Journal of Occupational

Background: Determining the mortality rate of diseases in a community is one of the main components in health care planning of that community. This study used a join point regression model to determine the trend of mortality due to diabetes mellitus (DM) in Iran.

Materials and Methods: The data on the rate of mortality due to DM were obtained from the reports of the Iranian Ministry of Health. The variation in the trend of mortality due to DM over the past eight years was analyzed using the join point regression model. For the evaluation of the regression parameters, the permutation test and least square method were applied. Data analysis was performed using the JOINPOINT statistical software.

Results: The number of deaths due to DM has increased from 3047 cases per 100,000 people in 2003 to 5838 cases per 100,000 in 2010. A variation point was observed in 2007 with a P-value of 0.06 and 4500 permutations. The annual percentage change (APC) of the rate of mortality due to DM for the first period (2003-2007) was 6.6% with a confidence interval of -3-17.2 and for the second period (2007-2010) was 1.8% with a confidence interval of -12.4-18.2. APC was 4.6% in men with the confidence interval of 2.4-6.9 and 4.5% in women with the confidence interval of 2-7.

Conclusions: The rate of mortality due to DM in Iran has increased during this 8-year period. The rate of mortality due to DM increased with a steep slope from 2003 to 2007 and with a gentle slope from 2007 to 2010.

Background: Metabolic syndrome is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and  type 2 diabetes. The most important strategy for the prevention and management of metabolic syndrome is lifestyle and nutritional changes. The aim of this review study was to survey the role of pistachio in metabolic syndrome.

Materials and Methods: Web of Science databases and Google Scholar were searched using keywords pistachio, metabolic syndrome, and some related criteria of metabolic syndrome.

Results: In this study, 15 articles were retrieve. These studies reported that pistachio has favourable nutrients such as unsaturated fatty acid, Phytochemical composition, phenolic compounds, vegetable protein, arginine, fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. It has been shown that pistachio has an important role in reduction of metabolic syndrome and its risk factors such as abdominal obesity, visceral fat, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes. Arginine and polyphenol compounds improve blood circulation. They suppress of appetite and reduce fat absorption. Arginine has vasodilator effects and folic acid is the main antiatherogenic factor and has a role in homocysteine metabolism.

Conclusions: The study data suggest that pistachios promote a healthy metabolic profile, and reverse certain deleterious consequences of metabolic syndrome. The suggested dose of pistachios for decreasing metabolic syndrome and its risk factors is 30-100 g/daily. It seems that in order to obtain the maximum dose and a definitive conclusion, a cohort clinical trail is required.

Background: Health is an important pillar of human life and the pistachio is among the nuts which have an impact on human health. The aim of this study was to review the effects of pistachios on human health.

Materials and Methods: This was a review study. Data were collected from PubMed and from among articles published from the year 2005 to 15 July 2015 using the keyword pistachio in combination with cholesterol, cardiovascular, health, consumption, diabetes, serum lipid levels, glucose, and metabolic syndrome.

Results: Of the total of 194 articles searched, 19 articles were included in the study. The consumption of pistachio, due to its minerals, vitamins, proteins, and antioxidants, improved health and had a positive impact on health outcomes, such as fat, blood sugar, and weight control. It also helped in the promotion of a healthy heart and recovery of high blood pressure, diabetes, coronary heart disease (CHD), metabolic syndrome, and pre-diabetes.

Conclusions: Pistachio, due to its nutrients, has positive impact on human body health, including the cardiovascular system, blood lipids, and blood pressure. Moreover, because of its unsaturated fats, it also affects the lipoproteins and reduces cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes, and helps in the management of weight and metabolic syndrome. It can also help in the recovery of patients with pre-diabetes through changes in their harmful metabolism. Pistachios are recommended as part of a healthy diet for the human health and prevention of chronic non-infectious diseases.

Background: For decades, it was suspected that diabetes contributed to poorer oral health and the increased frequency of periodontitis. More recently it was found that periodontitis could adversely affect glycemic control in diabetics. The aim of this study was to compare periodontal parameters with the metabolic sugar levels of diabetic and non-diabetic individuals.

Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study the experimental group were individuals with the diagnosis of diabetes. The control group consisted of healthy individuals without any systemic condition that affected periodontal status. Periodontal parameters, body mass index, HbA1c level and duration of diabetes were measured and recorded. Data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and Spearman’s correlation coefficient in a bivariate normal distribution.

