The Prevalence and Risk Factors of Low Bone Mineral Density in the Population of the Abay Region of Kazakhstan.

Osteoporosis is considered a serious public health problem that particularly affects the postmenopausal period. In 2018, in the Republic of Kazakhstan, the prevalence of osteoporosis was 10.0, and the incidence was 3.7 new cases, per 100,000 adults, respectively. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of osteoporosis and indicate the main factors affecting low bone mineral density by screening the adult population of the Abay region, Kazakhstan. The target group comprised 641 respondents aged between 18 and 65 years old, from a Kazakh population, who had been living in the Abay region since birth. All participants filled out a questionnaire and were subjected to a bone mineral density measurement by means of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) between 15 July 2023 and 29 February 2024. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the association between low bone mineral density and key demographic characteristics, such as lifestyle factors and nutritional habits. We identified the prevalence of low bone mass (osteopenia) and osteoporosis to be 34.1%, with the highest prevalence of 48.3% being found in the older population group (50+ years). The regression analysis revealed a number of indicators associated with the likelihood of bone sparing. However, only four of these showed significance in the final multivariate model (R2 = 22.4%). These were age (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.05) and fracture history (AOR 1.64) directly associated with the likelihood of low bone density. Meanwhile, the body mass index (AOR 0.92) and the consumption of nuts and dried fruits (AOR 0.48) reduced the chance of bone tissue demineralization. Additional studies examining the prevalence and any emerging risk factors for osteoporosis are needed to advance clinical epidemiological knowledge and implement public health programs.

Prevention of Postoperative Urethral Strictures by Irrigation with 5-Fluorouracil via a Modified Urinary Catheter.

Background and Objectives: Urethral strictures are the most common complications after surgical treatments of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Despite various preventive measures, the search for medications with antiproliferative activity and the development of surgical procedures to prevent the development of urethral strictures are still relevant. We evaluated the preventive efficacy of 5-fluorouracil against urethral strictures in patients undergoing surgery for BPH. Materials and Methods: A non-randomized clinical trial including 246 male patients with an average age of 70.0 ± 8.0 years was conducted. The main study group included 124 patients who, in addition to the standard treatment, received lavage with a 5-fluorouracil solution (1000 mg/20 mL per 500 mL of 0.9% isotonic saline) using a modified three-way urethral catheter. The monitoring of clinical, laboratory, and instrumental parameters was carried out 10 days, 3 months, and 6 months after surgery. Results: The evaluation of severity for dysuria symptoms in patients using the IPSS scale throughout the entire follow-up period showed a statistically significant decrease in ischuria and stranguria, prolongation of the interval between urinations, a decrease in intermittent urination, urinary incontinence, and straining before urination in the main group in comparison with the control patients. The patients of both study groups noted an improvement in the quality of life. It was found statistically significant decrease in the maximum urinary flow rate in the main group (p < 0.001). In the control group, after three months, four cases of urethral strictures and stenosis were recorded; after six months, this rate reached nine cases (7.3%), while in the main group, only one patient with infravesical obstruction was found (0.8%) (χ2 = 3.855, p < 0.05). Conclusions: The results of our study could indicate the effectiveness of the antiproliferative drug 5-fluorouracil in combination with use of a modified catheter in relation to the development of postoperative urethral strictures.