Blood pressure and rural--urban migration in Iran

To find the possible association between rural-urban migration and elevation of blood pressure a cross-sectional study was carried out with 379 subjects 40--59 years of age in rural areas of East Azarbaijan, northwest Iran. Another cross-sectional study was carried out in Teheran City in which 403 migrants from the same rural areas and also 357 non-migrant urban residents of the same age group from both sexes were examined. Comparison of the three groups showed that, in all age and sex groups, migrants had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure than did the people in the rural areas of origin. The blood pressure levels of migrants and non-migrants in the city were not much different from each other. The effect of other variables on the levels of blood pressure was investigated. Age, sex and body build (as measured by ponderal index) were also associated with blood pressure. None of these factors however explained the differences in blood pressure levels between rural-urban migrants and people in the rural areas of origin.

Present status of kala-azar in Iran

Sporadic cases of visceral leishmaniasis have been reported from all parts of Iran except the deserts and very arid zones in the southeast. About 120 cases have been reported up to the present time, the majority from the mountainous areas of the southwest. Most patients (76%) have been children under 10 years of age. The probable reservoirs of infection are wild carnivores, infection of man and dog being accidental. During a survey conducted in the Caspian area and northeastern part of Iran in 1970, 20 jackals and 10 foxes were shot; examination of smears from bone marrow and spleen showed the infection in a jackal (Canis aureas) and in a fox (Vulpes vulpes). On the basis of epidemiological evidence, Phlebotomus major is the probable vector of kala-azar in Iran.

In vivo and in vitro availability of commercial vitamin C tablets

In vitro release of vitamin C from commercial tablets of three different manufacturers was measured by the Levy beaker, a modified USP basket and Magnetic Basket techniques and this was correlated with urinary excretion of the drug from normal, healthy, human males of 23 to 25 years of age weighing 50-72 Kg. Results showed that there was dissolution variability between the different brands of vitamin C tablets as well as between the in vitro dissolution methods used. There was also an inverse correlation between the time of in vitro release and the percent vitamin C excreted at the end of 2 hours. However, at the end of 24 hours the most rapidly dissolving tablets in vitro indicated only 66 percent excretion of the vitamin C as compared with nearly 83 percent for the slow dissolving types. It is concluded that to determine the total drug from a particular formulation, only disintegration and/or dissolution is not a good measure for an unstable and relatively rapid dissolving substance such as vitamin C. It is further suggested that perhaps if unstable rapid-dissolving substances were made more slowly released by formulation, a greater quantity of the drug would be physiologically avaiable.