Effect of Brace Treatment on Craniovertebral to Lumbopelvic Sagittal Parameters in Adolescents with Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Systematic Review

The current study was carried out systematically by conducting a review of the literature. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature to determine the effects of brace wearing on sagittal parameters in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). In this study, PubMed/MEDLINE (National Library of Medicine), Scopus, Ovid, CINAHL, PEDro, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Library were accessed and searched using the patient, intervention, comparison, outcome, and study design model. We included studies that looked at the effects of brace treatment on sagittal spinopelvic parameters in AIS patients over the age of 18. The studies were chosen for their cross-sectional, retrospective, or prospective observational designs, and they were published in English. Review articles, case reports, case study designs, and conference abstracts were excluded from consideration. The methodological quality of the remaining articles was assessed using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale. A total of 12 studies were chosen, and 995 participants were evaluated, with 3 (25%) and 9 (75%) having high and moderate quality, respectively. The studies were classified based on the length of follow-up. Long-term, short-term, and immediate effects of brace wearing on sagittal spinopelvic parameters were reported in four, five, and three studies, respectively. The results of nine studies showed a significant decrease in Cobb angle after wearing the brace, which contradicted the findings of the other two. The cervical and sagittal pelvic parameters, thoracic kyphosis (TK), lumbar lordosis (LL), spinopelvic parameters, and sagittal balance were all evaluated in the intended studies, yielding varying results. According to the available literature, wearing a brace flattens the TK and LL. According to this systematic review, brace treatment may affect sagittal spinopelvic parameters in adolescents with AIS, particularly in TK and LL. The cervical and pelvic parameters yielded inconclusive results. This study backs up the idea that brace design and structure can influence sagittal parameter changes. The limitations of this study include different methods of parameter measurement, variations in the brace types and wear time, varying follow-up duration, and differences in participant characteristics.

relationship between perceived life changes and mental health in family caregivers of patients with heart failure who referred to Rajaei cardiovascular medical and research center, Tehran

Caring for a patient with heart failure can be a challenging and stressful situation. However, researchers have paid less attention to caregiving outcomes in heart failure caregivers. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between perceived life changes and mental health of family caregivers of heart failure patients. Through a correlational design, a convenience sample of 90 Iranian family caregivers of patients with heart failure was selected. Data were collected using demographic-clinical characteristics form, Bakas Caregiving Outcomes Scale and General Health Questionnaire-28. Data were analyzed in SPSS using independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analysis. Half of the caregivers reported that their lives had changed for the worse and nearly three fourths were suspected cases of mental disorders. There was a strong negative correlation between perceived life changes and mental health [r=-0.607, P<0.001]. This finding remained consistent [B=-0.522, P<0.001] even when potential confounding factors including caregiver's age [B=-0.222, P=0.016], caregiver's marital status [B=-6.085, P=0.025], and patient's age [B=-0.153, P=0.030] were controlled. Being younger, unmarried caregiver and caring of younger patients were identified as other correlated factors of poor caregivers' mental health. The strong negative correlation between perceived life changes and mental health in caregivers of patients with heart failure suggests that the heart failure caregivers with poor mental health may benefit from nursing interventions that improve appropriate coping with life changes related to caregiving

Soy isoflavones supplementation for patients with irritable bowel syndrome: a randomized double blind clinical trial

Irritable bowel syndrome [IBS] is one of the common gastrointestinal disorders with unknown etiology. In experimental models, it is proposed that soy isoflavones may suppress the clinical and psychological symptoms of IBS by alteration of gut barrier tight junctions. We conducted this study to evaluate the effects of soy isoflavones on IBS symptoms and patients' quality of life. In a randomized double blind placebo-controlled clinical trial, 67 patients with IBS were allocated to consume either soy isoflavones capsules or a placebo for 6 weeks. The primary outcome was a significant reduction in symptoms severity score and the secondary outcome was a significant improvement in quality of life. 45 participants completed the study. There was no significant changes in mean differences of symptoms severity score between the two groups; however soy isoflavone supplementation could significantly improve the quality of life scores [p=0.009]. Soy isoflavones supplementation could improve the quality of life in patients with IBS; however it did not suppress the symptoms seventy in 6 weeks. Further research with a longer duration is needed to determine the sustained clinical efficacy. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02026518

