Heart Rate Variability in Unexplained Syncope Patients Versus Healthy Controls: A Comparative Study.

Background Syncope or fainting is the sudden and transient loss of consciousness. This could lead to an increase in mortality due to sudden cardiac death or comorbidity in these patients. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a noninvasive bedside procedure for assessing the cardiovascular autonomic function. There may be an abnormal alteration in the HRV parameters in syncope patients. This can be used for looking into cardiovascular autonomic changes in syncope. This would help in early diagnosis and intervention. Objective The aim of this present study was to compare the HRV parameters between unexplained syncope patients and age-matched healthy controls and to find a correlation between HRV parameters and cardiovascular parameters like pulse and mean blood pressure. Materials and methods A five-minute continuous electrocardiogram (ECG) was recorded and HRV analysis was done by ADInstruments' PowerLab (Oxford, United Kingdom) for 25 cases and 25 controls. Results The mean standard deviation of the RR interval (SDRR) in milliseconds was found to be significantly lower in the cases (21.93 ± 3.53) as compared to controls (71.27 ± 27.40). The mean value of the low-frequency to high-frequency ratio (LF/HF) was significantly higher in cases (1.43 ± 0.40) as compared to controls (0.98 ± 1.07). However, there was no significant correlation between the pulse, blood pressure, and HRV measures. Conclusion The findings suggest a sympathetic predominance in the cases of unexplained syncope as compared to the controls.

Assessment of sanitation and drinking water facilities among slum households in Bhubaneswar, Odisha - A cross-sectional study.

Aim: The study aims to assess the practice of using unsafe drinking water and sanitary practices among the population dwelling in slum settings of Bhubaneswar city, Odisha, India. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 288 households in the Bhubaneswar slums of Chandrasekharpur, Neeladri Vihar, and Trinatha basti. A questionnaire was administered face to face. Descriptive statistics were used to define the participants' sociodemographic characteristics, household information, drinking water, latrine characteristics, and waste disposal. Results: The majority (59.7%) resided in kutcha households in notified slum areas, and 89.6% were reportedly illiterate. About 92.7% resided in a deplorable condition, relying on piped water (79.5%) from the community sources and 20.5% used it for drinking and household purposes. Around 83% of the respondents stated they did not treat water before consumption. Bathroom facilities were found to be inadequate, and 74.3% used pit latrines. The majority of household wastes (83%) were managed by directly letting them to the drainage system untreated. As a consequence, 91% reported breeding of flies and mosquitoes near their household premises and 70.5% stated having fever in the past 6 months. Conclusion: Despite the government's initiatives to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) strategies, an extensive gap in practice was observed. As a result, Bhubaneswar municipality must strictly enforce policy and regulatory guidelines concerning WASH to improve the sanitation practices, particularly in the areas of drinking water and household waste management.

Mental Health Status, Coping Strategies During Covid-19 Pandemic Among Undergraduate Students of Healthcare Profession.

The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of psychological distress, associated lifestyle behaviors, and associated coping strategies among the students of healthcare profession. A total of 588 medical, dental, and nursing students studying in institutes of health sciences, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, India participated in this cross-sectional online survey during September-October, 2020. A semi-structured questionnaire, DASS-21questionnaire, and Brief COPE were used to collect relevant information. The proportion of students experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress was 26.2%, 27.7%, and 9.7%, respectively. Body mass index, presence of comorbidity, and soft drink consumption were significantly associated with psychological distress. Students experiencing psychological distress were applying emotion-focused coping behaviors (venting, acceptance, self-blame, substance use, religion) and avoidant coping behaviors (self-distraction, behavioral disengagement, denial). The prevalence of psychological distress among the students of health profession studying in KIIT University of Bhubaneswar during the period of Covid-19 pandemic is low and it can be further lowered by designing appropriate interventions incorporating healthy lifestyle behaviors and suitable coping strategies thereby ensuring sound mental health of these students.

Maladaptive Behavior and Associated Factors among Young Children with Autism.

