Arch Iran Med
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The substantial increase in life expectancy during recent decades has left all countries with a high number of elderly people that have particular health needs. Health policy-makers must be aware of the most prevalent causes of deaths and DALYs in this age group, as well as geriatric syndromes, in order to provide appropriate care and allocate resources in an equitable manner. ⋯ The aged population of Iran is growing steadily, and there is a need for health policy-makers to create appropriate programs to meet the health needs of elderly people. Although GBD 2010 results are useful in providing burden estimations at regional and national levels, each individual country should estimate its burden of diseases, injuries, and risk factors at a sub-national level to obtain further details regarding the health status of its people. As no comprehensive study regarding elderly people in Iran has previously been conducted, our study will be a major source for identifying the important causes of deaths, DALYs, and geriatric syndromes among this population.
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Oral diseases, as a group of chronic diseases, are among the major public health problems that lead to disability throughout the world. The major part of burden of oral diseases is caused by dental caries, periodontal diseases, edentulism, mouth cancer, cleft lip, and cleft palate. The aim of the present paper is to report the global results for the burden of oral disease in Iran from 1990 to 2010, derived from GBD study 2010 by sex and age. ⋯ The findings address the challenging changes in oral diseases and difficulties in responding to the urgent oral health needs in Iran. The burden of oral diseases should be considered as a priority in Iran. A need also exists to pay more attention to the oral health policies and principles of preventive oral care. Global analyses of disease burdens provide a useful framework to guide a suitable policy in response to disease changes. In fact, strong national and sub-national analyses will be required to provide more effective public health strategies.
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Tobacco smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke in the indoor environment are major public health risks worldwide. The aim of this paper is to report and critique a global assessment of smoking prevalence, smoking-attributable deaths, and disability adjusted life years (DALYs) extracted from GBD study 2010, by sex and age in Iran from 1990 to 2010. ⋯ Despite a reduction in the rate of tobacco smoking, including second-hand smoke, since 1990, smoking exposure remained the fifth leading risk factor for deaths and DALYs in Iran in 2010. Overall, our data clearly show the need for new efforts in Iran to reduce the mortality and burden attributed to tobacco smoking.
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Hemoglobinopathies are known as the most common genetic disorders in Iran. The paper aims to provide global estimates of deaths and disability adjusted life years (DALYs) due to hemoglobinopathies in Iran by sex and age during 1990 to 2010 and describe the challenges due to limitations of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010 (GBD 2010). ⋯ Although the screening programs in Iran have been very successful in reducing the number of thalassemia patients between 1990 to 2010, in order to provide a better estimation of the burden of hemoglobin disorders, it is necessary to perform a national and sub-national study of hemoglobinopathies using multiple national and sub-national surveys.
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Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the foremost cause of deaths attributable to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The Global Burden of Disease study 2010 (GBD 2010) quantifies and compares the degree of health loss as a result of diseases, injuries, and risk factors by age, sex, and geography overtime. This study aimed to present and critique the burden of hepatitis C and its trend in Iran between 1990 and 2010 by using the GBD study 2010. ⋯ DALYs due to HCV infection are increasing in Iran according to GBD 2010; however, the estimations of DALYs using GBD 2010 are mostly from model-based data and there are significant uncertainties for extrapolated data. In this regard, a comprehensive study such as the National and Subnational Burden of Diseases (NASBOD) study would be needed to estimate and calculate precisely prevalence and burden of HCV-related diseases at national and subnational levels.