Repository of Research and Investigative Information
Not a member yet
797 research outputs found
Sort by
Triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholestrol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratios are predictors of cardiovascular risk in Iranian adults: Evidence from a population-based cross-sectional study
Get PDFBackground: The superiority of TG/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C ratios in predicting  CVD risk is a matter of debates. Thus, the objective of this study was to compare TG/HDL-C and LDL-C to HDL-C ratios in predicting the risk of CVD events. Methods: In a population-based cross-sectional study, 567 representative participants aged 40 years or older were entered in the study in Babol, North of Iran. The demographic data, anthropometric measures, and the cardio metabolic risk factors were measured. The individual risk of CVD events was assessed by ACC/AHA risk model. ROC analysis was applied to estimate the diagnostic accuracy and the optimal cut-off points of TG/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C ratios. Results: The AUC of TG/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C ratios were rather similar and both parameters significantly predicted CVD risk in men comparably, and TG/HDL-C at optimal cutoff point of 3.6 produced 75 sensitivity and 39 specificity. However,in women TG/HDL-C with AUC of 0.65( p= 0.091) at optimal cutoff value of 3.4  produced a sensitivity of 82 and specificity of 51. The LDL-C/HDL-C ratio had no discriminative ability in predicting CVD risk in women. The adjusted OR of TG/HDL-C at 2nd quartile was significant (OR=3.22, 95CI:1.25-8.29) and a greater association was found with 3rd and 4rth quartiles Conclusion: Both TG/HDL–C and LDL-C/HDL-C ratios comparably predict CVD risk in men, whereas in women only TG/ HDL-C is a significant predictor but not LDL-C/HDL-C.  
The use of urinary Insulin-like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I) for determining skeletal age of participants
Get PDFIntroduction: Biochemical markers play an important role in the growth and repair of bone and can be evaluated in different biological fluids. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the level of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in urine as a puberty index and to compare it with cervical vertebral maturational stages (CVMSs) in lateral cephalometry.
Materials&Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 50 8-18-year-old patients (males and females), referred to Faculty of Dentistry with CVMS of 2 to 6 and needed orthodontic treatment as well as lateral cephalometry were selected. All of these patients were healthy. The CVMSs were recorded based on lateral cephalometric radiographs and urinary levels of IGF-I was determined using a urine-based ELISA kit. Mean IGF-I values for each CVMS were analyzed by Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis and Chi-square tests in SPSS. P<0.05 was statistically considered as significant level.
Results: In this study, the mean age of participants, ranged from 8 to 18 years was 12.96±3.82. There was no statistically significant difference in gender distribution between CVM groups (P=0.106). The level of urinary IGF-I had no significant difference between groups, except for CVMS3 group (P=0.073). In CS3, the mean urinary IGF-I level was 0.2727, representing a significant difference from other groups (P=0.000). IGF-I levels had no significant differences between males (0.030.04) and females (0.080.011), (P=0.492).
Conclusion: The highest urinary IGF-I level was found in both genders in CVMS 3 and 4, which coincided with peak growth spurt in patients
Evaluating the Implementation of Family Physician Program in Urban and Rural Areas of Mazandaran Province Based on Process Approach
Get PDFBACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Assessing health systems paves the way for reforms in structures and processes to achieve better results. Therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate the implementation of family physician program in urban and rural areas of Mazandaran province using process approach.
METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2017 among 238 managers, health experts and health insurance experts who were selected by census from 12 cities. Data were collected and evaluated using a researcher-made questionnaire with high validity and reliability, which evaluates urban and rural family physician program in three domains of structure, process and outcomes.
FINDINGS: The mean score of the domain of structure (4.27±27.38), process (4.33±0.41) and outcomes (4.31±0.39) of rural family physician program was significantly higher than urban family physician program (p<0.001). In the urban family physician program, the most important dimension in the domain of structure was equipment (3.35±0.76), in the domain of process was care for non-communicable diseases (3.15±1.06) and in the domain of outcomes was reasonable prescription of medicine (3.07±1.02). In the rural family physician program, the most important dimension in the domain of structure was physical space (4.41±0.60) and in the dimensions of process and outcomes, the health of mothers and children (4.20±0.90) and the improvement of health promotion indicators (4.33±0.76) were more important, respectively.
CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this study in three domains of structure, process and outcomes, the rural family physician program was relatively better than the urban family physician program
The Relationship between Depression and Periodontal Indices in the Elderly in Amirkola
Get PDFBACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Chronic periodontitis is a slow-growing inflammatory disease that often occurs in adults. In the elderly, periodontal indices may also change due to a number of psychological factors, such as depression and consequent changes in cortisol levels. Therefore, this study was performed to investigate the relationship between depression and periodontal indices in the elderly in Amirkola, Northern Iran.
