Displaying publications 21 - 39 of 39 in total

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  1. Lee KW, Ching SM, Hoo FK, Ramachandran V, Chong SC, Tusimin M, et al.
    Qual Life Res, 2020 Oct;29(10):2725-2736.
    PMID: 32430781 DOI: 10.1007/s11136-020-02532-3
    PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify factors associated with poor-to-moderate quality of life (QOL) among women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in two tertiary hospitals in Malaysia.

    METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 526 pregnant women with GDM in two tertiary hospitals in Malaysia. Diabetes-related QOL was assessed using the Asian Diabetes Quality of Life Scale (AsianDQoL). Socio-demographic characteristics, glucose monitoring treatments for GDM, past obstetric history, concurrent medical problems and a family history of diseases were captured from patient records. A multiple logistic regression was used for analysis.

    RESULTS: A total of 526 respondents with GDM entered the analysis. The median age of the respondents was 32 (interquartile range = 7) while 82.3% were Malay women. More than half of the respondents (69.5%) received an oral hypoglycaemic agent (OHA), and/or diet modification in controlling their GDM. The study reported that 23.2% of the respondents had poor-to-moderate QOL. Those with a family history of depression and/or anxiety (adjusted Odds ratio [AOR] 6.934, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.280-21.081), and a family history of GDM (AOR 1.814, 95% CI 1.185-2.778) were at higher odds of suffering from poor-to-moderate QOL compared to those without a family history. Similarly, those who received insulin, with or without OHA, and/or are on diet modification (AOR 1.955, 95% CI 1.243-3.074) were at higher odds of suffering from poor-to-moderate QOL compared to those receiving OHA and/or diet modification.

    CONCLUSION: Nearly one-quarter of Malaysian women with GDM have poor-to-moderate QOL. GDM women with a family history of depression and/or anxiety, family history of GDM, and those who received insulin, with or without OHA, and/or are on diet modification were associated with poor-to-moderate QOL.

    TRIAL REGISTRATION: NMRR-17-2264-37814.

  2. Ghasan Abood Al-Ashoor S, Ramachandran V, Inche Mat LN, Mohamad NA, Mohamed MH, Wan Sulaiman WA
    Saudi J Biol Sci, 2022 Jan;29(1):453-459.
    PMID: 35002441 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.09.008
    Background: Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder. It is a major non-communicable disease affecting 463 million people globally in 2019 and is expected to be double to about 700 million by 2045. The majority are Asians with Indian ethnicity in Malaysia reported as the highest prevalence of T2DM. Cardiovascular disease, renal failure, blindness and neuropathy, as well as premature death are the known morbidity and mortality resulted from T2DM. T2DM is characterized by the dysfunctional insulin physiology that causes reduction of glucose transport into the cells which lead to hyperglycaemia. Hence, one of the important treatments is an oral antidiabetic drug that lowers the serum glucose level in patients with T2DM. This drug will be transported across cell membranes by organic cation transporters (OCT). Therefore, it is important to identify the OCT candidate gene polymorphisms related to T2DM especially among the Indian ethnicity in Malaysia.

    Methods: Blood samples were collected from 132 T2DM patients and 133 controls. Genotyping of OCT1 (rs628031), OCT2 (rs145450955), OCT3 (rs3088442 and rs2292334) was performed using (PCR-RFLP).

    Results: No association was observed for genotypic and allelic distributions in all the gene polymorphisms of OCT genes (P > 0.05). However, a logistic regression analysis stratified by gender in a dominant model showed a significant difference for OCT3 among males with T2DM (P = 0.006). Significant association was also observed for OCT3 when stratified to subjects aged > 45 years old (P = 0.009).

    Conclusion: Based on these findings, the association of OCT3 (rs2292334) could be considered as a possible genetic risk factor for the development of T2DM among Indian males alone.

