Dietary supplements' knowledge, attitude and consumption pattern among United Arab Emirates population

PurposeTo study the consumption pattern, attitude and knowledge of the general population about dietary supplements (DS) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).Design/methodology/approachA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted to collect data on knowledge, attitude and consumption pattern related to the use of DS. Participants aged = 18 years were asked to complete a self-administered online questionnaire that included demographic characteristics, health and lifestyle information, consumption patterns, attitudes and knowledge levels regarding the use of DS.FindingsA total of 207 individuals participated in the study, and 117 (56.5%) participants reported using DS products as influenced by the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), of which 63 (53.8%) participants had been using DS for more than one month but less than one year. The majority of the participants was females (64.7%), non-UAE nationals (60.9%) and employed (51.7%). Multivitamins (77.8%) were the most commonly used DS. Use of DS was more prevalent among older participants (n = 78 (61.9%), p = 0.006), non-UAE nationals (n = 79 (62.7%), p = 0.025) and employed (n = 69 (64.5%), p = 0.023). Improving general health (76.1%) and immune booster (47%) were the most frequently identified reasons for using DS, which is relatable to the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority of study participants (72.12%) reported knowing relatively little about the use of DS. About 154 participants (74.4%) did not know that DS products do not treat diseases.Research limitations/implicationsFurther studies with a larger sample size need to be conducted to examine the association between gender or chronic disease and the consumption and type of DS products used to fill the gap in the literature and overcome the limitations identified in this study.Originality/valueThis study highlights the need for community education programs and strategies that can raise awareness of the health benefits and risks of using DS. Further studies with a larger sample size need to be conducted to examine the association between gender or chronic disease and the consumption and type of DS products used to fill the gap in the literature and overcome the limitations identified in this study.

Worldwide Interest in Vitamin D, Negative Effects on Kidneys, and Bone Density: Analysis of Google Trends Data

Background: Besides its role in calcium homeostasis and bone mineralization, vitamin D may also reduce the risk of cancer, cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases. Excessive vitamin D intake can lead to life-threatening hypercalcemia and toxicity, however. Here, we wanted to determine the relative search volume (RSV) of interest in vitamin D and its adverse biological effects (hypercalcemia, renal failure, kidney stones, bone density).Methods: We used data from Google Trends to assess changes in RSV trends across the world's regions. Data were extracted via the search terms "cholecalciferol", "ergocalciferol, "hypercalcemia", "acute renal failure", "kidney stones", and "bone density" from queries in English from 1 January 2004 to 1 October 2018 in the tool's related query database. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (R) 22.0 for Windows (IBM Inc., Armonk, NY, USA, 10504-1722).Results: There was a correlation between the RSV of cholecalciferol and ergocalciferol (Spearman's correlation) and the RSV of hypercalcemia, renal failure, kidney stones, and bone density. As measured by the change in RSV score, the trend for interest in kidney stones increased more rapidly than that for the other search terms. There was a positive correlation between the RSV score for cholecalciferol (or ergocalciferol) and renal failure and between the RSV score for cholecalciferol (or ergocalciferol) and kidney stones, whereas there was a negative correlation between cholecalciferol and hypercalcemia. The interest of ergocalciferol increased in parallel with the interest in bone density. The highest concentration of interest in cholecalciferol occurred in North America, Europe, India and Australia, whereas interest in ergocalciferol was greater in Central and South America, Spain, and Thailand. Interest in kidney stones was greater than cholecalciferol in North America, Brazil, India, and Australia, while interest in bone density was greater than cholecalciferol in North America, Brazil, Italy, Spain, South Africa, and Australia.Conclusions: In the pre-pandemic COVID-19 (COronaVIrus Disease 19) era, our preliminary results showed a positive correla-tion between global interest in cholecalciferol and kidney stones and renal failure, respectively. However, we found an unexpected negative correlation between global interest in cholecalciferol and hypercalcemia. Additionally, we found a positive correlation between global interest in ergocalciferol and bone density. These correlations can inform health interventions and education.

