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The State of Cardiovascular Disease in the Kyrgyz Republic
Get PDFUsing the methods of estimation of economic efficiency we have made calculation of the economic losses connected to cardiovascular diseases. It was shown that the economic damage from premature death rate and physical inability from CVD in our country totaled more than 14 billions soms (near 360 millions $ USA) in 2007 (2). It dictates necessity of the urgent organization of struggle against cardiovascular diseases for stop the deterioration of health parameters of Kyrgyz population and prevention of serious social consequences with negative economic effect
Speman®, A Proprietary Ayurvedic Formulation, Reverses Cyclophosphamide-Induced Oligospermia In Rats.
Get PDFBackground: This investigation was aimed to evaluate the effect of Speman®, a well known ayurvedic proprietary preparation, in an experimental model of cyclophosphamide-(CP) induced oligospermia in rats.Materials and Methods: Thirty male rats were randomized in to five, equally-sized groups. Rats in group 1 served as a normal control; group 2 served as an untreated positive control; groups 3, 4, 5 received Speman® granules at doses of 300, 600, and 900mg/kg body weight p.o. respectively, once daily for 13 days. On day four, one hour after the respective treatment, oligospermia was induced by administering a single dose of CP (100mg/kg body weight p.o.) to all the groups except group1. At the end of the study period the rats were euthanised and accessory reproductive organs were weighed and subjected to histopathological examination. The semen samples were subject to enumeration of sperms. Weight of the reproductive organs, histopathological examination of the tissues, and sperm count were the parameters studied to understand the effect of Speman® on rats with CP-induced oligospermia.Results: Changes that occurred due to the administration of CP at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight were dose dependently reversed with Speman® at a dose of 300, 600, and 900 mg/kg body weight. There was a statistically significant increase in sperm count and the weight of the seminal vesicle, epididymis, and prostate.Conclusion: Findings of this investigation indicate that Speman® dose dependently reversed the CP-induced derangement of various parameters pertaining to the reproductive system. This could explain the total beneficial actions of Speman® reported in several other clinical trials
Socio-Structural Barriers, Protective Factors, and HIV Risk Among Central-Asian Female Migrants in Moscow
Get PDFObjective: This study aimed to build formative knowledge on socio-structural barriers, protective factors, and HIV sexual risk amongst Central-Asian female migrants in Moscow.Methods: Data collection included ethnographic interviews in Moscow with a purposive sample of 30 unmarried female migrants, 15 from Kyrgyzstan and 15 from Tajikistan.Results: Study participants reported difficulties with acquiring documents for legal status, financial insecurity, discrimination, sexual harassment, and lack of support. Based on analysis of the cases, one pathway linked lack of legal documentation and instrumental support with elevated sexual risk. Another pathways linked traditional cultural attitudes with both no and moderate sexual risk.Conclusion: Future HIV prevention efforts with Central Asian female migrants in Moscow should be multilevel and include: increasing HIV and prevention knowledge and skills, promoting condom use with regular partners, identifying and supporting cultural attitudes that protect against HIV sexual risk behaviors, facilitating legal status, building community support, and increasing economic options
Effects of Amyloid Beta Peptide on Neurovascular Cells
Get PDFAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder, which is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in specific regions of the brain, accompanied by impairment of the neurons, and progressive deterioration of cognition and memory of affected individuals. Although the cause and progression of AD are still not well understood, the amyloid hypothesis is dominant and widely accepted. According to this hypothesis, an increased deposition of amyloid-? peptide (A?) in the brain is the main cause of the AD’s onset and progression. There is increasing body of evidence that blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction plays an important role in the development of AD, and may even precede neuron degeneration in AD brain. In the early stage of AD, microvasculature deficiencies, inflammatory reactions, surrounding the cerebral vasculature and endothelial dysfunctions are commonly observed. Continuous neurovascular degeneration and accumulation of A? on blood vessels resulting in cerebral amyloid angiopathy is associated with further progression of the disease and cognitive decline. However, little is known about molecular mechanisms that underlie A? induced damage of neurovascular cells. In this regards, this review is aimed to address how A? impacts the cerebral endothelium. Understanding the cellular pathways triggered by A? leading to alterations in cerebral endothelial cells structure and functions would provide insights into the mechanism of BBB dysfunction and inflammatory processes in Alzheimer’s, and may offer new approaches for prevention and treatment strategies for AD.
