BACKGROUND A number of abnormalities has been identified among drug addicted users especially heroin addicts. However, there are a few studies to assess the opium effects on thyroid hormones. the aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of opium on the thyroid function tests. METHOD In this case-control, 50 male addicts, aged 20-50 years, with history of addiction to opium lastin...

Aim: In the last decade, the prevalence of injecting drugs has been increasing rapidly. Injecting drug use puts one at the risk of risky behaviors that affect the health of individual and society. The present study aims at evaluating and comparing risky behaviors of injecting and non-injecting drug users. Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 4400 addicts referred to public, priva...

The use of substances that affect the behavior, consciousness and mood of a person is ancient. The family, as well as school and friends, plays the role of primary socialization role for in children and adolescents and may function as a protective or a risk factor or a risk. The present is study aims to analyze the meanings, senses and experiences of family members related to crack addicts in t...

In the first British study to investigate systematically what happens to opiate addicts after treatment 50 opiate addicts admitted for inpatient treatment of their drug dependence were followed up for six months after discharge. All had been withdrawn from opiates before follow up. Six months later 26 were not using opiates: 12 had not used opiates at any time since discharge. When subjects in ...

Long term follow up of 16 homosexual men and 78 intravenous drug abusers who were chronic carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) showed fundamental differences between the two groups. Viral replication, expressed by the presence of hepatitis B e antigen, lasted for four years or more in 10 out of 14 (71%) of the homosexual men whereas it was not present in 43 out of 73 (59%) of the dru...

BACKGROUND The effect of opium on glycemic control in diabetics is a controversial issue, as some studies have shown glucose lowering effect of opium in diabetes while the results of other studies do not support this idea. The possible role of opioid peptides in the regulation of food intake has been previously investigated. However, there is no data available about relationship between opium u...

BACKGROUND The introduction of antiretroviral therapy has caused a remarkable decrease in the occurrence of diseases and mortality among HIV-positive patients, while this success has not been achieved among injection addicts due to a low adherence to antiretroviral medicine. This study aims at clarifying the important factors affecting adherence to treatment in addicts suffering from HIV. MAT...

Introduction Schizophrenia is a chronic illness, affecting approximately 1% of the general population. The more treatment is, poorer quality adherence. In fact, 60% patients with schizophrenia are incompletely or non-adherent within one year first episode. Poor adherence has consequences in terms clinical status, life and psychosocial functioning due to associated relapses. One main factors poo...

introduction : according to drug gateway theory, smoking cigarette, especially, low onset age of smoking, is one of the risk factors for future use. objective the present study deals with comparison of nicotine addicts and opiate addicts in order to identify that what differences in personality traits and onset age of smoking exist in these two groups that cause some individuals to appeal to ot...