The present study assessed the prevalence of clinically significant maladaptive behaviors and associated factors among young male children diagnosed with autism. A cross-sectional study including mothers of 88 male children with autism aged 2 to 5 y old was conducted in the year 2019. Using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), mothers rated their child's maladaptive behaviors. CBCL overall scores in the clinically relevant range were found in 76 (86.4%) children with autism (87.5% and 42% children had clinically significant internalizing and externalizing problems, respectively). Withdrawn (94.3%), attention problems (60.2%), and sleep problems (53.4%) were the predominant CBCL syndrome scales. Sociodemographic factors like autism severity and caffeine consumption were found to be significantly associated with maladaptive behaviors. There is an urgent need for designing effective behavioral management strategies incorporating various risk factors to enhance the quality of life among these vulnerable children.

Bacteriological Profile and Outcome of Culture-Positive Neonatal Sepsis in a Special Newborn Care Unit Setting, Odisha.

INTRODUCTION: Nearly one-third of neonatal mortality in India is due to neonatal sepsis and death occurs in 30% of culture-positive neonates. Pathogens such as Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli are the most common bacteria responsible for neonatal sepsis in India and South Asia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It was an observational study, conducted in special newborn care units (SNCUs) of Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar, Odisha from May 2017 to October 2019. All neonates (<28 days of life) with blood culture-positive sepsis were included in this study. Blood cultures were sent in all the babies with features of clinical sepsis. The demographic profile of neonates, clinical presentations, isolated organisms, and their sensitive patterns was recorded for analysis. RESULTS: Blood culture was sent in 445 suspected neonates with clinical sepsis out of which 115 blood culture positive organisms were isolated. Among the isolated organisms, 42 (35.6%) cases were Staphylococcus aureus followed by Coagulase negative Staphylococcus (CONS) (20.8%), E. coli (19.1%), K. pneumoniae (10.4%), Acinetobacter baumannii (2.7%), Enterobacter spp.(4.3%), Enterococcus spp. (4.3%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (2.7%). S. aureus was the predominant organism found in both early and late-onset sepsis. All Gram-negative bacilli (GNB) are resistant to ampicillin whereas cephalosporin resistance was found in 68% of cases. Mortality due to sepsis was 8%. CONCLUSION:  S. aureus followed by CONS was found to be the most common cause of sepsis in SNCU. A high degree of resistance of organisms to penicillins and cephalosporins calls for a re-evaluation of antibiotic policy and protocols for empirical treatment in neonatal sepsis.

Sleep quality and associated factors among undergraduate medical students during Covid-19 confinement.

Problem considered: Medical students are vulnerable to poor sleep quality which may lead to attention difficulties and poor academic performance. Good quality sleep is needed for optimal neurocognitive and psychomotor functions as well as physical and mental health. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of poor sleep quality among undergraduate medical students during home confinement at the time of Covid-19 pandemic and analyze the relationship between sleep quality and relevant socio-demographic and psychological variables. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 284 undergraduate medical students of a teaching hospital of Bhubaneswar from October-November 2020. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, relevant information was collected. Sleep quality of the students was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire and mental health status of the students using Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale - 21 (DASS-21). Results: The prevalence of poor sleep quality among undergraduate medical students was 45%. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that students doing exercise for <3 days/week (AOR: 1.81, 95% CI: 1.01-3.23), spending ≥8 h screen time/day (AOR: 2.02, 95%: 1.12-3.66), having anxiety symptoms (AOR: 3.61, 95% CI: 1.72-7.57), and those who were not satisfied with own self (AOR: 2.69, 95% CI: 1.35-5.38) were more likely to report poor sleep quality. Conclusion: Poor sleep quality was prevalent among undergraduate medical students during their home confinement at the time of Covid-19 pandemic. Sleep educational programs, anxiety management, and lifestyle modifications can be recommended to improve sleep quality among medical students.

Comparison of Cardiac Autonomic Function in Type 2 Spinocerebellar Ataxia With Normal Control Using Heart Rate Variability as a Tool: A Cross-Sectional Study in Eastern India.

