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Fulltext Metabolic syndrome among 13 year old adolescents: prevalence and risk factors

Fadzlina AA, Harun F, Nurul Haniza MY, Al Sadat N, Murray L, Cantwell MM, et al.

BMC Public Health, 2014;14 Suppl 3:S7.
PMID: 25437226 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-S3-S7

BACKGROUND: Obesity and metabolic syndrome is prevalent among Malaysian adolescents and has been associated with certain behavioural factors such as duration of sleep, screen time and physical activity. The aim of the study is to report the prevalence of overweight/obesity, metabolic syndrome and its risk factors among adolescents.
METHODS: A multi-staged cluster sampling method was used to select participants from urban and rural schools in Selangor, Perak and Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur. Participants underwent anthropometric measurement and physical examination including blood pressure measurement. Blood samples were taken for fasting glucose and lipids and participants answered a self-administered questionnaire. Overweight and obesity was defined using the extrapolated adult body mass index (BMI) cut-offs of >25 kg/m2 and >30 kg/m2, according to the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) criteria. Metabolic syndrome was defined based on International Diabetes Federation (IDF) 2007 criteria.
RESULTS: Data were collected from 1361 participants. After excluding incomplete data and missing values for the variables, we analysed a sample of 1014 participants. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in this population was 25.4% (N = 258). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 2.6% in the population and 10% among the overweight and obese adolescents. Participants who slept between 7 and 9 hours a day has a lower risk of developing metabolic syndrome OR 0.38(0.15-0.94).
CONCLUSION: Our results provide the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Malaysian adolescents. Adequate sleep between 7 and 9 hours per day reduces the risk of developing metabolic syndrome.
MESH: screen time

Matched MeSH terms: Longitudinal Studies
Fulltext Neuro-enteric dysfunction in children with severe neurological impairment

Fahisham Taib, Nik Zainal Abidin Nik Ismail

Malaysian Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 2019;25(1):1-5.
MyJurnal

Visceral hyperalgesia, intestinal dysfunction and unexplained irritability in neurological impaired children is a medical enigma for many healthcare professionals. The neuro-medical management can be challenging and difficult, due to poor understanding of the underlying aetiology and pathophysiology of the condition. Neuro-enteric axis has been proposed as emerging physiologic mechanism in the pathogenesis of many gastrointestinal diseases. The bidirectional connection between enteric and central nervous system may represent a direct relationship between neurological system and gut physiology. Insult to the brain indirectly contribute to the ongoing gut and brain axis sequalae. Microbiota has been an important modulator in the brain-gut axis. Irritability episodes in severe neurological impairment children has been commonly associated with pain originated from gastrointestinal pathology. Management of such condition requires a holistic approach to tackle multidimensional factors that has contributed to the ‘totality’ of the symptoms.

Matched MeSH terms: Longitudinal Studies
Fulltext Detection of anti-cell membrane DNA antibodies by indirect immunoflouresencence technique in systemic lupus erythematosus

Faten Nurul Amira Awing Kechik, Maha Abdullah, Masriana Hassan, Masita Arip, Hasni Mahayidin

Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2019;15(108):28-28.
MyJurnal

