Psyllium seed may be effective in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in patients with functional constipation

AbstractGERD, return of stomach contents into the esophagus, is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders in medicine. Its common symptoms are heartburn and acid reflux. Usually, patients with GERD history develop clinical signs such as heartburn accompanied by functional constipation. Omeprazole, a proton pump inhibitor (PPIs), is a drug of choice for GERD but all patients do not respond to the drug and long-term use of these drugs leads to infections. According to the same physiopathology mechanisms of chronic constipation and GERD, improvement of functional constipation may be effective in relieving symptoms of GERD. According to the effectiveness of psyllium seeds in chronic constipation symptoms, it is predicted to be effective in treating GERD in patients with chronic constipation

Relationship between moral values and administrative health: an organizational assessment

Background:  A human society with any culture needs to observe administrative health. In the health of organizations, addressing ethical values is a requirement. The purpose of this article was to investigate the effect of ethical values of the employees of Kerman Urban Water and Sewerage Company on organizational factors related to administrative health. Methods: This was with applied purpose and descriptive nature of the correlation type and structure of qualitative and quantitative study. The statistical population included all employees of Kerman Urban Water and Sewerage Company (1050). The sample size calculation was based on Cochran's formula 290 which was selected by stratified random sampling method. To collect data, study literature and research background and questionnaire were prepared. The administrative health questionnaire included 4 dimensions and 10 questions. The Ethical Values Questionnaire includes 7 dimensions and 16 questions. Data analysis was performed by structural equation modelling with PLS software. Results: At a significance level of less than 0.05, the variables of occupational health (P=0.341), transparency (P=0.332), internal control and supervision (P=0.337) and education (P=0.374) affected moral values. The model coefficient of determination value is 0.116, so it can be stated that about 12% of the changes in the dependent variable of occupational health are explained by ethical-religious values. Conclusion: Ethics in organizations can lead to the promotion of health and administrative efficiency and the effectiveness of creating job satisfaction among employees. Occupational health affects moral values and improves occupational health

Skin inflammatory reactions to capsaicin in rheumatoid arthritis patients compared to healthy controls

Objective: Previous studies have examined the role of sensory nerves and neural mediators in symmetrical joint inflammation and autoimmunity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this study, we sought to examine the association between capsaicin skin test and disease activity in RA patients. Materials and Methods: Eighty RA patients (case group) and 20 healthy volunteers were enrolled in this experiment. The subjects in case group were calcified to newly diagnosed patients and those previously diagnosed with RA. A topical solution of capsaicin (0.075%) was applied on the volar forearm during the skin test, and evaluations were done after 5, 10, and 20 min. The parameters recorded in capsaicin skin test were time to tingling, area of induration (cm2), and area of redness (cm2). Results: A faster capsaicin skin reaction was observed in healthy controls compared to the case group (p=0.02). Newly diagnosed and previously diagnosed RA patients were not significantly different in terms of reaction latency (p=0.06). The redness area after 15 (p=0.04) and 20 (p=0.001) min was significantly larger in previously diagnosed RA patients than in newly diagnosed ones. The ​​area of redness and time to tingling did not show any difference between active and inactive RA patients, but after 15 and 20 min, the area of redness was significantly greater in inactive RA patients compared to active RA patients (p=0.01 and p=0.03, respectively). Conclusion: This study suggested that capsaicin skin test is not an efficient tool for the examination of synovial inflammation and disease activity in RA

Frequency and Predictors of Opioid Use in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Seronegative Spondyloarthropathy Patients

Background: Pain is one of the most challenging symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondyloarthropathies (SpAs), and pain relief is one of the top priorities for improving health-related quality of life. When medication therapy does not significantly reduce pain, chronic opioid consumption becomes more prominent in such patients. This study aimed to evaluate the state of opioid use in RA and SpA patients.Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 316 patients with RA and spondyloarthropathies (SpAs) from January to March 2014. The convenience sampling method was used to select the participants, and by obtaining verbal consent, everyone was given 15 minutes to complete a checklist independently. Demographic and opioid use data were evaluated in terms of opioid use and its predictors. In this regard, univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to evaluate the predictors of opioid consumption in patients. All analyses were conducted using SPSS 21 and the significance level was set at P<0.05.Findings: About 9.5% of all participants, including 8.8% of RA and 22.6% of SpA cases, were opioid abusers. In the first step of the analysis, it was observed that opioid abuse was significantly higher in men, married participants, urban residents, patients with no biological therapy, and patients with a negative family history of addiction. The most prevalent ways of drug abuse were smoking and ingestion. The results of univariate logistic regression analysis revealed SpA and other factors significantly increase the chance of opioid abuse. Furthermore, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed male gender (OR=10.4) and negative family history of addiction (OR=3.19) significantly affected addiction in RA and SpA patients with a 95% confidence interval.Conclusion: Lack of suitable responsiveness to medication therapy to relieve pain, inconsistent pain evaluation, and shame of asking direct questions about addiction in RA and SpA patients may lead to opioid consumption in some cases. Seronegative SpA may make patients more prone to addiction. However, in this study, male gender and no family history of addiction were related to opioid abuse

One Side Ovarian Rejuvenation: A Quasi-Experimental Study of the Effect of the Autologous Platelet Rich Plasma in Poor Ovarian Responders in IVF

