ABSTRACT
Objective: To determine the mean hemoglobin HbA1C levels of disease-free adults in a local population and its optimum cutoff for the diagnosis of diabetes
Study Design: Cross-sectional study
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Chemical Pathology and Endocrinology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi, from January to September 2015
Methodology: Healthy subjects aged 18 years and above of either gender were recruited from local population. Pregnant ladies and individuals with known diabetes, chronic kidney disease, chronic liver disease, congestive cardiac failure, anemia, hemoglobinopathies, mental illness and individuals on glucocorticoid therapy were excluded. Fasting plasma glucose [FPG] or 2-hour plasma glucose [2-h PG] was analyzed using hexokinase methodology and glycated hemoglobin [Hb A1C] was also analyzed using turbidimetric inhibition immunoassay technique. Receiver operating characteristic [ROC] curves were plotted. Differences among the groups were tested by one-way ANOVA, and p <0.05 was considered statistically significant
Results: Among 558 subjects, 88.8% [496] were normoglycaemic [NG], 5.7% [32] were with impaired glucose fasting [IFG], and 5.4% [30] were diagnosed with diabetes mellitus [DM]. A1C was 5.00 +/-0.44% in NG and 6.28 +/-1.16% in diabetics. FPG in NG was 4.55 +/-0.95 mmol/L and in diabetics was 8.28 +/-1.78 mmol/L. The optimal HbA1C cutoff value for diagnosis of DM was at 6.05% [AUC 0.827 95% CI 0.732 to 0.923, p ²0.05 with its sensitivity of 53.3% and specificity of 98.5%. However, HbA1C showed suboptimal sensitivity and specificity for prediabetes
Conclusion: The mean HbAIC and cutoff point for diabetes in the study population is 5.07 +/-0.58% and 6.05%, respectively [AUC 0.827, 95% CI: 0.732 to 0.923, p<0.001] with 53.3% sensitivity and 98.5% specificity
ABSTRACT
Objective: To compare the corneal astigmatism before and after the excision of pterygium and also to determine the correlation of pterygium size with the postoperative corneal astigmatism. Study Design: Cross-sectional interventional study. Place and Duration of Study: Eye Department, Combined Military Hospital, Abbottabad, from May 2011 to March 2012
Methodology: Thirty patients underwent pterygium excision. Pre-operatively Snellen visual acuity, manifest refraction and slit lamp examination was done. The size of the pterygium was recorded in mm by projecting a horizontal slit lamp beam from the limbus to the apex. All the pterygium were equal to or greater than 2.5 mm. Keratometry was performed with an automated keratometer. Keratometric data was recorded pre-operatively and at 28 days postoperatively. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used for comparing the pre-operative and the postoperative corneal astigmatism. Spearman's rank order was calculated to observe correlation of pterygium size with the postoperative astigmatism
Results: The median [mean rank] pre-operative astigmatism of 2.25 [15.50] reduced to a median [mean rank] postoperative astigmatism of 1.30 [14.96]. This decrease in the postoperative astigmatism was statistically significant [p < 0.001]. There was a statistically non-significant correlation between the postoperative astigmatism and the pterygium size [rs = -0.29, p = 0.12]
Conclusion: Pterygium excision caused significant reduction in corneal astigmatism
ABSTRACT
Iron deficiency in the etiology of hair loss has been studied for more than 45 years. However, contradictory reports have been published and almost all the studies conducted so far are based on observational methodology. To find out if any real association exists between the iron deficiency and alopecia. One hundred consecutive, clinically typical female patients [14-54 years] with nonscarring alopecia i.e. alopecia areata, androgenetic alopecia and telogen effluvium and an equal number of age- and sex-matched controls were included in the study. Both groups were evaluated for serum ferritin and other important parameters of iron status. Mean serum ferritin value of cases was significantly lower than that of the controls [p=0.005]. Patients with alopecia areata and androgenetic alopecia had significantly lower values of serum ferritin [p=0.011 and 0.015, respectively], but there was no significant difference in telogen effluvium cases and controls [p=0.348]. The values of hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV, MCH and transferring-saturation were significantly lower in cases but had significantly higher TIBC values than controls. There is a definite association of decreased serum ferritin levels and nonscarring alopecia in women. The iron stores of female patients with nonscarring alopecias should be built for the optimum response to treatment as the proposed triggering factor can be abolished