Prevalence and risk factors of osteopenia and osteoporosis among postmenopausal women: A cross-sectional study from Jordan.

Objectives: Our aim was to predict the prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis and their associated risk factors among postmenopausal women from Jordan.

Methodology: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 368 postmenopausal women were recruited from King Abdullah University Hospital (KAUH) in the North of Jordan between September 2022 and April 2023. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured using a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan.

Assessment of osteoporosis knowledge, awareness, and risk factors among premenopausal and postmenopausal women from Jordan: a cross-sectional study.

Rationale: Lack of information about osteoporosis knowledge and awareness among premenopausal compared to postmenopausal women in Jordan.

Main Result: Women had an average-poor knowledge and awareness about osteoporosis.

Significance: This study highlights the need to improve women's knowledge about osteoporosis, its consequences, potential risk factors, preventive measures, and treatment options.

Hot Flashes in Adolescence and Young Adult Females: a Link to Vitamin D and Calcium.

Background: Menopause is a stage in life when a woman stops having menstruation and the ovaries produce less estrogen. Hot flashes (HFs) are the classical symptoms for menopausal transition and cessation of menses. Increased anxiety had been reported as a significant risk factor of HFs.

Predictors of age at menopause and psychiatric symptoms among postmenopausal females in Jordan.

Objective: This study evaluated the impact of various factors on age at natural menopause as well as psychiatric symptoms including anxiety and depression among postmenopausal women in Jordan.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted and included females with natural menopause ( = 450). A structured interview-based questionnaire was used to collect data about subjects' sociodemographics, health, reproductive and environmental factors.

Nightmares and bad dreams among individuals with musculoskeletal pain: a link to vitamin D and calcium.

Nightmares are frightening or disturbing dreams that awaken sleepers while bad dreams are disturbing dreams that do not awaken sleepers. Both types are known to be associated with psychological symptoms including anxiety and depression. Chronic pain is often comorbid with psychological symptoms and vitamin D deficiency increases risk of chronic musculoskeletal pain (MSP), which in turn is associated with increased risk of anxiety and depression.

Association of asthma with low serum vitamin D and its related musculoskeletal and psychological symptoms in adults: a case-control study.

There are complex potential inter-relationships between the chronic inflammation of asthma and poor control, vitamin D deficiency, musculoskeletal pain and anxiety and depression. The aim was to investigate associations between vitamin D and these possible co-morbidities. This case-controlled study involved 75 adults with asthma and 75 controls.

Self-reported sleep bruxism is associated with vitamin D deficiency and low dietary calcium intake: a case-control study.

Background: Sleep bruxism may result in deleterious effects including loss of tooth enamel, fracture of teeth or restorations, teeth hypersensitivity or pain, and headache. The aim was to study the link between sleep bruxism, low serum vitamin D, low consumption of dietary calcium, psychological symptoms, and frequent headache.

Methods: This case-controlled study included 50 individuals with sleep bruxism and 50 age and gender matched controls.

High prevalence of low dairy calcium intake and association with insomnia, anxiety, depression and musculoskeletal pain in university students from Jordan.

Objective: To assess dairy Ca intake and investigate its relationship with insomnia and other common co-morbidities including anxiety, depression and musculoskeletal pain (MSP) among university students.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: University, Irbid, Jordan.

Poor sleep quality among young adults: The role of anxiety, depression, musculoskeletal pain, and low dietary calcium intake.

Purpose: This study examined the relationships between sleep quality, anxiety, depression, musculoskeletal pain (MSP), and calcium intake.

Design And Methods: In this cross-sectional study (N = 1422), sleep was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, anxiety and depression were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and calcium intake and MSP were assessed by self-reporting.

Findings: Poor sleep quality was reported by 62.

High Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency and Correlation with Cystatin-C and Other Cardiovascular and Renal Risk Biomarkers in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Complicated with Hypertension.

Background: Vitamin D is increasingly investigated as having a role in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and its cardiovascular and renal complications.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) and biomarkers of cardiovascular and renal complications, including cystatin-C.

Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 117 participants with T2DM that was not complicated with cardiovascular or renal diseases except hypertension.

Impaired awareness of hypoglycemia in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus in north of Jordan.

Background: Hypoglycemia is a common complication of insulin therapy in patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (DM). Awareness of hypoglycemic symptoms helps patients to recognize hypoglycemia and initiate self-treatment. Impaired Awareness of Hypoglycemia (IAH) exposes patients to severe hypoglycemia, which could be associated with seizures and unconsciousness.

Waterpipe tobacco smoke distresses cardiovascular biomarkers in mice: alterations in protein expression of metalloproteinases, endothelin and myeloperoxidase.

Tobacco use is a major risk factor of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and atherosclerosis in particular. The use of waterpipe smoking (WPS) is increasing due to the misperception that it is less harmful than cigarette smoking due to its flavor and the use of water as a filter. Thus, research that investigates toxic effects of WPS is essential.

