Revival of Traditional Iranian Medicine provides an opportunity for researchers to get benefits from the valuable therapeutic measures of past traditional physicians (The Hakims). In this way, researchers can achieve therapeutic methods with less complications and lower costs. Because of its high prevalence and direct relationship with cardiovascular disorders, hyperlipidemia is a major health concern. According to the Traditional Iranian Medicine texts, one of the basic issues that should be considered in all disorders is the functional status of the four stages of digestion. In the current paper, the relationship between stages of digestion and hyperlipidemia is clarified by referring to Traditional Iranian Medicine texts and the clinical evidence.

Introduction: Regarding the high incidence rate of hyperlipidemia in the society and the adverse effects of its complications including the occurrence of hearing loss in some of the patients, we decided to do this research.Materials and Methods: This is a cohort study, in cooperation with ENT units of Islamic Azad University Mashhad Hospitals, which was carried out in 2008-2009 in Mashhad to assess the effect of hyperlipidemia on hearing. Ninety hyperlipidemic cases and 90 controls that were matched in terms of both age (two groups 30-50 years and 50-70 years) and sex entered the study. All the cases answered the questionnaire before the tests of audiometry. Then, those who were diagnosed with impaired hearing due to other factors rather than hyperlipidemia were excluded from the study. Audiologic exams on 180 cases (including both the case and control groups) included pure tone audiometry, diapasonic tests and otoscopy.Results: This study revealed that there was a significant difference in hearing loss in 5 frequencies (250, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000 HZ) between two groups of case and control (P<0.05).Hypertriglyceridemic patients showed a distinct hearing loss in 4 frequencies (250, 2000, 4000, 8000 HZ) comparing the control group and hypercholesterolemic patients (P<0.05). Hypercholesterolemic patients were found to have hearing loss just in 1000 HZ of frequency, as compared to the control group and hypertriglyceridemic patients. Also, the findings of this study suggest that the sex of the patients had no influence on hearing loss (P>0.05).Conclusion: According to our results, regular and periodic tests of audiometry are recommended for the hyperlipidemic patients to find out a history of audiologic problems and ultimately prevent the subsequent complications.

Hyperlipidemia is one of the most important risk factors for atherosclerosis, which in tern is a basic factor in development of infarction and other heart diseases. Although there are useful drugs to reduce hyperlipidemia, but more effective drugs, with less side effects are yet necessary. It has been claimed that vitamin C might be effective in reducing hyperlipidemia. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the effect of this vitamin on blood triglycerides, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL), in patients using lovastatin. In a double blind, clinical study, 62 hyperlipidemic patients, designated into two groups, equally. After a blood test for lipids, group one received 1000mg vitamin C and group two placebo. Both groups were using lovastatin for their hyperlipidemia. After .10 weeks their blood were checked for cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL and HDL and compared with these parameters before vitamin C usage.None of these parameters changed except, HDL. The HDL of patients using vitamin C increased compared with placebo group, or with the HDL before vitamin C usage (P<0.05).Therefore, although vitamin C cannot reduce cholesterol, triglyceride or LDL, however, adding it to hyper lipid regimen, seems to be useful, due to increasing HDL in patients.

Background and objective: Several studies have indicated that vertex type androgenetic alopecia have a higher-than-normal risk for coronary heart disease but few studies focused on lipid profiles which are important in the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease. This study was designed to investigate the relation between vertex type androgenetic alopecia (grade III and higher according to Hamilton-Norwood) and hyperlipidemia. Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, lipid parameters (total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio) of 50 men with vertex type androgenetic alopecia (study group) were compared with 50 men with normal hair status (control group). Study group matched according to the age, BMI and habit of smoking with control group. Results: Study group had a higher triglyceride and lower HDL cholesterol levels than control group. Total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio was significantly higher in study group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Vertex type androgenetic alopecia could be a clinical marker of hyperlipidemia and dermatologists should investigate lipid profile in these patients.      

Background: Periodontitis is a local chronic inflammatory condition of the supporting structures of the teeth resulting from a dental plaque biofilm attached to teeth surfaces. Recent studies have indicated that this oral disease may have effects on systemic health.Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between periodontitis and hyperlipidemia.Patients and Methods: This case-control study was conducted in Iran during March 2011. In this case-control study, levels of serum lipids in 45 subjects with periodontitis were measured and compared with 45 age, gender and body mass index (BMI) matched controls. Data were analyzed using student t-test and chi-square test with P<0.05 as the limit of significance.Results: Mean values of total cholesterol (CHL) (periodontitis group=218.11±29.77, control group=162.31±48.24) and triglycerides (TG) (periodontitis group=209.77±44.30, control group=125.60 ±44.16) were significantly higher in the periodontitis group (P<0.001). High-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels were higher in the case group, but this difference was not statistically significant. Frequency of pathological values of CHL and TG were significantly higher in cases compared with the controls (P=0.002 and P=0.015, respectively).Conclusions: This study indicates that hyperlipidemia may be associated with periodontal disease in healthy individuals; yet whether periodontitis causes an increase in levels of plasma lipids or whether hyperlipidemia is a risk factor for periodontal infection and cardiovascular disease, it needs further investigations.

Introduction: Gallstone disease is one of the biggest global public health problems. The most common complications associated with gallstone disease include cholecystitis, pancreatitis, and cholangitis. The current study aimed to show that serum lipids have a significant role in the etiology of cholelithiasis. Methods: Before surgery, all patients had blood samples taken. Lipid profile tests including very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), and total cholesterol (TC) were performed on the serum, which was collected using standard procedures. Results: The results showed that mean serum lipid levels were significantly different (P<0. 001) between the patients and the control group. In addition, the study revealed statistically significant differences between the genders (P<0. 001),in other words, significant differences were found between males and females in patients and controls in mean serum TC, HDL, and TG levels. On the other hand, the findings of the study indicated a notable rise (P<0. 001) in serum TC, triglyceride, and HDL levels in the age category 40-59 years, followed by the age category≥60 years and the age category 29-39 years. Conclusion: Overall, changes in serum lipid profile are a possible consequence of the presence of gallstones,in other words, serum TC, HDL, and TG levels were significantly higher in patients with gallstone disease compared to the control group.