Mohammad Reza Fazlollahi; Javid Morad Abbasi; Vahid Ghobadi Dana; Alireza Yousefzade; Nastaran Sabetkish; Shahpar Haghighat
Volume 19, Issue 5 , May 2017, , Pages 1-8
Abstract
Background: Increasing of childhood allergic diseases throughout the world and its heavy socioeconomic burden have posed an important health concern. Therefore, providing the updated relevant epidemiological information is robustly recommended.Objectives: The study aimed to determine the prevalence of ...
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Background: Increasing of childhood allergic diseases throughout the world and its heavy socioeconomic burden have posed an important health concern. Therefore, providing the updated relevant epidemiological information is robustly recommended.Objectives: The study aimed to determine the prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinitis (AR), and eczema symptoms in primary school children aged 6 - 7 years and ascertain the association of acetaminophen use, antibiotic consumption, and hospitalization for respiratory infection in early life with allergic symptoms.Methods: In this cross-sectional study conducted on primary school children aged 6 - 7 years from May to July 2012 in Tehran (Iran), a total of 4993 individuals took part. Cluster sampling was used for random selection of primary schools. Data were gathered by using a modified questionnaire of international study of asthma and allergies in childhood (ISAAC). Then, the questionnaires were completed by parents of the children.Results: The prevalence rates of current wheeze, wheeze ever, current itching rash, itchy rash ever, and rhinitis ever were found to be 19.64%, 27.49%, 8.95%, 8.28%, and 21.87%, respectively. Physician-diagnosed asthma, eczema, and AR were reported in 4.32%, 7.29%, and 9.61% of children, respectively. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that antibiotic use was significantly associated with symptoms of allergic rhinitis (P = 0.001). Also, the strongest association was found between asthma and atopic dermatitis symptoms and hospitalization due to respiratory infection in early life by multivariate analysis (P = 0.002 and P = 0.009, respectively).Conclusions: This study determined the rising pattern of allergic symptoms in 6 - 7 year old children in Tehran. Moreover, acetaminophen/antibiotic use and hospitalization due to respiratory infection in early life were detected as significant risk factors for the appearance of childhood allergic symptoms.
Azam Abdollahpour; Nasim Khosravi; Zohreh Eskandari; Shahpar Haghighat
Volume 19, Issue 1 , January 2017, , Pages 1-7
Abstract
Background: Increased physical activity is associated with a reduction in the risk of breast cancer; however, the exact mechanism of the reduction is not yet completely known.Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effect of six months of aerobic exercise on the plasma interleukin (IL)-6 and ...
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Background: Increased physical activity is associated with a reduction in the risk of breast cancer; however, the exact mechanism of the reduction is not yet completely known.Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effect of six months of aerobic exercise on the plasma interleukin (IL)-6 and tumornecrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels as breast cancer risk factors in postmenopausal women.Patients and Methods: This study was a randomized controlled trial. We randomly assigned 41 postmenopausal, sedentary women aged 50 to 74 to either an exercise or a control group. The intervention involved facility-based aerobic exercise (three days/week, at 70 - 80% of the maximum heart rate, for six months).Results: Twenty-seven women completed the study. The plasma IL-6 level decreased by 21.3% in the exercisers and by 6.9% in the controls, and the intervention effect was significant (P = 0.001). The plasma TNF-α level decreased by 17.1% and 10.8% in the exercisers and controls, respectively, although the effect of exercise was not statistically significant (P = 0.28). Overall, long-term aerobic exercise may result in a decreased IL-6 concentration.Conclusions: We suggest that regular aerobic exercise can favorably alter the inflammatory profile, which is a known risk factor in breast cancer development, in postmenopausal women.
