A considerable chunk of the videos were misleading. They were more popular (than informative videos) and could potentially spread misinformation. Videos from trustworthy sources like university/health organizations were scarce. Curation/authentication of health information in online video platforms (like YouTube) is necessary. We discuss means to harness them as useful source of information and highlight measures to curb dissemination of misinformation during public health emergencies.

Background and Objectives:The liver plays a pivotal role in carbohydrate metabolism. Therefore, functional state of the liver in patients with diabetes is of interest. The objectives of the current study were to (i) identify co-existent biochemical derangements of liver function tests (LFTs) in type 2 diabetes and (ii) determine the association between liver function parameters and glycemic status in type 2 diabetics from Shillong, Meghalaya.Materials and Methods:Data from 320 type 2 diabetes patients were screened retrospectively for abnormalities in LFTs. Relationship of fasting serum glucose was assessed with the following tests in the LFT panel: Total bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and albumin. Correlation coefficient was computed between individual LFT and fasting glucose status. These bivariate analyses were supplemented by multivariate linear regression analyses.Results:71.25% subjects had an abnormality in at least one LFT. Elevated ALT (46.8%) and elevated ALP (48.5%) were the most common abnormality in males and females, respectively. ALP correlated positively with fasting glucose in both sexes. AST, ALT, and ALP were found to be independent determinants of glycemic status.Conclusion:Derangements in liver function are widely co-existent in type 2 diabetics from Shillong. Deranged liver enzymes are associated with glycemic status. Screening for liver dysfunction in diabetics and subsequent workup may lead to the identification of hepatic co-morbidities and better management.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, and particularly decreased high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) dyslipidemia are prevalent in Assam, India. This study was undertaken to investigate whether Apolipoprotein A-I (APOA1) gene polymorphisms (G-75A and C+83T) were associated with i) the risk for decreased HDL-C, and ii) other CVD risk factors, viz. serum lipids, atherogenic indices, obesity, and blood pressure (BP). A total of 649 subjects were screened, from which 200 eligible individuals, classified as case group with decreased HDL-C levels (100 subjects) and control group with normal HDL-C levels (100 subjects) were enrolled and genotyped using polymersase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and DNA sequencing. Lipid fractions [HDL-C, total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), triglycerides (TG)] and atherogenic indices [Castelli’s Risk Indices-I and -II (CRI-I and -II), non-HDL-C fraction, atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), atherogenic coefficient (AC)] were estimated. The G-75A and C+83T loci were not associated with decreased HDL-C risk. This was confirmed across different genetic models (dominant, recessive, additive and allelic). Association was also absent with BP and obesity. However, the G-75A locus was associated with LDL-C, whereas the C+83T locus was associated with TG and VLDL-C. Furthermore, these sites had effects on atherogenic indices. The rare A allele at the G-75A locus was associated with adverse CRI-I, CRI-II, non-HDL-C and AC values, while the major C allele at the C+83T locus was associated with adverse AIP values. Thus, the pro-atherogenic G-75A polymorphism and the anti-atherogenic C+83T polymorphism represent important genetic loci that modulate CVD risk factors in subjects from Assam.

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Decreased HDL-C is strongly associated with and largely attributable to obesity.

BackgroundThere is a growing interest in the role of allelic variants of the APOA1 gene in relation to a number of disorders. We described two common polymorphisms of the APOA1 gene, G-75A and C+83T and investigated their potential influence on the serum apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I) levels in the native population of Assam — a region that is ethnically distinct and from where no information is hitherto available.MethodsBlood samples were collected from 150 healthy volunteers. Apo A-I levels were estimated by immunoturbidometry. Genotyping was done by a PCR-RFLP method that involved DNA extraction from whole blood, followed by polymerase chain reaction and digestion of the PCR product by MspI restriction enzyme, and analysis of fragment sizes in 12% polyacrylamide gel.ResultsThe GG variant at G-75A locus and CC variant at C+83T locus were the most prevalent. GG/CC was the most common combination. Homozygous TT genotype was not detected in any of the subjects. The rare allele frequencies for the G-75A and C+83T sites were found to be 0.22 and 0.06 respectively, which significantly differed from those reported in some other populations in neighbouring regions. Serum apo A-I concentrations did not vary significantly across the detected genotypes. These findings were consistent in both sexes.ConclusionWe described the distribution of the G-75A and C+83T polymorphisms of the APOA1 gene in the population of Assam for the first time. These polymorphisms were not found to directly influence apo A-I concentrations in this population either individually or synergistically.

Social media offers an opportune platform for educating the public about the recommended interventions during global health emergencies. This case study evaluated information in the popular social media platform YouTube about two key interventions (namely, ‘social distancing’ and ‘hand washing’) recommended during coronavirus disease-2019. Using the keywords ‘social distancing’ and ‘hand washing’, 77 and 78 videos, respectively, were selected from YouTube through pre-defined criteria. The understandability, actionability and quality of information in these videos were assessed. Cumulatively, the social distancing videos received >9 million views and the hand-washing videos received >37 million views. Thirteen social distancing videos (16.9%) and 46 hand-washing videos (58.9%) provided understandable, actionable and good-quality information. The non-understandable, non-actionable or poor-quality videos had paradoxically more viewer engagements than the understandable, actionable or good-quality videos, respectively. Most social distancing videos came from news agencies (68.8%). Hand-washing videos were mostly uploaded by health agencies or academic institutes (52.6%). The videos were less likely to be understandable and actionable and to be of good quality when uploaded by sources other than health agencies or academic institutes. The paucity of adequate information and the limited representation of ‘authoritative’ sources were concerning. Strategies for harnessing social media as an effective medium for public health education are necessary during pandemics.

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