Serum Sodium and Potassium in Newly Diagnosed Essential Hypertensive Patients

Background:Hypertension is one of the most common worldwide diseases afflicting humans & is one of the leading causes of death and disability among adults all over the world. It remains the major risk factor for coronary, cerebral and peripheral vascular disease. Aim: To study the levels of sodium and potassium in serum in patients with Essential Hypertension and to correlate it with Blood pressure in case of newly detected Essential Hypertensives. Methods:Prospective comparative study in patients with 100 (50 cases +50 controls) patients with essential hypertension. All the patients were subjected to detailed history taking, careful physical examination and biochemical analysis to exclude secondary hypertension. Results: The results of the study, between cases and controls were statistically significant. The mean value of serum sodium was 146 ± 2.81 mmol/L in males and 148 ± 4.2 mmol/L in females. The mean and standard deviation of serum potassium among cases was 3.79 ±0.179 mmols/L while on control groups it was 4.25 ±0.22 mmol/L. Conclusion: The conclusions of the study are serum sodium was significantly more among hypertensives and it was independent of associated risk factors and gender.

Serological Study of Rickettsial Diseases in Human and Rodent Population in Chittoor Dist. (A.P.).

In India the presence of Rickettsial disease in human is documented in many states however, the data on presence of Rickettsial infection in Andhra Pradesh is very scare. Therefore, a study was undertaken in Chittoor district (A.P.) to see the prevalence of Rickettsial infection in human and rodent population. 3-5 ml of human blood samples were collected from the patients attending the nearest hospitals of Tirumala, Tirupathi, Palmner and Chittoor areas. Live rodents were trapped and blood samples were collected from them during January and February 2008. Sera was separated and tested by Weil Felix test. Two hundred human sera samples were tested. Of these 39 samples were found reactive with Weil Felix antigen. Of the 39 reactive, 31 were male and 8 female. All the human samples were showing reactivity at 1:20 dilution. Out of the 343 rodents samples tested, only 24 samples were showing reactivity. These were reactive at 1:20, 1:40 and 1:80 dilutions with different types of Weil Felix antigens. Eight rodent sera samples were having titer 1:80 with Proteus OXK which is suggestive of presence of Scrub typhus in this region.