Relations between lateral abdominal muscles thickness, body mass index, waist circumference and skin fold thickness

In light of provided progresses in ultrasound measurements of lateral abdominal muscles, an important role for these muscles, particularly transverse abdominis [TrA] muscle in stability of the spine has been suggested. Some authors have found significant correlations between body mass index [BMI] and thickness of these muscles. The aim of this study was to examine possible association between different methods of measurements of fatness and lateral abdominal muscles thicknesses, employing ultrasound imaging in healthy subjects. Ninety healthy male volunteers aged 18 to 38 [mean = 31.37, standard deviation = 5.09] who met our inclusion criteria participated in this study. BMI, skin fold thickness, weight and waist circumference were assumed as the major outcomes for measurement of fatness of the subjects. Employing ultrasound measurements, the thickness of TrA, internal oblique [Int Obl] and external oblique [Ext Obl] muscles were also measured. We found positive significant relation between Ext Obl muscle thickness and all methods of measurements of fatness. Reversely, the results show that Int Obl muscle thickness significantly decreases with the rise of all methods of fatness measurement except weight which had no significant correlation with Int Obl thickness. No significant relation between the TrA muscle thickness and different measurements of the fatness of the subjects were found. In the studies investigate the thickness of lateral abdominal muscles; the authors try to match the participants of different groups of their study regarding the BMI. We found that both waist circumference and skin fold thickness measurements might be assumed as surrogate of BMI, in aim of matching the participants on Ext Obl muscle thickness

Fatalities among Iranian high-altitude outdoor enthusiasts: causes and mechanisms

This study was performed to determine the possible causes and mechanisms of fatalities among Iranian mountaineers during climbing. By contacting several sources, deceased mountaineers were identified. Data about the causes and mechanism of death was retrospectively obtained using a standard questionnaire for each case. A total of 29 deaths were identified from March 2006 to June 2010. Deceased subjects had a mean age of 39 years [SD: 12.8, Range: 20-67]. Falling was the most common accident leading to death of outdoor enthusiasts [n=14, 48%]. Asphyxia [n=6, 24%] was the most common cause of death among the subjects, followed by heart attack, internal bleeding, cerebral hemorrhage and hypothermia [17%, 17%, 17% and 10%, respectively]. Our findings suggest that education of medical service providers of the climbing groups on facing victims in high altitude areas, where they have limited resources, can be particularly helpful. In addition, a national program to educate mountaineers might help to reduce fatalities