Pestilent relationship between smoking and hypertension or pulse pressure among males over 15 years in India: NFHS-5 Survey.

OBJECTIVE: The Global Adult Tobacco Survey conducted in India has divulged that 28.6% of the populace aged 15 years and above partakes in tobacco consumption in various modalities. Despite the availability of numerous studies on the correlation between smoking and hypertension, the nexus between tobacco smoking and hypertension remains enigmatic. Smoking has predominantly been linked to blood pressure, with scant investigations exploring the plausible association that may subsist between smoking and pulse pressure. METHODOLOGY: This study is based on secondary data analysis from the fifth National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5). 17 Field Agencies gathered information from 636,699 households, 724,115 women, and 101,839 men. The data related to only men was included and analysed in this present study. RESULTS: Male participants had a mean age of 32.2+1.2 years, an average waist circumference of 80.4+12.2 cm, and mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure of 123.4+13.8 mmHg and 80.5+10.2 mmHg. Daily smokers had a slightly higher likelihood of hypertension compared to non-smokers (OR = 1.2, p <0.001). Male quitters had significantly lower odds of hypertension (OR = 0.9, p <0.001). Quitters had reduced odds of narrow pulse pressure but increased odds of wide pulse pressure (OR = 0.81 and 1.14, respectively). CONCLUSION: The study found that regular smoking was associated with hypertension, while factors such as age, obesity, urban dwelling, wealth, and tribal residence were linked to increased blood pressure. Male quitters had a lower likelihood of hypertension, and middle-aged men and those with central obesity showed distinct associations with deranged pulse pressure.

Evaluation of Peripartum Depression in Females.

BACKGROUND: Depression is the most common mental health condition affecting perinatal women and mothers worldwide. Worldwide, about 10% of pregnant women and 13% of women who have given birth experience a mental disorder, primarily depression. In developing countries like India, this is even higher, i.e., 15.6% during pregnancy and 19.8% after childbirth. The present study was initiated with the objective of studying the prevalence of depression among women in the peripartum period and to find the association of peripartum depression and its risk factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a hospital-based cross-sectional study, including mothers in antenatal and postnatal period. A sample size of 200 was calculated using Daniels' formula. A questionnaire was administered by the investigator in vernacular language by an interview technique for assessing awareness and behavior of all participants. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was used to identify the patients at the risk of depression. Written informed consent was taken from every participant. RESULTS: The prevalence of peripartum depression was 14%. Younger age group (not <18 years), working female, joint family, first pregnancy, social support from in-laws, and not having desire/pressure for a male child were found to be associated with a lower prevalence of peripartum depression. Other variables which were not significantly associated with peripartum depression were education of the participants and their husbands and urban/rural locality. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of peripartum depression is quite high and is negatively associated with first pregnancy, joint family, and working status.

Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Ebastine 20 mg, Ebastine 10 mg and Levocetirizine 5 mg in Acute Urticaria.

INTRODUCTION: Acute and chronic urticaria can result in severely impaired quality of life from pruritus and associated sleep lessness, as well as anxiety and depression. Various treatment modalities are available out of which second generation non sedating H1 antihistamines e.g., fexofenadine, loratidine, desloratadine, cetirizine, levocetirizine, ebastine etc., are used as the first line treatment. AIM: To compare the safety and efficacy of ebastine 20 mg, ebastine 10 mg and levocetirizine 5 mg in the patients of urticaria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A longitudinal study was conducted in dermatology Outpatient Department (OPD) of Adesh Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Bathinda, India. A total of 150 patients between the age group 10-70 years, both men and women having urticaria were enrolled and divided into three groups of 50 each. Group A was given ebastine 20 mg OD, Group B was given ebastine 10 mg OD and Group C was given levocetirizine 5 mg OD. The patients were asked to scale their severity of disease over a period of follow up based on Urticarial Activity Score 7 (UAS7). RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 32.82 years. The mean UAS 7 score at the end of 4th week was 1.08 with ebastine 20 mg, 1.98 with levocetirizine 5 mg and 3.98 with ebastine 10 mg. In group A, 40 out of 50 patients (i.e., 80%), in Group B 25 out of 50 (i.e., 50%) get UAS7=0 and in Group C, 35 (i.e., 70%) patients who got relieved of symptoms at the end of treatment. When the scores were redefined and categorized under relieved and not relieved, and comparison done between all three groups, then there was a significant difference in the number of patients getting relieved, with p<0.001 (highly significant). Levocetirizine 5 mg had shown more side effects like dryness of mouth and sedation as compare to ebastine irrespective of dosage. The comparison made between the number of patients developing side effects among the groups was highly significant (p<0.001) for all the side effects. CONCLUSION: Ebastine 20 mg is found to have superior efficacy for treatment of Urticaria as compared to ebastine 10 mg but with levocetirizine 5 mg the results were almost similar. Tolerability of ebastine 20 mg is similar to ebastine 10 mg but with levocetirizine 5 mg there were more side effects and less tolerability.