Association between dietary salt intake and reservation of renal function in patients with mild hypertension

BACKGROUND: It is now hypothesized whether restricted salt intake can be a potential precursor to renal dysfunction in mild hypertension state. We aimed to study the association between salt intake and renal function in patients with mild hypertension. METHODS: One hundred consecutive hypertensive Iranian patients (with systolic blood pressure 140-160 mmHg and/or diastolic 90-100 mmHg) who were referred to the hypertension research center, Isfahan, Iran, between 2011 and 2014 for screening of hypertension were assessed. Renal function was assessed by measuring serum creatinine (Cr) and creatinine clearance (CrCl). Daily salt intake was assessed on the basis of 24 h urinary sodium excretion. RESULTS: There was no association between the amounts of sodium intake and serum Cr concentration (r = 0.138, P = 0.174), however, an association was revealed between sodium intake and value of CrCl (r = 0.303, P = 0.003). Multivariable linear regression model showed that sodium intake could effectively predict renal function assessed by CrCl (Beta = 0.070, P = 0.016). CONCLUSION: There is an association between sodium intake and reservation of renal function in mild hypertension state and thus by restriction of dietary salt intake, reserving renal function, and preventing appearance and progression of renal insufficiency in higher degrees of hypertension can be facilitated

Prevalence of Athero sclerosis risk factors in hypertensive smokers, non-smokers and passive smokers .

یکی از مهمترین علل کاهش سن مرگ و میر ناشی از بیماریهای قلبی عروقی، افزایش شیوع پرفشاری خون و آترواسکلروزیس ناشی از آن در کشورهای در حال توسعه آسیایی و غرب آسیا نسبت به دیگر کشورهای توسعه یافته می‌باشد. امروزه مطالعات نشان داده‌اند که استعمال سیگار در کشورهای آسیایی نسبت به سایر کشورهای جهان روند رو به افزایش داشته است. هدف از این مطالعه بررسی تأثیر دود سیگار در عوارض قلبی عروقی و ریسک فاکتورهای آترواسکلروزیس در بیماران مبتلا به پرفشاری خون می‌باشد. این مطالعه یک پژوهش گذشته‌نگر بر روی 6123 نفر جمعیت مردان دارای فشارخون و افراد سالم ساکن مناطق مرکزی ایران (استان اصفهان و استان مرکزی) می‌باشد که بصورت خوشه‌ای- تصادفی از مطالعه ملی Isfahan Healthy Heart project IHHP) ( نمونه‌گیری شده‌اند. کلیه افراد از نظر سوابق بیماری قلبی عروقی، دموگرافیک، سیگاری بودن و معاینات فیزیکی فشارخون، ریت قلبی، ریت تنفسی، وزن، قد، دور شکم و آزمایشات پاراکلینیکی LDL، HDL، Col-T، TG، 2hhp و FBS مورد بررسی قرار گرفتند که اطلاعات خام بعد از جمع‌آوری در نرم‌افزار آماری SPSS 10 مورد تجزیه و تحلیل Chi-square و one-way ANOVA قرار گرفت. از 6111 نفر جمعیت مردان تحت مطالعه ساکن نواحی مرکزی 893 نفر مبتلا به پرفشاری خون و 5230 نفر سالم بودند. شیوع پرفشاری خون در منطقه شهری 5/2 برابر منطقه روستایی بود که این نسبت با اضافه شدن عامل سیگاری بودن به 5/3 برابر افزایش داشت که تفاوت معنی‌دار بود. شیوع عوامل خطرساز آترواسکلروزیس و نیز عوارض قلبی عروقی بر اساس شاخصهای موردنظر در مطالعه در مبتلایان به پرفشاری خون بطور معنی‌داری بیشتر از افراد سالم بود که این میزان در مبتلایان فشارخونی سیگاری و یا در معرض دود سیگار نسبت به غیرسیگاریها از شیوع بالاتری برخوردار بود. مقایسه گروههای سیگاری در مبتلایان به پرفشاری خون و افراد سالم نشانگر اثر مؤثر و مستقیم سیگار و دود سیگار در افزایش شیوع عوامل خطرساز آترواسکلروزیس جهت ابتلا به بیماریهای قلبی عروقی در مبتلایان به پرفشاری خون نسبت به افراد غیرسیگاری می باشد

Radiologic features of radiolucent foreign bodies ingestion in common mynah (Acridotheres tristis).

