A cross-sectional analysis of the PURE study on minerals intake among Malaysian adult population with hypertension.

Hypertension (HPT) is the leading modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and premature death worldwide. Currently, attention is given to various dietary approaches with a special focus on the role of micronutrient intake in the regulation of blood pressure. This study aims to measure the dietary intake of selected minerals among Malaysian adults and its association with HPT. This cross-sectional study involved 10,031 participants from the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiological study conducted in Malaysia. Participants were grouped into HPT if they reported having been diagnosed with high blood pressure [average systolic blood pressure (SBP)/average diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥ 140/90 mm Hg]. A validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to measure participants' habitual dietary intake. The dietary mineral intake of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and zinc was measured. The chi-square test was used to assess differences in socio-demographic factors between HPT and non-HPT groups, while the Mann-Whitney U test was used to assess differences in dietary mineral intake between the groups. The participants' average dietary intake of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sodium, and zinc was 591.0 mg/day, 3.8 mg/day, 27.1 mg/day, 32.4 mg/day, 0.4 mg/day, 1431.1 mg/day, 2.3 g/day, 27.1 µg/day, 4526.7 mg/day and 1.5 mg/day, respectively. The intake was significantly lower among those with HPT than those without HPT except for calcium and manganese. Continuous education and intervention should be focused on decreasing sodium intake and increasing potassium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and calcium intake for the general Malaysian population, particularly for the HPT patients.

Prognostic factors and the role of adjuvant chemotherapy in post-curative surgery for Dukes B and C colon cancers and survival outcomes: a Malaysian experience.

BACKGROUND: Adjuvant chemotherapy improves survival in Dukes C colon cancers post-curative resection. However, the evidence for a role with Dukes B lesions remains unproven despite frequent use for disease characterized by poor prognostic features. In view of limited Asia-specific data, this study aimed to determine survival outcomes and identify prognostic factors in a tertiary teaching hospital in Malaysia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 116 subjects who underwent curative surgery with and without adjuvant chemotherapy for Duke B and C primary colon adenocarcinomas diagnosed from 2004-2009 were recruited and data were collected retrospectively. Five-year overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) were analysed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and log-rank (Mantel-Cox) test. Prognostic factors were determined using Cox proportional hazards regression with both univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: The survival analysis demonstrated a 5-year OS of 74.0% for all patients, with 74.9% for Dukes C subjects receiving chemotherapy compared to 28.6% in those not receiving chemotherapy (p=0.001). For Dukes B disease, the 5-year survival rate was 82.6% compared to 75.0% for subjects receiving and not receiving chemotherapy, respectively (p=0.17). Independent prognostic factors identified included a CEA level more than 3.5 ng/ml (hazard ratio (HR)=4.78; p=0.008), serosal involvement (HR=3.75; p=0.028) and completion of chemotherapy (HR= 0.20; p=0.007). CONCLUSIONS: In a regional context, this study supports current evidence from the West that adjuvant chemotherapy improves survival in Dukes C colon cancers post curative surgery. However, although a clear benefit has yet to be proven for Dukes B disease, our results suggest survival improvement in selected cases.