International Journal of Preventive Medicine最新文献

Background: To compare characteristics of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) between cigarette smokers and non-smokers.

Methods: A case-control study was performed on patients registered in the Kashani MS center from April 2019 to April 2020 in Isfahan, Iran. In total, 136 smoker patients and 220 non-smokers participated in the study and completed the questionnaire.

Results: The frequency of male gender in the smoker group was significantly higher than in the non-smokers (64.7% vs. 15%, P < 0.001). The mean age at MS onset was 31.5 ± 9.60 years among cigarette smokers and 29.7 ± 9.47 years among non-smokers (P = 0.794). Furthermore, 80% of cigarette smokers and 64% of non-smokers had at least one relapse per year (ARR ≥1, P < 0.001). The Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) of more than 4.5 was significantly higher in smokers (26.5% vs. 18%, P = 0.023). There was a relation between an EDSS of more than 4.5 and an interval between smoking initiation and disease onset (P = 0.004). Long duration of smoking was associated with a higher disability scale (16.4 ± 9.5 vs. 9.8 ± 7.3, P = 0.008). Men smoked for a longer period of time before developing MS than women (9.24 ± 10.07 vs. 4.47 ± 7.61, P = 0.002). The average daily cigarette consumption was 7.74 ± 6.65 in women and 10.84 ± 9.44 in men (P = 0.024). Duration of smoking before the onset of the disease was 4.47 ± 7.61 years in women and 9.24 ± 10.07 in men (P = 0.002).

Conclusions: Our data suggest that there is a possible relationship between disability score and the duration of smoking before the onset of MS. It also revealed that the duration of smoking can affect the progression of the disease. Further studies are suggested to confirm these findings.

Background: Regardless of the recent advances in Chronic Kidney Disease stage 5 (CKD-5) management people on dialysis face significant changes in their quality of life. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between psychological resilience and quality of life in patients undergoing in-center hemodialysis.

Methods: An initial sample of 150 adult patients on hemodialysis for more than 6 months was selected from hospitals in a Southern European country. The study used the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ), and the Kidney Disease Quality of Life (KDQOL-36) questionnaires to assess levels of psychological resilience, pain self-efficacy and quality of life.

Results: The results indicated that higher levels of psychological resilience were associated with higher levels of pain self-efficacy, which in turn led to better quality of life.

Conclusions: The findings suggest that psychological resilience and pain self-efficacy play important roles in the health-related quality of life of people on hemodialysis, regardless of demographic factors such as age and gender. These have implications for practice in CKD-5 management and highlight the importance of addressing psychological factors in dialysis care.

Background: Angiogenesis is crucial in the recovery and maintenance of heart function. Irisin may mediate the cardiac health-promoting impact of exercise training. The aim of this study was to comparatively assess VEGF gene/protein expression in the heart tissue and correlations with serum irisin levels following resistance training, in comparison to exogenous irisin injection.

Methods: Twenty-one NMRI mice were randomly assigned to the three group (n = 7 for each group): control, resistance exercise, and irisin. Exercised mice, for 8 weeks, three sessions per week and four sets of five repeats for each session were considered and mice climbed up a 1-m-height ladder with a slope of 80 degrees with a weight equal to 30% of mouse's body weight fastened to their tails and gradually increased up twofold of body weight. The Irisin group received 100 μg/kg/week irisin for 8 weeks, intraperitoneally. The cardiac expression of the VEGF gene, by real-time PCR, the level of VEGF protein, by IHC (immunohistochemistry) and western blot analysis, and serum irisin concentration, by ELISA, were evaluated.

Results: The expression of the VEGF gene and protein, as well as serum Irisin levels, increased in all experimental mice compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Pearson's correlation coefficient data indicated a positive correlation between the analyzed parameters in each group (P < 0.05 and r > 0).

Conclusions: There appears to be an interaction between resistance exercise and cardiac angiogenesis factors, mediated by irisin. So, irisin could be considered in cardiovascular health interventions, aiming to target specific molecules or pathways.

Background: In smart cities, prioritizing child safety through affordable technology like the Internet of Things (IoT) is crucial for parents. This study seeks to investigate different IoT tools that can prevent and address accidents involving children. The goal is to alleviate the emotional and financial toll of such incidents due to their high mortality rates.

Methods: This study considers articles published in English that use IoT for children's healthcare. PubMed, Science Direct, and Web of Science databases are considered as searchable databases. 273 studies were retrieved after the initial search. After eliminating duplicate records, studies were assessed based on input and output criteria. Titles and abstracts were reviewed for relevance. Articles not meeting criteria were excluded. Finally, 29 cases had the necessary criteria to enter this study.

Results: The study reveals that India is at the forefront of IoT research for children, followed by Italy and China. Studies mainly occur indoors, utilizing wearable sensors like heart rate, motion, and tracking sensors. Biosignal sensors and technologies such as Zigbee and image recognition are commonly used for data collection and analysis. Diverse approaches, including cloud computing and machine vision, are applied in this innovative field.

Conclusions: In conclusion, IoT for children is mainly seen in developed countries like India, Italy, and China. Studies focus on indoor use, using wearable sensors for heart rate monitoring. Biosignal sensors and various technologies like Zigbee, Kinect, image recognition, RFID, and robots contribute to enhancing children's well-being.

