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2.
Diabetes Metab Syndr ; 15(1): 77-85, 2021.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33310265

RESUMO

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: To examine the effects of aerobic training (AT) and resistance training (RT) compared to standard care on glycemic control in South Asian Sri Lankan adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: Randomized controlled trial (RCT) with parallel-group design recruited 86 sedentary Sri Lankans (aged 35-65 years) with T2DM into aerobic training (AT, n = 28), resistance training (RT, n = 28) and control (CN, n = 30) groups. Supervised progressive exercise training consisting of 75 min per session, 2 days per week for 12 weeks was conducted. The primary outcome was pre- and post-intervention absolute change in hemoglobin A1c (HBA1c). Secondary outcomes were serum lipids, liver enzymes, chronic inflammatory status, anthropometry, body composition and blood pressure. RESULTS: The absolute change in HbA1c of RT vs. CN was -0.08% (95% CI, 0.8% to -0.7%, p = 0.8) and AT vs. CN was -0.22% (95% CI, 0.95% to -0.5%). Subgroup analysis (n = 49) with a high baseline HbA1c (>7.5%), absolute reduction in HbA1c in exercise groups were statistically significant (RT vs. CN was -0.37%; 95% CI 1.3% to -0.6%, p = 0.04 and AT vs. CN was -0.57%; 95% CI 1.7% to -0.6%, p = 0.03). The effect sizes (total and subgroup HbA1c >7.5%) ranged from 0.7 to 1.0 in AT, 0.4 to 1.1 in RT compared to 0.35 to 0.6 for the CN. Secondary outcomes did not significantly differ among groups. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise training 2 days/week improved glycemic control in Sri Lankan adults with T2DM and the effects were significant in high baseline HbA1c (>7.5%) groups (RT > AT).


Assuntos
Fatores de Risco Cardiometabólico , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2/terapia , Exercício Físico/fisiologia , Controle Glicêmico , Adulto , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2/sangue , Feminino , Hemoglobinas Glicadas/metabolismo , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Treinamento Resistido , Sri Lanka
3.
BMC Res Notes ; 11(1): 355, 2018 Jun 05.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29871702

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: Hypertensive emergencies are potentially life threatening and require prompt blood pressure control with intravenous agents. Preparation of intravenous infusions is time consuming. Usefulness of sublingual nitroglycerin in this setting is not known. We aimed to assess the benefit of sublingual nitroglycerin as a bridge to IV therapy. In a clinical audit in an emergency department, patients presenting with hypertensive emergencies requiring intravenous nitroglycerin were administered single spray of sublingual nitroglycerin awaiting commencement of intravenous infusion. Blood pressure was monitored every 5 min to observe the degree and speed of reduction. RESULTS: Thirty-seven patients met the selection criteria. Mean age was 65.8 years (SD 7.04), and 29 were males (88.4%). Mean values of systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressures on admission were 217, 137, 163 mmHg. At 5 and 10 min after sublingual nitroglycerin, mean reduction of mean arterial blood pressure by 12.3 and 16.3% was achieved. Only 2 patients (5.4%) showed an overcorrection of blood pressure. Minimum of 15 min were required to set up a nitroglycerin intravenous infusion. Sublingual nitroglycerin spray allows rapid blood pressure control in hypertensive emergencies and is a useful bridge during the time to prepare intravenous infusion.


Assuntos
Pressão Sanguínea/efeitos dos fármacos , Emergências , Hipertensão/prevenção & controle , Nitroglicerina/farmacologia , Administração Sublingual , Idoso , Determinação da Pressão Arterial , Auditoria Clínica , Serviço Hospitalar de Emergência/estatística & dados numéricos , Feminino , Humanos , Hipertensão/fisiopatologia , Infusões Intravenosas , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Nitroglicerina/administração & dosagem , Sri Lanka , Vasodilatadores/administração & dosagem , Vasodilatadores/farmacologia
4.
J Diabetes ; 10(5): 386-397, 2018 May.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29072815

