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Introduction: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an important health concern across the world, which is characterized as a disease spectrum encompassing simple steatosis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, liver fibrosis, and liver cirrhosis. Recently, the prevalence of NAFLD has increased significantly. The present study aimed to investigate the associations between anthropometric parameters and hepatic steatosis. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 415 eligible participants. Anthropometric parameters were evaluated using standard methods, and the fat mass was measured using the bioelectrical impedance analysis. Hepatic steatosis was diagnosed using fibroscan. Results: Among 415 participants, 308 cases (74.2%) had hepatic steatosis. The body mass index and waist circumference were significantly higher in the patients with hepatic steatosis compared to the other subjects. In addition, hepatic steatosis had a significant, positive association with waist circumference, body fat mass, and trunk fat mass, with the trunk fat mass having the most significant association with hepatic steatosis. Conclusion: According to the results, some anthropometric parameters had associations with the increased prevalence of hepatic steatosis even after adjustment for age and body weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered to be a severe health threat across the world, the prevalence of which has significantly increased in recent years. Considering the role of diet in the pathogenesis of NAFLD, the present study aimed to evaluate and compare the dietary intakes of patients with NAFLD with healthy subjects. Methods: This case-control study was conducted on 120 participants aged more than 18 years. The case group included 60 patients who were diagnosed with NAFLD based on Fibroscan assessment. The diet records of the subjects were analyzed using a three-day dietary record questionnaire. Results: After modulation based on energy intake, the total intakes of energy, fiber, vitamin D, and vitamin E were significantly lower in the patients with NAFLD compared to the control group. In addition, the level of trans-fatty acids after energy adjustment was significantly higher in NAFLD patients compared to the controls. However, analysis after the energy adjustment indicated no significant difference between the case and control groups in terms of protein, carbohydrate, saturated fatty acid, monounsaturated fatty acid, and polyunsaturated fatty acid intakes. Conclusion: According to the results, the diet records of the patients with NAFLD and healthy subjects differed in terms of the intakes of energy, fiber, trans-fatty acids, vitamin D, and vitamin E. Therefore, special attention must be paid to the dietary patterns of these individuals in order to improve their lifestyle and prevent the occurrence and progression of NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Obesity is a common health problem, which leads to diseases such as hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, gout, gall bladder and liver diseases, cancer, and depression. The prevalence of obesity has risen significantly across the world, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. Omega-3 is a polyunsaturated fatty acids with several beneficial effects on diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, bipolar disorder, and asthma. The present study aimed to assess the levels of omega-3 fatty acids in subjects with various body mass indices (normal weight, overweight, and obese) and waist circumference (no risk, high-risk, and extremely high-risk). Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 151 subjects, including 58 men and 93 women (age range: 18-65 years), who were randomly selected from the patients attending the nutrition clinics in Mashhad, Iran at 2014. The participants were divided into three groups based on the body mass index (BMI; normal weight, overweight, and obese) and waist circumference (WC; no risk, high-risk, and extremely high-risk). Plasma levels of omega-3 fatty acids were determined in the blood sample collected from the participants using the gas chromatography apparatus equipped with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID). The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS), and written informed consent was obtained from all the participants. Results: Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) had inverse associations with overall obesity (P<0.001, P<0.001, and P<0.001, respectively) and abdominal obesity (P=0.02, P=0.005, and P<0.001, respectively). Moreover, ALA, EPA, and DHA were inversely correlated with BMI (P<0.001, P<0.001, P<0.001, respectively) and WC (P=0.001, P<0.001, P<0.001, respectively). The differences in the levels of ALA and DHA were not statistically significant between men and women, while women had significantly higher levels of EPA compared to men (P=0.02). Conclusion: According to the results, plasma omega-3 polyunsaturated free fatty acids were inversely associated with the anthropometric indices of obesity, including BMI and WC. It is recommended that further investigations be conducted to identify the possible mechanisms linking the levels of plasma omega-3 fatty acids with overall and abdominal obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: According to World Health Organization (WHO) 2001 statistics, hearing disorders are the most common congenital disease, and the incidence rate among high-risk newborns is as much as ten times as high as that in healthy neonates. However, 78% of screening test failures are well-baby nursery babies. The Joint Committee on Infants' Hearing (JCIH) has emphasized the importance of early diagnosis and treatment in neonates with hearing impairments in order to preserve their maximum linguistic skills. The aim of our study was to compare the prevalence of hearing loss among babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and the rooming-in unit (RIU). Materials and Methods: Neonates born in three hospitals in Mashhad between 2008 to 2010 were studied prospectively and screened for auditory disorders using the oto acoustic emission (OAE) test at the time of discharge and 3 weeks later. To confirm hearing loss, the auditory steady state response (ASSR) test was used among those participants who failed both OAE tests. Results: Two-thousand and sixty-three neonates from the NICU were screened and compared with a control group consisting of 8,724 neonates from the RIU or the well-baby nursery. At the end of the study, hearing impairment as confirmed by failure in the ASSR test was diagnosed in 31 neonates (26 in the control group [0.30%] and five in the NICU group [1.94%]). Conclusion: In our study, the prevalence of hearing disorders among NICU neonates was 6.5-times greater than that among babies from the RIU or well-baby unit. This observation demonstrates the importance of universal screening programs particularly for high-risk population neonates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The prevalence of hearing loss in neonates is 2-5 out of every 1,000 live births. Global Health Committee, American Academy of Otolaryngology, and American Academy of Pediatrics have recommended that hearing loss in infants be identified, and treated when possible, prior to 6 months of age. This study was designed with the aim to screen the hearing of neonates in Mashhad, Iran. Methods: All neonates born in Imam Reza, Om-Albanin and Ghaem Hospitals from November 2008 to November 2010 were screened by Otoacoustic Emission (OAE) test at the time of discharge, followed by a secondary OAE test in case of the failure of the first test; also, a confirmatory Auditory Steady State Response (ASSR) test was performed in 3 weeks to evaluate the type of hearing loss. After data analysis, the frequency of hearing loss in neonates and different risk factors were assessed. Results: In the present study, 8,987 neonates were analyzed. Thirty one neonates (3.5 per 1000) failed the ASSR test; among these neonates, 6.5%, 25.8%, 25.8% and 19.2% had slight, mild, moderate, and moderate to severe hearing loss, respectively. Also, 16.1% had profound deafness and 6.5% presented with sensorineural involvement. Positive family history of hearing impairments, craniofacial anomalies, hyperbilirubinemia and different hearing syndromes were significantly different between the case and control groups (P<0.05). Conclusion: In this study, 3.5 neonates out of 1,000 live births had different types of hearing impairments; therefore, it is recommended that screening be performed before discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]