Prevalence and predictors of low back pain among the Iranian population: Results from the Persian cohort study

Background and objectives: Low back pain (LBP) is a common health condition in populations. Limited large-scale population-based studies evaluated the prevalence and predictors of LBP in developing countries. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and factors associated with LBP among the Iranian population. Methods: We used baseline information from the Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in Iran (PERSIAN), including individuals from 16 provinces of Iran. LBP was defined as the history of back pain interfering with daily activities for more than one week during an individual's lifetime. Various factors hypothesized to affect LBP, such as age, sex, marital status, educational status, ethnicity, living area, employment status, history of smoking, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, sleep duration, wealth score, history of joint pain, and history of morning stiffness in the joints were evaluated. Results: In total, 163770 Iranians with a mean age of 49.37 (SD = 9.15) were included in this study, 44.8% of whom were male. The prevalence of LBP was 25.2% among participants. After adjusting for confounders, the female gender [OR:1.244(1.02-1.50)], middle and older ages [OR:1.23(1.10-1.33) and OR:1.13(1.07-1.42), respectively], being overweight or obese [OR:1.13(1.07-1.19) and OR:1.21(1.16-1.27), respectively], former and current smokers (OR:1.25(1.16-1.36) and OR:1.28(1.17-1.39), respectively], low physical activity [OR:1.07 (1.01-1.14)], and short sleep duration [OR: 1.09(1.02-1.17)] were significantly associated with LBP. Conclusion: In this large-scale study, we found the lifetime prevalence of LBP to be lower among the Iranian population in comparison to the global prevalence of LBP; further studies are warranted to evaluate the causality of risk factors on LBP

Comparison of topical 5% nicotinamid gel versus 2% clindamycin gel in the treatment of the mild-moderate acne vulgaris: A double-blinded randomized clinical trial

Background: Acne vulgaris is considered one of the most common disorders for which patients seek dermatologic care. In the current study, we evaluated efficacy of the 5% nicotinamide gel versus 2% clindamycin gel in the treatment of the mild-moderate acne vulgaris. Materials and Methods: This was a randomized, controlled clinical trial that was performed in 2009-2010. Sixty female patients with mild or moderate acne vulgaris were recurited to be treated either with 5% nicotinamide or 2% clindamycin gel for 8 weeks. Acne severity index (ASI) was used to evaluate response to treatment and SPSS software was used to analyze the data. Results: The mean of ASI at the baseline was 16.85 ± 8.5 and 18.2 ± 12.27 in nicotinamide gel and clindamycin gel, respectively (P > 0.05). The mean of ASI was significantly decreased compared with baseline ASI during the time in both groups (P < 0.0001). However, there was not a significant difference regarding reduction of ASI between the nicotinamide and clindamycin gel (P = 0.583). Conclusion: Five percent nicotinamide gel is as effective as 2% clindamycin gel for treatment of mild to moderate acne vulgaris. No side effect was observed during the treatment

Efficacy of topical azelaic acid gel in the treatment of mild-moderate acne vulgaris

Background: Twenty percent azelaic acid gel is recommended as a topical treatment for acne due to its favorable profile. Aim: Our objective in this study was to evaluate the efficacy of 20% azelaic acid gel in the treatment of mild to moderate acne vulgaris. Methods: This was a double blind, randomized clinical trial. Sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris were selected randomly to receive either azelaic acid gel or the vehicle gel alone. Patients were followed up every 15 days for a period of 45 days. The number of lesions and the acne severity index (ASI) were recorded and compared using Student's t-test. Results: Total lesion count was reduced by 60.6% and 19.9% by azelaic acid gel and the placebo respectively (P =0.002). ASI was reduced by 65.2% and 21.3% by azelaic acid gel and the placebo respectively (P =0.001), i.e., azelaic acid gel was 3.06 times more effective than the placebo in reducing ASI. Conclusion: Azelaic acid gel can be used as an effective treatment in mild to moderate acne vulgaris

Serological surveillance of bluetongue virus in cattle in central Iran

The aim of this study was to evaluate the seroprevalence and distribution of antibodies to the bluetongue virus (BTV) among dairy Holstein cattle of central Iran. From September 2010 to August 2011, 892 blood samples from Holstein dairy cattle were collected from healthy animals. Blood samples were divided according to type of farm (industrial and non-industrial), season (warm and cold), location (North, South, East, and West), cattle production groups (calf, heifer, dairy and dry) and age groups (under 6 months, 6 months-2 years and over 2 years). The sera were screened using a commercially competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (c-ELISA) kit. Twenty-four sera (2.69 %) were found to be positive for BTV. Bluetongue virus seroprevalence was significantly higher (χ2 = 8.29, df = 3, p < 0.05) in cattle in southern locations as compared to those in other locations. Older animals (> 2 years) showed a relatively higher seroprevalence, but the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.06). No statistically significant difference in BTV seroprevalence was noted between farming systems, seasons and cattle production groups (p > 0.05). The results demonstrate that the seroprevalence of BTV is low in cattle from the Isfahan province, central Iran. Further studies are needed to determine the serotypes and vectors of BTV in the central region of Iran