Relationship between female sexual difficulties and mental health in patients referred to two public and private settings in Tehran, Iran

IntroductionSexual difficulty has various effects on patients suffering from this condition that can impact on interpersonal and marital relationships. Sexual function may be adversely affected by stress of any kind and emotional disorders. There have been limited studies focusing on the mental health of those suffering from this problem.AimTo determine the relationship between sexual difficulties and mental health in female patients seeking help in psychiatric clinics.MethodsThe study was based on the case–control design methodology in which the case group consisted of 165 outpatients of two psychiatric clinics, who were diagnosed with different mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, phobia, aggression, and somatic complaints (33 subjects for each type of disorder). The 33 subjects in the control group were chosen among the patients’ relatives and visitors who had no history of either seeking psychiatric help or taking psychiatric drugs. The subjects of both case and control groups were selected based on a convenience sampling method. Moreover, the data were collected based on two techniques of “interview” and “questionnaire;” the latter was of three different subcategories, each dealt with demographic characteristics, sexual difficulties, and a Symptom Check-List-90-Revised.Main Outcome MeasureAssessing female sexual difficulties associated with mental health and differences between women with and without psychiatric problems.ResultsThe obtained results indicated that there was a significant difference between the prevalence of sexual difficulties (e.g., sexual desire and orgasm disorders) in the case group and that of the control group. It was also revealed that there was a significant difference between the depressed, aggressive, as well as those with somatic complaints, and their control group counterparts.ConclusionsIn Iran, sexual difficulties seem to be more frequent in those seeking psychiatric help in clinics than in those within the normal population. Azar M, Noohi S, and Shafiee Kandjani AR. Relationship between female sexual difficulties and mental health in patients referred to two public and private settings in Tehran, Iran.     

Myocardial oxygen consumption index in patients with coronary artery disease

One hundred and thirty-six men with coronary artery disease were randomly assigned to a hospital-based or home-based exercise program of 3 sessions per week. A treadmill test was carried out with the modified Naughton protocol. After 3 months, 125 patients (92%) with a mean age of 55 +/- 11 years had completed the study. Maximum workload achieved increased by 65% [(12.40 +/- 1.32 vs. 7.50 +/- 0.85 metabolic equivalent units (METs)] in the hospital-based group, and by 17% (8.86 +/- 0.9 vs. 7.56 +/- 0.78 METs) in the home-based group ( p = 0.0001). The heart rate-blood pressure product, an index of myocardial oxygen consumption, decreased at rest by 19% in the hospital-based group but was unchanged in the home-based group ( p = 0.0001). The heart rate-blood pressure product at 5 and 7 METs activity level decreased 28% and 26%, respectively, in the hospital-based group vs. 8% and 2% in the home-based group ( p = 0.0001). It was concluded that hospital-based exercise training in patients with coronary artery disease improves functional capacity and decreases the myocardial oxygen consumption index at rest and during exercise.     

Echocardiographic characteristics including tissue Doppler imaging after enhanced external counterpulsation therapy

This study assessed the effects of a course of enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) therapy on systolic and diastolic cardiac function using echocardiography to measure left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), end-systolic volume (ESV), end-diastolic volume (EDV), systolic wave (Sm), early diastolic wave (Ea), Vp, E/Ea, E/Vp, and diastolic function grade in 25 patients before and after 35 hours of EECP. EECP reduced ESV and EDV and increased ejection fraction significantly in patients with baseline LVEF < or = 50% (P=.018, .013, .002), baseline E/Ea > or = 14 (P=.032, .038, .007), baseline grade II or III diastolic dysfunction (decreased compliance) (P=.014, .032, .027), baseline Ea <7 cm/s (P=.015, .024, .001), and baseline Sm <7 cm/s (P=.017, .016, .006), but not in patients with baseline LVEF >50%, baseline E/Ea <14, baseline normal diastolic function or grade I diastolic dysfunction (impaired relaxation), baseline Ea > or = 7 cm/s, and Sm > or = 7 cm/s. These results demonstrate improved systolic and diastolic function in selected patients and provide new insight into potential clinical applications of EECP.     

