prevalence of Alzheimer's disease preventive behaviors in elderly people, Yazd, Iran

Introduction: Alzheimer's disease [AD] is a chronic condition characterized by gradual decline of mental abilities and behavioral disorders, which decreases the quality of life in elderly people. The aim of this study was to evaluate behaviors that may prevent elderly people from AD in Yazd

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 220 people aged from 60 to 70 years in Yazd. Cluster random sampling method was used for selecting the participants. Data collection instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire that included demographic information and questions on AD preventive behaviors [physical activity, mental activity, nutrition, and social interaction]. The score range of each part and the overall behavior score was from zero to 100. Data were analyzed by SPSS statistical software and application of descriptive and inferential statistical methods

Results: The mean score of preventive behaviors was 44.6. The highest mean score [56.48] was for nutrition while the lowest mean score [32.03] was for mental activity. Only 15 % of the studied elderly consumed fruit regularly in their diet, which was followed by consumption of vegetable, 11.4 % and fish 9.1 %. There was a significant positive correlation between education level and behavior score [p < 0.001]. However, there was no statistically significant gender difference [p > 0.05] in mean scores of the overall behavior and scores of married older adults compared to those of divorced or single, had a statistically significant difference [p = 0.007]

Conclusion: The overall AD preventive behaviors in elderly are undesirable, remarkably as noted in physical and mental domains. The majority of participants did not regularly have fruits, vegetables, and fish in their daily and weekly diets. Numerous socio-demographic factors affect these behaviors. More studies are required to identify barriers of healthy behaviors

role of diet in the management of non-ulcer dyspepsia

Dyspepsia is a common symptom with an extensive differential diagnosis and a heterogeneous pathophysiology. Many studies have reported that dyspeptic symptoms are associated with ingestion of some foods. Current treatments for functional dyspepsia have generally ignored the potential role of diet. This cross-sectional study was done at the Gastroenterology Department of Shahid Sadoughi Hospital, Yazd, Iran from September 2008 to March 2009. Based on the diagnostic criteria for functional dyspepsia symptoms presented to outpatient gastroenterology clinics, adult patients were invited to participate in this study. Upper GI endoscopy was performed in all the patients so as to rule out any gross pathology. The patients were asked about a list of nutrients including 114 foods which is commonly used in our area. Then, the effects of specific foods were identified on the relief or aggravation of the symptoms with four degrees: low, medium, high, and very high. Of 384 patients, 152 were men and 231 were women with a mean +/- SD age of 39.16 +/- 14 years [range: 13-80 years]. The foods that caused the highest aggravation of symptoms were sausage and bolognas, pickles vinegar, soft drinks, grain, tea, salt, pizza, watermelon, red pepper, and macaroni. However, the most frequent foods that led to the alleviation of symptoms were apples, rice, rock candy, bread, caraway seed, dates, honey, yogurt, quince, and walnut. This study shows that some foods, especially spicy, pickled, and high-fat foods, strongly induced dyspepsia and aggravated the symptoms in dyspeptic patients

newborn with ambiguous genitalia and a complex X;Y rearrangement

In most mammals, sex is determined at the beginning of gestation by the constitution of the sex chromosomes, XY in males and XX in females. Here we report an interesting case characterized by ambiguous genitalia and ovotestis in a newborn carrying an apparently female karyotype [46 XX]. Array Comparative Genomic Hybridization [Array-CGH] revealed an unbalanced rearrangement resulting in the deletion of the distal Xp and the duplication of the proximal Xp contiguous region with presence of the Y chromosome from Ypter to Yq11. Fluorescent in situ hybridization [FISH] showed that this portion of the Y was translocated to the tip of the abnormal X and that the duplicated portion of chromosome X was inverted. Altogether, the abnormal chromosome was a dicentric one with the centromere of the Y chromosome apparently inactivated. The presence within the translocated Y chromosome of the SRY gene explains the devolopment of testes although it is not clear the reason for the genitalia ambiguity

Incidence and risk factors for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in females treated with tamoxifen for breast cancer

Tamoxifen used in the treatment of breast cancer is reported to cause hepatic steatosis. This study aimed to assess the incidence and risk factors of the development of fatty liver disease, resulting from tamoxifen use, in females with breast cancer. Seventy females aged between 28 and 80 years with breast cancer were recruited from Shahid Sadoughi Clinic, Yazd, Iran in 2006-2008. The patients underwent chemotherapy followed by 20 mg tamoxifen daily as postoperative endocrine treatment. Only in patients with normal baseline liver function, negative test for hepatitis C virus [HCV] and hepatitis B surface antigen [HbsAg] and normal liver ultrasonography were included. The development of fatty changes over a 6-months period of treatment was the main outcome measurement assessed by ultrasonography. Thirty-five of 70 patients developed fatty change during follow-up, in which nine were in grade one, 20 in grade two and six patients in grade three. Risk factors associated with the development of fatty change were elevation of triglycerides [2.4, 1.2-4.8], elevation of fasting blood sugar [FBS] and low high-density lipoprotein [HDL] [3.4, 1.4-7.8]. No relation was found between the development of fatty change and age [1.3, 0.87-2.00], menopause [1.13, 0.69-1.9], previous history of diabetes [2.4, 0.7-8.4], previous chemotherapy regimen and receptors type [c-erbB2, P53, progesterone receptor [PR], oestrogen receptor [ER]] and stage of breast cancer. Further, there was no relation between the development of fatty change and hypercholesterolemia, low-density lipoprotein [LDL], arterial hypertension and body mass index [BMI]. Tamoxifen was associated with a high risk of development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in patients with higher triglycerides and FBS and lower HDL. However, no relationship was found with the level of BMI, LDL, hypertension, overweight and obesity

