Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with interstitial lung disease admitted to Razi Hospital, the North of Iran

Respiratory disease is the third cause of death, which accounts for one-seventh of all deaths worldwide and millions of people suffer from chronic lung disease in the world. Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) are one of the most important lung diseases. So, we aimed to evaluate demographic data and clinical characteristics of ILD patients in our region. This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on patients diagnosed with ILD who were referred to Razi Hospital, Rasht, Iran during 2013-2018. Out of a total of 300 participants, 160 (53.3%) patients were non-occupational exposed. The most prevalent clinical symptoms and signs were coughs, dyspnea, and abnormal findings in lung auscultation. Totally, 113 (37.7%) of patients mostly consumed methotrexate. Among 158 patients with reported antinuclear antibody (ANA) status, 29 (18.4%) cases were positive. In 186 (71.3%) cases with available pathological findings, alveolar wall thickening, fibroblast deposition, and honeycomb pattern was reported. Also, granulomatous lung tissue and diffuse fibrosis were detected in 58 (22.2%) patients.  ILD patients with different clinical conditions may show regional differences in risk factors, patient exposure, access to medical facilities for diagnosis and treatment, and genetic differences, which require careful attention to these factors individually in each region.

Frequency of using complementary herbal medicines among Helicobacter pylori-infected patients in the North of Iran

Helicobacter pylori is a prevalent infection and one of the most critical factors that result in gastric cancer. Besides antibiotic therapy, some plants are suitable as an alternative treatment against H. pylori infection due to their role in protecting the gastric mucosa. This study investigated the frequency of using complementary herbal medicines among H. pylori-infected patients in the North of Iran. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 390 patients with H. pylori infection undergoing treatment in Rasht, Iran, 2022. The demographic data, clinical characteristics, and consumption of complementary herbals were recorded. The mean age of the patients was 40 years, and 63.6% were female. The majority of the patients were educated. About 55.9% of patients consumed at least one herbal product, and the most consumed herbal product was mint extract. Most patients purchased herbal products from the grocery (93.1%); none referred to the pharmacy. About 89.2% of the patients recovered completely, and 10.8% had a disease recurrence. No particular complications were observed in most patients (97.7%). However, no significant association between the consumption of herbal products and patients' recovery was reported (P0.05). According to our results, consuming herbal products results in no specific improvement in patients with H. pylori infection

Evaluation of Periodontal Status in Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 Patients Based on HbA1c and CRP

Introduction: During the last decades, there has been an increasing interest in the relationship between diabetes mellitus (DM) and periodontitis. Some evidence has suggested that inflammatory factors like C-reactive protein (CRP) can be contributing factors to both periodontitis and diabetes. This study was aimed at assessing periodontal position in diabetes mellitus type 2 patients based on HbA1c and CRP. Materials and Methods: 76 patients with diabetes mellitus2 (DM2) were divided based on glycemic control: 35 subjects with HbA1c less than 7% and 41 subjects with HbA1c≥7%. The following measurements were conducted: Serum HbA1c and C-reactive protein (CRP), gingival Index (GI), plaque Index (PI), clinical attachment loss (CAL), bleeding on probing (BOP), and probing depth (PD). Moreover, age, gender and duration of diabetes of the patients were also analyzed. Results: In this study, 24 women and 11 men by mean age of 55/31±8/37 were in a good diabetic patients’ group (HbA1c<7%) and 30 females and 11 males by the mean age of 53/76±9/91 were in poor control diabetic patients (HbA1c≥7%). A significant correlation between the elevation of CRP and increased level of HbA1c was observed (P<0/001). The patients` age was associated with the duration of diabetes (P=0/024) and women had significantly more duration of diabetes than men (P=0/012). Regarding PD, CAL, BOP and PI, there was no significant difference between the analyzed groups. Also, no significant relationship between CRP and periodontal parameters has been found. Conclusion: CRP was found as a predictor of HbA1c in patients with poor glycemic control. This implies higher infection rates due to diabetes

Olfactory Dysfunction and Phantosmia in Patients With COVID-19 in Northern Iran

Background: One of the most common symptoms of COVID-19 infection is Olfactory Dysfunction (OD). Objectives: This study aims to investigate OD and phantosmia in COVID-19 cases from northern Iran. Materials & Methods: In this cross-sectional study, participants were 400 patients with COVID-19 infection in Rasht, Iran from March 2019 to September 2020. All the patients were evaluated in terms of OD and then followed up for 3 months face-to-face, by telephone call, or online. Results: Among 400 patients, 37.75% had OD (19% hyposmia, 10.75% primary phantosmia, and 8% anosmia) during the initiation of the disease, but 121 (30.25%) including nearly 65% of anosmic and/or hyposmic cases reported phantosmia at different time intervals of followup visits. Moreover, 65.38% of patients reported acute onset of OD. The prevalence of OD was significantly higher in patients aged <40 years (P=0.001) and in females (P=0.002). OD improved in about 90% of patients within 3 months. Peripheral oxygen saturation was better in anosmic cases and C-reactive protein level was higher in normosmic cases at their first visit. No significant difference was found in terms of other laboratory results. Conclusion: OD is a common complication of COVID-19 infection, but seems not to be permanent. It is more common in young patients, females, and those with mild COVID-19 infection