  3. Harikrishnan S, Sudarshan S, Sivasubramani K, Nandini MS, Narenkumar J, Ramachandran V, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2023 Sep 13;13(1):15153.
    PMID: 37704703 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42475-6
    The widespread use of synthetic pesticides has resulted in a number of issues, including a rise in insecticide-resistant organisms, environmental degradation, and a hazard to human health. As a result, new microbial derived insecticides that are safe for human health and the environment are urgently needed. In this study, rhamnolipid biosurfactants produced from Enterobacter cloacae SJ2 was used to evaluate the toxicity towards mosquito larvae (Culex quinquefasciatus) and termites (Odontotermes obesus). Results showed dose dependent mortality rate was observed between the treatments. The 48 h LC50 (median lethal concentration) values of the biosurfactant were determined for termite and mosquito larvae following the non-linear regression curve fit method. Results showed larvicidal activity and anti-termite activity of biosurfactants with 48 h LC50 value (95% confidence interval) of 26.49 mg/L (25.40 to 27.57) and 33.43 mg/L (31.09 to 35.68), respectively. According to a histopathological investigation, the biosurfactant treatment caused substantial tissue damage in cellular organelles of larvae and termites. The findings of this study suggest that the microbial biosurfactant produced by E. cloacae SJ2 is an excellent and potentially effective agent for controlling Cx. quinquefasciatus and O. obesus.
  4. Ching SM, Cheong AT, Yee A, Thurasamy R, Lim PY, Zarina II, et al.
    Ir J Med Sci, 2024 Apr;193(2):851-863.
    PMID: 37556104 DOI: 10.1007/s11845-023-03483-7
    BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the determinants of burnout among healthcare providers in the primary care setting.

    METHODS: A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 1280 healthcare providers aged 18 years and older from 30 primary care clinics in Selangor, Malaysia. In this study, the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory was used to assess burnout. The results were analyzed using multiple logistic regression.

    RESULTS: The prevalence of personal burnout was 41.7%, followed by work-related burnout (32.2%) and client-related burnout (14.5%). The determinants for personal burnout in this study were younger age, being a doctor, higher COVID-19 exposure risk, do not know where to seek help, inability to handle stress, poorer sleep quality score, higher total COVID-19 fear score, higher total stress score, and lower total BRS score. The determinants of work-related burnout were younger age, being a doctor, longer years of working, higher COVID-19 exposure risk, do not know where to seek help, lower altruistic score, poorer sleep quality score, higher total stress score, and lower total brief resilience score (BRS) score. The determinants of client-related burnout were doctor, single/divorced, more than one attachment site, and higher satisfaction toward the infection control, inability to handle stress, higher total depression score, and lower total BRS score.

    CONCLUSION: Every fourth out of ten suffered from personal burnout, one-third from work-related burnout, and one-seventh from client-related burnout among healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare systems must take care of healthcare workers' physical and emotional depletion, reducing the risk of burnout.

  5. Kouhi Fayegh A, Mat Din H, Wan Sulaiman WA, Ravanipour M, Basri H, Bin Mohamed MH, et al.
    Neuropsychiatr, 2024 Dec;38(4):174-181.
    PMID: 37184819 DOI: 10.1007/s40211-023-00467-y
    PURPOSE: Disturbances of sleep have frequently been reported in individuals with migraine. On top of this, an elderly patient with migraine also suffers from sleep disturbances due to changes in physiologic and mental health associated with aging. This study aimed to compare several sleep factors, namely sleep quality, chronotype, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) risk, between elderly people with and without migraine.

    METHODS: This was a multicenter cross-sectional study conducted in 10 neurologic clinics located in Tehran, Iran, over 2 years. The sample size was calculated as 189, including 63 migraine and 126 non-migraine patients.

    RESULTS: A significant difference was observed in the mean score of the global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) between migraine and non-migraine groups (p-value = 0.002), and in the individual components of the PSQI. However, there were no significant differences in the frequency of different types of chronotype (p-value = 0.125, T = 1.541) or OSA risk between the two groups (p-value = 0.568, T = -0.573). The binary logistic regression model showed that the relationship between global PSQI and migraine was significant (p = 0.002).

    CONCLUSION: Sleep quality is a problem for elderly migraine sufferers. Meanwhile, certain factors such as chronotype and OSA have no significant relationship with migraine among community-dwelling seniors. Further studies are required to enhance our understanding of this observation.

