ABSTRACT
Context: Hypertension is an emerging public health problem due to its high prevalence and association with cardiovascular and overall morbidity and mortality. Police personnel constitute a special occupational group with exposure to violence and stress at work, which affects their health directly and indirectly. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted to find out the prevalence of hypertension and its relation with respect to police duty profile along with other risk factors among the police personnel of the Gwalior district stationed at various police stations. Results: In total, 402 police personnel were included in the study. Forty (14.7%) participants reported that they had h/o hypertension, while 26 (9.5%) reported that they were diagnosed as hypertensive in recent 1-2 months. As per the findings of our study, 273 (67.91%) participants come out to be hypertensive; among them, 207 (75.8%) were diagnosed in the current study. With increase in hierarchy, more police personnel suffered with hypertension. Conclusions: Long duty hours, higher rank, prolonged service duration, and inappropriate eating habits are the significant factors for the high prevalence of hypertension in police personnel.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: As information on telomeres and telomerase dynamics in the regulation of cell cycle events accumulates, new opportunities for application to gerontology and cancer therapy are emerging. The aim of this study was to detect the telomerase activity (hTERT protein) in the biopsy specimens of human carcinoma of the gall bladder. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty cases each of carcinoma of the gall bladder and cholelithiasis (controls) were analysed. Immunohistochemistry was employed using mouse monoclonal antibody against hTERT protein and by taking human tonsil and testicular tissue as positive controls. RESULTS: Seventeen cases (56.66%) of carcinoma of the gall bladder and 2 cases (6.66%) of cholelithiasis were strongly positive for telomerase. The difference was statistically significant (p<0.001). Six cases (20%) of gall bladder carcinoma and one case (3.33%) of cholelithiasis were weakly positive. The difference was highly statistically significant (p<0.001). Telomerase activity was mainly concentrated in poorly-differentiated adenocarcinomas (83.33%) and increased expression was noted in advanced stages. CONCLUSION: The presence of telomerase may serve as a molecular marker for the diagnosis of gall bladder carcinoma and may have prognostic and therapeutic implications in the treatment of patients in the future.