Introduction: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has a broad spectrum of clinical presentations. The diagnosis of SLE remains a challenge and largely depends on the presence of several serum autoantibodies including anti-nuclear antibody (ANA), anti-double-stranded DNA antibody (anti-dsDNA) and anti-Smith antibody (anti-Sm). ANA, a highly sensitive but not specific marker is used for SLE screening Anti-dsDNA and anti-Sm are SLE-specific biomarkers but has lower sensitivity of 80% and 30% for SLE, respectively. However, it is noted that there are SLE patients who are persistently negative for SLE-specific autoantibodies. Anti-dsDNA and anti-Sm were reported to be negative in up to 51.2% and 62.4% of SLE, respectively. This limitation can lead to misdiagnosis and halter proper treatment to SLE patients. Previous studies have suggested that cell membrane DNA (cmDNA) can act as a specific target for the autoantibodies in SLE patients. Autoantibodies towards cmDNA (anti-cmDNA) were reported to have promis-ing value as a reliable biomarker for SLE. In this study, we would like to determine the usefulness of anti-cmDNA in diagnosing SLE as compared to the standard SLE-specific autoantibodies. Methods: Serum samples from 83 SLE patients, 86 other connective tissue diseases and 61 healthy subjects were included in this study. The other connec-tive tissue diseases include samples from 10 Sjogren’s syndrome, 56 rheumatoid arthritis, 12 scleroderma and eight mixed connected tissues disease (MCTD) patients. All samples were analysed by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) technique using Raji cells as substrate to detect the presence of anti-cmDNA. Anti-cmDNA was reported as positive if there was presence of a fluorescent ring, either continuous or punctate. Sera from SLE patients were also tested for anti-dsDNA and anti-Sm antibodies by using enzyme-immunoassays. Results: Anti-cmDNA positivity was highest in SLE (55.4%) than in other connective tissue diseases (9.3%) and healthy subjects (0%). Anti-cmDNA was 100% spe-cific at differentiating SLE from healthy subjects and 90.7% specific at differentiating SLE from other connective tissue diseases. There was no difference in the sensitivity (55.4%) of anti-cmDNA at differentiating SLE from both groups. Anti-cmDNA were present in 46 SLE samples negative for standard SLE-specific autoantibodies. It was detected in 11 (42.3%) of anti-dsDNA, 23 (63.9%) of anti-Sm and 8 (12.9%) of both anti-Sm and anti-dsDNA negative samples. Conclusion: The high specificity of anti-cmDNA detection using IIF method makes it an excellent diagnostic tool for SLE. Anti-cmDNA is potentially a very useful biomarker for SLE with negative anti-dsDNA or/and anti-Sm antibodies.

Matched MeSH terms: Longitudinal Studies
Fulltext Selective occlusal features of primary dentiton in Malay children at a centre in Sungai Buloh

Fathinah Hanem Azamzaki, Nurhanis Baharuddin, Tandon, Shobha, Venkiteswaran, Annapurny

Compendium of Oral Science, 2018;5(1):18-25.
MyJurnal

Objectives:To determine the different occlusal characteristics in primary dentition of 3 to 6 year old Malay children and to create a preliminary database for future Malaysian studies as currently none of the studies has been conducted in Malaysian population regarding the occlusal features in primary dentition. Materials and method:The subjects were within the age ranging from 3 – 6 years old attending nurseries and kindergartens located within Sungai Buloh, Selangor. Sixty subjects were screened but only 47 fulfilled the criteria to be included in this study. Intra-oral examination was done to determine the terminal plane, canine relationship, overjet, overbite and primate space in the subjects. Results: Almost two thirds of the subjects (72.34%) presented with straight terminal plane. All but one subject were observed with Class I canine relationship. 61.7% subjects were with an ideal overjet and 53.19% of subjects had an ideal overbite. The mean value for primate space in the maxilla was 2.92mm and 1.60mm in the mandible. There was no significant difference between gender in all the parameters assessed. Conclusion: The results from the study shown that only few of the subjects had a tendency of malocclusion in their permanent dentition. However, a longitudinal study should be done to follow up their occlusal feature in the permanent dentition.

Matched MeSH terms: Longitudinal Studies
Fulltext The relationship between the impacts of telecommuting engagement and employee performance in oil and gas industry in Kuantan, Pahang

