke among Iranian adults. Methods This prospective study was conducted on 5349 individuals (2446 men) aged ≥ 40 years. Cox models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and men-to-w...

Aims To determine the rates and predictors of the regression to normoglycemia and progression to diabetes among subjects with pre-diabetes. Methods A 10-year longitudinal population-based study was conducted among 1329 participants with pre-diabetes in the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study. Pre-diabetes was divided into isolated IFG (iIFG), isolated...

Due to the central role in insulin secretion, the potassium inwardly-rectifying channel subfamily J member 11 ( KCNJ11 ) gene is one of the essential genes for type 2 diabetes (T2D) predisposition. However, the relevance of this gene to T2D development is not consistent among diverse populations. In the current study, we aim to capture the possible...

Background Lipid variability (LV) has emerged as a contributor to the incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), even after considering the effect of mean lipid levels. However, these associations have not been examined among people in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. We aimed to investigate the association of 6-year mean lipid leve...

Background/Aim This study aimed to examine the associations between dietary protein score and carbohydrate quality index (CQI) and the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Iranian adults. Methods This population-based cohort study was performed within the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study framework on 6,044 subjects aged ≥18 years old, who were fo...

We evaluated whether wrist circumference (WrC), as a novel anthropometric measure, is associated with incidences of any fractures. The study population included 8288 adults (45.3% men) aged ≥30 years, who were followed for incidences of any fractures from 31 January 1999 to 16 March 2016. We used Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for well-kno...

PurposeFat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) is considered the first locus associated with adiposity, a concerning health problem worldwide. Many studies have evaluated the relationship between the FTO variants and obesity susceptibility. While the strong association of FTO rs1421085 with the risk of obesity across populations was reported in diffe...

Background: This study compared the degree of sustained control of hyperthyroidism in patients with toxic multinodular goiter (TMNG) treated with long-term methimazole (LT-MMI) or radioactive iodine (RAI). Methods: In this clinical trial, 130 untreated patients with TMNG were randomized to either LT-MMI or RAI treatment. Both groups were followe...

The Tehran Cardiometabolic Genetic Study (TCGS) is a large population-based cohort study with periodic follow-ups, which created a comprehensive database of 20,367 participants born between 1911-2015 selected from 4 different longitudinal, ongoing, and family-based studies. The study aims to identify the potential targets for prevention and interve...

Objective To assess the relationship between glucose intolerance statuses at baseline defined as normal glucose tolerance (NGT), pre-diabetes, newly diagnosed (NDM) and known diabetes mellitus (KDM) and all-cause hospitalization among Iranian men and women during 20 years of follow-up.Research design and methods This study included 8,014 individual...

Background Identifying patterns of variation in obesity indices and other cardiometabolic risk factors before the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes could provide insight into the critical period when drastic changes occurred and facilitate targeted interventions for the prevention of diabetes. Therefore, this study sought to explore patterns of change i...

Background The potential effects of dietary oxalate (Ox) intake on cardio-renal function have remained unestablished. We evaluated the effect of usual Ox intake and its interaction with dietary calcium (Ca) on incident hypertension (HTN) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods Adult men and women, free of HTN and CKD at baseline (2006–2008), wer...

Previous epidemiologic studies debated the association of body mass index (BMI) trends with cardiovascular disease and mortality. This study aimed to evaluate the association of BMI variability and slope with the incidence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in a sex-stratified 15.8-year follow-up in the population-based Tehran Lipid and Glucose Stu...

Objectives: This study aimed to identify body mass index (BMI) trajectories from childhood and their relationships with depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in young adulthood. Methods: A total of 687 children aged 4-18 years were recruited from the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS). Throughout 18 years of follow-up, BMI was measured eve...

Background Preventing overweight in childhood and subsequent stages of life is still a global challenge. Despite numerous relevant lifestyle interventions, data on their impact on different BMI change pathways over time is rare. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of a multi-setting lifestyle intervention on BMI trajectories from chil...

Abstract Background C-peptide offers potential as a marker to indicate childhood metabolic outcomes. Measuring C-peptide concentration might have better future utility in the risk stratification of neonates born to overweight or diabetic mothers. Prior research has tried to bring this matter into the light; however, the clinical significance of the...

Background We aimed to determine the predictors of regression to normoglycemia and progression to diabetes among subjects with pre-diabetes in a single model concurrently. Methods The present study included 1329 participants aged 20 to 70 years with prediabetes from the population-based cohort of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study, with a 10-year...

Background Waist circumference (WC) is representative of abdominal visceral fat, which is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its’ outcomes. We aimed to define WC thresholds predicting incident CVD and all-cause mortality within each body mass index (BMI) categories in Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study. Methods In this prospecti...

