10 research outputs found
Navigating Thyroid Dysfunction and Comorbidities Among University Students in Abbottabad, Pakistan – A Cross-Sectional Evaluation of Screening Tool for Thyroid Dysfunction
No full textAyesha Iqbal,1,2 Saira Azhar,3 Ghulam Murtaza,4 Rashida Bibi,5 Sana Samreen,6 Muhammad Mamoon Iqbal,7,8 Wajid Syed,9 Mahmood Basil A Al-Rawi10 1Division of Pharmacy Practice and Policy, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; 2Office of Lifelong Learning and the Physician Learning Program, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G1C9, Canada; 3College of Pharmacy, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, 40100, Pakistan; 4Department of Pharmacy, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Lahore Campus, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 54000, Pakistan; 5Department of Pharmacy, Abbottabad University of Science and Technology, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan; 6Aurobindo College of Pharmacy, Warangal, Telangana, India; 7Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 22040, Pakistan; 8University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Balmoral Building Leicester Royal Infirmary, Infirmary Square Leicester Leicestershire, Leicester, LE1 5WW, UK; 9Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 10Department of Optometry, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Wajid Syed, Email [email protected]: Thyroid dysfunction has a direct role in diagnosing, and assessment and indicates the development of thyroid carcinoma. This study aimed to assess thyroid dysfunction through medical camps in different age and sex groups in students of Comsats University Abbottabad Pakistan.Methods: In this study, a cross-sectional survey design was used. For data collection, a two-day medical camp was set in the Comsats University Abbottabad campus. The students were examined physically for symptoms of thyroid dysfunction using the survey questionnaire specifically designed for this study.Results: The current research revealed that 78 out of 1032 students, or 7.6% of the population, had thyroid disease. Although 39.3% (=406) were found to have low risk, followed by 36.7% (n=379) had moderate risk and 23.9% (n=247) had high risk of thyroid dysfunction. Altogether, 6.1% (n=63) of the students had high blood pressure (BP), 3.2% (n=33) had high cholesterolemia, 3.4% (n=33) had angina, and 0.9% (n=9) had diabetes mellitus (DM). In relation, students who exhibit signs and symptoms that last longer than five weeks include 42.2% (n=435) who felt the need for excessive sleep, 35.3% (n=364) who felt tired, 36.8% (n=380) who had trouble concentrating and 30.1% (n=311) who had palpitations. The high risk of thyroid being seen predominantly in students between the ages of 15– 20 years (31.2%, n=148), as opposed to other age groups (p=0.001). Similar to this, women having a higher risk of thyroid disease (26.5%) than men (22.8%) (p =0.001).Conclusion: In conclusion, few students suffer with thyroid found to have high risk of thyroid disease. This method of questionnaire-based screening for thyroid dysfunction is cost-effective, with no additive risk of adverse effects from excessive screening, and could help in the early detection of thyroid and help avoid excess costs related to thyroid dysfunction and cancer screening.Keywords: thyroid dysfunction, screening, medical camp, thyroid cance
A LITERATURE REVIEW ON ORAL HYPOGLYCEMIC DRUGS – MECHANISTIC ASPECTS
No full textDiabetes mellitus (DM) is a worldwide rising concern that leads to an increased rate of morbidity, mortality, and health-care costs. DM is a chronic, endocrine disorder associated with hyperglycemia. The current estimated DM prevalence is over 422 million and has been progressively increasing over the past decades. Consequently, it is considered a significant problem in health-care settings. Health-care professionals who deal with such patients need to have an adequate information and drug therapy management including drugs and its regimen that are presently available in the market. This review provides an overview of potential diabetic drugs and their mechanisms. Hence, it will be proved beneficial for health-care professionals
Comparative Analysis of HtrA3 and NGAL as Viable Biomarkers for Pre-eclampsia
