Utilización de la yoga en la mejora del peso corporal y flujo pico espiratorio de personas con sobrepeso y obesidad

The present investigation is of the quasi-experimental type of temporal series design interrupted with a group with repeated measures of pretest and posttest. The objective of the same was the evaluation of a Yoga training program on the effects on the Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF) and on overweight-obesity of female patients who attended the Mutual Aid Groups of the Secretary of Health in Manzanillo, Mexico. The intervention group consisted of 15 women with an average age of 46 years (16) without chronic non-communicable diseases, the program was designed for 6 with two weekly sessions of 40 minutes each (80 min per week). The instruments used to verify the progress in the PEF and the BMI are: clinical history, portable flowmeters and a minimum protocol of weight and height Quetelet´s formula to determine the BMI, as well as an interview at the end of the intervention to know aspects about participation in the intervention. Among the main findings, there was a significant progress in Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF) after the intervention, the participants were able to make a deeper inhalation and a greater exhalation.  The results show positive effects on the PEF after a 6-week program with specific yoga work to improve breathing, but not for BMI and changes in body weight.  La presente investigación es de tipo cuasiexperimental de diseño serie temporal interrumpida con un grupo con medidas repetidas de pretest y postest. El objetivodel mismo, fue la evaluación de un programa de entrenamiento de Yoga sobre los efectosen elFlujo Pico Espiratorio (PEF) yen sobrepeso-obesidad de pacientes femeninos que asistieron a los Grupos de Ayuda Mutua de la Secretaria de Salud en Manzanillo, México. El grupo de intervención estuvo integrado por 15 mujeres con un promedio de edad de 46 años (±16) sin enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles, el programa se diseñó para 6 semanas con dos sesiones semanales de 40 minutos cada una (80 min por semana). Los instrumentos utilizados para verificar el progreso en el PEF e IMC fueron,historia clínica, flujometros portátiles y un protocolo mínimo de toma de peso y talla y la fórmula de Quetelet para determinar el IMC, así como, una entrevista al final de la intervención para conocer aspectos sobre la participación en la intervención. Entre los principales hallazgos se evidencia un progreso significativo en Flujo Pico Espiratorio (PEF) posterior a la intervención, las participantes fueron capaces de hacer una inspiración más profunda y una espiración mayor. Los resultados muestran efectos positivos en el PEF posterior a un programa de 6 semanas con trabajo de yoga específico para la mejora de respiración, pero no para disminución de IMC y cambios en el peso corporal

Drug-prescribing patterns during pregnancy in the tertiary care hospitals of Pakistan: a cross sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The rationale for use of drugs during pregnancy requires a careful assessment as in addition to the mother, the health and life of her unborn child is also at stake. Information on the use of drugs during pregnancy is not available in Pakistan. The aim of this study was to evaluate the patterns of drug prescriptions to pregnant women in tertiary care hospitals of Pakistan.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This was a cross-sectional study conducted at five tertiary care hospitals of Pakistan. Copies of outpatient medicinal prescriptions given to pregnant patients attending the antenatal clinics were collected. The drugs were classified according to the pharmacological class and their teratogenic potential.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All the pregnant women attending the antenatal clinics received a prescription containing at least one drug. A total of 3769 distinct prescriptions given to different women were collected. Majority of the women who received the prescriptions belonged to third trimester (55.4%) followed by second (33.6%) and first trimester (11.0%). On an average, each prescription contained 1.66 ± 0.14 drugs. The obstetricians at Civil Hospital, Karachi and Chandka Medical College Hospital, Larkana showed a tendency of prescribing lesser number of drugs compared to those in other hospitals. Anti-anemic drugs including iron preparations and vitamin and mineral supplements (79.4%) were the most frequently prescribed drugs followed by analgesics (6.2%) and anti-bacterials (2.2%). 739 women (19.6%) received prescriptions containing drugs other than vitamin or mineral supplements. Only 1275 (21.6%) of all the prescribed drugs (n = 6100) were outside this vitamin/mineral supplement class. Out of these 1275 drugs, 29 (2.3%) drugs were prescribed which are considered to be teratogenic. Misoprostol was the most frequently prescribed (n = 6) among the teratogenic drugs followed by carbimazole (n = 5) and methotrexate (n = 5). Twenty nine pregnant women (0.8% of all the women studied) were prescribed these teratogenic drugs.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Less than one percent of the pregnant women attending tertiary care hospitals in Pakistan are prescribed teratogenic drugs. The prescribing practices of Pakistani physicians are similar to those in western countries.</p

