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Introduction There is limited information on the risk factors of epidemiological of bronchial asthma in adults. This research aims at studying the risk factors associated with asthma in adults. Methods The validated European Community Respiratory Health Survey questionnaire was used to conduct a field study on adults aged 20–65 years old in Khuzestan province, Iran. For this, the researchers used a two-stage cluster sampling method. Univariate and multiple logistic regression modeling were used to obtain odds ratio of potential risk factors. Results The researchers handed out 5720 questionnaires of which 5708 were filled in. 231 cases of 478 individuals with asthma were male. The results showed that having airway hyper responsiveness (OR = 13.52; 95% CI: 9.61–19.02), having a family history of asthma (OR = 2.88; 95% CI: 2.23–3.71), residence in urban areas (OR = 2.15; 95% CI: 1.43–3.21), the presence of mildew in the building (OR = 1.95; 95% CI: 1.29–2.92) and the location of the house in the main street with respect to the auxiliary road (OR = 1.44; 95% CI: 1.14–1.82), respectively, were the most potent risk factors for asthma in adults. However, the presence of dense green space in the 200-m radius of the residential home (OR = 1.69; 95% CI: 1.30–2.20) and home gardening (OR = 1.42; 95% CI: 1.12–1.80) are the most important protection factors against asthma. Conclusions This study showed the association between some environmental factors with the odds of having asthma. These factors can be considered in primary prevention programs for asthma.

Recently the short term effects of air pollutants on cardiovascular and respiratory morbidity and mortality has attracted the attention of many researchers. This study comprehensively examined the ...

Background: Recent studies show that heatwaves pose risks to human health. Iran is exposed to heatwaves, but the evidence for the health impact of heatwaves is scarce. We aimed to evaluate the impact of heatwaves on daily deaths from non-accidental, cardiovascular, and respiratory in the city of Dezful in Iran from 2013 to 2019.Method: We collected daily ambient temperature and mortality and defined two types of heatwaves by combining daily temperature ³90thin each month of the study period or since 30 years with duration ³2 and 3 days. We used a distributed lag non-linear model to investigate the association between each type of heatwave definition and deaths from non-accidental, cardiovascular, and respiratory with lags up to 13 days.Results: Heat waves of both definitions were associated with a higher risk of non-accidental mortality. The association between heat waves and mortality appeared acutely and lasted for 3 and 4 days. The main effect and added effect are more pronounced among male and older adults than their counterparts. We found no evidence of an association of cardiovascular and respiratory deaths with heat waves.Conclusion: Dezful is a city with a hot climate. However, the results showed that heatwaves could have detrimental effects on health, even in populations accustomed to the extreme heat. Therefore, early warning systems which monitor heat waves should provide the necessary warnings to all exposed groups, especially the elderly and the male groups.

Introduction: This study was conducted to determine the relation between exposure to particulate matter less than 10 microns (PM10) caused by dust storms and the risk of cardiovascular, respiratory and traffic accident missions carried out by Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Methods: This was a time-series study conducted in Dezful city, Iran. Daily information on the number of missions by the EMS due to cardiovascular, respiratory and crash problems and data on PM10 were inquired from March 2013 until March 2016. A generalized linear model (GLM) with distributed lag models (DLMs) was used to evaluate the relation between the number of EMS missions and the average daily PM10. The latent effects of PM10 were estimated in single and cumulative lags, up to 14 days. Results: In the adjusted model, for each IQR increase in the average daily PM10 concentration, the risk of EMS missions in the total population in single lags of 2 to 7 days, and the cumulative lags of 0-7 and 0-14 days after exposure had a 0.8, 0.8, 0.8, 0.8, 0.7, 0.6, 6.7 and 1.4% significant increase. Also, for each IQR increase in the daily mean concentration of PM10 in single 1 to 7, and cumulative lags of 0-2, 0-7, and 0-14 days after exposure, respectively, a 2.4, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 2.9, 2.7, 2.5, 7.4, 23.5 and 33. 3 % increase was observed in the risk of EMS cardiovascular missions. Conclusion: Increase in daily PM10 concentrations in Dezful is associated with an increase in the risk of EMS missions in lags up to two weeks after exposure.

Cardiovascular disease is one of the main causes of death in Iran. The aim of this study was to determine the relation between air pollution and cardiovascular hospital admissions in Ahwaz, Iran. Daily information about cardiovascular hospital admissions (based on the ICD-10) and data on air pollutants during 2008-2018 were inquired. A quasi-Poisson regression combined with linear distributed lag models; adjusted for trend, seasonality, temperature, relative humidity, weekdays and holidays was used to assess the relation between hospital admission for cardiovascular diseases and the average daily air pollution. The results of this study showed a significant increase in cardiovascular hospital admissions in the total population and women's population in relation to O3. There was a significant increase in hospital admissions for cardiovascular diseases in the whole population as well as gender and age groups associated with NO2 and NO. A significant increase was found in hospital admissions for cardiovascular diseases in relation to CO in the 65-74-year-old population. Finally, the results of this study showed that there was a significant increase in hospital admissions for cardiovascular disease associated with SO2. The main results of the present study confirm the deleterious short term impact of air pollution on cardiovascular morbidity in Ahvaz city. This evidence empasizes the need to implement policies for reducing air pollution.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spread rapidly worldwide and led to the death of thousands of people. To date, there isn’t any vaccine or specific antiviral medicine that can prevent or treat this virus. This caused panic among citizens who try their best to prevent being infected. In Iran, alcohol poisoning was reported and led to the death of hundreds of people in several provinces. The incident occurred after a rumor circulated in the country that drinking alcohol can cure or prevent being infected by COVID-19., Highlights • Currently Iran is not only suffering from the COVID-19 outbreak, but also alcohol poisoning incident was reported weeks ago in several provinces. • This report highlights the details of the incident, its causes and the results. Lessons learned from this incident is shared so that other countries will know what actions should be done to prevent the occurrence of such incident.

