MyMedR

Preparing the young to look after the old

Nordin R, Hamid AM, Adnan WA

World Health Forum, 1992;13(4):300-2.

In Malaysia the steady rise in the proportion of people aged 60 or more, and an awareness of their complex psychosocial, economic and health care needs, have led medical faculties to introduce geriatrics as an essential subject in their curricula. The efforts made in this field by the School of Medical Sciences of the Universiti Sains Malaysia are outlined in the present article.

Fulltext Evaluation of a training programme for non-health professionals as oral health educators

Seman K, Yaacob H, Hamid AM, Ismail AR, Yusoff A

Malays J Med Sci, 2008 Apr;15(2):33-8.

PMID: 22589623

Involvement of oral health educators among non-health professionals in oral health promotion is important in the prevention of oral diseases. This study was carried out to compare the level of oral health knowledge among pre-school teachers before and after oral health seminar. Pre-test data was collected by distributing questionnaire to pre-school teachers in Pasir Mas, who attended the seminar on "Oral Health" (n=33) and they were required to fill anonymously before the seminar started. The questions consisted of information on general background, perceived oral health status, oral health knowledge and the environment where they work. After two weeks, post-test data was collected using the same structured questionnaire and identification code was used to match the pre and post data. SPSS 11.5 was use for statistical analysis. Two out of 33 eligible preschool teachers were considered non-respondents due to absenteeism during the post-test data collection. The response rate was 94.0% (n = 31). The study shows a significant improvement in oral health knowledge among pre-school teachers in Pasir Mas, after seminar (p < 0.001) as compared to controls. Thus, we can conclude that the oral health programme (seminar) appeared effective at influencing oral health educator's knowledge towards oral health.

Pattern of suicides in 2009: data from the National Suicide Registry Malaysia

Ali NH, Zainun KA, Bahar N, Haniff J, Hamid AM, Bujang MA, et al.

Asia Pac Psychiatry, 2014 Jun;6(2):217-25.

PMID: 23857761 DOI: 10.1111/j.1758-5872.2012.00227.x

The National Suicide Registry Malaysia (NSRM) is a nationwide system that captures data on completed suicides in Malaysia from all forensic departments under the purview of the Ministry of Health Malaysia.

Women's attitude and sociodemographic characteristics influencing usage of herbal medicines during pregnancy in Tumpat District, Kelantan

Rahman AA, Sulaiman SA, Ahmad Z, Salleh H, Daud WN, Hamid AM

Southeast Asian J. Trop. Med. Public Health, 2009 Mar;40(2):330-7.

PMID: 19323019

The objective of this cross-sectional study was to determine whether the use of herbal medicines during pregnancy is associated with women's attitudes towards herbal medicines and their sociodemographic features, such as age, education level, and income. Two-hundred ten women (110 "users," 100 "non-users") were studied. The probability of using herbal medicines among women who had negative attitudes towards the use of herbal medicines was 50.0% less compared to those who had positive attitudes (OR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.29 - 0.92). Women who had a positive attitude towards the safety of herbal medicines were less likely to use herbal medicines during pregnancy. There were no significant associations between usage and sociodemographic features, such as age, income, race, and education.

The use of herbal medicines during pregnancy and perinatal mortality in Tumpat District, Kelantan, Malaysia

Ab Rahman A, Ahmad Z, Naing L, Sulaiman SA, Hamid AM, Daud WN

Southeast Asian J. Trop. Med. Public Health, 2007 Nov;38(6):1150-7.

PMID: 18613559

The objective of this case-control study was to determine the association between herbal medicine use during pregnancy and perinatal mortality in Tumpat District, Kelantan, Malaysia. Cases were mothers who gave birth from June 2002 to June 2005 with a history of perinatal mortality, while controls were those without a history of perinatal infant mortality. A total of 316 mothers (106 cases and 210 controls) were interviewed. The use of unidentified herbs prepared by traditional midwives and other types of herbal medicines during the first trimester of pregnancy were positively associated with perinatal mortality (OR = 5.24, 95% CI = 1.13; 24.23 and OR = 8.90, 95%, CI = 1.35; 58.53, respectively). The use of unidentified "Orang Asli" herbs and coconut oil during the third trimester of pregnancy were negatively associated with perinatal mortality in Tumpat (OR = 0.10, 95% CI = 0.02; 0.59 and OR = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.25; 0.92, respectively). These findings suggest the use of unidentified "Orang Asli" herbs and coconut oil in late pregnancy are protective against perinatal mortality, while the use of unidentified herbs prepared by traditional midwives and other types of herbal medicines in early pregnancy has an increased risk of perinatal infant mortality. Pharmacological studies to confirm and identify the compounds in these herbs and their effects on the fetus should be conducted in the future.

Stroke incidence in the South West District of the Penang Island, Malaysia: PEARLs: Penang Acute Stroke Research Longitudinal Study

Neelamegam M, Looi I, Cheah WK, Narayanan P, Hamid AM, Ong LM

Prev Med, 2013;57 Suppl:S77-9.

