Glucagon-like peptide 1 agonists: a ray of hope for the treatment of polycystic ovarian syndrome

Dear editor, The Glucagon-like-peptide receptor- 1, agonists belong to a class of drugs that have been used to treat type 2 diabetes. Liraglutide and Semaglutide are drugs of this class, commonly sold under the brand names Saxenda and Wegovy respectively. These drugs have also been approved by the FDA for weight loss in diabetic and non-diabetic obese people.1 The mechanism of action of GLP-1 agonists involve stimulating insulin secretion and delaying gastric emptying. Moreover, GLP-1 receptors are found on adipose tissue, where they promote the conversion of stored fat into energy. They also target the appetite center in the hypothalamus which increases satiety and reduces food intake to cause weight loss. A large number of females who struggle with obesity, concomitantly suffer from Polycystic Ovarian syndrome (PCOS) also which is a multifactorial endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age, affecting 4-20% women around the world.2 One of the major manifestations of this syndrome is weight gain and difficulty in losing it. In contemporary medicine, the treatment of PCOS is limited to lifestyle intervention and symptomatic management. Thus, the patients of PCOS are often told by their doctors to simply lose weight. Physicians around the world agree that weight loss is crucial for women with PCOS who are obese to attain better metabolic, reproductive, and cardiovascular outcomes, because if not treated, obesity worsens the presentation of PCOS. But it is noteworthy that the ongoing hormonal imbalances, increased appetite and insulin resistance in this syndrome, all work against the body’s natural mechanism to lose weight and make it extremely difficult for the patient. This creates a dire need for external interventions regarding weight management in PCOS. Where conventional methods like dietary modifications and exercise alone do not provide substantial results, GLP-1 agonists can be a breakthrough for the management of PCOS since recent research and clinical data also provides evidence of correlation between obesity, GLP-1 kinetic alterations, and pathophysiology of PCOS.3 Hence the use of GLP-1 agonists can be a viable option for treatment of PCOS as multiple clinical trials have shown significant weight reduction, decrease in testosterone levels, improvement in insulin sensitivity and menstrual cycles.4 As the prevalence of PCOS continues to rise in Pakistan, the major presenting complaints include; weight gain, facial hair, acne and menstrual irregularities in teenage girls and infertility in married females. ---Continu

Exploring the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Global Health and Enhancing Healthcare in Developing Nations

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI), which combines computer science with extensive datasets, seeks to mimic human-like intelligence. Subsets of AI are being applied in almost all fields of medicine and surgery. Aim: This review focuses on the applications of AI in healthcare settings in developing countries, designed to underscore its significance by comprehensively outlining the advancements made thus far, the shortcomings encountered in AI applications, the present status of AI integration, persistent challenges, and innovative strategies to surmount them. Methodology: Articles from PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane were searched from 2000 to 2023 with keywords including AI and healthcare, focusing on multiple medical specialties. Results: The increasing role of AI in diagnosis, prognosis prediction, and patient management, as well as hospital management and community healthcare, has made the overall healthcare system more efficient, especially in the high patient load setups and resource-limited areas of developing countries where patient care is often compromised. However, challenges, including low adoption rates and the absence of standardized guidelines, high installation and maintenance costs of equipment, poor transportation and connectivvity issues hinder AI’s full use in healthcare. Conclusion: Despite these challenges, AI holds a promising future in healthcare. Adequate knowledge and expertise of healthcare professionals for the use of AI technology in healthcare is imperative in developing nations