Exploring the Capabilities of a Lightweight CNN Model in Accurately Identifying Renal Abnormalities: Cysts, Stones, and Tumors, Using LIME and SHAP

Kidney abnormality is one of the major concerns in modern society, and it affects millions of people around the world. To diagnose different abnormalities in human kidneys, a narrow-beam x-ray imaging procedure, computed tomography, is used, which creates cross-sectional slices of the kidneys. Several deep-learning models have been successfully applied to computer tomography images for classification and segmentation purposes. However, it has been difficult for clinicians to interpret the model's specific decisions and, thus, creating a "black box” system. Additionally, it has been difficult to integrate complex deep-learning models for internet-of-medical-things devices due to demanding training parameters and memory-resource cost. To overcome these issues, this study proposed (1) a lightweight customized convolutional neural network to detect kidney cysts, stones, and tumors and (2) understandable AI Shapely values based on the Shapley additive explanation and predictive results based on the local interpretable model-agnostic explanations to illustrate the deep-learning model. The proposed CNN model performed better than other state-of-the-art methods and obtained an accuracy of 99.52 ± 0.84% for K = 10-fold of stratified sampling. With improved results and better interpretive power, the proposed work provides clinicians with conclusive and understandable results.

Outcomes of AstraZeneca vaccine for relapse and COVID-19 infection in people with multiple sclerosis

Background: People with chronic diseases of the immune system, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), are at risk for Covid-19 disease. However, more research is needed with long-term follow-up. The aim of the study was to follow up people with MS (PwMS) for up to three months after AstraZeneca vaccination for the recurrence of MS and Covid-19 infection. Methods: This study was a case study (descriptive-analytical) of follow-up type. The study population was PwMS over 18 years of age in Kermanshah province who received both doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. This study was conducted from August to November 2021. Sampling was done with existing methods based on the National MS Registry of Iran (NMSRI). Demographic information of patients was extracted from NMSRI. A researcher-made form was used to collect information by telephone three months after vaccination about clinical characteristics, Covid-19 infection, and recurrence of MS. Data were analyzed using SPSS-25 software. Results: Study participants were 40 MS patients with a mean (SD) age of 39.27 (8.8) years, including 32 (80.0%) women. A mean of 9.39 (4.6) years had passed since The patients were diagnosed with MS, and 29 (76.4%) had RR type MS. Four patients (10%) relapsed between the second dose and three months later, of whom two (50%) had sensory symptoms, one (25%) had optic nerve involvement, and one (25%) had motor symptoms and pyramidal pathway involvement. The symptoms of Covid-19 were mild in three patients (10%), while severe symptoms developed in one patient (10%) who received rituximab. Among the patients, no cases of thrombosis were observed. Infusion therapy, a leg fracture, and kidney stones were the only hospitalized cases. Conclusion: Covid-19 and MS relapse prevalence did not differ significantly in the three months before and after vaccination. There is a need for further studies with a longer follow-up period.

The Future of Preventative Medicine: Health Promotion Programs as a Tool to Reduce Administrative Costs and Improve Health Outcomes

[...]healthcare systems are extremely strained due to higher rates of preventable conditions across Canada and the United States. According to Burden and Burch, there are five definitive processes involved in inquiry-based learning: 1) Identifying and Formulating Problems, 2) Formulating Hypotheses, 3) Collecting Quantifiable and/or Qualitative Data, 4) Analyzing the Data to form Interpretations related to Hypotheses and 5) Drawing Conclusions. The following factors were compounding influences on the student's receptivity: 1) parental influence on smoking habits outweighing any impacts on the campaign and/or, 2) socio-economic status. [...]this means health promotion programs require action to be taken from community members in the communities themselves to lead change initiatives. [...]Aldana found in 28 studies reporting cost savings, with 7 studies showing expended calculations for cost-benefit ratios and financial returns averaging $3.48 for every dollar.

Kidney stones . . . and other stories

[...]it’s hard to draw useful conclusions about the value of parathyroidectomy from these data because people treated surgically had higher rates of stone formation before treatment and higher serum calcium concentrations (J Clin Endocrinol Metab doi:10.1210/clinem/dgac193). Art improves life Virtual visits to an art gallery improve the quality of life for older people, according to a trial from Canada. Among 100 participants, all over 65, those randomised to weekly online guided tours of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts showed improved scores for social isolation, wellbeing, quality of life, and frailty when compared with controls who didn’t participate in cultural activities (Front Med doi:10.3389/fmed.2022.969122/full).