PMID: 23295169 DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2012.12.022

This community based incidence study aims to report the stroke incidence in the south-west region of the Penang Island.

Prevalence of menopausal symptoms in women in Kelantan, Malaysia

Dhillon HK, Singh HJ, Shuib R, Hamid AM, Mohd Zaki Nik Mahmood N

Maturitas, 2006 Jun 20;54(3):213-21.

PMID: 16326052

The aim of the study was to document the prevalence of 16 symptoms commonly associated with menopause, in women living in Kelantan.

Recent advancement in polymer/halloysite nanotube nanocomposites for biomedical applications

Mohamed Haneef INH, Mohd Shaffiar N, Buys YF, Syed Shaharuddin SI, Abdul Hamid AM, Widiyati K

J Biomed Mater Res B Appl Biomater, 2022 11;110(11):2574-2588.

PMID: 35661579 DOI: 10.1002/jbm.b.35105

Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) have recently been the subject of extensive research as a reinforcing filler. HNT is a natural nanoclay, non-toxic and biocompatible, hence, applicable in biomedical fields. This review focuses on the mechanical, thermal, and functional properties of polymer nanocomposites with HNT as a reinforcing agent from an experimental and theoretical perspective. In addition, this review also highlights the recent applications of polymer/HNT nanocomposites in the biomedical fields.

Composition optimization of PLA/PPC/HNT nanocomposites for mandibular fixation plate using single-factor experimental design

Haneef INHM, Buys YF, Shaffiar NM, Abdul Hamid AM, Shaharuddin SIS, Fitriani

J Mech Behav Biomed Mater, 2022 Nov;135:105423.

PMID: 36087517 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2022.105423

The need to overcome the secondary surgery to remove implanted metal fixation plate leads to the idea of replacing the material with degradable bionanocomposite. In this research, polylactic acid/polypropylene (PLA/PPC) blends incorporated with halloysite nanotubes (HNT) (0-6 wt %) were considered as the candidate material for mandibular fixation plate. A single-factor design using Design Expert software was used to determine 20 different compositions of PLA/PPC/HNT nanocomposites and their mechanical properties were then measured. The optimization of the PLA/PPC/HNT nanocomposite composition was performed based on the nanocomposite's response to Young's modulus, tensile strength, and elongation at break. Further analysis suggested an optimum composition of 92.5/7.5 PLA/PPC with 6 wt % of HNT. The statistical results predicted that there was a 71.7% possibility that the proposed nanocomposite would have the following mechanical properties: Young's modulus of 2.18 GPa, a tensile strength of 64.16 MPa, and an elongation at break of 106.53%.

Fulltext The All-Cause Mortality and a Screening Tool to Determine High-Risk Patients among Prevalent Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients

Bujang MA, Kuan PX, Tiong XT, Saperi FE, Ismail M, Mustafa FI, et al.

J Diabetes Res, 2018;2018:4638327.

PMID: 30116741 DOI: 10.1155/2018/4638327

AIMS: This study aims to determine the all-cause mortality and the associated risk factors for all-cause mortality among the prevalent type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients within five years' period and to develop a screening tool to determine high-risk patients.

METHODS: This is a cohort study of T2DM patients in the national diabetes registry, Malaysia. Patients' particulars were derived from the database between 1st January 2009 and 31st December 2009. Their records were matched with the national death record at the end of year 2013 to determine the status after five years. The factors associated with mortality were investigated, and a prognostic model was developed based on logistic regression model.

RESULTS: There were 69,555 records analyzed. The mortality rate was 1.4 persons per 100 person-years. The major cause of death were diseases of the circulatory system (28.4%), infectious and parasitic diseases (19.7%), and respiratory system (16.0%). The risk factors of mortality within five years were age group (p < 0.001), body mass index category (p < 0.001), duration of diabetes (p < 0.001), retinopathy (p = 0.001), ischaemic heart disease (p < 0.001), cerebrovascular (p = 0.007), nephropathy (p = 0.001), and foot problem (p = 0.001). The sensitivity and specificity of the proposed model was fairly strong with 70.2% and 61.3%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: The elderly and underweight T2DM patients with complications have higher risk for mortality within five years. The model has moderate accuracy; the prognostic model can be used as a screening tool to classify T2DM patients who are at higher risk for mortality within five years.

Fulltext Prevalence and pattern of use of herbal medicines during pregnancy in tumpat district, kelantan

Rahman AA, Sulaiman SA, Ahmad Z, Daud WN, Hamid AM

Malays J Med Sci, 2008 Jul;15(3):40-8.