Anxiety and depression are correlated with higher morbidity after kidney transplantation

BACKGROUND: Psychiatric comorbidities have been reported to be associated with low quality of life, but less attention has been paid to their impact on other morbidity measures. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation of anxiety and depression with marital relation, sexual function, and sleep quality in kidney transplant recipients. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study between 2005 and 2006, 88 kidney transplant recipients were divided into four groups according to their scores of anxiety and depression using Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS): group I(anx) (anxiety score <11; n=64); group II(anx) (anxiety score >or= 11; n=24); group I(dep) (depression score <11; n=68); and group II(dep) (depression score >or= 11; n=20). Morbidity measures including quality of life (Short Form-36), marital adjustment (Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale), sexual relationship (Relationship and Sexuality Scale), and quality of sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) were separately compared between groups of anxious versus nonanxious and depressed versus nondepressed. RESULTS: Group I(anx), compared with group II(anx), displayed a better state of mental health (48.80 +/- 7.14 vs. 44.45 +/- 7.80; P=.01), general health (49.36 +/- 12.77 vs. 42.91 +/- 16.67; P=.05), marital adjustment (55.13 +/- 8.01 vs. 48.35 +/- 16.62; P=.04), and lower sleep disturbance (1.36 +/- 0.62 vs. 1.66 +/- 0.63; P=.05). Group I(dep), compared with group II(dep), showed lower fatigue score (39.79 +/- 8.30 vs. 46.84 +/- 8.85; P=.002) and better sexual relationships (15.28 +/- 5.50 vs. 19.00 +/- 5.92; P=.03). CONCLUSIONS: Screening for anxiety and depression in kidney transplant recipients is essential. Appropriate treatment of these prevalent psychiatric comorbidities may improve various aspects of patient well-being, including quality of life, sleep, marital relations, and sexual relationship.     

Human polynucleotide kinase participates in repair of DNA double-strand breaks by nonhomologous end joining but not homologous recombination

Human polynucleotide kinase (hPNK) is a bifunctional enzyme possessing a 5'-DNA kinase activity and a 3'-phosphatase activity. Studies based on cell extracts and purified proteins have indicated that hPNK can act on single-strand breaks and double-strand breaks (DSB) to restore the termini to the chemical form required for further action by DNA repair polymerases and ligases (i.e., 5'-phosphate and 3'-hydroxyl termini). These studies have revealed that hPNK can bind to XRCC4, and as a result, hPNK has been implicated as a participant in the nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway for DSB repair. We sought to confirm the role of hPNK in NHEJ in the cellular setting using a genetic approach. hPNK was stably down-regulated by RNA interference expression in M059K glioblastoma cells, which are NHEJ positive, and M059J cells, which are NHEJ deficient due to a lack of DNA-PK catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs). Whereas depletion of hPNK significantly sensitized M059K cells to ionizing radiation, no additional sensitization was conferred to M059J cells, clearly implying that hPNK operates in the same DNA repair pathway as DNA-PKcs. On the other hand, depletion of hPNK did not increase the level of sister chromatid exchanges, indicating that hPNK is not involved in the homologous recombination DSB repair pathway. We also provide evidence that the action of hPNK in the repair of camptothecin-induced topoisomerase 1 "dead-end" complexes is independent of DNA-PKcs and that hPNK is not involved in the nucleotide excision repair pathway.     

Doppler Echocardiographic Assessment of Pulmonary Prostheses: A Comprehensive Assessment Including Velocity Time Integral Ratio and Prosthesis Effective Orifice Area

Objective. Few reports have been published on the Doppler‐derived echocardiographic data for pulmonary valve prostheses (PVPs). The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive Doppler echocardiographic assessment of PVPs. Methods. We studied 40 patients (mean age 24.2) with PVPs: 13 (32.5%) mechanical and 27 (67.5%) bioprosthetic valves. After clinical evaluation, all patients underwent complete, two‐dimensional and Doppler studies. Results. In 30 patients with normally functioning PVPs, the mean (SD) peak velocity was 2.33 (0.36) m/s with an average peak pressure gradient of 22.69 (6.7) mm Hg and an average mean pressure gradient of 12.5 (4.1) mm Hg. The mean PVPs velocity time integral (VTI) was 47.49 (12.78) cm with mean right ventricle outflow tract/peak velocity (PV) VTI ratio 0.43 (0.14), mean PVPs effective orifice area was 1.63 (0.36) cm². Metallic PVPs had significantly better hemodynamic Doppler study compared with biologic PVPs. In 9 patients with PVP malfunction, average peak PVPs velocity, average peak pressure gradient, mean pressure gradient, PV VTI, PV/left ventricle outflow tract VTI ratio was significantly increased (P < 0.05). Conclusion. This study contributes to establishing the normal range for Doppler hemodynamics in various PVPs.     

Lipid ratios and appropriate cut off values for prediction of diabetes: a cohort of Iranian men and women

Background  

Dyslipidemia is a risk factor for incident type 2 diabetes; however, no study has specifically assessed the lipid ratios (i.e. total cholesterol (TC)/high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and triglyceride (TG)/HDL-C) as predictors of diabetes. We aimed to compare the independent association between the different lipid measures with incident diabetes over a median follow up of 6.4 years in Iranian men and women.