International Journal of Preventive Medicine
Volume:4 Issue: 7, Jul 2013

The study was undertaken to investigate the effect of 50% hydro ‑ethanolic leaf extracts of Ruellia tuberosa L. and Dipteracanthus patulus (Jacq.) on lipid profile in alloxan induced diabetic rats. In lipid profile the parameters studied were serum total cholesterol, phospholipids, triglycerides, HDL‑c, LDL‑c and VLDL‑c level. Extracts were orally administered daily for 30 days at a dosage of 250 and 500 mg/kg bodyweight to alloxan induced diabetic rats. The levels of phospholipids, triglycerides, LDL‑c and VLDL‑c were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced. The HDL‑c level was found to be increased in the treatment groups. Total cholesterol level was found to be significantly (P < 0.05) decreased at 500 mg/ kg bodyweight of both the plant extracts treated groups. The results further suggests that the effect of plant extract treated groups was found to be lower in reducing the lipid levels in serum when compared to the drug (Glibenclamide 600 μg/kg body weight) treated group.

Breast cancer is one of the main causes of mortality and morbidity world-wide. The estimation of the direct medical costs of breast cancer can help payers of the cost to understand the burden of breast cancer on their limited financial resources as well as the society. We used a cross-sectional study to calculate the direct medical costs of breast cancer among women in Isfahan, Iran. The medical records of all patients which were registered in Seyed Al-Shohada Hospital between March 2005 and March 2010 were reviewed. The relevant data from patients’ profiles extracted. The direct medical costs of received services were calculated with both public and private tariffs. The total numbers of 467 patients in various disease stages were included into the study. The average age of patients was 49 years. The average direct cost per patient per month in stages I to IV were 222.17, 224.61, 316.51 and 828.52 US$, respectively. The surgery cost was the main cost driver for stages I and II with private tariffs. However for stages III and IV, the medication cost was the main cost component for managing breast cancer. The direct economic cost of breast cancer in Iran is very high; nonetheless, as the age of breast cancer in Iran is nearly 10 years lower than Western countries, the burden of the disease in Iran is expected to be significantly high. Medication therapy is the main cost component of the breast cancer.

Since cord blood triglyceride level have been reported very different in recent articles, the purpose of this study is determination of triglyceride level in cord blood of Iranian newborns and compare it with other reports. In this study, cord blood of 174 healthy term newborn infants (97 girls, 77 boys) born from healthy mothers have been used. Triglyceride level has been measured by calorie metric method Statistical analysis was performed by independent t test, Mann- Whitney regression test and Spearman correlation coefficient method using SPSS 16. 0 software (SPSS, USA). The mean of cord blood triglyceride was 1.37 ± 4.81 mg /dl and there was no statistical difference between two sexes. There was not exist linear relationship between triglyceride and weight, height, head circumference, body mass index and sex of the babies. In 8.6% of our new born infants, triglyceride levels were more than 95th percentile of triglyceride level reported in Iranian population. In 33.9% of our cases, triglyceride levels were more than 95th percentile of triglyceride level reported in the Nelson text book of Pediatrics. In this study, the 95th percentile of triglyceride level in cord blood was 132.5 mg /dl. The mean and 95th percentiles of triglyceride levels in cord blood of our newborn infants were higher than other reports. We recommend that larger studies should be conducted in this area to establish preventive ways for increasing epidemic of the metabolic syndrome.

Frequent moves at the joint, plus external factors such as trauma, aging, and etc., are all reasons for joint damages. In order to protect and care of joints, the orthopedic textiles are used. To protect the joints, these textiles keep muscles warm to prevent shock. To produce orthopedic textiles, Neoprene foams have been traditionally used. These foams are flexible and resist impact, but are not comfortable enough and might cause problems for the consumer. This study introduces a new structure consisting of perforated Neoprene foam attached to the spacer fabric and also compares the properties of thermal and moisture comfort and impact properties of this structure in comparison with Neoprene foam. In order to measure the factors related to the samples lateral pressure behavior, a tensile tester was used. A uniform pressure is applied to the samples and a force – displacement curve is obtained. The test continues until the maximum compression force is reached to 50 N. The area under the curve is much greater; more energy is absorbed during the impact. In order to investigate the dynamic heat and moisture transfer of fabrics, an experimental apparatus was developed. This device made the simulation of sweating of human body possible and consisted of a controlled environmental chamber, sweating guarded hot plate, and data acquisition system. The findings show that the Neoprene‑spacer fabric structure represents higher toughness values compared to other samples (P ≤ 0.001). Neoprene‑spacer fabric structure (A3) has higher rate of moisture transport than conventional Neoprene foam; because of undesirable comfort characteristics in Neoprene. Results of the tests indicate full advantage of the new structure compared with the Neoprene foam for use in orthopedic textiles (P ≤ 0.001).