  6. Ching SM, Ramachandran V, Gew LT, Lim SMS, Sulaiman WAW, Foo YL, et al.
    BMC Complement Altern Med, 2016 Jan 29;16:37.
    PMID: 26825057 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-016-1017-0
    BACKGROUND: In Malaysia, the number of reported cases of dengue fever demonstrates an increasing trend. Since dengue fever has no vaccine or antiviral treatment available, it has become a burden. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has become one of the good alternatives to treat the patients with dengue fever. There is limited study on the use of CAM among patients with dengue fever, particularly in hospital settings. This study aims to determine the prevalence, types, reasons, expenditure, and resource of information on CAM use among patients with dengue fever.
    METHODS: This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study of 306 patients with dengue fever, which was carried out at the dengue clinic of three hospitals. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 21.0 and logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with CAM use.
    RESULTS: The prevalence of CAM use was 85.3% among patients with dengue fever. The most popular CAMs were isotonic drinks (85.8%), crab soup (46.7%) and papaya leaf extract (22.2%). The most common reason for CAM use was a good impression of CAM from other CAM users (33.3%). The main resource of information on CAM use among patients with dengue fever was family (54.8%). In multiple logistic regression analysis, dengue fever patients with a tertiary level are more likely to use CAM 5.8 (95% confidence interval (CI 1.62-20.45) and 3.8 (95% CI 1.12-12.93) times than secondary level and primary and below respectively.
    CONCLUSION: CAM was commonly used by patients with dengue fever. The predictor of CAM use was a higher level of education.
    Study site: Dengue clinic, Hospital Serdang, Hospital Kajang and Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Malaysia.
  7. Ching SM, Yee A, Lee PY, Ramachandran V, Shum KM, Ismael NF, et al.
    Health Qual Life Outcomes, 2020 Feb 07;18(1):23.
    PMID: 32033609 DOI: 10.1186/s12955-020-1280-0
    BACKGROUND: This study was initiated to examine the psychometric components of the Diabetes Empowerment Scale (DES) by translating and validating the scale into the Malay language (DES-M) which is the main language spoken in Malaysia. This study can determine the level of empowerment among diabetic patients towards diabetes management. In addition, the reliability and validity of the DES-M was also demonstrated.
    METHODS: A total of 151 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were recruited (between June 2016 and October 2016) to complete sets of questionnaires, which were DES-M, the Malay versions of the Diabetes Quality of Life (DQOL) for Adults and Summary of Diabetes Self Care Activities Questionnaire (SDSCA). Confirmatory and Exploratory factor analysis (CFA and EFA) were carried out to determine the factor structures of the DES-M.
    RESULTS: There were 100 males and 51 females with ages ranging from 19 to 81 years old (55 ± 13) included in this study. The instrument displayed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α =0.920) and the respective coefficients ranged from 0.65-0.84. Discriminant validity showed adequate correlations ranged from 0.257-0.744. Concurrent validity with SDSCA (Pearson's correlation = 0.313, p = 0.012). Predictive validity with DQOL (B = 0.27, p = 0.016). CFA indicated that four factor model of the DES-M has good fit to the data.
    CONCLUSION: This study indicates that the DES-M has a good internal consistency and validity. Therefore, it is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing empowerment score among patients with diabetes in Malaysia.
    TRIAL REGISTRATION: NMRR-16-805-30503 (IIR).
  8. Mohamad NA, Ramachandran V, Ismail P, Mohd Isa H, Chan YM, Ngah NF, et al.
    Bosn J Basic Med Sci, 2018 Aug 01;18(3):260-267.
    PMID: 29579408 DOI: 10.17305/bjbms.2018.2493
    Pharmacogenetic studies indicate that a variable response to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy in patients with neovascular form of AMD (nAMD) may be due to polymorphisms in the complement factor H gene (CFH). This study is the first to investigate the association between CFH Y402H polymorphism and the response to ranibizumab therapy in Malaysian patients with nAMD. We included 134 patients with nAMD, examined between September 2014 and February 2016. The diagnosis of nAMD was confirmed by ophthalmologic examination, before ranibizumab therapy was started. Each patient received an intravitreal injection of 0.5 mg/0.05 ml ranibizumab following a treat-and-extend (TE) regimen. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central retinal thickness (CRT) were recorded after 3 and 6 months following the first injection and compared with the baseline values. Genotyping of Y402H (rs1061170) polymorphism was performed using PCR-RFLP and the amplified product was digested with MluCI restriction enzyme. Association between the Y402H genotypes and response to treatment was determined by a logistic regression analysis of responder (n = 49) and non-responder (n = 84) group. Significantly worse mean BCVA was observed for the CC genotype compared to the TT + CT genotype in the total sample after 6-month follow-up (p = 0.018). Comparing the baseline and 6-month point measurements, improved mean BCVA was observed in responder group, while worse mean BCVA was recorded for non-responder group. However, our regression analysis, adjusted for confounding factors, showed no significant association between the Y402H genotypes and response to treatment in nAMD patients under the recessive model (p > 0.05). Overall, our results suggest that factors other than Y402H polymorphism may be involved in the progression of nAMD after treatment with anti-VEGF agents, in Malaysian population.
  9. Lee KW, Ching SM, Hoo FK, Ramachandran V, Chong SC, Tusimin M, et al.
    Midwifery, 2020 Feb;81:102586.
    PMID: 31830674 DOI: 10.1016/j.midw.2019.102586
    OBJECTIVE: Prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms in gestational diabetes mellitus ranges from 10.2% to 39.9% based on previous studies in Malaysia. Presence of depression, anxiety or stress in pregnancy may increase the risk of neonatal morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of neonatal outcomes and its association among mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus with and without the presence of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms in Malaysia.

    DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study.

    SETTING: Tertiary hospitals in Malaysia.

    PARTICIPANTS: Mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (n = 418) who deliver their neonates at two major tertiary hospitals in Malaysia.

    MEASUREMENTS: Neonatal outcomes, such as low birth weight, preterm birth, macrosomia, metabolic and electrolyte disorders, neonatal respiratory distress and congenital anomalies were determined.

    FINDINGS: Prevalence of low birth weight in neonates born to mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus was 14.6%, followed by metabolic and electrolyte disorders 10.5%, preterm birth 9.1%, macrosomia 4.8%, neonatal respiratory distress 5.8% and congenital anomalies (2.4%). Among the adverse neonatal outcomes, neonatal respiratory distress was significantly associated with the presence of depression symptoms in mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus using univariate analysis (p = 0.010). After controlling for confounding factors, predictors for neonatal respiratory distress at delivery were the presence of depression symptoms in mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (Adjusted OR = 3.87, 95% CI = 1.32-11.35), living without a husband (Adjusted OR = 9.74, 95% CI = 2.04-46.51), preterm delivery (Adjusted OR = 7.20, 95% CI = 2.23-23.30), caesarean section (Adjusted OR = 3.33, 95% CI = 1.09-10.15), being nulliparous and primiparous (Adjusted OR = 3.62, 95% CI = 1.17-11.17) and having family history of diabetes (Adjusted OR = 3.20, 95% CI = 1.11-9.21).

    KEY CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study demonstrate the positive association of neonatal respiratory distress with the presence of depression symptoms in mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus.

    IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: It is therefore important to identify depression symptoms after a diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus in pregnant mothers is made to enable early referral and interventions.

  10. Bakri NM, Ramachandran V, Kee HF, Subrayan V, Isa H, Ngah NF, et al.
    Kaohsiung J. Med. Sci., 2017 Dec;33(12):602-608.
    PMID: 29132549 DOI: 10.1016/j.kjms.2017.08.003
    Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most widely recognised cause of irreversible vision loss and previous studies have suggested that the advancement of wet AMD is influenced by both modifiable and non-modifiable elements. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) and copy number of variations (CNVs) have been associated with AMD in various populations, however the results are conflicting. Our aim is to determine the CNVs of Complement Factor H-Related genes among Malaysian subjects with wet AMD. 130 patients with wet AMD and 120 healthy controls were included in this research. DNA was extracted from all subjects and CNVs of CFH, CFHR1 and CFHR3 genes; determined using quantitative real-time PCR and were compared between the two groups. A consistent association was observed between CFH gene and wet AMD susceptibility (P 
  11. Mohamad NA, Ramachandran V, Ismail P, Mohd Isa H, Chan YM, Ngah NF, et al.
    Genet Test Mol Biomarkers, 2017 Oct;21(10):600-607.
    PMID: 28926292 DOI: 10.1089/gtmb.2017.0079
    AIM: To determine the association of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) polymorphisms with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred thirty-five nAMD patients and 135 controls were recruited to determine the association of the -460 C/T, the -2549 I/D, and the +405 G/C polymorphisms with the VEGF gene. Genotyping was conducted using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) approach, and association analyses were conducted using chi-square analysis and logistic regression analysis.

