Development of a Modified Friedewald’s Formula to Calculate Low-Density Lipoprotein in an Iranian Population

Background: Elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. LDL-C can be directly measured using various methods, but this requires expensive equipment. Currently, clinical laboratories estimate LDL-C based on Friedewald’s formula (FF). We aimed to develop a modified formula based on directly measured LDL-C (D-LDL-C) values in a large population in Southern Iran and compare the results with various other estimation formulas.Methods: The participants of this cross-sectional study were adults aged >18 years living in Southern Iran. Blood samples from 15,200 individuals were collected, and the measured lipid parameters were randomly divided into training (n=10,184) and validation (n=5,016) datasets. A new formula was developed using a linear regression model, and its accuracy was validated. Pearson’s correlation and Cohen’s kappa were used to determin the relationship between D-LDL-C and calculated LDL-C (C-LDL-C).Results: The developed formula for the estimation of LDL-C was 0.857 total cholesterol (TC)-0.915 high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C)-0.115 triglycerides (TG). Based on our proposed formula, for TG<150 and TG≥150 mg/dL, there was a significant correlation between mean values of D-LDL-C and C-LDL-C (r=0.985 and r=0.974, respectively). Compared to other formulas, C-LDL-C obtained from the proposed formula had the highest correlation with D-LDL-C. The agreement between D-LDL-C and C-LDL-C for TC<200, 200-239, and ≥240 mg/dL was 80.8%, 63.2%, and 67.4%, respectively, indicating a higher level of agreement than other formulas.Conclusion: The new formula appears to be more accurate than FF when applied to the population of Southern Iran

The association between sexual function, quality of marital relationship and associated factors in women with a history of ectopic pregnancy: a cross-sectional study in Iran

Abstract Background Ectopic pregnancy (EP) has many adverse effects on the relationship between couples. The present study aims to assess the association between sexual function (SF), quality of marital relationship (QMR) and associated factors in women with a history of EP. Method This cross-sectional study was performed on 220 women with a history of EP in Kerman in 2022. Convenience sampling method was applied. Data were collected using the female sexual function index (FSFI) and the perceived relationship quality components scale (PRQC) questionnaires and were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics (median regression) in Stata software version 17. A P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Of the female participants, 20.4% had sexual dysfunction (SD). Longer duration of marriage (P = 0.045) and increase in the number of EPs (P < 0.001) were associated with a decrease in SF. A quarter of women experienced poor QMR. Increase in spouse age (P = 0.047), longer duration of marriage (P = 0.028), and increase in the number of EPs (P < 0.001) were associated with a decrease in QMR. There was a significant direct relationship between SF and the QMR (r = 0.857; P < 0.001). Conclusion The present study showed a significant relationship between SF and the QMR in women with a history of EP. Therefore, SF and the QMR are necessary to be considered in future health promotion programs of these women

Prevalence of self-medication among the elderly: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Self-medication is the use of unprescribed drugs to treat a disease. Elderly self-medication can be more dangerous compared to other age groups because of changes in organ functions that occur due to senescence. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of self-medication in the elderly, its related factors, and common drugs used in this regard. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Electronic databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched between January 2016 and June 2021. The search strategy was built on two core concepts: “self-medication” and “aged”. The search was limited to original articles in the English language. A random effect model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of self-medication. Heterogeneity among studies was assessed using both the I2 statistic and the χ2 test. Also, a meta-regression model was used to investigate the potential sources of heterogeneity of the studies. RESULTS: Out of 520 non-duplicate studies, 38 were included in the meta-analysis. Self-medication in the elderly ranged from 0.3% to 82%. The pooled proportion of self-medication was 36% (95% CI: 27%–45%). The result of the χ2 test and the I2 index (P < 0.001, I2 = 99.90%) revealed notable heterogeneity among the included studies in the meta-analysis. The meta-regression showed a significant association between the sample size (adjusted β = −0.01; P = 0.043) and the pooled proportion of self-medication. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of self-medication in the elderly is high. Education through mass media to raise awareness about the dangers of self-medication can help solve this problem

The effect of occupational burnout on cognitive failure and general health in industrial workers (case study: Iran Tire Factory)

