Comparative Review on Harmless Herbs with Allopathic Remedies As Anti- Hypertensive

ABSTRACT The incidence and prevalence of systemic hypertension are reaching global epidemic proportions. Hypertension is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease worldwide. Despite a diversity of pharmacological agents to treat high blood pressure, suboptimal control remains a significant problem in as many as 43% of patients and this rate has not significantly improved over the past 2 decades. There are a variety of factors contributing to this including patient's non-adherence due to complex drug regimens and medications side effects, under-treatment and treatment resistance. There, thus, remains a need to find herbal treatment to antihypertensive therapy that facilitate attainment of optimal blood pressure levels. This monograph will review a number of pharmacological targets and interventions, herbal alternatives to achieve optimum hypertensive boundaries as well as novel approaches for the same. This review mainly focuses on better herbal alternative of current allopathic remedies as well as newer herbal approaches like Hibiscus tea to treat hypertension

Factors related to knowledge and perception of women about smoking: a cross sectional study from a developing country

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Smoking rates among women are currently low, but they are the fastest growing segment of cigarette smoking population in developing countries. We aimed to assess the knowledge and perceptions towards smoking and to identify the factors related with level of knowledge and perceptions among adult women in urban slums.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This was a cross sectional study conducted on 250 adult (≥18 years of age) women attending primary care clinics in three slums of Karachi, Pakistan. A pre-tested and structured, interviewer administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Factors associated with level of understanding about smoking were analyzed with chi-square test.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Most of the women knew that smoking has adverse effects on women and children's health but the knowledge of specific health effects was limited. About one third of the women knew that active smoking can cause lung disease, but only a small percentage (7%) knew that it could lead to heart disease. None of the women were aware that smoking contributes to infertility and osteoporosis. A small proportion of women were aware that smoking can lead to low birth weight (7%), congenital anomalies (5%) and less than 1% of women knew that it contributes to pregnancy loss, still birth and preterm delivery. The understanding of passive smoking affecting children's lung was low (20%) and a similar proportion voiced concern about the bad influence of maternal smoking on children. Educated women had better knowledge of health effects of smoking. Education was associated with having better knowledge about effects on women health in general (p = 0.02) and specific effects like lung (p = 0.03) and reproductive health effects (p < 0.001). Education was also associated with knowledge regarding effects on fetus (p < 0.001) and children (p < 0.005). Although most of the women disliked being around smokers, more than one third thought that smoking decreases boredom (39%), tension (38%) and also helps to relax (40%). A large proportion (48%) of women had the misconception that smoking helps to reduce weight.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study reveals that women are aware of the general ill effects of smoking but fail to identify smoking to be associated with female maladies particularly those who were illiterate and had lower levels of education. Understanding and attitudes needs to be improved by increasing health awareness and education of women in these urban communities with special emphasis on the effects of smoking on women's health.</p

Analysis of socio-political and health practices influencing sex ratio at birth in Viet Nam

Viet Nam has experienced rapid social change over the last decade, with a remarkable decline in fertility to just below replacement level. The combination of fertility decline, son preference, antenatal sex determination using ultrasound and sex selective abortion are key factors driving increased sex ratios at birth in favour of boys in some Asian countries. Whether or not this is taking place in Viet Nam as well is the subject of heightened debate. In this paper, we analyse the nature and determinants of sex ratio at birth in Viet Nam, including a small family size norm, recent reinforcement by the Government of the “one-to-two child” family policy, traditional son preference, easy access to antenatal ultrasound screening and legal abortion, and an increase in the proportion of one-child families. In order to prevent an increased sex ratio at birth in Viet Nam, we argue for the relaxation of the one-to-two child family policy and a return to the policy of “small family size” as determined by families, in tandem with a comprehensive approach to promoting the value of women and girls in society, countering traditional gender roles, and raising public awareness of the negative social consequences of a high sex ratio at birth