Epicardial fat tissue thickness may be a useful indicator of early atherosclerosis in SCH and OH patients with HT.

<b><i>Objective:</i></b> It was our aim to investigate the quality of life (QOL) among family caregivers of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. <b><i>Subjects and Methods:</i></b> The Short Form-36 QOL scale, Beck Depression Inventory and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Form were used to evaluate the presence and degree of depression and anxiety and their association with sociodemographic features of 50 family caregivers of diabetic patients compared to 54 controls. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The groups were similar in terms of age, sex, health insurance, educational status and marital and financial status. Beck Depression Inventory scores were significantly higher in family caregivers (p = 0.001) than in controls. Depression as a categorical variable was significantly more frequent among family caregivers of diabetic patients than among controls (p < 0.001). The social function component of the QOL of controls was better than that of family caregivers (p < 0.005). There was no difference between groups in terms of anxiety. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Family caregivers of diabetic patients appeared to be more prone to depression and tended to have a poorer QOL.

The NIH criteria identify women at high risk for insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. The Rotterdam criteria include women who have less severe metabolic implications.

Thyroid carcinoma and benign thyroid diseases associated with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) may cause difficulties in the diagnosis, localization and therapy of PHPT. In this study, we analysed coexistent thyroid pathologies in 51 patients who underwent neck exploration with a diagnosis of PHPT between 1999--2002. Five hundred thirteen patients who underwent thyroidectomy for nodular thyroid disease without a parathyroid pathology in histopathological examination served as controls. In patients with PHPT there were 43 cases (84.3%) of coexistent thyroid pathology. Nine patients (17.6 %) had coexistent papillary thyroid cancer. Nine patients (17.6 %) had lymphocytic thyroiditis, two (3.9%) had benign thyroid adenoma and 24 (47%) had nodular hyperplasia. In one patient (2%), there was intrathyroidal metastasis from a parathyroid cancer. One patient had coexistent lymphocytic thyroiditis and multifocal papillary cancer. One of the two cases with thyroid adenomas was Hürthle cell type. In the control group only 28 patients (5.5%) had thyroid malignancy (27 papillary cancer and one follicular cancer). In conclusion, the coexistent thyroid pathologies are highly prevalent in patients with PHPT and pre- and intra-operative thyroid examination should be performed to avoid overlooking important thyroid pathologies.

I is essential for thyroid hormone synthesis and neurological development. Various changes occur in thyroid hormone metabolism during pregnancy and I requirements increase significantly. The purpose of this study was to investigate I status among pregnant women in Trabzon, formerly a severely I-deficient area but shown to have become I sufficient following mandatory iodisation of table salt based on monitoring studies among school-age children (SAC) in the area. A total of 864 healthy pregnant women with a median age of 28 (25th-75th percentile 17-47) years participated in the study. None of them were using I-containing supplement. All of them were screened for use of iodised salt, obstetric history, thyroid function tests and urinary I concentrations (UIC), and thyroid ultrasonography was performed. Median UIC was 102 (25th-75th percentile = 62-143) μg/l. Median UIC of the patients according to trimesters were 122 µg/l at the 1st, 97 µg/l at the 2nd and 87 µg/l at the 3rd trimester. UIC in the 1st trimester was higher compared with the 2nd and 3rd trimesters (P < 0·017). Nodules were present in 17·7 % of women (n 153). The rate of iodised salt usage among pregnant women was 90·7 %. Our study demonstrates that, although the I status among SAC has been rectified, I deficiency (ID) is still prevalent among pregnant women. Current knowledge is in favour of I supplementation in this group. Until the effects of maternal I supplementation in mild ID have been clarified by large-scale prospective controlled trials, pregnant women living in borderline defficient and I-sufficient areas, such as Trabzon city, should receive 100-200 µg/d of I-containing supplements in addition to iodised salt.