Fatin Fazrida Peros Khan, Nasrudin Mohammed, Nor Hafizah Mohamed Harith

Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2018;3(5):1-9.
MyJurnal

Telecommuting refers to the work option that enables telecommuters to work outside of the office. It
allows telecommuters to have a direct contact with those inside and outside of the organization by
using information and communication technologies. Despite the continuous effort by Malaysia’s
government, the implementation and occurrence of telecommuting practice in Malaysia had not gained
full support from many local companies. Consequently, the Malaysian workforce has suffered from
low-level performance and poor productivity due to the lack of flexibility in task accomplishment.
Therefore, the main objective of this study is to investigate whether the impacts of telecommuting
engagement (i.e. job autonomy, work-family balance, work productivity, and level of occupational
stress) lead to employee’s performance. This research aims to identify the most dominant impact of
telecommuting engagement that leads to the employee performance. The study has adopted a
correlational research and cross-sectional survey research design to explore the relationship between
variables. There were 229 respondents who practice telecommuting work arrangement. They were
chosen from 11 oil and gas companies located in Kuantan, Pahang. The findings of the study had
revealed that all of the telecommuting impacts which consists of the job autonomy, work-family
balance, work productivity and level of occupational stress have a significant relationship with the
employee performance at r = .923, p < 0.05, r = .734, p < 0.05, r = .817, p < 0.05, and r = .408, p < 005
respectively. Job autonomy was found the most dominant impact of telecommuting engagement that
leads to the employee performance with r = .923, p < 0.05. The positive experiences and knowledge
possessed by the telecommuters in the oil and gas industry helped to increase the level of motivation
and maintain the good mental and physical state of employees. The exercise of the proper balance
between the personal and professional life could guarantee the high employees’ performance among
the telecommuters. Hence, it is suggested for the government to promote and develop more appropriate
policies regarding telecommuting practice in Malaysia. The purpose is to enhance the level of
acceptance towards the work arrangement among the local society. Moreover, the active approaches by
the government can stimulate the implementation of telecommuting in this country as people will have
more proper guidelines to assist the work practices. Telecommuting work arrangement helps to achieve
excellent performance in an organization.

Matched MeSH terms: Longitudinal Studies
Effects Of Biotic Interactions, Abiotic Environments And Harvesting On The Spread Of Hantavirus Infection

Fauzi Mohamed Yusof, Mohd Hafiz Mohd, Yazariah Mohd Yatim, Ahmad Izani Md. Ismail

MATEMATIKA, 2020;36(1):1-14.
MyJurnal

In this paper, the combined influences of biotic interactions, environmental components and harvesting strategy on the spread of Hantavirus are investigated. By employing a multi-species model consisting of (susceptible and infected) rodents and alien species, we show that interspecific competition from alien species has an effect in reducing the spread of infection, and this species could be employed as a potential biocontrol agent. Our analysis using numerical continuation and simulation also reveals the conditions under which Hantavirus infection occurs and disappears as the environmental conditions and the intensity of harvesting change. Without harvesting, infection emerges when environments are conducive. Inclusion of moderate harvesting in favourable environments can lead to disappearance of infection among rodent species. However, as the intensity of harvesting increases, this situation can cause extinction of all rodents species and consequently, jeopardise biodiversity. Overall, our results demonstrate how the interplay of different factors can combine to determine the spread of infectious diseases.

Matched MeSH terms: Longitudinal Studies
COVID-19 testing strategy in response to infection among healthcare workers in a large non-COVID-designated hospital

Foo DHP, King TL, Lee HC, Santhramogan P, Ganasan V, Fong AYY, et al.

Hosp Pract (1995), 2021 Apr;49(2):110-118.
PMID: 33249880 DOI: 10.1080/21548331.2020.1857999

Sarawak General Hospital, which is the only public access tertiary referral center in Sarawak State for all clinical specialties, was designated a hybrid hospital to treat both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients. During the initial surge of patients admitted with COVID-19, there was also a corresponding increase in health-care workers (HCWs) detected with COVID-19 infection. The latter being isolated, and the large number of staff members that had come into contact with COVID-19 being quarantined from work, placed further strain on the health-care services. The staff mass screening strategy was a policy decision made by the hospital in response to infection among HCWs, and it aimed to reduce in-hospital transmission (particularly among asymptomatic staff), mitigate workforce depletion due to quarantining, and protect the health-care workforce. In this study, we assessed the detection rate of COVID-19 infection from staff mass testing over a five-week period, and described our experience of adopting this surveillance screening strategy alongside ongoing contact tracing and symptomatic screening strategies. Although it was thought that such periodic staff surveillance might be helpful in protecting the health-care workforce within a short period, the long-term implications, especially in settings with limited resources, is significant and therefore explored in this paper. Our findings might provide an evidence-based reference for the future planning of an optimal strategy with the least compromise in care for a larger proportion of non-COVID-19 patients amid efforts against COVID-19 in a large non-COVID-designated hospital with hybrid status.

