Malnutrition’s Prevalence and Associated Factors

Malnutrition, which affects roughly 2 billion people worldwide, is among the country’s most pressing health issues. In comparison to other developing nations, Pakistan has one of the worst prevalence of childhood malnutrition. We’ll explore how people in poor countries manage food scarcity. Owing to low per capita income and a lack of purchasing power for fundamental food staples that meet the human body’s nutritional demands. Malnourished children in Pakistan suffer from stunting, wasting, and being underweight. The causes of child malnutrition and stunting in Pakistan are discussed in this chapter, as well as the impact of numerous factors on stunting and the types of intervention methods and practices that should be devised and executed to address the problem

Anemia during Pregnancy and Its Prevalence

Anemia is a serious health issue throughout the world affecting both sexes of any age group. This nutritional disease is more common among the pregnant women of developing countries, where it is a major cause of maternal death and negative outcome of pregnancy. Among all anemic types, IDA is most prevalent one and is comprises of about 95% of all anemic cases around the world. In many developing countries it is more common in women of low socio-economic background and with no record of antenatal checkup. There is need for further health educational programs to overcome anemia especially for pregnant females

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Environmentally induced nephrotoxicity and histopathological alternations in Wallago attu and Cirrhinus mrigla

Fish kidneys are sensitive to chemical changes in the freshwater ecosystem because they are directly and constantly exposed to chemicals dissolved in the water. This study evaluated nephrotoxicity in Wallago attu and Cirrhinus mrigala harvested from the Chenab River in an area of industrial and sewage waste disposal. Induced histological alternation data were correlated to the severity of environmental degradation in order to determine whether this biological system can be used as a tool for environmental monitoring programs. Kidneys from two fish species occupying different niches were collected and stored for 24 h in 10% formalin. Control fish were collected upstream of the polluted river area. Specimens were processed using topical histological methods. The major histological alterations observed in both species were renal tubule myxospora, hyperemia, glomerulonephritis, degeneration of renal tubule cells, dilation of glomerular capillaries, presence of pycnotic nuclei in the hematopoietic tissue, epithelial hypertrophy, vacuolization, reduced lumen of renal tubules, and shrinkage of glomeruli. Renal tubular atrophy, degeneration due to extensive degranulation, necrosis of glomeruli, glomerular expansion, absence of Bowman’s space, hypertrophied nucleus, necrosis and hyalinization of the interstitium, clogging of tubules, and regeneration of tubules was also observed. Wallago attu exhibited the maximum incidence of moderate to severe changes and was defined as having the highest “histopathologic alteration index”. These severe alterations were found to be related to environmental degradation, indicating the presence of stressors in freshwater. Control groups showed normal tissue morphology in the kidneys. Keywords: Fish, Histopathological, Pollution, Nephrotoxicity, Necrosi

Nutritional and health status of Afghan refugee women living in Punjab: A cross‐sectional study

Abstract Afghan refugees are the world's densely populated community, with 2.6 million registered Afghan refugees living globally, of whom about 2.2 million are in Iran and Pakistan. Pakistan is a densely populated country, and due to its low socioeconomic status, food insecurity, unhygienic conditions, and inadequate access to health care, the Afghan refugees have high chances of being malnourished; the chances of death for these Afghans are 25 times more every year from undernourishment and poverty than those from violence. This study aimed to assess anthropometric and biochemical analyses, their health complications, and the socioeconomic status of Afghan refugee women living in Islamabad Punjab as women are the most vulnerable and highly malnourished group in any community. This cross‐sectional study involved 150 Afghan women aged 15–30 years; they were assessed for their nutritional status using Anthropometric, Biochemical, Clinical and Diet (ABCD). The results indicate the prevalence of underweight, normal weight, and overweight at 74.7%, 16.7%, and 8.7%, respectively. Majority of the women have extremely low hemoglobin (Hb) level, which indicates iron deficiency as well as low body mass index for their age. As the results indicate that there are high chances of severe malnutrition among this most vulnerable segment of the population, this situation must be addressed immediately; the main aim of this study is to highlight the current situation of these Afghan refugees in Pakistan. More research is needed to determine how normal body weight women with low hemoglobin levels are compared to women with ideal body mass index ratios

Phytochemical profile, nutritional composition, and therapeutic potentials of chia seeds: A concise review

