To evaluate the associations between anthropometric indices and components of metabolic syndrome (MetS), including blood pressure, fasting blood sugar (FBS), triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and waist circumference (WC) in Iranian adults.
Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from a population-based cohort.
Fasa adults’ cohort study, a rural community-based cohort in Fars province, Iran.
A total of 1550 adults aged 35–70 years with MetS, identified from among 10 118 cohort participants using the National Cholesterol Education Programme Adult Treatment Programme III criteria.
The anthropometric indices include abdominal volume index (AVI), a body shape index (ABSI), atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), body roundness index (BRI), body adiposity index (BAI), conicity index, ponderal index and visceral adiposity index (VAI).
Participants (56.1% female) with a mean age of 49.8±9.5 years. AVI was significantly associated with systolic blood pressure (SBP) (β=0.010, p
Anthropometric indices, including VAI, AIP, BAI, BRI and AVI, exhibit significant associations with key components of MetS in Iranian adults, particularly blood pressure, glycaemic markers and central adiposity. Among these, BAI showed the strongest correlation with MetS parameters, while ABSI displayed the weakest.
To assess the feasibility of delivering the swallowing prehabilitation intervention known as Swallowing Intervention Package: Self-Monitoring, Assessment and Rehabilitation Training (SIP SMART) within the National Health Service (NHS) head and neck cancer care pathway.
Two-arm cluster-randomised pilot trial: SIP SMART2 trial.
Adults newly diagnosed with stage II–IV head and neck cancer receiving curative treatment within a multidisciplinary team who agree to participate.
Six hospitals were randomised. Trained clinicians at the intervention sites delivered the manualised SIP SMART intervention, while standard care was provided at care as usual (CAU) sites. The intervention included two 45-minute consultations incorporating an X-ray swallow assessment, tailored exercises/advice and specific behaviour change strategies while CAU involved a single consultation of information giving and provision of a generic exercise sheet.
Study outcomes related to feasibility of the cluster-randomised design, recruitment of both sites and patients and completeness of clinical and health economic data collected at baseline, 4 weeks, 12 weeks and 24 weeks after treatment.
12 hospitals expressed interest and six were randomised (50%) and provided data to the point of study completion. Patient recruitment across all sites (n=76) reached the target, although two sites fell short of their individual targets. The proportion of people with HNC recruited versus those eligible for each arm was 39% (95% CI 29 to 49) for SIP SMART group and 55% (95% CI 43 to 66) for CAU. The end point data at 24 weeks were completed for 50% (95% CI 33 to 67) for SIP SMART and 78% (95% CI 62 to 89) for CAU. Adherence to the intervention was above 50% at all time points. No harms related to the intervention were reported.
It is feasible to deliver the SIP SMART intervention embedded within the NHS cancer care pathway using a cluster-randomised design. A future trial will be optimised for efficiency in set-up and follow-up data collection based on these findings and learnings from the accompanying process evaluation study.
Osteoporosis is a skeletal condition with decreased bone mass and structural deterioration, increasing fracture vulnerability. Several studies have found a correlation between prostate cancer in men and an increased risk of osteoporosis. This study aims to determine the prevalence of osteoporosis in patients with prostate cancer.
The primary objective of this study will be to estimate the prevalence of osteoporosis in prostate cancer survivor patients. An extensive search will be conducted on PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL and ProQuest databases to ensure comprehensive coverage. The search will encompass the timeframe from 1 January 1994 to 24 September 2024. Furthermore, we will not impose any limitations on the language or geographical location of the published studies. In order to assess the potential bias in the included studies, the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklist for prevalence studies will be employed. The analysis of data will be performed using STATA V.17. The prevalence of osteoporosis or osteopenia will be calculated for each study by dividing the number of participants with these conditions by the total number of patients diagnosed with prostate cancer. A subgroup analysis will examine prevalence regarding geographical location, age groups, ethnicity, definitions and measurements of osteoporosis or osteopenia, risk of bias in the included studies, type and duration of androgen deprivation therapy, and site of osteoporosis diagnosis. We will employ multiple methods to detect publication bias, including funnel plot analysis, Begg’s and Egger’s tests, and the Trim and Fill method. If we have enough data, we will conduct a sensitivity analysis using the leave-one-out-remove method.
No ethical approval or patient consent is required as this study synthesises only published aggregate data. Results will be disseminated via a peer-reviewed publication.