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the effects of zinc supplementation on glycemic control, other cardiometabolic and anthropometric parameters, and disease progression in prediabetes. METHODS: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled Phase 2 clinical trial was conducted over a 12-month period in 200 subjects (43% male; mean [± SD] age 51.8 ± 7.3 years), randomly assigned (1: 1) to the treatment or control group. The treatment group received zinc (20 mg daily). Subjects were evaluated at baseline and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. The primary outcome was the change in glycemic control from baseline. Multiple regression analyses were performed, with change in outcome variables after intervention from baseline used as continuous dependent variables. RESULTS: In both groups, mean serum zinc concentrations prior to the trial were below normal (15.29-21.41 µmol/L). During the 12-month follow-up, a significantly higher percentage of participants developed type 2 diabetes in the control compared with zinc-treated group (25.0% vs 11.0% respectively; P = 0.016). Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2-h glucose levels in the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were significantly lower in the treated group, with significant improvement in ß-cell function. In all four regression models, the best predictor of the dependent variables (i.e. change in FPG, 2-h glucose in the OGTT, HOMA-IR, and homeostatic model assessment of ß-cell function) was zinc treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Zinc supplementation reduced blood glucose and insulin resistance while improving ß-cell function. Furthermore, supplementation reduced disease progression to diabetes and had beneficial effects on TC and LDL-C.


Assuntos
Glicemia/efeitos dos fármacos , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2/prevenção & controle , Suplementos Nutricionais , Estado Pré-Diabético/tratamento farmacológico , Zinco/administração & dosagem , Adulto , Idoso , Biomarcadores/sangue , Glicemia/metabolismo , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2/sangue , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2/diagnóstico , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2/etiologia , Suplementos Nutricionais/efeitos adversos , Progressão da Doença , Método Duplo-Cego , Feminino , Teste de Tolerância a Glucose , Nível de Saúde , Humanos , Insulina/sangue , Resistência à Insulina , Lipídeos/sangue , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estado Pré-Diabético/sangue , Estado Pré-Diabético/complicações , Estado Pré-Diabético/diagnóstico , Fatores de Risco , Sri Lanka , Fatores de Tempo , Resultado do Tratamento , Zinco/efeitos adversos
5.
Daru ; 23: 44, 2015 Sep 17.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26381880

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Studies have shown that Zinc has numerous beneficial effects in both type-1 and type-2 diabetes. We aim to evaluate the literature on the mechanisms and molecular level effects of Zinc on glycaemic control, ß-cell function, pathogenesis of diabetes and its complications. METHODS: A review of published studies reporting mechanisms of action of Zinc in diabetes was undertaken in PubMed and SciVerse Scopus medical databases using the following search terms in article title, abstract or keywords; ("Zinc" or "Zn") and ("mechanism" or "mechanism of action" or "action" or "effect" or "pathogenesis" or "pathology" or "physiology" or "metabolism") and ("diabetes" or "prediabetes" or "sugar" or "glucose" or "insulin"). RESULTS: The literature search identified the following number of articles in the two databases; PubMed (n = 1799) and SciVerse Scopus (n = 1879). After removing duplicates the total number of articles included in the present review is 111. Our results show that Zinc plays an important role in ß-cell function, insulin action, glucose homeostasis and the pathogenesis of diabetes and its complications. CONCLUSION: Numerous in-vitro and in-vivo studies have shown that Zinc has beneficial effects in both type-1 and type-2 diabetes. However further randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical trials conducted for an adequate duration, are required to establish therapeutic safety in humans.