The Role of TLR4 in the Paclitaxel Effects on Neuronal Growth In Vitro

Paclitaxel (Pac) is an antitumor agent that is widely used for treatment of solid cancers. While being effective as a chemotherapeutic agent, Pac in high doses is neurotoxic, specifically targeting sensory innervations. In view of these toxic effects associated with conventional chemotherapy, decreasing the dose of Pac has been recently suggested as an alternative approach, which might limit neurotoxicity and immunosuppression. However, it remains unclear if low doses of Pac retain its neurotoxic properties or might exhibit unusual effects on neuronal cells. The goal of this study was to analyze the concentration-dependent effect of Pac on isolated and cultured DRG neuronal cells from wild-type and TLR4 knockout mice. Three different morphological parameters were analyzed: the number of neurons which developed neurites, the number of neurites per cell and the total length of neurites per cell. Our data demonstrate that low concentrations of Pac (0.1 nM and 0.5 nM) do not influence the neuronal growth in cultures in both wild type and TLR4 knockout mice. Higher concentrations of Pac (1-100 nM) had a significant effect on DRG neurons from wild type mice, affecting the number of neurons which developed neurites, number of neurites per cell, and the length of neurites. In DRG from TLR4 knockout mice high concentrations of Pac showed a similar effect on the number of neurons which developed neurites and the length of neurites. At the same time, the number of neurites per cell, indicating the process of growth cone initiation, was not affected by high concentrations of Pac. Thus, our data showed that Pac in high concentrations has a significant damaging effect on axonal growth and that this effect is partially mediated through TLR4 pathways. Low doses of Pac are devoid of neuronal toxicity and thus can be safely used in a chemomodulation mode. © 2013 Ustinova et al

Ferric carboxymaltose with or without erythropoietin for the prevention of red-cell transfusions in the perioperative period of osteoporotic hip fractures: a randomized contolled trial. The PAHFRAC-01 project

Background: Around one third to one half of patients with hip fractures require red-cell pack transfusion. The increasing incidence of hip fracture has also raised the need for this scarce resource. Additionally, red-cell pack transfusions are not without complications which may involve excessive morbidity and mortality. This makes it necessary to develop blood-saving strategies. Our objective was to assess safety, efficacy, and cost-effictveness of combined treatment of i.v. ferric carboxymaltose and erythropoietin (EPOFE arm) versus i.v. ferric carboxymaltose (FE arm) versus a placebo (PLACEBO arm) in reducing the percentage of patients who receive blood transfusions, as well as mortality in the perioperative period of hip fracture intervention. Methods/Design: Multicentric, phase III, randomized, controlled, double blinded, parallel groups clinical trial. Patients > 65 years admitted to hospital with a hip fracture will be eligible to participate. Patients will be treated with either a single dosage of i.v. ferric carboxymaltose of 1 g and subcutaneous erythropoietin (40.000 IU), or i.v. ferric carboxymaltose and subcutaneous placebo, or i.v. placebo and subcutaneous placebo. Follow-up will be performed until 60 days after discharge, assessing transfusion needs, morbidity, mortality, safety, costs, and health-related quality of life. Intention to treat, as well as per protocol, and incremental cost-effectiveness analysis will be performed. The number of recruited patients per arm is set at 102, a total of 306 patients. Discussion: We think that this trial will contribute to the knowledge about the safety and efficacy of ferric carboxymaltose with/without erythropoietin in preventing red-cell pack transfusions in patients with hip fracture. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01154491