Heat related illnesses; its adaptive strategies in healthy young medical students

To study the adaptive strategies from harmful effect of heat wave on an urban, educated, well to do subjects for a period of May to July 2014. 250 selected young students of RIHS. Descriptive Study. Rawal Institute of Health Sciences, Islamabad. March - July 2014. A questionnaire was circulated among the students of Rawal Institute of Health Sciences Islamabad regarding effects of heat and measures taken to combat its effects. A total of 250 urban students with mean age of 19.77 +/- 1.10 years were inducted in the study, having resources to face the extreme heat. A significant number of female non boarder students [p=0.000], wearing cotton clothes [p=0.000] having fair skin [p=0.000] and using air condition at homes [p=0.000] were not acclimatized to heat waves still have headache and anxiety. A great percent of students did not complaint of headache, heat exhaustion, heat cramp or syncope, except mild sweating, effect on studies. A great percentage [>65%] of students complained of malaise, nausea vomiting. Male students showed increase thirst than female, while anxiety state was noticed more in female than male students. The use of cotton clothing, daily bathing, increased water intake and use of air conditioner minimized the severe adverse effects like heat exhaustion, heat syncope, and heat stroke, although the minor effects like skin tanning, disturbed sleep, anxiety and adverse effects on studies cannot be avoided in heat wave season

Variation in serum vitamin D levels in healthy population of Islamabad

Objective: To determine the levels of Vitamin D in apparently healthy population of Islamabad

Study design: A Descriptive Study

Place and duration: From March 2012 to April 2013 at Rawal Institute of Health Sciences, Islamabad

Methodology: Two hundred and ninety nine healthy subjects were selected between the age of 10-85 yrs. Convenient sampling was done. Subjects with complain of bone pain, musculoskeletal or rheumatologic problems, pregnant and lactating mothers, smokers or alcoholics were excluded from the study. History was taken and Blood samples were collected and stored at -80[degree]C for estimation of Vitamin D levels in batches. Vitamin D level was determined by ELISA technique [Enzyme linked immunosorbant assay] after standardizing it and controls were run simultaneously. The data was collected and analyzed on SPSS version 17.Percentage was determined and Chi square test applied on data

Result: Vitamin D levels of 299 subjects were categorized according to deficiency and insufficiency criteria specified [Roche]. The study shows that 65.2% [n =195] subjects were deficient in Vitamin D, 26.09% [n = 78] were insufficient and only 8.7% [n=26] had normal 25 OH Vitamin D levels

Conclusion: The subjects in the population are suffering from hypovitaminosis D. The cause of vitamin D deficiency remains an area of concern, when availability of sunlight is adequate especially in asian population

Circulating leptin levels in elderly subjects with and without cerebrovasular disease

Serum concentrations of leptin was investigated in 40 patients with ischemic stroke, in context of the size of the lesion and also in 40 non-diseased control, matched according to age, gender and waist hip ratio. Serum leptin concentrations were determined in ng/ml with ELISA and computer tomography [CT] scan was performed in patients to estimate lesion size in cms. Serum leptin concentrations were found to be significantly higher [p < 0.001] in stroke patients [51.61 +/- 1.39], compared with controls [37.76 +/- 1.207]. Moreover, positive correlation [r=0.93] existed between serum leptin level and infarction size in patients with stroke

Comparison of troponin T and enzyme levels in acute myocardial infarction and skeletal muscle injury

The objective of this study was to compare the levels of troponin T and enzymes levels in myocardial infarction and skeletal muscle injury. This study was carried out at Basic Medical Sciences Institute, JPMC Karachi, Pakistan. Ninety subjects were selected. Thirty controls, thirty patients suffering from myocardial infarction and thirty suffering from skeletal muscle injury were selected from National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases. Creatine kinase, aspartate amino-transferase, lactate dehydrogenase and Troponin T were determined by kit methods. Troponin T level rises significantly [p<0.01] in patients suffering from myocardial infarction. Creatine kinase [CK], CKMB, aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase levels rises significantly [p<0.01] in both groups compared with controls. Troponin T is an early indicator of myocardial infarction and is superior to CKMB in diagnosis of myocardial injury. There is no increase in troponin T levels in skeletal muscle injury