Major Non-communicable Diseases Research Articles

Association Between Sociodemographic Status and Physical Functioning of Obese School Going Children- A Cross Sectional Study

Background: Obesity is major non-communicable disease (NCD) all over the world affecting both children & adult. More than 30 million overweight children are living in developing countries & 10 million in developed countries. Childhood obesity leads to a significant reduction in health-related functioning. So, the negative effects of childhood obesity on quality of life (QoL) have to be determined to combat the problem. Objective: To determine the association between sociodemographic status and physical functioning of obese school going children. Methods: This was a cross sectional type of descriptive study conducted at different schools of Rajshahi city from June 2015 to September 2015. Four (4) schools were selected- a) Govt. Laboratory High School, Rajshahi b) Rajshahi Collegiate School c) River view Collectorate School, Rajshahi and d) Rajshahi University School. The study population were 5 to 15 years old obese school children. A total number of 221 children were interviewed. Results: The ages of the respondents were between 4 to 15 years, and the mean age was 7.83±3.058 years. Among the 221 respondents more than half (56.6%) were in 4-7 years of age group, another 24.0% belonged to the age group of 8- 11 years and only 19.5% were 12- 15 years age group. Weight of the respondents was from 20 to 65 kg and mean weight of the respondents was (41.64±10.75). Here, 36.2% weight was from 37-47 kg and 29.0% weight was from 26-36 kg. Another 23.1%, 7.7% and 4.1% weight was from 48-58 kg, 59-69 kg and 15-25 kg respectively. There was no significant relationship with respondent age and sex with physical functioning (p ≥ 0.05). There was a significant relationship with weight and physical functioning (p≤0.05). Conclusions: The sociodemographic status may influence the physical functioning of the obese school going children. Their lifestyle must be modified in this early life otherwise they will be affected by different non communicable disease J Rang Med Col. March 2024; Vol. 9, No. 1: 71-76

Impact of medical bloggers’ activities on the prevention of disease risk, public, population and individual health: the opinion of social media users

Due to the high information and communication importance and potential of the medical blogosphere in the formation of health literacy of the population, there is the increased need to study the opinions of Russian social media users on the impact of the content of medical blogs on personal and public health. Aim of the study was to find out the opinion of social media users on the extent to which the activities of bloggers specializing in public health and health care topics influence the prevention of major non-communicable and infectious diseases, public and personal health, within the changing boundaries of medical knowledge broadcasting (using sociological methods). Material and methods. The authors conducted a quantitative sociological survey of 178 respondents - users of social media: 55 (30.9 %) women and 123 (69.1 %) men about visiting blogs specializing in public health and healthcare. The collection of information was carried out by e-mailing a questionnaire developed by the authors, and analyzed the answers to questions from active blog users through a Google form in April – May 2023. Results. The study results of the impact of bloggers’ activities on personal and public health, including those related to the quality of medical information disseminated in social media, are described. Respondents believe that medical bloggers have a greater impact on public health than personal health. At the same time, according to the respondents, the spheres of influence in the field of public health do not coincide with the spheres of influence in the field of personal health. Thus, 74.7 % of respondents believe that medical bloggers have an impact on maintaining a healthy lifestyle of the population, prevention (61.8 % of all respondents think so) and treatment of infectious diseases (61.2 %). The requirements for the quality of information provided by bloggers are considered. Based on the analysis of Russian and foreign scientific literature, the authors developed a graphical diagram of the effect of dissemination through the blogosphere of information in the field of health care and disease prevention. Conclusions. The content published on medical blogs affects the health literacy of the population. That is why, medical blogs can be seen as a social determinant of health, because health blogs can be the key to the success of disease prevention and control efforts for public health maintaining. For organizing a communication intervention of medical personnel in social media to inform the population about methods for preventing the risk of developing major non-communicable and infectious diseases and increasing the level of health literacy of the population, medical blogs can and should be used to inform and educate patients as part of general or targeted multimodal educational practices or as a means of delivering electronic content. The risks of publishing inaccurate information in the blogosphere must be considered, whereby patients can easily become misinformed, which can have serious consequences for their health, and even increase their risk of mortality. To make the best use of the blogosphere, it is necessary to solve the problems of content accuracy and increase the level of professionalism of bloggers who write on medical topics. They need to be professionally trained to work for health, contributing to the prevention of the risk of developing major non-communicable and communicable diseases, improving the health of the population through education, and raising the level of health literacy. It makes sense to assess the success of the communicative intervention of doctors in social media and their management of the training of medical bloggers as a personnel determinant of public health, since it will depend on the personnel potential of the healthcare sector.

