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  1. Saleem SM, Bhattacharya S, Deshpande N
    Diabetes Metab Syndr, 2022 Feb 03;16(2):102422.
    PMID: 35150963 DOI: 10.1016/j.dsx.2022.102422
    BACKGROUND AND AIM: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) had an inverse impact on the economic stability of many nations all over the globe. We describe and recommend food policy measures to improve food package labelling and global eating patterns for the population to measure secondary prevention and behavioural change.

    METHODS: A Literature search was done on standard search engines using key terms like diabetes, food package labelling, labelling laws, etc. RESULTS: Consumption of unhealthy ultra-processed foods is on the rise because of variable choices at the supermarkets, restaurants, marts, and supermarkets. People who had a 10% increase of ultra-processed foods (UPF) in their diet had a 15% greater chance of developing T2D. This translates to roughly four portions of processed food per day. In India, the consumption of UPF is on the rise, and the related industry is mounting by 40% each year, placing India at 10th place in the fast-food per capita spending figures. Many labelling systems have been proposed and well-designed but with advantages. A trustworthy and helpful FOPL is one that most people will understand clearly and know what is in the food they are buying. It simply discourages the consumers from consuming high-energy, calorie-dense products as they can quickly and effectively identify products that are high in salt, sugar, saturated fats, trans fats, or total fats.

    CONCLUSION: Many countries such as Chile, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore have initiated steps to include food labels, especially FOPL, on the food packets. It's the right opportunity for India to introduce an identical replica of the Chilean model.

  2. Bhattacharya S, Heidler P, Saleem SM, Marzo RR
    Front Public Health, 2022;10:945082.
    PMID: 36033797 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.945082
    INTRODUCTION: Digital eye strain, which is often ignored by the public, has emerged as a "Shadow Pandemic" in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    AIM: The current paper is aimed at discussing the ill effect of digital screens on eyes in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    METHODOLOGY: A literature search was done using "PubMed," "Google scholar", and "Scopus" using key terms like "Digital Eye Strain," "Eyestrain," or "Computer Vision Syndrome." Relevant articles were identified and included to support the argument for this narrative review.

    RESULTS: Studies conducted in the UK reported that 68% of children extensively use computers, while 54% undertake online activities after the age of 3. Similar studies estimated 4 h and 45 min per day of screen exposure time among adults in the UK. Indian studies reveal that the prevalence of DES is 69% in adults and 50% in children respectively. Indian ophthalmologists found that computer-using and specialized ophthalmologists were more informed of symptoms and diagnostic signs but were misinformed about treatment modalities. The use of social media and multitasking is particularly prominent among younger adults, with 87% of individuals aged 20-29 years reporting the use of two or more digital devices simultaneously. It has been observed that the use of computer glasses corrects refractive errors and helps in the reduction of symptoms, while precision spectral filters help in reducing symptoms of micro-fluctuation of accommodation.

    CONCLUSION: We concluded that DES is emerging globally as a "Shadow Pandemic" and it is high time to respond. Community ophthalmologists, public health authorities, and educational sectors especially should be involved to prevent this.

  3. Bhattacharya S, Saleem SM, Singh DK, Marzo RR, Singh A
    PMID: 33688550 DOI: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_280_20
    INTRODUCTION: We know that risk communication is equally important as risk identification, which is usually not communicated properly to the patients and resulting in poor outcomes, especially in hypertensive patients.

    OBJECTIVE: Our study objective was to evolve and test a colour coded client segmentation based public health approach to educate the community to deal with problem of hypertension.

    METHODOLOGY: This cross-sectional pilot study was done in March 2020 among purposively approached in a primary health centre to 100 people aged above 18 years, among them 41 gave written consent for the study and their demographic information was noted. They were given colour coded cards as per the current blood pressure level and previous history of hypertension. On each colour coded card, specific advice was written for that category. For all the participants, blood pressure and treatment seeking behaviour was noted. For hypertensive patients, adherence to medication and non-pharmacological measures was noted.

    RESULTS: Mean age of the participants was 46.5 ± 13.06 years. Mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of the participants were 135 ± 16.85 mm Hg and 86 ± 11.42 mm Hg, respectively. Among the participants, 10 (24.39%) had a known history of hypertension. Among them, as per the blood pressure levels measured on the day of the study 50% (5) had their blood pressure levels under control. Interestingly 16 (39%) participants were found hypertensive incidentally.

    DISCUSSION: It is evident from the studies that colour coded approach is used in multiple ways, in multiple settings, for multiple diseases. To our knowledge, little focus has been given for hypertensive disorders in the community level. We merely bother about making their risk profiling, even in the digital age. Sometimes physicians in emergency become puzzled whenever patients collapsed in front of them and we missed the "Golden Hour" for the treatment by searching patients' medical details.

    CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The above problem can be solved by risk profiling of chronic patients by colour coded OPD/Health cards.

  4. Ambreen G, Kumar M, Ali A, Shah SAA, Saleem SM, Tahir A, et al.
    PLoS One, 2022;17(11):e0275655.
    PMID: 36350877 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275655
    BACKGROUND: Caffeine is available in an ampoule, used via parenteral and enteral routes in preterm neonates to treat apnea of prematurity (AOP) in neonates of gestational age ≥ 35-40 weeks. A longer duration of therapy has a higher risk of medication non-adherence due to higher costs and inappropriate dosage forms. Pharmaceutically compounded oral caffeine (PCC) could be an appropriate alternate dosage form. The researchers aimed to determine the impact of PCC on medication-related factors influencing medication adherence (MA) and the frequency of hospital readmission with apnea (HRA) in preterm neonates.

    METHODS: We conducted a single-center quasi-experimental study for this quality improvement project using PCC among the preterm neonates admitted in a tertiary care level-III NICU at the Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi, Pakistan, received caffeine therapy, and survived at discharge. The researchers compared pre-PCC data (April-December 2017) with post-PCC data (April-Dec 2018) each for nine months, with three months intervals (January-March 2018) of PCC formulation and implementation phase. The study was conducted according to the SQUIRE2.0 guidelines. The Data were collated on factors influencing MA, including the cost of therapy, medication refill rates, and parental complaints as primary outcome measures. The Risk factors of HRA were included as secondary outcomes.

    RESULTS: After PCC implementation cost of therapy was reduced significantly from Rs. 97000.0 (729.0 USD) to Rs. 24500.0 (185.0 USD) (p<0.001), significantly higher (p<0.001) number of patients completed remaining refills (77.6% pre-phase vs 97.5% post-phase). The number of parental complaints about cost, ampoule usage, medication drawing issue, wastage, inappropriate dosage form, and longer duration of therapy reduced significantly in post-phase. HRA reduced from 25% to 6.6% (p<0.001). Post-implementation of PCC (RR 0.14; 95% CI: 0.07-0.27) was a significant independent risk factor for reducing HRA using a multivariate analysis model. Longer duration of caffeine therapy after discharge (RR 1.05; 95% CI: 1.04-1.04), those who were born in multiple births (RR 1.15; 95% CI: 1.15-1.15), and those who had higher number of siblings were other significant independent risk factors for HRA.

    CONCLUSIONS: PCC dispensation in the appropriate dosage form at discharge effectively reduced cost, non-adherence to therapy, and risk of hospital readmissions. This neonatal clinical and compounding pharmacist-led model can be replicated in other resource-limiting setting.

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