Background. This study compares different risk factors in patients visiting a hospital during five rainfall-associated bronchospasm epidemics in Ahvaz and those visiting on other occasions.Methods. This case-control study was conducted on 5307 patients with bronchospasm admitted to the Emergency Department of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ahvaz (Iran) from late October to December (as the epidemic) and 916 patients admitted from late January to March (as the nonepidemic) in 2011 to 2015.Results. A total of the 41.7% of the cases and 48.8% of the controls had episodes of bronchospasm, suggesting a significant difference between the two groups (P<0.001). The mean concentrations of PM10, NO, NO2, and NOxpollutants (except O3) were significantly higher in the nonepidemic periods (P<0.05). The adjusted analysis showed a direct significant relationship between emergency respiratory admissions and each unit of increase in NO and SO2concentration during the epidemic periods and NO2concentration during the nonepidemic periods. During the epidemic periods, a direct and significant relationship was also observed between respiratory admissions and each unit of increase in relative humidity and evaporation.Conclusion. The results suggest that certain pollutants and weather variables are associated with the risk of emergency respiratory admissions during epidemic periods.

Background: In Spring 2018, due to intense rainfalls in Iran, plenty of mushrooms had grown, some of which were poisonous and their consumption had induced poisoning in people of different provinces; 1151 mushroom poisoning cases were reported within 25 days from 12 May to 9 July 2018. Objectives: This study aimed to address this issue from the public health perspective. The study further aimed at reporting the mortality and morbidity associated with mushroom poisoning and ascertaining the reasons behind the increase in the numbers of the affected persons. Methods: This report was based on the review of official reports and a field assessment in the areas affected by mushroom poisoning in the western part of Iran. Results: There were 1151 mushroom poisoning cases, out of which 1133 (98.4%) were hospitalized, and unfortunately, 18 (1.56%) died. Kermanshah province had the highest rate of mushroom poisoning casualties, out which seven people died. A total of 12 provinces were affected. Conclusions: Lack of knowledge of local people about the types of mushroom and their inability to differentiate between the toxic and non-toxic mushrooms, as well as lack of a swift and convenient immediate warning system has caused this incident of massive mushroom poisoning. However, planning and proper management can help to resolve these problems.

Aims To present epidemiological data, probable causes and lessons learned from the outbreak of methanol poisoning in Iran in September 2018, and relate this to the increasing incidence of methanol poisoning worldwide over recent decades. Method Analysis of all available reliable field information, official news reports and reports from the country's forensic medicine organization and the Ministry of Health. Results Overall, 768 people in Iran were documented as poisoned from September 7 to October 7 2018 by consuming an informal alcohol containing methanol, of whom 76 died (10.1% fatality rate); 460 subjects attended state hospitals due to acute methanol poisoning of whom 42 (9.13%) died. Those who were hospitalized comprised 177 subjects (38.4%), with 241 subjects (52.3%) seen and discharged. Males comprised 93% of the deaths. About 41% of those poisoned were aged 25-36. Outbreaks were reported in 21 provinces. Conclusion These data indicate a high fatality rate of methanol poisoning in Iran, something seen also in some other countries. Considering that such outbreaks take place more in low-income and Islamic countries due to ignorance and legal constraints, it seems necessary to seek an effective educational model for raising public awareness and a fully native and early warning system in this regard to reduce the damage and enhance readiness to deal with the health effects of such outbreaks.

Objectives: There are few studies about the association between breathing polluted air and increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and cardiac death in the Middle East. This study has aimed to investigate the relation between air pollutants and cardiovascular mortality (based on the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision) in Ahvaz. Material and Methods: In this ecological study, the data about cardiovascular disease mortality and air pollutants from March 2008 until March 2015 was inquired from the Ahvaz City Authority and the Khuzestan Province Environmental Protection Agency. The quasi-Poisson, second degree polynomial constrained, distributed lag model; using single and cumulative lag structures, adjusted by trend, seasonality, temperature, relative humidity, weekdays and holidays was used for the data analysis purposes. Results: Findings indicated a direct significant relation between an interquartile range (IQR) increase in ozone and cardiovascular deaths among men after 3 days’ lag. There was also a significant relation between an IQR increase in particulate matter below 10 μm and cardiovascular deaths for all people, over 60 years old and under 18 years old after 3 and 13 days’ lags. There was a significant relation between an IQR increase in nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide, and cardiovascular deaths in the case of under 18-year-olds (in the lag 11) and over 60-year-olds (in the lag 9), respectively. We finally found a significant association between an IQR increase in sulfur dioxide and cardiovascular deaths in the case of men, under 18-year-olds and from 18- to 60-year-olds in the lag 9, 0, and 11, respectively (p-values < 0.05). Conclusions: It appears that air pollution is significantly associated with cardiovascular deaths in Ahvaz City.