Background: To achieve preventive and controlling activities of Brucellosis, we aimed this Study as the first prospective Cohort survey on brucellosis in Iran. This Cohort in different phases from 2016 until 2020 going to investigate about brucella infection in the selected population of Famenin, a city located in Hamadan province, west of Iran. Study design: A prospective Cohort Study. Methods: At the first phase of the Study, Famenin inhabitants including urban and rural people were studied from September to December in 2016. All identified household’ s people referred to specified health centers and clinically visited. Blood sampling was done, then these subjects were joined and the follow-up was initiated. At the next step, the blood samples were examined using Wright kits and 2ME test for diagnosis the seroprevalence of brucellosis. Participants will be followed up for next years to examine clinical profiles of brucellosis and complete investigation about the main risk factors to reach strategies to control and reduce human and animal brucellosis. Results: In the first phase, according to statistical analysis, 3363 persons including 47clusters were enrolled and considered for future studies. All participants were interviewed and demographic questioners were successfully completed. Finally, 2367 blood samples were entered in serology analysis. The seroprevalence of brucellosis based on serologic titers of Wright and 2ME test was 6. 59% (95% CI: 5. 62%: 7. 66%) and 3. 46 %( 95% CI: 2. 72%: 4. 20%) respectively. Conclusions: In the first phase, an extensive range of data and information were collected as the basic data for the following phases of the Cohort.

Background: The Isfahan Thyroid Cohort Study (ITCS) is one of the few population-based epidemiological studies in Iran that investigates the prevalence and incidence of thyroid disorders including hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, goiter, nodule, and iodine status. Methods: This Cohort is located in Isfahan, Iran. The first phase was initiated in 2006 with 2523 participants (1275 males, 1248 females). The participants were selected using multi-stage cluster sampling from the general residents of Isfahan, Iran. The Study had two phases (2006 and 2011) and its third stage is planned for 2020– 2021. Results: The prevalence of thyroid function states was euthyroid (89. 3%, 95% CI: 88%– 90%), overt hypothyroidism (2. 8%, 95% CI: 2%‒ 3%), subclinical hypothyroidism (5. 8%, 95% CI: 4%– 6%), overt hyperthyroidism (0. 8%, 95% CI: 0. 4%‒ 1%), and subclinical hyperthyroidism (0. 99%, 95% CI: 0. 6%– 1%). Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism were significantly associated with goiter. The incidence of thyroid dysfunction was reported as follows: overt hypothyroidism (2. 7, 95% CI: 1. 6– 3. 7), subclinical hypothyroidism (20. 6, 95% CI: 18– 23), overt hyperthyroidism (1. 9, 95% CI: 1– 2. 7) and subclinical hyperthyroidism (2. 7, 95% CI: 1. 6– 3. 7) per 1000 (person-year). Conclusion: We assessed the prevalence and incidence of thyroid disorders in Isfahan in the first and second phase, respectively. We are conducting the third phase of the ITCS in order to Study the associations between thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) level and environmental factors such as infection.

Introduction: Tinnitus can be associated with many auditory and non-auditory factors, and its prevalence varies widely in the literature. There is no large sample of published data on tinnitus prevalence and its associated factors in Iran. Here, we analyzed the PERSIAN Guilan Cohort Study (PGCS) data and reported the prevalence of tinnitus and some of the risk factors related to tinnitus in the Iranian population. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional Study was conducted on 10520 men and women between 35 and 70 years old. The prevalence of tinnitus and associations between tinnitus and age, sex, habitat, marital status, employment status, socioeconomic status, educational level, lifestyle habits, and comorbid diseases were examined using simple and multiple logistic regression analyses. Results: The prevalence of tinnitus was 6. 4% in this Study. Based on the adjusted analysis, only older age (odds ratio: 2. 60, 95% confidence interval: 1. 88 –,3. 60), residency in a rural area (odds ratio: 1. 22, 95% confidence interval: 1. 03 –,1. 44), cigarette smoking (odds ratio: 1. 33, 95% confidence interval: 1. 04 –,1. 72), and having other comorbidities (odds ratio: 2. 75, 95% confidence interval: 2. 19 –,3. 44) were related to tinnitus. In addition, the results of subgroup analyses by sex were mostly consistent with the overall analysis. Conclusions: Our results revealed that the prevalence of tinnitus in the north of Iran is comparable with other communities. Age and other comorbidities were among the most related factors to tinnitus.

The Guilan Cohort Study was conducted on 10 520 men and women between 35-70 years of age in Guilan province and Some’ e Sara county, northern Iran, from October 8, 2014 to January 20, 2017 as part of the Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in Iran (PERSIAN). Eligible participants were contacted over the phone and were invited to refer to the Cohort center. Demographic information was inquired during the phone call. Upon arrival of participants at the Cohort center, consent forms were filled out and additional data on demographic characteristics, socio-economic status, employment, fuel status and location, lifestyle habits, and sleep and food habits were obtained. Blood pressure and anthropometric indices were measured. Finally, biological samples were collected. There was a participation rate of 83. 2%, and a 15-year active follow-up was planned for all of the participants. The results showed that 53. 5% of the participants were female and 56. 1% of the participants were rural residents. A total of 1738 participants (16. 5%) were illiterate. Of the total Cohort participants, 4543 (43. 2%) were hypertensive. Hypertension was defined as a systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mm Hg or a diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mm Hg, or a prior diagnosis of hypertension by a health professional, or taking antihypertensive medications. Approximately one-third of participants (n = 3435 or 32. 7%) were obese, and most were females (n = 2647, 77. 1%). Prevalence of diabetes (defined as fasting blood sugar equal or higher than 126 mg/dL or history of diagnosis with diabetes or taking glucose lowering medication) was 24. 1% (20. 2 % in males and 27. 3% in females). We also obtained laboratory samples for basic and genetic scientific research. According to laboratory evaluations, 3, 585 (34. 1%) of the participants had hematuria, and most of them were women (n = 2151 or 60%). The preliminary results of our Study demonstrate a high prevalence of metabolic risk factors for Non-Communicable Diseases and mainly cardiovascular diseases in Guilan province, which merit detailed investigation of their intricate relationships. The population-based design of the Study as well as its large sample size were the main strengths of our Cohort Study that makes these investigations feasible. Researchers interested in using the information are invited to visit the following websites: http: //www. gums. ac. ir/Cohort and http: //persianCohort. com/.

Background: The co-existence of chronic diseases (CDs), a condition defined as multimorbidity (MM), is becoming a major public health issue. Therefore, we aimed to determine the patterns and predictors of MM in the Azar Cohort. Methods: We evaluated the prevalence of MM in 15,006 (35–70-year old) subjects of the Azar Cohort Study. MM was defined as the co-existence of two or more CDs. Data on the subjects’ socioeconomic status, demographics, sleeping habits, and physical activity were collected using questionnaires. Results: The overall prevalence of MM was 28.1%. The most prevalent CDs, in decreasing order, were obesity, hypertension, depression, and diabetes. Obesity, depression, and diabetes were the most co-occurring CDs. The MM risk increased significantly with age, illiteracy, and in females. Also, the subjects within the lowest tertile of physical activity level (OR=1.89; 95% CI: 1.75–2.05) showed higher MM risk than those with the highest level of physical activity. Findings regarding current smoking status indicated that being an ex-smoker or smoker of other types of tobacco significantly increased the risk of MM. Conclusion: The reduction of MM is possible by promoting public health from an early age among people of various socioeconomic conditions. It is vital to offer the necessary health support to the aging population of Iran.