ABSTRACT
Background: Professional driving is associated with overworking, lack of physical activity, and high stress, which are susceptible to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). We aimed to determine the prevalence of hypertension and obesity in Iranian professional drivers. Methods: Overall, 132,452 drivers were included by census sampling methods and those who did not pass periodic examinations were excluded. Demographics and anthropometric data, including height and weight and the driver's blood pressure, were recorded. The criteria for hypertension assumed as the systolic blood pressure ≥ 130 mm and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 80 mm, and the criteria for prehypertension assumed as 120-129 systolic and < 80 mm Hg. In addition, body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 is assumed as overweight, and BMI ≥ 30 is assumed as obesity. Results: Overall, 113,856 male drivers were included in the final analysis. The prevalence of HTN, pre-HTN, and abnormal blood pressure (HTN + pre-HTN) was calculated to be 14.2%, 57.4%, and 71.6%, respectively. Khuzestan, West Azerbaijan, and Yazd had the most prevalence of abnormal blood pressure. The prevalence of overweight, obesity, and abnormal weight (overweight + obesity) was calculated to be 50.9%, 22.6%, and 73.5%, respectively, and the northwest provinces had the highest prevalence of abnormal weight. Conclusion: Professional Iranian drivers have a high prevalence of abnormal blood pressure and weight associated with job-related risk factors. Preventive measures should be taken to confront a possible outbreak of CVDs in this population.
ABSTRACT
AIMS: The management of diabetic foot ulcers is a challenging issue due to the pathophysiological background, delay in healing, and prevalence of diabetes. The purpose of this study was to compare the therapeutic effects of the three methods of diabetic wound care: surgical debridement and dressing, dressing with dehydrated amnion powder, and dressing with platelet-derived growth factor gel. METHODS: In this multi-arm parallel-group randomized trial, 243 patients with a minimum 4-week medical history of diabetic foot ulcers with Wagner's grades 1 and 2, no infection, and adequate tissue blood flow were randomly assigned to one of three 81-person groups: surgical debridement (the standard method), dehydrated amnion dressing, or platelet-derived growth factor dressing. The follow-up period lasted 12 weeks. The percentage area reduction (PAR) was measured as the final target. SPSS version 25 was used to perform statistical analysis on the data. RESULTS: All three study groups were comparable in terms of the type of ulcer, the area of ulcer, Wagner's grade, the period, and the ulcer's size. The PAR in the surgical debridement, platelet-derived growth factor, and dehydrated amnion groups were 7.4%, 14.8%, and 49.3% in week 4; 20.1%, 35.8%, and 79% in week 6; 43.7%, 56.8%, 86.4% in week 8; and 50%, 61.7%, and 87.6% in weeks 10 and 12, respectively. The observed differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05) over the entire period. CONCLUSION: The study concluded that dehydrated amnion dressing, when compared to platelet-derived growth factor dressing and surgical debridement, resulted in better-improved healing in diabetic foot ulcer patients.
