Résumé
Objectives@#To determine the association of different levels of sunlight exposure, measured using the Filipino sunlight exposure questionnaire (SEQ) with 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) levels among working urban adult Filipinos. @*Methods@#Seventy-five adult participants, living and working in Metro Manila, for at least 1 year, were grouped according to their perceived sunlight exposure pattern: low sunlight exposure (mostly indoor work); moderate sunlight exposure (both indoor and outdoor work); and high sunlight exposure (mostly outdoor work). After completion of the self-administered Filipino SEQ, they underwent serum 25-OHD level determination. Strength of correlation between the SEQ scores and 25-OHD levels was computed. @*Results@#Serum 25-OHD levels generally increased with increasing sunlight exposure levels. The overall Pearson’s correlation between the SEQ scores and 25-OHD levels of the participants was 0.396 (P ¼ 0.001). The correlation for the individual domains was 0.342 for intensity of sunlight exposure (P ¼ 0.003), 0.321 for factors affecting sunlight exposure (P ¼ 0.005), and 0.256 for sun protection practices (P ¼ 0.027). @*Conclusions@#The sunlight exposure of working urban adult Filipinos, as measured by the Filipino SEQ, has an overall significant, direct and moderate association with serum 25-OHD levels. This Filipino SEQ can serve as a valuable clinical tool for sunlight exposure assessment to identify individuals at risk for vitamin D deficiency.
Résumé
@#Pheochromocytoma, a rare cause of hypertension, is potentially fatal if left untreated. Definitive treatment is resection of the mass. Preoperative blockade is important to improve intraoperative hemodynamic stability and reduce morbidity during resection. Phenoxybenzamine, a non-selective alpha adrenergic blocker, has been widely used as preoperative blockade, but is unavailable in the Philippines. Terazosin, a selective alpha 1 antagonist and is widely available as treatment for benign prostatic hypertrophy, has been documented in reports as a suitable preoperative drug in reducing blood pressure in pheochromocytoma patients. The objective is to present four cases of Filipino pheochromocytoma patients who were treated with terazosin as first line preoperative blockade. Four Filipino patients from the Philippine General Hospital were diagnosed with pheochromocytoma based on biochemical and imaging studies. They were started on different doses of terazosin, the maximum dose as high as 4 mg per day. One patient experienced orthostatic hypotension at this dose, but was resolved after reducing the dose to 3 mg per day. A beta blocker (metoprolol on 3 cases, carvedilol) was added for reduction of the symptoms. One patient was also diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis, and was treated as such. Two patients experienced labile changes with blood pressure during resection but were resolved with the use of intravenous nicardipine for elevated blood pressure, and crystalloids during bouts of hypotension. All of the patients' blood pressure returned to normal after resection of the mass. Terazosin, a selective alpha 1 antagonist, at a maximum dose of 4 mg per day, may be safely given to Filipino patients diagnosed with pheochromocytoma as first line preoperative blockade.