ABSTRACT
A controlled clinical trial was conducted to determine whether combined exercise training and diet alone reduce blood pressure (BP), body weight and body mass index (BMI) in three weeks. Twenty eight patients with diastolic BP < or = 110 mmHg were assigned to a hypertensive group and another 28 subjects with diastolic BP < or = 90 mmHg were subjected to the same intervention as control group (normotensive group). Exercise training and diet reduced diastolic BP by 24.7 mmHg and systolic BP by 32.8 mmHg in hypertensive group. There was a mean decreased of 5.3 mmHg in the diastolic BP in the normotensive group (P < 0.001). The systolic BP decreased only minimally. The weight loss ranged from 1 kg to 3 kg in hypertensive and 1 kg to 2 kg in the normotensive group. The mean weight loss was 1.6 kg (0.7) in hypertensive and 1.5 kg (0.5) in the normotensive group. In both the groups the weight reduction was highly significant (P < 0.001) and moderately positive correlation was also noted with the fall of BPs. The mean fall of BMI was 0.61 kg/m2 (0.21) and 0.51 (0.2) kg/m2 in the hypertensive and normotensive groups respectively. The findings indicated that a combined exercise training and dietary program could lower BP in patients with mild to moderate hypertension, but its long-term consequences on morbidity and mortality remain to be determined.
Subject(s)
Adult , Blood Pressure/physiology , Body Mass Index , Body Weight , Case-Control Studies , Diastole , Diet, Reducing , Exercise Therapy , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Hypertension/diet therapy , Male , Systole , Weight LossABSTRACT
Beta Haemolytic Streptococcal (BHS) infections and their sequelae Rheumatic Fever (RF) and Glomerulonephritis (GN) have a world wide distribution and so pose an important health problem. Reports show that there is considerable variation in the number of isolations from different groups. Present study intended to find out the health status of the school children in relation to streptococcal throat infection, in Dhaka Cantonment. It was a cross sectional, observational study. During one year period total six hundred and one (601) children were examined from one school of Dhaka Cantonment. Prevalence of streptococcus was found to be 22% among the study population with highest rate (67%) for group-G among BHS positive cases. True streptococcal infection was found in 8.7% cases & 2.2% cases were true GABHS positive cases. GABHS was significantly higher in large size families. Females and children from lower socioeconomic group were at higher risk. Females and children of large families may require special attention regarding prevention of streptococcal infection and RF/RHD prevention programme.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Bangladesh/epidemiology , Child , Child, Preschool , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Pharyngitis/epidemiology , Prevalence , Streptococcal Infections/epidemiologyABSTRACT
This study reflected that administration of tetracycline along with quinine and cotrimoxazole can reduce mortality from cerebral malaria significantly. In this five year prospective study in an endemic zone, the authors assessed the outcome of treatment with or without tetracycline among 254 cases of cerebral malaria. 100 patients were treated with quinine and cotrimoxazole and 154 patients were given triple therapy-quinine, cotrimoxazole and tetracycline. Fatality in group without tetracycline was 18%, whereas in the tetracycline group it was 12.33%. One interesting observation was that the parasite count was not proportional to the severity of disease. Out of 254 patients of this series, 136 patients (53.54%) had low parasite count (less than 1,000/cumm) and only 26 patients (10.23%) had infinity count. Quinine induced cardiac arrhythmia or hypoglycaemia was not seen in any patient.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Anti-Bacterial Agents/administration & dosage , Drug Therapy, Combination , Humans , Malaria, Cerebral/diagnosis , Quinine/administration & dosage , Tetracycline/administration & dosage , Time Factors , Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination/administration & dosageABSTRACT
This study reflects the clinical pattern, diagnosis and management of cerebral malaria in 55 consecutive patients from Chittagong Hill Tracts. The predominant clinical features were: impaired consciousness with convulsion in a febrile patient with temporary residence in the endemic zone. Younger people were more prone to develop this condition. Thirty two patients (58.18%) were between 18-25 years. A high incidence of cerebral malaria was noted in blood group 'O' (37.5%) and group 'B' (33.33%). The malarial parasite count MPC was not proportional to the severity of the disease. Twenty four patients (43.63%) had malarial parasite count below 100% cumm. Anaemia (63.63%) and Jaundice (34.54%) were common, Splenomegaly (7.27%) was uncommon. Clinical features of cerebral oedema/raised intracranial pressure were not evident. CSF study was unremarkable except for raised pressure in 7 patients (12.65%). Response to intravenous quinine was satisfactory and yet the mortality was 11%.