Management of stroke as described by Ibn Sina (Avicenna) in the Canon of Medicine

Dynamic assessment of venous thromboembolism risk in patients with cancer by longitudinal D-Dimer analysis: A prospective study

BACKGROUND

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a frequent complication of cancer. Elevated D-dimer is associated with an increased risk of cancer-associated VTE. Whether changes in D-dimer over time harbor additional prognostic information that may be exploited clinically for dynamic prediction of VTE is unclear.

OBJECTIVES

To explore the potential role of longitudinal D-dimer trajectories for personalized prediction of cancer-associated VTE.

PATIENTS/METHODS

A total of 167 patients with active malignancy were prospectively enrolled (gastrointestinal: n = 59 [35%], lung: n = 56 [34%], brain: n = 50 [30%], others: n = 2 [1%]; metastatic disease: n = 74 [44%]). D-dimer (median = 0.8 µg/mL [25th-75th percentile: 0.4-2.0]) was measured at baseline and during 602 monthly follow-up visits. Joint models of longitudinal and time-to-event data were implemented to quantify the association between D-dimer trajectories and prospective risk of VTE.

RESULTS

VTE occurred in 20 patients (250-day VTE risk = 12.1%, 95% confidence interval [CI], 7.8-18.5). D-dimer increased by 34%/month (0.47 µg/mL/month, 95% CI, 0.22-0.72, P < .0001) in patients who developed VTE, but remained constant in patients who did not develop VTE (change/month = -0.06 µg/mL, 95% CI, -0.15 to 0.02, P = .121). In joint modeling, a doubling of the D-dimer trajectory was associated with a 2.8-fold increase in the risk of VTE (hazard ratio = 2.78, 95% CI, 1.69-4.58, P < .0001). This finding was independent of established VTE risk factors. Highly personalized, dynamic predictions of VTE conditional on individual patients' D-dimer trajectories could be obtained.

CONCLUSIONS

D-dimer increases before the onset of cancer-associated VTE, but remains constant over time in patients without VTE. This study represents proof-of-concept that longitudinal trajectories of D-Dimer may advance the personalized assessment of VTE risk in the oncologic setting.

An Evidence-based Review of Medicinal Plants used in Traditional Persian Medicine for Treatment of Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is known to be the leading cause of pain and disability in the elderly. The prevalence of this disease in adults over 60 years was 9.6% in men and 18% in women. The therapeutic goals of this disease generally include pain relief with the least side effects, improvement of articular function and improvement of life, in which pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments are performed in different protocols. Due to the common side effects of pain relievers and complaints after invasive joint surgeries, there is a growing interest in the use of Traditional and Complementary protocols in OA treatment. In this paper, different sources of Traditional Persian Medicine (TPM) were searched to obtain any evidence evaluating any medicinal plants in the management of OA. Over 250 effective medicinal plants for the treatment of OA have been introduced in these sources, and by searching electronic databases including PubMed and Scopus, we have found that of these plants, 39 have direct or indirect evidence in the treatment of this complication by different mechanism of actions such as effect on Body mass index (BMI), obesity and dyslipidemia, anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive and antioxidant activity. The most important medicinal plants with direct evidence in the management of OA are Allium sativum, Commiphora mukul, Linum usitatissimum, Matricaria chamomilla, Nigella sativa, Zingiber officinale, and Piper nigrum. Medicinal plants seem to be a valuable source for discovering and identifying new drugs for treatment of OA; however, since most of the studies are preclinical, further clinical trials are required to achieve more conclusive results.

Galen's place in Avicenna's The Canon of Medicine: Respect, confirmation and criticism

Galen (129-199 A.D.), an ancient Greek scholar, is one of the most influential and recognized physicians and surgeons in the history of medicine. He is one of the most influential Greek scholar in Persian medicine, who has been repeatedly cited by Iranian scholars. The purpose of this article is to describe the exact position of Galen in Avicenna's The Canon of Medicine, the most important work of Persian medicine. In The Canon of Medicine, Galen is cited about 300 times, and Avicenna always admired and praised Galen repeatedly. Galen's ideas were important to Avicenna, but there are also many elements of Galen's views that Avicenna challenged or criticized. For example, Avicenna diverged from Galen's philosophical view in medicine and rejected some of Galen's pharmaceutical opinions and Galen's views on the physiology of pain, the physiology of pulse, the same nature of the tendons and nerves and separation of the mind and body. Although the views of Greek scholars, especially Galen, in The Canon of Medicine have been quoted abundantly, Avicenna revised the knowledge of the ancient scholars through critical thinking and relying on observation and testing, systematized the science of medicine and introduced many ideas and innovations. As such, Europeans considered Avicenna as the most prominent physician of the Islamic Golden Age.