Matched MeSH terms: Longitudinal Studies
Fulltext Social networks moderate the association between physical fitness and cognitive function among community-dwelling older adults: a population-based study

Foong HF, Ibrahim R, Hamid TA, Haron SA

BMC Geriatr, 2021 12 07;21(1):679.
PMID: 34876024 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-021-02617-9

BACKGROUND: Physical fitness declines with age. Low levels of physical fitness appear to be a risk factor of cognitive impairment. Literature elucidates social networking as a potential moderator for the relationship between physical fitness and cognitive impairment. Present study aimed to examine the relationship between physical fitness and cognitive function among community-dwelling older Malaysians, and if social network moderates said relationship.
METHODS: Data of 2322 representative community-dwelling older adults were obtained from the first wave of the "Longitudinal Study on Neuroprotective Model for Healthy Longevity" national survey. Cognitive function, physical fitness and social network was assessed through Malay-version of Mini-Mental State Examination, 2-min step test and Lubben Social Network Scale-6 respectively. Moderated hierarchical multiple regression was employed to investigate if social networks moderate the relationship between physical fitness and cognitive function.
RESULTS: A positive association between physical fitness and cognitive function were found upon controlling for covariates. Moderated hierarchical multiple regression revealed social networks to be a moderator of the association between physical fitness and cognitive function. When physical fitness was low, those with small social network revealed lowest cognitive function.
CONCLUSIONS: Social networks moderated the relationship between physical fitness and cognitive function as older adults with low levels of physical fitness and small social networks revealed lowest cognitive function. Therefore, community support or peer-based interventions among physically unfit older adults should be implemented to promote cognitive function.

Matched MeSH terms: Longitudinal Studies
Awareness of Beers Criteria and knowledge of potentially inappropriate medications among community pharmacists in the Klang Valley, Malaysia

Foong RTK, Sellappans R, Loo JSE

J Eval Clin Pract, 2020 Feb;26(1):165-171.
PMID: 31168913 DOI: 10.1111/jep.13180

BACKGROUND: Potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) in older adults are detrimental to both clinical outcomes and health care costs, with their prominence set to increase in tandem with a fast-growing ageing population. Beers Criteria is one of the most commonly used guidelines that lists specific PIMs. Community pharmacists would therefore benefit from knowledge of Beers Criteria in detecting PIMs in primary care. This study therefore investigates the awareness of Beers Criteria and knowledge of PIMs among community pharmacists in the Klang Valley, Malaysia.
METHODS: The study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire. Knowledge of PIMs was assessed using 10 clinical vignettes based on the 2015 Beers Criteria. Practice behaviour towards older customers was assessed using 10 items with a 5-point Likert scale. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data.
RESULTS: A total of 277 community pharmacists participated in the study. Only 27.1% of the pharmacists were aware of Beers Criteria, and of these, only 37.3% were aware of the latest 2015 update. The respondents demonstrated moderate knowledge of PIMs with a mean total score of 5.46 ± 1.89 out of a maximum of 10. Pharmacists who were aware of Beers Criteria had significantly higher scores (6.31 vs 5.14, P

Matched MeSH terms: Longitudinal Studies
Fulltext Markers for genetic change

Forcina G, Camacho-Sanchez M, Tuh FYY, Moreno S, Leonard JA

Heliyon, 2021 Jan;7(1):e05583.
PMID: 33437884 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05583