Association of 25-hydroxyvitamin D with HDL-cholesterol and other cardiovascular risk biomarkers in subjects with non-cardiac chest pain.

Background: Chest pain is a serious symptom that is routinely investigated as a sign of coronary artery disease. Non-cardiac chest pain (NCCP) is indistinguishable from ischemic chest pain and both are considered serious and receive similar medical investigations. Although NCCP is not associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), patients with NCCP may become anxious and frightened from developing coronary events.

Association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, hemoglobin A1c and fasting blood glucose levels in adults with diabetes mellitus.

In the present study, the aim was to investigate the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and measures of glycemic control including hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and fasting blood glucose (FBG) in adult patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) from the north of Jordan. Another aim was to compare serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D between patients with good glycemic control and patients with uncontrolled DM. This was a cross-sectional study that included 261 participants with DM.

Non-cardiac Chest Pain and Anxiety: A Possible Link to Vitamin D and Calcium.

This study was performed to check the hypothesis that low serum vitamin D and reduced calcium intake may contribute to the comorbidity of psychological symptoms (anxiety and depression) and non-cardiac chest pain (NCCP). The design was a case-control study that involved 40 subjects with NCCP and 40 age and gender-matched healthy controls. Serum vitamin D was assessed using electrochemiluminescence immunoassay; anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and dietary calcium intake was assessed by self-reporting.

Impaired Awareness of Hypoglycaemia in Insulin-treated Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Background: Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) may develop hypoglycemia as an adverse effect of insulin therapy. Hypoglycemia has dangerous consequences that result from neuroglycopenia and hypersecretion of counter-regulatory hormones. Patients who recognize early symptoms of hypoglycemia can initiate self-treatment and rectify the situation.

Prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in association with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in association with 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, anxiety, depression and neuropathy. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving a total of 124 T2DM patients. Musculoskeletal pain was determined by self-reporting of painful body sites.

Strategies for enumeration of circulating microvesicles on a conventional flow cytometer: Counting beads and scatter parameters.

Enumeration of circulating microvesicles (MVs) by conventional flow cytometry is accomplished by the addition of a known amount of counting beads and calculated from the formula: MV/μl = (MV count/bead count) × final bead concentration. We sought to optimize each variable in the equation by determining the best parameters for detecting 'MV count' and examining the effects of different bead preparations and concentrations on the final calculation. Three commercially available bead preparations (TruCount, Flow-Count and CountBright) were tested, and MV detection on a BD FACSCanto was optimized for gating by either forward scatter (FSC) or side scatter (SSC); the results were compared by calculating different subsets of MV on a series of 74 typical patient plasma samples.

High Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency and Correlation of Serum Vitamin D with Cardiovascular Risk in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) identifies subjects with increased risk of cardiovascular disease when they have a combination of insulin resistance, obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and elevated triglycerides (TGs). Increasing evidence suggests that vitamin D deficiency could be associated with diabetes and MetS. The aim is to assess if 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) is correlated with cardiovascular risk components of MetS.

Bio-maleimide-stained plasma microparticles can be purified in a native state and target human proximal tubular HK cells.

Plasma microparticles (MPs) are heterogeneously sized submicron extracellular vesicles that originate from the cell membrane as a result of cell activation or apoptosis. Circulating MPs express cell-specific molecules that reflect their cell of origin and they are increasingly investigated for their potential role in intercellular communication. The aim of the current study was to determine if size exclusion chromatography could be used to purify fluorescent-labeled MPs in sufficient concentrations to be used experimentally in cell binding assays.

Soluble cluster of differentiation 36 concentrations are not associated with cardiovascular risk factors in middle-aged subjects.

Cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36) is involved in the development of atherosclerosis by enhancing macrophage endocytosis of oxidized low-density lipoproteins and foam cell formation. Soluble CD36 (sCD36) was found to be elevated in type 2 diabetic patients and possibly acted as a marker of insulin resistance and atherosclerosis. In young subjects, sCD36 was associated with cardiovascular risk factors including obesity and hypertriglyceridemia.

Low simvastatin concentrations reduce oleic acid-induced steatosis in HepG cells: An model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an inflammatory condition caused by hepatic lipid accumulation that is associated with insulin resistance, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Although statins should be used with caution in liver diseases, they are increasingly investigated as a possible treatment for NAFLD. The present study recreated an model of NAFLD using HepG cells exposed to oleic acid (OA), which was used to quantify OA-induced lipid accumulation in HepG cells treated with various concentrations of simvastatin.

High prevalence of self-medication practices among medical and pharmacy students: a study from Jordan.

Objective: To assess self-medication practices and to evaluate the impact of obtaining medical knowledge on self-medication among medical and pharmacy students at Jordan University of Science and Technology.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. A well-validated questionnaire that included 3 sections about self-medication was administered to the subjects after introducing the term "self-medication" verbally.