ABSTRACT
Background The cluster of metabolic abnormalities known as metabolic syndrome has a significant association with the onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease. The objective of this study was to evaluate the occurrence rate of metabolic syndrome among a group of patients diagnosed with T2DM, according to the standards set by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). Methodology A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Chandka Medical College, Larkana, Pakistan, from June 2019 to 2020. Using the IDF criteria for metabolic syndrome, 131 type 2 diabetics over age 30 were purposively sampled, excluding specific medical conditions and medications. Trained nurses recorded patient demographics, waist circumference, and blood pressure. Relevant laboratory tests were conducted, and metabolic syndrome prevalence was determined. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 19, (Released 2010; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States), considering both quantitative and qualitative variables. Results The research found that the occurrence of metabolic syndrome was 87.2%. It is worth mentioning that age did not have a considerable connection with metabolic syndrome incidence (p=0.873), as the overwhelming majority of participants in both groups were aged over 40 years. However, there was a clear link (p=0.001) between gender and the 'no metabolic syndrome' group, with more males in this category. Additionally, blood pressure was significantly linked to metabolic syndrome (p=0.001), with most individuals having normal blood pressure in the 'no metabolic syndrome' group. Although serum triglyceride levels were not significantly associated with metabolic syndrome (p=0.222), serum HDL cholesterol levels had a significant relationship (p<0.0001), where most people possessed HDL levels ≥40mg/dl in the 'no metabolic syndrome' category. Conclusion The findings of this investigation demonstrated a substantial occurrence of metabolic syndrome in patients with T2DM, wherein notable links were detected with gender, blood pressure, and HDL cholesterol levels. However, no significant correlation was observed with age or serum triglycerides. These results emphasize the necessity for an all-inclusive metabolic care approach for individuals with T2DM.
ABSTRACT
Background: To explore the neuropsychiatric symptoms, sleep disturbances, and sexual dysfunction in patients with long COVID syndrome, which can help in building better follow-up strategies for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) survivors. Material and methods: A cross-sectional research was undertaken at the premises of a psychiatry unit at a tertiary care unit in Karachi, Pakistan, between August 2022 and April 2023. All individuals aged 18 years or older, who had a history of contracting COVID-19 infection in the last 12 months presented to the department of Psychiatry with neuropsychiatric symptoms were recruited. Using a predefined questionnaire, data was collected from the participants. A linear logistic regression was used to find the impact of age, sex, hospitalization, and duration of home isolation on the likelihood of persistent neuropsychiatric symptoms or sexual dysfunction. Results: A total of 457 patients were included. It was found that individuals were less likely to experience neuropsychiatric symptoms as age increased (OR=0.968, 95% CI: 0.949-0.986, P=0.001). Females were 4.8 times more likely to experience neuropsychiatric symptoms than males, and the association was extremely significant (OR=4.851, 95% CI: 3.085-7.626, P<0.0001). An increase in age raised the odds of having sleep disturbances among the survivors by 2.7 times (OR=2.672, 95% CI: 2.654-2.684, P<0.0001). The odds of having sleep disturbances were three times more likely in female participants as compared to male participants (OR=3.00, 95% CI: 1.771-5.094, P<0.0001). Conclusion: The majority of the COVID-19 survivors are presenting with persistent neuropsychiatric and sexual symptoms in our setting. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain proper follow-up with the survivors of COVID-19 and counsel the patients to inform the family physician if these symptoms persist for longer than a month. Increasing such practices of regular follow-ups with COVID-19 survivors can help in detecting early neuropsychiatric and sexual changes.
