The Association Between Dietary Fat and Mineral Intake with Semen Parameters: A Cross-sectional Study in Infertile Men

Background: Infertility has been a significant problem for couples in recent decades, and the issue can often lie with the male rather than the female. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of fats and minerals intake on semen parameters in infertile men. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 260 infertile men referred to Isfahan Infertility Clinic, Isfahan, Iran in the summer of 2018. Semen parameters regarding sperm concentration, total motility, normal morphology, and sperm volume were considered. To assess dietary intakes, a validated food frequency questionnaire was used. Results: In the adjusted model, the prevalence of abnormal concentration was 5.23 times higher in the top quartile of calcium intake, compared with the bottom quartile (p = 0.03). Also, the prevalence of abnormal morphology was 68% lower in the third quartile of calcium intake (p = 0.03). Additionally, the prevalence of abnormal concentration was 84% lower in the top quartile of folate intake in comparison to the bottom quartile (p = 0.01) and the prevalence of abnormal morphology was 70% lower in the top quartile of folate intake (p = 0.03). Additionally, the prevalence of abnormal concentration was 72% lower in the top quartile of selenium intake in comparison to the bottom quartile (p = 0.04). Furthermore, in the crude model, the prevalence of abnormal volume was 64% lower in the second quartile of linoleic acid intake rather than the first quartile (p = 0.01). Conclusion: In conclusion, diets containing higher amounts of folate and selenium, and lower amounts of cholesterol, saturated fatty acid and calcium were associated with more favorable semen quality parameters. Key words: Infertility, Semen quality, Minerals, Fats, Cross-sectional study.nbsp

An update and systematic review on the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea

Objectives: Primary dysmenorrhea is a painful uterine contraction caused by endometrial laceration. Drug therapies and complementary medicine have been used to treat dysmenorrhea. The aim of this study was to investigate and offer an updated perspective on the treatments for dysmenorrhea. Methods: The present study was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA checklist for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The required information was collected based on searches for the following keywords: treatment, primary dysmenorrhea, medicinal plants, chemical drugs, and herbs. Searches were performed on databases Pubmed, Web of Sciences, Scopus, Iran medex, and SID by March 2018 to find literature in the English and Persian languages on this subject without a time limit. Results: This review included 17 papers, 10 of which on complementary medicine, three on drug therapies, and four on acupuncture and acupressure. The largest and smallest samples had 303 and 24 patients, respectively. Length of treatment ranged from one to six months and the measures most commonly used in the studies were the visual analogue scale and clinical efficacy. Reported complications included gastrointestinal events, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and liver and kidney disorders. Conclusion: Medicinal plants, drugs, and acupressure seem to suppress pain by reducing the level of prostaglandins, mediating nitric oxide, increasing beta-endorphin levels, blocking the calcium channel, and enhancing circulatory flow through the uterine pathway. Further trials are required to confirm the benefits of the procedures described and ensure the absence of complications

Seroprevalence of Rubella among Women of Reproductive Age in Iran: A Prisma-Based Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE: Rubella is a highly contagious viral disease with a significant teratogenic effect. Various results have been published about the seroprevalence of rubella in Iran. A PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses)-systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to assess the immunity against rubella in Iranian women. METHODS: Eleven English and Persian electronic databases including PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Embase, Scientific Information Database, Iran doc, Iran Medex, Magiran, and Medlib were searched using the keywords: Epidemiology, Prevalence, Rubella, Women, Childbearing age, Reproductive age, and Iran. A mathematician (NS) reviewed all steps for accuracy. RESULTS: Out of 1,520 articles, 25 well-conducted studies with a total amount of 10,145 women were reviewed. The pooled prevalence rate of anti-rubella IgG was 84% (95% CI: 83%-86%). The highest prevalence rate of IgG was in Zahedan, Rasht, and Arak (each 100%), while the lowest prevalence was in Jahrom (54%). Subgroup analysis showed that from 1989 through 2012, the IgG prevalence rate increased from 78% (95% CI: 73-83%) to 99% (95% CI: 98 100%). CONCLUSIONS: Although the vaccination program seems working in Iran, some peripheral regions may be a target to improve health care policies

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of Iranian health sciences students regarding hepatitis B and C virus infections: A national survey

Background: The World Health Organization seeks to achieve the goal of viral hepatitis elimination by 2030 and lack of general knowledge about viral hepatitis seems to be a barrier to reaching this goal. This study was designed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections among Iranian health sciences students in 12 Iranian medical sciences universities using a national survey. Methods: This survey was conducted during the second Hepatitis Awareness Campaign, which was held during the Iranian National Hepatitis Week (October 22-28, 2016). Students who visited our booths and were willing to participate in our survey were selected using convenience sampling and their HBV- and HCV-related KAP were evaluated. Results: Two thousand one hundred fifty-six health sciences students with mean age of 21.24 years participated in our survey. The mean KAP scores were 7.35 (out of 10), 4.88 (possible score, -20 to +20), and 5.67 (out of 9). Students with experience of accidental exposures to blood (21.6) had better KAP scores compared with the students without such experiences. The mean KAP scores were associated with subjects' year of education, field of study, university, and province (P < .05). Conclusions: Our study showed that HBV- and HCV-related KAP in a sample of Iranian health sciences students was not satisfying. The results also demonstrated priority of needing intervention regarding KAP in some subject areas, lower years of education, and some universities compared with others. © 2017 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc