[Prevalence and risk factors of diabetes, pre-diabetes and metabolic syndrome in first-degree relatives of patients with type II diabetes]

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and risk factors for diabetes, pre-diabetes and metabolic syndrome in first-degree relatives [FDRs] of patients with type 2 diabetes. In a cross-sectional study between 2003 and 2005, 3228 of first-degree relatives of patients with type 2 diabetes [841 men and 2387 women] from Isfahan Endocrine and Metabolism Research Center outpatient clinics, Iran, were examined. All subjects underwent a standard 75 g 2-h oral glucose tolerance test [OGTT]. Impaired glucose tolerance [IGT], impaired fasting glucose [IFG] and type 2 diabetes were diagnosed according to the criteria of the American Diabetes Association and metabolic syndrome, according to the Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program adult treatment panel [NCEP-ATP III]. The Prevalence of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, IGT and IFG were 35.8, 10.3, 19.5, and 17.3 percent, respectively. IGT [OR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.51-0.87] and metabolic syndrome [OR: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.61-0.85] were more common among women, whereas IFG [OR: 1.41; 95% CI: 1.10-1.80] was higher in men. Multivariate analysis revealed that age and obesity or abdominal obesity were significantly associated with diabetes, IGT and IFG. IGT, IFG and lower HDL were associated with metabolic syndrome. First-degree relatives of patients with type 2 diabetes are at higher risk of IGT, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. This risk increases with age and obesity. These findings may provide evidence for necessity of screening program in identifying a special subset of the population at particular risk of developing type 2 diabetes

Epidemiology of non-fatal stroke in southeastern Iran

Three hundred and fifty-nine consecutive patients with stroke were admitted to the neurology department of Kerman University of Medical Sciences affiliated hospitals between May 1992 and May 1994, and were interviewed within one week after admission to the hospital. Mean SD age was 65.4 +/- 12.1 years for men and 63.3 +/- 14.3 years for women. Sixty-two and two-tenth% of the strokes were due to cerebral infarction and 21% were due to intracerebral hemorrhage. In 10.4% of the cases, subarachnoid hemorrhage was ascertained as the cause of the stroke while in 6.4% of the cases, the type of stroke could not be specified with certainty. The presenting symptoms were hemiparesis or hemiplegia in 79.6%, speech disorder in 38.0% and clouded consciousness in 21.2% of the patients. Sixty-three and three-tenth per cent of the cases had hypertension. Sixty-five and eight-tenth% had hypercholesterolemia shortly after onset. Sixteen and three-tenth% had diabetes mellitus. The overall case-fatality rate at the time of discharge was 24.7%. The rate for intracerebral hemorrhage was 33.6% and for cerebral infarction 20.3%. The age gender-adjusted mean annual incidence of stroke in men and women were estimated to be 44.4 and 59.0 per 100,000 population, respectively

efficiency of a malaria screening program among Afghan refugees in Kerman, Islamic Republic of Iran

Evaluation of a malaria screening program was carried out in two screened Afghan refugee camps in Bardsir and Rafsanjan and compared to non-screened Afghan refugees within Kerman, as well as refugees with malaria diagnosed by Communicable Disease Control [CDC] Laboratories in Kerman and Rafsanjan, by parasitological blood examinations. The study involved 456 residents of two refugee camps and random samples of 512 refugees in the Kerman Bus Terminal and 1300 persons referred to Kerman and Rafsanjan CDC laboratories, aged from 1 to 70 years.Malaria was found in 403 [17.8%] of the persons examined. Plasmodium vivax was identified in 85.1%, Plasmodium fulciparum in 13.6% and mixed infection due to both of these species was found in 1.3% of the cases. The prevalence of parasitemia in screened camps was 4 times lower than non-screened active cases detected. A comparison of age-specific rates of malaria in screened and non-screened Afghan refugees indicated that screening programs are highly effective. The Afghan refugees bring high infection loads with them from outside and cause an out break of the infection, particularly in areas of Iran where malaria is under control. Therefore, malaria control in Afghan refugees in Iran should be primarily based on curative as well as preventive measures

Epidemiology of primary dysmenorrhea in Kerman, Iran

The prevalence and factors influencing the prevalence and severity of dysmenorrhea were studied in 768 male university students aged from 17.5 to 44.2 years enrolled at the Kerman University of Medical Sciences and two teachers' training colleges. The overall prevalence of dysmenorrhea in this population was 72%; 10.2% reported severe dysmenorrhea. The overall prevalence as well as the prevalence of severe dysmenorrhea decreased with age. A statistically significant association [P<0,05] was found between an early age of menarche and an increase in the severity of dysmenorrhea. There was also a statistically significant association [P<0.01] between the prevalence and severity of dysmenorrhea and marriage, and married women had significantly less dysmenorrhea [either in severity or prevalence] compared to non-married subjects. The prevalence and severity of dysmenorrhea was not affected by factors such as height, weight, body mass index, region of residence, gynecological age, regularity of menstrual cycles, or duration or amount of menstrual bleeding