METHODS: This case-control study, which is part of the second phase of the Amirkola Health and Ageing Project (AHAP) to investigate the health status of the elderly in this city, was performed on 300 elderly people. After examination, subjects were divided into two groups: periodontitis (n=100) and control (n=200). In both groups, the presence of depressive symptoms was assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), in which a score of 5 or higher is a sign of depression, and periodontal indices including OHIS and PDI were examined based on PDI≥4 periodontitis criterion. Then, the two groups were compared in terms of the association between periodontal indices and depression.
FINDINGS: In this study, 133 were female (44.3%) and 167 were male (55.7%). 35 patients (35%) in the case group and 61 patients (30.5%) in the control group had symptoms of depression. The mean GDS score in patients with periodontitis (3.70±3.68) was slightly higher than healthy individuals (3.49±3.40), but no significant correlation was observed between GDS and PDI. Old age, male gender, lower level of education and smoking were higher in patients with periodontitis, which was statistically significant only in smoking and level of education (p=0.042 and p=0.009, respectively). In this study, a positive and weak relationship was observed between age and PDI (r=0.19 and p=0.001).
CONCLUSION: The results showed that there is a relationship between periodontal indices and depression. Although it was not statistically significant, it is clinically noteworthy
C-Reactive Protein Level in Admission and the Outcome of Stroke Survivors
Get PDFBACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Elevated CRP level is independently associated with the excessive risk of ischemic stroke. However, there is currently no consensus on the use of CRP in detecting and tracking the progression of cerebrovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between CRP and outcome in stroke patients.
METHODS: This was an analytical cross-sectional study. Patients admitted with diagnosis of ischemic stroke were enrolled. Demographic, and clinical characteristics, medical history, drug abuse and tobacco use and severity of stroke (National Institute of Health Stroke Scale) were completed in checklist.
FINDINGS: Of the total 214 patients, the serum CRP levels in 122 cases (57%) were positive. The mortality during the first week of hospitalization included 17 cases (8%). The differences in CRP serum level with underlying disease such as Diabetes Mellitus (82 cases (51%) of positive CRP vs. 77 cases (49%) of negative CRP, p= 0.007) and Hypertension (59 cases (50.4%) of positive CRP vs. 58 cases (49.6%) of negative CRP, p=0.03) were statistically significant. In addition, high CRP was seen in 10 thrombotic (91%) and 4 embolic (67%) of stroke expire patients (p= 0.034). The difference in CRP serum level in mortality cases was statistically significant (14 cases (82%) of positive CRP vs. 3 cases (18%) of negative CRP, p= 0.032).
CONCLUSION: The positive CRP serum level at the admission was accompanied by more severity of disability in stroke survivor. Checking serum level of CRP in admission is suggested for predicting disability and mortality rate during the first week of post-stroke hospitalization
Psychometric Properties of Persian Version of Prenatal Health Behaviors
Get PDFBACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Health behaviors, includes physical activity, nutrition, spiritual growth, responsibility, interpersonal relationships, and stress management. Since there is no specific tool for measuring the health behaviors of Iranian pregnant women, this study was conducted for the first time in the Iranian population in order to psychoanalyze the Persian scale of prenatal health behaviors scale.
METHODS: This cross-sectional psychometric study was performed on 200 pregnant women in Babol and Amol pregnancy clinics by available sampling method. During the pregnancy care visit, women with a gestational age of 14 weeks or more completed demographic questionnaires and pregnancy health behaviors with a score range of 0-48. Scale psychometrics were performed using Cronbach's alpha and internal consistency obtained from retesting, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and with Amos software.
FINDINGS: The mean health-promoting behaviors of pregnant women were 24.8±5.5 and destructive health behaviors were 23.7±14.2. The results of factor analysis showed that this scale in Iranian pregnant women has four domains of behavioral habits / destructive health nutrition, behavioral habits / health promoting nutrition, physical health promoting activities, destructive physical health habits with explained variance of 65.13%. Intra-cluster correlation index in all four areas of the questionnaire and also the total score of the test was above 0.9, which confirms the repeatability of this test.
CONCLUSION: According to the results of this study, the Persian scale of pregnancy health behaviors has a validity and reliability to assess the health and destructive behaviors of pregnant women in Iranian society and can be used in clinical and research situations
Comparison of Facial Soft Tissue Thickness in Males and Females and Class I Skeletal Pattern
Get PDFBACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Proportional relationship between different facial structures, including soft tissue thickness and dental and skeletal components, is the key to beauty. Today facial soft tissue harmony is the primary goal of orthodontic treatment, unlike the past which focused only on hard tissue and dental occlusion. The aim of this study was to measure facial soft tissue thickness in the northern population of Iran with class I skeletal pattern in lateral cephalometry and compare these values between males and females to use the results in orthodontic treatment and craniofacial reconstructions.
METHODS: In this cross-sectional research, 180 lateral cephalometry of 77 male and 103 female, aged between 18-24 years who had referred to private orthodontic offices, were traced on acetate paper. Then, 10 anatomical variables were measured in Glabella, Nasion, Rhinion, Subnasal, Upper lip, Stomion, Lower lip, Labiomental region, Pogonion and Menton parallel to the Frankfurt plan.