Assuntos
Antioxidantes/uso terapêutico , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 1/tratamento farmacológico , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2/tratamento farmacológico , Zinco/uso terapêutico , Animais , Antioxidantes/farmacologia , Metabolismo dos Carboidratos/efeitos dos fármacos , Humanos , Ilhotas Pancreáticas/efeitos dos fármacos , Ilhotas Pancreáticas/metabolismo , Metabolismo dos Lipídeos/efeitos dos fármacos , Zinco/farmacologia
6.
J Infect Dev Ctries ; 8(9): 1205-9, 2014 Sep 12.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25212087

RESUMO

INTRODUCTION: Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in tropical regions. Serum free calcium (Ca2+) is known to be important in cardiac and circulatory function. We evaluated association between serum Ca2+ level and severity of dengue. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was carried out at a tertiary care private hospital in Sri Lanka. A probable case of dengue was diagnosed and classified according to World Health Organization criteria and confirmed by either IgM antibody, PCR, or NS1 antigen detection. Socio-demographic details were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: The sample size was 135. The mean age was 26.1 years, and the majority were males (n = 80, 59.3%). DHF was diagnosed in 71 patients (52.6%). Mean serum Ca2+ level of the study population was 1.05 mmol/L (range 0.77-1.24). Mean serum Ca2+ was significantly higher in patients with dengue fever (DF) (1.09 mmol/L) than in those with DHF (1.02 mmol/L) (p < 0.05). A significant difference was observed between mean serum calcium levels of DHF I and DHF II. Prevalence of hypocalcemia in DHF and DF patients was 86.9% (n = 60) and 29.7% (n = 11), respectively (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Serum Ca2+ levels significantly correlated with dengue severity. Serum Ca2+ levels were significantly lower and hypocalcemia was more prevalent in patients with DHF than in patients with DF. Further studies are required to determine whether hypocalcemia can be utilized as a prognostic indicator and to evaluate effectiveness of calcium therapy in prevention of dengue complications.


Assuntos
Dengue/complicações , Dengue/patologia , Hipocalcemia/patologia , Índice de Gravidade de Doença , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Anticorpos Antivirais/sangue , Criança , Estudos Transversais , Feminino , Humanos , Imunoglobulina M/sangue , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase , RNA Viral/sangue , Sri Lanka , Centros de Atenção Terciária , Proteínas não Estruturais Virais/sangue , Adulto Jovem
7.
Clin Exp Hypertens ; 36(7): 484-91, 2014.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24433043

RESUMO

We studied the community prevalence, patterns and predictors of hypertension in a large sub-population of South Asian adults with a view of identifying differential risk factors. Data were collected between years 2005-2006 and 5000 adults were invited for the study. The sample size was 4485, and about 39.5% were males. Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were 127.1 ± 19.8 mmHg and 75.4 ± 11.3 mmHg, respectively. Age-adjusted prevalence in all adults, males and females was 23.7%, 23.4% and 23.8%, respectively. Urban adults had a significantly higher prevalence of hypertension than rural adults. In the binary logistic-regression analysis, male gender (OR: 1.2), increasing age, Sri Lankan Moor ethnicity (OR: 1.6), physical inactivity (OR: 1.7), presence of diabetes (OR: 2.2) and central obesity (OR: 2.3) all were significantly associated with hypertension. In conclusion, nearly one-third of the Sri Lankan adult population is hypertensive. Hence, public health initiatives should encourage healthier lifestyles with emphasis on preventing obesity and increasing physical activity.


Assuntos
Hipertensão/epidemiologia , Adulto , Idoso , Pressão Sanguínea , Comorbidade , Estudos Transversais , Países em Desenvolvimento , Complicações do Diabetes/epidemiologia , Feminino , Promoção da Saúde , Inquéritos Epidemiológicos , Humanos , Hipertensão/fisiopatologia , Hipertensão/prevenção & controle , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Obesidade Abdominal/epidemiologia , Prevalência , Fatores de Risco , População Rural , Sri Lanka/epidemiologia , População Urbana
8.
BMC Complement Altern Med ; 13: 275, 2013 Oct 22.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24148965

