[Comparison between the effects of hydroalcoholic extract of dill and statins on lipid profile]

A transient increase of blood concentration of lipids after meal is able to increase the risk of atherogenesis. This study aimed to determine the effects of Anethum graveolens L. [dill] consumption on atherosclerosis and hepatic risk factors. In an experimental study, 32 male New Zealand rabbits were randomly allocated to four groups to receive normal diet, a diet containing 1% cholesterol, a diet containing 1% cholesterol plus 200 mg/kg dill powder, and a diet containing 10 mg/kg lovastatin. Risk factors of atherosclerosis including glucose, total cholesterol [TC], triglyceride [TG], apolipoprotein B [ApoB], alanine aminotransferase [ALT], aspartate aminotransferase [AST], low density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C], nitrite, nitrate, fibrinogen, and factor VII were measured and compared between different groups.Consumption of dill caused a significant reduction in glucose compared to the hypercholesterolemic diet group. Dill powder significantly decreased LDL-C, TC, AST, ALT, and fibrinogen. No significant differences were found between dill group and hypercholesterolemic diet group in ApoB, factor VII, nitrite, and nitrate. According to our findings, postprandial consumption of dill may have beneficial effects on atherosclerosis and hepatic risk factors

Deaths and injuries due to the earthquake in 2010 damghan's earthquake: a case study

Earthquakes cause thousands of deaths and injuries worldwide every year. Islamic Republic of Iran has a deadly history of earthquakes. The aim of this study is to describe injuries rate, causes of injuries, structural characteristics of buildings and occupant actions immediately after earthquake in Damghan in 2010. This case-study was conducted one week after occurring the earthquake in five villages of Damghan city in Iran. We used the Physical Injuries Assessment Questionnaire which was particularly designed for injuries after earthquakes. Also for acquiring information about region and amount of losses, some interviews was conduct with local authorities. Four death and fifty six injuries occurred in five villages of Damghan city. There were three types of injuries including superficial injuries [50%], contusions [35%] and fractures [10%]. The findings of this study indicating building structural failure [87.4%], nonstructural factors [7.1%] and trapping [5.3%] seems the most possible cause of injuries in this region. This study showed that the building structural failure is the main cause of injuries [87.4%]. Increasing structural resistance of building especially in village regions and education about earthquake preparedness should encourage in order decreasing the total number of people affected by earthquake

[Mortality and length of hospital stay in elderly with systolic heart failure at Alborz Hospital in Karaj [2003-2008]]

Heart failure is a common, disabling, deadly, and highly threatening disease. Despite advances in the treatment of heart failure over the past decade, the prognosis remains poor. The aim of this study was to determine the mortality frequency and length of hospital stay in elderly with systolic heart failure at Alborz Hospital in Karaj during 2009. This was a cross sectional study in which a total of 154 heart failure patients aged >/= 65 years and low ejection fraction [EF][

[Identification of community needs and prioritization of problemsbased on community assessment in Azerbaijan Borough, Tehran, Iran]

Community assessment is a process by which a clear picture of the community assets, strengths, resources, and needs is obtained with active participation of the community itself, followed by prioritization of the community needs and formulating strategies and programs to solve the problems. This study was conducted to identify and prioritize problems and needs of the Azerbaijan Borough in Tehran city, Iran, with active participation of the people. This study was conducted to determine the attitudes and beliefs of the community members about their community needs and problems. The study was based on a model designed in North Carolina, US. In this model, the assessment process is performed in eight steps. In the first seven steps problems are identified and prioritized, and in step 8 a plan of action is developed to deal with the problem selected. A total of 40 problems were identified and divided into several groups. The most important problems were as follows: social problems; environmental health problems; educational and cultural problems, civil rights and urban services; distribution and use of drugs; lack of family counseling centers; shortage of parks and playgrounds for neighborhood children; lack of supervision by municipal contractors on urban cleaning; and lack of mental health services specially for the elderly. Several types of problems, including health, as well as non-health-social, cultural and economic-problems were identified. Community assessment provides an appropriate opportunity for active participation of community members and makes available sufficient information for sound decision-making. Thus, community assessment can be regarded as a suitable technique for identifying and prioritizing community needs