Jundishapur Journal of Chronic Disease Care
Volume:3 Issue: 4, Oct 2014

Diabetes is one of the most important metabolic diseases in the world and exercise is a common advice to manage diabetes and reduce its complications.. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of resistance training on blood glucose, blood pressure and resting heart rate in males with type 2 diabetes.. In this semi-experimental study, 20 males with type 2 diabetes with mean age of 46 ± 3.4 years old who met the inclusion criteria were selected. The participants were randomly assigned into resistance training (n = 10) and control (n = 10) groups. Resistance exercise training program was performed for eight weeks, three sessions per week. Cardiovascular and biochemical parameters were measured before and after the intervention. To analyze the measured parameters changes t-test was used at P ≤ 0.05 significance level.. After eight weeks, a significant decrease in fasting blood sugar (P = 0.002), glycosylated hemoglobin (P = 0.025) and systolic blood pressure (P = 0.022) was observed in the resistance group. In addition, there was a significant difference in blood sugar (P = 0.003) and glycosylated hemoglobin (P = 0.031) between the two groups.. Findings of this study confirmed the positive influence of resistance training to control blood glucose and blood pressure in males with type 2 diabetes..

During middle age, a lot of changes happen in all physical, mental, social, and family aspects of women that may greatly affect the development of diseases and mortality risk.. This research was conducted to determine the extent of chronic diseases in middle-aged women visiting healthcare treatment centers in Ahvaz.. This was a descriptive research study carried on 1266 women of 45-64 years old who were selected using the multistage sampling method. The necessary information was collected through a self-designed questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS V21. Descriptive statistics, t test, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed at 95% level of confidence.. Results showed that 46.8% of these women had one or more chronic diseases as follows: hypertension 12.5%, diabetes mellitus 7.5%, diabetes mellitus with heart diseases or high blood pressure 8.8%, heart diseases 5.8%, heart diseases together with high blood pressure 3.5%, and other diseases 8.7%. The effect of age, number of children, death of husband, occupation, ability to look after oneself, and do housework independently, degree of education, economic status (P < 0.001), age at marriage, and ethnicity (P = 0.001), on chronic diseases were significant.. Considering our results and high prevalence of chronic diseases, especially high blood pressure and diabetes mellitus, in middle-aged women, greater attention must be paid to the screening and monitoring programs of these chronic diseases..

Clinical studies have shown that precipitation of urate crystals in joints of hyperuricemic patients could lead to systemic inflammation; however, this subject has been little explored in patients undergoing hemodialysis.. We carried out this study in order to evaluate the association of serum uric acid (SUA) levels with plasma concentrations of CRP, an inflammatory marker, and ferritin in hemodialysis patients.. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 182 hemodialysis patients in two hemodialysis wards in Iran. Required laboratory parameters, including serum levels of uric acid, C-reactive protein, lipid profiles (cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL, LDL), and ferritin were measured. Demographic data were also collected with the self-report survey. P Value less than 0.05 is considered significant.. Higher serum levels of uric acid and CRP were seen in 44% and 47% of the patients, respectively. Hyperferritinemia was observed in 80% of participants. Although there was a significant relationship between SUA level and plasma triglyceride (P = 0.007), a linear correlation indicated that SUA level had no significant association with CRP and ferritin.. Our results indicated that there is no statistical relationship between SUA level and CRP and serum ferritin. Detailed investigations with larger sample size are recommended..

Beta-thalassemia major (TM) is a chronic, genetically determined hematological disorder and affects different aspects of patient''s psychological life.. This study was designed to examine the impact of partnership care model on anxiety of adolescent with β-thalassemia in 2013.. This quasi-experimental study was performed by selecting 60 adolescent with β-thalassemia. Patients were randomly allocated into two groups of tests and control groups (each group included 30 patients) in Shahid Dastgheyb Hospital of Shiraz. The partnership care model, which consisted of four main steps of orientation, sensitization, control and evaluation, was performed for the experimental group. Data collection tool was Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) questionnaire that assessed adolescents’ anxiety before and after 3 months, which was completed by both groups. The data were analyzed using SPSS v.16 by chi-square test, paired T-test and independent T-test.. Analysis showed that there was no significant difference between the test and control groups in terms of demographic characteristics (P > 0.05). Also, There was no significant difference in anxiety score between two groups before intervention (P = 0.81). But significant difference was seen between two groups after intervention using independent T-test (P = 0.001). Pair T-test showed a significant difference in the anxiety reduction in the test group after the intervention (P = 0.001), whereas the same test showed no significant difference in the control group (P = 0.30).. Applying partnership care model can reduce level of anxiety in adolescent with β-thalassemia. Therefore, it is recommended to use this model to reduce anxiety in adolescent with β-thalassemia and adolescents with chronic diseases..