Plants mentioned in the Islamic Scriptures (Holy Qur'ân and Ahadith): Traditional uses and medicinal importance in contemporary times

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Over the past thousand years, Islamic physicians have collected cultural, philosophical, sociological and historical backgrounds for understanding diseases and medications. The Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him (PBUH) said: "There is no disease that Allah has created, except that Allah also has created its cure." Therefore, Islamic scholars are encouraged to explore and use both traditional and modern forms of medicine.

AIM OF THE STUDY

(1) To identify some of the medicinal plants mentioned in the Holy Qur'ân and Ahadith textbooks of the period 700-1500 AD; (2) to compare them with presently used traditional medicines; (3) to evaluate their value based on modern research; and (4) to investigate the contributions of Islamic scholars to the development of the scientific branches, particularly medicine.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A literature search was performed relating to 12 medicinal plants mentioned in the Holy Qur'ân and Ahadith using textbooks, Al-Azhar scholars, published articles, the plant list website (http://www.theplantlist.org/), the medicinal plant names services website (http://mpns.kew.org/mpns-portal/) and web databases (PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The Islamic Golden Age was a step towards modern medicine, with unique insights and multi-disciplinary aspects. Traditional Islamic Medicine has had a significant impact on the development of various medical, scientific and educational activities. Innumerable Muslim and non-Muslim physicians have built on the strong foundation of Traditional Islamic Medicine by translating the described natural remedies and effects. The influences of different ancient cultures on the traditional uses of natural products were also documented in Islamic Scriptures in the last part of the second millennium. The divine teachings of Islam combine natural and practical healing and incorporate inherited science and technology.

CONCLUSION

In this review, we discuss Traditional Islamic Medicine with reference to both medical recommendations mentioned in the Holy Qur'ân and Prophetic Traditional Medicine (al-Tibb al-Nabawi). Although the molecular mechanisms and functions of some of the listed medicinal plants and their derivatives have been intensively studied, some traditional remedies have yet to be translated into clinical applications.

Stroke medicine in antiquity: The Greek and Muslim contribution

The collective human effort to understand the brain and its common disease, stroke, has spanned many centuries, cultures, and societies. The ancient Greek and Muslim physicians made important contributions to the understanding and management of stroke in their time. The Muslim physicians, from 800 to 1200 AD, played an outstanding role, by conserving and refining Greco-Roman philosophies, formulating their own theories and reaching conclusions, some of which match our modern stroke models. They recognized the importance of the brain as a source of stroke symptoms, proposed the vascular nature of stroke etiology, and had some thoughts about intra-ventricular hemorrhage, and the process of atherosclerosis with the help of ancient philosophies. Their management strategies have now been discarded, but some of the herbal medicines they used, may be useful in stroke management today. Therefore, more research is required into the ancient texts to evaluate the efficacy of their management strategies.

The State of Higher Education in Occupational Health and Safety in Central Asian Countries

A healthy workforce is vital for the sustainable social and economic development of any country. Assuring occupational health and safety (OHS) depends not only on the passing of quality working legislation and inspection of workplaces, but also on preparation of qualified specialists on OHS. Aimed at assessing of relevance of the content of training at Central Asian universities to the needs in prevention of risks of accidents and injuries and promotion of a preventive culture in the workplace, and finding out how they are compliant with the recommendations of the Mainstreaming occupational safety and health into the education (2010), we examined curricula of 20 medical and non-medical universities across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.The analysis of training programs showed that education in OHS and preparation of qualified specialists in Central Asiana countries is up-to-date and tailored to local needs for prevention of risks of accidents and injuries and promotes the notion of a preventive culture in the workplace.