No full textPre-eclampsia is a pregnancy-associated condition, which is characterized by the onset of hypertension and proteinuria. It is one of the leading causes of maternal and neonatal mortality and this affliction has been recorded in around 8% of all pregnancies in the world. In addition to this, the etiopathology of this condition is very less understood and the resources available to diagnose and treat it are limited. Prior studies suggest more than a hundred possible diagnostic biomarkers that could be used to detect this disease early on. However, most of them are not feasible due to several reasons including stability, cost, safety, etc. Here two biomarkers HtrA3 (high-temperature requirement A3) and NGAL (Neutrophil Gelatinase Associated Lipocalin) are selected for the detection of pre-eclampsia, and we compare their efficacy in the detection of pre-eclampsia based on their specificity, ease of use, speed, stage of detection and source (invasiveness). We found that these two biomarkers are efficient under some parameters, and inefficient under others. The scoring system used in the current study suggests that NGAL is a superior biomarker. The results of this study help to develop a stronger understanding of both these biomarkers in the short and long term to classify the biomarkers more efficiently and understand the complicated pathologies of pre-eclampsia
Evaluation of Knowledge, Awareness, and Factors Associated with Diabetes: A Cross-Sectional Community-Based Study
No full textMETHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out for over 4 months from May to August 2020 using a self-administered, anonymous online questionnaire. All adults of both genders were invited to participate in the study. Individuals who are able to read and understand the English language were included in the study. Data were descriptively analyzed using a statistical package for social science version 26 (SPSS). RESULTS: A total of 427 subjects responded to the questionnaires. More than half of them were male 253 (59.3%), while 174 (40.7%) were female, approximately 49% had a university degree, and 196 (45.9%) were postgraduates. The mean age of the participants was 25.7 ± 6.2 (mean ± SD). Most of them were single 230 (53.9%). The majority of the respondents 367 (85.9%) had heard of hyperglycemia, while a comparable number of 366 (85.7%) were aware of it being a lifelong disease. About 305 (71.4%) of participants knew that genetic factors were associated with hyperglycemia, and more than half of 250 (58.5%) knew that diabetes causes foot problems. There was a significant association between the cause of diabetes with income and educational status (p < 0.05) and diabetic complications with age, education, and family income (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, there is a need for greater awareness and additional education regarding hyperglycemia among the general community in the state of Telangana, India, to reduce the incidence of diabetes and associated risk factors. Public health campaigns that encourage healthier lifestyles might help achieve this aim
Evaluating Neurotherapeutic Potential of Naringenin by True Experiments: Insights into In-Vivo Psychiatry Care Models
No full textBackground: The brain function and development are impaired when psychiatric disorders cause neuroinflammation and neurotrophic dysregulation. This study aimed to evaluate the Naringenin\u27s neurotherapeutic potential utilizing controlled in vivo trials, with an emphasis on its function in controlling neuroinflammation and restoring neurotrophic balance in a psychiatric care model.
Methods: The in vivo experimental research took place during four months, from April 2021 to August 2021, utilizing 20 healthy male rats, aged eight weeks. Experiments were performed on animals at the Animal House, and biochemical analyses were carried out at SMDC Lahore and LUMHS Jamshoro. The subjects were divided into five groups: Group I (control) and Groups II–V, which received 250 mg/kg/day of propionic acid (PPA) to induce neuroinflammation that resembled psychiatric disorders. Naringenin was administered to Groups III–V at escalating doses of 50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg, and 200 mg/kg after PPA was induced for four weeks. The ELISA testing system measured Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) serum concentrations, and the data were analyzed with one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey post hoc comparisons between all samples. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS Version 21.
Results: The Naringenin treatment resulted in stepwise elevation in NGF levels across various doses, and the 200 mg/kg dosage delivered nearly normal levels of NGF. The NGF measurements (pg/mL) were as follows: Group I – 11.5 ± 0.5, Group II – 4.0 ± 0.5, Group III – 9.2 ± 0.5, Group IV – 7.6 ± 0.5, and Group V – 9.7 ± 0.5. The therapeutic function of Naringenin to counteract neurotrophic deficits caused by inflammation finds support from these observed improvements.