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: In traditional medicine Cinnamon is considered a remedy for respiratory, digestive and gynaecological ailments. In-vitro and in-vivo studies from different parts of the world have demonstrated numerous beneficial medicinal effects of Cinnamomum zeylanicum (CZ). This paper aims to systematically review the scientific literature and provide a comprehensive summary on the potential medicinal benefits of CZ. METHODS: A comprehensive systematic review was conducted in the following databases; PubMed, Web of Science, SciVerse Scopus for studies published before 31st December 2012. The following keywords were used: "Cinnamomum zeylanicum", "Ceylon cinnamon", "True cinnamon" and "Sri Lankan cinnamon". To obtain additional data a manual search was performed using the reference lists of included articles. RESULTS: The literature search identified the following number of articles in the respective databases; PubMed=54, Web of Science=76 and SciVerse Scopus=591. Thirteen additional articles were identified by searching reference lists. After removing duplicates the total number of articles included in the present review is 70. The beneficial health effects of CZ identified were; a) anti-microbial and anti-parasitic activity, b) lowering of blood glucose, blood pressure and serum cholesterol, c) anti-oxidant and free-radical scavenging properties, d) inhibition of tau aggregation and filament formation (hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease), e) inhibitory effects on osteoclastogenesis, f) anti-secretagogue and anti-gastric ulcer effects, g) anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory activity, h) wound healing properties and i) hepato-protective effects. The studies reported minimal toxic and adverse effects. CONCLUSIONS: The available in-vitro and in-vivo evidence suggests that CZ has many beneficial health effects. However, since data on humans are sparse, randomized controlled trials in humans will be necessary to determine whether these effects have public health implications.


Assuntos
Cinnamomum zeylanicum/química , Extratos Vegetais/administração & dosagem , Animais , Cinnamomum zeylanicum/classificação , Bases de Dados Factuais , Humanos , Medicina Tradicional , Extratos Vegetais/efeitos adversos
9.
BMC Res Notes ; 6: 373, 2013 Sep 21.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24053215

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: To study the prevalence and define deferential risk factors for 'Resistant' hypertension (RHT) in a hypertensive population of South Asian origin. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among hypertensive patients attending clinics at the Cardiology Unit, Colombo from July-October 2009. All the patients with hypertension who provided informed written consent were recruited to the study (n = 277). A pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. A binary logistic-regression analysis was performed in all patients with 'presence of RHT' as the dichotomous dependent variable and other independent co-variants. RESULTS: Mean age was 61 ± 10.3 years and 50.2% were males. The mean of average systolic and diastolic blood pressures (BP) were 133.04 ± 12.91 mmHg and 81.07 ± 6.41 mmHg respectively. Uncontrolled BP was present in 41.1% (n = 114) of patients, of which RHT was present in 19.1% (n = 53). Uncontrolled BP were due to 'therapeutic inertia' in 27.8% of the study population. Those with diabetes mellitus, obesity (BMI > 27.5 kg/m2) and those who were older than 55 years were significantly higher in the RHT group than in the non-RHT group. In the binary logistic regression analysis older age (OR:1.36), longer duration of hypertension (OR:1.76), presence of diabetes mellitus (OR:1.67) and being obese (OR:1.84) were significantly associated with RHT. CONCLUSION: A significant proportion of the hypertensive patients were having uncontrolled hypertension. Nearly 1/5th of the population was suffering from RHT, which was significantly associated with the presence of obesity and diabetes mellitus. Therapeutic inertia seems to contribute significantly towards the presence of uncontrolled BP.


Assuntos
Países em Desenvolvimento/estatística & dados numéricos , Hipertensão/epidemiologia , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Anti-Hipertensivos/uso terapêutico , Comorbidade , Demografia , Feminino , Humanos , Hipertensão/tratamento farmacológico , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Prevalência , Fatores de Risco , Sri Lanka/epidemiologia
10.
Trials ; 14: 52, 2013 Feb 19.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23421759

