Coronary artery disease risk factors in an urban and peri-urban setting, Kerman, Southeastern Iran [KERCADR study]: methodology and preliminary report

This article was to present the sampling and measurements methods and the main preliminary findings of the KERCADR cohort study [first round] in an urban and peri-urban setting, Kerman, southeastern Iran2009-11. 5900 [3238 female] people aged between 15 to 75 years were recruited in the household survey by non-proportional to size one-stage cluster sampling. Trained internal specialists, general practitioners, clinical psychologists and dentists have assessed the study subjects by person-assisted questionnaires regarding different NCD risk factors including cigarette and opium smoking, physical activity, nutrition habits, anxiety, depression, obesity, hypertension and oral health. Blood samples were also collected for determining FBS, HbA1c, cholesterol and triglyceride. Weighted standardized prevalence estimates were calculated by STATA 10 survey analysis package. The participation rate was more than 95% in all subgroups. Cigarette smoking [18.4% vs. 1.2%], opium use [17.8% vs. 3.0%] and triglyceridemia [16.1% vs. 12.0%] were significantly higher among men than women. In contrast, women were presented with higher level of sever anxiety [29.1% vs. 16.7%], obesity [16.8% vs. 9.2%], low-physical activity [45.1% vs. 39.2%] and uncontrolled diabetes [60.2% vs. 31.0%]. More than 68% of all subjects have presented with moderate to severe gingival index scores. The first round of the KERCADR cohort with sufficient sample size and response rate provided precise estimates for the main clinical and para-clinical NCD risk factors. These evidences need to be translated into public health interventions and monitored in the next rounds of the cohort

[ comparative study of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and extrapulmonary tuberculosis in Kashan during 2002-7]

Background: many studies have shown that the extra-pulmonary tuberculosis is growing compared to the pulmonary one. This study was carried out on under-treatment TB patients in order to evaluate the comparison of pulmonary and extra pulmonary TBs in kashan

Materials and Methods: the study was carried out on available data and the medical documents of TB patients treated in "Kashan TB Center" during a five year-period [2002-7]. All relevant data regarding the treatment were collected based on the definition presented by "Iranian Defense Guidelines against TB"

Results: one-hundred and three [52.6%] female and 93 [47.4%] male TB patients were studied 89 [45.4%] of who were Iranian and 107 [54.6%] was Afghani. The prevalence of pulmonary and extra-pulmonary cases were 130 [66.3%] and 66 [33.7%], respectively. The highest number of pulmonary TB was 72[55.38%] cases in female and extra-pulmonary TB was 35[53.04%] cases in males. Forty-six [69.6%] of extra-pulmonary patients completed their treatment period and 71[54.6%] of pulmonary patients were recovered completely. The most common clinical signs in pulmonary TB and in extra pulmonary TB were coughing [90%], sputum [87.6%] and weight loss [59.1%], night sweating [40.9%], respectively. The highest prevalent foci for extra-pulmonary TB were lymph nodes [19 [28.7%] cases] and bone [12[18.18%] cases]

Conclusions: the study showed that the prevalence of extra-pulmonary TB is one third of all TB cases. Therefore in the evaluation of non-specific findings of patients, TB must be considered