[ satisfaction rate of students in yazd university of medical sciences toward registration process in 2007]

Background and Objective: Educational services should be provided to students in a way that they feel they are in a safe environment. Since registration is the first stage of educational process, this study was conducted to survey the students' satisfaction of the registration process. Method: This is a cross-sectional study performed by stratified sampling from each faculty of Yazd University of Medical Sciences. Data were collected by a questionnaire and analyzed using Chi square, t-test and one-way ANOVA and through SPSS software

Results: In whole, 200 students [82 females and 116 males] were studied. From all subjects, 175 ones [89.3%] had been registered without using internet of whom, 96 students [69.6%] mentioned that it had been due to the lack of easy access to the registration programs. A total of 109 students considered officials' familiarity with the registration process desirable while, 7 students [4.9%] considered it undesirable. According to109 students [59.9%] officials' assistance in students' registration based on their job duties had been desirable and only 5 students [2.7%] considered it undesirable. Mean satisfaction rate based on students' sex [P < 0.05], local and non-local residency [P< 0.05] and the university's faculty [P <0.001] showed significant difference [95% confidence level]

Conclusion: The majority of students were satisfied with registration process in whole, but not with online registration. Therefore, it is recommended to use more advanced techniques in online registration process to make students more satisfied

Frequency and distribution of various posterior capsular opacities post cataract extraction / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To evaluate the frequency and distribution of various types of post cataract surgery and intraocular lens (IOL) implantation posterior capsular opacity (PCO) in hospitals.METHODS: This cross sectional, observational and descriptive study included 200 patients, 123 male and 77 female aged between 43 and 77(mean age 62.4) years, referring for cataract procedure from 2003 till 2007. The mean follow-up period of patients was 23 (range from 16 to 60) months. Data were gathered during follow-up time via a questionnaire and entered in a computer using SPSS software. Analysis was performed using ANOVA and Chi-Square tests. RESULTS: The various types of PCO included, fibrotic (63%), residual epithelial proliferative cells (15%) and mixed type (22%). The mean time period for development of postoperative decreased visual acuity due to PCO was 19.3(range from 3 to 48) months, younger patients had a significantly better vision post cataract surgery (P=0.0001), but the incidence of PCO was also more in them. In the older age group, fibrotic PCO was significantly more, while mixed type of opacities were the least prevalent (P=0.016). CONCLUSION: The present study did not determine any specific risk factors for development of PCO, and the most common type was fibrosis, all of the cases experienced both qualitative and quantitative decrease in vision and some of them required treatment with YAG Laser capsulotomy which is relatively expensive and has its own complications.

report of three cases with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura [TTP] secondary to an occult gastric adenocarcinoma

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura [TTP] is a disseminated form of thrombotic microangiopathy with clinical findings consisting of fever, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia [MAHA], thrombocytopenia, fluctuating neurologic impairment and renal dysfunction. However, Microangiopathic hemolytic anemia has been described in association with disseminated malignancies, most commonly adenocarcinoma of the breast or stomach. We present three patients with microangiopathic anemia in whom metastatic cancer was finally diagnosed; however, they died of refractory hemolytic anemia in the end. The occurrence of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia in patients with disseminated malignant in gastric adenocarsinoma is well documented. Therefore, the diagnosis of tumor-associated TTP should be considered in unresponsive TTP patient treated with plasmapheresis

Survey on pathologic and demographic finding of oculo-orbital tumors in Yazd,Iran / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

·AIM: To review epidemiological features of 200 cases of ocular and adnexal tumors to determine the demographic and location of tumors in Yazd, Iran from 1997 to 2007.·METHODS: Retrospective, observational case series. We reviewed cases of histopathologically verified oculoorbital tumors at our institution from 1997 to 2007, and studied the distribution of patients age, pathology, origin of tumors, and tumor location in 200 consecutive cases.·RESULTS: Among the 200 cases (111 males, 89 females), 110 (55.0%) were benign tumors, 86 (43.0%) were malignant, and 4 (2.0%) were metastatic tumors. 119 tumors (59.5%) were eyelid tumors, 21 (10.5%) were orbital and 60 (30.0%) were in globe. The most frequent malignant tumors were basal cell carcinoma (BCC) (25.5%), squarnous cell carcinoma (SCC) (6.0%) and melanoma (5.5%). All types of nevus (15.0%), dermoid cyst (5.5%) and hemangioma (5.0%) were the most frequent benign tumors respectively. The age distribution of 200 patients was divided into two groups, under 18 years old and over 18 years old. In age group of less than 18 years old patients, the most common tumors were benign (90.1%) malignant and metastatic tumors were 8.4% and 1.5% respectively. While, in patients over 18 years old, the common tumors were malignant (51.1%), benign tumors were 47. 1% and metastatic tumors were 1.8%.·CONCLUSION: The pathologic profiles of orbital tumors were characterized ccording to patient's age and the location of the tumor in the globe and adnexa. The age of onset and tumor location provide us with important information for prognosis prior to biopsy or tumor re-section and to determine the treatment strategy.