Cardiac patients need comprehensive support due to the adverse effects of this disease on different aspects of their lives. Synergy intervention is a model that focuses on patients'' requirements.. This study aimed to determine the eightfold characteristic of cardiac patients based on the synergy model that represent their clinical requirements.. In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 40 cardiac patients hospitalized at the cardiac care unit (CCU) of Yazd Afshar Hospital were randomly selected. The data were collected by using a two-part check-list including demographic characteristics and also by studying eight characteristics of patients through interviewing and reviewing their records. The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency (percentage) and analytical statistics such as Spearman and Mann-Whitney test with the SPSS software, version 18.. The results showed that among patients'' internal characteristics, reversibility (70.6%), vulnerability (68.6%), and predictability (80.4%) at level 1 (the minimum score) had the highest frequency and stability (49%) and complexity (54.9%) were at level 3 (average score). Among external characteristics participation in decision-making (80.4%) at level 1 had the highest frequency while care (62.7%) and recourses (98%) were at level 3.. Ignoring any of the eightfold characteristics based on the synergy model interferes with comprehensive support of cardiac patients. Therefore, it is necessary for professional health practitioners, especially nurses, to consider patients'' eightfold characteristics in order to provide quality care..

Thalassemia is considered an important public health problem worldwide, especially in developing and poor countries. Although several advanced techniques have been developed for prevention of thalassemia in the recent years, many adolescents and youths are still living with this disease. Independence from parents, decisions about high-risk behaviors, uncovering the identity, and adapting to mental and physical effects of the disease occur together in adolescents.. This study was conducted to explore challenges of self-management empowerment in adolescents and youths with major thalassemia.. This was a descriptive-exploratory study. The study population consisted of adolescents and youths with major thalassemia who had medical records in the Bushehr Thalassemia Center, affiliated with Bushehr University of Medical Sciences. The study samples were purposively selected. Demographic information questionnaire and empowerment questionnaire were used to collect data from the semistructured interview. We analyzed qualitative data by content analysis method and quantitative data by descriptive (mean, standard deviation) and analytical (Student''s t-test, ANOVA and Pearson’s correlation coefficient) statistical methods, using the statistical software SPSS 18.. In qualitative part of the study, data from semistructured in-depth interviews with 15 participants were coded and summarized in five themes including: 1) awareness of personal changes; 2) need for adaptation; 3) maintaining independence and self-management; 4) uncovering the identity and role playing; and 5) sense of control and satisfaction. Results of the quantitative part showed that the overall score of participants on empowerment was 92.46 of 149 scores, which showed a moderate situation in the empowerment of these individuals. In addition, the empowerment score showed no statistically significant correlation with demographic characteristics.. Given the importance of self-management in chronic diseases and age characteristics of adolescents and youths, it seems necessary to make appropriate interventions and modify self-management patterns with interventions appropriate to their needs in obtained dimensions..

Self-efficacy is a belief that one can competently cope with a challenging situation. Since self-efficacy is a strong predictor of health status in multiple sclerosis (MS), it may be an important area to target in clinical practice as such beliefs may be modifiable.. The aim of this study was to examine the association between self-efficacy and general health in MS sufferer.. In this correlation study, 100 patients with MS were selected by convenience sampling method in Farshchian Hospital, Hamadan, in 2013. Data were collected by general health questionnaire-28, and general self-efficiency. Patients completed the self-report questionnaires. Data were analyzed using SPSS 16 and descriptive statistics and Pearson and Kido’s correlation coefficient, P value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.. The mean of participants'' age was 34.5 years; they were mostly women (78%), housewives (55%), married (74%), and literate with diploma (68%). The mean of illness duration was 55.1 months. Overall, 53% of patients reported medium self-efficiency and 60% had general health at a favorable level, which showed a significant correlation between general health and self-efficiency.. Findings show that general health in patents with MS can be promoted by increasing self-efficiency, which should be included in clinical care program..

With respect to high prevalence of chronic pain in the elderly, identifying factors influencing on its management process is very important.. The present study aimed to understand this management process and its setbacks in the elderly.. The grounded theory approach using unstructured interviews and observation of participants were the main methods for data collection. Study participants consisted of 30 old people with chronic pain, 3 relatives, and 29 health care providers selected with purposive and theoretical sampling methods in Ahvaz. Sampling was continued until data saturation reached. Data analysis was performed concurrently with data gathering based on Strauss and Corbin’s proposed method. Data rigor (trustworthiness) was confirmed by Lincoln and Gubba’s approach.. Vulnerability was one of major themes extracted as parts of a Grounded Theory study results, which composed of three categories: functional impairment, disability, and limitations. Many participants had functional impairment in their mood and emotional, social, and psychological aspects and encountered a series of disabilities for doing their daily activities. Moreover, they had limitations in physical as well as environmental aspects, all of them influenced their pain management.. Chronic pain in the elderly has often been assessed and treated inadequately; therefore, attention to their problems and limitations may be useful in developing a comprehensive caring program and managing effectively their chronic pain..