Prevalence and risk factors of gastroesophageal reflux disease in Iran: A cross-sectional analysis from the PERSIAN cohort.

BACKGROUND: This study assessed the prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in a general adult population in Iran. The association between GERD and various factors was also evaluated. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study on 163,018 individuals aged over 35 who were enrolled in the PERSIAN cohort. GERD was defined as the occurrence of heartburn and/or regurgitation symptoms at least several days a month. Survey design analysis for pooled data was performed and multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine the independent risk factors for GERD. RESULTS: The prevalence of GERD in our study was estimated at 21.86% (95% confidence interval:17.4%-36.4%). The mean age of the participants was 49.84 years±9.25 (35-70) and 44.75% of the participants were male. Symptoms of heartburn and regurgitation were reported in 18.65% (n: 29,170) and 6.06% (n: 9,717) of participants, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, several factors were found to be associated with a higher prevalence of GERD: female sex, age >50, current smoking, opium use, weekly consumption of fried foods, frequent consumption of hot tea, less than 6 hours of sleep per night, psychiatric disorders, usage of NSAIDs, and poor oral hygiene, were associated with a higher prevalence of GERD. Conversely, higher education levels and average physical activity were found to be less commonly associated with GERD. CONCLUSION: We found a relatively high prevalence of GERD (21.86%) in this population-based study in Iran. By identifying modifiable risk factors, this research offers opportunities for targeted interventions and lifestyle modifications to reduce the burden of GERD.

Association between Age at Menarche and Metabolic Syndrome in Southwest Iran: A Population-Based Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: Age at menarche affects women's health outcomes and could be a risk factor for some diseases, such as metabolic syndrome (MetS). We assessed the association between age at menarche and MetS components in women aged 35-70 in Hoveyzeh, southwest Iran. STUDY DESIGN: A case-control study. METHODS: This case-control study was conducted on 5830 women aged 35-70 years in the Hoveyzeh cohort study (HCS), a part of the PERSIAN cohort study, from 2016-2018. The case group included women with MetS, while the controls were women without MetS. The MetS is determined based on standard NCEP-ATP III criteria. Data from demographic, socioeconomic, and reproductive history were gathered face-to-face through trained interviews. Moreover, laboratory, anthropometrics, and blood pressure measurements were assayed for participants. Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the association between age at menarche and MetS, with adjustment for potential confounding variables. RESULTS: The mean age at menarche was 12.60 ± 1.76 years old. Urban and rural women differed in age at menarche (12.58 ± 1.71 and 12.63 ± 1.83 years, respectively). The study revealed a statistically significant relationship between MetS and menarche age. The odds of developing MetS were 14% higher in women with menstrual age ≤ 11 years than in other groups. CONCLUSION: As evidenced by the results of this study, the odds of having MetS were higher in women whose menarche age was ≤ 11 years. Furthermore, the association between MetS components and age groups at menarche was statistically significant.

Innate and Adaptive Immunity Imbalance With Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia in Children and Adults.

Introduction: Little is known about the laboratory and radiological characteristics and clinical significance of peripheral immune alterations in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aims to clarify these aspects in children and adults with COVID-19. Methods: In this consecutive pilot study, COVID-19 patients with the confirmed pneumonia and real-time RT-PCR were recruited prospectively in June 2020. The clinical, chest CT, and laboratory features, such as lymphocyte subpopulations, were analyzed for each individual. Results: Forty confirmed COVID-19 patients, 11 severe children, 12 severe adults, and 17 critical adult patients, besides 20 healthy pediatrics and 14 healthy adults as controls, were enrolled prospectively. Adult patients, especially critical ones, had a much higher prevalence of laboratory and chest CT abnormalities. Data regarding immune cell subsets in children patients, compared with matched controls, had higher CD3+ CD8+ T cells (p = 0.004) and lower CD4+/CD8+ ratio (p = 0.042), while adult patients, compared with matched controls, had lower CD14+ monocytes (p = 0.032). Adult patients were also categorized as experiencing critical or severe illness on admission and, compared with severe patients, had lower total lymphocytes (p < 0.047), CD3+ T-lymphocytes (p < 0.002), and CD3+ CD8+ T cells (p = 0.001) and, on the other hand, had higher CD3+ CD4+ T cells (p = 0.012) and CD4+/CD8+ ratio (p = 0.003). Non survived adults, compared with survived patients, had significantly lower CD3+ T-lymphocyte (p = 0.005). Conclusion: Unlike adult patients, who compared with matched controls and had more comorbidities, higher frequency of severe clinical symptoms, laboratory abnormalities, and immune cells alteration, clinical manifestations of COVID-19 in children (compared with matched controls) were relatively mild, and fewer clinical complications were seen either, perhaps because of a milder inflammatory response following their peripheral innate and adaptive immune cell alteration pattern.

How can someone's entire skin change color?

One of the most important differential diagnoses that not to be missed in patients with hyperpigmentation changes in the skin is Addison's. The diagnosis of the disease is relatively difficult, and its misdiagnosis leads to dangerous morbidity and even mortality. It confirms by cosyntropin test.

The effect of reducing the incidence of gastrointestinal complications in patients treated with aspirin, referred to Imam Hospital, of Ahvaz, Iran.

This research contains data which were obtained during the analysis of treated patients with aspirin who were referred to Imam Hospital (Imam H) of Ahvaz, Iran; and the effect of this type of treatment (Helicobacter pylori eradicate (HPE)) on reducing the incidence of gastrointestinal complications. Studies have shown that taking aspirin in patients with Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with a decreasing risk of gastrointestinal bleeding (O'connor et al., 2013) [1]. In this study, 165 patients with positive helicobacter pylori infection test were chosen among those who were referred to Imam H. In this paper, the effects of sex, smoking, renal failer, diabetes, age, blood pressure and aspirin consumption have been studied (Fletcher et al., 2010) [2]. After completion of the observations and records of patient's medical records, the obtained coded data were fed into EXCELL. Data analysis was performed, using SPSS 16.