New candidates for treatment and management of carpal tunnel syndrome based on the Persian Canon of Medicine

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is defined as a compressing median mononeuropathy. CTS is one of the major costly debilitating diseases of the hand. Although CTS is a relatively recent concept in current medicine, some evidences show that medieval physicians in Persian medicine (PM) such as Avicenna were familiar with it. The PM textbook written by Avicenna, the Canon of Medicine, defines the anatomy of carpal tunnel and median nerve, as well as mononeuropathy; it also offers suggestions for the prevention and treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (called as Vaja al-asab and Khadar) in the chapter of nerve diseases. The book describes not only symptoms including pain, paresthesia, hypoesthesia, tingling, and numbness, but also its etiology such as nerve compression (entrapment neuropathy); nonphysical reasons such as disturbed balance among the four body humors; alteration in the nerve's temperament (Mizaj) that prevents the transmission of nerve impulses; and the others such as nutrition, mental condition, sleep, weather condition, body movements, and proper disposal of body waste. Furthermore, the book suggests a lifestyle modification method based on six factors and 10 prescriptions composed with 85 natural products that are not actively used for CTS treatment in modern times. The medicinal suggestions for CTS in the Canon of Medicine will be good candidates for discovering new treatments besides providing historical significance to the various insights considered 1000 years ago.

The medieval Persian manuscript of Afyunieh: the first individual treatise on the opium and addiction in history

According to historical evidence, the abuse of opium has been reported all over the globe-specifically throughout Eastern nations-since the sixteenth century. Before that, opium had mostly been applied as medication. Reference has been made in traditional Persian medical literature to the method of cultivation, properties, side effects and toxicity. In sixteenth century Iran, during the reign of the Safavids, opium abuse began. It was from then that prominent Persian scholars started to think of solutions to this societal problem. One of the most famous scholars was Imad al-Din Mahmud ibn Mas'ud Shirazi, who composed a book concerning addiction-Afyunieh, a comprehensive book on the topic of opium and all issues of opium. Furthermore, he recommended methods for reducing opium dose as well as substitution with other medications that had a narrower range of side effects, in order to eradicate dependency upon opium and opium-derived materials. This is most likely the first book that comprehensively addressed opium and discussed drug rehabilitation methodology, in traditional Persian medical literature. In this historical review, the authors have introduced the book Afyunieh, which presents methods for treating addiction to and giving up opium; the text comprises a synthesis of the author's opinions, professional experience and references to the work of other famous physicians.

Management of Breast Milk Oversupply in Traditional Persian Medicine

Comprehensive explanation about milk oversupply is not available in the current literature because few studies have been done on this topic. In traditional Persian medicine, milk oversupply and its management have been described. The aim of this study was to investigate milk oversupply from the perspective of medieval Persian practitioners. In this study, some main medical resources of traditional Persian medicine such as Al-Havi and the Canon of Medicine were studied to extract valuable information about milk oversupply. Etiology of milk overproduction according to traditional Persian medicine is based on humors theory and cannot be easily compared with current medical concepts. Diet modifications and natural remedies have been applied for managing this condition but the majority of traditional Persian medicine interventions for reducing milk oversupply have not been scientifically investigated in modern medicine. The knowledge of milk oversupply in traditional Persian medicine may be helpful to conduct further related studies.

The Role of Phlebotomy ( Fasd) and Wet Cupping ( Hijamat) to Manage Dizziness and Vertigo From the Viewpoint of Persian Medicine

Dizziness and vertigo are the most common complaints of patients that has a high economic burden on the health system. In modern medicine, treatment for dizziness and vertigo consists of chemical pharmacological therapy. Although these drugs are useful in controlling the disease, their side effects and inefficiency in full control of the disease require the use of complementary medicine in this field. Persian medicine consists of valuable experiences of Persian medicine scholars based on the theory of humors and temperaments. In Persian medicine, 2 types of disease are presented: dizziness (sadar) and vertigo (dovar). Persian medicine physicians expressed a different mechanism of action than modern medicine for these diseases. They believed that accumulation of abnormal humors, reeh (normal bloating) or causative pathologic substances, is the basic cause of sadar and dovar and that the most important treatment is cleansing the body, particularly the head from accumulated substances by bloodletting methods.

Exploring Hepatitis From the Perspective of Iranian Traditional Medicine: Using a Qualitative Approach

Hepatitis is a global health problem, with significant adverse impacts on patients' quality of life. In this study, we aimed to review major resources of Iranian traditional medicine and determine whether the etiology and semiology of hepatitis, in particular chronic hepatitis, in traditional and conventional medicine might be aligned. Through such studies, we might be able to develop new approaches for clinical research to improve our current knowledge on the etiology and treatment of this condition. In this qualitative study, recently published studies, scientific databases, and reliable Iranian traditional medicine resources, including the Canon of Medicine, were searched. The integrative use of conventional and traditional medicine for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes could be evaluated to develop new modalities for dealing with this condition. An integrated approach is recommended in clinical research in order to find more efficient and safer treatment.