BACKGROUND: Spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) is a disease that refers to a category of inherited ataxias that are characterized by degenerative alterations in the cerebellum, pons, and spinocerebellar tracts. There are several different varieties of SCA and they are classified based on the mutant (altered) gene that causes the disease. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the cardiovascular autonomic regulation in patients with type-2 spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA-2) from the heart rate variability (HRV) of 20 minutes resting electrocardiogram (ECG) and compare with the age and gender-matched controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: HRV of 27 type-2 spinocerebellar ataxia patients was calculated offline from the resting ECG recording and compared with 23 age and gender-matched controls. The HRV was analyzed by HRV software module MLS 310. The frequency and time domain parameters were computed and compared. RESULT:  Type-2 spinocerebellar ataxia patients have significantly low HRV and parasympathetic activity at rest compared to normal control. The total power in SCA-2 is 13491.63 ± 7660.77 ms2 and the normal control is 21784.76 ± 11008.67 ms2. High-frequency power (HF) which is a marker of parasympathetic activity in SCA-2 is 3823.1 ± 364 ms2 and in normal control is 9006.1 ± 920.64 ms2. The standard deviation of all NN intervals (SDNN), the square root of the mean-squared differences of successive intervals (RMSSD), spectral interval, and delta NN is significantly low in SCA-2. CONCLUSION: There is decreased parasympathetic tone and low HRV in SCA-2 as compared to normal controls.

Elucidating the Drug Repurposing Spectra of COVID-19 with its Analogues SARS and MERS.

Corona Virus Disease-2019 (COVID-19), caused by the SARS CoV-2 virus, has been announced as a pandemic by the World Health Organization. COVID-19 has affected people globally, infecting more than 39.8 million people and claiming up to 1.11 million lives, yet there is no effective treatment strategy to cure this disease. As vaccine development is a time-consuming process, currently, efforts are being made to develop alternative plans for the timely and effective management of this disease. Drug repurposing always fascinated researchers and can be utilized as the most acceptable alternative to develop the therapeutics for COVID-19 using the pre-approved drugs. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has shown resemblance with distinctive enzyme targets, such as 3CLpro/Mpro, RdRp, Cathepsin L, and TMPRSS2 present in SARS CoV and MERS CoV. Therefore, the drugs that have shown efficacy in these viruses can also be used for the treatment of COVID-19. This review focuses on why repurposing could provide a better alternative in COVID- 19 treatment. The similarity in the structure and progression of infection of SARS CoV and MERS viruses offers a direction and validation to evaluate the drugs approved for SARS and MERS against COVID-19. It has been indicated that multiple therapeutic options that demonstrate efficacy against SARS CoV 2 are available to mitigate the potential emergence of COVID-19 infection.

Carbon Nano Tubes: Novel Drug Delivery System in Amelioration of Alzheimer's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder manifested with symptoms like loss of memory (known as dementia), personality changes, loss of cognition, impaired movement, confusion, deteriorated planning and thought process. Neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease is the result of the deposition of protein beta-amyloid that forms plaques and another protein called tau, forming tangles that prevent the proper functioning of nerve cells in the brain. METHODS: The goal of the review was to comprehensively study the utilization of nanotechnology and the role that carbon nanotubes can play as a drug delivery system for the amelioration of Alzheimer's disease. RESULTS: Nanotechnology is one of the most researched domains of modern science. It contributes significantly to therapeutics by facilitating drug therapy to reach the target sites, which are otherwise difficult to reach with conventional drug delivery systems. Carbon nanotubes are the allotropes of carbon in which several carbon atoms bind with each other to form a cylindrical or a tube-like structure. The carbon nanotubes possess several unique qualities, which confer them with a high potential of being utilized as an efficient drug delivery system. They offer high drug loading and can readily cross the toughest biological barriers like the BBB. Carbon nanotubes also facilitate the passage of drugs to the brain via the olfactory route, which further helps in restoring normal autophagy, thus preventing the elimination of autophagic chemicals. They can carry a vast range of cargos, including drugs, antigens, genetic materials, and biological macromolecules. CONCLUSION: Carbon nanotubes are a highly promising drug delivery system for anti-Alzheimer's drugs. They have the potential of overcoming the various biological barriers like the BBB. However, more extensive research is required so as to set up a firm base for the development of advanced commercial products based on carbon nanotubes for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Sleep disturbances and associated factors among 2-6-year-old male children with autism in Bhubaneswar, India.

