Nephrolithiasis is a common health problem across the globe with a prevalence of 15%–20%. Idiopathic hypercalciuria is the most common cause of nephrolithiasis, and calcium oxalate stones are the most common type of stones in idiopathic hypercalciuric patients. Calcium phosphate stones are frequently associated with other diseases such as renal tubular acidosis type 1, urinary tract infections, and hyperparathyroidism. Compared with flat abdominal film and renal sonography, a noncontrast helical computed tomography scan of the abdomen is the diagnostic procedure of choice for detection of small and radiolucent kidney stones with sensitivity and specificity of nearly 100%. Stones smaller than 5 mm in diameter often pass the urinary tract system and rarely require surgical interventions. The main risk factors for stone formation are low urine output, high urinary concentrations of calcium, oxalate, phosphate, and uric acid compounded by a lower excretion of magnesium and citrate. A complete metabolic workup to identify the risk factors is highly recommended in patients who have passed multiple kidney stones or those with recurrent disease. Calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate stones are treated by the use of thiazide diuretics, allopurinol, and potassium citrate. Strategies to prevent kidney stone recurrence should include the elimination of the identified risk factors and a dietary regimen low in salt and protein, rich in calcium and magnesium which is coupled with adequate fluid intake.

The world population is getting old rapidly; the aging population is the new phenomenon in Iran too. The aim of this meta-analysis was to estimate the overall and subscales mean score of quality of life (QOL) based on the Leiden-Padua (LEIPAD) questionnaire among the elderly population of Iran. The major international and national databases including; Medlin, Scopus, Science Direct, SID, MagIran, IranMedex, and Irandoc was searched. All cross-sectional studies, which measured the QOL among the elderly population in Iran using the LEIPAD questionnaire, were included. Furthermore, we used the following key words, “Quality of life,” “aging,” “aged,” “elderly,” and “Iran.” Of 2155 records, four articles reminded for the meta-analysis, which involved 628 participants with a mean age of 71.73 ± 4.28 years. The mean scores of QOL in each scale were as follows: 10.80 (9.30–12.31) for physical health, 13.51 (6.81–20.21) for self-care scale, 8.60 (5.07–12.14) for depression and anxiety, 12.48 (10.39–14.58) for cognitive functioning scale, 2.19 (0.67–3.72) for sexual functioning scale, 10.98 (5.87–16.09) for life satisfaction scale, and 5.90 (3.64–8.16) for social desirability scale. This study revealed that the total QOL for the elderly population is relatively low in Iranian society. It is appeared to provide social support, and upgrade their QOL seems to be essential for the elderly population.

Epidemiological evidence on the association between genetic polymorphisms in glutathione S-transferases M1 (GSTM1) and T1 (GSTT1) genes and risk of endometrial cancer (EC) has been inconsistent. In this meta-analysis, we seek to investigate the relationship between GSTM1 and GSTT1 polymorphisms and the risk of EC. We searched Medline, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure database, and Chinese Biomedical Literature database to identify eligible studies. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association were determined using a fixed- or random-effect model. Tests for heterogeneity of the results and sensitivity analyses were performed. A total of six case–control studies were included in the final meta-analysis of GSTM1 (1293 cases and 2211 controls) and GSTT1 (1286 cases and 2200 controls) genotypes. Overall, GSTM1 null genotype was not significantly associated with an increased risk of EC (OR = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.76–1.30, P = 0.982). Similarly, for GSTT1 deletion genotype, we observed no association under the investigated model in the overall analysis (OR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.64–1.30, P = 0.619). Subgroup analysis also showed no significant association between the GSTM1 null genotype and EC risk in hospital-based design (OR = 1.26, 95% CI = 0.93–1.71, P = 0.131) and no relationship between GSTT1 null genotype with EC risk in population-based design (OR = 1.18, 95% CI = 0.79–1.76, P = 0.407). However, GSTM1 null genotype contributed to an increased EC risk in population-based design (OR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.60–0.97, P = 0.027), while null GSTT1 in hospital-based studies (OR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.52–0.93, P = 0.015). The present meta-analysis suggested that GSTs genetic polymorphisms may not be involved in the etiology of EC. Large epidemiological studies with the combination of GSTM1 null, GSTT1 null, and design-specific with the development of EC are needed to prove our findings.

Although several animal and human studies have investigated the effect of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) on blood pressure (BP), these findings are inconsistent. This systematic review of randomized clinical trials was conducted to summarize the evidence on the effect of ALA on BP. PubMed, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar databases were searched based on MESH term (“Thioctic acid” in combination with “Hypertension” and “Blood pressure”) to identify related papers published up to December 2015. We summarized the results of the relevant studies in this review. In total, nine studies included in this review, seven parallel-designed trials and two crossover-designed trials. The results of parallel-designed studies are inconsistent. Five studies indicate no significant effects for ALA supplementation on BP, but two trials show effects on BP. Unlike parallel-designed trials, two crossover-designed trials have shown similar results and both report no effect for ALA on BP. Several studies investigated the effect of ALA on BP. Most of the papers show no significant effect for supplementation and the studies have shown that associations are limited. However, these findings are limited and there is a need for further and more accurate researches to be clarified.