Comparison of dietary micronutrient intake in PCOS patients with and without metabolic syndrome

Background: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in reproductive-age women. It is one of the risk factors of metabolic syndrome (MetS). These two syndromes have an inflammatory etiologic foundation along with oxidative stress. The present study aimed to compare the dietary intake of antioxidant micronutrients in PCOS women with and without MetS. Materials and methods: Overall, 42 participants eligible for this nested case control study were selected by the convenience sampling method. The case group included 14 PCOS patients with MetS and the control group included 28 PCOS patients without MetS. The dietary intake assessment of selenium, chromium, zinc, carotenoids, vitamin D and vitamin E was carried out by a 147-item Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). PCOS and MetS were diagnosed using the Rotterdam criteria and NCEP ATP III, respectively. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS16 software, T-test and Mann Whitney. Significant P-value was considered 0.05. Results: Dietary intake of antioxidant micronutrients (selenium, zinc, chromium, carotenoids and vitamin E) was significantly lower in the PCOS women with MetS than in the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Since the PCOS patients without MetS had more intake of the aforementioned micronutrients than those with MetS, it is assumed that the dietary intake of these nutrients could probably have a protective effect on MetS. © 2021, The Author(s)

Evaluation of physiology knowledge loss in medical students of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences

Narjes Zaeemzadeh,1 Sanaz Taherpour,2 Noor Behzadian,2 Seyyed Ali Mard2 1Deparment of Phamacology, The School of Pharmacy, Medical Educational and Development Center (EDC), Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran; 2Physiology Research Center (PRC), Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Medical Educational and Development Center (EDC), Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran Purpose: The knowledge loss or longevity of taught lessons is a major concern in medical students and all medical practitioners. This study evaluated the physiology knowledge loss in medical students in Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in Iran. Methods: A total of 265 volunteers from medical students who had previously passed the &ldquo;general exam of medical basic sciences&rdquo; at the end of fifth semester took a retention test (RT) to evaluate their knowledge loss of physiology. The candidates were divided into ten groups depending on the semester (S) they were passing at the time of study: 41 students in preclinical levels (S6 and S7), 123 students in externship levels (S8, S9, S10, S11 and S12), and 101 students in internship levels (S13, S14 and S15). The RT consisted of 20 multiple choice questions from all topics of medical physiology, including central nervous system, endocrine, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, blood, and cellular. Results: Findings showed that there was a decreasing trend of knowledge loss from S6 to S15. The lowest level of knowledge loss was observed in S15 students. These results also demonstrated that knowledge loss in male medical students was more than that in female students. Conclusion: These findings indicated that the physiology knowledge loss trend is inversely correlated with the time passing. We conclude that the reason is that physiology is a basic science which is most applicable during medical students&rsquo; clinical years. Keywords: Ahvaz, Iran, medical students, physiology, knowledge loss, retention test, female studen