[Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used in the northeast latrine zone of Persian gulf]

Nowadays, medicinal plants are widely used in remedies of several ailments and improvement of human health because of their pharmaceutical properties. Recognition of plant species and data collection of native inhabitants in the case of attribute and either preparation methods of them in the treatment of various diseases. In order to gather information on medicinal species the area, an investigation was performed during 2011-2013. Data was obtained using direct interviews with 120 informants particularly those who were more familiar with the herbs and their medicinal properties. The most widely plant used and also the most populous families and genera in the region were identified. Results of this study indicated that this zone has 70 plant species which belong to 37 families and 62 genera. Among 37 plant families being used in this area, Asteraceae with 7 species is the most used family and Plantago with 4 species is the largest genus in this zone. Intestinal - digestive system is the first target for traditional medicine in the area. In general, our findings can be used as a basis for selecting useful medicinal plants for further pharmacological and phytochemical studies and consequently to discover new drugs

Unhealthy lifestyles and ischaemic electrocardiographic abnormalities: the Persian Gulf Healthy Heart Study

We assessed prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, ischaemic heart disease [IHD] and unhealthy lifestyles in 3723 participants aged >/= 25 years in the northern Persian Gulf region; 96.0% had >/= 1 cardiovascular risk factor. Over 60% had unhealthy body weight, only 8.3% ate the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables, 70.6% were physically inactive and 19.0% were current smokers. Prevalence of electrocardiogram [ECG] with evidence of IHD was 12.7%. Present or past smoking and truncal obesity were independently associated with IHD ECGs in men, and past or present smoking and obesity in women. Hypertension and diabetes were independently associated with increased risk of IHD ECG

Relationship between family history of osteoporotic fracture and femur geometry

The principal aim of this study was therefore to investigate association between family history of osteo-porotic hip fracture, BMD and femur geometry in Bushehr city in South of Iran. In this cross-sectional study, data were obtained from Iranian Multi-center Osteoporosis Study [IMOS] in Bushehr. Healthy men and women aged 50 to 75 years were selected based on randomized clustered sampling of all regions of the corresponding city. BMD was measured once at the lumbar spine [L2-L4] and proximal femur with dual X-ray absorptiometry using Lunar DPX densitometers. From the DXA image the operator manually determines the hip axis length [HAL] and femoral neck-shaft angle. The HAL was measured from the inner pelvic brim to the lateral side of the femur .The femoral neck-shaft angle was defined as the angle between the femoral neck axis and the femoral shaft axis. There were no significant differences between the family fracture history groups with regard to the potential confounders of age and body mass index [BMI]. HAL of women with history of hip fracture was greater but history of hip fracture showed no significant relation with other variables. These findings suggest that individuals with a positive family history may be at higher risk of osteoporotic hip fracture because they have greater HAL and more prone to buckle at the femur neck