Results: Patients with diabetes had worse periodontal status compared with control group. On the other hand, both patients with diabetes type 1 and 2 showed higher plaque index, bleeding index and clinical attachment loss compared with healthy control group. There was no meaningful relation between HbA1c and periodontal indices. In type 2 diabetic individuals, there was a significant correlation between the number of missing teeth and the duration of their illness.

Conclusions: Based on the evaluated parameters in this study, the experimental groups, (type 1 and 2 diabetics), experienced worse conditions than healthy control individuals with respect to their periodontal status. Deterioration of periodontal status is directly related to diabetes progression.

Background: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) is increasing, and thus, its mental consequences, such as depression, have an increasing trend. The goal of the present study was the determination of the prevalence of depression and some of its related factors in patients with type II DM who referred to the Diabetes Center of Rafsanjan, Iran, in the year 2016.

Materials and Methods: For this purpose, 194 patients with DM under care in the Diabetes Clinic of Ranfanjan University of Medical Sciences, Iran, were selected via simple random sampling method and filled a demographic form and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Data were analyzed using chi-squared test.

Results: In this study, 67%, 24.7%, 6.2%, and 2.1% of the participants had no depression symptoms, mild depression, moderate depression, and severe depression. There was significant difference between the frequency of different depression severities based on age (P < 0.001), duration since disease diagnosis or treatment (P < 0.001), occupation (P = 0.011), education (P < 0.001), and type of treatment.

Conclusions: The rate of depression in patients with DM is relatively high and women, people with lower level of education, and the elderly, and homemakers are at greater risk which signifies the necessity of psychological and psychiatric consultation.

Background: A disease impacts patients’ participation level in their individual and social life through impacting their physical and mental performance. Due to the increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM), and the importance of patients’ participation and quality of life (QOL) and the determination of the most important aspects affected by the disease in the participation and Quality of Life of patients with type II DM in Rafsanjan, Iran, the present study was conducted.

Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 227 patients with type II DM were assessed. The data collection tool consisted of a 2-part questionnaire. The first part was a demographic characteristics checklist. The second part was the Persian version of the Impact on Participation and Autonomy (IPA-p) scale. The IPA-p scale was used to collect data on the subjects' participation in their own life. Then, a trained individual completed the demographic checklist through interviews. Subsequently, the subjects were asked to complete the IPA-p scale.The collected data were analyzed in SPSS software. Statistical tests such as t-test and ANOVA were used to compare the obtained means.

Results: The highest level of participation was observed in the age group of 30-49 years, and participation was higher in men, single individuals, and individuals with a good economic status.

Conclusions: The results of the present study suggested the presence of a statistically significant relationship between the participation of patients with type II DM and individual, social, economic factors. Thus, this disease causes a reduction in their participation in different life aspects, and therefore, causes a reduction in QOL. With the consideration of the long-term course of the disease, taking measures to improve individuals’ participation level seems necessary.

Background: COVID-19 is a viral infection that causes pneumonia with dyspnea, cough, and fever. Its outcomes are more severe in patients with diabetes, hypertension, and other disorders than in healthy people. New-onset diabetes and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) have been reported as the complications of COVID-19 in several studies. It seems that the prevalence of DKA due to Covid-19 is increasing. Therefore, two cases of individuals with DKA due to COVID-19 are presented in this study to inform other researchers about the details of this phenomenon.
Material and Methods: Demographic characteristics, medical histories, physical examinations, laboratory investigations, real-time RT-PCR tests, computed tomography (CT) imaging studies, given treatments, clinical courses, and management outcomes were documented prospectively.
Results: In the present experience, the manifestation of COVID-19 disease in the second case with a history of diabetes was more severe than in the first case. In the second case, with underlying diabetes and COVID-19, the DKA manifestation was associated with consciousness loss, severe restlessness, and respiratory distress; however, in the first case, with COVID-19 without diabetes, the DKA manifestation was associated with anorexia, weight loss, and lack of respiratory distress, which were milder symptoms than the second case.
Conclusion: Due to the high prevalence of diabetes mellitus and COVID-19 in Iran, it is recommended to raise awareness of DKA symptoms among health professionals.