METHODS AND RESULTS: Baseline ECGs were collected in 153 152 middle-aged participants (ages 35-70 years) to document AF in two community-based studies, spanning 20 countries. Medication use and clinical outcome data (mean follow-up of 7.4 years) were available in one cohort. Cross-sectional analyses were performed to document the prevalence of AF and medication use, and associations between AF and clinical events were examined prospectively. Mean age of participants was 52.1 years, and 57.7% were female. Age and sex-standardized prevalence of AF varied 12-fold between regions; with the highest in North America, Europe, China, and Southeast Asia (270-360 cases per 100 000 persons); and lowest in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (30-60 cases per 100 000 persons) (P
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with school-going children from 16 selected schools of a tribal district in Jharkhand using multistage cluster random sampling. In each selected school, 60 students, 30 boys and 30 girls, were chosen randomly, totaling 960 children (full data was for 935 children only). Growth charts were created using Lambda-Mu-Sigma (LMS) chart maker version 2.5 for height, weight and body mass index (BMI). In the charts, the LMS values with Z scores for each age and respective height and weight for boys and girls were recorded.
Results: The 468 boys and 467 girls were in the range of 6-14 years of age. Percentile values obtained for the measured heights in centimetres were evaluated and compared with Indian Academy of Pediatrics reference charts for boys and girls for the same age group, and our values were found to be on the lower side. We were able to plot a growth chart of the data set; as the tribal children's ethnicity is different, this growth chart might be used to assess nutritional status.
Conclusion: We concluded that growth curves for height, weight, and BMI may be used for evaluating children of age 6-14 years in the tribal population. The measures can be a good indicator of their nourishment status and overall growth patterns, which might be indigenous to their ethnicity. A larger sample size of similar tribal populations may give a clearer picture.
METHODS: Data on demographics, comorbidities, and treatments received, as well as mortality for HD patients admitted to hospitals for COVID-19, from 1/March to 31/July 2020, prospectively collected and analyzed.
RESULTS: A total of 141 infected HD patients were admitted (Mean age 58 ± 16.1; Males 56%), representing 7% of the total HD population and 0.2% of all COVID-19 cases during the study period. Of those 141 infected HD patients, 27 (19%) died, and this represents 6% of total COVID-19-related mortality and 27% of the total HD mortality. In contrast, total covid-19-related mortality of all positive cases was only 0.7%, and total HD mortality during the study period was only 5%. COVID-19-positive HD patients who died were older and 59% were males. However, the differences were not statistically significant. Of the 61 infected HD patients who needed to be switched to continuous kidney replacement therapy (CKRT), 34% died, and of the 29 infected HD patients who needed admission to intensive care, 65% died.
CONCLUSION: HD population represents a small fraction of the total population; however, positive HD COVID-19 cases represent a sizable proportion of COVID-19 cases and a significant percentage of total COVID-19-related mortality, and total HD mortality.
METHODS: We systematically searched Pubmed for population-based studies of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and ESKD epidemiology and management. Population-level data from 23 pre-designated nations were eligible for inclusion if they pertained to people receiving dialysis or kidney transplant for ESKD. When available, government websites were utilized to identify and extract data from relevant kidney registries . Measures gathered included those related to the prevalence and mortality of ESKD; the availability of nephrologists; per capita healthcare expenditures; and use of erythropoietin stimulating agents (ESAs).
RESULTS: We obtained data from the United States (US), 7 nations in Eastern Europe, 4 each in Western Europe, Latin America, and Africa, and 3 in Asia. Documented prevalence of ESKD per million population varied from a high of 3,600 (Malaysia) to a low of 67 (Senegal). Annual mortality associated with ESKD varied from 31% (Ethiopia and Senegal) to 10% (UK). Nephrologist availability per million population varied from 40 (Japan) to <1 (South Africa) and was associated with per capita healthcare expenditures.
CONCLUSIONS: The delivery of kidney care related to ESKD varies widely among countries. Higher per capita healthcare spending is associated with increased delivery of kidney care. However, in part because documentation of kidney disease varies widely, it is difficult to determine how outcomes related to ESKD may vary across nations.
METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional nationwide survey targeting physicians from private medical centres in Malaysia. The survey was conducted using questionnaire having (i) background and demographic data of the physicians, volume of prescription in a day, stock of generic medicines in their hospital pharmacy etc. (ii) their knowledge about bioequivalence (iii) prescribing behavior (iv) physicians' knowledge of quality, safety and efficacy of generic medicines, and their cost (v) perceptions of physicians towards issues pertaining to generic medicines utilization.
RESULTS: A total of 263 questionnaires out of 735 were received, giving a response rate of 35.8%. Of the respondents, 214 (81.4%) were male and 49 (18.6%) were females. The majority of the participants were in the age range of 41-50 years and comprised 49.0% of the respondents. Only 2.3% of physicians were aware of the regulatory limits of bioequivalence standards in Malaysia. Of the respondents, 23.2% agreed that they 'always' write their prescriptions using originator product name whereas 50.2% do it 'usually'. A number of significant associations were found between their knowledge, perceptions about generic medicines and their demographic characteristics.
CONCLUSIONS: The majority of the physicians from private medical centres in Malaysia had negative perceptions about safety, quality and the efficacy of generic medicines. These negative perceptions could be the cause of the limited use of generic medicines in the private medical centres. Therefore, in order to facilitate their use, it is recommended that the physicians need to be reassured and educated about the drug regulatory authority approval system of generic medicines with regard to their bioequivalence, quality, efficacy and safety. Apart from the policy on generic substitution, it would also be recommended to have a national medicine pricing policy, which controls drug prices, in both the public and private sector. These efforts are worthwhile to reduce the drug expenditure and improve the medicine affordability in Malaysia.