Pattern and impact of tea consumption in urban population of Hyderabad

Objective: To find out frequency of tea use with possible health effects in urban population of Hyderabad Sindh

Place and duration: At Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences Jamshoro from 1[st] March 2010 to 30[th] April 2010

Study design: A cross sectional study

Methodology: The study was performed on 1432 healthy individuals. The baseline demographic characteristics were recorded on a specially designed proforma. The socioeconomic status was divided in five categories according to monthly earnings. Consumption of tea was estimated by the number of cups/day and type of tea consumed. Sugar added to tea was calculated by the number of teaspoons. Waist to hip ratio was also calculated. Persons with history of chronic diseases were excluded from the study

Results: 1102 males and 330 females participated in the study [n=1432], the mean age for men was 38+1.54 years and for women it was 30+1.25years. Among the 1102 males, 22.68% consumed 5-6 cups/day, 58.98% 3-4 cups/day and 18.33% only 2 cups/day, while females when inquired only 22% were consuming 2 cups/day with 48.48% 3-4cup/day and 31.5% were having 5-6 cups/day. Tea was prepared mostly by adding milk. 805 [73.04%] males and 250 [75.7%] females were having such tea, while only 3.62% of males 3.03% females were using black tea. The habit of having green tea was seen in 257 [23.32%] males, while none of the females in the present research was using green tea. Socioeconomically most of the participants belonged to lower socio economic group [Table - I] earning 3000-9000 rupees / month [36.47% males and 39.3% females]: Waist to hip ratio was positively correlated with the amount of sugar and frequency of tea intake

Conclusion: Tea can be hazardous for health if the pattern continues to be same, so habit of green tea ingestion should be encouraged as tea mixed with milk and sugar further adds to the burden of future diabetics

Effect of injectable contraceptives on body mass index [BMI] in women attending family planning clinic at Hyderabad

To see the effect of injectable contraceptives on Body Mass Index [BMI] of women. A descriptive study. Family Planning Clinic at Hyderabad Sindh. One year from February 2005 to February 2006. This study was carried out on 50 patients of reproductive age 24-35 years. Patients with Cardiac, Renal and Liver dysfunction were excluded. Diabetic women taking sedative and hypnotics, anti-tubercular treatment were also excluded. All routine investigations were performed. BMI was done on initial visit and then on each follow-up visit and data was analyzed. Fifty women were selected. They were grouped into Group A and Group B, 25 women in each group. Group A received Depo Medroxy Progesterone [DMPA] and Group B received Norethisterone Enanthate [NET-EN]. On initial visit mean BMI of Group A was 23.03 +/- 0.1 kg/m2 while of Group B was 23.72 +/- 0.2 kg/m2. After completion of study mean increase in BMI of Group A was 0.52 kg/m2 and that of Group B was 0.54 kg/m2. Mean increase in BMI of both group is negligible. Both are equally effective in relation with BMI

Adverse drug reactions: clinical assessment of drug induced disease

Physicians are often confronted with patients who state that they are 'allergic' to a drug. The goal of this review article is to help physicians to develop management plans for patients who present with drug induced diseases. It provides information that allows physicians to differentiate between reactions that are truly allergic in nature and those that are not immunologically mediated. The suggestions which may be helpful in the assessment are discussed and guidance is provided whether a drug may be safely readministered. Unfortunately until we are unable to thoroughly understand the mechanisms responsible for drug induced reactions, our management tools will remain limited