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Background and Objective: Osteoporosis is the most common metabolic bone disease that characterized by reduced bone strength. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of effective factors in decreased bone density and secondary causes of osteoporosis.

Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross sectional study was done on 105 patients (76 female and 29 male) suffering from osteoporosis, evaluated in the endocrinology Department of Sina hospital, Tabriz- Iran from March 2003 to March 2006. Past medical history clinical symptoms and biochemical results were of patients. Data analyzed using SPSS-14  and chi square test.

Results: Osteoporosis and osteopenia were seen in 55% and 45% of patients with reduced bone density, respectively. Daily calcium intake in patients with less than 400 mg, between 400-1000 mg and more than 1000 mg were 63.8%, 31.9% and 3.4%, respectively. The mean±SD of sera calcium and vitamin D level were 9.5±0.6 mg/dl, 45±37.1 nmol/l respectively. 61.2% of patients had vitamin D deficiency. 33% of patients had secondry osteoprosis. Among the patient with primary osteoprosis 11.3% afflicted to hyper claciuria.

Conclusion: This study showed that decresing bone density was more prominate in women. The rate of daily calcium intake among patients were low. It is sugested these patients osteoprosis could be prevented by consumption food nutrient rich in calcium and vitamin D suplementation.

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Background and Objective: Previous studies have shown that vitamin D is involved in host immune response toward Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). The aim of this study was to determine if administration of vitamin D can improve treatment outcome and whether is able to increase the rate of sputum clearance of MTB in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). Materials and Methods: This randomized clinical trial study was conducted on 96 patients with lung tuberculosis in Ahvaz, Iran during 2008-09. The patients were 18>=years old with sputum positive for acid fast bacillus. Patients were placed in two equal groups as cases and controls. Cases were treated by standard anti TB regimen plus 800 IU/day vit D orally. Controls were treated only by standard anti TB regimen. Follow up sputum examination for presence AFB was performed at the end of month 1, 2, 3, 4 and treatment period. Data were analyzed in SPSS-16 by using descriptive statistics test, chi square and fisher exact test. Results: Mean±SD age of cases and controls was 39.1±17.8 and 38.3±17.6 years, respectively. Overall cure rate in case and control was 93.8% and 95.8% respectively, with no significant difference. The rate of negative sputum of cases in the end of months 1, 2, 3, 4 and treatment period was 66.7%, 78.5%, 93.8% and 93.8% respectively, and for controls was 35.4%, 66.7%, 91.7% and 95.8% respectively. There was significant difference between two groups in the end of first and second month (P<0.05). Conclusion: This study showed that vitamin D as a supplemental drug does not improve the overall treatment outcome among lung TB patients, but it may be able to increase the rate of sputum clearance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

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Background and Objective: Migraine is common worldwide. In recent years, vitamin D deficiency has been shown as a global health issue. This study was done to determine the relationship between serum levels of vitamin D with migraine. Methods: This descriptive - analytical study was carried out on 76 patients (21 males, 55 females) with migraine aged 10-61 years olds. Serum vitamin D level of each patient was measured. Adjustments were done for age, sex, waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), number of chronic diseases, and education level. The multiple linear regressions were done to determine the relationship between serum levels of vitamin D with migraine. Results: Vitamin D defeicincy was seen in 13.2 of patients.The weak positive association was shown between serum vitamin D with headache (P<0.05), but no significant association was found between serum vitamin D level with migraine severity. Conclusion: No significant association was seen between serum levels of vitamin D with migraine severity.

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Background and Objective: Vitamin deficiency is common in patients with chronic low back pain and is one of the most important risk factors for chronic kidney disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of one course of core stabilization exercise and vitamin D intake on some of renal function biomarkers in patients with chronic back pain.
Methods: This single-blind clinical trial study was done on 48 women with chronic low back pain with random assignment in 4 groups of 12 people including control, exercise, vitamin D and combined groups. The exercise and combined groups performed 8 weeks of core stabilizing exercises with different levels. The vitamin D and combined groups received 50,000 IU vitamin D/week. Creatinine, urea and uric acid levels were measured before and after the interventions.
Results: The results showed that 74.26% and 25.64% of the patients had deficiency and insufficiency of vitamin D, respectively. After 8 weeks, significant reduction was observed in creatinine, urea and uric acid indicators of the exercise, vitamin D and combined groups (P˂0.05). In addition, combined intervention induced more reduction in mean of urea, and uric acid levels in compared to the two other interventions but the effect of exercise on the reduction of uric acid was more than vitamin D intake (P˂0.05).
Conclusion: Both core stabilization exercises and vitamin D intake intervention can be effective in improving renal function in chronic low back pain patients having abnormal low vitamin D levels. On the other hand the combined intervention seems to have more effectiveness.

