ABSTRACT
High prevalence of hypovitaminosis D has been reported to be common in different regions of the Middle East. The aim of this study is to examine vitamin D level in relation to age, sex, season, clothing and use of supplements among healthy adults. A cross-sectional study. Blood Bank, Bahrain Defense Hospital. This study was performed from February 2011 to January 2012. Vitamin D level was assessed in 500 healthy Bahrainis [250 males and 250 females]aged 15-65 years with no history of major organ diseases or any other health problems. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency was determined according to the ranges of 25-hyroxyvitamin D [25[OH]D] recommended by the Institute of Medicine, USA. The mean total serum of 25[OH]D was low [22.9 +/- 10.1 nmol/L] and total serum of 25[OH] D concentrations in 49.4%, 37.0% and 13.6% of the participants were having <30.0 nmol/L [deficiency], between 30.0-50.0 nmol/L [insufficiency] and >50.0 nmol/L [optimal]. Vitamin D deficiency was significantly higher in females 169 [67.6%] than males 78 [31.2%] p<0.0001. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among younger age group, <30 years, 139 [53%] was significantly higher than older age group, >30 years, 108 [45.4%], p<0.001. Vitamin D deficiency was significantly higher during October to March 121 [69.2%] than April to September 41 [12.5%], p<0.0001. In this study only 68 [13.6%] had optimal level of vitamin D suggesting an alarming vitamin D deficiency in Bahrainis. This is the first population-based study in Bahrain that indicates vitamin D deficiency. It is recommended that fortification of food with vitamin D on a national basis is necessary to overcome such low levels of vitamin D in Bahrainis
ABSTRACT
Clinical and animal studies suggest that the ischemic heart can be particularly vulnerable to hypokalemia leading to the cardiac arrhythmia. To evaluate the association of severe arrhythmia with hypokalemia in patients with acute myocardial infarction [AMI]. Retrospective study. Coronary Care Unit, Salmaniya Medical Complex. Two hundred and seventy-four patients with AMI had serum potassium levels measured on admission along with other cardiovascular risk factors. Serum potassium concentrations were significantly decreased with the severity of arrhythmias [no arrhythmias; 4.2 +/- 0.80 mmol/l, supra-ventricular; 3.8 +/- 0.9 mmol/l, and ventricular arrhythmias; 3.3 +/- 0.5 mmol/l, p=0.0001]. The risks of supra-ventricular and ventricular arrhythmias were significantly increased by 2.4 and 8.3 fold, respectively in patients with serum potassium levels at the lowest quartile [<3.5 mmol/l] compared with the highest quartile of serum potassium when adjusted for other risk factors. The results of this study suggest that hypokalemia is independently associated with the severity of arrhythmias in patients with AMI
ABSTRACT
Scrotal elephantiasis is a disease that is rarely seen outside the tropical sectors of Africa, Asia, Central and South America. Unlike those endemic regions, where the disease is caused mostly by a filariasis; in developed countries, it is usually secondary to other non-infectious conditions or rarely hereditary. A seventy-eight year old patient presented to the urology clinic with a painful gross scrotal swelling for more than 6 years. The disease proved to be inflammatory and was assumed to be due to filariasis. Subtotal scrotectomy was undertaken followed by scrotal reconstruction with satisfactory cosmetic and functional outcome. To our knowledge, this is the first case of inflammatory probably infectious scrotal elephantiasis to be reported from Bahrain