Background and aims: Wildlife conservation has focused primarily on species for the last decades. Recently, popular perception and laws have begun to recognize the central importance of genetic diversity in the conservation of biodiversity. How to incorporate genetic diversity in ongoing monitoring and management of wildlife is still an open question.
Methods: We tested a panel of multiplexed, high-throughput sequenced introns in the small mammal communities of two UNESCO World Heritage Sites on different continents to assess their viability for large-scale monitoring of genetic variability in a spectrum of diverse species. To enhance applicability across other systems, the bioinformatic pipeline for primer design was outlined.
Results: The number of loci amplified and amplification evenness decreased as phylogenetic distance increased from the reference taxa, yet several loci were still variable across multiple mammal orders.
Conclusions: Genetic variability found is informative for population genetic analyses and for addressing phylogeographic and phylogenetic questions, illustrated by small mammal examples here.

Matched MeSH terms: Longitudinal Studies
Long-term civil conflict, migration, and the mental health of adults left behind in Thailand: a longitudinal study

Ford K, Jampaklay A, Chamratrithirong A

Int J Public Health, 2019 Nov;64(8):1193-1201.
PMID: 31489461 DOI: 10.1007/s00038-019-01297-y

OBJECTIVES: A long-term civil conflict has been occurring in the southernmost provinces of Thailand, and migration to Malaysia has been accelerated by this conflict. The objective of this work was to examine the influence of perceived effects of the unrest, migration of a household member, and children left behind on the reporting of psychiatric symptoms of working age adults.
METHODS: A first round of data collection was conducted in 2014 including interviews with a probability sample of 1102 households and individual interviews with 2058 males and females aged 18-59. In 2016, a second round of data collection was conducted. A fixed effects model was used in the analysis.
RESULTS: The perceived effect of the unrest on the household was associated with an increased reporting of psychiatric symptoms. Furthermore, the migration of a household member for work and the presence of children left behind were related to an increased reporting of psychiatric symptoms among adults, especially among females.
CONCLUSIONS: The unrest and its associated migration was related to an increased reporting of psychiatric symptoms among working age adults in the study population.

Matched MeSH terms: Longitudinal Studies
Fulltext Population dynamics of an Escherichia coli ST131 lineage during recurrent urinary tract infection

Forde BM, Roberts LW, Phan MD, Peters KM, Fleming BA, Russell CW, et al.

Nat Commun, 2019 08 13;10(1):3643.
PMID: 31409795 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11571-5

Recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTIs) are extremely common, with ~ 25% of all women experiencing a recurrence within 1 year of their original infection. Escherichia coli ST131 is a globally dominant multidrug resistant clone associated with high rates of rUTI. Here, we show the dynamics of an ST131 population over a 5-year period from one elderly woman with rUTI since the 1970s. Using whole genome sequencing, we identify an indigenous clonal lineage (P1A) linked to rUTI and persistence in the fecal flora, providing compelling evidence of an intestinal reservoir of rUTI. We also show that the P1A lineage possesses substantial plasmid diversity, resulting in the coexistence of antibiotic resistant and sensitive intestinal isolates despite frequent treatment. Our longitudinal study provides a unique comprehensive genomic analysis of a clonal lineage within a single individual and suggests a population-wide resistance mechanism enabling rapid adaptation to fluctuating antibiotic exposure.

Matched MeSH terms: Longitudinal Studies
Fulltext Properties and Applications of Polyvinyl Alcohol, Halloysite Nanotubes and Their Nanocomposites

