Obesity and asthma severity among adults presenting to the out patient clinic

Recent studies have suggested a relationship between asthma and obesity. The risk for developing asthma increases with increasing obesity among individuals. Yet little is known about how obesity influences asthma. To determine whether a relation of Obesity to asthma exists among adults presenting to the out patient respiratory clinic, and the correlation between Obesity and spirometric changes in patients with asthma. A cross-sectional study was done for one hundred patients aged 17 to 70 years patients with asthma diagnosed by clinical and pulmonary function test, in the respiratory outpatient's clinic in AL Kadhmia Teaching Hospital. Collected from May to December 2010. The following parameters were assessed: Weight, height, body mass index, gender, spirometric parameters which includes of forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEVI], forced vital capacity[FVC],FEV 1/FVC ratio, and forced expiratory flow 50% [FEF50%]. There were 100 asthmatic patients,32 male and 68 female. There age between 17-70 year, classified into four groups according to BMI. There was significant relation between obesity and asthma [p=0.03],this relation was statistically significant in female[p=0.003] but not in male. Spiromety in male showed no statistically significant [p-value > 0.05] for FEVI, FVC FEVI/FVC ratio, FEF50% in both non obese and obese, but in female statistically significant for FEVI/FVC[p 0.05], FEF50% [p 0.036], while no statistically significant for FEVI, FVC in both groups, for both male and female according to BMI there is statistically significant for FEF50% [p 0.015],while no statistically significant for FEVI/FVC, FVC, FEVI in both groups. There was a significant relation between asthma and obesity, in female, but not in male. There is statistically significant difference for FEF50%, and FEVI/FVC in obese female. Also there is statistically significant difference for FEF50% in both male and female according to BMI

effect of age on clinical and radiological presentation in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in Baghdad

Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes the most common type of human tuberculosis worldwide The most common mode of transmission is by inhalation of droplet nuclei from expectorated respiratory secretions. Active infection is diagnosed by documenting the presence of Al tuberculosis in respiratory secretions or other body fluids or tissues. Age is an important determinant of the risk for the disease The risk may increase in the elderly To compare the effect of age between elderly and younger on clinical and radiological presentation in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in Iraq. A prospective study was done for 251 patients with smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis in outpatient's clinic in the Chest and Respiratory Disease Specialized Center in Baghdad. Collected from January to May 2009.The following parameters were assessed: Age, gender, symptoms, risk factors, radiological findings, and incidence of recurrent The relation of these parameters between elderly and younger was evaluated There were 174 young adult patients and 77 elderly patients The elderly group age was between 60-80 years, and younger adult age was between 17-59 years. There was no significant difference in the symptoms between the two groups Family history of pulmonary tuberculosis [p=0.009] was more common in young adult, while DM [p=0.001] was more common in elderly Comparison of radiological findings in young adults vs. elderly patients shown a typical findings [p=0.036] which is more in elderly There was no significant difference in the incidence of recurrence between the two groups. There was no significant difference in the symptoms between elderly and younger age groups. Family history of PTB was more common in young adults, while DM was more common in elderly. A typical radiological findings were more in elderly. There was no significant difference in the incidence of recurrence between the two groups