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: The number of people with diabetes is increasing worldwide, especially in developing South Asian countries. Therefore, preventing diabetes at the early stages has become an important issue. Recent clinical trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analysis have shown that zinc has beneficial effects on glycemic and metabolic control in those with diabetes. The present study is designed to evaluate the effects of zinc supplementation on glycemic control and other metabolic parameters in those with pre-diabetes. METHODS/DESIGN: The study will be conducted as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial for a period of 12 months at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. The study has been approved by the Ethics Review Committee of Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo (EC/11/189). A total of 200 adults (age 18-60 years) with pre-diabetes will be recruited for the study. They will be stratified according to age, gender, and body mass index and randomly assigned into the test and placebo groups on a 1:1 ratio. The zinc capsules, each weighing 456 mg, will contain the following ingredients:zinc sulfate monohydrate 55.096 mg (elemental zinc 20 mg), lactose monohydrate 399.504 mg, and stearic acid 1.400 mg. The placebo capsule with the same weight will be comprised of lactose monohydrate 454.600 mg and stearic acid 1.400 mg. The subjects will receive either zinc 20 mg capsules or placebo daily for a period of 12 months. The study drugs will be double blinded to both investigators and subjects. The visits and the evaluations will be done as follows: screening (visit 0), 1 month (visit 1), 3 month (visit 2), 6 month (visit 3), and 12 month (visit 4). The following primary outcome measures will be evaluated:fasting plasma glucose (FPG), post oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), serum insulin, HbA1c, total/low-density lipoprotein (LDL)/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, serum zinc, and appetite using a visual analog scale. Secondary outcome measures include: blood pressure, anthropometry, and dietary assessment using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Data will be analyzed using SPSS v16. DISCUSSION: The present protocol will aim to establish the beneficial effects of zinc supplementation on disease progression in those with pre-diabetes and also establish its effectiveness in the prevention of diabetes mellitus. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Sri Lanka Clinical Trial Registry: SLCTR/2012/010.


Assuntos
Suplementos Nutricionais , Estado Pré-Diabético/tratamento farmacológico , Projetos de Pesquisa , Sulfato de Zinco/uso terapêutico , Administração Oral , Adolescente , Adulto , Apetite/efeitos dos fármacos , Biomarcadores/sangue , Glicemia/efeitos dos fármacos , Glicemia/metabolismo , Peso Corporal/efeitos dos fármacos , Cápsulas , Protocolos Clínicos , Progressão da Doença , Método Duplo-Cego , Feminino , Hemoglobinas Glicadas/metabolismo , Humanos , Insulina/sangue , Lipídeos/sangue , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estado Pré-Diabético/sangue , Estado Pré-Diabético/diagnóstico , Estado Pré-Diabético/fisiopatologia , Sri Lanka , Fatores de Tempo , Resultado do Tratamento , Adulto Jovem , Sulfato de Zinco/administração & dosagem
11.
BMC Res Notes ; 5: 658, 2012 Nov 29.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23191984

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Patients' knowledge on prescribed medications play a key role in the long term management of cardiac diseases and in determining their outcome. The present study evaluates the knowledge about prescribed medication among cardiac patients and aim to identify factors influencing knowledge. METHODS: A descriptive-cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 adult patients attending clinics at the Cardiology Unit of the National Hospital of Sri Lanka. Knowledge assessment focused on four different sections; drug name, dose, frequency and indication. The total score of 60 was calculated by giving each component the following weighted scores; drug name = 20, indication = 20, drug dose = 10 and frequency = 10. A binary logistic regression analysis to evaluate factors associated with 'good knowledge' (total score ≥ 40) was performed. RESULTS: Among 200 participants 56.5% (n = 113) were males. Mean age was 59.7 ± 8.2 years and a majority (n = 170, 85.0%) were older than 50 years of age. Sinhala was the primary language of 91.5% (n = 183) of participants, while English was the primary language in only two of the study participants (1.0%). Eighty four percent of the participants were educated up to secondary education or above, while 2.5% (n = 5) had no formal education. The overall knowledge (total score-60) on prescribed medications among the study population was 'poor' (score ≤ 20) in 46%, 'adequate' (score 21-40) in 36.5% and 'good' (score ≥ 40) in 17.5%. The results of the binary logistic regression analysis indicates that Secondary (OR-1.53) and Tertiary levels (OR-2.79) of education, self-reported perception of illness as being Moderate (OR-1.23) or Severe (OR-1.70) and being educated by a doctor (as reported by patients) (OR-1.69) significantly increased the odds of having a 'Good Knowledge of Drugs'. Majority of the patients were unable to read and understand the information written in English. The doctor's contributed towards educating on drug information only in 33.0% of the patients. CONCLUSION: In a resource-poor setting in patients with Limited English Proficiency, lower level of education and misperception of illness severity resulted in reduced knowledge on prescribed medications. Furthermore, being educated by a doctor significantly improved knowledge. However the doctors' contribution at present to deliver quality health information to their patients was at an unsatisfactory level.