    RESULTS: A significant association was observed between nAMD and the VEGF +405 G/C genotypes (p = 0.002) and alleles (odds ratio = 1.36, 95% confidence interval = 1.12-1.62, p = < 0.001) compared with the controls. This association was confirmed by logistic regression analyses, using two different genetic models (additive and dominant) resulting in p-values of p = 0.001 and p 

  12. Thew HZ, Ching SM, Lim HM, Mos MH, Tze LCK, Low KF, et al.
    Malays Fam Physician, 2022 Nov 30;17(3):128-136.
    PMID: 36606165 DOI: 10.51866/oa.182
    INTRODUCTION: Non-adherence to antihypertensive medications is a leading cause of uncontrolled hypertension and its complications. However, data on the factors associated with non-adherence to antihypertensive medications in the communities of Sarawak, Malaysia, are limited. This study aimed to examine the prevalence and determinants of medication non-adherence among patients with uncontrolled hypertension.

    METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted using the systematic sampling method in four government primary healthcare clinics in Sarawak. A self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain socio-demographic data and evaluate non-adherence. Blood pressure was measured, and relevant clinical variables were collected from medical records. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the determinants of medication non-adherence.

    RESULTS: A total of 488 patients with uncontrolled hypertension were enrolled in this study. The prevalence of medication non-adherence was 39.3%. There were four predictors of medication non-adherence among the patients with uncontrolled hypertension: tertiary educational level (odds ratio [OR]=4.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.67-10.61, P=0.010), complementary alternative medication (0R=2.03, 95% CI=1.12-3.69, P=0.020), non-usage of calcium channel blockers (0R=1.57, 95% CI=1.02-2.41, P=0.039) and 1 mmHg increase in the systolic blood pressure (0R=1.03, 95% CI=1.00-1.05, P=0.006).

    CONCLUSION: Because of the high prevalence of medication non-adherence among patients with uncontrolled hypertension, primary care physicians should be more vigilant in identifying those at risk of being non-adherent. Early intervention should be conducted to address non-adherence for blood pressure control.

  13. Mohamad NA, Ramachandran V, Mohd Isa H, Chan YM, Ngah NF, Ching SM, et al.
    Hum Genomics, 2019 02 22;13(1):13.
    PMID: 30795802 DOI: 10.1186/s40246-019-0197-3
    BACKGROUND: The association of HTRA1 rs11200638 and ARMS2 rs10490924 gene polymorphisms with response to intravitreal ranibizumab therapy among neovascular AMD (nAMD) subjects in Malaysia was determined in this study, followed by the expression of HTRA1 and ARMS2 genes.

    RESULTS: Both single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) recorded a significant association between nAMD and controls with HTRA1 rs11200638 at P = 0.018 (OR = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.07-215) and ARMS2 rs10490924 at P 

  14. Lee KW, Ching SM, Ramachandran V, Yee A, Hoo FK, Chia YC, et al.
    BMC Pregnancy Childbirth, 2018 Dec 14;18(1):494.
    PMID: 30547769 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-018-2131-4
    BACKGROUND: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a of the major public health issues in Asia. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of, and risk factors for GDM in Asia via a systematic review and meta-analysis.

    METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, Ovid, Scopus and ScienceDirect for observational studies in Asia from inception to August 2017. We selected cross sectional studies reporting the prevalence and risk factors for GDM. A random effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of GDM and odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI).

    RESULTS: Eighty-four studies with STROBE score ≥ 14 were included in our analysis. The pooled prevalence of GDM in Asia was 11.5% (95% CI 10.9-12.1). There was considerable heterogeneity (I2 > 95%) in the prevalence of GDM in Asia, which is likely due to differences in diagnostic criteria, screening methods and study setting. Meta-analysis demonstrated that the risk factors of GDM include history of previous GDM (OR 8.42, 95% CI 5.35-13.23); macrosomia (OR 4.41, 95% CI 3.09-6.31); and congenital anomalies (OR 4.25, 95% CI 1.52-11.88). Other risk factors include a BMI ≥25 kg/m2 (OR 3.27, 95% CI 2.81-3.80); pregnancy-induced hypertension (OR 3.20, 95% CI 2.19-4.68); family history of diabetes (OR 2.77, 2.22-3.47); history of stillbirth (OR 2.39, 95% CI 1.68-3.40); polycystic ovary syndrome (OR 2.33, 95% CI1.72-3.17); history of abortion (OR 2.25, 95% CI 1.54-3.29); age ≥ 25 (OR 2.17, 95% CI 1.96-2.41); multiparity ≥2 (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.24-1.52); and history of preterm delivery (OR 1.93, 95% CI 1.21-3.07).

