No abstract

Study design: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Objective: To assess the effect of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) supplementation on IL-6, hs-CRP, FBS, anthropometric indices, food intake and blood pressure in male patients with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). Setting: Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Methods: Fifty-eight men with chronic SCI participated in the study. Participants were divided in two groups: one group received 600 mg of supplemental ALA (n = 28) and the other group received placebo (n = 30) for 12 weeks. At the beginning and end of the study, biochemical parameters, anthropometric indices, blood pressure and dietary intakes were measured. Dietary intake was measured using N4 software, and statistical analyses were carried out using SPSS16. Results: No significant reduction was found in IL-6 (P = 0.97) and hs-CRP levels (P = 0.23). There was significant reduction in fasting blood sugar (P = 0.001), body weight (P = 0.001), BMI (P = 0.001), waist circumference (P = 0.001) and blood pressure (P = 0.001). Dietary intake was significantly reduced, including fat (P = 0.001), carbohydrate (P = 0.001), protein (P = 0.002) and energy intakes (P = 0.001). Conclusion: Lipoic acid supplementation had no significant effect on the measured inflammatory markers but it reduces fasting blood sugar, anthropometric parameters, food intake and blood pressure in men with chronic SCI. Spinal Cord (2015) 53, 621-624; doi:10.1038/sc.2015.35; published online 10 March 2015 INTRODUCTION Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) or thiocitic acid is an eight-carbon, sulfurcontaining compound. It functions as a cofactor in the multienzyme complexes that catalyze the oxidative decarboxylation of α-keto acids. 1 There is general agreement about the antioxidant properties of ALA, which is thought to work by scavenging free radicals directly, chelating metallic ions, increasing intracellular glutathione and activating endogenous antioxidant systems. 2,3 ALA's antioxidant properties are thought to inhibit the deleterious mechanisms associated with inflammation; however, a number of studies suggest contradictory effects for ALA on inflammatory markers such as IL-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP). [4][5][6] Apart from the antioxidant properties of ALA, it is found to increase nitric oxide synthesis through which endothelial function is probably improved. 7 In addition, ALA reduces body weight and changes other anthropometric indices by suppressing appetite and increasing metabolism. [8][9][10][11][12] Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating condition and entails considerable burden on the individual and society. 13,14 Persons with chronic SCI are at increased risk for obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia and systemic inflammation [15][16][17][18][19] because of changes in their lifestyle, body composition and fat mass. 20 However, these complications may be preventable and treatable. 21 Studying the effect of ALA on cardiovascular risk factors and ...

No abstract

Objectives:We evaluate the level of anxiety and depression among patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) in relation with their religious coping and spiritual health. Setting: Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Repair Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Methods: A sample of patients with SCI participated in this cross-sectional study. They completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Brief Religious Coping Questionnaire and the Spiritual Well-being Scale. Then, the association between anxiety, depression and independent variables was examined. Results: In all, 213 patients with SCI were studied. Of these, 64 (30%) have had anxiety and 32 (15%) have had depression. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that gender (odds ratio (OR) for female = 3.34, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.31-8.51, P = 0.011), employment (OR for unemployed = 5.71, 95% CI = 1.17-27.78, P = 0.031), negative religious coping (OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.04-1.28, P = 0.006) and existential spiritual well-being (OR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.89-0.97, P = 0.003) were significant contributing factors to anxiety (Table 3), whereas negative religious coping (OR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.06-1.37, P = 0.004) and existential spiritual well-being (OR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.84-0.96, P = 0.001) were significant contributing factors to depression. Conclusion: The findings indicated that depression and anxiety are two psychologically important side effects after SCI. The findings also indicated that religion and spiritual well-being have a moderating role on occurrence of depression and anxiety.