ABSTRACT
Objective: This study was designed to examine the effect of metabolic syndrome [MetS] on health-related quality of life [HRQOL] in patients with suspected nonalcoholic steatohepatitis [NASH]
Subjects and Methods: Three hundred thirty-two patients [236 males and 96 females] with suspected NASH from the Amol cohort study were included in this study. MetS was diagnosed based on Adult Treatment Panel III criteria and HRQOL was measured using the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey [SF-12] questionnaire [with 8 subscales and 2 summary components]. A multivariable linear regression model was used to assess the independent effect of MetS on HRQOL
Results: The mean age of the study population was 42 +/- 13 years [range 18-82]. The prevalence of MetS was 43.4% [n = 144] and the mean scores on the Physical Component Summary [PCS] and the Mental Component Summary were 72.4 +/- 20.86 and 42.7 +/- 12.42, respectively. The multivariable linear regression model showed that MetS was negatively associated with 4 subscales of HRQOL that included: role limitations due to physical problems [RP] [B = -14.05, p = 0.004], bodily pain [BP] [B = -7.37, p = 0.02], vitality [VT] [B = -7.72, p = 0.022], and role limitations due to emotional problems [RE] [B = -12.67, p = 0.005] after adjustment for other variables. Also, MetS had a borderline association with the general health and mental health subscales and the PCS [p < 0.1]
Conclusion: In this study, there was a strong association between MetS and 4 subscales [RP, BP, VT, and RE] of HRQOL in patients with suspected NASH; this could be considered as a part of health policy to improve general health
ABSTRACT
Background: type II diabetes mellitus [T2DM] and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease [NAFLD] are important causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of DM in the context of NAFLD
Methods: in this cross-sectional study, we studied 5052 participants, aged 18 years and older, of a baseline population-based cohort in northern Iran [N=6143]. The prevalence of DM was estimated in individuals with and without NAFLD. The association between NAFLD and T2DM was evaluated using logistic regression with the adjustment of confounding effects of age, sex, body mass index, lipid profiles, and fasting insulin
Results: in men, the prevalence [95% confidence interval] of T2DM was 5.34% [4.35%-6.34%] and 15.06% [13.12%-17.00%] in individuals without and with NAFLD, respectively [p <0.001]. In women without NAFLD, the prevalence was 8.27% [6.83%-9.71%] while in the presence of NAFLD, the prevalence was 27.21% [24.59%-29.83%], [p <0.001]. In univariate analysis, the chance of having T2DM was 3.700 [3.130-4.380] times more in patients with NAFLD compared with subjects without NAFLD [p<0.001]. This chance was reduced [Odds Ratio=1.976, 95% CI: 1.593-2.451, p <0.001] after removing the effects of other variables
Conclusion: the prevalence of T2DM is increased in the context of NAFLD. This condition may be considered as an independent predictor of T2DM
ABSTRACT
Background: inflammatory bowel diseases [IBDs], including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, are chronic and debilitating conditions that their prevalence are growing. These diseases have association with psycho-cognitive factors. This study aimed to evaluate the personality traits of such patients by applying the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Questionnaire
Materials and Methods: we included 100 patients with biopsy proven IBD in this case control study. 100 individuals [57 subjects of the patients' family members and 43 subjects of non-family members] were considered as controls. We applied MMPI 2RF to evaluate the personality traits of the participants. ANOVA was used to compare the mean scales between the three groups
Results: of this fifty scale-questionnaire, only the scales of emotional inadequacy [mean = 59.83 +/- 10.42, p = 0.047], demoralization [mean = 63.00 +/- 11.21, p = 0.025], malaise [mean = 64.99 +/- 14.58, p = 0.001], cognitive complaints [mean = 64.66 +/- 15.25, p = 0.008], self-doubt [mean = 57.55 11.04, p = 0.34], and neuroticism [mean = 61.43 +/- 11.94, p = 0.048] had a significant difference between the three groups
Conclusion: the patients with IBD had a higher scales of emotional inadequacy, demoralization, malaise, cognitive complaints, self-doubt, and neuroticism than the controls of non-family and family members. However the differences were significant only between patients with IBD and their non-family controls. We suggest regular psychological and psychiatric counseling for patients with IBD
ABSTRACT
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease [NAFLD] is one of the aspects of metabolic syndrome [MetS]. Due to the increase of MetS in Iran, this study was conducted to determine the prevalence of NAFLD, its potential predictors and their sex distribution in north of Iran, Amol. In 2008 this population based cross-sectional study included 5023 adult individuals who were randomly selected from Amol healthcare centers. Blood analysis and hepatic sonography was performed for each individual and Clinical histories were reviewed. MetS was defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III. Chi-square test, univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze data. The prevalence of NAFLD and metabolic syndrome was 43.8% and 29.6% respectively. Both NAFLD and metabolic syndrome were significantly more prevalent in women. There was a stronger association between these two factors in women which may indicate MetS has a much more potency to result in NAFLD in women. The strongest predictors of NAFLD in men were waist circumference>102 cm, serum ALT >/= 40 [U/L] and the age group of 40-60 years. The strongest predictors of NAFLD in women were waist circumference >88 cm, the age groups of 40-60 and >60 years. The observed prevalence is alarming because almost 7out of 10 subjects with MetS had NAFLD. As high waist circumference was an important predictor of NAFLD in both sexes, health care policies to reduce the incidence of obesity in the country will have an important impact on the occurrence of NAFLD