BACKGROUND: The poor ovarian response is the most important limiting factor in the success of in vitro fertilization (IVF). The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of intraovarian injection of autologous platelet-rich plasma (aPRP) on the oocyte number and IVF outcomes in poor ovarian responders (POR). METHODS: This quasi-experimental study was performed from August 2021 to December 2021, in Vali-e-Asr Infertility Clinic affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. There were 12 POR patients selected based on the criteria of Bologna group 4 who underwent two IVF cycles with similar antagonist regimens in a 70-day-interval. Immediately after the Oocytes Pick-Up (OPU), there was a 4cc of autologous PRP multifocal intramedullary injection done into their right ovaries in the first IVF cycle (case group). On the other hand, their left ovaries were considered as the control group. The patients underwent the second IVF cycle after 70 days. RESULTS: Those who had undergone aPRP experienced a significant increase of the mean of antral follicular count (AFC) (from 1.91±0.79 to 2.50±0.90, p=0.043). There was a significant increase in the number of embryos from the right ovary (intervention group) compared to the left ovary (control group) after PRP, but there was no significant difference in the number of embryos in the right ovary before and after the intervention (from 0.25 ±0.45 to 1.08±0.79, p=0.705). There was no significant change in the number of oocytes, AMH, and FSH in the case and control groups before and after the intervention (p&gt;0.05). CONCLUSION: According to the results of this study, it seems that in females with POR, intraovarian aPRP had no effect on the outcomes (embryos number, number of oocytes, FSH and AMH level), except for an increase in AFC

The effects of curcumin on the prevention of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias and heart failure in patients with unstable angina: A randomized clinical trial

Objective: Inflammation along with oxidative stress has an important role in the pathophysiology of unstable angina which leads to acute myocardial infarction, arrhythmias and eventually heart failure. Curcumin has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects and thereby, it may reduce cardiovascular complications. This randomized controlled trial aimed to investigate the effects of curcumin on the prevention of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias and heart failure in patients with unstable angina. Materials and Methods: Forty patients with unstable angina who met the trial inclusion and exclusion criteria, participated in this double-blind randomized clinical trial. The patients were randomized into two groups: curcumin (80 mg/day for 5days) and placebo (80 mg/day for 5days). Cardiac function was evaluated by two-dimensional echocardiography devices at baseline (immediately after hospitalization) and 5 days after the onset of the trial. Atrial and ventricular arrhythmias were recorded by Holter monitors in cardiology ward, Ghaem academic hospital, Mashhad, Iran. Progression to heart failure, myocardial infarction, and pulmonary and cardiopulmonary resuscitation events as well as mortality were recorded daily throughout the study. Results: There were no significant differences between the two groups in atrial and ventricular arrhythmias (p=0.2), and other echocardiographic parameters (Ejection fraction, E, A, E/A ratio, Em, and pulmonary artery pressure) at baseline and five days after the start of the trial. Conclusion:  Nanocurcumin administered at the dose of 80 mg/day for five days had no effect in the incidence of cardiovascular complications in patients with unstable angina

Pharmacological treatment of chronic constipation: a literature review

Chronic constipation is a very common disease that is particularly commonplace among members of the elderly population. It is one of the most widespread bowel disorders, and it causes significant pain and discomfort; as such, it usually requires medical attention. The major causes of constipation are slow colonic movements and/or functional gastrointestinal disorders. This review aimed to examine the pharmacological treatments that are currently available for chronic constipation. To develop insights into the causes and treatments of chronic constipation, relevant review articles that were published on the Pubmed, Cochrane database, and Embase websites, were examined. The outputs of these studies indicated that high daily intake of fibers and fluids in addition to regular exercise can be very helpful in avoiding and treating constipation. The pharmacological treatments that are administered to treat this disease typically increase the water content of the bowel lumen, and this leads to more regular bowel movements. Novel drugs have been introduced to treat constipation, and many of these are now subject to formal research studies. Since constipation can facilitate the development of other gastrointestinal diseases, it is important that we develop an understanding the therapeutic treatments that are available with the intention of identifying which of these may represent the most effective method for treating this disease. With that objective in mind, this review was undertaken to review the clinical effectiveness of the different pharmacological treatments that are employed to treat or prevent constipation

Gastrointestinal symptoms associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease, and their relapses after treatment with proton pump inhibitors: A systematic review

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder with significant effects on the quality of life. The burden of GERD is soaring in Asia. Preventing symptom relapse is a therapeutic goal in GERD patients. Since proton pump inhibitors (PPI) are the first-line treatment of GERD, drug failure has become a major problem in the treatment procedure. We reviewed the literature in order to find articles related to comorbidities and symptoms affecting GERD from 1980 to 2015 via PubMed and Google Scholar using keywords such as ‘Gastroesophageal reflux disease’, ‘Gastrointestinal symptoms’ and Boolean operators (such as AND, OR, NOT). Due to the cost of PPI therapy and the high rate of GERD relapse after PPI therapy, demand for continuing this type of treatment is decreasing. Thus, we need to discover new approaches to treat the disease and also investigate the relationship between the treatment of GERD and its comorbidities and symptoms such as functional constipation