BACKGROUND: Sleep disturbances are considered one of the significant comorbidities of autism; they negatively impact the quality of life of children with autism as well as their parents or caregivers. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of sleep disturbances in Indian male children diagnosed with autism and examine the association of lifestyle behaviors and socio-demographic characteristics with sleep problems. METHODS: The present cross-sectional study was conducted in Bhubaneswar city in the year 2018, involving mothers of 100 male children with autism aged 2-6 years. We used a children's sleep habits questionnaire (CSHQ) to evaluate the sleep problems in children with autism and a semi-structured schedule for gathering information regarding lifestyle behaviors and socio-demographic characteristics. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of parent-reported sleep problems was 93%; the most prevalent CSHQ subscales were: bedtime resistance (95%), sleep anxiety (85%), and sleep duration (81%). The mean ISAA score of the study sample was 133.89 ± 19.59, where 12%, 71%, and 17% of the children had mild, moderate, and severe autism, respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that variables such as autism severity, screen time, caffeine intake, physical activity, maternal age, child's age, and birth weight were significantly associated with the CSHQ subscales. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of parent-reported sleep problems is very high among the male children with autism in Bhubaneswar, India, and there is an urgent need for interventional measures for appropriate management of this problem among these children.

Highly selective and sensitive simultaneous nanomolar detection of Cs(i) and Al(iii) ions using tripodal organic nanoparticles in aqueous media: the effect of the urea backbone on chemosensing.

Chemosensing plays a very important role in the detection of essential/pollutant ions in aqueous media. In this manuscript, two tripodal ligands, i.e., 1-(2-hydroxybenzyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-1-phenylurea (ligand 1) and 1-(2-hydroxybenzyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-1-phenylthiourea (ligand 2) have been synthesised, which differ in the linker molecule, i.e., urea and thiourea in ligand 1 and ligand 2, respectively. The ligands were characterised by NMR, IR and mass spectroscopic techniques. Ligands 1 and 2 (2 mM) were further employed for the generation of their organic nanoparticles (ONPs) (0.01 mM) of size 20-25 nm and 30-35 nm, respectively, by the reprecipitation method. The chemosensing properties of 1-ONP and 2-ONP solutions were investigated. 1-ONP showed simultaneous recognition behaviour towards Cs(i) and Al(iii) with the limits of detection of ∼220 and ∼377 nM, respectively, in an aqueous medium, while 2-ONP did not show any recognition behaviour towards any ion.

Diabetes, Hypertension and Kidney Disease Combination "DHKD Syndrome" is common in India.

Objectives: The study was designed to find out frequency of (i) Diabetes mellitus (DM) as a cause Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), (ii) Association between diabetic-CKD (diabetic patients who subsequently developed CKD as complication), hypertension (HT) and obesity. Further assessment was made to (iii) Identify percentage of diabetics attending medical and nephrology OPD had prior testing for proteinuria and or creatinine. Methods: After ethical consideration this prospective observational study was conducted on consecutive 6175 patients who gave consent to participate in two major referral hospitals one in Delhi and other in Bhubaneswar (BBSR). Primary hypertension was defined as blood pressure of ≥140/90 mmHg detected before onset of DM or detected together in the absence of CKD (elevated serum creatinine S Cr ≥1.7 mg/dL and or proteinuria > 0.3g/24H). Upper limit of serum creatinine was kept at 1.7 mg for this study. Mean value of three estimations on different days was recorded. Detail clinical history of DM and HT was taken. Body Mass Index (BMI), ocular fundi examination, urine analysis, serum creatinine, lipid profile, blood glucose, HbA1C tests were conducted in all patients. They were regularly followed up in renal clinic at about 2 month interval for repeat investigations. Blood pressure in nondiabetic-CKD patients was recorded for comparison. Further, consecutive diabetic patients attending general medicine OPD for first time were examined, their previous investigations were carefully scrutinized and recorded. Urine for albuminuria and serum creatinine were tested every month over a period of one year. Results: In Delhi diabetic-CKD was observed in 68.4% and the same was 56.2% in BBSR giving a combined figure of 62.3 percent. On close analysis of past record primary hypertension was observed in 75.4% who subsequently developed diabetes and CKD. Frequency of association between diabetic-CKD and HT were 88.2% and 69.3% in two cities respectively, combined frequency being 78.7 percent. Association of diabetic-CKD and obesity was 55.1 % and 55.9% in two cities respectively with combined frequency of 55.5 percent. In contrast obesity in non-diabetic-CKD patients in Delhi and BBSR was found in 43.1% and 18.5% respectively, combined frequency being 30.8%. Fifty four percent of diabetic patients who attended medical OPD for the first time were found to have proteinuria and elevated serum creatinine. However, they were not earlier tested for those parameters. Hence, they were unaware of CKD. Conclusion: Diabetes was found to be a bigger cause (62.3%) of CKD than what has been reported thus far in India. At presentation association of diabetic-CKD with HT was recorded higher (78.7%) in India. Hence use of the syndrome "DHKD", (complex of diabetes, hypertension and kidney disease) is justifiable. Our study shows 54.4% of diabetic patients attending medicine OPD were uninvestigated by either physician or GP for CKD because urine albumin and serum creatinine tests were lacking. Thus, progression to CKD in many patients went unnoticed. Syndromic diagnosis of "DHKD" therefore in our view is important to create general awareness for early detection and effective treatment of diabetic nephropathy.