Quercetin has been distributed in a wide range of foods, but some of its known effects in vitro, are not proven in human studies. Therefore, the aim of this study was evaluation of the effects of quercetin intake on cardiovascular risk factors and inflammatory biomarkers in women with type 2 diabetes. This double‑blind randomized clinical trial was carried out on 72 women for 10 weeks. Subjects were assigned to quercetin and placebo groups using a permutated block randomization of size two. Quercetin was given to participants as a 500 mg capsule daily. Biochemical variables were measured at baseline and at the end of the study, and changes were compared using appropriate statistical methods. Compared with placebo, quercetin intake decreased systolic blood pressure significantly (−8.8 ± 9.3 vs. −3.5 ± 11.7, P = 0.04). Although changes in diastolic blood pressure between the groups was not significant (P = 0.19), high‑density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‑C) was significantly decreased in both groups while changes in total cholesterol, low‑density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‑C), triglycerides (TG) and ratio of TG/HDL‑C and LDL‑C/HDL‑C were not significant between and within groups. Quercetin supplementation significantly reduced the serum concentration of tumor necrosis factor‑α (TNF‑α) and interleukin‑6 (IL‑6) (P = 0.01 and P < 0.0001, respectively); however, the mean changes in serum levels of IL‑6, TNF‑α, and high‑sensitivity C‑reactive protein were not significant between the groups. Quercetin supplementation reduced systolic blood pressure significantly but had no effect on other cardiovascular risk factors and inflammatory biomarkers. Considering the biological effects of quercetin in vitro, we need more studies with a stronger design and sample size with different doses of quercetin.

To analyze differences in the distributions of waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) between Polish (PL) and German (GE) children and adolescents. Two samples of children and adolescents aged 7-18 y: From PL (n = 11,326) GE (n = 8,218) participated. The two WC cut-off points (WC1 as central fat distribution and WC2 as central obesity) corresponding at age 18 to the adult criteria were determined. Furthermore, the mean WC cut-off points (WC1m, WC2m) for boys and girls aged 14-18 from both countries were evaluated. For the WHtR, values over 0.5 were used as a definition of central fat distribution. The effect of different WC and WHtR criteria on the prevalence of abdominal obesity in both study groups was evaluated. The mean and percentile values of WC and WHtR were generally higher in all German children as compared to their peers from Poland. When WC1m is used, the mean (95% CI) prevalence of central fat distribution in the 14-18 y Polish groups was lower (P < 0.05) than those from Germany (boys: 4.4% (3.6-5.2) vs. 8.9% (7.3-10.5); girls: 10.7% (9.0-12.3) vs. 26.4% (23.2-29.6)), whereas, using the WHtR > 0.5, the results were similar for boys - 6.7% (5.9-7.5) vs. 8.5% (8.1-8.9); they were significantly (P < 0.05) lower for Polish and German girls: 5.3% (5.0-5.6) vs. 12.7% (9.7-16.4). The prevalence of central obesity using WC2m as a criterion in the Polish vs. German groups was as follows: (boys - 1.1% (0.8-1.4) vs. 3.1% (2.2-4.0), P < 0.05; girls - 3.1% (2.5-3.7) vs. 10.2% (8.4-12.0), P < 0.05). The results highlight the greater central obesity associated with the German children, both in terms of WC and WHtR, in comparison to their peers from Poland. The prevalence of AO is significantly associated with the criteria used. The results demonstrate the need for the development of international WC references for pediatric subjects.

Training and continuous dynamic communication between patients and health professionals in chronic diseases like diabetes, is important. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of diabetes self-care group education and nurse- telephone follow-up on glycemic control and compliance with treatment orders in patients with type 2 diabetes attending to diabetes clinic in khomein. In this clinical trial, 62 patients with type 2 diabetes who attending to the diabetes clinic selected and were randomly assigned to experiment and control groups. Self-care group education was applied for case group (n = 31) and they were followed up using telephone calls for 12 weeks by a nurse. The control group (n = 31) received the conventional management. Demographic characteristics, compliance with treatment recommendations (diet, drug use, exercise) and blood glucose control indices were recorded before and after interventions. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 16 using independent t-test, paired t-test, Chi-square test, non-parametric tests, mixed model (ANOVA + repeated measure) and ANCOVA. The mean age of intervention and control groups was 50.9 ± 7.3 and 55.1 ± 10.1 years, respectively. Blood glucose indices (FBS, 2 hpp BS, Hb A1C) were improved in both case and control group after intervention but it was only statistically signifi cant in case group (P > 0.0001). During study, percentage of patients with very good compliance in control group decrease from 12.5% to zero (0%), whereas in experiment group these amounts increase from 6.5% to 90.3% (P > 0.0001). According to the results of the current study self-care group education and 12 weeks follow-up by a nurse using telephone causes significant improvement in metabolic parameters and adherence to treatment recommendations in diabetic patients.

