The association between health literacy and quality of life of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Health literacy-driven interventions in patients with type 2 diabetes have been found to play an important role in achieving glycemic control and enhancing diabetic self-management outcomes. The present study aimed to examine the role of health literacy as a predictor of quality of life among diabetic patients in Jordan. METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled 400 Type 2 diabetic patients visiting the endocrinology department at the outpatient clinic at Al Basheer Hospital in Amman, Jordan. The data were collected between 1st of August and 28th of December 2023, using the validated Jordanian Diabetic Health Literacy Questionnaire and the EuroQol-5D tool. A quantile regression analysis was conducted to explore the factors associated with health-related quality of life among the study participants. RESULT: This study included 68.8% females, with a median age of 58 (50-64) years. The median EQ5-D index score was 0.66 (0.41-0.78). Findings from regression analysis indicated as patients' age increased, their quality of life scores significantly decreased (-0.004, 95%CI (-0.006, -0.001), p = 0.002). Additionally, higher JDHLQ scores were significantly associated with higher EQ5-D scores (0.012, 95% CI (0.006-0.018), p<0.001). Moreover, patients with only an elementary education had significantly lower EQ5-D scores compared to those with a postgraduate education (-0.106, 95%CI (-0.190, -0.023), p = 0.013). CONCLUSION: The findings of the present study emphasize the importance of including health literacy assessments and interventions in the diabetes care plans of patients in Jordan.

Effects of Calamintha incana (Sm.) Helder Ethanolic Extract on the mRNA Expression of Drug-metabolizing cyp450s in the Mouse Livers.

BACKGROUND: Alteration in the expression and activity of drug-metabolizing enzymes (DMEs) can alter the pharmacokinetics and hence the response of the drug. Some chemicals found in herbs and fruits affect the expression of DMEs. Calamintha incana is commonly used in Middle Eastern Arabic countries. There is no report regarding the influence of Calamintha incana on the hepatic expression of DMEs. AIMS: The current investigation aimed to investigate the effect of Calamintha incana consumption on the mRNA expression of major hepatic drug-metabolizing cytochrome (cyp) P450 genes in mice. METHODS: The chemical composition of the ethanoic extract was analyzed using liquid chromatography/ mass spectrometry. Then, 21 BALB/c mice were used for the in vivo experiment. The mice were divided into three groups, each consisting of seven mice. The first group (low-dose group) was treated with 41.6 mg/kg of Calamintha incana extract and the second group was administered the high-dose (125 mg/kg) of the extract for one month. The mice in the third "control" group administrated the vehicle 20% polyethylene glycol 200. Then, the expression of cyp3a11, cyp2c29, cyp2d9, and cyp1a1 was analyzed using the real-time polymerase chain reaction. The relative liver weights of the mice and the hepatic pathohistological alterations were assessed. RESULTS: The ethanolic extract of Calamintha incana contained 27 phytochemical compounds. The most abundant compounds were linolenic acid, myristic acid, and p-cymene. It was found that the low dose of Calamintha incana extract upregulated significantly (P < 0.05) the expression of cyp3a11 by more than ten folds in the liver of treated mice. Furthermore, the histological analysis showed that low- and high-dose administration of the C. incana did not cause pathological alterations. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded from these findings that consumption of low doses of Calamintha incana upregulated the mRNA expression of mouse cyp3a11 without causing histopathological alterations in the livers. Further studies are needed to determine the influence of Calamintha incana on the pharmacokinetics and response of drugs metabolized by cyp3a11.

Correlation of vitamin D receptor genotypes, specific IgE levels and other variables with asthma control in children.

INTRODUCTION: Asthma is a common condition affecting millions of children globally. The main goal of this study is to assess factors related to asthma management, particularly atopy level and the impact of genetic variants of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene. METHODS: Asthmatic children were enrolled in an outpatient respiratory clinic. Information on patients' medication adherence, medical and medication factors, and sociodemographic were gathered. Spirometry FEV1% and FVC% measurements, and the asthma control test were used to evaluate the severity of asthma, and genotyping of the VDR gene and radioallergosorbent test (RAST) were conducted. Regression analyses were conducted to evaluate variables associated with asthma control and spirometry measures. RESULTS: A total of 313 participants (67.4% males) were recruited in the current study. The mean age was 9.37 (±3.45) years. The mean score for adherence was 4.26 (±2.52), and only 46% of the participants had controlled asthma. Forward conditional stepwise binary regression showed that low and moderate Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) dose (OR= 0.42 (95% CI 0.20-0.90), p = 0.026; OR = 0.371 (95% CI 0.2-0.72), p = 0.003, respectively) decreased the odds of being in the controlled asthma group, while higher inhaler score (OR = 2.75 (95% CI 2.17-3.49, p < 0.001)) increased the odds of being in the controlled asthma group. However, results found no association between VDR genotype and asthma control, spirometry values or hospitalization due to asthma. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that many of the asthma patients had poorly controlled asthma. Factors that were associated with poor asthma control included poor inhaler technique.

CRHR1 polymorphism at rs242941, rs242940, and rs72834580: association of symptoms improvement with intranasal corticosteroids in allergic rhinitis Jordanian patients.

OBJECTIVES: Rhinitis is classified into several types with allergic rhinitis (AR) being the most common. AR is among the inflammatory diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), in which corticosteroids are administered to overcome the decrease in cortisol production. The treatment options available for AR vary with 1st line treatment being intranasal corticosteroids (INCS). The responsiveness to corticosteroids is due to their binding to corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor-1 (CRHR1). Various studies have studied the responsiveness to corticosteroids treatment in patients with asthma and COPD in association with CRHR1 gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). METHODS: In our study, we investigated the association of three SNPs of CRHR1 gene (rs242941, rs242940, and rs72834580) with symptoms improvement post-treatment in AR patients. Blood samples were collected from 103 patients for DNA extraction and gene sequencing. Those patients started to receive INCS for 8 weeks and their symptoms were assessed, through a questionnaire, before treatment and post-treatment to check for symptoms improvement. RESULTS: Our data showed that improvement of eye redness is significantly less following INCS treatment in patients with allele (C) (AOR=0.289, p-value-0.028, 95 % CI=0.096-0.873) and genotype (CC) (AOR=0.048, p-value-0.037, 95 % CI=0.003-0.832) of rs242941 SNP. There was no correlation with other genotypes, alleles, or haplotypes of the investigated SNPs. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that there is no correlation between CRHR1 gene polymorphism and symptoms improvement following INCS treatment. Further studies are required to evaluate the association of INCS and symptoms improvement post-treatment with larger sample size.