Assuntos
Prescrições de Medicamentos , Idioma , Adulto , Idoso , Estudos Transversais , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Sri Lanka
12.
BMC Res Notes ; 5: 504, 2012 Sep 14.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22980096

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: The use of computer assisted learning (CAL) has enhanced undergraduate medical education. CAL improves performance at examinations, develops problem solving skills and increases student satisfaction. The study evaluates computer literacy among first year medical students in Sri Lanka. METHODS: The study was conducted at Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka between August-September 2008. First year medical students (n = 190) were invited for the study. Data on computer literacy and associated factors were collected by an expert-validated pre-tested self-administered questionnaire. Computer literacy was evaluated by testing knowledge on 6 domains; common software packages, operating systems, database management and the usage of internet and E-mail. A linear regression was conducted using total score for computer literacy as the continuous dependant variable and other independent covariates. RESULTS: Sample size-181 (Response rate-95.3%), 49.7% were Males. Majority of the students (77.3%) owned a computer (Males-74.4%, Females-80.2%). Students have gained their present computer knowledge by; a formal training programme (64.1%), self learning (63.0%) or by peer learning (49.2%). The students used computers for predominately; word processing (95.6%), entertainment (95.0%), web browsing (80.1%) and preparing presentations (76.8%). Majority of the students (75.7%) expressed their willingness for a formal computer training programme at the faculty.Mean score for the computer literacy questionnaire was 48.4 ± 20.3, with no significant gender difference (Males-47.8 ± 21.1, Females-48.9 ± 19.6). There were 47.9% students that had a score less than 50% for the computer literacy questionnaire. Students from Colombo district, Western Province and Student owning a computer had a significantly higher mean score in comparison to other students (p < 0.001). In the linear regression analysis, formal computer training was the strongest predictor of computer literacy (ß = 13.034), followed by using internet facility, being from Western province, using computers for Web browsing and computer programming, computer ownership and doing IT (Information Technology) as a subject in GCE (A/L) examination. CONCLUSION: Sri Lankan medical undergraduates had a low-intermediate level of computer literacy. There is a need to improve computer literacy, by increasing computer training in schools, or by introducing computer training in the initial stages of the undergraduate programme. These two options require improvement in infrastructure and other resources.


Assuntos
Alfabetização Digital/estatística & dados numéricos , Instrução por Computador/estatística & dados numéricos , Estudantes de Medicina/estatística & dados numéricos , Inquéritos e Questionários , Adulto , Computadores/estatística & dados numéricos , Estudos Transversais , Correio Eletrônico/estatística & dados numéricos , Feminino , Humanos , Internet/estatística & dados numéricos , Modelos Lineares , Masculino , Propriedade/estatística & dados numéricos , Sri Lanka , Processamento de Texto/estatística & dados numéricos
13.
Diabetol Metab Syndr ; 4(1): 21, 2012 May 29.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22642973

