During the past decades, as a result of better control of communicable diseases and achieving higher life expectancy, the global disease burden has continued to shift away from communicable to non-communicable diseases which now contribute to a major part of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and mortality worldwide . Similarly, in Iran, there has been an increase in prevalence of chronic non-communicable diseases and their contribution to morbidity and mortality during recent years and this trend is expected to continue in coming years.