Lack of data on occupational stress among Iranian industrial employees persuaded us to design and conduct this study to evaluate the prevalence and associated parameters of occupational stress among the male employees of Esfahan Steel Company, one of the biggest industrial units in Iran. In this cross‑sectional study, 400 male employees were sampled from the operational divisions of the company. Socio‑demographic data and stress‑related variables were entered into a logistic regression to determine the significant associated factors of occupational stress among the participants. Of all the samples, 53% were found as stressful. A monthly salary of less than $600 [odds ratio (OR) = 1.88, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.21-2.94], family‑related problems (OR = 2.75, 95% CI = 1.22-6.21), work environment (OR = 3.09, 95% CI = 1.78-5.33), and having a second job (OR = 2.68, 95% CI = 1.78-6.78) were significantly associated with the outcome. Attention to some variables, especially economic problems and the work environment of employees, might play a protective role against the prevalence of occupational stress, not only among the employees of ESCO, but also among all industrial employees in Iran.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of life of Neyshabour health-care staff and some factors associated with it with use of WHOQOL-BREF scale. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 522 staff of Neyshabour health-care centers from May to July 2011. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was applied to examine the internal consistency of WHOQOL-BREF scale; Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to determine the level of agreement between different domains of WHOQOL-BREF. Paired t-test was used to compare difference between score means of different domains. T-independent test was performed for group analysis and Multiple Linear Regression was used to control confounding effects. In this study, a good internal consistency (α = 0.925) for WHOQOL-BREF and its four domains was observed. The highest and the lowest mean scores of WHOQOL-BREF domains was found for physical health domain (Mean = 15.26) and environmental health domain (Mean = 13.09) respectively. Backward multiple linear regression revealed that existence chronic disease in staff was significantly associated with four domains of WHOQOL-BREF, education years was associated with two domains (Psychological and Environmental) and sex was associated with psychological domain (P < 0.05). The findings from this study confirm that the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire is a reliable instrument to measure quality of life in health-care staff. From the data, it appears that Neyshabour health-care staff has WHOQOL-BREF scores that might be considered to indicate a relatively moderate quality of life.

Postoperative shivering is very common and followed by many problems such as increasing oxygen consumption, blood pressure, intracranial and intraocular pressure, and postoperative pain. Therefore, prevention of shivering is important, especially in elderly and ischemic heart disease patients. The goal of this study was to compare the effect of pethidine (meperidine), dexamethasone, and placebo on prevention of shivering. This double-blind clinical trial study was carried out on 120 patients who were candidates for surgery under general anesthesia. The patients were randomly divided into three groups. Induction and maintenance of anesthesia for all patients were similar. Temperature of patients was measured every 5 min interval. After induction, saline 0.9%, dexamethasone and pethidine were injected to groups a, b, and c, respectively. In recovery, patients were controlled for visible shivering. All data were statistically analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Chi-square tests. There were no signifi cant differences among three mentioned groups regarding gender, age, duration of surgery and anesthesia, extubation time, duration of recovery, and basic clinical characteristics. Nineteen cases (47.5%) of placebo group had postoperative shivering, whereas in dexamethasone group only four cases (10%) had shivering and the difference between the two groups was signifi cant. Also in pethidine group, 15 cases (37.5%) had shivering and the difference with placebo group was signifi cant (P value = 0.001). The present study showed that pethidine and dexamethasone are effective drugs for prevention of postoperative shivering in elective surgery and the effect of dexamethasone in preventing the postoperative shivering is better than pethidine.

According to the literature, a large number of people working in industries and service providing personnel, such as firefighters, physicians, and nurses are shift workers. The spread of shift working in industrial societies and the incidence of the problems resulting from shift working have caused the researchers to conduct studies on this issue. The present study also aimed to investigate melatonin and cortisol circadian rhythms in the security guards of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. The present study was conducted on 20 security guards of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. In order to collect the study data, blood samples were taken from the study subjects in different times of the day (1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, and 22) and cortisol and melatonin levels were determined using the radioimmunoassay and enzyme immunoassay techniques, respectively. The results showed that as the intensity of light increased at night, the plasma cortisol level increased, as well. Besides, no statistically significant difference was found between the plasma cortisol levels in natural light and 4500-lux light. On the other hand, a significant difference was observed between the plasma cortisol levels in natural light and 9000-lux light as well as 4500- and 9000-lux lights. The study findings also showed that as the intensity of light increased at night, the plasma melatonin level decreased. In addition, a statistically significant difference was found between the plasma melatonin levels in natural light and 4500-lux light. Nevertheless, no significant difference was observed between the plasma melatonin levels in the natural light and 9000-lux light as well as 4500- and 9000-lux lights. The present study aimed to investigate the subsequences of shift working in the security guards of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences and showed that occupational exposure to bright light could affect some biological markers, such as melatonin and cortisol secretion.