Water-Soluble Small Organic Fluorophores for Oncological Theragnostic Applications: Progress and Development.

Cancer is one of the major noncommunicable diseases, responsible for millions of deaths every year worldwide. Though various cancer detection and treatment modalities are available today, many deaths occur owing to its late-stage detection and metastatic nature. Noninvasive detection using luminescence-based imaging tools is considered one of the promising techniques owing to its low cost, high sensitivity, and brightness. Moreover, these tools are unique and valuable as they can detect even the slightest changes in the cellular microenvironment. To achieve this, a fluorescent probe with strong tumor uptake and high spatial and temporal resolution, especially with highwatersolubility, is highly demanded. Recently, several water-soluble molecules with emission windows in the visible (400-700nm), first near-infrared (NIR-I, 700-1000nm), and second near-infrared (NIR-II, 1000-1700nm) windows have been reported in literature. This review highlights recently reported water-soluble small organic fluorophores/dyes with applications in cancer diagnosis and therapeutics. We systematically highlight and describe the key concepts, structural classes of fluorophores, strategies for imparting water solubility, and applications in cancer therapy and diagnosis, i.e., theragnostics. We discuss examples of water-soluble fluorescent probes based on coumarin, xanthene, boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY), and cyanine cores. Some other emerging classes of dyes based on carbocyclic and heterocyclic cores are also discussed. Besides, emerging molecular engineering methods to obtain such fluorophores are discussed. Finally, the opportunities and challenges in this research area are also delineated.

Prevalence of common risk factors of major noncommunicable diseases among sexual and gender minorities in Kathmandu valley, Nepal.

Four noncommunicable diseases (NCDs): cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes, account for 71% of global deaths. However, little is known about the NCDs risk profile of sexual and gender minorities (SGMs). This study aimed to determine the prevalence of NCDs risk factors among the SGMs of Kathmandu valley, Nepal. A cross-sectional study was conducted among SGMs in the Kathmandu valley, Nepal. We recruited 140 participants using the snowball sampling method. A face-to-face interview was done using a structured questionnaire adapted from World Health Organization Step Wise Approach to Surveillance (STEPS instruments V2.2 2019) along with blood pressure and anthropometric measurements. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS.v20). More than two-thirds of the participants, 96 (68.6%), had co-occurrence of NCDs risk factors. The prevalence of insufficient fruits and vegetables consumption, current smoking, harmful alcohol consumption, overweight/obesity, and hypertension were 95.7%, 40.0%, 32.9%, 28.5%, and 28.6%, respectively. There was a significant association between hypertension, harmful alcohol consumption, and overweight/obesity with the participants' age, employment status, and marital status, respectively. Study findings indicated a higher prevalence of NCDs risk factors among SGMs. National-level NCDs surveillance, policy planning, prevention, and targeted health interventions should prioritize the SGMs.

Chronic kidney disease and the global public health agenda: an international consensus.

Early detection is a key strategy to prevent kidney disease, its progression and related complications, but numerous studies show that awareness of kidney disease at the population level is low. Therefore, increasing knowledge and implementing sustainable solutions for early detection of kidney disease are public health priorities. Economic and epidemiological data underscore why kidney disease should be placed on the global public health agenda - kidney disease prevalence is increasing globally and it is now the seventh leading risk factor for mortality worldwide. Moreover, demographic trends, the obesity epidemic and the sequelae of climate change are all likely to increase kidney disease prevalence further, with serious implications for survival, qualityoflife and health care spending worldwide. Importantly, the burden of kidney disease is highest among historically disadvantaged populations that often have limited access to optimal kidney disease therapies, which greatly contributes to current socioeconomic disparities in health outcomes. This joint statement from the International Society of Nephrology, European Renal Association and American Society of Nephrology, supported by three other regional nephrology societies, advocates for the inclusion of kidney disease in the current WHO statement on major non-communicable disease drivers of premature mortality.

