Objective: Low birth weight (LBW) is common in the Indian population and may represent an important predisposing factor for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and the metabolic syndrome. Intensive metabolic examinations in ethnic LBW Asian Indians have been almost exclusively performed in immigrants living outside India. Therefore, we aimed to study the metabolic impact of being born with LBW in a rural non-migrant Indian population. Subjects and methods: One hundred and seventeen non-migrant, young healthy men were recruited from a birth cohort in a rural part of south India. The subjects comprised 61 LBW and 56 normal birth weight (NBW) men, with NBW men acting as controls. Subjects underwent a hyperinsulinaemic euglycaemic clamp, i.v. and oral glucose tolerance tests and a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan. The parents' anthropometric status and metabolic parameters were assessed. Results: Men with LBW were shorter (167G6.4 vs 172G6.0 cm, P!0.0001), lighter (51.9G9 vs 55.4G7 kg, PZ0.02) and had a reduced lean body mass (42.1G5.4 vs 45.0G4.5 kg, PZ0.002) compared with NBW controls. After adjustment for height and weight, the LBW subjects had increased diastolic blood pressure (77G6 vs 75G6 mmHg, PZ0.01). Five LBW subjects had impaired glucose tolerance. In vivo insulin secretion and peripheral insulin action were similar in both the groups. Mothers of the LBW subjects were 3 cm shorter than the control mothers. Conclusion: Only subtle features of the metabolic syndrome and changes in body composition among LBW rural Indians were found. Whether other factors such as urbanisation and ageing may unmask more severe metabolic abnormalities may require a long-term follow-up.
Summaryobjective To record cases of suicide and attempted suicide among a population of 108 000 people living in a primarily rural area of southern India, with the aim of guiding policies and strategies to restrict access to poisonous compounds at community level.method Community-based surveillance over a period of 2 years. results and conclusion The overall suicide rate was 71.4 per 100 000 population; the highest burden was among men. Most people died through hanging (81, 54%) and self-poisoning (46, 31%). Of the 46 who died from self-poisoning, 78.3% had taken pesticides and 19.7% had eaten poisonous plants. Eighty per cent of the self-poisoning cases obtained the poisonous substance in or in close proximity to the home, highlighting the importance of safe storage in the domestic environment. Of the 110 fatal and non-fatal self-poisoning cases, 87 (57.5%) were taken for treatment; 50 (57.4%) went to government hospitals and 37 (42.5%) to private facilities. This indicates the importance of including the private sector in the efforts to improve case management. Furthermore, the fact that 31 (67%) of the self-poisoning patients, who eventually died, were alive after 4 h provides an incentive to focus on improved case management and access to health services.
Background:Diabetes mellitus is a multifaceted disease and foot ulceration is one of its most common complications. Poor foot care knowledge and practices are important risk factors for foot problems among people with diabetes.Aims:To assess the knowledge and practices regarding foot care and to estimate the proportion of people with peripheral neuropathy among people with diabetes.Settings and Design:The cross-sectional study was conducted in 212 consecutive diabetes patients attending the out-patient department of a rural secondary care hospital.Materials and Methods:A questionnaire which included demographic details, knowledge questionnaire, and Nottingham assessment of functional foot care was administered. The Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument was used to identify peripheral neuropathy.Statistical Analysis Used:Descriptive analysis with frequency distribution for knowledge and practice scores, univariate analysis, and multiple logistic regressions to find significant variables associated with good knowledge and practice scores.Results:About 75% had good knowledge score and 67% had good foot care practice score. Male gender (OR 2.36, 95% CI 1.16–4.79), poor education status (OR 2.40, 95% CI 1.19–4.28), and lesser duration of diabetes (OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.15–4.41) were significantly associated with poor knowledge on foot care. Poor knowledge was associated with poor foot care practices (OR 3.43, 95% CI 1.75–6.72). The prevalence of neuropathy was 47% (95% CI 40.14–53.85) and it was associated with longer duration of the disease (OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.18–4.04).Conclusion:There exist deficiencies in knowledge and practices regarding foot care. Male gender, low education, and lesser duration of diabetes are associated with poor knowledge scores. The prevalence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy is high.
Background:Deliberate self-harm (DSH) is a major under-recognized epidemic in the low- and middle-income countries. This is a large retrospective study form the Emergency Department (ED) of Tertiary Care Center of South India to describe the clinicodemographic features of DSH cases.Materials and Methods:This is a retrospective study conducted at ED of Christian Medical College, Vellore, India from January 01, 2011 to December 31, 2013. All cases of DSH were included in the study. The demographic details, mode of DSH and clinical outcome were extracted from the electronic medical record. Descriptive statistics are presented. Chi-square test was used to compare categorical variables. For all tests, a two-sided P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results:Total of 1228 patients were admitted to ED for DSH during the study period. Male and female occurred in equal ratio. More than half of the cases occurred among age group below 30 years. Consumption of pesticides (agricultural chemicals) was the single most common mode of DSH (46%), especially among men, followed by medication overdose (29.8%). Consumption of plant poison and tablet overdose was higher among women. Overall mortality due to DSH was low (1.5%) in our study.Conclusion:DSH is under-recognized major public health problem in low-middle income countries like India. Most cases occur among young and productive age group and in equal frequencies among men and women. Timely and the appropriate institution of treatment can decrease the morbidity and mortality due to DSH remarkably.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.