Isokinetic muscle strength assessment of lower limbs in diabetic neuropathy

Motor dysfunction is a late and rare feature in diabetic distal sensory polyneuropathy. Early impairment of motor function in diabetic sensory neuropathy is largely unknown. We studied sixty patients with diabetic distal polyneuropathy, 30 patients with subclinical and 30 with clinical overt diabetic neuropathies. Thirty age and sex matched healthy subjects were used as a control group. Quantitative assessment of maximal muscle strength of extensors and flexors at knee and ankle was measured by isokinetic dynamometry in all patients and control subjects. The degree of neuropathy was determined by clinical and electrophysiological studies. Maximal isokinetic muscle strength in all patients was reduced by 14% for the ankle extensors [p<0.03] and by 17% for the ankle flexors [p<0.02]. At the knee, strength of extensors and flexors was reduced by 7% [NS] and 14% [p<0.05], respectively when compared with the control group. Muscle strength was significantly reduced in clinical diabetic neuropathy when compared with the control [p<0.05]. Impaired muscle strength was closely related to the severity of neuropathy. Amplitude of the compound muscle action potential was related to the strength at the ankle [r = -0.45, p< 0.01] and knee [r = -0.42, p< 0.02]. Diabetic patients may have early muscle weakness at the ankle and knee related to the presence and severity of diabetic neuropathy. Isokinetic dynamometry is a useful tool for evaluating muscle strength in early diabetic sensory neuropathy

Effect of weight quality on bone mass in postmenopausal females

Hypothesis: body weight is positively associated with bone mass. Few studies, however, have examined the relative importance of the fat and lean components of body weight for skeletal mass and the findings are contradictory

Objective: this study was performed find out the relative influence of fat and lean mass on bone mineral density [BMD] in postmenopausal females

Methodology: one hundred and twenty post-menopausal females were classified in to four groups: Group [1]: 30 women non-obese with BMI less than 30 and has at least 5 years after menopause [YAM]. Group [2]: 30 women non-obese with BMI less than 30 and have at least 10 YAM. Group [3]: 30 women obese with BMI above 30 and has at least 5 YAM. Group [4]: 30 women obese with BMI above 30 and has at least 10 YAM

Results: T score: G3 was significantly higher than that for GI p<0.01, G4 was significantly higher than that for G2 p<0.01. Fat weight: G3 was significantly higher than that for G1 p<0.001, G4 was significantly higher than that G2 p<0.001. Lean weight: G3 was significantly higher than that for GI and p<0.001, G4 was significantly higher than that G2 p<0.001

Conclusion: both lean weight and fat weight have a positive effect on bone density but bone density appears to be affected by lean weight more than fat weight

Deperession in rheumatological diseases

In this study, depression was compared in 100 patients with rheumatological disorders and 100 apparently healthy individuals. The general health questionnaire [GHQ] and DSM-IV, Beck Depression Inventory and based semi-structured interview as psychiatric means for evaluation were employed. The results revealed that the patients had statistically insignificant higher depression than the controls. The relationship of these abnormalities to several sociodemographic variables and the type of rheumatological diagnosis was discussed