IJCM_302A: Perceptions related to lifestyle modifications among Diabetes Mellitus (DM) patients in tertiary care hospitals in Mangalore

Background: Diabetes is a chronic lifestyle disease which can be kept under control by some simple lifestyle modifications like blood sugar monitoring, dietary modification and exercise pattern. Diabetes mellitus (DM) appears to be a global epidemic and an increasingly major non-communicable disease threatening both affluent and non-affluent sections of the society. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in tertiary care hospitals in Mangalore involving 109 participants. The study utilized the Summary Diabetes Self-Care Activities questionnaire to collect data. Practices were categorized as good or poor based on an average score, with scores above 75% indicating good and lower scores indicating poorer practices. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 16.0. Results: The dietary modifications were good in 7.3% of the subjects, exercise behavior in 14.67%, foot care practices in 12.6% and sugar monitoring in only 1% of the subjects. Being male and married was associated with better self-care behaviors. People belonging to low socio-economic status had better dietary modification habits. Conclusion: Self-care activities with respect to diet and sugar monitoring are poor in the population studied. The self-care activities relating to exercise behavior and foot care are good. Improving self-care behavior among patients with diabetes in India should start with adequate targeted health education.

Cohort profile: the PERSIAN Dena Cohort Study (PDCS) of non-communicable diseases in Southwest Iran

PurposeThis study conducted in Dena County is a population-based cohort study as part of the Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in Iran (PERSIAN). The specific objectives of this study were to...

Effect of Urban and Rural Population Lifestyle on Quality of Life in Diabetes Miletus Patients by Using Body Composition Device and Quality of Life Instrument for Indian Diabetes Patients (QOLID): A Comparative Study

Background: Diabetes Mellitus is one of the major non-communicable diseases in the world. It is a well-recognized cause for premature death and disability as it increases the risk of vascular, renal, retinal and neuropathic complications. Lifestyle modification, changing dietary habits and rapid urbanization may be the most important factors for the increasing prevalence of this disease. In this project we measure the quality of life in diabetes patient by using body composition device. It was calculating the body mass, bone mass, muscle as well as visceral mass. By that we calculate BMR of each individual that will differentiate the effect of urban and rural lifestyle on patients. Aim: To study the Quality of life in Diabetes Miletus patients in urban and rural population. Methodology: After obtaining ethical Committee approval a comparison study was conducted on 100 Diabetic patients between age group 35-60 years. All participants were screen for the inclusion and exclusion criteria. All included participants were explained about this study and they included after consent form signing. Then BMR and QOL are check by using the Body composition device and Quality of life in Indian diabetes patient (QOLID). Result: Result showed that the Quality of life is better in urban population than rural but BMR is better in rural population. p value is >0.001 so study is extremely significant. Conclusion: This study concluded that Rural population has better BMR, Bone mass than Urban population but there is no such difference in Muscle mass of both population Diabetes Patients. This study also concluded that QOL is more in urban population than rural population on basis of emotional/mental health, prevalence of diabetes, general health diet satisfaction, education and treatment satisfaction.

Relation between dietary inflammatory potential and sleep features: Systematic review of observational studies

BACKGROUND: Diet and sleep represent key behavioral risk factors for major non-communicable diseases. Dietary factors may modulate systemic inflammation and potentially affect the human brain functionality, finally affecting the sleep-wake cycle. In this context, the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) has been studied as a tool to investigate the dietary inflammatory potential and its relationship with a variety of health conditions. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to perform a systematic revision of observational studies on the inflammatory potential of the diet assessed through the DII and sleep features. METHODS: A systematic search of observational studies on DII and sleep features was conducted on Pubmed and EMBASE electronic databases. The Meta-analyses Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines were used to plan the methodology. Studies identified through the search were selected according to inclusion/exclusion criteria. RESULTS: The systematic search and review led to the selection of 13 studies. Most studies including the general population reported an association between higher inflammatory potential of the diet and worse sleep quality and suboptimal sleep duration. Some studies also reported an association with daytime sleepiness and sleep apnea. However, some studies including younger individuals (i.e., college students or young employees) reported null findings. Four studies conducted in individuals with a variety of health conditions also showed some relation between DII and sleep features, although results were not fully consistent. CONCLUSIONS: Data published so far suggests an association between DII and sleep features. However, lack of randomized clinical trials and better designed observational studies, imply that further research on this matter is warranted to understand whether a causal relation could explain current findings.

