Study of coinfection of HBV and HIV in patients attending a tertiary care teaching hospital

Introduction : HIV positive people are frequently infected with Hepatitis B virus and total global estimate of people with co-infection is around 2 to 4 million. All people who are infected with HIV should be screened for HBV coinfection which poses a main threat for development of Cirrhosis and Hepatocellular carcinoma. Objectives: The main objective of the current study is to assess the incidence of Hepatitis B co-infection in HIV infected patients of rural background attending a tertiary care setup. Materials & Methods: This is a cross-sectional study done over a period of one year among the outpatients attending Prathima Hospital. Ethical clearance was taken from institutional ethical committee. Both HIV and HBsAg screening were done by using rapid immunoassay. The results were calculated by using SPSS 16 software. Results: In our study there is no significant gender difference in the mean age of population who were infected with HIV (P=0.442). Total 16.98% of patients with HIV positive were screened positive for HBsAg indicating co-infection among the rural population attending our tertiary care center. Conclusion: HIV infected individuals are more prone for HBV infection and are at increased risk for subsequent coinfection by Hepatitis B virus. All the HIV infected individuals and their family members should be encouraged for routine HBV screening at least half yearly. Patients with co-infection should be effectively and systematically treated with combined HBV and ART (antiretroviral therapy)

Assessing the impact of body mass index on insulin resistance and metabolic risk factors in pre-diabetic individuals: A comprehensive cross-sectional study

Background: Insulin resistance plays a crucial role in the onset of type 2 diabetes, with body mass index (BMI) being a significant determinant. Aims and Objectives: This study examines the link between BMI and insulin resistance in pre-diabetic individuals to inform strategies for early diabetes intervention. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 100 pre-diabetic participants. Data on demographic characteristics, BMI, insulin resistance (measured by the Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance, HOMA-IR), lipid profiles, and blood pressure (BP) were collected. Participants were categorized into normal weight, overweight, and obese groups to explore the relationship between BMI and insulin resistance and its impact on metabolic and cardiovascular health. Results: The average participant age was 45.8 years (SD=12.3), with a slight majority being female (52%) and an average BMI of 28.4 kg/m² (SD=4.5). A significant positive correlation (r=0.64, P<0.001) between BMI and the HOMA-IR index highlighted the association between increased BMI and insulin resistance. Obese individuals had a notably higher HOMA-IR index (3.5±1.3) compared to those overweight (2.5±1.0) and of normal weight (1.9±0.8). In addition, the study found worsening lipid profiles and increased BP with higher BMI categories. Gender did not significantly affect insulin resistance, whereas a slight increase in HOMA-IR with age was noted (r=0.23, P=0.02). Conclusion: The findings highlight the strong correlation between higher BMI and increased insulin resistance in pre-diabetics. They emphasize the importance of managing body weight to mitigate the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases