Frequency, severity and risk indicators of retinopathy in patients with diabetes screened by fundus photographs: a study from primary health care

To determine the frequency, severity and risk indicators of diabetic retinopathy [DR] in patients with diabetes attending a primary care diabetes centre. This observational study was conducted at Diabetic Association of Pakistan - a World Health Organization collaborating center in Karachi, from March 2009 to December 2011. Registered patients with diabetes were screened by two field fundus photographs. Retina specialists graded the signs of retinopathy according to diabetic retinopathy disease severity scale. Of total registered diabetic patients [n=11,158], 10,768 [96.5%] were screened for DR. Overall DR was found in 2661 [24.7%] patients. DR was found in decreasing order of frequency in patients with type 2 [n= 2555, 23.7%] followed by patients with type 1 diabetes [n=101, 0.93%] and patients with gestational diabetes mellitus [GDM] [n=5, 0.46%]. Among patients with DR, signs of non-sight threatening retinopathy was dominant. Females and patients of working age group predominantly had retinopathy. Type 1 patients >16 years and type 2 patients < 5 years of history of diabetes had sign of retinopathy in increased frequency. Every forth patient with diabetes in this large cohort had signs of diabetic retinopathy. Females and patients in working age group predominantly had retinopathy. Type 2 patients with short while type 1 patients with long history of diabetes most frequently had DR. Dissemination of the present study findings may help in increasing the awareness of this serious complication of diabetes

Effect of combined oral contraceptive pills on body mass index [BMI] in women attending family planning centres, Karachi, Pakistan

To see the effect of combined oral contraceptive pills on Body Mass Index [BMI] of women. A descriptive study. The study was conducted at Family Planning Centers at social obstetrical unit Baqai Medical University and Reproductive and Health Sciences [RHS] Institute, a family planning unit, at Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center Karachi, from November 2010 to April 2011. This study was carried out on 50 patients of reproductive age 20-40 years. Patients with Cardiac, Renal and Liver syfunction 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 re-evaluated after one, three and six months and data was analyzed. Fifty women were selected. They were divided into four categories, Control [category 0] i.e. before the start of COCPs, after 1 month [category 1], 3 months [category 2] and 6 months [category 3]. On initial visit mean BMI of control is found to be 22.53 +/- 1.92. Category 1 showed mean BMI of 22.53 +/- 1.92 kg/m2 while BMI of category 2 is 22.53 +/- 1.92 kg/m2 category 3 is 22.91 +/- 1.87. After completion of study mean increase in BMI of category 3 was 0.38 kg/m[2]. Mean increase in BMI of category 3 is negligible

Distribution of ABO blood group in peptic ulcer patients in the ethnic population of Balochistan

To find relationship between ABO blood group and peptic ulcer [PU] in the ethnic population of Balochistan. An observational and prospective study. The study was carried at Bolan Medical College Complex Hospital Quetta for a period of one year. 60 peptic ulcer patients confirmed with video endoscope were included. ABO blood group was determined by slide test method. Out of 60 PU patients 54 were males and 6 females. 18 had blood group O, 24 had group B, 11 had AB and 7 had A blood group. 90% were Rhesus positive. O group was dominant [38.46%] in peptic ulcer patients with antral lesion. In patients having duodenal lesion, B group was prevalent [45.83%] Males were predominant sufferers [75%]. The poor and middle class patients were equally affected. The ethnic group Pathan were more affected [36.67%] compared to Baloch and Hazara. Antral lesions are dominant in O blood group peptic ulcer patients whereas duodenal lesion is common in blood group B. There is a high prevalence in Pathan males. Duodenal lesion is more prevalent compared to antral lesion

Frequency distribution of ABO and rhesus blood groups in population of Balochistan

The aim of the study was to determine frequency distribution of ABO and Rhesus [Rh] blood groups and to compare the results with European, Asiam and some cities in Pakistan. The study was carried out in 2000 blood samples from both sexes in the population of Balochistan at Quetta. Agglutination of red cells by A,B and D antibodies was carried with slide method. The blood group 0 was 35%, group B 31.7%, group A 23.2% where as group AB was found to be 10.1%. Rhesus positive was 94.75% while Rh negative was 5.25%. The incidence and prevalence of ABO and Rh blood groups were found quite different from other countries around the world and few cities in Pakistan

Diving reflex bradycardia in man; effect of different temperatures

62 male subjects from Karachi were selected and divided in four groups according to four levels of water temperature at 10°C, 20°C, 30°C and 40°C. Subjects were asked for face immersion, with breath holding for 30 seconds, and resulted in reflex bradycardia, the effect was maximum at 10°C, while at 40°C, the bradycardia was less pronounced. It is understood that bradycardia was not produced by asphyxia, as breath holding was only for 30 seconds. It is suggested that cold receptors in face were the triggering factor for reflex bradycardia. Prolongation of QT interval in ECG records in experimental groups, indicated that cardiac aspect of diving reflex was governed by vagus and withdrawal of cardiac sympathetic tone