[Diet quality and its relationship with metabolic syndrome in adolescents: Tehran lipid and glucose study]

The "Dietary Guidelines for Americans Adherence Index [DGAI] " was developed based on the adherence to the dietary recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 [DGA-2005] to assess the contribution of dietary patterns to chronic diseases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of dietary patterns as measured by the modified DGAI with the prevalence of metabolic syndrome [MetS] and its components in Tehranian adolescents. In this cross-sectional study, 706 adolescents aged 10 to 19 years, participated from the fourth phase of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study. Usual dietary intake was assessed using a valid food frequency questionnaire, and the DGAI score was calculated for all participants. MetS was defined according to de Ferranti criteria. The most prevalent risk factor for MetS was high waist circumference [51.8%]. After adjusting for confounding variables, those in the highest quartile category of DGAI had a 36% lower risk of low HDL-C [odds ratio=64%, 95% CI: 0.41-0.98 and P for trend=0.03] and 50% lower risk of hypertension [odds ratio=50%, 95% CI: 0.25-0.99 and P for trend=0.02], compared with the lowest quartile. Increasing adherence to DGAI showed no significant difference in risk of hypertriglyceridemia, hyperglycemia, high waist circumference, MetS, mean body mass index [BMI] or physical activity scores. In adolescents, increasing adherence to Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 [DGA-2005] had only an inverse association with low HDL-C and hypertension, but had no relationship with the risk of MetS and its other components

[Case - control study of factors influencing on drug abuse relapse in addicts referred to two recovery centers in Tehran]

Relapse after treatment is a common problem among drug addicts in addiction control and prevention programs. About 80% of the addicts relapse into drug abuse within 6 months after treatment. The purpose of this study was to determine factors associated with drug abuse relapse in patients consulting two selected addiction treatment centers in Tehran. In this case-control study, 160 relapsed patients were compared with 160 abstentious patients. A researcher-developed questionnaire was used to collect data. Chi-square test, odds ratio [OR] and logistic regression were performed for data analysis. The findings showed that factors increasing rate of relapse were smoking after relapse [OR=7.14, CI=3.855-13.244], substance-related cues [OR=6.76, CI= 3.915-11.678], interaction with addict peers [OR=6.38, CI=3.921-10398], malaise [OR=3.93, CI=2.446-6.305], and family conflict [OR=2.04, CI=1.227-3.385]. Opium- and dross-addicts were found to be less likely to have a relapse than crack- or pot- users [OR= 0.208, CI-0.128- 0.336]. The findings of this study reveal that relapse into drug abuse is significantly associated with personal, social, psychological and medical variables. It is recommended to integrate family counseling and therapeutic approaches, constant monitoring, and health care in treatment plans in order to reduce the adverse effects of factors such as family conflicts, peer pressure and drug-related cues in patients' likelihood of relapse

Electromagnetic fields near transmission lines -problems and solutions

Nowadays, people are highly concerned about the effects of high voltage transmission lines on their health. Probable risk for leukemia, breast cancer, neuropsychological disorders and reproductive outcomes has been reported due to this exposure. In this study, several measurements around different areas such as overhead transmission lines, GIS compartments and some appliances have been conducted and compared with the standard tolerances. The emphasis of this research is on high voltage substations and publics. Field magnitudes above l0kV/m have been measured under wires. Results show that there is no serious concern for the people living near the transmission lines but for the individuals who are beneath those lines for long. Recent achievements about electric fields' effect on human health are reviewed in the present paper. In a case study, three types of 230kV structures are analyzed and the best phase arrangement for reducing the electric and magnetic fields is determined [the circular arrangement]. It is concluded that the most effective solution is for the governments to use the best phase arrangement and replace outdoor substations with GIS to reduce the radiations and for the people to be near the high voltage overhead lines as rarely as possible