Does quercetin improve cardiovascular risk factors and inflammatory biomarkers in women with type 2 diabetes: a double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial

Quercetin has been distributed in a wide range of foods, but some of its known effects in vitro, are not proven in human studies. Therefore, the aim of this study was evaluation of the effects of quercetin intake on cardiovascular risk factors and inflammatory biomarkers in women with type 2 diabetes. This double-blind randomized clinical trial was carried out on 72 women for 10 weeks. Subjects were assigned to quercetin and placebo groups using a permutated block randomization of size two. Quercetin was given to participants as a 500 mg capsule daily. Biochemical variables were measured at baseline and at the end of the study, and changes were compared using appropriate statistical methods. Compared with placebo, quercetin intake decreased systolic blood pressure significantly [-8.8 +/- 9.3 vs. -3.5 +/- 11.7, P = 0.04]. Although changes in diastolic blood pressure between the groups was not significant [P = 0.19], high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C] was significantly decreased in both groups while changes in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C], triglycerides [TG] and ratio of TG/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C were not significant between and within groups. Quercetin supplementation significantly reduced the serum concentration of tumor necrosis factor- alpha [TNF- alpha] and interleukin-6 [IL-6] [P = 0.01 and P < 0.0001, respectively]; however, the mean changes in serum levels of IL-6, TNF- alpha, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were not significant between the groups. Quercetin supplementation reduced systolic blood pressure significantly but had no effect on other cardiovascular risk factors and inflammatory biomarkers. Considering the biological effects of quercetin in vitro, we need more studies with a stronger design and sample size with different doses of quercetin

Indicators of utilization as a means for assessment of health information management systems

Indicators are regarded as tools of evaluating different situations in all systems. Hospitals as a part of health systems are not an exception. They should also be evaluated based on different views, the main aim of this study was to determine the rate of utilization of hospital resources in Isfahan province. This is a descriptive, trend study which was carried out in Isfahan province. A total of 1920 data sheets collected from 1997 to 2001 were analyzed. These data belonged to 32 hospitals located across the province. The form was a validated tool for data collection and was used throughout the country. Total mean of be occupancy [BOR] was 42.2% during the study period. Training hospitals with 54.3% showed the highest rate while district hospitals were the lowest [41.4%]. The average length of stay [LOS] was 2.6 days. The length of stay in training hospitals was 3.6 days, 1.9 days in private hospitals and 4.4 days in the regional ones. Bed turn over rate was 3.3 days during the studied five year period. In the third world countries, the number of hospital beds is far less than the minimum required for the population. According to international standards, there should be three hospital beds for a thousand people in the community. In our country there is 1.5 beds per one thousand and despite this shortage, even this capacity is not correctly used so that more than 50% of hospital beds are vacant and since they stand far away from the right place