Background Human resources are the most important organizational resources and play the most important role in the production and productivity cycle. Considering the importance of people’s health and the study of their burnout as a possible cause of occupational cognitive failures, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between burnout, cognitive failure, and general health. Participants and procedure A cross-sectional-analytical study was conducted in Iran Tire Factory. The statistical population of this study was 302 per-sonnel who were randomly selected. Data were collected by four valid questionnaires (demographic information, Maslach burnout, cognitive failure, and general health questionnaire). Then data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results The results of the analysis revealed a significant and direct relationship between burnout and cognitive failure (p < .001), and a significant inverse relationship was found between cognitive failure and physical health (p = .022). The other results showed that emotional exhaustion and depersonalization dimensions are significantly associated with cognitive failure (p < .001, p = .016). Conclusions According to the results of this study, burnout causes cognitive failures among factory personnel and on the other hand, cognitive failures affect the physical health of individuals and lead to deterioration of physical health, which in turn can reduce a person’s performance and reduce work efficiency

Factors predicting age at menopause among Iranian women in the Bandare-Kong cohort study (a cross-sectional survey of PERSIAN cohort study)

Abstract Background Menopause is a natural period in women’s life and can be affected by several factors. The aim of this study was to identify the associated factors for age of natural menopause and among women with early and premature menopause based on a cohort study in Iran. Methods This population-based study was conducted on 894 post menopause women between 35 and 70 years old who participated in the Bandare-Kong Non-Communicable Diseases (BKNCD) Cohort Study, a part of Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in Iran (PERSIAN) from March 2016 to February 2019. All women completed a standard self-reported questionnaire. Data were analyzed using chi-square test, independent t test, and ANOVA as well as a multivariable linear regression model. Results The mean age at natural menopause was 48.31 ± 6.34 years. After adjusting other variables, gravida, history of cardiac disease, socioeconomic status and residence status were predictive of age at menopause (P < 0.001). Among the premature menopause group, the mean age at menopause was significantly higher among women with diabetes compared to women without diabetes group (35.68 ± 2.92 vs. 33.82 ± 3.06; P = 0.043), while the mean age at menopause was significantly lower in women with infertility compared to women without infertility (29.13 ± 5.22 vs. 34.84 ± 2.826; P = 0.048). Conclusions This study suggests that the predictors of menopausal age differed in women with premature menopause compared to overall menopause age. Prospective studies are needed to evaluation the effects of these factors on menopausal age

Cohort profile: Bandar Kong prospective study of chronic non-communicable diseases.

Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), are the leading causes of death among adults worldwide. It is projected that half of the NCDs could be avoided by preventing measures. Under the prospective epidemiological research studies in Iran (PERSIAN), we established a prospective population-based cohort study in southern Iran. The present study was designed to observe changing pattern of lifestyle transition over time and investigate the incidence and prevalence of regional modifiable risk factors as well as their associations with major NCDs. At baseline, 4063 participants aged 35-70 years were recruited on Oct, 2016and planned to get re-evaluated every 5 years along with annual follow-up. Data using validated electronic questionnaire comprising 55 questions and 482 items including general, medical and nutrition queries was collected. Blood, hair, nails, urine specimens and anthropometric measurements were taken. The response rate was 99%. In the results; male and female participants were 42.5% and 57.5%, respectively. Of note, 30.4% of women and 16.1% of men were obese. The prevalence of hypertension in men and women was 14.6% and 21%; however, diabetic men and women were 17.4% and 12.4%, respectively. Living in rural areas increased the odds of having hypertension by 1.33 (AOR = 1.33, 95% CI:1-09, 1.61). Noteworthy, logistic regression displayed that aging could predispose individuals to be more overweight, hypertensive and diabetic. The prevalence of multimorbidity of 3 or more NCDs were 8% (No. 326) and 6% (No.240), respectively. Intake of fruits, vegetables and dairy was less than two servings per day in 9.2%, 13% and 58.3% of the participants. Lower cardiovascular diseases and serum level of FBS and higher HDL level in sailors/fishermen compared to other job groups were significant (p-value <0.001). The second annual follow-up was completed and now at the end of the third wave. Findings of the present study signified the high prevalence of behavioral risk factors and their associations with respective NCDs. Subsequently, it is essential to keep track lifestyle variations, the modifiable risk factors and NCDs trends by prospective population-based cohort studies