Preliminary study on the effect of a herbal formulation "Deepaniyavati" in hyperlipidemia.

To examine the effect of "DeepaniyaVati", a herbal formulation in the management of hyperlipidemia, a randomized group pre-test post-test study trial was carried out on fifty male (30 to 70 yrs) hyperlipidemic volunteers who were asked to follow their normal routine diet and activity pattern throughout the investigation period. The formulation, prepared by mixing nine plant products in equal proportion, when given in a daily dose of 2g, twice a day for a period of one month, brought about an observable improvement in all the lipid parameters by significantly reducing total cholesterol (10%), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (12.76%), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (27.4%), triglycerides (34.7%) and bringing these values much nearer to the normal levels. In control group, no such effect was noticed. A concomitant significant increase in the HDL-C levels suggests the possible utility of "Deepaniya Vati" in the management of hyperlipidemia and the need for further detailed study.

Nutritional adequacy of boys in orphanages.

PIP: In India, nutritionists gathered information on dietary intake, measured the diet, and calculated nutritional composition of the diet of 118 boys, 4-12 years old, living in all the orphanages in Udaipur, to determine the adequacy of their diet. The orphans consumed inadequate amounts of all food stuffs. For example, the boys consumed 76.2-91.5% of recommended intake for cereals, 30% for pulses, less than 50% for milk, and 30-45% for fats and oils. They consumed almost no leafy vegetables (0/75 g for 4-6 year olds; 1.5/75 g for 7-9 year olds; and 0.8/100 g for 10-12 year olds), but they consumed more than the recommended intake of other vegetables. The orphans were not provided fruits, meat, fish, or eggs. Only those 4-6 years old had adequate intake of protein. Energy and calcium intakes were significantly low in all age groups (p 0.01, except for calcium intake in 4-6 year olds [p 0.05]). In all age groups, phosphorous intake was adequate while iron intake was significantly lower than the recommended daily intake (p 0.01). Beta-carotene intake was insufficient in all age groups (p 0.01). In fact, beta-carotene intake in 7-9 year olds did not even reach 20% of the recommended daily intake. Only the 4-6 year olds had adequate intake of niacin. Vitamin C intake was 30% of recommended levels. These findings show that these school age orphans had inadequate intake of almost all nutrients due to a daily diet limited in cereals, pulses, milk and milk products, leafy vegetable, fats and oils, and sugar. The orphanages should include seasonal green vegetables and other low-cost nutritious foods in the diet of orphan boys.^ieng

Interdependence of urinary factors in calcareous bladder stone patients.

Twenty-four-hour urinary excretion of calcium, oxalic acid, inorganic phosphorus, magnesium and citric acid was examined in fifty-nine stone formers with bladder stones. Hypercalciuria and hyperoxaluria were present in 18.6% and 44.1%, respectively, while 11.9% of patients had both abnormalities. Hypomagnesuria and hypocitraturia were present in 67.8% and 69.5%, respectively, while 45.7% had both of these abnormalities. Normal urine chemistry in respect of parameters studied was observed only in 1.7% of cases. In 15.2% one risk factor was present, while 83.1% had two or more risk factors. "Path" analysis of the urinary parameters directly related to calcium lithiasis showed that magnesium and oxalic acid have substantial influence on calcium excretion, whereas citric acid had none. The influence of phosphorus did not provide any consistent trend.

Urinary biochemical profile of patients with ureteric calculi in Jodhpur region (north western India).

Urine chemistry of 42 normal subjects (NS) and 59 ureteric stone formers (SF) from Jodhpur region of Rajasthan, India is presented. Twenty four hour urinary levels of calcium, oxalic acid and uromucoids were significantly higher and levels of magnesium, citric acid and inorganic phosphorus were significantly lower in SF as compared to NS. No significant difference was observed in the uric acid, sodium and potassium levels in the two groups. Significant correlation was observed between calcium and magnesium; calcium and oxalic acid; calcium and citric acid; magnesium and oxalic acid; and oxalic acid and citric acid in NS on the basis of mmol/l but not on the basis of mmol/24 h. Calcium and oxalic acid correlation was uninfluenced by magnesium and citric acid levels. The log of risk factor index (RI) was higher (p less than 0.001) in SF (-1.652) as compared to NS (-2.103). The log of ion activity product (IAP) was also higher (p less than 0.001) in SF (-3.192 X 10(-3)) than in NS (-2.914 X 10(-1)). Based on RI and IAP, a scale has been devised for the prediction of the risk of stone formation and recurrence.

Sodium is neither a risk nor a protective factor in urolithiasis?

The effect of changes in urinary sodium, induced by dietary manipulation in normal subjects (NS) and in stone formers (SF) was studied by observing crytalluria qualitatively and by determining calcium, oxalate and phosphate crystallization quantitatively in an experimental model. In SF the calcium crystallization was significantly higher than in NS at all the three levels of urinary sodium studied. However, no difference was observed in oxalate and phosphate crystallization rates between these two groups. Calcium and oxalate (p less than 0.05) and oxalate and phosphate (p less than 0.001) were found to be correlated in NS but were non-significant in SF. The wide changes in the urinary sodium induced by dietary changes did not influence the crystallization rate of calcium, nor of oxalate and phosphate in NS as well as in SF. The results suggested that a sodium intake with lower and upper limits of 124 mg and 6,009 mg respectively did not act as "inhibitor" of crystallization rate nor did it induce hypercalciuria severe enough to pose a "risk" of stone formation. The results did not suggest that a high urinary sodium increases the solubility of calcium phosphate.