Both overweight and obesity have been identified as risk factors for sexual dysfunction in men, but the relationship between sexual function and amount of body fat in females is still obscure. There are few reported studies in women assessing the relationship between female sexual function index (FSFI) and body weight. The aim of this study was to identify the frequency of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) among obese and overweight women. A total of 45 obese and overweight and 30 age-matched voluntary healthy women serving as a control group were evaluated by a detailed medical and sexual history, including the FSFI questionnaire. Serum prolactin, cortisol, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), dehydroepiandrosterone-SO 4 (DHEA-S), testosterone, estradiol and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels were measured. No significant difference was observed between controls and patients in terms of the FSH, LH, estradiol, free thyroxine and thyrotropin (TSH), testosterone and DHEA-S levels. The comparison of total FSFI scores between patients and controls showed no significant difference (P ¼ 0.74). As the FSFI score of p26.55 indicated FSD, 86% of obese patients and 83% of controls were considered to have sexual dysfunction. The mean total FSFI score was 22.1±4.3 for obese patients and 23.1±3.7 for healthy women. FSFI scores were not correlated with any of the anthropometric measurements (body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and fat percent). The levels of total testosterone and DHEA-S were not correlated with total FSFI scores. We found a significant negative correlation between BMI and orgasm (P ¼ 0.007, r ¼ À0.413). Satisfaction was also negatively correlated with BMI (P ¼ 0.05, r ¼ À0.305) and weight (P ¼ 0.03, r ¼ À0.326). Testosterone levels were negatively correlated with only satisfaction domain scores of FSFI (P ¼ 0.01, r ¼ À0.385). We found that 86% of obese women and 83% of controls had sexual dysfunction. Although obesity does not seem to be a major contributor to sexual dysfunction, it affects several aspects of sexuality.

BackgroundSystemic inflammation in psoriasis causes insulin resistance and cardiovascular diseases. Adipokines are adipose-tissue-derived factors that are involved in metabolic processes. It is thought that these adipokines are associated with the development of psoriasis.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to determine the changes in adipokine levels, insulin resistance, hypertension, and dyslipidemia over a 12-week period.MethodsThe study comprised 35 psoriasis patients and 50 controls. Blood samples were obtained twice from the patients, one sample at the start and one at the end of a 12-week follow-up period. The following parameters were assessed in both groups: serum fasting glucose, fasting insulin, homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index, serum lipids, adiponectin, leptin, resistin, chemerin, omentin, vaspin, visfatin, retinol-binding protein 4, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels; blood pressure; body mass index; and the psoriasis area severity index (PASI) scores.ResultsThe patients showed an improvement in the PASI score and a significant decrease in serum hs-CRP, omentin, and chemerin values. Moreover, at the start of the follow-up, the psoriasis patients had significantly lower levels of adiponectin and visfatin and significantly higher levels of vaspin and resistin than those of the control group. Visfatin levels correlated negatively with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and cholesterol, while vaspin and omentin levels correlated positively with diastolic blood pressure. Decreased adiponectin levels correlated negatively with diastolic blood pressure and LDL.ConclusionPlasma levels of adipokines might be useful for evaluating the disease activity of psoriasis and its comorbidities.

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The Turkish Association of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Diabetic Foot Infections Working Group conducted a prospective study to determine the factors affecting the outcomes of diabetic foot infections. A total of 96 patients were enrolled in the study. Microbiological assessment was performed in 86 patients. A total of 115 causative bacteria were isolated from 71 patients. The most frequently isolated bacterial species was Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 21, 18.3%). Among cases with bacterial growth, 37 patients (43%) were infected with 38 (33%) antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The mean (±SD) antibiotics cost was 2,220.42 (±994.59) USD in cases infected with resistant bacteria, while it was 1,206.60 (±1,160.6) USD in patients infected with susceptible bacteria (p < 0.001). According to the logistic regression analysis, the risk factors related to the growth of resistant bacteria were previous amputation (p = 0.018, OR = 7.229) and antibiotics administration within the last 30 days (p = 0.032, OR = 3.796); that related to the development of osteomyelitis was wound size >4.5 cm(2) (p = 0.041, OR = 2.8); and that related to the failure of the treatment was the growth of resistant bacteria (p = 0.016, OR = 5.333). Diabetic foot osteomyelitis is usually a chronic infection and requires surgical therapy. Amputation is the accepted form of treatment for osteomyelitis. Limited limb-saving surgery and prolonged antibiotic therapy directed toward the definitive causative bacteria are most appropriate. This may decrease limb loss through amputations. As a result the infections caused by resistant bacteria may lead to a high cost of antibiotherapy, prolonged hospitalization duration, and failure of the treatment.

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Background. Gastrointestinal motility and serum thyroid hormone levels are closely related. Our aim was to analyze whether there is a disorder in esophagogastric motor functions as a result of hypothyroidism. Materials and Methods. The study group included 30 females (mean age ± SE 45.17 ± 2.07 years) with primary hypothyroidism and 10 healthy females (mean age ± SE 39.40 ± 3.95 years). All cases underwent esophagogastric endoscopy and scintigraphy. For esophageal scintigraphy, dynamic imaging of esophagus motility protocol, and for gastric emptying scintigraphy, anterior static gastric images were acquired. Results. The mean esophageal transit time (52.56 ± 4.07 sec for patients; 24.30 ± 5.88 sec for controls; P = .02) and gastric emptying time (49.06 ± 4.29 min for the hypothyroid group; 30.4 ± 4.74 min for the control group; P = .01) were markedly increased in cases of hypothyroidism. Conclusion. Hypothyroidism prominently reduces esophageal and gastric motor activity and can cause gastrointestinal dysfunction.

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