ABSTRACT
Abstract Introduction Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is one of the common disorders of the peripheral vestibular system. The prevalence of BPPV is found to be higher among middle-aged women. Objectives To estimate the serum levels of calcium and vitamin D in patients with BPPV, and to study their association. Methods The present is a hospital-based prospective case-control study. Venous blood samples of the 49 patients with BPPV and an equal number of age- and gender-matched individuals were recruited and submitted to an analysis of the serum levels of calcium and vitamin D. Results Among the cases, 67.3% were found to be females, and 32.7% were males. Most of the 30 cases (61.3%) were aged >40 years. The mean age of the cases was 44.39 years. The mean serum level of vitamin D in the cases was of 21.26 ng/ml compared with 17.59 ng/ml in the controls. The mean serum level of calcium was of 9.33 mg/dl in the cases, compared with 8.95 mg/dl in the controls. There was no significant difference in the serum levels of vitamin D and calcium between cases and controls. Conclusion We could not establish any correlation between the serum levels of calcium and vitamin D with BPPV. However, a negative relationship was found between the serum levels of vitamin D and the number of episodes of BPPV (p = 0.012).
ABSTRACT
Background: Endosulphan was extensively sprayed in the cashew plantations in over 90 villages in Dakshina Kannada district for almost two decades before a ban was imposed. Areas where Endosulfan spraying was carried out, disability screening camps were conducted. The study aimed at describing the distribution of attendees of the disability screening camps among the population residing in the Endosulfan exposed area of Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka, India.Methods: A cross sectional descriptive was undertaken with the permission of district health authorities by specialists in the villages of five taluks, on the patients attending the disability screening camps conducted in the year 2014-15. The patients were consecutively listed and classified based on the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995 and analysed using SPSS version 20.0.Results: Of the 4214 patients who attended the screening camps for disability held in the taluks mentioned above, 2190 (52.0%) were males. The most common affected age groups were between 5-19 years of 1606 (38.1%). The most common disability was intellectual disability (including cerebral palsy) in 2474 (58.7%) followed by physical disability seen in 384 (15.5%). Infertility was seen among 297 (7.09%) of the attendees of the screening camps. The total number of cancers patients attending the screening camps was 71 (1.6%), and 21 (0.5%) were cancers related to the reproductive tract, and 6 (0.1%) had breast cancer.Conclusions: The most common age groups reporting with disabilities to the screening camps conducted by the district health authorities in Endosulfan sprayed villages of Dakshina Kannada district belonged to 5-19 years, and the most common disability was intellectual disability.