A Nationwide Assessment of Psychosocial Adjustment and Its Associated Factors in People With Spinal Cord Injury and Disorders (PA-SCID): The Study Protocol

@#Introduction: This article aims to describe the study protocol of a nationwide survey on psychosocial adjustment of people with spinal cord injury or disorders (SCID) and its associated factors. SCID is a complex clinical condition and debilitating public health issues to families and societies. Psychosocial adjustment is represented in this study as health-related quality of life, perceived social support, coping, independence, and spiritual well-being. This study aims to determine the psychosocial adjustment of people with SCID in Malaysia. Methods: This is a study protocol for a nationwide cross-sectional postal and online survey of people with SCID. Cross-cultural adaptation and hypothesis-validity testing will be conducted for independence and spiritual well-being measures. A total of 786 eligible participants will be recruited from eight public hospitals in the Peninsular, Sabah, and Sarawak. The questionnaires include the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief (WHOQOL-BREF), Spinal Cord Independence Measure – Self-report (SCIM-SR), Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (Brief COPE), Medical Outcome Survey – Social Support (MOS-SSS) and Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy – Spiritual Well-being Short Version (FACIT-Sp-12). HRQoL measured by WHOQOL-BREF is the main primary outcome of this study. Independent association between the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics with the outcome variables will be determined separately using multiple linear regression. Discussion: The findings of the study will be informative regarding the causes of SCID and factors associated with psychosocial adjustment in Malaysia. It will benefit future medical and public health initiatives to improve on the existing rehabilitation programs and social services to people with SCID.

Biochemical Effects of Statins on Lipid Parameters among Newly Diagnosed Dyslipidaemia Subjects in Primary Care

@#Introduction: Statins have several pleiotropic effects including its primary effect of lipid lowering that is important to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD). Subjects often have heterogeneous responses to statin. This study aims to determine the biochemical effects of statins on lipid parameters among newly diagnosed dyslipidaemia subjects. Methods: This was a prospective observational study involving 118 newly diagnosed adults with dyslipidaemia from three government health clinics in Selangor, Malaysia. Biochemical analyses including fasting lipid profile [triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C)] and apolipoproteins (apoA1, apoB) were taken at baseline and follow-up after a month on statin. Results: Majority of subjects (61.9%) were prescribed with lovastatin, with the rest on simvastatin. At baseline, the median values for all lipid profile parameters (TC, LDL-C, HDL-C) and non-conventional lipid parameters (LDL-C:HDL-C ratio, non-HDL-C, TC:HDL-C ratio, apoB:apoA1 ratio) were deranged except for TG and apoA1. On follow up, all parameters showed median values within the reference range except for HDL-C, non-HDL-C and TC:HDL-C ratio. There was significant difference in the effect of statins on lipid parameters including predictors of cardiovascular risk, simvastatin having better effects. Conclusions: Different statinshave varying effects on lipid parameters. Simvastatin showed significantly better effects compared to lovastatin. Non-HDL value should be included in the standard lipid profile report given its ease of use and implementation as it’s both a marker of coronary artery disease (CAD) risk stratification as well as an established determinant of goal attainment during therapy.