Introduction: High-calorie diets, particularly the quality of dietary fats, are regarded as an independent risk factor for developing obesity, hyperlipidaemia, and liver diseases. The present study examined the impact of rice bran oil (RBO) on organ-specific fat deposition, lipid profile, and liver function enzymes in Long Evans rats. Methods: Long Evans rats (n=24) were fed for six weeks with a controlled high-fat diet (HFD) to induce hyperlipidaemia and abnormal liver function. Rats were then divided into two groups: one group continued feeding on HFD, and the other group was fed with a RBO diet, replacing the fat source. After six weeks of feeding, six rats from each group were sacrificed and required analytical tests were performed. The remaining obese rats (n=12) were divided into continued HFD and RBO diet, and after sacrificing, essential analytical tests were done. Results: RBO feeding to hyperlipidaemic rats for six weeks significantly reduced brown adipose tissue, abdominal adipose tissue, epididymal adipose tissue, and liver fat compared to continuing HFD group (p<0.05). Similarly, serum levels of total cholesterol, triacylglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were all decreased, whereas high-density lipoprotein cholesterol increased in response to RBO compared to HFD (p<0.05). Additionally, rats fed with RBO showed reduced alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and gamma-glutamyl transferase levels when compared with continuing HFD-fed rats (p<0.05). Conclusion: These findings suggest that RBO supports the reduction of fat storage from major fat depots, controls lipid profile, and restores healthy liver functions in rats.

Introduction: Obesity in childhood is a major cause for developing cardiovascular diseases (CVD) at adulthood. The present study was a cross-sectional research aimed to examine the relationship between childhood obesity and dietary pattern with CVD in patients (n=100) from Tangail City, Bangladesh. Methods: Dietary patterns, laboratory tests, demographic, and anthropometric interrelated data were measured in patients with stroke and heart attack from five hospitals. The research also used 24-hour recall method and a food frequency questionnaire for assessing daily energy and macronutrient intakes. Results: Weight (p=0.004), body mass index (BMI) (p=0.001), mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) (p=0.009), and waist circumference (WC) (p=0.030) was significantly different between males and females whereas lipid profile was not significantly different between genders. There were no significant associations between intakes of red meat, salt, fast food, fish, egg, nuts and seeds with heart attack and stroke. On the contrary, there were significant associations between fried food intake with heart attack and stroke (p=0.080 and p=0.020). The results indicated that there was a significant relationship between carbohydrate (p=0.001), protein (p=0.001), and fat (p=0.001) intakes with the total energy intake of respondents. The findings also showed that there was a significant relationship between carbohydrate (p=0.003), protein (p=0.001), and fat (p=0.001) intakes with body mass index of the respondents. Conclusion: CVD diagnosis in adult patients was found to be associated with fried food intake but not with childhood obesity.

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an autosomal dominant inherited genetic disease characterized by increased concentrations of low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) cholesterol in the blood. The risk of premature coronary heart disease in FH patients may increase without early treatment. Advancement in molecular biology techniques has enable early detection and diagnosis of FH. These techniques are cost-effective and have a shorter turnaround time. The current diagnostic tools available for FH diagnosis involving algorithm-based scoring criteria and various molecular diagnosis methods including next-generation sequencing (NGS), Sanger sequencing, Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) and DNA hybridisation assay are discussed in this review. However, molecular genetic testing is not widely available due to time-consuming procedures, high cost and requires trained personnel. Thus, this 36 review highlights the use of point of care (POC) testing as an approach to diagnose FH, particularly in countries lacking infrastructure and expertise in this field. Lateral flow testing (LFA) has gained attention as a POC diagnostic tool due to its simplicity, low cost and involved simple procedure and settings. The advantages of LFA made this technique a potential tool in addressing challenges in diagnosing FH, particularly for early diagnosis of family members.