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Background and Objective: Vitamin D increases muscle strength through protein synthesis and myogenesis and may play an important role in anaerobic and aerobic activities. This study was done to determine the vitamin D status and its relationship with physical function indexes in young Taekwondo athletes.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 75 young male Taekwondo athletes, aged 18-23 years that were selected using randomized sampling method. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level was measured by ELISA method. The 20-meter shuttle run, running based anaerobic sprint (RAST), vertical jump, 36-meter sprint and Illinois agility tests were used to determine aerobic and anaerobic capacities, explosive anaerobic power of the lower limbs, speed and agility, respectively. Body mass index and percent body fat was measured for each subject. Level below 20, 20-30 and more than 30 ng/ml of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D were considered as vitamin D deficiency, insufficiency and normal status, respectively.
Results: The results showed that 48% (36 athletes) and 42.66% (32 athletes) of taekwondo athletes had deficient and insufficiency levels of vitamin D, respectively. Also, a significant correlation was detected between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and aerobic power (r=0.897), anaerobic power (r=0.901), vertical jump performance (r=0.855), fatigue index (r=-0.838), agility (r=-0.634) and 36 meters sprint (r=-0.793) times (P<0.05). However, this association was significant in athletes with lower than normal levels of vitamin D (P<0.05), no association was found in subjects with normal vitamin D levels.
Conclusion: Vitamin D of 90.66% of young taekwondo practitioners was lower than normal level. Increasing in vitamin D level can improve the physical performance of young athletes with vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency status.

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Background and Objective: Sedentary life and vitamin D deficiency are considered as related factors to increased inflammation and oxidative stress in obese individuals. This study was performed to determine the effect of Pilates training with vitamin D supplement on Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1(MCP-1) level and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in overweight men.
Methods: In this single-blind clinical trial, 56 overweight men were randomly assigned to control, Pilates, vitamin D and combination groups. The Pilates training was performed for 8 weeks with the intensity of 50-75% of reserve heart rate, 3sessions/week. The vitamin D and combination groups received 50,000 units of vitamin D per week. The levels of MCP1 and SOD activity were in the first and 8 weeks after interventions.
Results: Vitamin D status in subjects was lower than normal level. MCP-1 level in Pilates, vitamin D and combination groups significantly reduced and SOD activity increased after 8 weeks (P<0.05), but the combined intervention had a stronger effect on the modulation of MCP-1 level and SOD activity compared to the other two interventional groups (P<0.05). In addition, the effect of Pilates exercises on increasing SOD activity was more than vitamin D intake (P<0.05).
Conclusion: It seems that Pilates training and Vitamin D intake can be exert their protective effects in overweight individuals with abnormal vitamin D status by an increase on the SOD activity and decreasing the inflammatory index of MCP-1. Although these effects developed with combined intervention, Pilate training was associated with greater increases in antioxidant levels than vitamin D.
 

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Background and Objective: Asthma is a chronic airway disorder with a rising prevalence. Dietary factors, antioxidant indicators and vitamin D deficiency are associated with the disease. Due to the presence of receptors for this vitamin in the lung, this study aimed to investigate the effects of vitamin D administration on lung function, serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) level and total serum antioxidant activity in patients with moderate to severe asthma.
Methods: In this clinical trial, 60 patients with asthma were randomly divided into two groups: a control group (placebo recipient) and an intervention group (recipient of 2,000 vitamin D capsules for 12 weeks). At the beginning and at the end of the study, 5 cc blood samples were taken from each patient, and spirometry test was performed. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC), IgE and vitamin D parameters were measured.
Results: The mean score of forced expiratory volume (FEV1) and FEV1/FVC in both groups as well as the mean FVC in the control group did not change significantly after the intervention. The mean FVC score, vitamin D level and TAC in the intervention group increased significantly after the intervention, while the IgE levels reduced significantly.
Conclusion: Taking vitamin D tablets could increase the antioxidant parameters in asthmatic patients.