Journal of Disease and Diagnosis
Volume:12 Issue: 1, Jan 2023

 Obesity is a major health problem in many countries such as Iran. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of overweight and obesity and their associated risk factors in Bandare-Kong, Hormozgan, Iran.

 This cross-sectional survey included 3921 participants of the Bandare-Kong Cohort Study (BKNCD). Their baseline data were used for analysis. General obesity was defined as the body mass index (BMI)≥30 kg/m2 and overweight as 25≤BMI<30. Central obesity was defined as waist circumference (WC)≥95 cm.

 The prevalence of overweight, general, and central obesity was 39%, 24%, and 30.5%, respectively. Female gender (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=5.11, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.74-6.96 and aOR=1.70, 95% CI: 1.34-2.16), hypertension (aOR=2.43, 95% CI: 1.81-3.26 and aOR=1.26, 95% CI: 1.04-1.52), and hypertriglyceridemia (aOR=1.76, 95% CI: 1.31-2.38 and aOR=1.26, 95% CI: 1.05-1.51) were significantly associated with both general and central obesity. Higher WC (aOR=503.89, 95% CI: 331.76-765.32), higher calorie intake (aOR=1.03, 95% CI: 1.02-1.04), and urban residency (aOR=2.99, 95% CI: 2.06-4.32) were correlated with general obesity. BMI≥25 kg/m² (aOR=46.81, 95% CI: 35.53-61.67), higher fasting plasma glucose (aOR=1.03, 95% CI: 1.01-1.04), older age (aOR=1.03, 95% CI: 1.02-1.04) and being unemployed (aOR=1.49, 95% CI: 1.18-1.89) were significantly associated with central obesity.

 Overall, a significant correlation was found among female gender, hypertension, and hypertriglyceridemia with general and central obesity in this study. Given the high prevalence of obesity in this population, regional public health authorities should take appropriate measures to reduce these rates in order to prevent obesity-associated complications.

 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has a high rate of mortality, but data regarding its prognosis are scarce. This study aimed to identify the risk factors associated with mortality and survival of COVID-19 patients in a southern province of Iran.

 This was a cross-sectional study with a secondary database of 3172 people who were admitted to hospitals for COVID-19 treatment. Relative risk (RR) was computed to estimate mortality risk between groups, and the log-rank test was used to compare the survival functions in different levels of categorical variables. Finally, the multivariable extended Cox model was employed to determine the factors that affected the survival of COVID-19 patients.

 The 10- and 15-day survival rate of 3172 patients was 89% and 80%, respectively, and the median survival time was 30 days. Based on the extended Cox model, age, oxygen therapy, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, invasive ventilation, chronic cardiac disease, chronic kidney disease, and cancer were the most important variables affecting the survival of COVID-19 patients.

 Older people (older than 40 years) and those with comorbidities (e.g., chronic cardiac disease, chronic kidney disease, and cancer) had a higher mortality rate; therefore, health-related organizations need to plan for the prevention and early detection of comorbidities to reduce the burden of diseases such as the pandemic of COVID-19 as much as possible in the future.

Performing sports activities along with nutritional interventions is recommended as an effective way to reduce inflammatory cytokines and improve insulin resistance in obese people. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of aerobic exercise and Ginkgo biloba herbal supplementation on lipocalin 2 (Lcn2) levels and insulin resistance in obese men.

For this purpose, 40 obese men in Kashan were selected in an accessible and purposeful manner. Subjects were randomly divided into 4 groups, including aerobic exercise (n=10), aerobic exercise and ginkgo biloba supplementation (n=10), ginkgo biloba supplementation (n=10), and control group (n=10). Subjects performed aerobic exercise and supplementation for 6 weeks. Accordingly, the subjects started aerobic exercise for 25 minutes with an intensity of 65% of the maximum heart rate in the first and second weeks. In the third and fourth weeks, they practiced for 35 minutes with an intensity of 65%-75% of the maximum heart rate, and finally for 40 minutes with 75%-85% of maximum heart rate in the fifth and sixth weeks. Ginkgo biloba extract was prepared in the form of gelatin capsules, two of which were daily consumed by subjects after breakfast for 6 weeks. The subjects performed their usual daily activities in the control group. The obtained data were analyzed by analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS software (version 22) at the level of 0.05.

The results of the study showed that 6 weeks of aerobic exercise and Ginkgo biloba herbal supplementation significantly reduced Lcn2 levels (P<0.001 and η²=0.61) and insulin resistance (P<0.001 and η²=0.74) in obese men.

According to the findings of the present study, it seems that aerobic exercise and Ginkgo biloba herbal supplementation can significantly contribute to regulating body weight in obese men through a reduction in insulin resistance and Lcn2.

 High blood sugar is a typical reaction to stress. In the diabetic population, hyperglycemia can be a serious issue and has been linked to higher mortality rates. Recent studies have shown that anesthetics reduced glucose tolerance; however, it is still unclear how propofol, ketamine, and thiopental of Na affect glucose metabolism. The present study compared the blood glucose levels of thiopental of Na, ketamine, and propofol among patients with cataract surgery.