Cardiovascular risk factors in young male adults: impact of physical activity and parental education
Get PDFBackground: This study was conducted to assess whether choices of physical activity, smoking status, and parental education and income were correlated with the health status of young adult males which are important for preventive health policy. Methods: 491 18-29-year old males from lower socioeconomical districts in Turkey participated in this study. Information about demographic characteristics, parental education, household income, smoking status, and physical activity was obtained by means of a standardized questionnaire. BMI and metabolic parameters (serum lipid profile) were assessed.Results: Mean total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglyceride levels were in the normal range. The physically active group displayed a better lipid profile. No relationship was found between parental education and serum lipids. Smoking was slightly correlated with household income (r=103, p=0.022).Conclusion: Young adult males who participate in relatively high levels of physical activity are at lower CHD risk than less active ones. The present study also showed that lower socioecnomic status does not always correlate with higher levels of cardiovascular risk factors. In conclusion, data supports that while family history cannot be changed, HDL levels can be modulated by lifestyle factors as in other populations and that with the determined benefits of increasing physical activity and thus, HDL levels, policy reform in schools to promote physical activity are warranted
The Case of NRENs in Central Asia
Get PDFNational Research and Education Network organizations (NRENs) provide advanced information and communication technology (ICT) services for the academic community of their country. Their focus is often on providing affordable high speed bandwidth amongst their members and to other research networks, but NRENs also provide other advanced services such as electronic repositories, educational environments and supercomputing facilities. Higher Education and Research institutions have to play an active role in the transformation to the “Knowledge Society”. A recent (2010) report of the International Telecommunication Union has identified NRENs as important vehicles in reaching the goals of the World Summit of the Information Society. It is also demonstrated that the Central Asian countries score very low in the Networked Readiness Indices of the World Economic Forum, including areas where strong NRENs could improve the status quo. NRENs therefore have a role that is also important for the nation itself and therefore claims for government support are legitimate. About 62% of the countries of the world already have an NREN and there are four characteristics that are common to these NRENs. In nearly all of the cases the NREN is a not-for-profit organization that not only serves the academic community, but is also owned by the same community. Four out of five Central Asian countries have an active NREN and these NRENs all participate in the EC funded CAREN project that aims to set up a sustainable regional network for the academic communities in the participating countries. Today, the Central Asian Research and Education Network (CAREN) is upgrading the ancient Silk Road to a 21st-century high-speed internet highway for research and educational institutions through the region. Operational since July 2010, CAREN currently interconnects scientists and students from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan
Public Health Challenges and Priorities for Kazakhstan
Get PDFThe Republic of Kazakhstan is one of the largest and fastest growing post-Soviet economies in Central Asia. Despite recent improvements in health care in response to Kazakhstan 2030 and other state-mandated policy reforms, Kazakhstan still lags behind other members of the Commonwealth of Independent States of the European Region on key indicators of health and economic development. Although cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality among adults, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and blood-borne infectious diseases are of increasing public health concern. Recent data suggest that while Kazakhstan has improved on some measures of population health status, many environmental and public health challenges remain. These include the need to improve public health infrastructure, address the social determinants of health, and implement better health impact assessments to inform health policies and public health practice. In addition, more than three decades after the Declaration of Alma-Ata, which was adopted at the International Conference on Primary Health Care convened in Kazakhstan in 1978, facilitating population-wide lifestyle and behavioral change to reduce risk factors for chronic and communicable diseases, as well as injuries, remains a high priority for emerging health care reforms and the new public health. This paper reviews the current public health challenges in Kazakhstan and describes five priorities for building public health capacity that are now being developed and undertaken at the Kazakhstan School of Public Health to strengthen population health in the country and the Central Asian Region
The HUPO Human Proteome Project (HPP), a Global Health Research Collaboration
Get PDFThe global Human Proteome Project (HPP) was announced by the Human Proteome Organization (HUPO) at the 2010 World Congress of Proteomics in Sydney, Australia, and launched at the 2011 World Congress of Proteomics in Geneva, Switzerland, with analogies to the highly successful Human Genome Project. Extensive progress was reported at the September 2012 World Congress in Boston, USA. The HPP is designed to map the entire human proteome using available and emerging technologies.The HPP aims to create a molecular and biological foundation for improving health globally through better understanding of disease processes, more accurate diagnoses, and targets for more effective therapies and preventive interventions against many diseases. There are opportunities for individual investigators everywhere to access advanced datasets and to join HPP research teams