Cardiovascular aspects of geriatric medicines in traditional Persian medicine; a review of phytochemistry and pharmacology

BACKGROUND

Geriatrics are a group of patients over 65 years and with multiple comorbidities and different functional impairments. Apart from decline in body mass, presence of exhaustion and general fatigue, an aged person may also suffer from various disorders. Approximately, around 30% of geriatric subjects have significant cardiovascular ailments. Apart from the intensive management of cardiovascular aspects in elderly, monitoring of the complementary cardiac medicine in those people should be received more attention.

PURPOSE

There are many management lines for a cardio-geriatric condition in Traditional Persian Medicine (TPM). Accordingly, this paper aimed to deal with those medicaments as well as evidence-based clinical aspects and phytochemistry.

METHODS

By searching through main pharmaceutical manuscripts of Persian medicine during 10th-18th centuries (A.D.), concurrently, natural medicines for geriatrics and remedies for cardiovascular ailments were derived. On the other side, related phytochemical and pharmacological aspects of those remedies were highlighted.

RESULTS

In all, 38 cardiovascular and 34 geriatric medicaments were found in those manuscripts. Antihyperlipidemic and cholesterol lowering activities of those medicines were the most reported activities in current medicine. However, other pharmacological reports were related to hypotensive, coagulant, cardio-protective and cardiotonic activities. In regard of the chemical composition, medicaments were mainly of polyphenols and flavonoids and also most of the employed extracts and fractions were yielded from polar or semi-polar solvents.

CONCLUSION

With reference to these findings, flavonoid-rich medicaments from Persian medicine may be selected as considerable herbs for geriatrics with cardiovascular ailments.

Natural Treatments for Fissure in Ano Used by Traditional Persian Scholars, Razi (Rhazes) and Ibn Sina (Avicenna)

Most cases of chronic fissure do not respond to medical treatment. Razi and Ibn Sina were 2 of the best-known scientists of ancient Persia. The purpose of this study was to find out new scientific evidence in modern medicine about their recommendations, in order to find certain clues to conduct useful researches in the future. First, treatments of anal fissure mentioned by Razi and Ibn Sina were reviewed. Then, literature search was made in electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Management of anal fissure according to Razi's and Ibn Sina's practices is done based on 3 interventions: lifestyle modifications, drug treatments, and manual procedures. Almost all remedies suggested by Razi and Ibn Sina have shown their effects on fissure in ano via several mechanisms of action in many in vitro and in vivo studies; Still there is lack of human studies on the subject.

Prevention and Treatment of Flatulence From a Traditional Persian Medicine Perspective

Context

The feeling of abdominal fullness, bloating, and movement of gas in the abdomen is a very uncomfortable sensation termed flatulence. Since flatulence is one of the most common gastrointestinal symptoms that is bothersome to patients, it is important to identify effective methods to resolve this issue. In modern medicine, management of flatulence is often not satisfactory. On the other hand, traditional systems of medicine can be considered good potential sources to find new approaches for preventing and treating flatulence. The aim of this study is to review flatulence treatments from a traditional Persian medicine (TPM) viewpoint.

Evidence Acquisition

In this study, the reasons for flatulence and methods for its prevention and treatment are reviewed in traditional Persian medicine (TPM) texts and then related with evidence from modern medicine by searching in databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and IranMedex.

Results

From a traditional Persian scholar viewpoint, one of the most important causes of flatulence is an incorrect manner of eating; valuable advice to correct bad eating habits will be illustrated. In addition, traditional practitioners describe some herbs and vegetables as well as herbal compounds that are effective food additives to relieve flatulence. The anti-flatulent effect of most of these herbs has been experimentally verified using modern medicine.

Conclusions

Attention to TPM can lead to the identification of new preventive and curative approaches to avoid and treat flatulence. In addition, Persian viewpoints from the medieval era regarding flatulence are historically important.

Heart palpitation relief with Melissa officinalis leaf extract: double blind, randomized, placebo controlled trial of efficacy and safety

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

In Traditional Iranian Medicine (TIM), Melissa officinalis L. is commonly regarded as an effective therapy for heart palpitations.