RESUMO

Prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) has reached epidemic proportions in Sri Lanka. Presently there are studies on the community prevalence of distal peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in Sri Lanka. We describe prevalence, patterns and predictors of DPN in patients with DM in Sri Lanka. Data were collected as part of a national study on DM. In new cases DPN was assessed using the Diabetic-Neuropathy-Symptom (DNS) score, while in those with established diabetes both DNS and Toronto-Clinical-Scoring-System (TCSS) were used. A binary logistic-regression analysis was performed with 'presence of DPN' as the dichomatous dependent variable and other independent co-variants. The study included 528 diabetic patients (191-new cases), with a mean age of 55.0 ± 12.4 years and 37.3% were males, while 18% were from urban areas. Prevalence of DPN according to DNS score among all patients, patients with already established diabetes and newly diagnosed patients were 48.1%, 59.1% and 28.8% respectively. Prevalence of DPN in those with established DM as assessed by TCSS was 24% and the majority had mild DPN (16.6%). The remainder of the abstract is based on subjects with established DM. The prevalence of DPN in males and female was 20.0% and 26.4% respectively. The mean age of those with and without DPN was 62.1 ± 10.8 and 55.1 ± 10.8 years respectively (p < 0.001). The majority of those with DPN were from rural-areas (75.3%) and earned a monthly income < Sri Lankan Rupees 12,000 (87.6%). In the binary logistic-regression presence of foot ulcers (OR:10.4; 95%CI 1.8-16.7), female gender (OR:6.7; 95%CI 2.0-9.8) and smoking (OR:5.9; 95%CI 1.4-9.7) were the strongest predictors followed by insulin treatment (OR:4.3; 95%CI 1.3-6.9), diabetic retinopathy (OR:2.7; 95%CI 1.3-5.4), treatment with sulphonylureas (OR:1.8; 95%CI 1.1-3.2), increasing height (OR:1.8; 95%CI 1.2-2.4), rural residence (OR:1.8; 95%CI 1.1-2.5), higher levels of triglycerides (OR:1.6; 95%CI 1.2-2.0) and longer duration of DM (OR:1.2; 95%CI 1.1-1.3). There is a high prevalence of DPN among Sri Lankan adults with diabetes. The study defines the impact of previously known risk factors for development of DPN and identifies several new potential risk factors in an ethnically different large subpopulation with DM.

14.
BMC Blood Disord ; 12: 1, 2012 Mar 17.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22423664

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: We report a patient with cytogenetically confirmed Fanconi anaemia with associated diffuse bilateral pulmonary arterio-venous fistulae. This is only the second reported case of diffuse pulmonary arterio-venous fistulae with Fanconi anaemia. CASE PRESENTATION: A 16 year old Sri Lankan boy, with a cytogenetically confirmed Fanconi anaemia was admitted to University Medical Unit, National Hospital of Sri Lanka for further assessment and treatment. Both central and peripheral cyanosis plus clubbing were noted on examination. The peripheral saturation was persistently low on room air and did not improve with supplementary Oxygen. Contrast echocardiography failed to demonstrate an intra cardiac shunt but showed early crossover of contrast, suggesting the possibility of pulmonary arterio-venous fistulae. Computed tomography pulmonary angiogram was inconclusive. Subsequent right heart catheterisation revealed bilateral diffuse arterio-venous fistulae not amenable for device closure or surgical intervention. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the second reported patient with diffuse pulmonary arterio-venous fistulae associated with Fanconi anaemia. We report this case to create awareness among clinicians regarding this elusive association. We recommend screening patients with Fanconi anaemia using contrast echocardiography at the time of assessment with transthoracic echocardiogram. Though universal screening may be impossible given the cost constraints, such screening should at least be performed in patients with clinical evidence of desaturation or when a therapeutic option such as haematopoietic stem cell transplantation is considered. Treatment of pulmonary arteriovenous fistulae would improve patient outcome as desaturation by shunting worsens the anaemic symptoms by reducing the oxygen carrying capacity of blood.