Urological stone disease: a 5-year update of stone management using Hospital Episode Statistics.

OBJECTIVE: To reassess the trends in upper urinary tract (UUT) stone disease burden and management in the UK during the last 5 years. METHODS: The present paper is our third quinquennial analysis of trends in the management of renal stones in England. Data were collected using the Hospital Episode Statistics database for the years 2015-2020 inclusive. These were then analysed, summarized and presented. RESULTS: The number of UUT stone episodes increased by 2.2% from 86 742 in 2014-2015 to 88 632 in 2019-2020 but annual prevalence remained static at 0.14%. The number of UUT stone episodes in those of working age has remained static but increased by 9% for patients aged > 60 years (from 27 329 to 29 842). The number of shockwave lithotripsy (SWL) treatments decreased by 6.8%. There was a further increase in the use of ureteroscopy (URS) between 2015 and 2020 of 18.9%. Within this subgroup, flexible URS had the most rapid increase in use, with a rise of 20.4% from 7108 to 8558 recorded cases. Over the 20-year period from 2000 to 2020 there was a remarkable 257% increase in URS cases. There was a further decline in open surgery for UUT stone disease by 40%. Stone surgery day-case numbers have increased by 14.7% (from 31 014 to 35 566), with a corresponding decline in the number of bed days of 14.3%. Emergency cases increased by 40%, while elective cases saw a slight increase of 1.9%. CONCLUSION: The present study shows a plateauing in the prevalence of UUT stone disease in England in the last 5 years, with a move towards day-case procedures and an increase in the proportion of emergency work. For the first time in England, URS has overtaken SWL as the most common procedure for treating UUT stone disease, which might reflect patients' or physicians' preference for a more effective definitive treatment.

Ambulatory Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy May Be Cost-Effective Compared to Standard Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) changed the practice of medicine in America. During the March 2020 lockdown, elective cases were canceled to conserve hospital beds/resources resulting in financial losses for health systems and delayed surgical care. Ambulatory percutaneous nephrolithotomy (aPCNL) has been shown to be safe and could be a strategy to ensure patients receive care that has been delayed, conserve hospital resources, and maximize cost-effectiveness. We aimed to compare the safety and cost-effectiveness of patients undergoing aPCNL against standard PCNL (sPCNL). Materials and Methods: Ninty-eight patients underwent PCNL at Indiana University Methodist Hospital, a tertiary referral center, by three expert surgeons from January 2020 to September 2020. The primary outcome of the study was to compare the 30-day rates of emergency department (ED) visits, readmissions, and complications between sPCNL and aPCNL. Secondary outcomes included cost analysis and stone-free rates (SFRs). Propensity score matching was performed to ensure the groups were balanced. Statistical analyses were performed using SAS 9.4 using independent t-tests for continuous variables and chi-square analyses for categorical variables. Results: Ninety-eight patients underwent PCNL during the study period (sPCNL = 75 and aPCNL = 23). After propensity score matching, 42 patients were available for comparison (sPCNL = 19 and aPCNL = 23). We found no difference in 30-day ED visits, readmissions, or complications between the two groups. aPCNL resulted in cost savings of $5327 ± 442 per case. SFRs were higher for aPCNL compared with sPCNL. Conclusions: aPCNL appears safe to perform and does not have a higher rate of ED visits or readmissions compared with sPCNL. aPCNL may also be cost-effective compared with sPCNL.

Care and prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine: sedentary lifestyle and increased risk of kidney stones.

Currently, the issue of lifestyle combined with lack of physical activity in quarantine conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic has become a major health problem in many countries around the world. Increased inactivity is associated with increased obesity as well as decreased physical activity and general health. Kidney stones are the third most common urinary tract disease. Prevention of non-communicable diseases depends on controlling risk factors such as low levels of physical activity. Kidney stones are also among the noncommunicable diseases that can be prevented by changing behavioral habits. Physical activity is a behavior that has many proven health benefits and is one of the most effective ways to prevent chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate sedentary lifestyle and its relationship with oxidative stress and kidney stone formation, and finally to provide medical solutions and recommendations.