Hydrotrope induced structural modifications in CTAB/butanol/water/isooctane reverse micellar systems.

Designing nanostructures of desired morphology calls for development of new synthetic protocols to stimulate structural alterations in templates, modulating the architecture of nano-metric structures. The present study is an endeavor to investigate structural modifications in reverse micellar nanotemplates of a cationic surfactant system, CTAB/butanol/water/isooctane, as a function of hydrotrope concentration (sodium salicylate) and amount of water loading, Wx, in the micellar pool by synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering. The micellar structural transition from a one-dimensional cylinder to a prolate ellipsoid can be controlled by tuning the water-to-surfactant molar ratio while the hydrotrope modulates growth of the micellar droplets. The inter-micellar interactions in these systems could be best represented by the Polymer Reference Interaction Site (PRISM) model at lower water content in the reverse micellar pool and by the Macroion model at higher water loadings. The location of the hydrotrope inside the micellar assembly and its interaction with different components of the reverse micellar system is probed with the help of 1H NMR studies. The formation and tuning of anisotropic cylindrical/ellipsoidal reverse micellar droplets suggest promising application of such aggregates as "tunable soft templates" for fabricating fascinating nanostructures.

Association Between Depression and Acute Pain in Adults Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital in Bhubaneswar.

BACKGROUND: Recent burden on health care organization due to acute pain and simultaneous rise in the depression cases have been ringing alarms among the medical professionals. AIMS: This study was taken up with a hypothesis that acute pain and depression are inter-linked and any acute painful condition leads to some behavioural and psycho-somatic effects which needs to be detected at the earliest possible. SETTINGS AND DESIGNS: This relationship was established by designing a cross-sectional study where four most common causes of acute pain (i.e. post-labour, post-caesarean, postoperative, dental conditions) were studied in 70 subjects each and compared with 70 subjects of control group who presented to a tertiary care hospital in Bhubaneswar, without any painful condition or underlying depression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Various pain scales (Visual Analogue Scale- VAS, Verbal Rating Scale - VRS, Box Scale) were used to assess the degree of pain while Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) was used to assess the level of depression in these subjects. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Using SPSS version 16 software, the correlation coefficient was determined between the depression levels and acute pain. RESULTS: It was seen that the geriatric populations were more depressed, while the older adults perceived more pain. The females differed from males in their pain perception; they were more depressed and proved to be more tolerant to painful conditions such as post-partum acute painful conditions. Dental pain was found to be the second most reported painful condition after postoperative acute pain. A statistically significant strong correlation was established between depression and acute pain. CONCLUSION: Thus the psychosomatic component of pain needs to be evaluated on a priority basis by health providers.

Normal spirometric standards in young adult Indian population.

BACKGROUND: The appropriateness of spirometric reference value depends on all its features matching those of the person being assessed, like ethnicity, environment, nutrition, absence of disease, measurement protocol, as well as equipment used. The present study determines the lung function parameters in normal young healthy Indians and derives reliable prediction formulae for Indian population. METHODS: Computerized spirometry was done in 298 nonsmoking medical students of both genders studying in MKCG Medical College, Berhampur. All the data were statistically analyzed, and prediction equations for the young Indian population were derived. RESULTS: All the lung parameters showed significant gender difference. Height showed the greatest effect on the predicted value of FEV1 and FVC in males and females. Height has the greatest effect on the predicted value of FEV1% in females, whereas weight has the least effect. We formulated univariate and multivariate regression models for prediction of lung parameters in the young Indian adults. The predicted values of pulmonary function parameters for men were 4%-17% higher than most studies, except for Kashmiri population where it was 9% lower. For females, lung parameters were 1%-29% higher in comparison to study groups in other Indian studies. The lung parameters for males were found to be lower than Iranian and Caucasian population study, but higher than Pakistani population. For females, lung parameters were 3%-8% lower than Iranian and Caucasian population, but higher in comparison to Pakistani population. CONCLUSIONS: The computed regression norms may be used to predict the spirometric values in young Indian population of similar age group as the study population.

