Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in adult population from Zahedan, Southeast Iran

The metabolic syndrome [MES] is associated with a high risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome as well as cut-off points for waist circumference [WC] for diagnosis of MES in Zahedan, southeast Iran. Totally, 1802 people [735 men and 1067 women] with metabolic syndrome were surveyed according to National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III [NCEP ATP III] and the International Diabetes Federation [IDF] criteria as well as obtained WC cut-off points for IDF criteria. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was higher in women than in men. In both sexes the prevalence increased with age. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome among 1802 individuals aged>/=19 years according to NCEP ATP III, IDF and IDF-AHA/NHLBI were 21.0% [15.4% in male, 24.9% female], 24.8 [20.0% in male, 28.1% in female] and 23.3% [19.7% in male, 25.8% in female], respectively. Low HDL-C [60.6%] and high WC [43.3%] were the most common components of the metabolic syndrome, followed by high triglycerides [32%], elevated glucose [17.1%] and high blood pressure [13%]. Our data shows a high prevalence of MES in Zahedan, Southeast Iran, therefore, future health prevention strategies are required for the prevention of MES

[Comparison of the outcomes of three detoxification methods [clonidin, methadon, rapid] in opioid-dependents referred to Kerman Shaheed Beheshti Hospital in a 6-month follow-up]

In this study the efficacy of traditional method, methadone tapering method and rapid method as three opiate detoxification treatments was compared based on demographic features and naltrexone consumption in a 6-month follow up. This Cohort prospective study was performed on 140 opioid addict men referred to opiate detoxification center of Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Kerman/ Iran from 2005-2007. They were divided into three groups of traditional method [n=61], methadone tapering [n=34] and rapid treatment [n=45] and followed up for 6 months in order to evaluate the results of detoxification treatments. At the end of the first month, the rate of abstinence in whole was 80.7%, and this rate was 83.6% in traditional treatment group, 82.4% in methadone group and 75.6% in rapid treatment group that shows no significant difference. After the 6th month the rate of abstinence was 12.8% in whole, 16.7% in traditional treatment group, 16.7% in methadone group and 6.3% in rapid treatment group. These rates, too, show no significant difference among three groups. The rate of naltrexone consumption at the end of the 1st month was 75.7% in whole, 52.5% in traditional group, 47.1% in methadone group and 97.8% in rapid treatment group that shows significant difference among three groups [P<0.05]. There was no case of naltrexone consumption at the end of the 6th month