The effect of multivitamins on anxiety and depression in patients undergoing methadone maintenance treatment: A double-blind randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of addiction is increasing in the world. Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) can be associated with severe stress and mild to moderate depressive symptoms. Vitamins and minerals are commonly found in multivitamins seem to improve mood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of multivitamins on anxiety and depression in patients undergoing MMT in a double-blind randomized controlled trial. METHODS: The study was designed as a double-blind, randomized controlled trial and involved 70 male MMT patients over the age of 18. Participants were randomized to one of two groups, either those receiving multivitamins or those receiving a placebo for 12 weeks. The multivitamin capsule included vitamin E, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, C, biotin, folic acid, and zinc. Anxiety and depression were measured using standard questionnaires, before and after the intervention. RESULTS: The between-group comparison (i.e., intervention vs. placebo) indicated there was no significant difference in anxiety scores; however, there was a significant between-group difference in depression scores, favoring the intervention group. CONCLUSIONS: Multivitamin supplementation improved depression but did not have a significant impact on anxiety in patients undergoing MMT.

Long-Term Prognosis in Patients with Coronary Slow Flow.

Background: Coronary slow flow (CSF) is defined as decreased coronary blood circulation velocity and delayed opacification of contrast media during angiography. Evidence is insufficient regarding the course and prognosis of CSF patients. Long-term follow-up can help better understand the physiopathology and outcome of CSF. Accordingly, we assessed the long-term outcomes of CSF patients in this study. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was carried out on 213 CSF patients consecutively admitted to a tertiary health care center from April 2012 through March 2021. After data collection from the patients' files, follow-up was done via telephone call invitations and assessments of existing data in the outpatient cardiology clinic. The comparative analysis was conducted using a logistic regression test. Results: The mean follow-up length was 66.26±15.32 months, 105 patients (52.2%) were male, and the mean age of the patients was 53.81±11.91 years. The left anterior descending was the main affected artery (42.8%). At long-term follow-up, 19 patients (9.5%) required repeated angiography. Three patients (1.5%) had a myocardial infarction and 5 (2.5%) died from cardiovascular etiologies. Three patients (1.5%) underwent percutaneous coronary intervention. No patient required coronary artery bypass grafting. The need for a second angiography had no association with sex, symptoms, and echocardiographic findings. Conclusion: The long-term outcome of CSF patients is good, but their follow-up is necessary for the early diagnosis of cardiovascular-related adverse events.

A High Prevalence Rate of Tibia Hemimelia in a Subregion of West Azarbaijan, Iran.

From 1995 to 2017 an abnormally high number of tibia hemimelia (TH) patients from the Maku subregion in the West Azarbaijan province of Iran were referred to our orthopedic department for treatment. Regarding the occurrence of TH in many families in a restricted region and negative results of available genetic tests, we hypothesized that a founder mutation etiology that is different from previous known genetic disorders might produce the trait of TH in our patients. Through a retrospective study, we collected demographic data including date of birth, patients and parents place of birth, sex, type of TH, presence of other musculoskeletal anomalies, and treatment from the patients who were referred to our department. We obtained a blood sample for genetic studies. We carried out genetic studies in cytogenetics and molecular levels on a patient with familial TH. The prevalence of TH in the Maku subregion of West Azarbaijan was 149.5 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 68.4-283.8) per 1 million live birth. The patients did not fit with any known syndromes with TH. Genetic evaluations of a patient with familial history of TH in this case series exhibited no detectable change in both cytogenetic and molecular levels. There was an obvious increased prevalence rate of TH in this province and particularly in the Maku subregion. The cytogenetic locations for known syndromic TH are not responsible for the observed anomalies in our patients. Our next step for detecting possible genetic mutations in our patients would be mutation analysis via very high-resolution whole genomic sequencing in more patients or genetic linkage study.