BACKGROUND In mynahs with foreign body ingestion, delayed diagnosis increases the risk of poor outcomes. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate various radiologic features on plain and contrast radiographs in mynahs for assessing the presence of ingested foreign bodies. METHODS In our cross-sectional study, a total of 41 mynahs were included. The diagnosis was made by history, surgery, excision by forceps or excretion in the faeces. Overall, 21 mynahs were considered not to have a foreign body in their gastrointestinal tract. Plain and post-contrast [oral administration of barium sulphate colloidal suspension of 25% weight/volume (20 mg/kg)] lateral and ventrodorsal radiographs from the cervical and coelomic cavity were taken. Different parameters including oesophageal, proventricular, and small intestinal diameters and opacities were assessed. Image evaluation was performed by two national board-certified radiologists blinded to the final diagnoses. RESULTS The inter- and intra-observer reliabilities of the diagnostic features were significant (p < 0.001). The diagnosis of the foreign body was highly accurate [90.2% (95% CI: 76.9%, 92.3%)] with the sensitivity, specificity, and area under the representative characteristic curve of 90.0%, 90.5%, and 0.93%, respectively for plain radiographs. The size and opacity of the oesophagus, proventriculus, and intestinal loops as well as serosal details were significantly different between mynahs with and without foreign body intake (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Lateral and ventrodorsal plain radiographs are highly reliable for diagnosing the presence of non-opaque obstructing objects in the gastrointestinal tract of mynahs. Attention should be paid to the size and opacity of the oesophagus, extension, and opacity of the proventriculus, segmental opacity of intestinal loops, and decrease in serosal details

Late clinical events of drug eluting versus bare metal stenting; OPCES' ancillary study

Objective: To compare one year clinical outcomes of patients with chronic stable angina who underwent implantation of bare metal stent (BMS) or drug eluting stent (DES). Methodology: Four hundred forty two (442) participants of OPCES study (Osvix versus Plavix in Cardiovascular Events after Stenting) were included in this sub-study. After evaluation of exclusion criteria (combined DES and BMS stenting (n=31) and incomplete data (n=48) patients were divided in two groups according to selected stent(DES or BMS). Follow-up was conducted by a structured telephone interview after 6 and 12 months. The patients' documents were reviewed by the Study Event Committee in the Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center to evaluate the occurrence of study endpoints which consisted of clinical success rate and major adverse cardiac events (Major Adverse Cardiac Events (MACE), cardiac death, non-fatal MI, target vessel revascularization and stroke) in hospital, after 6 and 12 months. Results: One hundred sixty six (45.7%) patients were in the DES and 197(54.3%) were in the BMS group. Procedural complications were seen more frequently in the DES group (1.0% vs. 4.8%, P=0.027), the prevalence of the in-hospital MACE, angiographic and clinical success rate were the same between both the groups. There was no significant difference regarding 6 and 12 months MACE rate in patients treated by BMS or DES (6 months: 1.1% vs. 0.6%, p>0.999 12 month: 3.4% vs 2.6%, P = 0.755). Conclusion: Considering the same clinical outcome and the economical parameters, use of the BMS after proper patient selection are recommended

Gender Differences in Obesogenic Behaviour, Socioeconomic and Metabolic Factors in a Population-based Sample of Iranians: The IHHP Study

This study investigated the gender differences in association of some behavioural and socioeconomic factors with obesity indices in a population-based sample of 12,514 Iranian adults. The mean body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were significantly higher in women than in men. Current and passive smoking had an inverse association with BMI among males whereas current smoking, transportation by a private car, and longer duration of watching television (TV) had a positive association with BMI among females. Current and passive smoking, cycling, and Global Dietary Index (GDI) had an inverse association with WC among males. Higher consumption of fruits and vegetables, current and passive smoking, duration of daily sleep, and GDI had an inverse association with WC among females. Using a private car for transportation had a significant positive association with WHR among both males and females. Living in an urban area, being married, and having a higher education level increased the odds ratio of obesity among both the genders. Non-manual work also increased this risk among males whereas watching TV and current smoking increased this risk among females. Such gender differences should be considered for culturally-appropriate interventional strategies to be implemented at the population level for tackling obesity and associated cardiometabolic risk factors

The Personality Congruence of Iranian Veterinary Students with Their Field of Study