Correlation between anthropometry and lipid profile in healthy subjects of Eastern India.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases constitute one class of common contributors to morbidity and mortality worldwide. Prevalence of overweight and obesity has dramatically increased in developing countries and is related to cardiovascular risk factors. Anthropometric parameters have the advantages in daily clinical practice of being a simple to measure tool with good reproducibility, especially in a developing country like India. Aim of this study is to correlate some anthropometric variables with lipid parameters in healthy subjects and to assess the anthropometric variable which best reflects the altered lipid profile. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted after the Institutional Ethical Committee Clearance. Included participants (1187) were subjected to anthropometric measurements such as height, weight, waist circumference (WC), and hip circumference using standard procedures on the same morning of the day, as the blood sample was collected after overnight fast and estimated for fasting blood sugar and lipid profile. RESULTS: There is a weak correlation between body mass index (BMI) and lipid parameters. Among all the anthropometric variables studied, WC is best correlated to lipid parameters. The mean values of lipid parameters were not significantly different in BMI <25 and BMI ≥25 groups. CONCLUSIONS: WC remains one of the simple and reliable variables which best reflects the lipid profile. In a developing country like India, where measurement of cardiovascular risk factors such as body fat saturation and lipid profile remains difficult in the rural population, WC may be used as an effective tool, without being used as a substitute.

Hematological profile in neonatal jaundice.

BACKGROUND: Neonatal morbidity due to neonatal jaundice is an alarming situation, which needs to be detected and managed at the earliest possible. Many different etiologies come into play together, and at times, it is difficult to isolate the cause of neonatal jaundice. Certain diagnostic tests such as hemoglobin levels, reticulocyte count, leukocyte count, and blood grouping might hasten the diagnosis. This study analyzes the different parameters of hematological profile and how they influence the various etiologies of neonatal jaundice. METHODS: One hundred jaundiced neonates admitted to the pediatric care unit of MKCG Medical Hospital, Odisha, were considered as subjects for this study. Blood tests were done, and accordingly, the neonates were grouped into three depending on the leukocyte count, reticulocyte count, and hemoglobin levels. Blood grouping of mother and baby was done to see the pattern of ABO incompatibility. RESULTS: Physiological jaundice cases showed no significant variations in hematological profile, while jaundice due to ABO incompatibility, septicemia, Rh incompatibility, intracranial hemorrhage, and G6PD deficiency had anemia, reticulocytosis, and leukocytosis. CONCLUSIONS: The results can be used for early and simple investigation method for the diagnosis of neonatal jaundice.

Association of diet and anthropometric measures as cardiovascular modifiable risk factors in young adults.

Abstract Background: Cardiovascular accidents are the major cause of death in the developing world, accounting for nearly 40% of deaths in adult men and women. Developed countries have already brought this under control, whereas India has to take a giant leap. Diet plays a pivotal role among the various modifiable cardiovascular risk factors. The sole objective of this study is to point at nutrition as being the main modulator of different anthropometric parameters and directly or indirectly has a tremendous impact on the blood pressure levels even during young age. Methods: In a cross-sectional study involving 223 young adults, the pattern of food habits and level of physical activity were determined from self-reported questionnaires, while blood pressure, weight, height, waist circumference (WC), and hip circumference were measured, and body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were computed. The subjects were grouped as normotensives and prehypertensives and also were compared according to their BMI and other parameters. Results: Statistically significant, greater association of weight followed by WC with the prehypertensive levels of blood pressure compared to other parameters was seen. The subjects detected as prehypertensives had predilection for salty, fried, oily, sweet, and fast food; BMI >25 kg/m2; and WC and WHR in high risk-categories per World Health Organization standards. More than 69% of subjects had high WHR, whereas only 9% of total subjects exercised regularly. Conclusions: Central obesity is associated with sedentary life and high intake of calories, leading to hypertension with advancing age. Early detection, awareness, and primary prevention would help reduce morbidity and mortality associated with cardiovascular diseases.