Serum Vitamin D Status and Cognitive Function in Iranian Older Adults: Evidence from the Birjand Longitudinal Aging Study.

BACKGROUND: There is evidence of the role of vitamin D deficiency in cognitive decline. However, the results of studies regarding the relationship between the reduction of vitamin D concentrations and cognitive impairment are heterogeneous. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to answer the question of whether vitamin D deficiency is associated with cognitive decline in older adults. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, the baseline data of the Birjand Longitudinal Aging Study (BLAS) were analyzed. Of 1420 participants in the BLAS, 1219 participants aged ≥60 y old were included in the present study. Serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] were measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. The 6-item Cognitive Impairment Test (6-CIT), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Category Fluency Test (CFT), and Abbreviated Mental Test Score (AMTS) were used to assess cognitive function. Multiple logistic regression analysis, adjusted for potential confounders, was employed to estimate the association between cognitive function and 25(OH)D concentrations. RESULTS: Among study participants, 905 (74.24%) had sufficient vitamin D concentrations (≥20 ng/ml), 209 (17.15%) had insufficient vitamin D concentrations (12-20 ng/ml), and 105 (8.61%) had vitamin D deficiency (<12 ng/ml). There was no significant correlation between serum 25(OH)D concentrations and scores of 6-CIT (P = 0.279), AMTS (P = 0.181), MMSE (P = 0.118), and CFT (P = 0.259). Also, the prevalence of cognitive impairment had no significant relationship with vitamin D status. Finally, in the multiple logistic regression analysis, there was no association between the insufficient or deficient concentrations of 25(OH)D and impaired cognitive function both before and after adjustment for various cofounders. CONCLUSIONS: The present study found no significant association between vitamin D status and cognitive impairment.

Prevalence of thyroid dysfunction among Iranian older adults: a cross-sectional study.

There is limited data on the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction in the older population. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction among a sample of Iranian older adults. A cross-sectional analysis of older adults who aged 60 years and over was conducted. A total of 363 subjects were randomly selected from Birjand longitudinal aging study (BLAS) cohort study. Serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level, total thyroxine (T4) and total triiodothyronine (T3) were measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Based on thyroid function tests and history of taking medicines used to treat thyroid disorders, participants were classified into the following groups: euthyroid, overt/subclinical hypothyroidism, and overt/subclinical hyperthyroidism. Subsequently, the crude and World Health Organization (WHO) age-standardized prevalence were estimated for different thyroid function categories. A total of 171 men and 192 women, aged 60-94 years, were randomly selected. The crude prevalence of total hypothyroidism was 22.31% (subclinical [18.46%], overt [3.86%]), and that of hyperthyroidism was 1.66% (subclinical [1.38%], overt [0.28%]). The crude prevalence of total thyroid dysfunction was, therefore, 23.97%. A female preponderance was noticed in both total (P-value = 0.035) and overt (P-value = 0.035) hypothyroidism. An increasing trend with age was noticed in the prevalence of total hypothyroidism (P-value = 0.049). Age-standardized prevalence of total hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism was 26.63% (95% confidence interval [CI] 20.58-33.69%) and 1.11% (95% CI 0.49-2.51%), respectively. A considerable proportion of our study population demonstrated evidence of thyroid dysfunction, particularly subclinical hypothyroidism. Our findings highlight the importance of further investigation of thyroid disorders among older Iranian adults.

The effect of group psychological training on the attitude of family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia.

Background and aim: Mental disorders are among the most common diseases in the world. Not only the lack of social support and health services but also the social stigma surrounding individuals with mental disorders and their family members has exacerbated the difficulty of living with and caring for these patients. The present study aimed to determine the effect of group psychological training on the attitudes of family caregivers taking care of patients with schizophrenia as a common mental disorder. Materials and methods: This interventional study was conducted on 60 caregivers of patients with schizophrenia who had a history of hospitalization in the psychiatric ward of Imam Reza Hospital of Birjand in 2020. The intervention group attended eight 90-minute sessions of psychological training in four weeks. However, the control group received no educational intervention during the study period. the opinions about mental illness scale (OMI) modified by Cohen and Struening was used to collect data before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS16 by running descriptive statistics, Chi-square, independent t-test, and paired t-test at the significance level of 0.05. Results: The mean scores of attitudes toward mental illness were not significantly different between the intervention (87.37 ± 15.51) and control (89.48 ± 14.08) groups before the intervention (P > 0.05). However, the mean scores of the intervention group (156.44 ± 10.09) increased significantly compared to the mean scores of the control group (88.4 ± 16.15) followed by the intervention (P < 0.05). Conclusion: According to the study results, psychological group training is effective in improving the attitudes of family caregivers of schizophrenic patients. So, it can be applied method of this study as simple, low-cost, and effective in improving the life quality of schizophrenic patients and their families.