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Objective: To determine the change in the anthropometric parameters of the child and adolescent population, which occurred during pandemic period in boys and girls between 8 and 17 years of age, after the resumption of alternating academic activity. Material(s) and Method(s): There were included 130 students from 8 to 17 years of age, through bioimpedatiometry using the InBody 170 scale, taking weight, lean mass, percentage of fat mass and total fat mass, height in cm with an InBody brand ultrasonic stadiometer. Result(s): It was found presence of excess weight in 36.1% of the population with predominance of overweight in females and obesity in males, lean mass 36.15% was below the range for age, being more frequent in the group of men than in women, total fat mass 40.76% was above the range for age and in percentage of total body fat 59.23% above the range for age, men showed greater body fat mass than women. Conclusion(s): Obesity and overweight in the school population in Colombia has grown notably in the pospandemic era, not only because of an increase in body weight that was greater than the ENSIN 2015 and a greater increase compared to that reported between 2010 and 2015 attributed to an abnormal body composition, with a high predominance of fat mass that exposes to an increased cardiometabolic risk related to the presence of lipotoxicity.Copyright © 2022 Sociedad Colombiana de Cardiologia y Cirugia Cardiovascular.
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Introduction: The main prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and healthcare cost reduction depend on the early identification and treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors through screening. Hypertension, obesity, a large waist circumference, smoking, poor diets, physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol consumption are well-known and potentially treatable risk factors for cardiovascular disease. This allows for early detection of instances, informs the start of CVD prevention medication, and is also very cost-effective. Method(s): At rural India, between March and August 2021, a cross-sectional survey was conducted in community pharmacies. One thousand two hundred healthy individuals were screened for signs of obesity, high blood pressure, waist circumference, and history of smoking and alcohol intake. A structured questionnaire was used to get participants' physical activity and diet. Result(s): The gender split of the 1200 participants who were screened was 67.8% male and 32.3% female. Participants' ages ranged from 18 to 60 years old in 43.3% of cases, 41 to 60 years old in 26.3%, and over 60 in 30.4% of cases. There were 43.7% of drinkers and 47.3% of smokers, respectively. A BMI of 25 kg/m2 or more indicates being overweight, whereas a BMI of 30 kg/m2 indicates being obese. Using a diagnostic cutoff of >140/90mmHg prevalence of hypertension was 44.3%, and 14.9% out of these were previously hypertensive. 31.5% had high waist circumference, 13.9% had insufficient physical activity, and 34.9% had insufficient intake of fruits and vegetables. Conclusion(s): The majority felt that screening for CVD risk factors was helpful, and more than one-fourth of the study participants had two or more CVD risk factors combined. A cost-effective strategy for the primary prevention of CVD that can have a positive influence on the healthcare delivery system is the capacity to further discover previously undetected risk factors.Copyright © 2023, Global Research Online. All rights reserved.
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Introduction: Pulmonary Function Tests (PFTs), especially spirometry is an established mode of assessing chronic lung diseases especially Asthma. Spirometric reference values are essential in assessing pulmonary function. Normative values of these tests differ from population to population and with difference in methods and apparatus used. The normal standards for pulmonary function measurements among the hilly areas of Himachal Pradesh is not reported yet. Aim: To measure the normative values of spirometry (FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC, PEFR) in children of 5- 18 years age range living in and around Solan district of Himachal Pradesh, India. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out at M.M Medical College and Hospital, Kumarhatti, Solan, HP, India and comprised school-going children and nearby community aged 5-18 years. After noting their gender, age, height and weight, the pulmonary function test measures, Forced vital capacity (FVC), Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC%, FEF 25-75% and peak expiratory flow rate were taken. Simple and multiple regression models were used for the prediction of pulmonary function test values. SPSS 20 was used for statistical analysis Results: Of the 200 participants, 110(55%) were boys and 90 (45%) were girls. The mean age was 12.47±3.27 years. The means height, weight, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, force vital capacity, peak expiratory flow rate FEV1/FVC% and FEF 25-75% were 147.39±16.07cm, 41.30±12.38kg, 2.54±0.70, 2.90±0.8, 5.42±1.30, 87.41±3.85% and 2.90±0.84 respectively. All the three variables - Age, Height and Weight-had significant linear relationship and positive correlation with the pulmonary function test values (p0.7). Among these three variables maximum correlation was found with height (r=>0.8). Conclusion: Age, height and weight had statistically significant and positive correlation with the PFT values, both for boys and girls. Height was found to be most strongly and positively correlated with the PFT values. Overall significant difference was seen in FEV1/FVC and FEF 25-75 among boys and girls except FEV1, FVC and PEFR of the same age group. The fitted regression equations would help to predict the PFT values for the Indian children living in hilly areas at given age, height and weight. This study should be seen as a pilot study and will require data from a large population to establish normal values for our population.
