ABSTRACT
Background: There is a growing epidemic of tobacco use among adolescents in the developing world. However, there is no up to date information on smoking among adolescents in Pakistan. Adolescence is the time of life when people are more interested in taking risks and testing the boundaries of the world outside as well as their own limits
Objectives: To assess prevalence of smoking and some social factors involved in initiation of it in school adolescents and to formulate recommendations to plan the campaign to prevent and control smoking by school based prevention program
Subjects and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in two high schools of Liaqatpur. A total of 300 students, 152 from 9[th] and 148 from 10[th] class were taken having mean ages 14.4 and 15.5 respectively. A questionnaire was given and response of each student was noted individually
Results: In present study out of 300 students, 37[12.33%] were found smokers. Regarding class wise the proportion was 11.18% and 13.51% in 9[th] and 10[th] classes respectively, which shows higher prevalence with increasing age. The prevalence was higher among the children of land Lords and Businessmen. Similarly the education of father has impact upon the smoking prevalence as it was significantly low as compared to those of illiterate parents. The occupational status and education of mother has non-significant effect over prevalence of smoking
Conclusion: The prevalence of smoking in school adolescents of Pakistan is low as compared to many countries but still it is higher than some other countries of the world. Many social factors are involved in initiation of smoking. So there is need to control and prevent this initiation by causing awareness in the parents and school based prevention programs
ABSTRACT
Background: Pregnancy has marked effect on pulmonary functions and capacities. The knowledge of the expected changes in pulmonary parameters is fundamental to understanding how the disease states affect pregnancy and vice versa
Objectives: this study was designed to determine the changes in pulmonary functions during pregnancy
Patients and Methods: This was prospective study, conducted from 1[st] January 2008 to 30[th] November, 2008, in the Department of Physiology, Sheikh Zayed Medical College, Rahim Yar kha. A total of 80 study subjects were included in this study, divided into 4 groups, with each group having 20 study participants. The groups were as; 1[st] group having non pregnant females in their mid-luteal phase, 2[nd] group having females in their 1[s]t trimester of pregnancy, 3[rd] group having females in 2[nd] trimester of pregnancy, 4[th] group having females in their 3[rd] trimester of pregnancy. A questionnaire in which data regarding name, age, parity, duration of gestation was used
Results: A total of 80 study subjects were included in this study. Overall mean age was 25 +/- 3.5 years. 1[st] group was having age of 21+/- 2 years, 2[nd] group was having mean age of 26 +/- 4 years, 3[rd] group having mean age of 27+/- 4 years, whereas, 4[th] group was having mean age of 24+/-3.2 years. All the females were house wives, except controls, who were students. 71% of the study subjects were uneducated. We found out significant decrease in FEV[1] [P=0.000], FVC [P=0.002], and FEV[1]/FVC[P=0.014] in all three groups of pregnant women as compared to non-pregnant
Conclusion: The respiratory system undergoes anatomical and physiological changes during pregnancy and there is a significant decrease in FEV[1], FVC and FEV[1]/FVC among pregnant women
ABSTRACT
Background: Sleep circadian rhythm is influenced by physiological control and any change in this cycle effects individual cognitive functions
Objectives: To study sleep-wake pattern and academic performance of medical students at Quaid-e-Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur
Participants and Method: This retrospective study was carried out on 258 students, selected by convenient sampling technique, of which 108 were males and 150 were females. They were asked to fill a specially designed questionnaire regarding their sleep pattern after admission in the medical college and academic performance in the medical college. This was compared with their pre-medical performance
Results: Majority [52.3%] of participants reported a decreased sleep duration in the medical college and they scored 60-70% marks in their last professional examination. About one-fourth [24%] of students reported an increased sleep duration after admission into medical college and they scored less than 60% marks in their last professional examination. Another one-fourth [23.7 %] claimed that they had no change in their sleep duration after admission into medical college, and they scored more than 70 % marks in their last professional examination. All the participants scored more than 85% in their pre-medical examination
Conclusion: Any change in sleep duration, increase or decrease affects the students' performance adversely. Increased sleep duration in the medical college seems more harmful than decreased sleep duration
ABSTRACT
Background: Essential hypertension is a very common and wide spread problem. It is associated with maked morbidity and mortality. The pathogenesis of essential hypertension needs to be determined
Objective: To compare the rate of sodium counter transport in mild and moderate essential hypertensives with normotensive subjects
Subjects and Methods: The study was conducted on age and sex matched 20 mild essential hypertensives [G2], 20 moderate essential hypertensives [G3] and 20 normotensives [G1]. All cases were diagnosed after taking detailed history, complete physical examination and laboratory investigations. Lithium efflux and maximum rate [Vmax] of Lithium-Sodium countertransport was measured in red blood cells
Results: Increase in Lithium efflux and Vmax of Lithium- Sodium counter transport of mild and moderate essential hypertensives was highly significant [p<0.001]than that of normotensives
Conclusions: Lithium efflux and Vmax of sodium coutertransport is raised in mild and moderate essential hypertensive as compared to those in normotensive subjects. This can be used as a marker for the diagnosis of essential hypertension
ABSTRACT
Background: Coronary Heart Disease [CHD] in most common form of heart diseases and premature deaths
Objective: To determine the risk factors of coronary heart disease [CHD] in patients from Southern Punjab
Subjects and Methods: This retrospective study was carried out in the Community Medicine Department, Nishtar Medical College, Multan in collaboration with the CPE Institute of Cardiology, Multan and Cardiology Ward, Nishtar Hospital, Multan. All patients presenting with acute coronary heart disease, from September to November, 2009, were included in this study. The diagnosis was made by a Cardiologist. Patients were interviewed for the presence or absence of Conventional Risk Factors for CHD. The risk factors studied were gender, smoking, hypertension, positive family history, diabetes mellitus, obesity, dyslipidemia, anxiety and depression. All information was entered into a pre designed proforma. Data was analyzed in SPSS version 10
Results: Among patients of CHD, 70% were males and 30% were females. Smoking habit was seen in about half of the patients [49.50%]. Hypertension was present in 45%, positive family history in 32%, diabetes mellitus in 29.50% of patients 26% were obese, 23% have dyslipidemia while 15% reported to have anxiety and depression
Conclusion: We conclude that after male gender, smoking habit was the most prevalent risk factor seen in our study population. Other risk factors found, in the descending order, were hypertension, positive family history, diabetes mellitus, obesity, dyslipidemia, and anxiety and depression. Our study demonstrates the importance of modifiable risk factors which may be targetted in designing the preventive strategies for CHD