Prevention of cardiovascular disease, a major non-communicable disease, in a super-aging society: Health success and unsolved issues in Japan.

As far as non-communicable disease is concerned, Japan is unique in showing a substantial decline in stroke mortality and the lowest and declining mortality from ischemic heart disease during the past half century, which contributed to the elongation of a 4-year average life expectancy, leading to top longevity in the world. However, several issues have remained in the prevention of cardiovascular disease with super-aging: i) how to manage the screening and lifestyle modification for both individuals with metabolic syndrome and those with non-overweight/ obesity plus metabolic risk factors, and ii) how to enhance the referral of very high-risk individuals screened at health checks to physicians for seeking treatment and examine whether an early clinical visit was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and total mortality. Health counseling is needed for both persons with metabolic syndrome and high-risk individuals with non-obese/overweight because the population attributable risk fraction of ischemic cardiovascular disease was similar for both high-risk individuals. Standardized counseling for very high-risk individuals accelerated clinical visits and reduced levels of risk factors. In health counseling, public health nurses were more effective in increasing clinic visits. Furthermore, the earlier clinic visit after the counseling suggested a lower risk of hospitalization for stroke, coronary heart disease, heart failure, and all-cause mortality. This article reviews these epidemiological findings for health practitioners and policymakers to perform further prevention and control for cardiovascular disease in Japan and other Asian and African countries with emerging cardiovascular burden and aging.

Mortality in women with a history of incarceration in Norway: a 20-year national cohort study.

Women carry a substantial burden of psychiatric, somatic and lifestyle-related morbidity in the prison context. By describing causes of death and estimating the risk and burden of mortality compared with the general population, this study investigates how mortality operates in this highly marginalized and under-researched population. In this registry-based study of all women incarcerated in Norwegian prisons from 2000 to 2019 (N = 11 313), we calculated crude mortality rates, years of lost life and, by using mortality in age-matched women from the general population as a reference, age-standardized mortality ratios and years of lost life rates. Over a mean follow-up time of 10.7 years, at a median age of 50years, 9% of the population had died (n = 1005). Most deaths (80%) were premature deaths from an avoidable cause. Drug-induced causes and deaths from major non-communicable diseases (NCDs) were most frequent (both 32%). Compared with women in the general population, women with a history of incarceration were more likely to die from any cause. Trends in annual age-standardized years of lost life rates suggest that the mortality burden associated with major NCDs has gradually replaced drug-induced causes. Women with a history of incarceration die at a greater rate than their peers and largely from avoidable causes. The profile of causes contributing to the substantial burden of mortality placed on this population has changed over time and has important implications for future efforts to reduce morbidity and the risk of premature death following release from prison.

Gender characteristics of the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases in the adult population of the Vladimir region

Aim. To assess the prevalence of major noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) taking into account gender characteristics in a random sample of adults in 5 cities of the Vladimir region.Material and methods. This cross-sectional population-based study (May 2018 — March 2020) included 1350 people (men and women aged 30-69 years) from 5 cities of the Vladimir region. The response rate was 87%. A total of 1174 people completed the study. Of these, 424 (36,1%) were men and 750 (63,9%) women. Respondents were surveyed using a standard questionnaire prepared by the National Medical Research Center for Therapy and Preventive Medicine, which included socio-demographic characteristics, behavioral risk factors, data on somatic diseases and medications taken.Results. The prevalence of coronary artery disease among men was 14,1%, among women — 9,5% (p=0,016). In men, the second most common disease is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which was 2,5 times more common than in women — 10,6 and 4,5%, respectively (p=0,001). Among women, the second most common disease was type 2 diabetes (T2D), accounting for 7,6%. Cerebrovascular diseases occupy fourth place in the NCD structure. Their prevalence was 6,1% among men and 4,4% among women. Cancer diseases were less common than other chronic diseases without sex differences — 2,8 and 3,1%, respectively. In certain cities, the prevalence of NCDs varied. Every third man and fourth women had a positive family history for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) (p=0,005). About 20% of men reported a positive family history for COPD, while among women this figure was 2 times lower (p=0,001). Men and women were comparable in terms a family history for T2D — 10,4 and 12,5%, respectively. A positive family history for tumors of various locations was recorded in ~5%.Conclusion. In the adult working-age population of the Vladimir region, atherosclerosis-related CVDs was identified in 17% of cases. The incidence of T2D and COPD in the adult population was approximately the same and amounted to >7%. The prevalence of cancer was 3%. Sex differences were identified in the prevalence of coronary artery disease and COPD.