Background: The association between consumption of dairy products and risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is under debate. We aimed to determine the potential effects of total and subtypes of dairy intake on the occurrence of CKD. Methods: This study was conducted within the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS) on 2416 CKD-free adults. At base...

Background Among candidate genes related to type 2 diabetes (T2DM), one of the strongest genes is Transcription factor 7 like 2 (TCF7L2), regarding the Genome-Wide Association Studies. We aimed to conduct a systematic review of the literature on the modification effect of TCF7L2 on the relation between glycemic parameters and lifestyle factors. Me...

Inulin is a prebiotic and has beneficial effects on health, such as improving the immune function, lipid profile, and gut microbiota. Some previous studies have assessed the effects of inulin supplementation on cardiometabolic diseases, but the relationship between dietary inulin and these diseases has not been investigated yet. Thus, this survey w...

Background: A limited number of studies have investigated the impact of idiopathic hirsutism (IH) on cardio-metabolic parameters with contradictory and inconclusive results. This study aimed to explore the effect of IH on metabolic outcomes. Method: In this population-based prospective study, 334 women with IH and 1226 women as healthy controls...

Background: Despite the achievements of the national program for the prevention and control of diabetes (NPPCD) over the past two decades, the available evidence indicates a high prevalence of this disease in Iran. This qualitative study aims to investigate barriers to the NPPCD by pursuing the perspectives of relevant policy-makers, planners, and...

Background We investigated the impact of weight change on mortality in a population-based cohort setting. Methods We conducted two weight measurements for 5436 participants aged ≥ 30 years with an approximate 3-year interval. Based on their weight change, we categorized participants to: > 5% weight loss, 3–5% weight loss, stable weight (± < 3%), 3...

Introduction The aim of this study was to assess the prospective association between diet quality and risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Research design and methods Eligible adults (n=7268) were selected from among participants of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study with an average follow-up of 6.6 years. Dietary intakes were assessed using a valid and...

Background: Body dissatisfaction has been known as an important public health concern that can influence the physical and psycho-social health of adolescents. Hence, health professionals need a valid and reliable tool to assess this problem and its related factors in youth. This study aims to develop and assess the psychometric properties of an in...

Menopause is influenced by various factors including age, lifestyle, and environmental factors. Whether long-term exposure to ambient air pollutants is associated with a decrease in menopausal age requires further study. In this study, we investigated the association between ambient air pollutants with decreasing menopausal age in women participati...

Background: To assess the gender-specific impact of 3-year changes in fasting plasma glucose (FPG) status on the risk of all-cause, cardiovascular (CV), and cancer mortality in individuals without type 2 diabetes during an 18-year follow-up. Methods: The study population included 14,378 participants aged 30-60 years (8272 women) from three populati...

Purpose The current study aimed to investigate the effects of legumes inclusion in the hypocaloric dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet on fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and cardiometabolic risk factors in overweight and obese patients with type 2 diabetes over 16 weeks. Also, the modulatory effects of rs7903146 variant in the transcri...

Background Unlike overt thyroid diseases, the impacts of subclinical thyroid dysfunction, especially subclinical hyperthyroidism (SH), on adverse pregnancy outcomes are inconclusive. Objective We aimed to investigate the effect of maternal SH on adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes based on urinary iodine concentration (UIC). Methods A secondar...

Background Complicated pregnancies by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and hypertensive disorder of pregnancy (HDP) are relatively common worldwide. The evidence is still inconclusive regarding the role of GDM and HDP as spousal risk factor of diabetes (DM) and hypertension (HTN). This study aimed to determine the spousal risk of development of...

Background: There is limited evidence regarding the impact of pregnancy loss on the subsequent risk of metabolic disorders. We aimed to investigate whether history of pregnancy loss is associated with the subsequent risk of prediabetes (pre-DM), diabetes (DM), and metabolic syndrome (METs) among couples. Method: In this population-based cohort s...

Background: Data are scarce for the lifetime risk of diabetes in the Middle East and North Africa region countries. We estimated the lifetime risk of type 2 diabetes among Iranian adults at age 20 and 40 years, and their variation by family history of diabetes and body mass index (BMI). Methods: The data from 8435 diabetes-free participants from...

To examine the associations between long-term exposure to five major air pollutants including SO2, PM10, O3, NO2, and CO, and incident dysglycemia, impaired fasting glucose (IFG), and diabetes, separately. A total of 4254 (1720 men) normoglycemic individuals aged 20–69 years at baseline were followed from 2001 to 2018 every 3 years. To measure the...

Background and aims The association between obesity severity and duration with the transition from metabolically healthy obese/overweight (MHO) phenotype to metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO) phenotype is not well understood. Methods and results This study includes the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study participants who were initially classed as MHO....