16.
Asia Pac Fam Med ; 10(1): 15, 2011 Nov 24.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22115027

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus is becoming a serious public health problem in Sri Lanka and many other developing countries in the region. It is well known that effective management of diabetes reduces the incidence and progression of many diabetes related complications, thus it is important that General Practitioners (GPs) have sound knowledge and positive attitudes towards all aspects of its management. This study aims to assess knowledge, awareness and practices relating to management of Diabetes Mellitus among Sri Lankan GPs. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among all 246 GPs registered with the Ceylon College of General Practitioners using a pre-validated self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: 205 responded to the questionnaire(response rate 83.3%). Their mean duration of practice was 28.7 ± 11.2 years. On average, each GP had 27 ± 25 diabetic-patient consultations per-week. 96% managed diabetic patients and 24% invariably sought specialist opinion. 99.2% used blood glucose to diagnose diabetes but correct diagnostic cut-off values were known by only 48.8%. Appropriate use of HbA1c and urine microalbumin was known by 15.2% and 39.2% respectively. 84% used HbA1c to monitor glyceamic control, while 90.4% relied on fasting blood glucose to monitor glyceamic control. Knowledge on target control levels was poor.Nearly 90% correctly selected the oral hypoglyceamic treatment for obese as well as thin type 2 diabetic patients. Knowledge on the management of diabetes in pregnancy was poor. Only 23.2% knew the correct threshold for starting lipid-lowering therapy. The concept of strict glycaemic control in preference to symptom control was appreciated only by 68%. The skills for comprehensive care in subjects with multiple risk factors were unsatisfactory. CONCLUSIONS: The study was done among experienced members of the only professional college dedicated to the specialty. However, we found that there is room for improvement in their knowledge and practices related to diabetes. We recommend continuing medical education and training programs to update GP's knowledge in order to improve health outcomes in this group of patients.

17.
Asia Pac J Public Health ; 23(6): 861-9, 2011 Nov.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-20460291

RESUMO

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and underlying sociodemographic correlates of smoking among Sri Lankans. METHODS: A cross-sectional sample (N = 5000, age >18 years) was selected using a multistage random cluster sampling. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: Response rate was 91% (n = 4532); males 40%; mean age 46.1 years (±15.1). Overall, urban and rural prevalence of current smoking (smoking) was 18.3%, 17.2%, and 18.5%, respectively (P = nonsignificant, urban vs rural). Smoking was much higher in males than in females (38.0% vs 0.1%, P < .0001). Ex-smokers comprised 10.0% (males 20.7%, females 0.1%, P < .0001). Among the smokers 87.0% smoked <10 cigarettes per day. The male age groups < 20 and 20 to 29 years had the lowest (15.6%) and the highest (44.6%) prevalence of smoking, respectively. In males, smoking was highest in the least educated (odds ratio = 1.96, P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: Smoking is common among Sri Lankan males and is associated with lower education, income, and middle age.


Assuntos
Fumar/epidemiologia , Adulto , Idoso , Estudos Transversais , Feminino , Humanos , Entrevistas como Assunto , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Sri Lanka/epidemiologia , Adulto Jovem
18.
Econ Hum Biol ; 9(1): 23-9, 2011 Jan.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21126931

RESUMO

The present study examines patterns and socioeconomic and demographic correlates of adult height among Sri Lankan adults. Data were available for height and socio-demographic factors from a nationally representative cross-sectional sample of 4477 subjects above 18 years. Recruitment was between 2005 and 2006. Mean age of all subjects was 46.1±15.1 years. Mean height of males and females were 163.6±6.9cm and 151.4±6.4cm respectively. Mean height showed a significant negative correlation with age (p<0.001, r=-0.207). Highest mean height in females 154.0±5.9cm and males 165.6±6.9cm were observed in those born after 1977. Rural females (151.4±6.2cm) were significantly taller than the urban (151.3±7.2cm). However, this was not observed in males. In multivariate analysis, year of birth, level of education and household income were significantly associated with height. Height demonstrated a significant negative correlation with systolic blood pressure (r=-0.032), presence of diabetes (r=-0.069), total cholesterol (r=-0.106), HDL cholesterol (r=-0.142) and LDL cholesterol (r=-0.104). Height was associated with household income and level of education in Sri Lanka and demonstrated a distinct increasing trend over successive generations.


Assuntos
Estatura , Glicemia/metabolismo , Pressão Sanguínea/fisiologia , Estudos Transversais , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Síndrome Metabólica/epidemiologia , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Análise Multivariada , Valores de Referência , Análise de Regressão , Fatores Socioeconômicos , Sri Lanka , Estatística como Assunto
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