BackgroundThe etiology of pre-eclampsia (PE) is not yet fully understood, though current literature indicates an upregulation of inflammatory mediators produced by the placenta as a potential causal mechanism. Vitamin D is known to have anti-inflammatory properties and there is evidence of an inverse relationship between dietary calcium intake and the incidence of PE. Evidence of the role of vitamin D status and supplementation in the etiology and prevention of PE is reviewed in this article along with identification of research gaps to inform future studies.MethodsWe conducted a structured literature search using MEDLINE electronic databases to identify published studies until February 2015. These sources were retrieved, collected, indexed, and assessed for availability of pregnancy-related data on PE and vitamin D.ResultsSeveral case-control studies and cross-sectional studies have shown an association between vitamin D status and PE, although evidence has been inconsistent. Clinical trials to date have been unable to show an independent effect of vitamin D supplementation in preventing PE.ConclusionsThe included clinical trials do not show an independent effect of vitamin D supplementation in preventing PE; however, issues with dose, timing, and duration of supplementation have not been completely addressed.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12884-017-1408-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
IntroductionLipodystrophy is a term used to describe a metabolic complication of fat loss, fat gain, or a combination of fat loss and gain, which is associated with some antiretroviral (ARV) therapies given to HIV-infected individuals. There is limited research on lipodystrophy in low- and middle-income countries, despite accounting for more than 95% of the burden of HIV/AIDS. The objective of this review was to evaluate the prevalence, pathogenesis and prognosis of HIV-related lipoatrophy, lipohypertrophy and mixed syndrome, to inform clinical management in resource-limited settings.MethodsWe conducted a structured literature search using MEDLINE electronic databases. Relevant MeSH terms were used to identify published human studies on HIV and lipoatrophy, lipohypertrophy, or mixed syndrome in low-, low-middle- and upper-middle-income countries through 31 March 2014. The search resulted in 5296 articles; after 1599 studies were excluded (958 reviews, 641 non-human), 3697 studies were extracted for further review. After excluding studies conducted in high-income settings (n=2808), and studies that did not meet inclusion criteria (n=799), 90 studies were included in this review.Results and DiscussionOf the 90 studies included in this review, only six were from low-income countries and eight were from lower middle-income economies. These studies focused on lipodystrophy prevalence, risk factors and side effects of antiretroviral therapy (ART). In most studies, lipodystrophy developed after the first six months of therapy, particularly with the use of stavudine. Lipodystrophy is associated with increased risk of cardiometabolic complications. This is disconcerting and anticipated to increase, given the rapid scale-up of ART worldwide, the increasing number and lifespan of HIV-infected patients on long-term therapy, and the emergence of obesity and non-communicable diseases in settings with extensive HIV burden.ConclusionsLipodystrophy is common in resource-limited settings, and has considerable implications for risk of metabolic diseases, quality of life and adherence. Comprehensive evidence-based interventions are urgently needed to reduce the burden of HIV and lipodystrophy, and inform clinical management in resource-limited settings.
Background The prevalence of hypertension in low‐ and middle‐income countries is rapidly increasing, with most cases undiagnosed and many poorly controlled among those diagnosed. Medication reconciliation studies from high‐income countries have demonstrated a high occurrence of antihypertensive medication errors and a strong association between medication errors and inadequate blood pressure control, but data from low‐ and middle‐income countries are lacking. Methods and Results We conducted a cross‐sectional study from April to October 2018 of adult patients on pharmacologic management for known hypertension at 7 public health facilities in Kweneng East District, Botswana. Our aims included to evaluate the frequency of uncontrolled hypertension, the frequency and type of medication errors causing discrepancies between patient‐reported and prescribed antihypertensive medications, and the association between medication errors and uncontrolled hypertension. Descriptive analyses and multivariable logistic regression were used. The prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension was 55% among 280 enrolled adult patients, and 95 (34%) had ≥1 medication error. The most common errors included patients taking medications incorrectly (11.1%; 31/280), patients omitting medications (7.9%; 22/280), and unfilled prescriptions caused by pharmacy stock outs (7.5%%; 21/280). Uncontrolled hypertension was significantly associated with having ≥1 medication error compared with no errors (adjusted odds ratio, 3.26; 95% CI, 1.75–6.06; P <0.001). Conclusions Medication errors are strongly associated with poor blood pressure control in this setting. Further research is warranted to assess whether medication reconciliation and other low‐cost interventions addressing root causes of medication errors can improve the control of hypertension and other chronic conditions in low‐ and middle‐income countries.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted health systems worldwide, gravely threatening continuity of care for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), particularly in low-resource settings. We describe our efforts to maintain the continuity of care for patients with NCDs in rural western Kenya during the COVID-19 pandemic, using a five-component approach: 1) Protect: protect staff and patients; 2) Preserve: ensure medication availability and clinical services; 3) Promote: conduct health education and screenings for NCDs and COVID-19; 4) Process: collect process indicators and implement iterative quality improvement; and 5) Plan: plan for the future and ensure financial risk protection in the face of a potentially overwhelming health and economic catastrophe. As the pandemic continues to evolve, we must continue to pursue new avenues for improvement and expansion. We anticipate continuing to learn from the evolving local context and our global partners as we proceed with our efforts.
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