Asthma Prevalence Among Adults in Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia.

Asthma is a major non-communicable disease affecting both children and adultsand is the most common chronic disease among children. It has a significant effect on patient's daily lives, as well as a big economic impact on society, as it affects 262 million people of the population globally. According to the previous research conducted in the Aseer region in southwestern Saudi Arabia, the prevalence rate of bronchial asthma was found to be 19.2%. Also, a number of studies revealed a significant prevalence of asthma in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, it is simple and effective to measure specific asthma symptoms among the adult population by utilizing the European Community Respiratory Health Survey(ECRHS) criteria. To investigate asthma prevalence and measure asthma symptoms among Saudi adults in Qassim, Saudi Arabia using the ECRHS. This cross-sectional study targets the males and females living in the Qassim regionof Saudi Arabia. The study was conducted by handing out a validated, self-administered questionnaire among adultmale and female patients in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia. Both descriptive and inferential statistics analyses were conducted. To test the association, both chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were carried out. For the test, a p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The study involved 461 participants who met the inclusion criteria. The study found that 137 (29.9%) participants reported having tightness in their chests when they woke up. Among the respondents who reported these symptoms were 83 (60.1%) female and 55 (39.9%) male respondents. This shows a statistically significant difference between the gender and severity of chest tightness upon waking up (p = 0.008) with more females experiencing it than the male gender. More so, there was a statistically significant difference between the gender and severity of shortness of breath (p = 0.008), with more females (81, 60.4%) having the symptoms than the male gender (53, 39.6%). In addition, the study results reveal statistically significant gender differences among the patients who were diagnosed with asthma by the physician (p = 0.003), with more males (51, 65.4%) having been diagnosed than the female gender (27, 34.6%). Asthmaattacks inthe12months (p = 0.047) and the use of tobacco products(p = 0.001) were also found to have a statistically significant difference across the genders. This was shown by most males (26, 65.0%)who hadasthmaattacks inthe12months and 70 (98.6%) who smoked any tobacco products than the few females (14, 35.0%) who reported to have had asthmaattacks inthe12months and one (1.4%) who reported smoking any tobacco products. This study noted that the prevalence of asthma symptoms varied based on the gender of the participants. Therefore, the study suggests that gender should be taken as an important factor while evaluating the severity and how asthma-related symptoms manifest.

CircLZIC regulates ox-LDL-induced HUVEC cell proliferation and apoptosis via Micro-330-5p/NOTCH2 axis in atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a major chronic non-communicable disease and a primary cause of cardiovascular disease. Recent studies have shown that circRNAs are potential epigenetic factors that regulate vascular endothelial inflammatory responses and AS progression. Therefore, identification of the circRNAs that regulate ox-LDL levels is a critical step to understanding the pathology of AS. Our study is aim to investigate how circLZIC regulates atherosclerosis (AS) via the Micro-330-5p/NOTCH2 regulatory axis. The results showed that CircLZIC and NOTCH2 are highly expressed in human AS clinical samples, while Micro-330-5p is expressed locally. The CCK-8 experiment results showed that circLZIC promotes the proliferation of HUVECS cells. Flow cytometry analysis showed that circLZIC act as an inhibitor of HUVEC cell apoptosis. The expression level of Micro-330-5p can be up-regulated by transfection of small interfering RNA against circLZIC. Further, Starbase predicted that Micro-330-5p could target and regulate NOTCH2. Next, we confirmed that overexpression of Micro-330-5p could significantly reduce the expression of fluorescein using the double Luciferase reporter assay. RIP-qRT-PCR experiment showed that Micro-330-5p and NOTCH2 mRNAs are effectively enriched by ago2 protein. Further, we found that knocking down circLZIC increases the expression of Micro-330-5p and promotes cell apoptosis, while inhibiting the expression of NOTCH2 and cell activity. On the other hand, co-transfection of Micro-330-5p inhibitor decreases Micro-330-5p expression and inhibit cell apoptosis, while increasing NOTCH2 expression and cell activity. In conclusion, CircLZIC regulates HUVEC cell activity by the Micro-330-5p/NOTCH2 signaling pathway, suggesting that circLZIC plays a key role in atherosclerosis development.

