Comparison of Elevated Liver Enzymes in Type 2 Diabetic Patients in User and Non-User of Statin

Background: Type-2 diabetes is a risk factor for progressive non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and the majority of diabetic patients have blood lipid disorders, so they take statin drugs. Statins have the adverse effects such as liver dysfunction and increase in liver enzymes. The purpose of this study was to compare the liver enzymes in type 2 diabetic patients who are user and non-user of statin.Methods: In a case-control study, increased liver enzymes (ALT and AST > 40 U/L) were measured in blood samples of 200 type II diabetic patients (with and without statin consumption) who referred to Mashhad Diabetes Clinic in Mashhad city (Iran), during May to November 2017. Levels of liver enzymes and anthropometric indices were measured for both groups. Liver enzymes were assessed at the baseline of two groups. The SPSS 20th software was used for data analysis.Results: The mean of Body mass index in two groups of diabetic patients with and without statin consumption had a significant difference (

Effects of Fasting on Glucagon-like peptide-1 hormone (GLP-1), and Lipid Profile Indices in Obese and Thin Women

Introduction: Glucagon-like peptide-1 hormone (GLP-1) contributes to the regulation of insulin and glucose concentration. However, the effects of fasting on GLP-1 response in different people has not been determined yet. The aim of the present research was to investigate the effect of fasting on GLP-1 and the lipid profile of obese and thin women.Materials and methods: In this research, 25 obese and thin women whose age ranged from 35 to 45 years were selected through a convenient sampling method and were divided into two groups of obese (n=12, body mass index ˃30 kg/m2) and thin (n=13, body mass index=18-20 kg/m2). GLP-1 in both groups was measured in four phases: 3 days before the beginning of Ramadan, 14 days after the beginning of Ramadan, 28 days after the beginning of Ramadan and 2 weeks after the end of Ramadan. Repeated –measure ANOVA was used to statistically analyse the data. Results: GLP-1 was reduced from phase 1 to 3 of the research. However, it was increased after Ramadan. In the thin group, GLP-1 was increased in 14 days of fasting, but did not show any change at the end of Ramadan, and also two weeks after this month. However, none of these changes were statistically significant. The two groups did not diverge from each other significantly in any of the phases.Conclusion: The present findings showed that fasting has no significant effect on the GLP-1 and lipid profile indices of the obese and thin women

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D Levels in Patients Referred to Clinical Laboratories in Various Parts of Mashhad- Northeastern Iran

Introduction: Vitamin D has an important role in maintaining human health. The main source of vitamin D production is skin exposure to sunlight. Accordingly with the spread of apartment life culture, growth of industrial cities and the increase of air pollution; vitamin D deficiency and its implications is an important factor in the appearance of debilitating diseases in different age categories (especially for children, adults and elderly people).   Materials and Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study based on an objective was conducted on 1,110 patients who were selected randomly. These patients have been referred to “center of education culture and research” laboratories (2 laboratories) and 8 specialized laboratories for vitamin D test in the city of Mashhad. And after conducting the study, the collected data was analyzed using SPSS 13 software.   Results: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the population under study was 68.8%. Vitamin D levels were significantly lower in males in comparison with females (

Infant and Young Child Feeding: a Key area to Improve Child Health

Good nutrition is essential for survival, physical growth, mental development, performance, productivity, health and well-being across the entire life-span: from the earliest stages of fetal development, at birth, and through infancy, childhood, adolescence and on into adulthood. Poor nutrition in the first 1,000 days of children’s lives can have irreversible consequences. For millions of children, it means they are, forever, stunted. Every infant and child has the right to good nutrition according to the Convention on the Rights of the Child; so the World Health Assembly has adopted a new target of reducing the number of stunted children under the age of 5 by 40 percent by 2025. The first 2 years of a child’s life are particularly important, as optimal nutrition during this period lowers morbidity and mortality, reduces the risk of chronic disease, and fosters better development overall. Breastfeeding and complementary feeding are a critical aspect of caring for infants and young children

Tuberculosis: Past, Present and Future

Background Tuberculosis (TB) is the second-most common cause of death from infectious disease (after those due to HIV/AIDS). Roughly one-third of the world's population has been infected with M. tuberculosis, with new infections occurring in about 1% of the population each year. People with active TB can infect 10-15 other people through close contact over the course of a year. Materials and Methods The current study is a review survey which was conducted to evaluate of current status of TB prevalence by studying WHO website, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and United Nations (UN) websites. Results In 2014, 9.6 million people fell ill with TB and 1.5 million (1.1 million HIV-negative and 0.4 million HIV-positive) died from the disease. Over 95% of TB deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, and it is among the top 5 causes of death for women aged 15 to 44. One million children (0-14 years) fell ill with TB, and 140 000 children died from the disease in 2014; also, about 80% of reported TB cases occurred in 22 countries. The 6 countries that stand out as having the largest number of incident cases in 2014 were: India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, People’s Republic of China and South Africa. The TB death rate dropped 47% between 1990 and 2015. Conclusion Despite the fact that nearly all patients can be cured, TB remains one of the world’s biggest threats. Ending the TB epidemic by 2030 is among the health targets of the newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals

The Benefits of Honey in Holy Quran

Honey contains a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants. The vitamins found in honey include niacin, riboflavin and pantothenic acid; minerals present include calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. In addition honey contains a variety of flavonoids and phenolic acids which act as antioxidants, scavenging and eliminating free radicals. Honey has had a long history in human consumption, and is used in various foods and beverages as a sweetener and flavoring. It also has a role in religion and symbolism. Medicinal importance of honey has been documented in the world's oldest medical literatures, and since the ancient times, it has been known to possess antimicrobial property as well as wound-healing activity. More than 1,400 years ago, honey is described as a source of healing in the Quran and it is also mentioned as one of the foods of Paradise

Comparison of Immunization in Iran and Turkey between Years 1980- 2013

Immunization is today one of the safest, most cost-effective, and powerful means of preventing deaths and improving lives. Over the years, all countries of the world have incorporated an increasingly broad immunization agenda in their public health interventions. Immunization programmes are now routinely reaching over 80 percent of children under one year of age. Iran and Turkey with a population of nearly the same, are in the neighborhood  and the aim of this study is to compare the vaccination situation in the two countries from 1980 to 2013

The relationship between emotional intelligence with administrators’ performance at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences

Background: The leadership of an organization requires specific features to adapt to changes and to survive and grow in new environments, and emotional intelligence is one of the most important attributes that can help leaders and managers respond to these changes. Objective: This study aimed to determine the relationship between emotional intelligence with administrators' performance at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 basic and middle managers of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran who were selected by census method in 2016. The instrument of data collecting was the "Inventory Shrinkage", and the "Organizational performance evaluation forms". The data were analyzed by SPSS version 16 using descriptive statistics and Spearman correlation. Results: The results showed there was a significant negative correlation between emotional intelligence and organizational performance in administrators (r=-0.214, p=0.032). The findings also showed that among the components of emotional intelligence and administrators’ performance, only components of empathy, was there a significant negative correlation (r=-0.199, p=0.047). Also, there was no statistically significant relationship between emotional intelligence and demographic variables such as work experience, age, marital status and education level (p>0.05). There was no significant relationship between organizational performance and demographic variables, either (p>0.05). But between the components of emotional intelligence, only for social skills and work place of administrators, a significant positive correlation was confirmed (r=0.203, p=0.043). Conclusions: The results of this study showed that there was a negative and significant correlation between the components of emotional intelligence and administrators’ performance of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences administrators, only in the empathy component