ABSTRACT
Background and study aims: There is a lack of studies on erectile dysfunction [ED] in patients diagnosed with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease [NAFLD]. The present study aimed to estimate the prevalence of ED in patients with NAFLD and to determine the independent predictors of ED in these patients
Patients and methods: We conducted a prospective, hospital-based study of 192 consecutive male patients with NAFLD. All patients underwent clinical evaluation; abdominal ultrasonography; test for viral hepatitis markers; and estimation of liver chemistry panel, complete blood count, prothrombin time, serum lipids panel, serum testosterone, and fasting serum levels of glucose, insulin, and C-peptide
Results: The mean age of the study population was 42.4 +/- 7.7 years [79.1% >/= 40 years]. Of the 192 patients with NAFLD, 88 [45.8%] had ED, 28 [14.6%] had metabolic syndrome, 25 [13%] had type-2 diabetes mellitus [DM], and 131 [68.2%] had insulin resistance [IR]. The mean level of serum testosterone was 3.17 +/- 2.94 ng/mL, while the mean insulin resistance index was 2.9 +/- 1.7. Mild ED [38.6%] was the most frequent grade of ED. Age >/= 40 years [odds ratio [OR] 6.4; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.7-24.1; p- 0.006], IR [OR 5.9; 95% CI 1.7-20.6; p- 0.005], and low serum testosterone [OR 5.1; 95% CI 1.5-17.1; p- 0.009] were the predictors of ED
Conclusions: ED is a common disorder in male patients with NAFLD; both IR and low serum testosterone contribute to its development. Treatment of IR may carry a dual benefit of improving erectile function and decreasing the grade of hepatic steatosis
ABSTRACT
Objective/background: The aim of this study is to determine the rate of hookworm infection among patients with pulmonary tuberculosis [TB] and to find out if there is a relation between hookworm infection and the therapeutic failure of pulmonary TB
Methods: We carried out a prospective, hospital-based study. The study included 231 naive patients with pulmonary TB, consecutively. Patients were evaluated at the 4th month of therapy for persistence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. All patients had clinical evaluation, laboratory investigations [including sputum culture and stool microscopic examination], and imaging studies [abdominal ultrasonography and chest radiography]
Results: The study population mean age was 42.7 +/- 13.9 years old with 26.8% of them 40 years old or more. Out of 231 patients, 133 [57.6%] were men. Therapeutic failure rate of pulmonary TB was 29.4%. Hookworm infection was diagnosed among 16.5% of patients and 27.7% had diabetes mellitus [DM]. Using multivariate analysis, it was found that age of 40 years or more [odds ratio [OR] 8.4; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.7-41.3; p = .009], hookworm infection [OR 7.6; 95% CI 1.2-49.9; p = .034], and DM [OR 5.9; 1.2-28; p = .027] were independently associated with therapeutic failure of pulmonary TB among the study population with pulmonary TB
Conclusion: In conclusion, the rate of therapeutic failure of pulmonary TB is high. Besides older age and DM, hookworm infection can reduce the therapeutic response of pulmonary TB. Screening for and control of DM and hookworm infection among patients with pulmonary TB may improve their therapeutic response