Assessment of the Health related Quality of Life among adults with Epilepsy living in Kaniyambadi Block of Vellore District and factors associated with poor quality of life among them.

OBJECTIVES : To assess the Health Related Quality Of Life (HRQOL) of persons aged 18 years and above living with epilepsy residing in Kaniyambadi block, Vellore, and to identify the risk factors associated with poor HRQOL. METHODS: This was a community based cross sectional study conducted in Kaniyanbadi block of Vellore district. The Individuals aged 18 years and above, identified as having seizure disorder or epilepsy from records maintained by Community Medicine department and living in Kaniyambadi Block for at least 6 months were included in the study and interviewed using QOLIE-31 questionnaire. The domains included seizure worry, emotional, cognitive, medication and social effects. The QOLIE-31 scores were categorized into poor and good scores based on median value, and Chi-square test and logistic regression was used to find significant associations. RESULTS: In the study the overall mean score for quality of life was 65.2 out of 100 (SD 16.37). The respondents scored lowest on social participation (mean 54.22), and highest on medication effects (mean 91.96). The factors associated with low scores on logistic regression were poor socioeconomic status (OR 11.2), depression (OR 17.63), higher severity (OR 3.8) and higher adverse effects (OR 5.7). Individuals with epilepsy should be routinely screened for depression and adverse events and offered treatment for the same. Social participation by people with epilepsy should be encouraged

High Rate of Hypothyroidism in Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Patients Co-Infected with HIV in Mumbai, India.

Adverse events (AEs) among HIV-infected patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) receiving anti-TB and antiretroviral treatments (ART) are under-researched and underreported. Hypothyroidism is a common AE associated with ethionamide, p-aminosalicylic acid (PAS), and stavudine. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of and risk factors associated with hypothyroidism in HIV/MDR-TB co-infected patients

HIV/MDR-TB co-infected patients who developed hypothyroidism during the study period.

<p>HIV/MDR-TB co-infected patients who developed hypothyroidism during the study period.</p

Time-to-Hypothyroidism following initiation of MDR-TB treatment using Kaplan-Meier analysis.

<p>Time-to-Hypothyroidism following initiation of MDR-TB treatment using Kaplan-Meier analysis.</p