Gaaz TS, Sulong AB, Akhtar MN, Kadhum AA, Mohamad AB, Al-Amiery AA

Molecules, 2015;20(12):22833-47.
PMID: 26703542 DOI: 10.3390/molecules201219884

The aim of this review was to analyze/investigate the synthesis, properties, and applications of polyvinyl alcohol-halloysite nanotubes (PVA-HNT), and their nanocomposites. Different polymers with versatile properties are attractive because of their introduction and potential uses in many fields. Synthetic polymers, such as PVA, natural polymers like alginate, starch, chitosan, or any material with these components have prominent status as important and degradable materials with biocompatibility properties. These materials have been developed in the 1980s and are remarkable because of their recyclability and consideration of the natural continuation of their physical and chemical properties. The fabrication of PVA-HNT nanocomposites can be a potential way to address some of PVA's limitations. Such nanocomposites have excellent mechanical properties and thermal stability. PVA-HNT nanocomposites have been reported earlier, but without proper HNT individualization and PVA modifications. The properties of PVA-HNT for medicinal and biomedical use are attracting an increasing amount of attention for medical applications, such as wound dressings, drug delivery, targeted-tissue transportation systems, and soft biomaterial implants. The demand for alternative polymeric medical devices has also increased substantially around the world. This paper reviews individualized HNT addition along with crosslinking of PVA for various biomedical applications that have been previously reported in literature, thereby showing the attainability, modification of characteristics, and goals underlying the blending process with PVA.

Matched MeSH terms: Longitudinal Studies
Predicting the outcome of pregnancy in threatened abortion using ultrasound in detecting the viability of foetus

Gabriel R

Malays J Reprod Health, 1992 Jun;10(1):19-22.
PMID: 12345025

PIP: Between December 1990 and May 1991 in Malaysia, clinicians at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Bahru screened 200 women with a diagnosis of threatened miscarriage with ultrasound to determine whether ultrasound could evaluate the viability of the fetus and thus the outcome of pregnancy in cases of threatened abortion. A fetal heartbeat was absent in 65% of cases with the remaining 35% of cases having a fetal heartbeat. Nonviability of the fetus or an abnormal or very early pregnancy may have accounted for an absent fetal heartbeat. The pregnancy of 46% of cases continued while 41% experienced spontaneous abortion. Just 6.2% of cases with a fetal heartbeat suffered from spontaneous abortion compared with 69.7% of those without a fetal heartbeat. 93.8% of cases with a fetal heartbeat continued their pregnancies compared with 30.3% of those without a fetal heartbeat. Inability of ultrasound to detect fetal heartbeats during early pregnancy probably accounted for the somewhat high percentage of those without a fetal heartbeat who continued their pregnancies. Among patients with a fetal heartbeat, the number of pregnancies that continued. Ultrasound detected 13% abnormal pregnancies (i.e., molar pregnancy or ectopic pregnancy). Surgery on these cases confirmed the ultrasound findings. These results showed that ultrasound should be used in every case of threatened miscarriage and that a fetal heartbeat does indicate the viability of the fetus.

Matched MeSH terms: Longitudinal Studies*
Current status of food safety hazards and health risks connected with aquatic food products from Southeast Asian region

Gao P, Mohd Noor NQI, Md Shaarani S

Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2020 Dec 28.
PMID: 33356490 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2020.1866490

Food safety issues associated with aquatic food products become more important with the increasing consumption and followed by its ongoing challenges. The objective of this paper is to review the food safety hazards and health risks related to aquatic food products for the Southeast Asian region. These hazards can be categorized as microplastics (MPs) hazard, biological hazards (pathogenic bacteria, biogenic amines, viruses, parasites), and chemical hazards (antimicrobial, formaldehyde, heavy metal). In different Southeast Asian countries, the potential health risks of aquatic food products brought by food hazards to consumers were at different intensity and classes. Among all these hazards, pathogenic bacteria, antimicrobials, and heavy metal were a particular concern in the Southeast Asian region. With environmental changes, evolving consumption patterns, and the globalization of trade, new food safety challenges are created, which put forward higher requirements on food technologies, food safety regulations, and international cooperation.

