Background: The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been increasing globally in the recent decades. Physical activity (PA) helps preventing diabetes complications by keeping the blood sugar of T2DM patients within the normal range. The objective of this study was to explore underlying beliefs corresponding to PA in T2DM patients using health action process approach (HAPA). Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Isfahan, 2015. A convenience sample of 203 participants with T2DM was collected. Participants completed HAPA inventory containing the following constructs: Risk perception, outcome expectation, task self-efficacy, intention, action and coping planning, coping self-efficacy, recovery self-efficacy, and PA questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was used for statistical analysis. Results: The common fit indices revealed that the HAPA had an acceptable fit to the observations (CMIN/df = 2.36 [P < 0.001], root mean square error of approximation = 0.089, comparative fit index = 0.891, normal fit index = 0.902). Intention was associated with task self-efficacy (β = 0.92, P < 0.001), whereas risk perception (β = 0.16, P = 0.073) and outcome expectation (β = 0.32, P < 0.081) did not predict intention to participate in PA behavior. PA was well predicted by planning (β =0.84, P < 0.01) while it was not significantly associated to coping self-efficacy (β = 0.66, P = 0.73) and recovery self-efficacy (β = 0.6, P = 0.69). Conclusions: HAPA could be used as a proper framework to identify the beliefs of the patients with T2DM and guide for effective theory-based interventions regarding PA.

Background: Demographic transition has led to rethinking of strategies that are in place to address health issues of the elderly. A study was done to estimate the prevalence and correlates of common mental disorders (CMDs) among the rural elderly in Puducherry. This would help prioritize and plan opportunistic screening for CMDs among the elderly at the primary care level. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional community-based study was conducted among all the elderly, n = 243 (60 years and above), from one of the four villages catered by a rural health center in Puducherry. Data were collected at home from subjects using a questionnaire on (1) sociodemographic details and (2) CMDs using the general health questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12). Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify independent correlates of CMDs. Results: A total of 243 subjects were studied. Women constituted 63% of the study subjects. The univariable analysis showed that the odds of having CMDs was higher among women (odds ratio [OR] =1.76 [1.03–2.97]), widowed elderly (OR = 2.44 [1.46–4.11]), and among those with a per capita per month income less than USD 19.6 (USD 19.6 to USD 9.9: OR: 4.02 [1.22–13.22]; less than USD 9.9: OR: 3.67 [1.008–13.34]). Elderly with an education of upper primary level (OR: 0.37 [0.33–0.15]) and above (OR: 0.22 [0.22–0.06]) had lower odds of having CMDs compared to those with no formal education. On multiple logistic regression analysis, after adjusting for other confounders, widowed elderly were found to have 2.1 times the odds of having MDs as opposed to elderly with living spouse (OR: 2.107 [CI: 1.09–4.06]). Conclusions: Fifty-one percent of the elderly in our sample suffered from CMD. Widowhood emerged as the single independent predictor of CMDs in this study population.

Background: Dietary phytochemical index (DPI) has introduced as an inexpensive method for quantifying the phytochemicals in foods. For the first time, this study was conducted to investigate the relationship between DPI and the risk of prediabetes. Methods: Three hundred participants were assigned to 150 prediabetics (cases) and 150 healthy (controls) groups. Anthropometric values, fasting blood glucose, and 2-h oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) were measured. The DPI was calculated based on data collected from 168-item validated food frequency questionnaire. Results: The sex-specific energy-adjusted DPI was inversely related to fasting blood glucose (FBG) and OGTT (P < 0.001). The odds ratio (OR) of prediabetes was assessed across sex-specific energy-adjusted DPI quartiles. After adjusting for body mass index, physical activity, education, dietary intake of energy, fiber, carbohydrate (% of energy), fat (% of energy), and protein (% of energy), the OR of prediabetes across the sex-specific energy-adjusted DPI quartiles decreased significantly (P-trend < 0.001). Conclusions: We found that higher DPI score is related to lower prediabetes OR. This simple method may be used for the improvement of dietary intake to prevent prediabetes.

Introduction: Vitamin D (vit D) deficiency has defined as a health problem worldwide. World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that obesity is an epidemic of the 21^st century. Previous studies have shown that obesity may increase the risk of Vit D deficiency. Furthermore, other studies have demonstrated that vit D insufficiency was accompanied with higher risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and obesity. The aim of this study was to survey the effect of vit D supplementation on weight loss among overweight and obese women aged 20–40 years in Isfahan. Methods: This double-blind clinical trial was done on 50 overweight and obese women who were divided into two groups, in which one group received vit D supplements and the other group received placebo. Intervention group received vit D with dozes 50,000 IU/w for 6 weeks. The levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), fasting blood sugar (FBS), insulin (ins), homeostasis model assessment of ins resistance (IR), C-reactive protein (CRP), height, weight (WT), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), and blood pressure (BP) were measured before and after intervention. Results: After using vit D supplementation for 6 weeks, WT, WC, and body mass index (BMI) were decreased significantly and serum vit D increased significantly compared to control group (P < 0.001). Other factors including TC, TG, LDL-c, HDL-c, FBS, CRP, ins, IR, and waist to hip ratio (WHR) did not change significantly (P > 0.05). Conclusions: After 6 weeks of intervention, the means of WT, BMI, WC, and HC decreased significantly. Previous studies have shown that vit D deficiency was more prevalence in obese people and there was an inverse association among vit D with BMI and WC. The relationship between vit D and lipid profiles such as glycemic indexes, anthropometric indexes, CRP, and BP is not clear and needs more study in the future.

