ABSTRACT
Background: This study was done to define some epidemiological aspects of inflammatory bowel disease [IBD], and to describe its characteristics in west of Iran
Methods: In this descriptive study all patient with the diagnosis of IBD who were visited in university-affiliated medical centers, between 2014 and 2015 were recruited. Their demographic characteristics, disease-related manifestations, complications, disease course and their chief complaints were analyzed
Results: Of 156 referred individuals, 153 patients had ulcerative colitis [UC] and 3 patients had Crohn's diseases [CD]. The mean age of the patients at diagnosis was 35.69+/-12.35 [range: 17-80] years with the most common age group of 25-35 years and slight female predominance [51.9%]. More urban patients were registered [90.4%] and 57% had high school or upper education. Positive family history of the disease was in 25.6% and 66.6% had four or more family members. Furthermore, 51.9% had left sided colitis and 40.4% had pancolitis with bloody diarrhea [79.5%] and abdominal pain [68.6%] as the most common manifestations. 36.5% had other autoimmune diseases. Multiple flare was seen in 47.4%, most commonly due to drug discontinuation [26.28%]. Hospital admission was reported in 34.6%. History of contraceptive pill use was in 38.8% of the female patients
Conclusion: The demographic and clinical manifestations of IBD are usually the same as other developing countries; however, the rarity of CD is eminent. Although the accurate epidemiological characteristic of IBD in Iran is still obscure, it is not a rare disease as previously thought and it seems that gradual reception of a western lifestyle may be linked to the ongoing rise in IBD
ABSTRACT
Over the past three decades physicians have used light level laser therapy [LLLT] for the management and the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy and have obtained results that calls for further investigations. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of LLLT in treatment of pain symptoms in patients with diabetic polyneuropathy. In this study 60 patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy were matched based on their sex, age, BMI, type of diabetes, duration of diabetes, and duration of pain, and randomized to case and control groups based on their established scores on the visual analog scale [VAS] and the Toronto clinical scoring system [TCSS]. Cases received laser therapy with wavelength of 78 nm and 2.5 j/cm[2] two times a week, each time for 5 min, for one month. During the same period, controls received sham laser therapy. Comparing the differences between the two groups' VAS and TCSS mean scores before the intervention with that of the 2 weeks and 4 weeks after the intervention we were able to see a statistically significant difference between the two groups [P<0.05]. On the other hand, when we compared their VAS and TCSS mean scores 4 weeks and 2 weeks after the intervention we did not find any statistically significant difference between the two groups. We achieved the same results when we examined cases' and controls' pre and post VAS and TCSS scores independent from each other; no improvement in the assessment based on their 2 and 4 weeks comparisons tests. Laser therapy resulted in improved neuropathy outcomes in diabetic patients who received it relative to the group that received sham therapy, evaluating before and after LLLT assessments. Further studies are needed to test types of lasers, as well as different dosage and exposure levels required in different phase of neuropathic care, so as to obtain reproducible results.