Journal of Knowledge & Health in Basic Medical Sciences
Year:2014 | Volume:9 | Issue:2|Papers Count:14

Introduction: Nearly half of billion people worldwide suffer from mental disorders especially anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorders are most common in women. One of the causes of anxiety disorders in women is hormonal problems. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of common medications used to treat or reduce the symptoms of female hormonal imbalance which can lead to anxiety disorders.Methods: In this clinical trial, 210 women with mastalgia were selected by convenience sampling method and randomly divided into three groups. Before the study, anxiety levels were assessed with the Beck anxiety inventory (BDI). For three months, the first group was given Vitex tablets and the second group was given vitamin E. The third group was control and received no intervention. At the end, anxiety levels were assessed again and the groups compared with each other.Results: The mean of Beck anxiety scores at the time of entering the study were 24.6±2.4 in Vitex Agnus Castus group, 22.7±1.4 in vitamin E group, and 23.3±3.3 in control group, and no significant differences between the groups has been observed. At the end of study, there was a statistically significant difference between the three groups. The mean of anxiety scores reduced to 12.6±2.1 in Vitex Agnus Castus group, 19.5±1.1 in vitamin E group and 20.2±3.4 in control group.Conclusion: The results showed that both drugs reduced anxiety levels. This effect in vitex agnus castus is more than other groups. Since vitex agnus castus is used to treat some of the women’s diseases, we can also use this herbal drug as an anti-anxiety drug and reduce chemically anti-anxiety drugs. Another important point of vitex agnus castus is low cost of this drug that can be considered.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of 6 weeks of progressive endurance training and ginger supplementation intake of cellular damage in non-athletes men student.Methods: Twenty-two subjects in this study (student of Shahroud University) were randomly divided to supplemental groups (n=11) and placebo (n=11) groups. Then both groups performed progressive endurance training for 6 weeks Moreover individuals were consumed ginger supplements or placebo. Blood samples were taken at first and at the end of 6 weeks.Results: A significant increase in the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase concentrations were observed after 6 weeks of progressive endurance training. Moreover ginger supplementation also has significant effect on LDH levels.Conclusion: These results indicate that cellular damage induced by 6 weeks progressive endurance training. Can be significantly attenuated by ginger supplementation .However, a further study to determine the beneficial effects of ginger supplementation with different doses and during different periods is required.

Introduction: Diabetes as a chronic illness will affect the patient's personal and social life at all levels. Moreover, depression, anxiety and health problems associated with diseases affect marital and family interactions. Therefore interventions seem to be necessary for these patients. This study aims to explain the effects of existential group psychotherapy on marital satisfaction among women with type-2 diabetes.Methods: In this study, 16 women who were the members of Tehran Diabetes Association were selected randomly and were categorized in control and experimental groups (N = 8 per group). Both groups were pre-tested. The experimental group participated in 8 sessions of group counseling based on existential approach and control group received no intervention. Finally, the post-test was performed; the data were analyzed using analysis of covariance.Results: The results show that there are significant differences between the pre-test and post-test scores of the experimental group. This difference is significant at the level of 0.01. Therefore it seems that existential group psychotherapy increased marital satisfaction in women with type 2 diabetes.Conclusion: The results show that existential group psychotherapy increased marital satisfaction in women with type 2 diabetes and interventions based on this approach lead to improving the marital life of the patients.

Introduction: DNA extraction from the ancient bones tissues is currently very difficult. Phenol chloroform silica method is one of the methods currently used for this aim. The purpose of this study was to optimize the assessment method.Methods: DNA of 62 bone tissues (average 3-11 years) was first extracted with phenol chloroform silica methods and then with changing of some parameters of the methods the extracted DNA was amplified in eight polymorphisms area including FES, F13, D13S317, D16, D5S818, vWA and CD4. Results from samples gained by two methods were compared in acrylamide gel.Results: The average of PCR yield for new method and common method in eight polymorphism regions was 75%, 78%, 81%, 76%, 85%, 71%, 89%, 86% and 64%, 39%, 70%, 49%, 68%, 76%, 71% and 28% respectively. The average of DNA in optimized (in 35l silica density) and common method were 267.5 μg/ml with 1.12 purity and 192.76 g/ml with 0.84 purity respectively.Conclusions: According to the findings of this study, it is estimated that longer EDTA attendance is an efficient agent in removing calcium and also adequate density of silica particles can be efficient in removal of PCR inhibitors.

Introduction: The present study investigated the relationship between personality characteristics and mental health with job satisfaction in health care centers employees.Methods: this was a cross-sectional study that performed on 200 staffs of Shahroud University of medical sciences in 2011. Sampling approach was systematic. They were asked to complete spector job satisfaction and personality traits of NEO-FFI questionnaire and Goldberg‘s general health scale. Data were analyzed by SPSS software. Pearson correlation and multiple regressions were used as analysis approaches.Results: This study showed a significant negative relationship between job satisfaction and neuroticism and a significant positive relationship between job satisfaction and extraversion factor (P<0.05). More over, there was a significant negative relationship between job satisfaction and mental health (P<0.01). None of the personality characteristics was able to predict job satisfaction but mental health predicted it.Conclusion: According to this study, it seems that, increase in professional support and provision of psychiatric and psychological counseling to them beside the improvement of their supplies and income can be effective in public health promotion, increasing of job satisfaction and improvement of quality of health services.