Background: Hypertension (HTN) is linked to cardiac dysautonomia that can end up as life-threatening arrhythmias. The same can be screened by simple electrocardiogram (ECG)-based QTc (QT corrected for heart rate) interval which indicates repolarization abnormality. We quantified QTc interval among treated hypertensives in comparison to controls, testing effect of age, gender, and blood pressure. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study was done at a tertiary care teaching hospital of Gujarat, India, on 142 hypertensives on monotherapy (60 males, 82 females) and 72 age-, sex-, and time-matched normotensives. ECG was recorded with minimum 10 complexes of Lead II. QTc was derived from average of 10 values, using Bazett's formula. QTc > 0.43 s in male and > 0.45 s in female was considered abnormal. Results: Hypertensives (mean age 40 and duration 5 years) had significantly higher QTc value than normotensives among males (0.42 vs. 0.40, P < 0.001), females (0.44 vs. 0.41, P < 0.001), and in total (0.43 vs. 0.41, P < 0.001) with 24% prevalence of ECG-based left ventricular hypertrophy. Hypertensives had odds ratio 1.63 in males (P = 0.15), 23.71 in females (P = 0.003), and 3.83 in total (P < 0.001) for prolonged QTc. QTc values were significantly affected by increasing age amongst hypertensives but not by duration of HTN or current blood pressure. Conclusions: Our study showed a high prevalence of prolonged QTc, both qualitatively and quantitatively, in hypertensives on monotherapy with poor pressure control, associated with female gender and age but not duration or blood pressure. This underscores high risk of repolarization abnormality induced future event, suggesting QTc screening as primary prevention.

Background: Analyzing the possible negative effects of using cell phones on the users' health is an important and vital affair due to rapid growth and extensive use of these devices on human communications and interactions. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of increasing the distance of cell phones to brain tissue on the temperature of the central and gray matters of brain due to the heat generated by radio frequency waves. Methods: This study was an experimental study. A cow's brain tissue was analyzed in a compartment with three thicknesses of 2, 12, and 22 mm, in the distances of 4 mm and 4 cm from a cell phone for 15 min. Lutron thermometer was used to measure the tissue temperature, and the data analysis were done by Lutron and MATLAB software packages. Results: The tissue temperature was increased while confronting with a cell phone in distances of 4 mm and 4 cm in all the three thicknesses of 2, 12, and 22 mm. The tissue temperature was higher after removing the confrontation at 4 mm distance as compared to the distance of 4 cm. Conclusions: During confrontation and after that with the cell phone, reducing the distance of brain tissue and the cell phone increased the tissue temperature intensely. In fact, by increasing the cell phone distance from brain tissue, the thermal effect of radiofrequency waves was reduced.

Background: Mouthguards (MGs) remain an important piece of personal protection for athletes for the prevention of injury. Although MGs provide tremendous benefits, the design and fabrication process does not record the position of the mandible or the occlusion, which could lead to injury. This study compared a novel MG to over-the-counter (OTC) and custom MGs on a skull model. Methods: The OTC MG was formed as per manufacturer's guidelines, the custom MG was laboratory fabricated, and the novel MG was fabricated through a proprietary process. Each group of the three MGs was assessed for vertical dimension change, occlusal contacts, and condylar displacement. Results: Average number of occlusal contacts for the OTC, custom and novel MG were 2.4, 4.0, and 10, respectively. There was a significant difference between all values (P < 0.05). Average change in vertical dimension for the OTC, custom, and novel MG were 15.3 mm, 9.3 mm, and 8.0 mm, respectively. The novel MG value was significantly different (P < 0.05). The average distance of condylar displacement for the OTC, custom and novel MG were 1.9 mm, 1.3 mm and 0.6 mm, respectively. Conclusions: The novel MG was significantly different (P < 0.05). The data from this preliminary investigation suggests that the novel mouthguard had maximized occlusal contacts, minimized vertical dimension change and condylar displacement as compared to OTC and custom MGs.

Background: Sodium arsenate (As), a toxic substance with induced oxidative stress, lead to hepatotoxicity. Olive oil (OO) with antioxidant property has protective effect on toxicity. The aim of this study was to investigate protective effect of OO on sodium As-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. Subjects and Methods: In this experimental study, 32 adult male BALB/c mice were divided randomly into four groups: control group (received only normal saline, the same volume as other groups), OO (0.4 mL/day, gavage), sodium As (15 mg/kg, gavage), and OO + sodium As (received OO 1 h before sodium As). Drugs were given for 30 consecutive days. After the last receipt of the drugs, oxidative stress parameters [malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH)] in tissue, liver function parameters [alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP)] in serum, ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) in plasma, and histopathological assays were performed. Results: Sodium As induced hepatic injury as indicated by significant increase in AST, ALT, ALP, and LDH in serum and pathologic evidences. It also induces hepatic oxidative stress biomarkers as indicated by significant increase in levels of MDA and significant decrease in FRAP and GSH concentration. OO administration significantly improved oxidative stress parameters, histopathological changes, and enzymatic markers of liver injury. Conclusions: It was concluded that antioxidant activity of OO has hepatoprotective effect on As-induced hepatic injury.