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Background and Aims: Chronic diseases affect daily life activities. Naturally, as people age, their activity level drops, increasing the risk of diseases. Therefore, physical activity and aging are in a vicious cycle. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between chronic diseases and physical activity in the elderly in Birjand, Iran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was part of a cohort study entitled "Comprehensive Plan for the Elderly in Birjand" conducted on 1,418 participants aged 60 years and older in 2018. Before data collection, informed consent was obtained, and physical activity was measured using LASA Questionnaire. The standard medical history questionnaire assessed the participant's chronic disease history. Results: Out of 1,418 elderly participants, 683 (48.1%) were male, and 735 (51.8%) were female, 1,063 (74.9%) were in the age range of 60-74. Around 351 (24.8%) of the participants had diabetes, 606 (42.7%) had high blood pressure, 457 (32.2%) suffered from dyslipidemia, and 79 (5.6%) had experienced a heart attack. The results showed that 50% of the geriatrics in the current study had moderate physical activity (more than 600 minutes per week), 37% had no physical activity (less than 300 minutes per week), and 13% had little physical activity (between 300 and 600 minutes per week). Diseases such as arthritis (P=0.03), cancer (P=0.02), hypertension (P=0.001), stroke (P=0.001), myocardial infarction (P=0.04), and heart failure (P=0.03) had a significant relationship with physical activity. Conclusion: As there was a relationship between chronic diseases and physical activity, the results of this study help policymakers in the field of geriatrics' health and proper planning for health and treatment services.

In evidence-based medicine, constructing research questions is the most important part of research integration. Formulating a research question is the first step to conducting a credible and valuable research. Patient, intervention, comparison, outcome (PICO) is a specialized framework used by most researchers to formulate a research question and facilitate resource review. In the heart ward of Razi Hospital, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, according to the needs assessments, PICO was implemented during the Journal Club to familiarize students with research and increase their level of knowledge, attitude, as well as clinical reasoning skills. In this article, we explain the case of a 36-year-old woman with typical chest pain for 3 hours due to severe stress, without cardiac risk factors referring to the emergency room. The clinical examination was normal. The ST elevation was observed in the aVR lead. The question is “Should we perform an invasive intervention for this patient?

In recent years, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have accounted for about 70% of the worldchr('39')s deaths. The most common NCDs are cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes mellitus, and chronic respiratory diseases. These diseases have four common risk factors, including inadequate physical activity, unhealthy diet, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption. Cardiovascular diseases, despite their high prevalence, are the most preventable chronic diseases. The most common risk factor for cardiovascular disease is high blood pressure, which can be prevented if it is diagnosed and controlled carefully. Recent guidelines have changed the methods of blood pressure measurement, definition, and treatments. Recently, more emphasis has been placed on Out-of-Office Blood Pressure Measurement. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the methods of measuring blood pressure at home and 24-hour Holter blood pressure monitoring, as well as understanding its standards. The use of automatic arm sphygmomanometers to measure blood pressure is more acceptable than manual ones (mercury or Aneroid). The most accepted definitions of hypertension are BP≥140/90 mm Hg in the clinic, the average blood pressure at home≥135/85 mm Hg, and the average blood pressure in 24-hour Holter monitoring≥130/80 mm Hg. Proper treatment of hypertension by changing lifestyle and proper medication therapy can control blood pressure and prevent serious complications. Today, the use of combination drugs, especially a single pill in a single dose, has been emphasized. This study aimed to review the most recent hypertension treatment protocols based on the guidelines of the American Heart Association (AHA 2017), the European Society of Cardiology (ESC 2018), the British Heart Association (NICE 2019), and the International Society of Hypertension (ISH 2020). Furthermore, this study attempted to assess the symptoms, complications, methods of diagnosing, definitions, as well as pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments of hypertension.