    CONCLUSION: We found a high prevalence of GDM among the Asian population. Asian women with common risk factors especially among those with history of previous GDM, congenital anomalies or macrosomia should receive additional attention from physician as high-risk cases for GDM in pregnancy.

    TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO (2017: CRD42017070104 ).

  15. Wan Sulaiman WA, Kamtchum-Tatuene J, Mohamed MH, Ramachandran V, Ching SM, Sazlly Lim SM, et al.
    Indian J Med Res, 2019 06;149(6):706-714.
    PMID: 31496523 DOI: 10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_454_17
    Onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis (LF) are human filarial diseases belonging to the group of neglected tropical diseases, leading to permanent and long-term disability in infected individuals in the endemic countries such as Africa and India. Microfilaricidal drugs such as ivermectin and albendazole have been used as the standard therapy in filariasis, although their efficacy in eliminating the diseases is not fully established. Anti-Wolbachia therapy employs antibiotics and is a promising approach showing potent macrofilaricidal activity and also prevents embryogenesis. This has translated to clinical benefits resulting in successful eradication of microfilarial burden, thus averting the risk of adverse events from target species as well as those due to co-infection with loiasis. Doxycycline shows potential as an anti-Wolbachia treatment, leading to the death of adult parasitic worms. It is readily available, cheap and safe to use in adult non-pregnant patients. Besides doxycycline, several other potential antibiotics are also being investigated for the treatment of LF and onchocerciasis. This review aims to discuss and summarise recent developments in the use of anti-Wolbachia drugs to treat onchocerciasis and LF.
  16. Mohamad NA, Ramachandran V, Ismail P, Mohd Isa H, Chan YM, Ngah NF, et al.
    Int J Ophthalmol, 2017;10(12):1889-1897.
    PMID: 29259909 DOI: 10.18240/ijo.2017.12.16
    AIM: To describe the prevalence and changes in treatment patterns of ranibizumab and photodynamic therapy (PDT) among retinal disease patients who attended the Ophthalmology Clinic in the tertiary care Hospital Selayang from 2010 to 2014.

    METHODS: Study subjects were recruited retrospectively using the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) database software in Hospital Selayang. Demographic data, medical history, diagnostic procedure, treatments and diagnosis of patients were recorded.

    RESULTS: The five-year analysis included 821 patients with a mean age of 65.9±11.73y. Overall, there were a higher number of males (63.1%) and a higher number of Chinese (47.4%) patients. Among the 821 patients, 62.9% received ranibizumab injection followed by 19.2% PDT therapy and 17.9% had ranibizumab combined with PDT therapy. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) were the most common retinal eye diseases reported, recording prevalence of 25.0% and 45.6%, respectively. The trend in ranibizumab treatment was reported to increase while PDT showed a decrease in trend from year 2010 to 2014. In terms of treatment, following multiple logistic regression, AMD was associated with the subjects being more likely to have received ranibizumab monotherapy (P<0.001) while PCV was associated with more likely to have received PDT (P<0.001) and PDT combined with ranibizumab therapy (P<0.001).

    CONCLUSION: The tertiary care setting in Malaysia is consistent with management of patients from other countries whereby ranibizumab is the most common treatment given to patients with AMD, while PCV patients most commonly receive PDT and ranibizumab combined with PDT therapy.

    Study site: Ophthalmology Clinic, Hospital Selayang
  17. Ching SM, Singh R, Azmi FSB, Chong KL, Ong CRS, Ayob NAB, et al.
    Ir J Med Sci, 2024 Feb;193(1):375-382.
    PMID: 37204559 DOI: 10.1007/s11845-023-03397-4
    PURPOSE: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been increasingly recognized as an important factor contributing to medical morbidity and mortality. It was reported that more than half of the population with hypertension had OSA. Limited studies have been done on assessing OSA in hypertensive patients. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, socio-demographic characteristics, and factors associated with probable OSA in hypertensive patients in primary care clinics in Sarawak.

    METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out using a systematic random sampling method in hypertensive patients who attended two government primary care clinics in Sarawak. The STOP-Bang questionnaire was used to screen for OSA, and social-demographic data was captured with a questionnaire. Multiple logistic regressions were used to examine the determinants of the OSA.

    RESULTS: A total of 410 patients were enrolled in this study. The mean age of study population patients was 56.4 years, with more than half being female. The mean blood pressure was 136/82. The prevalence of probable OSA among patients with hypertension was 54.4%. According to multiple logistic regression analyses, smoking (odds ratio [OR] 14.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.335-61.947), retirees (OR 3.20, 95% CI 1.675-6.113), and being Chinese (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.262-3.863) had a significant positive association with probable OSA.

    CONCLUSIONS: Because of the high prevalence of probable OSA among patients with hypertension, primary care physicians should be more vigilant in identifying hypertensive patients with OSA risk. Early detection and intervention would reduce disease complications and healthcare costs.

  18. Mohamad Safiai NI, Amir NA, Basri H, Inche Mat LN, Hoo FK, Yusof Khan AHK, et al.
    Trials, 2020 Nov 11;21(1):923.
    PMID: 33176870 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-020-04832-y
    BACKGROUND: This is a phase II randomised, double-blind, sham-controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness and tolerability of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for preventive treatment of episodic migraine amongst migraine subjects.

    METHODS: Subjects age 18 to 60 years will undergo a baseline evaluation to establish the diagnosis of migraine based on the International Classification of Headache Disorder 3rd Edition (ICHD-3). Those who fulfil the ICHD-3 criteria for episodic migraine and compliant to the headache diary during a month run-in period will be enrolled. A total of 76 subjects will be randomised to receive either transcranial magnetic stimulation or sham stimulation for 5 sessions within 2 weeks duration. Follow-up sessions will be conducted monthly for three consecutive months. Prior to treatment, subjects will be required to fill up questionnaires and undergo few procedures such as electroencephalography, transcranial Doppler ultrasound and biochemical analysis for serum serotonin, serum calcitonin gene-related peptide and serum beta-endorphin. These procedures will be repeated at month 3 after receiving the last treatment. The primary outcome measure of this study is the difference in mean monthly migraine days at baseline and at months 1, 2 and 3 after treatment sessions.

    DISCUSSION: Following evidence from previous studies showing restoration of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) activation to almost normal level, the rTMS intervention will target left DLPFC in this study. An intermediate duration of treatment sessions is selected for this study. It is set to five treatment sessions given within 2 weeks duration.

    TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03556722 . Registered on 14 June 2018.

  19. Mohamad Safiai NI, Mohamad NA, Basri H, Inche Mat LN, Hoo FK, Abdul Rashid AM, et al.
    PLoS One, 2021;16(6):e0251528.
    PMID: 34138860 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251528
    BACKGROUND: Migraine may lead to a negative impact on the patients' quality of life with a subsequent substantial burden to society. Therapy options for treatment and prevention of migraine have progressed over the years and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is one of the promising non-pharmacological options. It induces and alters electric current in the brain via repetitive non-invasive brain stimulation in high frequency. In migraine patients, two common stimulation sites are the M1 cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). The mechanism on how rTMS exerts therapeutic effects on migraine is not fully established, but the main postulation is that the neuromodulation via high-frequency rTMS (hf-rTMS) might inhibit pain perception. However, evidence from studies has been conflicting, thus the usefulness of hf-rTMS as migraine preventive treatment is still uncertain at this moment.

    METHODS: This is a systematic review protocol describing essential reporting items based on the PRISMA for systematic review protocols (PRISMA-P) (Registration number: CRD42020220636). We aim to review the effectiveness, tolerability, and safety of hf-rTMS at DLPFC in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) as migraine prophylactic treatment. We will search Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature Plus, PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Biomed Central for relevant articles from randomised controlled clinical trials that used hf-rTMS applied at DLPFC for the treatment of migraine. The risk of bias will be assessed using the version 2 "Risk of bias" tool from Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions Version 6.1. We will investigate the evidence on efficacy, tolerability and safety and we will compare the outcomes between the hf-rTMS intervention and sham groups.

    DISCUSSION: This systematic review will further determine the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of hf-rTMS applied at DLPFC for migraine prophylaxis. It will provide additional data for health practitioners and policymakers about the usefulness of hf-rTMS for migraine preventive treatment.

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