Matched MeSH terms: Longitudinal Studies
Fulltext A 3 year case study of alcohol related psychotic disorders at Hospital Seremban

George S, Chin CN

Med J Malaysia, 1998 Sep;53(3):223-6.
PMID: 10968157

This paper reports the characteristics and psychopathology of alcohol dependents with alcohol induced psychotic disorder admitted to the Seremban Hospital. The method is that of a case study of all alcohol dependents with alcohol induced psychotic disorder admitted to the Psychiatric Ward, Hospital Seremban over 3 years (1993-1995). There were 34 subjects, 30 Indians, 3 Chinese and 1 Malay with a mean age of 43 years. 32 were men and predominantly of Social Class IV and V (91%). They had a mean duration of drinking of 14.2 years and had a mean weekly consumption of 69.5 units of alcohol. There was a family history of alcohol dependence in (44%). The majority (68%) consumed samsu with beer the second choice. Auditory hallucinations (26) and delusions (16) were common while visual hallucinations (3) and depression (2) were less frequent. Speech disorder occurred in 4 subjects. 2 developed delirium tremens and 1 died. Liver function test was normal in 55%. All except the death from delirium tremens responded to treatment with a combination of anxiolytics, thiamine and antipsychotics and were rapidly discharged. The mean stay was 7 days. However, (68%) did not return for follow up and only 4 were abstinent from alcohol at the time of follow up.

Matched MeSH terms: Longitudinal Studies
Glucose tolerance: hypothesis testing on Malaysian diabetic community

Gillani SW, Sari YO, Sulaiman SA, Baig MR

Curr Diabetes Rev, 2014;10(5):311-26.
PMID: 25316148 DOI: 10.2174/1573399810666141015095004

Our study objective was to evaluate glucose tolerance and effecting factors among diabetes patients' with home care program (PHCP) in Malaysian community. A 24-week longitudinal quasi-experimental -single blind - pre/post-test study design was used to assess the effectiveness of a diabetes education program to enhance self-care practices. An attrition rate of 25% implied longitudinal design of the study in the calculation of sample size. Hence the sample size of the study was 106 subjects (53 cases and 53 focus group). The level of significance was set at 0.05. Ethical clearance had been made prior to conducting this study. Of the 109 subjects who met the study-entry criteria, 3 subjects declined to participate due to lack of time and interest. No significant parameters were revealed in the demographic and clinical characteristics of participants who completed the study. Focus group showed significant reduction in HbA1c value with mean 1.1% as compared to cases with a mean 0.06%. Similarly, hypothesis on self-care management suggest significantly improved practices among focus group [M=2.94, SD=2.25] for case group M=0.47, SD=1.36; t[127.64]=-8.23, p≤0.001] with moderate effect size [eta squared=0.06]. Total physical activity was defined as the combination of non-leisure and leisure activities. There was a statistically significant difference for increase in total physical levels between the focus [M=14.01, SD=6.41] and case groups [13.21, SD=5.22; t[148.04]=-3.15, p=0.002] with no difference in the non-leisure activity [p=0.43]. As for the case group, there was no significant difference in SMBG practices from baseline [M=0.70, SD=1.35] to follow-up [M=0.47, SD=1.36, t[72]=0.97, P=0.34] and no relationship was found between the number of blood glucose tests done with demographic or clinical variables. This study offered improved self-care practices and physical activity after PHCP but with problematic dietary care. This might be due to social and cultural habits among Malaysian population.

Matched MeSH terms: Longitudinal Studies
Determining effective diabetic care; a multicentre - longitudinal interventional study

Gillani SW

Curr Pharm Des, 2016;22(42):6469-6476.
PMID: 27526787 DOI: 10.2174/1381612822666160813235704