OBJECTIVE

Heart palpitation is a common complaint that is often benign and associated with a marked distress that makes the condition difficult to treat. Herbal medicines provide an alternative to conventional drugs for treating various kinds of diseases. This study was done as a double blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the dried extract of M. officinalis on adults suffering from benign palpitations.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Eligible volunteers were randomly assigned as outpatients to a 14 day treatment with 500 mg twice a day of lyophilized aqueous extract of M. officinalis leaves (or placebo). Participants in the tests, physicians and researchers were blind to group assignments. Both primary and secondary outcomes were patient-reported. Primary outcomes were obtained from two measures: mean frequency of palpitation episodes per week, derived from patients׳ diaries, and mean intensity of palpitation estimated through Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) in a self-report questionnaire. Psychiatric symptoms (somatization, anxiety and insomnia, social dysfunction and severe depression) were evaluated as secondary outcomes by General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28), before and after intervention.

RESULTS

Fifty-five volunteers out of 71 recruited study subjects completed the trial. Results showed that 14-day of treatment with lyophilized aqueous extract of M. officinalis leaves reduced frequency of palpitation episodes and significantly reduced the number of anxious patients in comparison to the placebo (P=0.0001, P=0.004 resp.). Also, M. officinalis extract showed no indication of any serious side effects.

CONCLUSION

Lyophilized aqueous extract of M. officinalis leaves may be a proper and safe herbal drug for the treatment of benign palpitations.

Medicinal plants contain mucilage used in traditional Persian medicine (TPM)

CONTEXT

Conventional therapies using mucilage plants greatly used by practitioners in Iran. The usage of mucilages is rooted in traditional knowledge with a history of more than 4000 years. Scientific assessment of these historical documents could be valuable for finding new potential usage in the current medicine.

OBJECTIVE

This study assembled an inventory of mucilage plants considered important therapeutic aids for alleviating the ailments in ancient Persian medicine and compared therapeutic applications of ancient times with current findings of medicinal mucilages in the same plant species.

METHODS

A literature search compiled some main traditional manuscripts of Persian medicine, including the book of AlHavi, Canon of Medicine, Zakhireh-iKharazmshahi, Qarabadine-kabir, Tohfat ol Moemenin, and Makhzan-ol-advieh, and select mucilage plants used in treating the mouth and respiratory system disorders. Also, current investigations on related subjects were considered through a search of the Pub Med and Google Scholar databases.

RESULTS

In Iran, the application of medicinal plants contains mucilage date back to ancient times. In mentioned medieval Persian books, 20 medicinal plants containing mucilage were identified. Mucilages have been traditionally used via oral or topical routes for a variety of disorders. According to this study, most of the cited medicinal plant species were used for their mucilaginous, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant effects.

CONCLUSIONS

A scientific evaluation of these historical documents can give an insight into the ideas of the past and be valuable in finding new data on clinical use of the mucilages that should lead to future opportunities to investigate their potential medicinal use.

Pharmacological treatment of catarrh in Iranian traditional medicine

Catarrh is a condition that is carefully explained in Iranian traditional medicine. Medieval Iranian physicians used some medicinal plants in the treatment of the catarrh. Some of these substances are used in treatment today, although still more of these materials can be used in modern medicine. In this study we searched known sources of Iranian traditional medicine and collected the ideas of former great scholars and physicians about medicinal plants that are used for treatment of catarrh. Then we searched PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science databases and found 10 medicinal herbs that have the ability to treat catarrh. Plants discussed in this study are consistent with new research and can be used in modern treatments. According to rising bacterial resistance to antibiotics and complications of antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drugs, it seems that the various components of the medicinal herbs can be beneficial in producing new drugs. Also it is hoped that more investigations on medicinal plants will be conducted in the future treatment of catarrh and other diseases related to it.

A Review of the Benefits of Satureja Species on Metabolic Syndrome and Their Possible Mechanisms of Action

Metabolic syndrome, also known as insulin resistance disorder, is the simultaneous manifestation of multiple metabolic disorders in an individual. The present-day complementary and alternative therapies suggest several medicinal herbs that may have the potential to improve one or multiple complications of metabolic syndrome. All of them have their own limitations in efficacy and unwanted effects. Therefore, we reviewed species of Satureja as widespread medicinal herbs and potentially good remedies for metabolic syndrome. We reviewed literature found in PubMed and the ISI Web of Knowledge with the key word Satureja in the title. The influence of any species of Satureja on any disease or syndrome, enzymatic, metabolic, or physiological pathways, in human, animals, or in vitro conditions related to any characteristics of metabolic syndrome were considered. The main outcomes of treatment with Satureja species were categorized, and the possible mechanisms of action are discussed in this article.

