Smoking is associated with an excessive morbidity and mortality from a variety of diseases. The aim of this study was to find out the effects of smoking on renal function study in non-diabetic, normotensive subjects. A community-based, prospective, cross-sectional cohort study was conducted on 120 subjects; 80 (66.66%) were smokers and 40 (33.33%) age matched non-smokers; with age range of 30 to 70 years. Measurement of fasting sugar, urea, creatinine, lipids and one time screening of urinary albumin and urinary creatinine was done. Smokers had significantly higher urinary albumin and albumin creatinine ratio (ACR) (52.84 ± 46.42 mg/L, 93.98 ± 78.68 μg/mg) than non-smokers (19.25 ± 7.77 mg/L, 18.99 ± 6.65 μg/mg), respectively (P =< 0.001, P =< 0.001). Microalbuminuria and urinary ACR level were directly related to the amount of smoking (pack-years). Among smokers, 73 (91.25%) had microalbuminuria (>20 mg/L) and 64 (80%) had increased urinary ACR (>30 μg/mg). Smoker had significantly lower high-density lipoprotein level (36.66 ± 10.28 mg/dl) compared to non-smokers (41.22 ± 11.72 mg/dl) (P = 0.031). Urea, creatinine, creatinine clearance, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein, triglyceride levels were comparable (p = NS). In conclusion, smokers have a 4-fold higher prevalence of microalbuminuria than non-smokers.

Objective:To determine the association of educational status (ES), as a marker of socioeconomic status, with the prevalence of microvascular complications in diabetes.Methods:Successive patients (n = 1214) presenting to our centre were evaluated for sociodemographic, anthropometric, clinical, and therapeutic variables. Subjects were classified according to ES into Group 1 (illiterate, 216); Group 2 (8.0%) was significantly greater in illiterate (38.0%), low (46.0%) and middle (41.0%) compared to high (31.5%) ES subjects (P < 0.05).Conclusions:There is a greater prevalence of the microvascular disease in illiterate and low ES diabetes patients in India. This is associated with the higher prevalence of smoking/tobacco use, poor quality diet and sub-optimal diabetes control.

Rhabdomyosarcoma of the middle ear is a rare tumor, even rarer in adults and has a very poor prognosis. We report here an unusual case of rhabdomyosarcoma in middle ear of an adult, mimicking chronic suppurative otitis media and facial nerve palsy.

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