Knowledge about osteoporosis in women of child bearing age (15-49 years) attending fauji foundation hospital rawalpindi

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge on symptoms, risk factors, preventive measures and treatment options for regarding osteoporosis in healthy women of child bearing age [15-49 years] accompanying patients, in Fauji Foundation Hospital [FFH] Rawalpindi

Study Design: Cross sectional survey

Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in FFH Rawalpindi from February 2015 to October 2015

Material and Methods: A cross sectional survey was conducted using a validated questionnaire i.e. OKAT [Osteoporosis Knowledge Assessment Tool] from 385 women attending OPDs of Fauji Foundation Hospital Rawalpindi, for a period of Feb-August 2015. The data was analyzed using SPSS [version 21]

Mean knowledge scores were calculated and compared with socio demographic variables

Results: Total knowledge score mean was 8 [total max score achieved 14]. Mean scores were found for knowledge regarding symptoms 0.85 [total score 2], and treatment options were 0.82 [total score 2] for the disease. Comparison of knowledge scores between respondents of different age, residential status [p<0.009], and educational status [p<0.056] was found statistically significant

Conclusion: Women lacked knowledge regarding osteoporosis, especially older uneducated ones, belonging to lower socioeconomic class residing in villages. Community based educational interventional programs targeting this population can help reduce the knowledge gap and contribute towards disease prevention

Mitochondrial tRNA [Leu[UUR] gene mutation and maternally inherited diabetes mellitus in Pakistani population

Maternally Inherited Diabetes Mellitus and Deafness [MIDD] occurs due to the mutations in mitochondrial DNA [mtDNA]. The most common heteroplasmic point mutation reported, is in the tRNA [Leu[UUR] gene, i.e., A3243G, accompanied with deafness. The objectives of the present study were to determine whether the cause of MIDD in selected Pakistani population, is also the mutation of A3243G in mitochondrial tRNA [Leu[UUR] gene or not, and is there any genotype-phenotype correlation for the MIDD in this population. The present study was conducted in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, during the period November 2005 to November 2007. The patients and control subjects were randomly selected from the two cities; Rawalpindi and Multan [both rural and urban areas] and were divided into three groups. [1] Fifty patients with T2DM and maternal history with feature [s] of MIDD. [2] Fifty non-diabetic first-degree relatives of patients with T2DM. [3] Fifty non-diabetic controls with no maternal history of T2DM. The patients and control subjects were scanned for the detection of potential mutations in mitochondrial DNA tRNA [Leu[UUR] gene [np 3035-3456, 422 bp fragment]. On the basis of a polymerase chain reaction, electrophoresis and mtDNA sequencing along with insulin dependence, degree of deafness in patients and subjects, it is proved that there is no A-to-G mutation at np 3243 of mitochondrial leucine tRNA gene in any of the groups studied. Conclusion: It is concluded that in the Pakistani population, selected for the present study, the MIDD is not due to A3243G mutation in mitochondrial tRNA [Leu[UUR] gene