A review on the Avicenna's contribution to the field of cardiology

The cardiology and field of cardiovascular approaches are often mentioned as of the earliest concerns throughout the history of mankind civilization. During the golden ages of Islamic era, 9th to 12th centuries A.D., medical knowledge from various fields including cardiology was flourished by prominent Persian physicians and scholars. Among those outstanding physicians and scientists of the Islamic golden era, Avicenna is known as a famous and pioneer character. To outline the cardiovascular knowledge and contribution of Avicenna, current review compiled all his evidence-based concepts of cardiovascular findings from current medical literatures as well as those mentioned in his important medical encyclopedia, the Canon of Medicine. In this review, Avicenna's findings on cardiovascular anatomy such as his description of Willis circle, capillary circulation and arterial and ventricular contractions in the cardiovascular system have been mentioned. Also, his books and manuscripts on cardiology as well as findings and theories on cardiovascular and allied diseases were discussed. These findings are included in his descriptions on cardiac tamponade, stroke, palpitation, atherosclerosis, hypertension, association of the cardiovascular complications with erection and ejaculation, interaction between the heart and emotions as well as some of his mentioned drugs for cardiological disorders and the early concepts of drug targeting. These results can show Avicenna's great contribution to improve the sciences of cardiology in early medieval era.

“Dry Mouth” From the Perspective of Traditional Persian Medicine and Comparison with Current Management

Xerostomia is a common problem, particularly in an elderly population, with a range of causes that affect important aspects of life, such as chewing, swallowing, and speaking. Xerostomia has been explained in traditional medicine throughout history. Traditional Persian medicine, with more than 4000 years of history, consists of the sum total of all the knowledge and practices used in diagnosis, prevention, and exclusion in Iran from ancient times to the present. Based on leading Persian medical manuscripts, the current study focuses on the medieval concept of xerostomia as an important general disorder to review the aetiology of xerostomia and xerostomia types, the control and treatment of xerostomia by lifestyle modification, and medicinal plants for xerostomia suppression according to the theory and practice of traditional Persian medicine. Xerostomia was treated with 3 major approaches in traditional Persian medicine: lifestyle modification, simple single herbal remedies, and compound medicines. It appears that all the factors that cause xerostomia in current studies can be described by using the theories of traditional Persian medicine; furthermore, therapies aimed at both medicines (current and traditional) focus on protecting salivary glands and salivary flow. As a conclution while current managements of xerostomia are still inadequate and traditional approaches have found experimental support over the centuries, some of these traditional treatments may still be useful to current medicine as alternative medicine.

Nutritional Aspects to Prevent Heart Diseases in Traditional Persian Medicine

Cardiovascular diseases are major health complications currently in various societies. Management of heart diseases as a prevention step or as treatment with low-cost procedures like lifestyle modifications including nutrition are important current trends. Although the term nutrition dates back to 2 past centuries, Persian physicians contributed to this term at least from 1000 years ago. Rhazes (865-925 AD) was one of the pioneers in this field. He preferred using foods in treating illnesses. “Foods and drinks” were 1 subject from 6 principles ( Setteh Zarorieh) that Persian physicians believed can affect human health. In this review, we described some medieval Persian views on the role of nutrition in heart diseases and compare their prescriptions with current findings. Interestingly, current investigations mostly support Persian medicine principles. Historically, this work shows that the concept of nutrition in heart diseases has had a successful background at least from 1000 years ago in Persia.

The evolution of neurocritical care

Although neurocritical care as a subspecialty is a relatively young field of medicine, its origins can be traced back to ancient times. This article focuses on the progression of neurocritical care from prehistoric trepanation procedures, through the development of mechanical ventilation, management of increased intracranial pressure, and traumatic brain injury, to the establishment of the first "real" intensive care units, and finally to modern monitoring in neurocritical care, management of post-cardiac arrest patients, and the diagnosis of brain death. This article also focuses on the future direction of neurocritical care.