Objective To quantify the association between ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics and incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) including different subtypes [coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and sudden death], and all-cause mortality in an Iranian population. Methods The study population included 6,388 participants (2,726 men) aged 48.0 ± 1...

Objective The aim of this study was to compare "time to euthyroidism" and "time spent in euthyroidism" following MMI and RAI treatment. Methods 358 hyperthyroid patients,178 with long-term MMI, and 180 patients with RAI treatment were analyzed. The time to normalization of increased serum fT4 and T3 values and suppressed serum TSH values, and perc...

Introduction To examine the associations between low-density and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C and non-HDL-C, respectively) with incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) in low-risk subjects. Materials and Methods From a total of 2476 non-diabetic aged 40-70 years, free of CVD with LDL-C range 1.81 ≤LDL-C< 4.91 mmol/L with 10-year a...

Background: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between personal and clinical characteristics of adults in the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS) with depression, anxiety, and stress. Methods: Data of 2272 adults participating in the 6th phase of TLGS were used for univariate analysis to investigate the association between socio-dem...

Context: Findings from studies evaluating adverse pregnancy outcomes in pregnant women with subclinical hyperthyroidism are conflicting and inconclusive. Objectives: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, our aim was to evaluate the pooled odds ratio (OR) of adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with subclinical hyperthyroidism, compared to...

Background Although both observational and interventional studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of the Nordic diet on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, the association between adherence to this diet and CVD incidents is unknown. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to investigate the association between adherence to the Nor...

This study aimed to investigate the interaction of the Healthy eating index (HEI) and the dietary approach to stop hypertension (DASH) diets with FTO polymorphisms in relation to obesity traits. A total of 4480 subjects aged ≥18 years were selected from participants of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study and followed-up 3 years. Selected polymorphis...

Purpose The association between long-term BMI changes since childhood and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in adulthood is still unclear. This study aimed to examine the association between identified BMI trajectories and HRQoL. Methods A population-based cohort of 1938 eligible children (3–18 years) and their parents have been repeatedly fo...

Background Visceral obesity is a significant predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Diet may associate with CVD risk through its effects on visceral adiposity. This study aimed to find dietary patterns (DPs) related to indicators of visceral adiposity and to determine whether the DPs were associated with CVD risk. Methods This prospective stud...

Aim This study aimed to evaluate the association of meats and their substitute food group intakes, including nuts, eggs, and legumes, with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods For this secondary analysis, we selected eligible adults ( n = 6,112) from the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study participants with a median follow-up of 6.63 years. Expert nutritioni...

Background: The incidence and associated risk factors for premature death were investigated in a population-based cohort study in Iran. Methods: A total of 7245 participants (3216 men), aged 30-70 years, were included. We conducted Cox proportional hazards models to identify the risk factors for premature death. For each risk factor, hazard ratio (...

Ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) is associated with a lower risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. This study aims to investigate the association of CVH metrics with carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) as a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis in young adults. A cross-sectional study was performed on 1295 adults, average age of 29.7 ± 4.0...

Aim: Few studies considered the association between snack patterns and metabolic abnormalities. Here we aimed to characterize the major snack patterns among Iranian adults and determine their association with the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components. Methods: This study was conducted on 1713 MetS-free adults who participated in the...

Background The long-term effectiveness of healthy lifestyle interventions on improving leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) in adolescents and its factors in low- and middle-income communities is unclear. This study is the first to investigate LTPA trends in a population of Iranian adolescents who underwent a multi-setting lifestyle intervention,...

The immune suppression present in pregnancy is gradually lost following delivery and may be followed by exacerbation of autoimmune thyroid disease. Two conditions, namely postpartum thyroid dysfunction (PPTD) and Graves’ disease, are the most frequent causes of thyrotoxicosis during postpartum period. PPTD may present with hyperthyroid state 1–6 mo...

Backgrounds This randomized controlled trial aimed to investigate the effects of replacing red meat with legumes in the dietary approach to stop hypertension (DASH) diet on inflammatory markers over 16 weeks in overweight and obese individuals with type 2 diabetes. Also, the modulatory effects of TCF7L2 rs7903146 variant on this effect were assesse...

Background Previous studies have cited insulin-related disorders, including hyperinsulinemia, as one of the main causes of obesity risk and metabolic disorders. We aimed to investigate the association of the Empirical Dietary Index for Hyperinsulinemia (EDIH) and Empirical Lifestyle Index for Hyperinsulinemia (ELIH) with the risk of obesity phenoty...

Background This study aimed to investigate the effects of legumes in dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) on blood pressure and urinary sodium and potassium in participants with type 2 diabetes. We further investigated whether changes in individual dietary food groups in the DASH diet contribute to blood pressure. Methods Participants we...