Risk of major myopia-associated non-communicable ocular health disorders in Ghana.

To assess the differential association of myopia with major non-communicable ocular diseases in an African clinical cohort. A five-year hospital-based retrospective study of myopia cases. Patients' folders, Optical Coherence Tomography scans, and fundus photographs were reviewed for the abstraction of relevant data. Only records that employed recognized standards and classification systems for diagnosing and staging the various ocular conditions were included. Demographic characteristics, non-cycloplegic objective refractive findings, and non-communicable eye diseases were retrieved from the records. Myopia-associated risk factors were then determined using logistic regression and correlation. Some 16018 patients (32027 eyes) met the inclusion criteria for at least one eye comprising 50.8% males (n = 8137) and 49.2% females (n = 7881). The mean age of the patients was 43.14 ± 17.88 years (range: 2-98 years). The mean spherical equivalent± Standard deviation for myopia was -2.30±3.23 DS (range: -0.50 to -25DS). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that myopic eyes had a higher odd of AC (OR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.50-0.57), POAG (OR, 6.0; 95% CI, 5.26-6.82), DR (OR, 10.70; 95% CI, 3.91-29.27) and cataracts (OR, 20; 95% CI, 15.32-26.20) but not dry eye (OR, 0.74, 95% CI, 0.68-0.81), macular degeneration and pterygium (OR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.32-0.40). Africans with myopia are more at risk of developing allergic conjunctivitis, cataracts, POAG, and DR but not for dry eye, macular degeneration, and pterygium.

Pomegranate supplementation alleviates dyslipidemia and the onset of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Wistar rats by shifting microbiota and producing urolithin-like microbial metabolites.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), obesity and related chronic diseases are major non-communicable diseases with high mortality rates worldwide. While dietary sugars are known to be responsible for insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome (MetS), the underlying pathophysiological effects of sustained fructose consumption require further elucidation. We hypothesize that certain bioactive compounds (i.e. punicalagin and ellagic acid) from dietary pomegranate could counteract the harmful effects of sustained fructose consumption in terms of obesity and liver damage. The present study aimed to elucidate both the molecular mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology associated with fructose intake and the effect of a punicalagin-rich commercial pomegranate dietary supplement (P) used as a nutritional strategy to alleviate fructose-induced metabolic impairments. Thus, nineteen Wistar rats fed on a basal commercial feed were supplemented with either 30% (w/v) fructose in drinking water (F; n = 7) or 30% (w/v) fructose solution plus 0.2% (w/v) P (F + P; n = 6) for 10 weeks. The results were compared to those from a control group fed on the basal diet and provided with drinking water (C; n = 6). Body weight and energy intake were registered weekly. P supplementation decreased fat depots, counteracted the dyslipidemia caused by F and improved markers of liver injury including steatosis. The study of the microbiota by metagenomics and urine by untargeted MS-based metabolomics revealed microbial metabolites from P that may be responsible for these health benefits.

Telemedicine Utilization Patterns and Implications Amidst COVID-19 Outbreaks in Thailand Under Public Universal Coverage Scheme.

During COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine was a strategy to facilitate healthcare service delivery minimizing the risk of direct exposure among people. In Thailand, the National Health Security Office has included telemedicine services under the Universal Coverage Scheme to support social distancing policies to reduce the spread of COVID-19. This study aimed to determine the patterns of telemedicine service use during major COVID-19 outbreaks including Alpha, Delta, and Omicron in Thailand. We retrospectively analyzed a dataset of telemedicine e-claims from the National Health Security Office, which covers services reimbursed under the Universal Coverage Scheme between December 2020 and August 2022. An interrupted time-series analysis, Pearson correlation analysis and binary logistic regression were performed. Almost 70% of the patients using telemedicine services were over 40 years old. Most patients used services for mental health problems (25.6%) and major noncommunicable diseases, including essential hypertension (12.6%) and diabetes mellitus (9.2%). The daily number of using telemedicine service was strongly correlated with the number of COVID-19 new cases detected. An immediate change in the trend of using telemedicine was detected at the onset of outbreaks along with the surge of infection. The follow-up use of telemedicine services was not substantial among female, older adults patients and those with non-communicable diseases except mental health problems, and infectious diseases. Strategies need to be developed to reinforced healthcare resources for telemedicine during the surge of outbreaks and sustain the use of telemedicine services for chronic and infectious diseases, regardless of the pandemic, and promote the efficiency of healthcare systems.

