Self-medication with drugs and complementary and alternative medicines in Alexandria, Egypt: prevalence, patterns and determinants

This study aimed to describe the prevalence, pattern and reasons for self-medication among adults in Alexandria, Egypt. In a community-based survey during 2012, a representative sample of 1100 adults completed a predesigned interview questionnaire on self-medication practices by drugs and complementary or alternative medicines [CAM]. A majority of them practised self-medication [86.4%], mostly using both drugs and CAM [77.5%]. The most commonly used drugs were analgesics [96.7%], and cough and cold preparations [81.9%], but 53.9% of respondents reported self-medication with antibiotics. The most frequently used CAM were herbs [91.6%], followed by spiritual healing [9.4%] and cupping and acupuncture [6.4%]. CAM improved the condition according to 95.2% of users. Logistic regression analysis revealed that age, occupation and the presence of chronic conditions were the independent factors significantly affecting the practice of self-medication with drugs

Role of Alpha Lipoic acid on metabolic Hepatosteatosis: an experimental, biochemical, and microscopic study

Background and aim of work: metabolic hepatosteatosis is a common serious prevalent condition in KSA. The current study investigated alpha lipoic acid [ALA] effects on hepatic lipid accumulation in severely fatty rats and secondarily on blood lipid profile

Materials and methods: sixty male Zucker rats were selectively used half of which [Lean] weighed 200 +/- 25g and others weighed 375 +/- 30g. Fatty animals were allowed free access to food and water for one week before experiment. The animals were divided into lean untreated [group I], lean ALA - managed [group II], fatty untreated [group III] and fatty ALA managed [group IV] [fifteen animals per each group]. ALA was taken orally [20 mg/kg/day] for six months. Animals were sacrificed and weighed [BW]. Their liver was weighed [LW] and its portion was sliced to study its lipid content. Right tibia length [TL] was measured and LW: TL ratio was calculated

Results: ZF ALA-untreated rats showed high LW: TL ratio. ALA therapy significantly reduced BW, TL, LW and LW: TL ratio in managed ZF rats compared to untreated ones while it didn't affect these parameters significantly in lean [ZL] rats. ZF rats exhibited significant hepatosteatosis evidenced by excessive liver triglyceride [TG] and total cholesterol [TC] contents and microscopically by large cytoplasmic vacuoles. Interestingly, 6-months' ALA therapy in ZF caused significantly diminished serum triglycerides and cholesterol levels as well as diminished hepatic triglycerides and TC component in addition to decreased its lipid vacuoles compared to untreated ZF rats. The results were insignificantly changed between managed and untreated lean groups

Conclusion: our findings support effectiveness of ALA therapy in excessive hepatosteatosis and in hyperlipidemia via improving abnormal lipid metabolism

New concepts in public health

This presentation briefly reviews the history of public health beginning with the sanitary awakening and social defenses associated with nineteenth century urbanization. It traces public health practice to its current form covering the gambit from health care access to emerging infractions. We discuss the principles and interrelations among the core areas of public health and identify salient connections with other professional disciplines, as well as with the current fundamental public health practice paradigm. We conclude with a review of public health education in the United States and Europe as alternative models for other countries. We also touch upon some of the major challenges in the future of public health and higher education

epidemiological transition

The epidemiological transition was thought to be a unidirectional process, beginning when infectious diseases were predominant and ending when noncommunicable diseases dominated the causes of death. It is now evident that this transition is more complex and dynamic where health and disease evolve in diverse ways. It is rather a continuous transformation process with some diseases disappearing and others re-emerging. This paper addresses the mechanisms involved and the indicators that demonstrate the changing patterns of diseases

Public health aspects of human and animal spongiform encephalopathies

This group of re-emerging human and animal diseases has recently attracted much attention, as well as concern, both in the scientific world and among the general public. In this paper the various public health aspects of these diseases are discussed. The epidemiology, both in human beings and animals, has been reviewed and the causative agents described. Diagnosis, pathology, prevention and control are addressed, showing how the risk to animals and human beings could be minimized

Viral hepatitis in Alexandria

This study was carried out on 1919 clinically diagnosed hepatitis patients admitted to the Alexandria Communicable Diseases Hospital during the period from August 1974 -July 1975. With the aim of investigating the personal, social and environmental background of cases, to determine the proportion of HBsAg positive cases among a sample of the patients and to study the outcome of the disease. The attack rate was found to be 9.4 per 10,000 population and was considered to be a minimum attack rate. It varied by district in Alexandria, and was highest for the age group 15 - 24 years. The male to female ratio was 2: 1. Technical and manual work was the most frequent occupation reported by the patients. Hepatitis cases were prevalent all the year round with an increase in late summer. A large proportion of the cases was living at high levels of crowding with a rather low level of sanitary standard of the homes. The mean duration of hospitalization was 14.12 days. The sera of 175 patients subjected to R. I. A. testing detected 53.7% positive cases for HBsAg. Relapse occured in 13.24% of the cases. The calculated fatality rate for hepatitis was 1.62% being higher for patients aged 45 years and more than other age groups