MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 81 cases of oral cancers were matched with 162 controls in this hospital-based study. Information on sociodemographic characteristics and details of risk habits (duration, frequency and type of tobacco consumption and betel quid chewing) were collected. Association between smoking and betel quid chewing with oral cancer were analysed using conditional logistic regression.
RESULTS: Slightly more than half of the cases (55.6%) were smokers where 88.9% of them smoked kretek. After adjusting for confounders, smokers have two fold increased risk, while the risk for kretek consumers and those smoking for more than 10 years was increased to almost three-fold. Prevalence of betel quid chewing among cases and controls was low (7.4% and 1.9% respectively). Chewing of at least one quid per day, and quid combination of betel leaf, areca nut, lime and tobacco conferred a 5-6 fold increased risk.
CONCLUSIONS: Smoking is positively associated with oral cancer risk. A similar direct association was also seen among betel quid chewers.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred retinal samples of right eye [57.0% females (n = 114) and 43.0% males (n = 86)] were selected from baseline visit. A custom-written software was used for vessel segmentation. Vessel segmentation is the process of transforming two-dimensional color images into binary images (i.e. black and white pixels). The circular area of approximately 2.6 optic disc radii surrounding the center of optic disc was cropped. The non-vessels fragments were removed. FracLac was used to measure the fractal dimension and vessel density of retinal vessels.
RESULTS: This study suggested that 14.1% of the region of interest (i.e. approximately 2.6 optic disk radii) comprised retinal vessel structure. Using correlation analysis, vessel density measurement and fractal dimension estimation are linearly and strongly correlated (R = 0.942, R(2) = 0.89, p
METHODS: HGS was measured using a Jamar dynamometer in 125,462 healthy adults aged 35-70 years from 21 countries in the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study.
RESULTS: HGS values differed among individuals from different geographic regions. HGS values were highest among those from Europe/North America, lowest among those from South Asia, South East Asia and Africa, and intermediate among those from China, South America, and the Middle East. Reference ranges stratified by geographic region, age, and sex are presented. These ranges varied from a median (25th-75th percentile) 50 kg (43-56 kg) in men <40 years from Europe/North America to 18 kg (14-20 kg) in women >60 years from South East Asia. Reference ranges by ethnicity and body-mass index are also reported.
CONCLUSIONS: Individual HGS measurements should be interpreted using region/ethnic-specific reference ranges.
METHODOLOGY: This study was a part of the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study carried out among adults aged between 35 to 70 years old residing in urban and rural Malaysian communities. A standardised questionnaire was used to assess the socio-demographic information and physical activity level of respondents who provided written informed consent to participate in this study. HGS was measured using Jamar's dynamometer. A total of 3,446 healthy adults of Malay ethnic were included in this study. Descriptive data were used to derive the normative reference values for HGS using means and standard deviations stratified by age and gender. The predictors of HGS were determined using a general linear model (GLM).
RESULTS: Mean HGS ranged from 38.48 (± 9.40) kg for the dominant hand of men aged 35-40 years to 16.53 (± 5.69) kg for the non-dominant hand of women aged 61-70 years. The ANOVA indicated that there was a significant descending trend of HGS as age increased for both genders (p
MATERIALS AND METHODS: We identified RCTs for SUI interventions published between January 2015 and July 2017. We listed the objective and subjective outcome measures used in eligible trials in the literature search. Using data from our RCT conducted from 2013 to 2016 evaluating pulsed magnetic stimulation for SUI, we analysed the correlation between all measures.
RESULTS: A total of 45 RCTs were included; 28 (62%) involved surgical interventions. The most frequently used objective and subjective measures were the cough stress test and International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI SF), respectively. In all, 24 different validated questionnaires were administered in the 42 studies that used subjective outcome measure. Analyses of measures used in our trial showed that all measures were significantly correlated with each other except for pelvic floor muscle function. The ICIQ-UI SF showed the highest correlation coefficients (0.587-0.733) with all outcome measures.
CONCLUSION: The outcome measures used in recent trials were inconsistent. The ICIQ-UI SF had the highest correlation with all measures in our trial; however, further studies evaluating correlation of measures in other patient cohorts are needed to corroborate our present results. We propose the use of ICIQ-UI SF, as the most relevant outcome measure, in future trials evaluating efficacy of SUI interventions.
DESIGN: A case-controlled study of the iron levels (microgram/mL) in the pelvic PF of 12 patients with moderate-to-severe disease, 15 patients with minimal-to-mild disease and in 17 women with normal pelvises were compared. As an index of free radical reactions through lipid peroxidation, the levels of malondialdehyde levels (ng/mL) were assessed simultaneously in the same specimens.
RESULTS: Controlling for the phase of the menstrual cycle, significantly higher levels of iron were seen in patients with endometriosis, the levels being correlated with the severity of the disease. However no such corresponding relationship was seen in the malondialdehyde levels in the PF.
CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that raised iron levels in the PF do not play a role in catalyzing free radical reactions as judged by the degree of lipid peroxidation.
METHODS: Two thousand seven hundred twenty five apparently healthy adults comprising all ages, both genders and three principal races were recruited through voluntary participation. FBC was performed on two analysers, Sysmex XE-5000 and Unicel DxH 800, in addition to blood smears and haemoglobin analysis. Serum ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor and C-reactive protein assays were performed in selected subjects. All parameters of qualified subjects were tested for normality followed by determination of reference intervals, measures of central tendency and dispersion along with point estimates for each subgroup.
RESULTS: Complete data was available in 2440 subjects of whom 56% (907 women and 469 men) were included in reference interval calculation. Compared to other populations there were significant differences for haemoglobin, red blood cell count, platelet count and haematocrit in Malaysians. There were differences between men and women, and between younger and older men; unlike in other populations, haemoglobin was similar in younger and older women. However ethnicity and smoking had little impact. 70% of anemia in premenopausal women, 24% in postmenopausal women and 20% of males is attributable to iron deficiency. There was excellent correlation between Sysmex XE-5000 and Unicel DxH 800.
CONCLUSION: Our data confirms the importance of population specific haematological parameters and supports the need for local guidelines rather than adoption of generalised reference intervals and cut-offs.
METHODS: Ethnic Malay, Chinese or Indian subjects aged 45-90 years old were recruited from Selangor, Malaysia from June 2016 to August 2018. Subjects with known medical conditions (e.g., bone disorders, malnutrition, immobilisation, renal impairment, hormonal disorders) and medications (including regular calcium or vitamin D supplements) that may affect CTX and P1NP were excluded. Additionally, subjects with osteoporosis or fracture on imaging studies were excluded. The blood samples were collected between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. in fasting state. The CTX and P1NP were measured on Roche e411 platform in batches.
RESULTS: The 2.5th-97.5th percentiles reference intervals (and bootstrapped 90%CI) for plasma CTX in men (n = 91) were 132 (94-175) - 775 (667-990) ng/L; in post-menopausal women (n = 132) 152 (134-177) - 1025 (834-1293) ng/L. The serum P1NP reference intervals in men were 23.7 (19.1-26.4) - 83.9 (74.0-105.0) µg/L, and in post-menopausal women, 25.9 (19.5-29.3) - 142.1 (104.7-229.7) µg/L.
CONCLUSION: The reference intervals for plasma CTX and serum PINP for older Malaysian men and post-menopausal women are somewhat different to other published studies from the region, emphasising the importance of establishing specific reference intervals for each population.