CRD42024600884.
by Krzysztof Kusy, Jan Matysiak, Zenon J. Kokot, Monika Ciekot-Sołtysiak, Agnieszka Klupczyńska-Gabryszak, Ewa Anna Zarębska, Szymon Plewa, Paweł Dereziński, Jacek Zieliński
Circulating blood is an important plasma free amino acids (PFAAs) reservoir and a pivotal link between metabolic pathways. No comparisons are available between athletes with opposite training adaptations that include a broader spectrum of both proteinogenic and non-proteinogenic amino acids, and that take into account skeletal muscle mass. We hypothesized that the levels of the exercise-induced PFAAs concentration are related to the type of training-related metabolic adaptation. We compared highly trained endurance athletes (n = 11) and sprinters (n = 10) aged 20‒35 years who performed incremental exercise until exhaustion. Venous blood was collected before and during the test and 30-min recovery (12 samples). Forty-two PFAAs were assayed using LC-ESI-MS/MS technique. Skeletal muscle mass was estimated using dual X-ray absorptiometry method. Glutamine and alanine were dominant PFAAs throughout the whole exercise and recovery period (~350‒650 μmol∙L-1). Total, combined proteinogenic, non-essential, and non-proteinogenic PFAAs levels were significantly higher in endurance athletes than sprinters (ANOVA group effects: p = 0.007, η2 = 0.321; p = 0.011, η2 = 0.294; p = 0.003, η2 = 0.376; p = 0.001, η2 = 0.471, respectively). The exercise response was more pronounced in endurance athletes, especially for non-proteinogenic PFAAs (ANOVA interaction effect: p = 0.038, η2 = 0.123). Significant between-group differences were observed for 19 of 33 PFAAs detected, including 4 essential, 7 non-essential, and 8 non-proteinogenic ones. We demonstrated that the PFAAs response to incremental aerobic exercise is associated with the type of training-related metabolic adaptation. A greater turnover and availability of circulating PFAAs for skeletal muscles and other body tissues is observed in endurance- than in sprint-trained individuals. Non-proteinogenic PFAAs, despite low concentrations, also respond to exercise loads, indicating their important, though less understood role in exercise metabolism. Our study provides additional insight into the exercise-induced physiological response of PFAAs, and may also provide a rationale in discussions regarding dietary amino acid requirements in high-performance athletes with respect to sports specialization.Optimal management of burns begins with first aid from the first hours of injury. Adequate knowledge of how to perform first aid for burns can reduce the consequences of injury. Therefore, this study aims to determine the knowledge, attitude, and sources of information assessment towards burn First aid among people referred to a burn centre in the north of Iran. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted to assess knowledge, attitude, and sources of information towards burn first aid among people referred to a burn centre in the north of Iran in 2023. In this survey, a convenience sampling method was adopted. The variables consisted of four items on socio-demographic information, 15 items on knowledge, ten items on attitude, and one item on sources of information related to burn First aid. A total of 371 individuals responded to the survey. The mean age of participants was 31.90 ± 8.49 years old. The mean score of the total knowledge of the participants in the research was 6.04 ± 3.05. There was a statistically significant relationship between the variables of age, sex, marital status, place of residence, level of education, and history of receiving first aid training with the participants' knowledge level. The average score of the total attitude of the participants was 44.08 ± 3.88. Out of 371 participants, 214 people (57.7%) had an average attitude, and 157 people (42.3%) had a good attitude towards burn first aid. There was a statistically significant relationship between place of residence, level of education, and history of receiving first aid training with the participants' attitudes in the research. In addition, the level of knowledge had a statistically significant relationship with the participants' attitude level in the research (p-value <0.001). The majority of participants have limited knowledge of burn first aid. This lack of knowledge could lead to severe consequences. Therefore, healthcare organizations should review and promote consistent guidelines for burn first aid to tackle and minimize the effect of this grave injury.
This study aimed to develop atorvastatin-loaded emulgel and nano-emulgel dosage forms and investigate their efficiency on surgical wound healing and reducing post-operative pain. This double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted in a surgical ward of a tertiary care hospital affiliated with university of medical sciences. The eligible patients were adults aged 18 years or older who were undergoing laparotomy. The participants were randomized in a 1:1:1 ratio to one of three following groups of atorvastatin-loaded emulgel 1% (n = 20), atorvastatin-loaded nano-emulgel 1% (n = 20), and placebo emulgel (n = 20) twice a day for 14 days. The primary outcome was the Redness, Edema, Ecchymosis, Discharge, and Approximation (REEDA) scores to determine the rate of wound healing. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and quality of life were the secondary outcomes of this study. A total of 241 patients assessed for eligibility; of them, 60 patients completed the study and considered for final evaluation. A significant decrease in REEDA score was observed on Days 7 (63%) and 14 (93%) of treatment with atorvastatin nano-emulgel (p-value < 0.001). A significant decrease of 57% and 89% in REEDA score was reported at Days 7 and 14, respectively, in atorvastatin the emulgel group (p-value < 0.001). Reduction in pain VAS in the atorvastatin nano-emulgel was also recorded at Days 7 and 14 of the intervention. The results of the present study suggested that both topical atorvastatin-loaded emulgel and nano-emulgel 1% were effective in acceleration of wound healing and alleviation of pain of laparotomy surgical wounds, without causing intolerable side effects.