Introduction: Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) during pregnancy leads to fetal and neonatal complications. Since the effect of exposure to tobacco smoke during pregnancy on maternal self-reporting may not be accurate, this study design to evaluate the validity and accuracy of maternal self- reported SHS exposure, using the cord blood cotinine as a biomarker of exposure to tobacco at delivery.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted on 108 non-smoking pregnant women. They were divided into two groups based on their reports; smoke exposed (54) and non-exposed groups (54). Exposure to tobacco smoke was assessed during pregnancy by measuring cord blood cotinine and using questionnaires. The umbilical cord blood of newborns was obtained at delivery room to evaluate the amount of cotinine (main metabolite of nicotine) and for estimation of the accuracy of maternal self-reported to SHS exposure, cut-off point Cotinine level of umbilical cord serum that more than 2 ng/ml was considered as positive exposed.Result: The geometric mean cotinine of umbilical cord serum in the exposed group (3.71±1.22 ng/ml) was significantly higher than the non-exposed (0.404±0.63 ng/ml) (P<0.0001). There was a strong association between maternal reported SHS exposure and umbilical cord cotinine (Kappa= 98%, P<0.0001). In addition, the reported SHS exposure had 98% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 100% positive and 98% negative predictive value in comparison to umbilical cord cotinine concentration.Conclusion: This study shows that maternal self-reported SHS exposure is highly accurate .Moreover it seems valid questionnaire. Should be considered as an alternative method for measuring chemical biomarkers, such as cotinine; if the structured questionnaires and accurate interviewing techniques is used.

Introduction: Heart failure is a major growing problem that affects not only patients but also their families and social networks and reduces the functional capacity of patients and impaires their social life. This study was conducted to investigate the illness related worries in heart failure patients.Methods: In this descriptive, cross-sectional study, 130 patients with class II to IV heart failure were selected upon to researcher characteristics and in non-randomized sampling from patients of Hazrate Rasoolakram, Imam Hossein and Shariati Hospital of Tehran in 2013. They completed demographic questionnaire and illness related worries questionnaire (IRWQ) and data were analyzed, using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 19.Results: Average age was 62±13.9 year, 51.5% of them were illiterate and the average of their monthly income was less than one million toman per month (92.3 percent). The mean score of social dignity was 3.9±1.1. The highest mean score were obtained for physical-psychological complications dimension and the lowest mean score, were obtained for worry about the future of the disease. ANOVA test revealed a significant difference in the mean of illness related worries in Patients, especially between physical-psychological complications and the future of the disease. Pearson statistic test showed significant correlation between age and illness related worries score and between disease severity and illness related worries score.Conclusion: The results should be useful for planning of patients support, improving their care and treatment.

Introduction: Varicocele is a common cause of male infertility that is treatable, and often its diagnosis is delayed due to various factors. Because of high prevalence of varicocele in men, the diagnosis and treatment of this problem have always been parts of important steps in urology. Several studies have been conducted on the treatment of varicocele and semen quality changes that were usually incomplete and had different results.Method: This cross-sectional study was performed on all patients who were diagnosed with varicocele since 2009 till 2011. After completion of self-reported questionnaire for each patient, examination of semen fluid were carried out before and after varicocelectomy (twice in three months and six months after varicocelectomy) and the results were compared.Result: In this study, mean age of 250 individuals was 35.2±3.9 years. The majority of the subjects were in the age group 31-40 years (70.8 %). 198 cases (79.2%) of the total patients were married. In 218 cases (87.2%), varicoceles were in left side. This research showed that surgical treatment caused the better semen index including mean volume semen (P<0.001), mean count sperm (P<0.001), motility of sperm (P<0.001), morphology of sperm (P<0.001) and mean pH (P<0.001).Conclusion: This research shows that timely diagnosis and treatment of varicocele can improve the sperm quality index and probably decrease the men infertility.

Introduction: The study purpose was to develop a public education guideline for reducing menopausal symptoms and its complications based on proper diet and exercise in women between 45-60 years old.Methods: It was a combined study designed in two stages. The first stage was a systematic review. All of the articles which focused on the effects of diet and physical activity on reducing hot flash after menopause that published in Iran and abroad since 10 years ago were extracted and the results recorded. In the next stage, a panel of experts was held. Through a qualitative method, the specialists discussed the obtained results from the reviewed articles. The outcome presented in a booklet format.Results: 410 articles were obtained from external and internal sources, and by eliminating redundant and irrelevant articles, the results of 77 articles were analyzed; 40 of these articles were about diet and 37 articles were about physical activity. The summarized results showed that daily using of phytoestrogen supplements such as passion flower extract 60 drops, vitagnous extracts 40 drops, licorice extract powder 60 mg or ingestion of 60 g of baked soybean powder, along with moderate to high- intensity aerobic activities such as 30-45 minutes walking (3-5 days a week) were effective in reducing the hot flash’s symptom of women between 45-60 years old.Conclusion: Finding showed that regular physical activities and dietary regimen containing phytoestrogens such as passion flower, vitagnous and licorice extract, and soybeans are effective to relieve hot flash symptoms in menopause women.