[Effect of foot reflexology on physical and psychological symptoms of premenstrual syndrome]

Premenstrual syndrome [PMS] is a set of physical, mental and behavioral symptoms with different severity that cause disorders in individual and social relationships. This syndrome occurs during luteal phase of menstrual cycle with complicated reasons. It is one of the most common disorders of childbearing ages. Because of unclear and complicated causes of this syndrome, different treatment methods have been presented. Reflexology is a non-drug method of prevention and treatment of premenstrual syndrome. It is an old, mild and non-invasive method, but there is not enough researches about its effect on symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. This research was carried out in order to determine the effect of foot reflexology on symptoms of premenstrual syndrome in students of dormitories of Jahrom University in 2011-12. This study was a single-blind controlled clinical trial of 90 students with premenstrual syndrome who were resident in dormitory of Jahrom University. The students were randomly divided into two groups of foot reflexology and control. Intensity of premenstrual syndrome was recorded by subjects in two cycles: pre - intervention cycle and intervention cycle. The tools of data gathering consisted of data gathering forms of temporary diagnosis of PMS, and Beck depression test. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in order to analyze data. There was no statistically significant difference between research variables such as age and menarche age, and the severity of the symptoms before intervention. The average reduction of general severity of PMS symptoms was 23.39% in foot reflexology group while it was -9.68% in the control group [p<0.0001]. There was signification difference between the average of physical and mental symptoms in reflexology group compared to the control group [p<0.0001]. It seems that, foot reflexology is effective in improvement of physical and metal symptoms of PMS. Therefore, it is possible to achieve a main midwifery aim which is to decrease the intensity of PMS symptoms by teaching this simple technique which doesn't need specialists in order to be done.

Use and attitude on herbal medicine in a group of pregnant women in Tehran

While the use of herbal medicines is common in Tehran, there is scant data regarding various aspects of the use of such medicines during pregnancy. The frequency of the use of herbal medicines in a group of pregnant women in Tehran and their attitude to the use of such medicines were evaluated. In this cross-sectional study, 600 pregnant women were studied. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to explore the demographic and pregnancy related data, the extent of use of the herbal medicines, the subjects' sources of information and their attitude regarding such medicines. The data were analyzed using student t- and chi-square tests. Logistic regression was used to determine the predicting factors. 402 [67%] participants had used at least one type of herbal medicine during their current or previous pregnancies, with a mean of 2.71 +/- 1.94 herbs per individual. Two commonly used herbs were peppermint [32.8%] and olibanum [26.3%]. Maternal and Gestational age, family size, children number, frequency of having medical insurance and positive attitude in users were significantly higher than non-users [P values were 0.02, 0.02, 0.001, <0.001, 0.04 and <0.001 respectively]. The score of attitude was the only predictor for taking herbal medicine with the odds ratio 0.89 [95% confidence interval: 0.86-0.92] of logistic regression model for negative attitude. Considering the high frequency of herbal medicine use during pregnancy, pregnant women need appropriate sources of information about these medicines. Further, health care providers should ask pregnant women about taking herbal medicines

Hysteroscopy as a minimally invasive surgery, a good substitute for invasive gynecological procedures

Hysteroscopy is a safe and high efficient procedure so it is changing to a widespread procedure in dealing with many gynecologic and obstetrical conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutical efficiency of hysteroscopy in managing the common conditions including abnormal uterine bleeding, abortion and infertility. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study to compare hysteroscopy as a minimally invasive approach with conventional laparatomy and hysterectomy or repair of mulerian anomalies and watch the uterine cavity for intrauterine pathology in cases of infertility. Overall 277 women underwent hysteroscopy were evaluated in three groups: with AUB 226 cases, with infertility 34 cases and with recurrent abortions with septate uterus17 cases. The overall success rate was recorded and analyzed after six months in order of indication of hysteroscopy Hysteroscopy as sole diagnostic procedure in 16.5, 8.8 and 14.3%of AUB, infertility and abortion cases, respectively. In AUB cases, curettage, myomectomy, polypectomy and hysterectomy were the main diagnostic-therapeutical approaches along with hysteroscopy. In infertiles, myomectomy, polypectomy were the main diagnostic-therapeutical approaches In abortion group, laparoscopy guided, septum resection adhessiolysis, curettage and myomectomy were the main aproach. There was not any major complication. The diagnostic-therapeutically measures accompanying with the hysteroscopy were successful in 73.5% of the bleeding group and 33.3% of the infertility group in follow-up period. Based on our results, hysteroscopy is a safe, accurate and highly-efficient procedure in managing women with abnormal uterine bleeding, recurrent abortion due to septate uterus

