ABSTRACT
Background: The Cancer Institute of Iran, located in Tehran [Iran's capital city], is a national specialized center for cancer. Cancer patients from all over the country refer to it. This study compared the out-of-pocket [OOP] expenditures of patients from Tehran and patients from other parts of Iran who were hospitalized in this center
Methods: This cross-sectional study included all patients over 18 years of age with head and neck or digestive system cancer who were actively undergoing primary treatment in the Cancer Institute of Iran located in Tehran [the capital city]. Data was collected through a structured interview with the patients themselves and/or their companions and then analyzed using SPSS[16] software
Results: Direct medical costs of patients from Tehran were much higher than those of patients from other provinces. In contrast, the average direct non-medical costs including transportation, accommodation, food, etc. of patients from other provinces were significantly higher than those of patients from Tehran, and 53% of patients borrowed money for their treatments
Conclusion: It seems necessary to develop new supportive policies to alleviate financial costs for cancer patients and help them manage their cancers effectively. Patients from the provinces faced additional costs for travel, food, and accommodations which complicated their access to special services. Establishing and improving specialized cancer centers in other cities can reduce the burden of out-of-pocket expenditures for patients from remote areas
ABSTRACT
Background: Adiponectin, an adipocyte-secreted hormone, is known to have anti-atherogenic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic properties. In the present study, the association between two common single nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs] [+45T/G and +276G/T] of ADIOPQ gene and coronary artery disease [CAD] was assessed in the subjects with type 2 diabetes [T2DM]
Methods: Genotypes of two SNPs were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism in 200 subjects with T2DM [100 subjects with CAD and 100 without CAD]
Results: The frequency of TT genotype of +276G/T was significantly elevated in CAD compared to controls [X2=7.967, P=0.019]. A similar difference was found in the allele frequency of +276G/T between two groups [X2=3.895, P=0.048]. The increased risk of CAD was associated with +276 TT genotype when compared to reference GG genotype [OR=5.158; 95% CI=1.016-26.182, P=0.048]. However, no similar difference was found in genotype and allele frequencies of SNP +45T/G between two groups. There was a CAD protective haplotype combination of +276 wild-type and +45 mutant-type allele [276G-45G] [OR=0.37, 95% CI=0.16-0.86, P=0.022] in the subject population
Conclusion: Our findings indicated that T allele of SNP +276G/T is more associated with the increased risk of CAD in subjects with T2DM. Also, a haplotype combination of +45G/+276G of these two SNPs has a protective effect on the risk of CAD
ABSTRACT
Background: Injuries and deaths from road traffic crashes are one of the main public health problems throughout the world. This study aimed to identify determinants of fatality traffic accident in Iran for the twenty-span year from 1991 to 2011
Methods: A time series analysis [1991-2011] was used to examine the effects of some of the key explanatory factors [GDP per capita, number of doctors per 10,000 populations, degree of urbanization, unemployment rate and motorization rate] on deaths from road traffic in Iran. In order to examine long- and short-run effects of variables, we employed autoregressive distributed lag [ARDL] approach and error correction method [ECM]. The data for the study was obtained from the Central Bank of Iran [CBI], Iranian Statistical Center [ISC] and Legal medical organizations [LMO]
Results: GDP per capita, doctor per 10,000 populations, degree of urbanization and motorization rate had a significant impact on fatality from road traffic in Iran. We did not observe any short- and long-term effects of the unemployment rate on fatality from road traffic
Conclusion: GDP per capita, doctor per 10,000 populations, degree of urbanization and motorization rate were identified as main determinant of fatality from road traffic accidents in Iran. We hope the results of the current study enable health policy-makers to understand better the factors affecting deaths from road traffic accidents in the country