FINDINGS: Facial soft tissue thickness in males was significantly higher than females in Nasion (male=5.65±1.55, female=4.38±1.47), Rhinion (male=3.07±0.64, female=2.5±0.57), Subnasal (male=16.39±2.55, female=14.05±1.44), Upper lip (male=15.51±2.29, female=13.57±1.64), Lower lip (male=16.48±1.85, female=14.64±1.39), Labiomental (male=11.02±1.46, female=10.49±1.67) and Pogonion (male=11.4±1.64, female=10.32±1.77) (p<0.05).
CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this study, there was a significant difference in facial soft tissue thickness between the two genders in the north Iranian population so that males had more facial soft tissue thickness than females in most of the areas
Pre and post chemotherapy evaluation of breast cancer patients: Biochemical approach of serum selenium and antioxidant enzymes
Get PDFBackgrounds: Chemotherapy for treatment of breast cancer uses some drugs to target and destroy the cancer cells. However, most of antineoplastic treatments are non-specific and the innate cells will be damaged. In this study, the effect of Adriamycin/Cytoxan (AC) chemotherapy on status of antioxidant enzymes and Se levels in breast cancer patients was evaluated. Methods: A prospective study, includes 50 breast cancer patients treated with AC chemotherapy (Adriamycin 60 mg/m2, Cytoxan 600 mg/m2) from July 2016 until March 2017. First sampling was obtained before chemotherapy and the second, after 3 cycles of the intervention. Antioxidant enzyme activities (Catalase, Glutathione Peroxidase, Glutathione Reductase and Superoxide Dismutase) and Selenium (Se) levels in serum were measured by spectrophotometry and atomic absorption methods, respectively. Age, BMI, familial history, stage and grade of cancer, tumor site, type of surgery, Estrogen, Progesterone and HER2 receptors, were recorded from each patient. Paired-t test was employed for comparing the data before and after chemotherapy. Age and disease stages were compared by independent t-test. Results: After 3 courses of chemotherapy, a significant decrease was observed in antioxidant enzymes and also Se (P<0.001). These studied indices were not significant in different age groups (≤48, >48) and stages of disease (early, advanced). Conclusions: Our findings show that the AC chemotherapy in the breast cancer patients result in drastic changes in oxidant/antioxidant system of the body, specially reduction of Se levels and antioxidant enzymes activities. However, it seems that these changes are not necessarily dependent on the age and disease stage
Delayed phases of contrast MRI, can it be valuable in multiple sclerosis active phase diagnosis?
Get PDFBackground: Observing the enhancing plaques in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is one of the most valuable diagnostic modalities in confirming the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS), its recurrence and for better detection of active disease. Since active lesions discovery can improve designating diffusion in time diagnosis of MS and controlling disease activity, and there is not any definite time for delay image acquisition, therefore, the aim of the current study was to evaluate the enhancement of MS plaques in different delayed phases. Methods: In this interventional study, after receiving written consent, 40 MS patients with at least one enhancing plaque in a previous MRI were evaluated in Babol Ayatollah Rouhani Hospital. Gadolinium was injected to all patients at the dose of 0.1 mg/kg, and MRI was taken at 5 and 15 minutes. The results were analyzed using SPSS 23. A p<0.05 was considered as significant level. Results: The mean of plaque signal intensity was 1190.20 and 1349.60 at 5 and 15 min, respectively, and this difference was significant (p<0.001). Moreover, the mean of plaque total size was 5.16 cm and 7.04 cm at 5 and 15 min with significant difference, respectively (p<0.001). The mean of plaque number was 1.92 and 2.58 at 5 and 15 min, respectively, which was significantly different (P<0.001). Conclusion: The results indicated improvement in detection of MS plaques in images taken in the delayed phase compared to those in the early phase. The plaque intensity, size and number were significantly higher in the delayed phase (15 min), than early phase (5 min)
A case of severe pulmonary hypertension associated with common arterial trunk and VSD in a 9 years old child
Get PDFBackground: Common arterial trunk (CAT) is a rare congenital heart disease, and often leads to the early development of pulmonary hypertension and disability. Among the critical structural heart defects, the frequency of CAT is 3, which reflects the severe hemodynamic disturbances. The natural course of the disease is characterized by a high mortality rate up to 88 during the first year of life. We introduce a patient with common arterial trunk disease. Case presentation: The article describes a case of a 9-year old boy with a diagnosis of type I common arterial trunk (CAT) that rejected recommendations of many physicians for many years. At 7 months, the baby was diagnosed as CHD and at 3 years, a cardiac catheterization was performed and the final diagnosis was common arterial trunk, type I with defect of interventricular septum and pulmonary hypertension. During, parents refused the operation. The health status of the last examination was bad due to high pulmonary hypertension and chronic arterial hypoxemia. Drug therapy continued with bosentan, sildenafil, captopril, kudesang, spironolactone and aspirin Conclusion: The late detection of children with CAT or late surgery leads to the rapid progression of pulmonary hypertension and significantly reduces the patientchr('39')s chances for performing surgical correction of the defect