[Review of antidiabetic plants in Iranian traditional medicine and their efficacy]

High prevalence of diabetes mellitus and its complications and increasing use of complementary therapies, especially herbal therapies, and the need of developing countries to use their indigenous medical methods, motivated us to introduce some plants used in Iranian traditional medicine for the treatment of this disease. The topic of "ziabetes" [the synonym of diabetes] in some of Iranian traditional medical texts were studied and herbal therapies of this disease were collected. Some edible plant compounds introduced and scientific names of plants in these compounds were identified. Pubmed and Scopus databases were searched for studies regarding hypoglycemic effects of these medicinal herbs on animal or human subjects. Many medicinal herbs and; minerals in single or compound form have been used in Iranian traditional medicine. Plants such as Punica granatum, Rosa damascene, Plantago psyllium, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Coriandrum sativum, Portulaca oleracea and Rumex patientia are the most popular ones. Recent studies on animal or human subjects have shown the hypoglycemic effects of some of these plants. Reassessment of the effects of some antidiabetic plants used in Iranian traditional medicine, proved their efficacy mainly in animals. However, we need more clinical trials to prove safety and; efficacy of these herbs and compounds

Antidiabetic plants of Iran

To identify the antidiabetic plants of Iran, a systematic review of the published literature on the efficacy of Iranian medicinal plant for glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus was conducted. We performed an electronic literature search of MEDLINE, Science Direct, Scopus, Proquest, Ebsco, Googlescholar, SID, Cochrane Library Database, from 1966 up to June 2010. The search terms were complementary and alternative medicine [CAM], diabetes mellitus, plant [herb], Iran, patient, glycemic control, clinical trial, RCT, natural or herbal medicine, hypoglycemic plants, and individual herb names from popular sources, or combination of these key words. Available Randomized Controlled Trials [RCT] published in English or Persian language examined effects of an herb [limited to Iran] on glycemic indexes in type 2 diabetic patients were included. Among all of the articles identified in the initial database search, 23 trials were RCT, examining herbs as potential therapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus. The key outcome for antidiabetic effect was changes in blood glucose or HbA1 c, as well as improves in insulin sensitivity or resistance. Available data suggest that several antidiabetic plants of Iran need further study. Among the RCT studies, the best evidence in glycemic control was found in Citrullus colocynthus, Ipomoea betatas, Silybum marianum and Trigonella foenum graecum

Study on HLA-DQB1,03 allele associated with women human papilloma virus [HPV] lesions

The specific HLA alleles associated with HPV differ among various study groups. It has been suggested that women carrying HLA-DQw3 antigen encoded by DQB 103, are predisposed to develop cervical cancer. The aim of this study was to determine HLA-DQB103 alleles in HPV lesions. In a cross-sectional and analytical study, Hundred women enrolled into the study. Twenty of them had abnormal Pap smear, Fifty patients had condyloma lesions and 30 patients with malignant lesions. HLA-DQB03 and HPV infection was evaluated by PCR. PCR of HPV was positive in 50 women with condyloma lesions and 8 women with malignant lesion [p< 0.001]. HLA-DQB03 was positive in 9 women with abnormal Pap smear, 18 women with condyloma lesions and 7 women with malignant lesion[P= 0.261]. Positive PCR of HPV was significantly higher in women with condyloma lesions than other women [p< 0.001]. Mean age of patients with positive PCR of HPV was significantly lower than patients with negative PCR of HPV [P= 0.001]. Mean age of patients with positive HLA-DQB03 was 42.08 + 11.48 year and mean age of patients with negative HLA-DQB03 Was 43.83 +11.21 year [P= 0.462]. HLA-DQB03 was positive in 34% of patients. In this study, we do not see any significant correlation between HPV infection and HLA-DQB03 in the studied women