Conclusion: The in vivo psychiatric care models reveal the neurotherapeutic potential of naringenin, because it fights neuroinflammation and restores NGF levels to normal
Pharmacotherapy of Gullain Barre Syndrome in Covid-19 A Critical Review
No full textCoronavirus (CoV) is a large family of positive sense, single stranded RiboNuclicAcid (RNA) viruses that belong to the Nidovirales order. COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) is causing a current pandemic. It commonly manifests with fever, dyspnoea, and cough. Few COVID-19 patients with Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) have been reported. The severe inflammatory response and the critically-ill nature of many COVID-19 patients is a challenge to distinguish GBS from critical illness polyneuropathy and myopathy. The respiratory failure is generally related to a worse outcome in GBS. GBS is a disorder in which the immune system attacks gangliosides on the peripheral nervous system. It presents with ascending weakness and can cause total body paralysis and respiratory failure in severe cases. It is associated with a variety of viral and bacterial infections. The clinical characteristics of GBS are the progressive weakness of the limbs and reduction in or loss of tendon reflexes (hypo-reflexia and areflexia, respectivelyIVIg (0.4 g/kg body weight daily for 5 days) and plasma exchange (200–250 ml plasma/kg body weight in five sessions) are equally effective treatments for GBS .IVIg and plasma exchange carry comparable risks of adverse events, although early studies showed that plasma exchange was more likely than IVIg to be discontinued. More cases with epidemiological data should, however, be examined and future studies in this regard should be carried out. Because of the potential link between GBS and COVID19, it is advised that doctors follow up on patients with regard to neurological manifestations. Finally, it is proposed that research on the relationship between COVID-19 and the nervous system should not be restricted to the current time, so that the appropriate steps may be taken in the future if we encounter a new form of this virusCorresponding Author: Dr. SP Srinivas Nayak, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Pharmacy Practice, Parul Institute
of Pharmacy and Research, Parul University, Vadodara, Gujarat
Received 19 October 2021; Accepted 02 November 202
A facile synthesis of 1,3,4-oxadiazole-based carbamothioate molecules:Antiseizure potential, EEG evaluation and in-silico docking studies
No full textIn present work, a series of novel structural hybrids of 1,3,4-oxadiazole and carbamothioate was designed by chemical modification of 2-(4-isobutylphenyl)propanoic acid. Target compounds (7a-f) were synthesized in significant yields (84–88 %) by coupling compound (4) with different electrophiles under different reaction conditions. The structures of oxadiazole based carbamothionate derivatives were confirmed by spectroscopic (FTIR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR) and physiochemical methods. During in-vivo experimentation, all synthesized compounds were tested through 6 Hz (32 mA) and PTZ (80 mg/kg) mouse seizure models. The 7b and 7c showed significant outcomes (P < 0.05) in terms of seizure severity, protection and mortality. The behavioural outcomes of PTZ tests were further strengthened with video-electroencephalogram (vEEG) findings in which EEGs were analyzed for epileptic spikes to understand the impact of 7b and 7c treatment on these ictal activities. The 7b was found most efficient in reducing the seizure spiking activity in brains of PTZ-treated mice while both 7b and 7c significantly reduced overall PTZ-induced seizure severity. The molecular docking studies also predicted the BBB permeability, reduced binding energies and good compound interaction with GABAA receptors and SV2A protein. Therefore, the observed pharmacological outcomes might be attributed to the GABAA agonistic and SV2A modulating potential of these oxadiazole-carbamothioate hybrid compounds.</p
Table_1_Prevalence, knowledge and attitude toward electronic cigarette use among male health colleges students in Saudi Arabia—A cross-sectional study.doc
No full textBackgroundHealth care professionals have an important role in increasing awareness about smoking harms and serving as role models. This study aims to assess knowledge, attitude and perception toward electronic cigarettes (ECs) as well as prevalence of ECs use among male health colleges students.MethodThis is a cross-sectional survey-based study conducted among students in the male campus of five different health colleges over a 4-month period from February 2020 to May 2020. Descriptive analysis was used to assess the knowledge, perception and attitude, and inferential testing was used to evaluate the association of different participant's variables and knowledge toward ECs usage using SPSS.ResultsA total of 333 students were included in the analysis. Most of students (n = 205; 61.6%) had never used ECs, while 22.8 and 15.6% used them for recreational and smoking cessation purposes, respectively. Focusing on ECs users from each college individually, medical students had the highest prevalence followed by dental, pharmacy and nursing students (47.4, 40.7, 34.5, and 32%, respectively). Many students had misconceptions and a low level of knowledge about ECs, such as recognizing them as smoking-cessation tools and not knowing whether toxic and carcinogenic components levels in ECs are similar to conventional cigarettes, respectively. Medical students had significantly higher knowledge compared to dental students [3 (2) vs. 2 (1); p = 0.033]. Moreover, smokers were less knowledgeable than non-smokers [2.5 (1) vs. 2.1 (1), p = 0.027]. At least 62.8% of students perceived using ECs as a fashionable alternative smoking method and 59.2% believed that they may become a gateway for smoking addiction. Only 120 (36.0%) health colleges students were confidently able to advise smokers regarding ECs.ConclusionOur study highlights an increased trend of ECs use accompanied with insufficient knowledge and several misconceptions about ECs among health colleges students. This was associated with a negative influence on their attitude toward ECs use, which would potentially lead to negative consequences on public health.</p
