BackgroundThe aim of this study was to measure the body composition in adults with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus and to explore the effect of metformin therapy on the various components of body composition, insulin sensitivity, and glucose homeostasis.MethodsThis was an observational study consisted of 51 newly diagnosed people with type 2 diabetes on 1000 mg metformin twice daily for 6 months. The body composition of each subject was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry at enrollment and 24 weeks after metformin mono-therapy. Sarcopenia was defined and compared based on the ratio of appendicular skeletal muscle and height squared, skeletal muscle index and residual methods.Homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance and Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index were used for estimating insulin sensitivity. The level of physical activity was assessed using self-administered International physical Activity questionnaire.ResultsForty one subjects (80.4%) completed the study. The mean age of the participants was 52.67 ± 10.43 years. Metformin treatment was associated with a significant decrease in total fat mass (−1.6 kg, P = 0.000). By week 24, the lean to fat ratio increased (P = 0.04) with men showing greater significant changes. Twenty percent of the female participants were detected to have sarcopenia.In addition, there was a significant improvement of glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity.ConclusionsMetformin therapy results in significant improvement in body composition and insulin sensitivity of adults with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, sarcopenia begins in women with diabetes much earlier than expected as an age related phenomenon.

BackgroundBlue- green algae is one of the most nutrient dense foods which is rich in substances that have useful effects on human health. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a water- soluble extract of the cyanophyta Aphanizomenon Flos-aquae (StemtechTM) as a functional supplement on CD markers, lipid profile, glucose levels as well as its side effects in Iranian patients with type 2 diabetes.MethodsDuring this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial 49 type 2 diabetic patients, aged between 20 and 60 years with a HbA1C ≥ 7.5 %, were allocated. Patients were divided into two groups of placebo and treated with an equal ratio 1:1. The subjects in StemtechTM group received one capsule of StemFlo (508 mg) before breakfast and two capsules of StemEnhance (500 mg) after each meal for a period of 12 weeks, and placebo group was instructed to take placebo with the same pattern. During the intervention period, subjects were asked to keep usual diet and prohibited to take any functional foods or dietary supplements. Metabolic panel has been measured as the primary outcome of study at the beginning and end of the intervention period via blood sampling.ResultsStemtechTM supplementation for 12 weeks decreased fasting blood glucose (FBG) and Glycatedhemoglobin (HbA1c). Mean serum chemistry parameters (Triglyceride, Total Cholesterol, LDL, HDL, CRP, AST, ALT, BUN and Creatinine) as well as CD 34+, IL-6, TNF-α in treated and control groups before and after the study showed no considerable dissimilarities.ConclusionStemtechTM intervention brought in positive consequence on blood glucose levels in Iranian patients with type 2 diabetes, consequently suggests the StemtechTM as a functional food for the management of diabetes.

Diabetes is a significant public health problem and one of the causes of death and disability globally. One of the main problems with diabetes control is the lack of adherence to therapeutic regimens in people with diabetes. This study investigates the experiences and views of the Iranian people with diabetes to identify the challenges of the process of adherence to treatment. A grounded theory research design was used, incorporating in-depth interviews to collect the data. Using purposeful sampling, 28 people with type 2 diabetes (9 men, 19 women) from different places were included in the study. Constant comparative analysis was undertaken to identify key categories. The main challenge in this process is losing the golden time of preventing the complications of the disease that occurs for the following reasons: cultural habits and values, religious beliefs (believing diabetes was God’s will), resistance to change due to age, job conditions, lack of harmony in the family, and non-shared decision-making in the health system. People with diabetes go through trial and error in order to achieve awareness and insight, and consequently, adherence to treatment. Therefore, they need help and support to achieve insight and adherence to treatment faster and without complications. In fact, if the care plan is designed to encourage active patient participation by the treatment team in the shortest possible time, the time to achieve compliance will be shorter and will have the least side effects for these people.

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Background: As a public health emergency, coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is a threat to our future; therefore, appropriate health system responsiveness (HSR), as an important criterion, is of crucial importance. This study aimed to evaluate the different dimensions of responsiveness of healthcare centers, both public and private, providing COVID-19 services in Tehran. Methods: Following a cross-sectional design, this study was conducted in Tehran (the capital city of I.R. Iran) from May to November 2020. Data were collected using the World Health Organization (WHO) questionnaire on responsiveness. Two hundred questionnaires were filled out through face-to-face or phone call interviews in two public and private hospitals (100 in each) providing Covid-19 services. Participants were selected using the convenience sampling technique among all those who received Covid-19 services during the past six months in the city of Tehran. Results: The mean age of participants was 45.9 ± 15.9 and 51.5% were female. On an average, 52.6% of the respondents evaluated at least one dimension of responsiveness as appropriate and/or strongly appropriate. Communication obtained the highest score (58.2%), followed by confidentiality (56.5%), dignity (56%), and prompt attention (52%). Meanwhile, autonomy and choice were evaluated as poor (moderate, weak, and strongly weak) by 63.5 and 52.5% of respondents. There was no significant association between the type of healthcare center (i.e., public or private) and responsiveness ( p -value = 0.896). However, there was a significant difference between gender ( p -value = 0.036) and education level ( p -value = 0.014) with responsiveness. According to the respondents, prompt attention and choice were the most and least important dimensions, respectively. Conclusions: Evaluation of HSR in the era of COVID-19 not only provides a tool for qualitative assessment of services but also plays an important role in providing feedback to policymakers to adopt effective policies.