Background: Neonatal sepsis (NS) is the most common cause of neonatal mortality, currently confirmed with blood culture as the diagnostic gold standard. However, being time-consuming, false-negative results, being affected by even a single dose of antibiotics, and expensiveness are negative aspects. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of complete blood count (CBC) parameters: mean platelet volume (MPV), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) which have been suggested in previous studies.

Methods: A total of 100 term and preterm neonates (age ≥ 32 weeks) hospitalized in Alzahra and Shahid Beheshti hospitals in Isfahan, Iran, were studied. Fifty neonates with late neonatal sepsis were placed in the case group, and 50 neonates with other diagnoses were placed in the control group. Neonatal blood samples were sent to the laboratory, and MPV, NLR, and PLR were measured.

Results: The mean (standard deviation) of MPV was 7.20 (4.39) in the case group and 9.55 (0.87) in the control group, and there was a significant difference between them (P value = 0.001). At the cutoff point of 8.25 in MPV, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.594 with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 30%. The mean (standard deviation) of NLR was 1.79 (1.21) in the case group and 2.28 (1.25) in the control group, and there was no significant difference between them (P value = 0.692). The mean (standard deviation) of PLR was 62.58 (34.57) in the case group and 65.11 (28.55) in the control group, and there was no significant difference between them (P value = 0.836).

Conclusions: MPV, unlike NLR and PLR, can be used as a sensitive and cost-effective primary screening index in late NS at the cutoff point of 8.25 due. However, low specificity suggests a poor diagnostic value.

Background: This study aimed to determine the relationships between opium use and metabolic syndrome in Fasa PERSIAN cohort data.

Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional study conducted among participants of the first phase of the Fasa PERSIAN cohort study. A total of 10,074 participants (aged 35-70 years) were studied. The MetS was defined as per the National Cholesterol Education Program ATP III (NCEP-ATP III) criteria. Independent sample t-test and Chi-square test were used for univariate analysis, and multivariate logistic regression was used to control for potential confounders and calculate odds ratios (ORs).

Results: The MetS prevalence was 24.6% in the whole population (28.42% in women vs. 19.94% in men, P < 0.001). The prevalence of opium use was 23.2%. The odds of metabolic syndrome in smokers was lower than in non-smokers (OR = 1.17%, 95% CI 1.001-1.37).

Conclusions: The results of this study showed that opium consumption has an inverse relationship with metabolic syndrome. However, this study was cross-sectional, and longitudinal studies are needed for more accurate conclusions. Opium is also a carcinogen. Therefore, its use is not recommended.

Background: Notice to the importance of BK virus infection in kidney transplant patients, the present study aimed to present a protocol related to design aspects and implement a registration system for kidney transplant patients with BK virus infection in Isfahan Province, Iran.

Method: The design process and different aspects of implementation and preparation of the platform for the registration of kidney transplant patients with BK virus infection were presented in this study. Indices related to the diagnosis, monitoring of the course of the disease, and the most important criteria related to the disease caused by BK virus and treatment of BK virus infection in kidney transplant patients were searched in reliable scientific databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Up-To-Date, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science. A team consisting of experts in nephrology, biostatistics, and epidemiology evaluated the specified variables as an expert panel and evaluated the content validity of the checklists designed quantitatively and qualitatively to finalize them.

Results: The checklist was finalized in three sections: 1) demographic variables (age, gender, education,…), 2) clinical variables (primary cause of kidney failure, disease history, history of kidney disease in the family, laboratory and diagnostic parameters, clinical manifestations…), and 3) microbiologic information of BK virus infection. This information can be used for the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of the patient.

Conclusions: Our registry for kidney transplant patients with BK virus infection among the few ones in the world can provide a comprehensive valuable information collection about the risk factors and the course of changes in various indices in these patients and may improve the treatment process.

Background: Studies show that caveolin genes are associated with metabolic disorders, so we aimed to systematically review the association between caveolin genes and metabolic syndrome in human studies. This systematic review is conducted based on the PRISMA 2020 checklist.

Methods: A systematic literature search was done on electronic databases including Embase, Scopus, Medline (PubMed), and Web of Science until September 2023 and updated until June 2024. Human studies that were published in English were included without restricting other variables such as time, age, and gender.

Results: At the first step, 10313 papers were found, and at the final step, nine studies were included in the systematic review, and four studies entered the quantitative analysis. The result showed that metabolic syndrome is significantly associated with minor alleles in the following genes: CAV-1 rs1997623 (OR = 1.44 (95% CI: 1.2, 1.86)), CAV-1 rs11773845, 22375-22375 del AC, and CAV-1 rs3807992. No significant association was found for CAV-1 rs926198 (OR = 1.61 (95% CI: 0.89-2.92)), and 22285 C>T. Caveolin mRNA level was increased in the cases of metabolic syndrome. CAV-1 rs1997623 A allele changes the transcription factor binding site to increase the attachment of EBF1.

Conclusions: This results in the enhancement of promoter activity and further transcription of the caveolin-1 gene. In conclusion, individuals carrying minor alleles for the CAV-1 gene might have an increased risk for metabolic syndrome. With future studies focusing on the matter, this gene can be used as a screening tool for metabolic health to detect individuals with a higher genetic susceptibility to metabolic syndrome.