The results of this study further emphasize the importance and necessity of educating this at-risk population by planning direct, in-person training, which is an essential step in improving attitudes and preventative practices toward CL and in controlling CL in endemic areas.

Background: Hypertension is one of the most important causes of cardiovascular diseases. Patients with hypertension have a lower quality of life. We aimed to evaluate the effects of mindfulness meditation on blood pressure, mental health, and quality of life in patients with hypertension. Methods: This randomized clinical trial was performed in 2019 in Isfahan. Eighty adult women with Stage I or II hypertension were included and assigned randomly to 2 groups: 12 weeks of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and routine care. At baseline and 1 week after the end of the intervention, blood pressure, stress, depression, anxiety, and quality of life of the studied participants were measured using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) and 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) questionnaires. The data were analyzed using the independent t-test, the paired t-test, and the MANCOVA test. Results: After the intervention, the mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures decreased significantly in the intervention group compared with the baseline (142.82±11.01 mmHg vs 133.7±510.43 mmHg for systolic pressure and 86.12±8.24 mmHg vs 79.15±6.26 mmHg for diastolic pressure) and the control group (140.18±14.27 mmHg vs 142.15±10.23 mmHg for systolic pressure and 84.62± 9.22 vs mmHg 88.51±8.54 mmHg for diastolic pressure; P=0.001). There was also a significant increase in quality of life, stress, anxiety, and depression scores in the intervention group (P<0.05). Conclusion: The 12-week MBSR program resulted in a significant reduction in the mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures and improvement in mental health and different aspects of quality of life.

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Background:This study aimed to examine the relationship between sonographic diagnosis of fatty liver and liver enzyme level with histopathologic abnormalities and liver biopsy findings in patient with the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).Materials and Methods:This cross-sectional study conducted on 109 patients with diagnosed and under treatment NAFLD refer to Gastroenterology Clinics of AL Zahra Hospital in Isfahan, Iran. Age, sex, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level recorded for all patients. Liver ultrasonography was performed for all patients. Steatosis grading and fibrosis stage were evaluated by liver biopsy.Results:We enrolled 109 subjects with NAFLD who had an indication for liver biopsy and met inclusion criteria of our study. Of these, 78 subjects (71.6%) were male and 31 subjects (28.4) were female. Mean age was 40.17 ± 11.01 years old. Our results showed there was a statistically significant relationship between ultrasonographic findings and histologic findings based on biopsy. There was statistically significant relationship between liver enzyme (ALT, AST and ALP) level and ultrasonographic findings, but there was no significant relationship between AST and ALT level and histologic findings, but the relationship between ALP level and histologic findings (steatosis and fibrosis) was statistically significant (P = 0.01).Conclusion:Ultrasonographic finding may be can use to identify nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and stage of fibrosis in patients with NAFLD, but AST and ALT level is not reliable screening test to identify stage of fibrosis and steatosis in these patients. Therefore, liver biopsy remains the gold standard for establishing steatohepatitis and advanced fibrosis in patients with NAFLD.

The objective of this study was to determine the predictive factor of a combination of traditional and new risk factors for coronary heart diseases (CHDs) as well as the echocardiographic findings in children of parents suffering premature myocardial infarction in comparison with controls. Overall, 239 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years including 112 children of parents with premature CHD (<55 years) and 127 age- and sex-matched controls without such a family history. In addition to measuring anthropometric indexes and blood pressure, serum fasting blood sugar, lipid profile, C-reactive protein, Lpa, and oxidized LDL as well as carotid-intima media thickness and left ventricular mass were determined. Factor analysis showed that clusters of inflammatory factors and markers of oxidation as well as carotid-intima media thickness and left ventricular mass were correlated with each other and were associated with a positive parental history of premature CHD in youths. These findings complement the functional and structural changes in arteries of adults with a familial predisposition to CHD and underscore the importance of using a high-risk approach for primordial/primary prevention of CHD from early life and of considering the screening of children and siblings in the management of patients with premature CHD.