Influence of major non-communicable chronic disease diagnoses on Chinese adult males' smoking behavior: is there a moderating role for the home environment?

Influence of major non-communicable chronic disease diagnoses on Chinese adult males' smoking behavior: is there a moderating role for the home environment?

Trends of antihypertensive use in a tertiary care hospital in Nadia district of West Bengal, India

Background: Being a major non-communicable disease hypertension contributes significantly to disease burden and mortality. Poor control of blood pressure (BP) increases the chance of recurrent stroke and mortality. Although various guidelines have been published to inform practitioners about hypertension and its management, it is necessary to monitor to how much extent the guidelines are being followed. Aims and Objectives: The study aimed to observe antihypertensive medication prescription pattern among indoor patients in a tertiary medical college hospital and to know whether such trend of prescription is relevant and in conformity with the national and international guidelines. Materials and Methods: A prescription-based survey was conducted over 6 months among patients admitted to the medicine ward in a medical college hospital in Nadia district of West Bengal. Relevant data were collected and used for analysis. Results: A total of 500 prescriptions were evaluated. Two hundred and seventy-three patients were female (54.6%) and 227 patients were male (45.4%). About 56.2% of patients were in the senior age group with a higher contribution by the female subjects. Only 17% of patients had Grade 1 hypertension reflecting poor BP control among hypertensive patients. Combination drug was advised in more than half of cases (54.6%), whereas single drug was advised in 44.2% of cases. Amlodipine was the highest prescribing drug (66%) both as monotherapy and in combination followed by Lasix (54.6%), labetalol (31.6%), and telmisartan (11.4%). The thiazide group of drugs was used only in 1% of cases. Conclusion: Overall, the management guidelines for hypertension were adhered in the prescriptions. The underutilization of thiazide-type diuretics remains an area of concern and needs necessary action. The public health delivery system may need to take appropriate measures to make people aware of BP control.

Prevalence of major non-communicable diseases and their associated risk factors in Afghanistan: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of mortality worldwide, and increasingly so in low- and middle-income countries. Afghanistan is dealing with a double burden of diseases, yet there has been no evidence synthesis on the prevalence of major NCDs and their risk factors. This study aims to provide a comprehensive synthesis of the existing data on the prevalence of major NCDs and the common related risk factors in Afghanistan. We systematically reviewed scientific articles from 2000 to 2022 that reported the prevalence of diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs), cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) or cancer, and their risk factors in Afghanistan. Four online databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane and Google Scholar) and two local journals in Afghanistan (not indexed online) were systematically searched and screened. Two reviewers independently screened and appraised the quality of the articles. Data extraction and synthesis were performed using tabulated sheets. Among 51 eligible articles, 10 (19.6%) focused on cancer, 10 (19.6%) on diabetes, 4 (7.8%) on CVDs, 4 (7.8%) on CRDs and 23 (45.1%) on risk factors as the primary outcome. Few articles addressed major NCD prevalence; no evidence of CVDs, cancer was 0.15%, asthma ranged between 0.3% and 17.3%, and diabetes was 12%. Pooled prevalence of hypertension and overweight were 31% and 35%, respectively. Central obesity was twice as prevalent in females (76% versus 40%). Similarly, gender differences were observed in smoking and snuff use with prevalence rates of 14% and 25% among males and 2% and 3% among females, respectively. A total of 14% of the population engaged in vigorous activity. Pooled prevalence for physical inactivity, general obesity, fruit and vegetable consumption, dyslipidaemia and alcohol consumption couldn't be calculated due to the heterogeneity of articles. Only little evidence is available on the prevalence of major NCDs in Afghanistan; however, the NCD risk factors are prevalent across the country. The quality of the available data, especially those of the local resources, is poor; therefore, further research should generate reliable evidence in order to inform policymakers on prioritizing interventions for controlling and managing NCDs.