High daily intake of fruit and vegetables promotes population health and is inversely associated with morbidity and mortality. Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics are among main predictors of fruit and vegetables consumption. The current study aimed to evaluate these associations using province-level data in Iran during the years 2007-2009. Data on the mean number of fruit and vegetables consumption per day in age and sex stratum at the province level from three consecutive stepwise non-communicable diseases risk factors surveys were obtained. Data about provinces’ socioeconomic status (SES) were obtained from the Statistical Centre of Iran and published reports. One-way repeated measures ANOVA and random effect linear regression models were applied for non-stratified and stratified analyses, respectively. There were substantial variations in the fruit and vegetables consumption across the country. Consumption of vegetables was higher than fruit over the study period. There were no statistically significant differences in fruit (P = 0.52) and vegetables (P = 0.14) intake among men and women. Older age was associated with lower consumption of fruit. People in the provinces with better SES consumed higher amounts of combined fruit and vegetables and this association was more profound among females. The results suggest that policies and interventions to improve the intake of fruit and vegetables in the country may be significantly beneficial, especially for older people and women in low socioeconomic groups.

We report a 42‑year‑old woman with reactive arthritis induced by bacterial vaginosis who presented with oligoarthritis with an additive form, arthralgia, and enthesitis. She hasn’t had a history of diarrhea or dysuria or vaginal secretion, or sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The laboratory tests were normal except for a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Her pelvic examination revealed homogeneous white grey and malodorous vaginal discharge on the vaginal wall and Pap smear and Gram‑stained smear of vaginal swab was consistent with bacterial vaginosis. She responded to metronidazole therapy and her six‑month follow up hasn’t shown recurrence of arthritis. As reactive arthritis (ReA) is a paradigm of a rheumatic disease in which the initiating infectious cause is known, so early use of antimicrobial drugs may prevent the development of musculoskeletal symptoms which are triggered by infections.

In females, the most common cancer is breast carcinoma in which squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a rare type of malignancy. Histologically, infiltrating ductal carcinoma is the most common type and lobular, mucinous, and medullary types have lower incidence. Pure SCC of the breast can originate from the skin, nipple, or epithelium of a deep‑seated dermoid cyst or squamous metaplasia on chronic inflammation background. We are reporting a rare case of primary SCC of the breast in a 45‑year‑old female. In follow‑up of 8 months, patient is doing well. We discussed our approach for treatment with review of the literature. We have treated this patient successfully with surgical and adjuvant chemotherapy.

The definition of health of individuals is well described by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other International Health Organizations. Many studies have also been carried out in order to survey the health conditions in different countries based on this definition, therefore, the health condition of every country analyzed by the WHO. In this hypothesis, I would like to explain “whether the health of individuals has a mathematical code or not? If so, the discovery is on the way to examine each individual based on a health profile as well as every nation in the world to find out, what must be carried out on an individual, national, and international level to increase the health rank? The aim of this hypothesis is to bring to your attention and all of the WHO directors and specialist to ask” whether the health of individuals has a mathematical code or not?” If so, the new view must be considered in regard with the health of the world population, which will be discussed in this hypothesis.

Occupational exposures to workplace hazards in health-care workers can affect on their health including the reproductive system. Some exposures cause reproductive system disorders. Objective of this study was to compare reproductive system disorders between hospital personnel who work in clinical and administrative setting. This is a historical cohort study on clinical and administrative workers of hospitals. The study tool was flexible interview and questionnaire. Pregnant personnel had been followed until the end of pregnancy. Frequency of reproductive disorders was compared between two groups. Data were analyzed with SPSS 16, t-test, and χ2 were calculated considering P < 0.05 as significant level. Odds ratio had been calculated with a confidence interval 95%. Frequency of menses disorders in clinical personnel especially, personnel of emergency departments were the highest and showed a significant difference between two groups (P = 0.042). The odds ratio for menses disorders in clinical personnel was 1.362 (1.008-1.84) and in administrative personnel was 0.653 (0.368-1.159). Clinical personnel are at higher risk for menses disorders compared with administrative personnel. Assessing the health of these personnel may help to improve future generation’s health.