Study population
We conducted a nested cross-sectional study within PERSIAN (Prospective
Epidemiological Research Studies in Iran) cohort study. The original
objectives of the cohort were to assess and improve the health of
Mashhad University of Medical Sciences Staff. For the current study, 658
healthy Iranian adult participants (321 men and 337 women) from the
PERSIAN Organizational Cohort study in Mashhad University of Medical
Sciences. This population-based prospective organization cohort study
was conducted among 10000 randomly selected participants aged 30-70
years in Mashhad, Iran (2017–2020) as part of the “Persian cohort”
research project. Additional details about the PERSIAN Cohort Study
explained elsewhere (13). Exclusion criteria were: self-report of
previous cardiovascular disease and those with the presence of diabetes,
history of severe diseases (All types of cancer, Estrogen Replacement
Therapy, drug abuse or major psychiatric illness), using regular
supplementation with any of the vitamins or minerals, pregnancy and
lactating, clinical conditions that could hamper hemodynamic
measurements (absence of femoral pulse, systolic BP < 90 mmHg)
and other factors that may have influenced AS like extreme beliefs or
behavior related to diet. The Ethics Committee of the Mashhad University
of Medical Sciences approved this study (Code of Ethics:
IR.MUMS.MEDICAL.REC.1397.322). All participants signed a consent form
approved by the ethics committee.