The prevalence and predictors of cardiovascular diseases in Kherameh cohort study: a population-based study on 10,663 people in southern Iran.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is rapidly increasing in the world. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence and Predictors factors of CVD based on the data of Kherameh cohort study. METHODS: The present cross-sectional, analytical study was done based on the data of Kherameh cohort study, as a branch of the Prospective Epidemiological Studies in Iran (PERSIAN). The participants consisted of 10,663 people aged 40-70 years. CVD was defined as suffering from ischemic heart diseases including heart failure, angina, and myocardial infarction. Logistic regression was used to model and predict the factors related to CVD. Additionally, the age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR) of CVD was determined using the standard Asian population. RESULTS: The ASPR of CVD was 10.39% in males (95% CI 10.2-10.6%) and 10.21% in females (95% CI 9.9-10.4%). The prevalence of CVD was higher among the individuals with high blood pressure (58.3%, p < 0.001) as well as among those who smoked (28.3%, p = 0.018), used opium (18.2%, p = 0.039), had high triglyceride levels (31.6%, p = 0.011), were overweight and obese (66.2%, p < 0.001), were unmarried (83.9%, p < 0.001), were illiterate (64.2%, p < 0.001), were unemployed (60.9%, p < 0.001), and suffered from diabetes mellitus (28.1%, p < 0.001). The results of multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the odds of having CVD was 2.25 times higher among the individuals aged 50-60 years compared to those aged 40-50 years, 1.66 folds higher in opium users than in non-opium users, 1.37 times higher in smokers compared to non-smokers, 2.03 folds higher in regular users of sleeping pills than in non-consumers, and 4.02 times higher in hypertensive individuals than in normotensive ones. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of CVD was found to be relatively higher in Kherameh (southern Iran) compared to other places. Moreover, old age, obesity, taking sleeping pills, hypertension, drug use, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease had the highest odds ratios of CVD.

Does Opium Consumption Have Shared Impact on Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer?

Although atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and cancer are seemingly different types of disease, they have multiple shared underlying mechanisms and lifestyle-related risk factors like smoking, unhealthy diet, excessive alcohol consumption, and inadequate physical activity. Opium abuse is prevalent in developing countries, especially the Middle East region and many Asian countries. Besides recreational purposes, many people use opium based on a traditional belief that opium consumption may confer protection against heart attack and improve the control of the risk factors of ASCVD such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. However, scientific reports indicate an increased risk of ASCVD and poor control of ASCVD risk factors among opium abusers compared with nonusers. Moreover, there is accumulating evidence that opium consumption exerts potential carcinogenic effects and increases the risk of developing various types of cancer. We conducted a review of the literature to review the current evidence on the relationship between opium consumption and ASCVD as well as various kinds of cancer. In addition, we will discuss the potential shared pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying the association between opium abuse and both ASCVD and cancer.

Opium and cardiovascular health: A devil or an angel?

Opioids have the highest rate of illicit drug consumption after cannabis worldwide. Opium, after tobacco, is still the most commonly abused substance in the Middle East. In addition to the ease of availability, one reason for the high consumption of opium in Asian countries might be a traditional belief among Eastern people and even medical staff that opium may have ameliorating effects on cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) as well as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Over the last decade, many studies have been performed on humans and animals to evaluate the interplay between opium consumption and stable coronary artery disease, acute coronary syndromes, and atherosclerosis. In this review, we conclude that opium consumption should be considered a risk factor for CVDs. Healthy individuals, as well as cardiac and diabetic patients, should be informed and educated about the hazardous effects of opium consumption on cardiovascular and other chronic diseases.

Nutrition and skin: Kids are not just little people.

There has been a surge of new data regarding the pathophysiology of skin diseases. We are appreciating the sophisticated interplay among the skin, the immune system, and the environment. More elegant and highly specific medicines have been designed to target certain immune mediators of the adaptive immune system. In parallel fashion, we are learning more about the elegance of the innate immune system and how nutrition as early as the prenatal period can affect the priming of other immune cells. Concerns about the long-term impact of new immune-modulating medicines-especially in the pediatric population-have patients asking their dermatologists for nutritional alternatives to medical therapies. Nutrients and nutritional therapies appear to play a role at different ages for different dermatoses. Probiotics are showing promise as a therapeutic option for patients older than 1 year for atopic dermatitis. Systemic contact allergens appear to be a bigger burden on the adult population with atopic dermatitis. Obesity is a growing concern for both children and adults with psoriasis. Milk and high glycemic foods have a strong impact on the teenage acne population. Vitamins A and D are addressed as piece of the alopecia areata puzzle. Zinc and homeopathy are presented finally as possible treatments to the everlasting wart.

Vascular complications in women using the low steroid content combined oral contraceptive pills: case reports and review of the literature.

PIP: 5 cases of vascular complications--hemorrhagic stroke, myocardial infarction, retinal vein thrombosis, thrombotic stroke and deep vein thrombosis--in young women taking low dose oral contraceptives are described from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. The hemorrhagic stroke occurred in 1987 in a 24-year old heavy smoker taking Triphasil (Wyeth) for 12 months. She recovered fully. A 34-year old woman had an anteroseptal infarction while on Minovlar ED (Schering, 50 mcg ethinyl estradiol and 1 mg norethisterone acetate) for 2 years. She had no risk factors other than smoking 5 cigarettes daily. The woman with retinal vein thrombosis had 2 episodes, the 1st while taking Restovar 28 (Organon, 37.5 mcg ethinyl estradiol and 0.75 mg lynestrenol) for 7 years. 19 months later she began Diane (Schering AG, 50 mcg ethinyl estradiol and 2 mg cyproterone acetate) and had a bilateral retinal vein thrombosis leaving her partially blind. The woman with thrombotic stroke was 24 when she was struck in 1986, after 1 year of taking Logynon ED (Schering AG, 6/5/7 days, 30,40/40 mcg ethinyl estradiol and o.5/0.75/0.125 mg levonorgestrel). The patient with deep vein thrombosis was 19, smoked, and had used Triphasil for 2.5 years.^ieng

Health correlates and mode of administration of hormones--are there any differences between parenteral and oral estrogen preparations?

OBJECTIVES: To investigate use-associated differences between parental and oral hormone therapy (HT) users in reference to HT non-users regarding self-rated general health status, quality of life, health service utilization, and selected chronic diseases. METHODS: All cases of last-week medicine use were recorded among 2248 women aged 40-79 who participated in the German Health Interview and Examination Survey 1997-1999. 89 current parenteral HT users and 322 oral HT users were identified. Health correlates were compared between the two groups in reference to HT non-users. RESULTS: Oral HT users had a poorer current health status as well as an impaired health status compared to the year before, were less satisfied with their health and life in general, and showed a lower quality of life regarding 'body pain' and 'vitality' in comparison with hormone non-users (all p<.05). Parenteral HT users showed no significant difference compared with HT non-users and oral HT users, respectively, in these health correlates except for a less satisfaction with health found in comparison with HT non-users (p=.002). Prevalences of cerebral-cardiovascular diseases were not different among women using parenteral or oral HT use. Parenteral HT users visited the offices of general practitioner and gynecologists more frequently than oral HT users as well as hormone non-users (all p<.05). CONCLUSIONS: Oral HT use is associated with a negative assessment for health well-being whereas parenteral HT use shows largely a neutral effect. Further designated studies could clarify whether the mode of hormone administration consistently affects health-related quality of life and whether the mode of hormone treatment influences the choice of outpatient facilities for surveillance of therapy.