Arsenic in the rock-soil-plant system and related health risk in a magmatic-metamorphic belt, West of Iran.

Following earlier reports of water contamination and arsenic (As) toxicity symptoms in residents of Kurdistan Province, As was determined in rock, soil and plant samples to investigate its fate from rock to crops and its potential effects on human health. Total As content ranged from 4.9 to 10,000 mg/kg, 7.7-430 mg/kg and < 0.05-25,079 µg/kg (dry weight) in rock, soil and plant samples, respectively. The Qorveh-Bijar region data indicated that magmatic differentiation has enriched late magmatic fluids in As. High rare earth elements concentration, dissociation coefficient, and positive Eu anomaly in volcanic rocks, indicated the prevalence of intermediate to felsic composition. The highest As concentration was measured in travertine. In soil, As average level in Qorveh and Bijar was 48.5 and 107 mg/kg, respectively. Higher pollution index and geoaccumulation index (Igeo) were also calculated for Bijar County. The As concentration in crop samples was greater than the recommended maximum permissible concentration for foodstuff. Mann-Whitney U test revealed significant differences between As concentration in different plant species and no difference between plants in Bijar and Qorveh. Also, alfalfa displayed the highest biological accumulation coefficient among the investigated plants. The calculated chronic daily intake of As in Bijar County was higher than the recommended levels for wheat and barley grains. Moreover, the hazard quotient (HQ) and incremental lifetime cancer risk assessments revealed high non-cancer (HQ > 1 for both adults and children) and cancer (particularly for barley in Bijar) risks for inhabitants via consumption of As contaminated crops cultivated in the study area.

Predictors of long-term mortality after first-ever stroke.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Data on the factors affecting long-term mortality following a stroke in Iran are scarce. The current research aimed at investigating the extent of 2-year mortality following a stroke and the factors affecting it in the northwest of Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective cohort study was conducted in Tabriz, Northwest of Iran. Patients with computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the first-ever stroke were included in this study and followed up to 2 years. Clinical examinations, including the severity of the stroke using the modified National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (mNIHSS), were conducted by a neurologist. The general characteristics, lifestyle factors, and laboratory tests were also completed. To estimate the survival, Kaplan-Meier analysis was used; and for group comparison, the log-rank method was applied. To identify the factors predicting 2-year mortality, semiparametric Cox regression analysis was used. RESULTS: A total of 1036 first-ever stroke patients were included in the present study. The mortality rates of stroke in 6-month, 1-year, and 2-years follow-up periods were 31.6%, 34.5%, and 38%, respectively. The two-year mortality rate was 33.6% in ischemic and 58.7% in hemorrhagic stroke (P < 0.001). In the multivariate Cox model, variables age, type of stroke, diabetes, and severity of the stroke, according to the mNIHSS index, were identified as factors predicting 2-year mortality following the stroke. CONCLUSION: The 2-year mortality following acute stroke was relatively high compared to that of in developed countries. Implementation of secondary prevention is recommended to better management of modifiable predictors of mortality.

Hypertension prevalence, awareness, treatment and its correlates among people 35 years and older: Result from pilot phase of the Azar cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: There is remarkable alteration in hypertension prevalence and awareness, and their correlates among various geographic locations and ethnic groups. The aim of this study was to report hypertension prevalence, awareness, and its correlates as well as hypertension treatment, and control among Azari people aged 35 years and older. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The pilot phase of the Azar Cohort Study; a state level of a nationwide PERSIAN cohort study was conducted in Khameneh city between October 2014 and January 2015. All people 35 years of age and above were invited to take part in this study. A comprehensive range of different biomarkers, lifestyle, socioeconomic factors, and health-related factors was collected. Blood pressure was measured by a trained nurse/midwife. Descriptive statistical methods were used to present general characteristics of the study population as frequency tables. Separate multiple logistic regression models were built to assess the predictors of hypertension prevalence. RESULTS: A total of 1038 people were included in this study. The overall prevalence of hypertension was 22.9%. Awareness of hypertension was 60.5% and in those with known hypertension, 84% were using the antihypertensive medications, of those 68.5% had controlled hypertension. After adjustment; age (odds ratios [OR]adj= 1.12 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09-1.15), gender (ORadj= 1.65 95% CI: 1.08-2.51), obesity ORadj= 2.51 (1.40-4.88), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) (ORadj= 1.70 (1.05-2.75), and comorbidities (ORadj= 2.51 (1.72-3.66) were independent predictors of hypertension. CONCLUSION: Age, sex, body mass index, WHR, and comorbidities were known as predictors of hypertension in this study, health promotion strategies including lifestyle modification to reduce overweight/obesity and secondary prevention programs for early detection of hypertension in high-risk groups according to age, gender, and disease profile are recommended.