A Cross-sectional Study on Quality of Life among Diabetic Patients Attending Tertiary Care Hospital in Bagalkot City, Karnataka

India has the large number of diabetic patients, and the number is expected to raise to 69.9 million by 2025. “Quality of life (QOL)” evaluation has emerged as an important outcome measure for chronic disease management. In diabetes, psychosocial factors have an important impact on self-care, acceptance of therapeutic regimens, treatment success, and QOL. Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study was to find out the QOL among the diabetic patients attending the outpatient department of tertiary care hospital in Bagalkot city. Methodology: It is a cross-sectional descriptive study, which was undertaken at a tertiary care hospital in Bagalkot city. The duration of the study was from August 10, 2016 to October 25, 2016. A sample size of 180 was obtained after considering the prevalence of diabetes in Karnataka as 10.22%. Patients attending the hospital for outpatient services were interviewed in their own language after obtaining the consent. QOL instrument for Indian Diabetes Patients questionnaire was used it is a reliable, valid, and sensitive tool for the assessment of diabetes-specific QOL in Indian subjects. Statistical analysis was done using Microsoft Excel 2010 and SPSS 20.1 trial version. Chi-square and Fisher’s exact test was used. Results: The mean age of study participants was 58.14 ± 13.46 years. 31.8% of the study participants were on insulin therapy. 52.3% of the males in the study had good QOL. The patients who were obese had poorer QOL than the patients with overweight and normal body mass index; this was statistically significant. Married participants had better QOL. In participants with comorbidities, QOL was poorer when compared to those without comorbidities; this difference was statistically significant.

Evaluation of different granulated active carbons for removal of Microcystin-LR from contaminated water.

Most frequently encountered freshwater cyanobacterial toxin is Microcystin-LR (MC-LR). Microcystins released from cells into water have been responsible for the death of humans, domestic and wild animals. Removal of microcystin by active carbon has been one of the best methods available so far. This study evaluates three grades of active carbon namely 40, 60 and 80 CTC for their removal efficiency of MC-LR from contaminated water. Kinetics of toxin removal was studied in time course experiments. Protection in mouse model was studied for the samples after the adsorption. Toxin quantitation was done by HPLC method. The MC-LR concentration after 24 hr treatment with 40, 60 and 80 CTC carbons were 4.8, 3.3 and 1.3 microg/ml respectively from an initial concentration of 5.2 microg/ml. Protection in mouse bioassay was seen after 48, 24 and 2 hr of adsorption time respectively for 40, 60 and 80 CTC carbons. 80 CTC carbon was found to be most efficient in removing MC-LR from contaminated water.

Toxins and bioactive compounds from cyanobacteria and their implications on human health.

Many species of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) produce secondary metabolites with potent biotoxic or cytotoxic properties. These metabolites differ from the intermediates and cofactor compounds that are essential for cell structural synthesis and energy transduction. The mass growth of cyanobacteria which develop in fresh, brackish and, marine waters commonly contain potent toxins. Cyanobacterial toxins or cyanotoxins are responsible for or implicated in animal poisoning, human gastroenteritis, dermal contact irritations and primary liver cancer in humans. These toxins (microcystins, nodularins, saxitoxins, anatoxin-a, anatoxin-a(s), cylindrospermopsin) are structurally diverse and their effects range from liver damage, including liver cancer to neurotoxicity. Several incidents of human illness and more recently, the death of 60 haemodialysis patients in Caruaru, Brazil, have been linked to the presence of microcystins in water. In response to the growing concern about the non-lethal acute and chronic effects of microcystins, World Health Organization has recently set a new provisional guideline value for microcystin-LR of 1.0 microg/L in drinking water. Cyanobacteria including microcystin-producing strains produce a large number of peptide compounds, e.g. micropeptins, cyanopeptolins, microviridin, circinamide, aeruginosin, with varying bioactivities and potential pharmacological application. This article discusses briefly cyanobacterial toxins and their implications on human health.