Plasma homocysteine levels in Indian patients with acute ischemic stroke

Background: Homocysteine has primary atherogenic and prothrombotic properties. The present study aimed to assess serum homocysteine levels in patients with ischemic stroke and to find association of serum homocysteine levels with various patient related variables.Methods: This observational study included patients who were admitted with the diagnosis of stroke in Sri Ventateswara Ramnarain Ruia Government General Hospital. Patients were evaluated for risk factors like hypertension, diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia. Total homocysteine estimation was done and survival of the patients was assessed at the time of discharge from the hospital.Results: Most common risk factor for stroke in our study population was dyslipidemia (40%), followed by hypertension (36%). Total homocysteine levels were raised in 92% of the patients. Patients with homocysteine levels less than 15mM/L had lacunar infarcts. Homocysteine levels higher than 100mM/L were found in 18% of the patients and they all had large sized lesions. Significantly higher mean homocysteine levels were found among patients with large lesions (70.15±2.65 vs 21.68±8.02, p value <0.05). Among various risk factors, higher mean homocysteine levels were found to be associated with dyslipidemia (p value <0.05). No association between hypertension, diabetes mellitus or smoking history was found with higher homocysteine levels. Patients who survived had significantly lower homocysteine levels as compared to non survivors (39.3±19.84 vs 100±18.82, p value<0.001).Conclusions: Further studies are needed on homocysteine and stroke fur using homocysteine as screening test and for initiation of preventive therapy of stroke based on homocysteine levels

Cardiovascular profile of patients with chronic kidney disease

Background: Frequency of fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events increase even in early stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study was aimed to understand the cardiovascular profile of patients with CKD.Methods: This observational study was conducted on patients who were admitted with chronic kidney disease in Sri Venkateswara Rama Narayan RUIA Government General Hospital, Tirupati. Patients were classified according to their severity of CKD. All patients had an electrocardiogram and echocardiogram. Results of various biochemical investigations, electrocardiogram and echocardiogram were compared between patients with mild, moderate and severe CKD.Results: Combined diabetes mellitus and hypertension was found to be the most common case of CKD in Authors patient population (43%), followed by diabetes mellitus alone (37%). Serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen were found to be significantly higher and creatinine clearance and haemoglobin were significantly lower among patients with severe CKD. Electrocardiography revealed 50% had left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), 30% had tall ‘T’ waves and 15 % had ST-segment changes. Mean inter-ventricular septal end diastole thickness and mean left ventricular mass was found to be significantly in patients with severe CKD as compared to mild CKD.Conclusions: Extensive cardiovascular evaluation of patients with CKD is warranted even if the classical symptoms are not absent and early cardiovascular rehabilitation should be instituted in such patients

Diabetes mellitus and smoking among tuberculosis patients in a tertiary care centre in Karnataka, India

Supported by the TB Union/MSF Course on Operational Researc

Ageing world: Health care challenges

The world population reached 7 billion in 2012, which is 6 billion more than in 1800. This remarkable population growth is the result of several factors like advances in the medical, technological and public health systems resulting in the control and treatment of communicable diseases, the control of pandemics, the end of large-scale wars, improvements in living conditions and the revolutions in the field of agriculture. Because of all these factors, there has been a considerable improvement in the life expectancy of human beings. There is also an alarming reduction in fertility rates. The combination of declining fertility rate and augmented life expectancies has led to a change in the demographics of the population with the strata of older individuals growing faster than the younger individuals. The aging of populations is poised to become the next global public health challenge. Advances in medicine and socioeconomic development have substantially reduced mortality and morbidity rates due to infectious conditions and, to some extent, non-communicable diseases. These demographic and epidemiological changes, coupled with rapid urbanization, modernization, globalization, and accompanying changes in risk factors and lifestyles, have increased the prominence of chronic non-infective conditions. Health systems need to find effective strategies to extend health care and to respond to the needs of older adults. This review highlights the pathophysiology of aging, biological and physiological changes, impact of aging on health, epidemiological transitions, multi-morbidity in elderly and challenges for health care system