 The study included 135 ASA II and III adult patients of both genders who were older than 65, known to have type II diabetes, receiving intravenous (IV) sedation, and scheduled for cataract surgery. The three groups were comparable with regard to patients, age, gender, weight, duration of the operation time, duration of recovery time, duration of diabetes, and anesthesiologist’s physical status (based on the American Society of Anesthesiology). Patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups, including receiving IV thiopental of Na 5 mg/kg/h (group T), ketamine 2 mg/kg/h (group K), or propofol 2 mg/kg/h (group P) after the induction of IV sedation with 1-2 mic/kg fentanyl and 0.03 mg/kg midazolam. Changes in blood glucose levels were examined as dependent variables in patients with cataract surgeries while under the influence of these medications up to 6 hours after.

 The results showed that blood glucose concentrations increased significantly over time in all groups. Moreover, blood glucose concentrations did not differ significantly between the groups receiving the thiopental of Na ketamine or propofol at any measurement time. During the first post-administrative hour, the thiopental of Na, ketamine, and propofol groups demonstrated blood glucose levels of 114.2±16.24 mg/dL, 136.2±12.28 mg/dL, and 122.2±13.84 mg/dL, which were not statistically significant (P=0.72). Regarding the frequency and severity of blood glucose level changes during or after surgery, the groups did not significantly differ at any point in time.

 The findings of the present study suggest that the thiopental of Na, ketamine, and propofol have equal effects on glucose metabolism.

 Due to the destructive effect of cardiovascular disease on vital organs, the study of laboratory biochemical factors in the most common heart diseases is essential to accelerate the treatment of cardiovascular patients.

 This study was cross-sectional and analytical. By referring to the hospital information system of educational hospitals of the Abadan University of Medical Sciences, the necessary information of 565 patients with cardiovascular diseases (e.g., demographic information and laboratory diagnostic markers) from March 21, 2019, to March 19, 2020, was extracted through the hospital information system and completed checklist. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software version 22.

 In this study, fasting blood sugar (FBS), international normalized ratio (INR), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), Serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), serum glutamate oxalate transaminase (SGOT), creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), total bilirubin, creatine kinase (CK)- MB, and prothrombin time (PT) were higher than normal in patients with cardiovascular diseases. SGOT was significantly different between age groups (P=0.006), and the highest value was observed in the age group over 75 years. Moreover, FBS was significantly different between the male and female groups (P=0.002).

 FBS and some diagnostic markers such as renal markers, liver, coagulation, and inflammatory markers are abnormal in patients with cardiovascular diseases.

The emergence of a new coronavirus, officially referred to as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 ), has challenged all healthcare workers and clinicians worldwide. The presence of the virus in biological fluids including the semen has raised some concerns about infertility treatment. There is evidence that SARS-CoV-2, which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), can damage the male reproductive system following the inflammatory process caused by the cytokine storm. However, the direct and long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 on fertility and the reproductive capacity of the human testis are still open to controversy. The lasting presence of the virus, even after a complete recovery, can increase the risk of sexual transmission and adversely affect the male reproductive system, sexual function, and fertility. Therefore, there is a need for a careful assessment of reproductive organs and testicular function in male patients. This study aimed to evaluate the invasive effect of SARS-CoV-2 on the testis and male reproduction.

Several mental conditions and depression, have been linked to immune response disorganization. However, it is unclear if particular immune mediators play a part in the etiopathogenesis of depression. Although there are no definite biomarkers to diagnose depression, the current study sought to logically evaluate the possibility and feasibility of checking a biomarker for depression to be utilized for hospitalized patients suspected of depression. In this narrative review, related articles were gathered through a search of PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect databases as well as a manual search of full-text paper references. The reviewed studies demonstrated the potential role of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) in depressive disorders. Previous studies represented a negative role for TGF-β in depression pathophysiology and an increase in TGF-β after depression treatment. Elevated plasma TGF-alpha acted controversial to TGF-β. The level of TGF-β in maternal plasma increased getting close to delivery, and researchers found that it might be associated with postpartum depression. In addition, researchers reported extreme elevations in TGF-β levels in the brain cells of subjects who died by suicide. Although the results of this study revealed a plausible link between TGF-β and depression based on the literature, sensitivity and specificity studies needed before TGF-β as a biomarker may be extensively employed in clinical practice. Depression appears to be down-regulating TGF-β and its signaling or the underlying mechanisms of the pathogenesis of consequent neurological disorders, while further studies are required for the application of the TGF-β assessment in clinical practice.

 The COVID-19 pandemic has raised a serious challenge for health care systems, a challenge which requires taking effective and intensive measures to provide patient care. COVID-19 can cause damages to various organs, including heart, through causing various changes in the inflammatory and coagulation systems. Some cases of cardiac injury can display mistakable signs of myocardial infarction (MI). Cardiac injury can mimic acute conditions such as MI.

 In this study, a case of a 33-year-old man with an initial diagnosis of MI by ST-elevation was investigated. He later developed pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) after being treated with fibrinolytic and anticoagulants; after further investigations, however, he was found not afflicted with primary MI. Our findings may have proven useful in demonstrating the unexpected effects of anticoagulants on COVID-19.

 Miss-diagnosing these cases as well as administrating effective treatment for COVID-19 patients may have posed real risks to the patients and made it difficult to manage them due to the high risk of death and the lack of differential diagnosis of the given patients.