The PCOSQ-50 is a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of quality of life of women with PCOS, capable of assessing some obscure aspects overlooked by previous HRQL questionnaires.

Background:Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common chronic endocrine disorder. It has significant and diverse clinical consequences including reproductive, metabolic, and psychological morbidities as well as predisposition to malignancies. It is unclear how women with PCOS experience symptoms of this syndrome.Objectives:The aim of this study was to clarify the dimensions and components of quality of life in iranian women with PCOS.Patients and Methods:This study was a qualitative study to explore and document perceptions of women with PCOS about their disorder and quality of life. Semi-structured interviews with open ended questions were conducted with 23 women with PCOS. The interviews were continued to reach data saturation. The study was conducted in the Reproductive Endocrinology Research Center of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. All the interviews were recorded and transcribed. Constant comparative analysis of the data was conducted manually according to the Strauss and Corbin analysis method.Results:The study revealed that the most important factors affecting quality of life in women with PCOS were the role functioning items as well as physical, mental, emotional, cognitive, and social dimensions.Conclusions:Comprehensive cares concerning various mental, emotional, cognitive, and social dimensions of quality of life should be planned for women with PCOS.

The present study showed that the use of garlic gel significantly added to the therapeutic efficacy of topical betamethasone valerate in alopecia areata and that it can be an effective adjunctive topical therapy for alopecia areata.

Oxidative stress is involved in the pathogenesis of congestive heart failure (CHF). Some trace elements serve as antioxidant defenses. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of atrial fibrillation (AF) on zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) levels in patients with advanced CHF. In this prospective study, serum Zn and Cu levels in 78 patients with clinically advanced CHF, i.e., New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III or IV (40 patients with AF and 38 in sinus rhythm) were measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. All patients also had a left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) of <35%. We recruited 40 volunteers with nearly the same age and weight as control. They had normal EF. There was no significant difference between patients with AF and those with sinus rhythm regarding serum Zn and Cu levels. However, both groups showed significant hypozincemia (p < 0.000) and a decreased Zn/Cu ratio (p < 0.03) compared with control group. Serum Cu levels were similar in the two groups and did not differ significantly from the control group. In patients with advanced CHF, irrespective of the rhythm, profound hypozincemia, and a decreased Zn/Cu ratio were present, which could be secondary to the activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and CHF medications. The results suggest the need for more studies focusing on possible benefits with Zn nutriceutical replacement in patients with advanced CHF.

BackgroundThe first-line strategy for the treatment of obesity is weight loss (WL) through decreasing calorie intake. However, a diet that is capable of attenuating fat free mass decline following WL is preferred. Furthermore, it is required to choose proper measurements and appropriate obesity-assessment indices to monitor weight and body composition during WL program.MethodsA total of 68 adults with overweight and/or obesity underwent a WL program (rapid and slow WL). Dependent variables include: weight, resting metabolic rate (RMR), body composition, and related measurements such as waist circumference (WC), waist to height ratio (WHtR), body adiposity index (BAI), a body shape index (ABSI), fat mass to lean body mass (FM/LBM), and percentage body fat (PBF).ResultsObesity measurements decreased in both groups (all P < 0.05) while LBM and RMR decreased more in the rapid WL group (P < 0.05). After age and sex adjustment, a robust correlation was observed between FM/LBM and PBF (r = 0.918), LBM% and PBF (r = -0.949), LBM% and FM/LBM (r = -0.904), WHtR and WC (r = 0.986), and BAI% and HC (r = 0.986) (P < 0.001 for all correlations). FM has the highest correlation with WHtR among other indices (r = 0.706).ConclusionsCompared to fast WL, our data support that slow and gradual WL is more effective to improve body composition and obesity-assessment indices. The robust relationship was observed between FM and WHtR, among other indices such as BMI or ABSI. Therefore, in order to evaluate FM, where the FM is not measurable, the WHtR might be the reasonable index.