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Introduction: Dietary habits influence cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, mainly through risk factors such as lipids, blood pressure, body weight and diabetes. Therefore, a healthy diet is recommended as a cornerstone of CVD prevention in all individuals and in reducing risk of recurrent disease, yet few studies have examined diet quality in cardiac-rehabilitation patients on a long-term basis. Purpose: To evaluate the compliance with dietary guidelines in patients who attend a long-term cardiac rehabilitation program (phase III) during COVID-19 era. Methods: The study was developed between October 2020 and October 2021 in a phase III centre-based cardiac rehabilitation program. To evaluate dietary intake a 24hour recall questionnaire was used. Diet composition was analysed using ESHA's Food Processor® software. Cunningham equation was used to evaluate resting energy expenditure and physical activity expenditure measured by accelerometery was added to calculate daily energetic requirements. The nutrients and cut-offs considered for the analysis were saturated fat (<10%), sodium (<2g), potassium (≥3.5g), fibre (≥30g), and alcohol (<100g/week), considering the 2021 ESC Guidelines on CVD Prevention in Clinical Practice or the World Health Organization guidelines for a healthy diet. To evaluate weight and height a digital scale SECA 799 and a stadiometer SECA 220 were used, respectively. Results: A total of 57 patients (78.9% men) with a mean age of 63.8±8.5 were evaluated. Mean body mass index (BMI) was 28.4±3.8kg/m2, being most patients overweight or obese (61.7%). A higher caloric consumption, compared to the individual energy requirements, was found in 26.3% of patients. No statistical differences were found between mean saturated fat intake (10.1±3.6%) and the recommended intake (p=0.85). Mean sodium consumption was 3.42±1.46 grams and mean potassium intake was 3.0±1.0 grams. Sodium intake was significantly higher (p<0.001), and potassium intake significantly lower (p<0.001) than the recommendation. Fibre intake was also significantly lower than the recommendation (median intake was 21.1±12.2 grams, p<0.001). Among patients who drank alcoholic beverages (n=28), the median alcohol intake per day was 17.4±26.3 grams which was significantly higher than the limit recommended (p=0.043). Conclusion: Our findings showed that these patients deviated from the recommendations in some key nutrients. The intake of sodium and alcohol was higher than the recommendations, and the intake of potassium and fibre were lower than the recommendations. Moreover, most patients were overweight or obese. This study highlights the need for individual nutritional counselling sessions as a reinforcement of a standard educational program, to effectively promote an adequate diet, which may reduce the risk of recurrent disease. Further research about nutritional intervention in patients undergoing on a long-term basis cardiac rehabilitation is warranted.
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Objective: The present study is based on a novel approach of validated breath-holding technique and efficiency of SpO2 in the adverse COVID-19 outcomes and comparison with normal subjects. Methods: It is a prospective observational study conducted in residential/private nursing colleges, St. Luke’s School and College of Nursing and Smt. Vijaya Luke’s College of Nursing, Visakhapatnam during the period July 2021. Fifty-three student nurses affected with mild COVID-19, 35 student nurses affected with moderate COVID-19, aged 18–23 years were enrolled after taking thorough history about COVID-19 that is after 2 months of complete recovery. They were classified based on the symptom history in which the subjects without symptoms or mild symptoms were taken as mildly affected, whereas subjects with severe symptoms with mild fluctuations in SpO2 who didn’t require hospitalization were classified as moderately affected. The study included 109 normal control cases who are never affected with COVID-19 viral infection. In all the subjects, the oxygen saturation was measured using pulse oxymeter and their Breath holding times were also measured using standard protocols. Results: The mean value of BHT was significantly reduced from normal 16.7339±3.4 to 12.8571±5.1 (p<0.05) in moderate cases. When oxygen saturation levels were compared before and after the breath holding in normal, mild and moderate cases the results were significant. However, when the oxygen saturation levels were compared between normal and mild COVID-19 cases the values were insignificant (p=0.4) and at the same time when the oxygen saturation levels were compared between normal and moderate COVID-19 cases the values were significant (p=0.0001). Conclusion: According to the findings, breath-holding does not need greater energy expenditure or cardiac output, and it eliminates walking and the related contamination of bystanders as occurring with pulse oximeter. Breath holding time is a determinant of respiratory capacity, when used as parameter helps in assessing the progression of lung injury, it gives an idea about respiratory fitness especially in this COVID era. Breath holding time and fluctuations in SpO2 when used conjointly we can assess degree of lung damage so that further treatment such as the continuity of medication, practicing of breathing exercises with or without medical treatment can be planned. This simple non-invasive tool can be used for the self-assessment of improvement in post-Covid patients. Future validation studies validate this hypothesis, measurement of these basic, innovative surrogates requires minimum inventory (i.e., a means to record oximetry and a timing device) and could feasibly provide a useful way to evaluate risks of future deterioration under under-resourced conditions.