AbstractChia (Salvia hispanica) seeds are oilseeds, often known as pseudo-cereals, which contain a variety of nutrients, including macro and micronutrients, as well as health aids; consequently, they could be classified as a nutraceuticals food. The seeds are a wonderful source of phenolic compounds like rosmarinic acid, caffeic acid, protocatechuic acids, quercetin, and myricetin. According to studies, chia seeds have a high nutritious content of protein (18–24%), fiber (30–34%), and a variety of fatty acids. Chia seeds also have a variety of minerals and vitamins and shown to have beneficial effects in the treatment of hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidaemia, as well as acting as an antioxidant, anti-anxiety, laxative, anti-depressant, analgesic, and strengthen the immune system. Due to its presence of minerals, lipids (omega-3), fibers, proteins, and antioxidants in chia seed and its health benefits, it has now grabbed the attention of many food industries and educators. The present review article highlights the nutritional composition, phytochemical profile, and therapeutic potentials like cardio-protective, diabetes-controlling, immune boosting, and antioxidant action in detail

Differences in symptoms and presentation delay times in myocardial infarction patients with and without diabetes: A cross-sectional study in Pakistan

Objective: A short pre-hospital delay, from the onset of symptoms to rapid initiation of reperfusion therapy, is a crucial factor in determining prognosis of myocardial infarction (MI). The purpose of this study was to evaluate symptoms and presentation delay times in MI patients with and without diabetes. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 3 tertiary care hospitals of Pakistan over a period of 6 months. The study sample consisted of 280 consenting individuals diagnosed with ST-elevation MI (STEMI) or Non-ST elevation MI (NSTEMI), out of which 130 were diabetic and 150 were non-diabetic. Data was collected using a standardized questionnaire, investigating MI symptoms along with causes and duration of pre-hospital delay within 72 hours of admission. Results: No significant difference was found in the intensity of chest pain between diabetics and non-diabetics. Atypical symptoms of MI such as anxiety (p < 0.001), cold sweats (p = 0.034) and epigastric pain (p = 0.017) were more frequently reported in diabetics. MI patients with diabetes had a significantly longer presentation delay time with 75% of the patients presenting after elapse of 3 h. Only a few patients reported to the hospital within an hour of onset of symptoms (n = 23, 8.2%), out of which majority were non-diabetics (n = 18). A majority of patients (n = 146, 52%) in both groups did not use emergency medical services. Conclusion: This study provides an incentive for further research, aiming to reduce pre hospital delay along with investigating the effectiveness of emergency medical services. Keywords: Decision making, Diabetes mellitus, Myocardial infarction, Pakistan, Symptom

Vegetable proteins as encapsulating agents: Recent updates and future perspectives

Abstract The use of proteinaceous material is desired as it forms a protective gelation around the active core, making it safe through temperature, pH, and O2 in the stomach and intestinal environment. During the boom of functional food utilization in this era of advancement in drug delivery systems, there is a dire need to find more protein sources that could be explored for the potential of being used as encapsulation materials, especially vegetable proteins. This review covers certain examples which need to be explored to form an encapsulation coating material, including soybeans (conglycinin and glycinin), peas (vicilin and convicilin), sunflower (helianthins and albumins), legumes (glutenins and albumins), and proteins from oats, rice, and wheat. This review covers recent interventions exploring the mentioned vegetable protein encapsulation and imminent projections in the shifting paradigm from conventional process to environmentally friendly green process technologies and the sensitivity of methods used for encapsulation. Vegetable proteins are easily biodegradable and so are the procedures of spray drying and coacervation, which have been discussed to prepare the desired encapsulated functional food. Coacervation processes are yet more promising in the case of particle size formation ranging from nano to several hundred microns. The present review emphasizes the significance of using vegetable proteins as capsule material, as well as the specificity of encapsulation methods in relation to vegetable protein sensitivity and the purpose of encapsulation accompanying recent interventions

Functional roles and novel tools for improving‐oxidative stability of polyunsaturated fatty acids: A comprehensive review

Abstract Polyunsaturated fatty acids may be derived from a variety of sources and could be incorporated into a balanced diet. They protect against a wide range of illnesses, including cancer osteoarthritis and autoimmune problems. The PUFAs, ω‐6, and ω‐3 fatty acids, which are found in both the marine and terrestrial environments, are given special attention. The primary goal is to evaluate the significant research papers in relation to the human health risks and benefits of ω‐6 and ω‐3 fatty acid dietary resources. This review article highlights the types of fatty acids, factors affecting the stability of polyunsaturated fatty acids, methods used for the mitigation of oxidative stability, health benefits of polyunsaturated fatty acids, and future perspectives in detail