Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Dietary modifications in the form of a vegetarian diet can perhaps be the key to the prevention and management of cardiovascular diseases. The aims of this review are to determine the association between a vegetarian diet and CHD, to compare the risk of CHD in different types of vegetarian diets, and to assess variability in the biochemical predictors of CHD in the various vegetarian diets. Our study inferred that adherence to a plantbased diet was inversely related to the incidence of heart failure risk. Our research further supports the idea that a vegetarian diet is advantageous for the secondary prevention of CHD since it alters lipid profiles, lowers body mass index (BMI), and increases plasma antioxidant micronutrient concentrations. Additionally, eating a plant-based diet starting in adolescence is linked to a decreased risk of cerebrovascular disease (CVD) by middle age. An increase in sensitization and education efforts is imperative to ensure that people are appropriately informed about this option to significantly improve their quality of life.
Cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis (CBTp) as a modality of treatment is gaining attention. A number of authors have reported their experiences, including challenges, in administering CBTp for psychotic patients. With CBTp still evolving a lot more research is ongoing to fine-tune its benefits while mitigating the limitations to its use. The objectives of this review are to determine the role of CBTp in the overall improvement of a patient's quality of life, ascertain the number of hospitalizations with acute symptoms after the start of CBTp; and address the common drawbacks to CBTp in the management of psychosis. It was found that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) use can prevent the first episode of psychosis in ultra-high risk (UHR) and is effective in improving depression, self-esteem, and psychological well-being. Its use was associated with positive changes in thinking and mood, and sleep quality leading to improved everyday life. Patients who underwent CBT had fewer hospitalizations with a higher number of voluntary hospitalizations as compared to patients with usual care, who underwent a higher number of involuntary hospitalizations. Drawbacks included cost-ineffectiveness and resource limitation.
Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide and a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease. Although there are known, effective treatments for depression, people in low-and middle-income areas experience multiple barriers which limit their ability to receive adequate treatment. Some known barriers to effective care include a lack of resources, lack of trained healthcare providers, and social stigma associated with mental disorders and this creates gaps in mental health care and the need for more treatment modalities and adjuvant therapies to address these gaps. This review article was conducted using the scale for the assessment of non-systematic review articles (SANRA). We searched three databases; EMBASE, PubMed (MEDLINE), and Google Scholar using specified search terms. We had a total of nine articles with sample sizes ranging from 37 to 1551, and the age of participants ranged from 23 to 93 years. Articles were diverse in race and geographical locations. The articles were derived from cross-sectional studies, randomized studies, and experimental studies, and they focused on the relationship between humor and depression, and the reduced risk of depression in the study population. The articles identified different aspects of the relationship between humor and depression. The willingness of patients with depression to recognize or participate in humor could be defective resulting in abnormal social interactions such as withdrawal. However, there was some significant influence of humor or its styles on patients with depression either mitigating depressive symptoms or having no impact at all.
Prostate cancer remains the most common non-skin cancer in men. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is recognized as a biomarker for the diagnosis, monitoring, and risk prediction of prostate cancer. However, its role in prostate cancer screening has been controversial. While some authorities have recommended its use for screening, others have stated otherwise. Some clarity is required about its precise role in clinical practice. There need to be more consistent recommendations surrounding using PSA screening in clinical practice. Serum PSA measurements show variable reliability when screening for Prostate cancer, given the dynamics of PSA physiology and the conflicting results from two large, randomized control trials that sought to determine its role in prostate cancer screening and early detection. Hence surrogate measures like PSA density, PSA velocity, free-to-complexed PSA ratio, and percentage Pro-PSA among others, have been used to improve the predictive utility of this assay for Prostate cancer diagnosis. However, the debate on screening still lingers. The current review aims to highlight the controversies and objectively outline the current recommendations. This literature review examined scholarly papers and recommendations about the use of PSA for prostate cancer screening with the aim to rationalize the pros and cons of such approaches. We concluded that although more recent guidelines from the USPSTF recommend that screening be based on individual preference and professional judgment by the healthcare provider, differences in the specific details on how to best employ a PSA screening program still exist and require further review.
Background: The use of skin bleaching products is considered a common trend in dark-skinned women in West Africa, Surprisingly, only a few studies have been carried out on this subject in West Africa. The objectives of the study are to determine the prevalence, active component, complications, and mechanism of action of the key ingredients of skin bleaching products. Methods: This review article was conducted by searching PubMed (MEDLINE) and EMBASE using the search terms “ Use of skin bleaching products” and “West Africa” with a focus on articles from 2002 to 2022. Certain criteria were used to include or exclude articles from our study. Results: All articles reviewed revealed a rise in the prevalence of use of skin bleaching products ranging from 25% to 58.9% in women from Sub-Saharan Africa. The most common components found include hydroquinone, corticosteroids, mercury, and caustic agents. Some complications that result from the use of these products include skin atrophy, hyperpigmentation of skin around joints, Striae atrophicae, skin infection, and secondary adrenal insufficiency. Conclusion: The rise in the prevalence of the use of skin bleaching products in West African women has resulted in a corresponding rise in detrimental health conditions. Hence, Educating people concerning the harmful effects of the components of skin-lightening products should be employed and the government should put policies in place to reduce or legally prohibit the use of these products as the harm inarguably outweighs any perceived benefit.
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