Status of glycemic control in patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus

To determine the status of glycemic control in patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Cross sectional descriptive study. Medical out-patient/ in -patient departments at Military Hospital Rawalpindi from January 2011 to December 2012. Six hundred and fifty patients of type 2 DM fulfilling the required criteria were included in the study. Glycemic control of these patients was determined by estimation of blood glucose [fasting and random] and glycosylated haemoglobin [HbA1c]. The patients were grouped in three categories good, fair and poor diabetic control having their HbA1c values of being 6-7%, 7.1-8% and more than 8.1% respectively. Statistical package for social sciences [SPSS] version 15 was used for analysis. Out of 650 patients 377 [58%] had poor glycemic control with mean HbA1c of 9.5% +/- 0.95, 78 [12%] patients had fair control of glycemic control with mean HbA1c of 7.8 +/- 0.25, and 195 [30%] patients had good glycemic control with mean HbA1c of 6.4 +/- 0.17. Majority of patients had poor control of their glycemic status which is an important indicator and predictor of both micro and macrovascular complications

Frequency determination of aetiological factors in teeth treated endodontically

To study the effect of morphine on in vitro production of testicular T from un-stimulated or LH stimulated Leydig cells. Experimental study. Biological and Biomedical Sciences Department, Aga Khan University Karachi. De-capsulated testes from two rats were subjected to enzymatic dispersion for each experiment. Cells were pre-incubated in the incubation medium to remove endogenous Testosterone Thereafter, 80K cells were used for each treatment in 2001 of suspension. Incubation medium contained either no treatment [control] or different concentrations of morphine [5x10-5 -10-9 M]. Leydig cells were also incubated with different doses of LH [16-500 ?IU] and morphine. Naloxone, an opioid receptor antagonist [10-6 M], was used to determine if morphine induced effects on the Leydig cells could be reversed. Incubations were carried out for three hours in a shaking water bath at 340C. Reaction was stopped by placing the tubes in a water bath at 600C, and thereafter the tubes were transferred to a tray containing ice before freezing. Testosterone was measured directly in the incubation medium by radioimmunoassay. Morphine reduced Testosterone production from Leydig cells at all concentrations tested [p<0.01]. There was a dose dependent response to LH stimulation by the Leydig cells and testosterone levels were significantly different from control [p<0.01] and incubation with morphine in the presence of LH significantly reduced T levels [p<0.01]. Inhibition of opioid receptors with naloxone significantly attenuated morphine induced inhibition of T [p<0.01]. These in vitro results show that the morphine inhibits T secretion directly at the testis level

Oral aspects and complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus - a study

Type 2 diabetes mellitus comprises an array of dysfunctions resulting in several soft tissue abnormalities in the oral cavity. These include gingivitis periodontitis, salivary dysfunction, taste dysfunction, oral fungal and bacterial infections, geographic tongue, benign migratory glossitis, fissured tongue, traumatic ulcer, lichen planus, angular cheilitis, delayed mucosal healing, dental root caries, tooth loss, mucosal neurosensory disorders, and oral mucosal lesions. This article aims to determine the frequency of different oral manifestations and complications in patients of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. This will not only increase the awareness of oral manifestations and complications of diabetes mellitus but also help in expediting the research on the subject. It was a descriptive study and was carried out at the Operative Dentistry Department of Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry from January 2010 to January 2011. 200 patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria [diagnosed cases of type 2 diabetes mellitus of >35 years of age] were included in the study. 70 [35%] were female and 130 [65%] were male patients. The frequency of different oral manifestations and complications seen in these patients in descending order were; gingivitis [45%], periodontitis [36%], dental root caries [22%], taste dysfunction [7%], neurosensory dysesthesias [5%], xerostomia [4%] and oral candidiasis [2%]. It was concluded that diabetic patients are more prone to get oral complications so health education, timely diagnosis and effective treatment should be carried out to prevent these complications

Evaluation of tooth brushing technique and oral hygiene knowledge at Afid, Rawalpindi

The aim of the present study was to evaluate tooth-brushing technique and oral hygiene knowledge in Rawalpindi population. This study was a single centre, descriptive study which was carried out at the Department of Operative Dentistry, AFID, Rawalpindi from January 2010 to January 2011. 500 individuals fulfilling the inclusion criteria were included in the study. They were asked about their tooth brushing technique and oral hygiene knowledge using a questionnaire. The data obtained were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences [SPSS] version 15. Out of 500 adult participants, 140 [28%] were females and 360 [72%] males. 425 [85%] brushed their teeth regularly, 87% twice a day, 10% once a day and only 3% thrice a day. The study subjects demonstrated the brushing technique in front of the researcher. The result showed that only 4% knew proper technique. Only 7% used the brush for 2 minutes, 67% for one minute and 36% for less than one minute. 45% used fluoride tooth pastes and 24% which did not contain fluoride. 31% did not know about fluoride. The overall awareness about oral hygiene knowledge was not satisfactory

Diabetic patients; level of awareness about oral health knowledge, attitude and practices

Diabetes Mellitus [DM], the commonest endocrine disorder is associated with 2-4 times increased risk of coronary artery disease and other macro and microvascular complications in the body. Oral diseases are also more common in diabetics as compared to normoglycemic individuals. The aim of this study was to gather baseline information on knowledge, attitude, and practices of diabetic patients regarding their oral health with the view of enhancing dental health education for them, which will help in updating their knowledge about the diasese and its associated systemic and various oral complications. This study was a cross sectional descriptive survey of 300 diabetic patients visiting the Operative Department of Armed Foreces Institute Of Dentistry Rawalpindi, Pakistan from January 2010 to January 2011. Out of total 300 patients 195 [65%] were males and 105 [35%] were females. 36 [12%] were suffering from Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and 264 [88%] were suffering from Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. 64% of the patients had knowledge about the oral complications of diabetes. 35% of this group knew about this issue from their treating physicians and 65% from dentists. 13% did not know that diabetes predisposed them to oral disease, and 23% denied any existence of a link between diabetes and oral health. The level of awareness end dental health knowledge in diabetic patients are good in our army set up which is comparable to previous studies carried out locally and abroad but it still needs to be improved by health education