BACKGROUND: Prevalence of chronic diseases are on the rise with majority occurring in developing countries where the projected death caused by chronic diseases will reach 50 million by the year 2020.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to evaluate and compare the outcomes of wireless mobile device (Telemonitoring) with Pharmacist intervention and usual care on glycemic control and clinical outcomes.
METHOD: This study is a six-month parallel groups interventional longitudinal multi-center study with a control arm. The study participants consist of patient diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus and attending the outpatient department (OPD) for diabetic treatment. The study protocol is approved from ministry of health Malaysia and clinical research committee (CRC). Data analysis was made using IBM SPSS Statistics, version 22 (Armok, NY).
RESULTS: A total of 150 participants were selected to enroll in this study. Initial baseline comparison showed 'No significant difference' between the two intervention arms and control group. Findings showed that baseline dataset have no significant change among all three-arms. However last week of study showed significant (p<0.001) improvement among pharmacist intervention arm as compared to telemonitoring and control arm. Glycemic control seems well tolerated and managed among pharmacist intervention arm as compared to telemonitoring and control arm (p<0.001). The study findings also showed reduction of mean 2.72 % (HbA1c) as compare to baseline in six months. The proportion of participants experiencing hypoglycemic/hyperglycemic events was significantly lower in the pharmacist intervention group compared to telemonitoring and control arm (odds ratio: 2.1381; 95% CI: 3.0267-1.6059, p<0.001).
CONCLUSION: The Pharmacist educational focus-home care program improves the patient knowledge, self-care practices and also significantly reduce the adverse events over study duration.

Matched MeSH terms: Longitudinal Studies
Fulltext Standing beat-to-beat blood pressure variability is reduced among fallers in the Malaysian Elders Longitudinal Study

Goh CH, Ng SC, Kamaruzzaman SB, Chin AV, Tan MP

Medicine (Baltimore), 2017 Oct;96(42):e8193.
PMID: 29049203 DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000008193

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between falls and beat-to-beat blood pressure (BP) variability.Continuous noninvasive BP measurement is as accurate as invasive techniques. We evaluated beat-to-beat supine and standing BP variability (BPV) using time and frequency domain analysis from noninvasive continuous BP recordings.A total of 1218 older adults were selected. Continuous BP recordings obtained were analyzed to determine standard deviation (SD) and root mean square of real variability (RMSRV) for time domain BPV and fast-Fourier transform low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), total power spectral density (PSD), and LF:HF ratio for frequency domain BPV.Comparisons were performed between 256 (21%) individuals with at least 1 fall in the past 12 months and nonfallers. Fallers were significantly older (P = .007), more likely to be female (P = .006), and required a longer time to complete the Timed-Up and Go test (TUG) and frailty walk test (P ≤ .001). Standing systolic BPV (SBPV) was significantly lower in fallers compared to nonfallers (SBPV-SD, P = .016; SBPV-RMSRV, P = .033; SBPV-LF, P = .003; SBPV-total PSD, P = .012). Nonfallers had significantly higher supine to standing ratio (SSR) for SBPV-SD, SBPV-RMSRV, and SBPV-total PSD (P = .017, P = .013, and P = .009). In multivariate analyses, standing BPV remained significantly lower in fallers compared to nonfallers after adjustment for age, sex, diabetes, frailty walk, and supine systolic BP. The reduction in frequency-domain SSR among fallers was attenuated by supine systolic BP, TUG, and frailty walk.In conclusion, reduced beat-to-beat BPV while standing is independently associated with increased risk of falls. Changes between supine and standing BPV are confounded by supine BP and walking speed.

Matched MeSH terms: Longitudinal Studies
A longitudinal study of serum iron indices and haemoglobin concentration following copper-IUD insertion

Goh TH, Hariharan M, Tan CH

Contraception, 1980 Oct;22(4):389-95.
PMID: 7449387

The increase in menstrual blood loss associated with copper-bearing IUDs may cause or aggravate pre-existing anaemia. In order to evaluate this risk, 84 Malaysian women wearing copper-IUDs were studied longitudinally by means of serial measurements of blood haemoglobin concentration (Hb), serum iron (S/Fe) and transferrin saturation (T/S). The initial Hb was under 12 gm% in 33.7% of patients. The mean Hb showed no significant change up to 12 months while S/Fe fell significantly at the end of this time; the T/S was significantly reduced as early as 6 months post-insertion. There is a significant risk of anaemia following copper-IUD insertion, particularly with long-term usage. Progestogen-releasing IUDs may offer the most feasible solution to this problem in our local context since oral medication with iron or drugs to reduce menstrual blood loss is not practicable.

Matched MeSH terms: Longitudinal Studies

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