Mental health in family caregivers of patients with heart failure

Family caregivers of patients with heart failure [HF] deal with a wide range of problems related to caregiving that influence their mental health. The aim of this study was to investigate the mental health status of the family caregivers of patients with HF. In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 90 family caregivers of patients with HF, who referred Shahid Rajaei Cardiovascular Center, were selected through convenience sampling method. The data were collected using General Health Questionnaire [GHQ-28] for measuring mental health and were also analyzed by SPSS 16, and then processed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation test. The mean score of GHQ-28 was 33.06 +/- 14.34 [range: 9–72]. The majority of caregivers [74.4%] were suspected cases of mental health disorders. Regarding to instrument subscales, the prevalence of caregivers' problems were 65.6% in somatic symptoms, 82.2% in anxiety/insomnia, 83.3% in social dysfunction, and 25.6% in depression. The total GHQ-28 score of the caregivers gradually decreased with increasing patient's age as in the minimum age group of the patients [aged 40 years and lower], the highest mean score of GHQ-28 was observed [P < 0.05]. A considerable proportion of family caregivers of patients with HF were suspected cases of mental health disorders. A routine assessment of mental health in this group of caregivers should be considered to identify those at risk. Also, clinical team should design and implement effective programs aimed at improving the mental health, especially in caregiver who provide care for younger patients

Prevalence of immunity to toxoplasmosis among Iranian childbearing age women: systematic review and meta-analysis

Our information regarding immunity to toxoplasmosis among reproductive age women is indeterminate and there is significant variation between reported results; it is necessary to perform a Meta-analysis study on subjects to obtain required findings and develop preventive measures accordingly Estimation level of immunity to toxoplasmosis in reproductive ages. All published papers in main national and international databases were systematically searched for some specific keywords to find the related studies up to 2012. We selected only original articles that either reported percentage of positive anti toxoplasma IgG or total anti toxoplasma antibody by using ELISA or IFAT method [provided that the titer >/= 1.20 is considered positive for IFAT] in childbearing age women. Studies involved a total of 13480 participants. The maximum and minimum reported prevalence rates of anti-toxoplasma IgG antibody using IFTA serological method were 21.8% and 54%; and using ELISA serological method were 23% and 64%, respectively. The overall estimation for prevalence of anti-toxoplasma IgG antibody using IFTA serological method was 34.5% [95% CI: 28.5-40.5]; and using ELISA method was 37.6% [95% CI: 30.4-44.9]. The overall estimation for prevalence of anti-toxoplasma total antibody was 39.9% [95% CI: 26.1-53.7]. In Iran, screening of toxoplasma is not routinely performed yet, while the incidence of toxoplasmosis is too high to justify routine screening. Prenatal screening can help to identify mothers susceptible to infection. Screening for the presence of antibodies allows primary prevention of toxoplasmosis infection where eating habits and hygiene practices have clearly been identified as risk factors

Elevated serum visfatin levels in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Visfatin, a novel adiopocytokine, has been proven to be a proinflammatory mediator involved in the process of atherosclerosis. Visfatin has been shown to play a role in plaque destabilization as it is found abundantly in foam cell macrophages within unstable atherosclerotic plaques. The present study is designed to investigate the potential association between serum vistafin levels and the risk of acute myocardial infarction [AMI]. There were 72 patients [mean age: 61.57 +/- 11.40 years] as cases who presented with first-time AMI that were assessed 8 hours after the incident. The control group consisted of 83 healthy volunteers [mean age: 60.30 +/- 8.32 years]. Plasma visfatin levels were measured using enzyme immunoassay in both groups. Biochemical parameters were analyzed. Blood pressure, body mass index [BMI], waist circumference, diabetes, and hypertension were recorded. Serum visfatin levels were significantly higher in patients with AMI [12.77 +/- 8.06 ng/ml] compared to controls [6.57 +/- 2.96 ng/ml, P 7.244 ng/ml [log visfatin > 0.86] had a sensitivity of 70% and a specificity of 75% for predicting AMI. We have detected high levels of visfatin in patients with AMI. It can be concluded that proinflammatory cytokines such as visfatin may play a role in the development of atherosclerosis as well as destabilization of the atherosclerotic plaque