Objective: This study evaluated the effect of melatonin on the response of patients suffering from metabolic syndrome (MEBS) treated with metformin. Design: This study used two-armed groups in a double-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial. Materials and Methods: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study was carried out on female patients diagnosed as having MEBS, according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) diagnosing criteria of MEBS (2005), from the outpatient clinic in Al-Zahraa Teaching Hospital/Kut, Iraq. They were diagnosed utilizing laboratory and clinical investigations, then randomized into two groups. The first group (group A) was treated with metformin (500 mg) twice daily, in addition to a placebo formula once daily at bedtime for three months. The second group (group B) was treated with metformin (500 mg) twice daily after meals, in addition to melatonin (10 mg) once daily at bedtime for three months. Results: The treatment of patients with MEBS using metformin–melatonin showed an improvement in most MEBS components such as fasting serum glucose (FSG), lipid profile, and body mass index (BMI), in addition to a reduction in insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia. Simultaneously, there were increments in serum uric acid (UA), leptin, prolactin (PRL), and estradiol levels, while serum progesterone level decreased. Furthermore, patients treated with metformin–placebo showed less improvement in the studied parameters compared to that produced due to the inclusion of melatonin in the treatment protocol. Conclusion: Melatonin improves the effect of metformin on several components of MEBS such as FSG, lipid profile, and BMI, in addition to insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia, compared to metformin alone.

Objective:This study was designed to evaluate the effects calcium fructoborate (CFB) and sodium tetraborate (NTB) as supplements in Iraqi patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) maintained on etanercept.Materials and Methods:A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial with 60 days treatment period was carried out at Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Medical city, Baghdad, Iraq. Eighty RA patients were randomized into three groups to receive either 220 mg/day CFB, 55 mg/day NTB in capsule dosage form (equivalent to 6 mg elemental Boron), or placebo formula once daily. Only 72 patients completed the study. All patients were clinically evaluated utilizing DAS28-erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), simple disease activity index-C-reactive protein (CRP), and clinical disease activity index scores at baseline, and at the end of the study. Venous blood was obtained at baseline and after 60 days, and utilized for the measurement of ESR, hemoglobin, in addition to evaluation of high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1α (IL-1α) and IL-6.Results:After 60 days, both types of boron significantly improve the clinical scores, in association with significant decrease in the serum levels of ESR, hsCRP, IL-1α, IL-6, and TNF-α with remarkable superiority for calcium fructoborate (CFB) over sodium tetraborate (NTB), compared to baseline and placebo-treated group.Conclusion:The use of boron, as adjuvant with etanercept, has potentiated therapeutic outcomes in RA patients, and may be a new strategy to improve treatment, and avoid the problems associated with biologics utilized in RA treatment.

BACKGROUND: In most families around the world, medicines can be used to treat chronic or acute diseases. Simple access to medicines at home has led to high drug consumption rates for self-limiting diseases. Incorrect use of these home-stocked medications may also contribute to severe health risks, increase pathogens’ tolerance, prolonged distress, increased adversity, medication reactions, and delays in seeking adequate care if misdiagnosis occurs. Nothing is known about how Iraqi people store their medicines at home. AIM: The purpose of this study is to obtain data on the prevalence and related factors of drug storage in Diyala Governorate, Iraq. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in Diyala Province, Iraq in July 2019. A total of 200 students participated in this study. A pre-tested standardized questionnaire was used to collect data and the analysis was performed using descriptive statistical methods. All the participants (100%) enrolled reported to keep medicines at their homes. RESULTS: The average number of drug users per household is 12.32%. Refrigerators are the main storage location (65%), followed by kitchen counters (33%). The majority of stored drugs were prescribed by physicians (78.5%) and the leading source of those drugs is a private pharmacy (55.71%). The most popular medicinal products stored were analgesics (23.1%), followed by antimicrobials (antibiotics, antibacterial, and antifungal) (19.44%). Among all medicines, currently used drugs accounted for 43.34%, remaining drugs accounted for 29.78%, and reserved drugs accounted for 26.87% for future use. The most common dosage forms of these drugs are tablets (21.16%) and capsules (20.95%). Most participants (82.5%) revealed that they always check the expiration date before use, and (37%) admitted to sharing drugs with others. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of drug storage in households in the Diyala Governorate of Iraq is high because all participants keep drugs at home. Regardless of the method used, these drugs should be retained, and proper storage procedures and conditions are rarely observed.

BACKGROUND: Post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and pain are a common complications of adult patients undergoing anesthesia, but the incidence of these complications in patients go through laparoscopic cholecystectomy or open appendectomy is unknown. AIM: We conduct this study for comparing the effect of dexamethasone administration with normal saline and with metoclopramide for reducing these undesirable effects. DESIGN: This was a three-armed, parallel-group, double-blind, and randomized controlled clinical trial. METHODS: Seventy-two patients of both genders underwent elective surgeries (laparoscopic cholecystectomy or open appendectomy), randomly assigned to three groups: A dexamethasone-treated (8 mg) group (Group 1) (n = 24), normal saline-treated (100 ml) group (Group 2) (n = 24), and metoclopramide-treated (10 mg) group (Group 3) (n = 24). All nausea, vomiting, and pain episodes were recorded during 24 h after anesthesia in three time periods: 0–4, 4–12, and 12–24 h post-anesthesia. Results: Nausea and vomiting grading scale shows no significant difference when compare dexamethasone (Group 1) with normal saline (Group 2), significant difference when compare dexamethasone (Group 1) with metoclopramide (Group 3), and also significant difference when compare normal saline (Group 2) with metoclopramide (Group 3). Group 1 showed a lower pain score (p < 0.01 and p < 0.0001) compared with pain score recorded by patients of Groups 2 and 3, respectively. Besides that, Group 2 also showed a lower pain score (p < 0.0001) compared with pain score recorded by Group 3 patients. CONCLUSION: Dexamethasone has unimportant effect when compare with normal saline, more effectiveness than metoclopramide in reducing PONV. However, dexamethasone more effective in reducing pain when comparing with normal saline and metoclopramide for patients they underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy or open appendectomy surgery under general anesthesia.

This is an open access journal, and articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-ShareAlike 4.0 License, which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as appropriate credit is given and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms.