A Comparison of Transcranial Doppler (TCD) Findings in Diabetic Patients with a History of Less and More than 5 Years Referred to the Diabetes Clinic of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ardabil

Background & objectives: Diabetes mellitus is the sixth leading cause of death in individuals older than 25 years, and accounts for %18 of all deaths. The aim of this study was to investigate the TCD findings in diabetic patients with a history of less and more than 5 years. Methods: In this descriptive, analytic study, all diabetic patients were divided into two groups based on the duration of diabetes, less and more than 5 years after diagnosis. TCD was performed on the patients, and maximum velocity and mean pulsatility index and resistivity index in the right and left Middle Cerebral Arteries (MCAs) and basilar artery were measured. The checklist was completed for all patients, and all data were analyzed by SPSS (v16) statistical software. Results: Sixty four percent of the patients with duration less than 5 years (average age of 55.16 years) and 36 percent of those with duration more than 5 years (average age of 59.37 years) were men. There was no statistically significant difference between disease duration and Body Mass Index (BMI), but with an increase in duration of disease, HbA1C of patients was increased. There was no significant difference between the velocity of right, left and basilar arteries and diabetes duration. Also, there was a significant difference between diabetes duration and pulse index of right MCA and basilar. There was no significant difference between age, BMI and HbA1C and pulse and resistivity indexes among patients. Conclusion: In this study abnormal pulse and resistance indexes in patients with duration more than 5 years was more than patients with less than 5, this may indicate the effect of diabetes duration on the vascular wall

Plasma Changes of Chemerin and Pentraxin-3 Following Eight Weeks of Endurance Exercise in Men with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Background & objectives: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease in the world which is associated with cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the plasma changes of chemerin and pentraxin-3 (PTX3) following 8 weeks of endurance training in men with NAFLD. Methods: In this quasi-experimental Study, thirty four patients with NAFLD were selected purposefully. The participants were randomly divided into two groups, endurance training group (n=17) and control group (n=17). The endurance training program included eight weeks running on a treadmill with maximum heart rate (HRmax) intensity of 55-75% for 45 minutes three times a week. Seventy two hours before the beginning of the study and at the end of the eighth week, blood samples were taken from all the participants. The data were analyzed by paired sample t-test and independent t-test at the significant level p<0.05. Results: Plasma levels of chemerin in the endurance training group significantly decreased (p=0.013). Also, there was a significant difference between the two groups after the end of the intervention (p=0.002). Plasma levels of PTX3 increased significantly in the endurance training group (p=0.001). There was also a significant difference between two groups after the end of the intervention (p=0.01). Conclusion: The present study showed that the 8-week endurance training increased the plasma levels of PTX3 and decreased the plasma levels of chemerin in men with NAFLD. Endurance training, possibly through various mechanisms, reduces the inflammatory factors and increases the anti-inflammatory factors in men with NAFLD. Endurance training, probably by activation of lipolysis, over-regulation of unpaired protein-1 and activator receptors&nbsp;of peroxisomes proliferation-, changes in adipocytokines, etc. decreases charmicin and increases PTX3 levels of plasma in men with NAFLD. &nbsp