PMID: 22570588 MyJurnal

The objective of this cross-sectional study is to determine the prevalence and pattern of herbal medicines use during pregnancy among women in Tumpat district, Kelantan. A total of 210 mothers were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. There were 108 mothers (51.4%) who used at least one type of herbal medicines during pregnancy. The most common herbal medicines used (63.9%) was coconut oil which was ingested during the third trimester of pregnancy only. The most common indication was (89.8%) to facilitate labour. The majority of users (79.6%) used herbal medicines during the third trimester of pregnancy only. Many of them (81.5%) believed that herbal medicines were effective to solve their health problems and fulfilled the indications for use. The older generation like parents and in laws (63.9%) were the most common persons who suggested using herbal medicines. The majority of them used the herbs only once (56.5%) and one type (87.0%) throughout the pregnancy. Further research focusing on local commonly used herbal medicines is to be carried out to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the herbs.

Suicide among the youth in Malaysia: What do we know?

Bahar N, Ismail WS, Hussain N, Haniff J, Bujang MA, Hamid AM, et al.

Asia Pac Psychiatry, 2015 Jun;7(2):223-9.

PMID: 25367507 DOI: 10.1111/appy.12162

This article aims to study the pattern of youth suicide cases in Malaysia, following which preventive actions can then be planned and practiced to reduce these suicide cases.

Fulltext Association of metabolic syndrome with risk of cardiovascular disease mortality and all-cause mortality among Malaysian adults: a retrospective cohort study

Chee Cheong K, Lim KH, Ghazali SM, Teh CH, Cheah YK, Baharudin A, et al.

BMJ Open, 2021 08 18;11(8):e047849.

PMID: 34408040 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-047849

OBJECTIVES: This study is aimed at determining the association between metabolic syndrome and risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality and all-cause mortality among Malaysian adults.

DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING: The Malaysian Non-Communicable Disease Surveillance (MyNCDS-1) 2005/2006.

PARTICIPANTS: A total of 2525 adults (1013 men and 1512 women), aged 24-64 years, who participated in the MyNCDS-1 2005/2006.

METHODS: Participants' anthropometric indices, blood pressure, fasting lipid profile and fasting blood glucose levels were evaluated to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome by the Harmonized criteria. Participants' mortality status were followed up for 13 years from 2006 to 2018. Mortality data were obtained via record linkage with the Malaysian National Registration Department. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was applied to determine association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and risk of CVD mortality and all-cause mortality with adjustment for selected sociodemographic and lifestyle behavioural factors.

RESULTS: The overall point prevalence of MetS was 30.6% (95% CI: 28.0 to 33.3). Total follow-up time was 31 668 person-years with 213 deaths (111 (11.3%) in MetS subjects and 102 (6.1%) in non-MetS subjects) from all-causes, and 50 deaths (33 (2.9%) in MetS group and 17 (1.2%) in non-MetS group) from CVD. Metabolic syndrome was associated with a significantly increased hazard of CVD mortality (adjusted HR: 2.18 (95% CI: 1.03 to 4.61), p=0.041) and all-cause mortality (adjusted HR: 1.47 (95% CI: 1.00 to 2.14), p=0.048). These associations remained significant after excluding mortalities in the first 2 years.

CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that individuals with MetS have a higher hazard of death from all-causes and CVD compared with those without MetS. It is thus imperative to prescribe individuals with MetS, a lifestyle intervention along with pharmacological intervention to improve the individual components of MetS and reduce this risk.

Fulltext Rural-urban comparisons of dengue seroprevalence in Malaysia

Chew CH, Woon YL, Amin F, Adnan TH, Abdul Wahab AH, Ahmad ZE, et al.

BMC Public Health, 2016 08 18;16(1):824.

PMID: 27538986 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-016-3496-9

BACKGROUND: Each year an estimated 390 million dengue infections occur worldwide. In Malaysia, dengue is a growing public health concern but estimate of its disease burden remains uncertain. We compared the urban-rural difference of dengue seroprevalence and determined age-specific dengue seroprevalence in Malaysia.

METHODS: We undertook analysis on 11,821 subjects from six seroprevalence surveys conducted in Malaysia between 2001 and 2013, which composed of five urban and two rural series.

RESULTS: Prevalence of dengue increased with age in both urban and rural locations in Malaysia, which exceeded 90 % among those aged 70 years or beyond. The age-specific rates of the 5 urban surveys overlapped without clear separation among them, while prevalence was lower in younger subjects in rural series than in urban series, the trend reversed in older subjects. There were no differences in the seroprevalence by gender, ethnicity or region. Poisson regression model confirmed the prevalence have not changed in urban areas since 2001 but in rural areas, there was a significant positive time trend such that by year 2008, rural prevalence was as high as in urban areas.

CONCLUSION: Dengue seroprevalence has stabilized but persisted at a high level in urban areas since 2001, and is fast stabilizing in rural areas at the same high urban levels by 2008. The cumulative seroprevalence of dengue exceeds 90 % by the age of 70 years, which translates into 16.5 million people or 55 % of the total population in Malaysia, being infected by dengue by 2013.

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