Introduction: Evidence shows problems like feelings of dislike for the profession, job inconsistency, and low rate of career success have increased among the Iranian vets in the recent years. We have studied the correlation between personality congruence of Iranian veterinary students with their field of study to find the cause of the mentioned problems. Methods: In this survey study, we administered the Holland Personality-Career Test (Self-Directed Search or SDS test) to 250 students of 6 faculties of veterinary medicine including 3 state universities (Tehran, Shiraz and Shahrekord) and 3 Azad universities (Shahrekord, Karaj, and Kazeroon). Results: The personality type of the majority of the students was investigative, realistic and social, respectively. Congruence between students’ personality types and their field of study (veterinary medicine) was obtained as 59.09% for perfect congruence, 17.36% for average congruence, 12.81% for low congruence, and 10.74% for no congruence. Conclusion: On the basis of the results of this study which indicate one forth (1/4) of the students have shown low congruence or no congruence, we suggest that tests such as Holland test be used in the admittance procedure to select the most prosperous students in the future, and therefore, students themselves feel satisfied to study and work in this field,which could improve the quality of veterinary medicine in general

Carotenoids as potential antioxidant agents in stroke prevention: A systematic review

Stroke and other cerebrovascular diseases are among the most common causes of death worldwide. Prevention of modifiable risk factors is a cost-effective approach to decrease the risk of stroke. Oxidative stress is regarded as the major flexible operative agent in ischemic brain damage. This review presents recent scientific advances in understanding the role of carotenoids as antioxidants in lowering stroke risk based on observational studies. We searched Medline using the following terms: (Carotenoids [MeSH] OR Carotenes [tiab] OR Carotene [tiab] OR “lycopene [Supplementary Concept]” [MeSH] OR lycopene [tiab] OR beta-Carotene [tiab]) AND (stroke [MeSH] OR stroke [tiab] OR “Cerebrovascular Accident” [tiab] OR “Cerebrovascular Apoplexy” [tiab] OR “Brain Vascular Accident” [tiab] OR “Cerebrovascular Stroke” [tiab]) AND (“oxidative stress” [MeSH] OR “oxidative stress”[tiab]). This search considered papers that had been published between 2000 and 2017. Recent studies indicated that high dietary intake of six main carotenoids (i.e., lycopene, <- and ®-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and astaxanthin) was associated with reduced risk of stroke and other cardiovascular outcomes. However, the main mechanism of the action of these nutrients was not identified, and multiple mechanisms except antioxidant activity were suggested to be involved in the observed beneficial effects. The dietary intake of six major carotenoids should be promoted as this may have a substantial positive effect on stroke prevention and stroke mortality reduction

Association between Salt Intake and Albuminuria in Normotensive and Hypertensive Individuals

Background. There is a little published data regarding the association between salt intake and albuminuria as an important alarm for progression of cardiovascular and renal dysfunction. We aimed to assess this relationship to emphasize the major role of restricting salt intake to minimize albuminuria and prevent these life-threatening events. Methods. The study population comprised 820 individuals. Participants were assigned to groups as follows: normal albuminuria, slight albuminuria, and clinical albuminuria. Daily salt intake was assessed on the basis of 24-hour urinary sodium excretion, since urinary sodium excretion largely equals sodium intake. Results. In normotensive participants, the mean level of urine albumin was higher in those who had higher amounts of salt intake with a significantly upward trend (the mean urinary albumin level in low-salt-diet group, in medium-salt-intake group, and in high-salt-intake group was 42.70±36.42, 46.89±38.91, and 53.38±48.23, resp., (P=0.017)). There was a significant positive correlation between 24-hour urinary sodium secretion and the level of urine albumin (beta = 0.130, P<0.001). The amount of salt intake was significantly associated with urine albumin concentration (beta = 3.969, SE = 1.671, P=0.018). Conclusion. High salt intake was shown to be associated with higher level of microalbuminuria even adjusted for potential underlying risk factors

The Relationship Between Contact With Pets And Domestic Animals And Their Owners’ Mental Health And Personality Trait

Background and Aim: Today, many families either have pets or work in animal husbandry units. It is very important to investigate the mental outcomes of animal care and also to study their keepers’ personality traits. This study aims to perform a comparative examination of owners’ mental health and character specifications or those of animal husbandry units’ personnel.  Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, about 500 people were selected through available sampling technique. They had contact with animals or worked in a husbandry unit in the suburbs of Tehran. After referring to the veterinary clinic of Tehran University, they were studied using a general health questionnaire and an international personality question bank. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software as well as multivariate and follow-up tests. Results: The results of the present study show that all general mental health sub-scales except for anxiety are different in these groups. However, no difference was observed regarding responsibility and extroversion. Meanwhile, the adaptability of dog owners was lower than that of sheep owners; moreover, cattlemen were more irritable than sheep owners. Conclusion : In sum, the mental health of pet owners of the present study is at a lower level compared to that of those in other countries. It seems that the difference is due to religious and cultural differences existing between the two. &nbsp