Determinants of Metabolic Syndrome and 5-Year Cardiovascular Risk Estimates among HIV-Positive Individuals from an Indian Tertiary Care Hospital.

Longer survival due to use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has made human immunodeficiency virus- (HIV-) infected individuals prone to chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Metabolic syndrome (MS), a constellation of risk factors which increase chances of the cardiovascular disease and diabetes, can increase the morbidity and mortality among this population. Hence, the present study was conducted with the objectives of estimating the prevalence and determinants of MS among ART naïve and ART-treated patients and assess their 5-year CVD risk using the reduced version of Data Collection on Adverse Effects of Anti-HIV Drugs (D : A : D) risk prediction model (D : A : D(R)). This hospital-based cross-sectional study included 182 adults aged ≥ 18 years. MS was defined using the National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel-3 (NCEP ATP-3) criteria. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were done to identify the factors associated with MS. Prevalence of MS was 40.1% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 33.0%-47.2%). About 24.7% of the participants had at least a single criterion for MS. Age >45 years (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.1-4.9, p < 0.018) and body mass index (BMI) > 23 kg/m2 (AOR = 6.4; 95% CI = 3.1-13.1, p < 0.001) were positively associated with MS, whereas daily consumption of high sugar items was inversely associated (AOR = 0.2; 95% CI = 0.1-0.5, p < 0.001). More than 50% of the participants were found to have moderate or high 5-year CVD risk. Observed prevalence of MS among HIV patients was higher than other studies done in India. Considering a sizeable number of participants to be having moderate to high CVD risk, culturally appropriate lifestyle interventions need to be planned.

In vitro anti-HIV-1 activity of ethyl gallate.

In recent years, the exploration for potential inhibitors of HIV has been increased due to the development of drug resistant HIV strains in infected people undergoing antiretroviral agents treatment. In this report, we studied the anti-HIV properties of ethyl gallate (EG) against a panel of HIV-1 strains in in vitro conditions. Different clinical isolates and laboratory strains of HIV-1 were tested for their sensitivity with EG. We found that EG exhibited non-toxic nature over a wide range of cell lines from different tissue origin. Serum proteins have little to no impact on the antiviral activity of EG. In the present study, EG was found to be a promising anti-HIV agent.

Prevalence of goiter and its association with iodine status among the women of reproductive age group in coastal villages of Udupi Taluk, Karnataka, India.

BACKGROUND: Iodine deficiency is one of the most prevalent micronutrient deficiencies globally. Women in reproductive age group are vulnerable to develop iodine deficiency as there is an increase in demand for iodine, especially during pregnancy. OBJECTIVES: The objective is to assess the prevalence of goiter and its association with iodine status and salt usage practices among the women of reproductive age group. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2015 to July 2017 among 1500 women of reproductive age group in five villages of Udupi Taluk. Stratified sampling design and proportion to population size of the reproductive age women in the study area was used to select the study participants. A pretested semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Goiter was assessed clinically and graded as per the recommended criteria of the WHO. Salt samples from every household were collected for iodine estimation. Blood and urine samples were collected from subsample to estimate thyroid-stimulating hormone levels and urinary iodine excretion levels, respectively. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of goiter was 13% with 11.5% being Grade 1 and 1.5% being Grade 2. No significant association of goiter with urinary iodine, salt iodine levels, and salt usage practices was found. CONCLUSIONS: Median urinary iodine among the women with goiter indicates iodine sufficiency and no significant difference observed in urinary iodine levels between women with and without goiter.

Goiter Prevalence and Interrelated Components from Coastal Karnataka.

OBJECTIVE: To assess prevalence of goiter and associated factors among school going children in Udupi district. METHODS: A school based cross-sectional survey was conducted among 6-12 year old children. A sample of 30 villages was selected from the entire district by probability proportionate to size. One school was then randomly selected from each of the 30 villages. Goiter was assessed clinically and was graded as per the recommended criteria of World Health Organization (WHO)/ United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)/ International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD). Salt and urine samples were collected from a subsample for iodine estimation. RESULTS: A total of 2703 children were examined. The mean (±SD) age of the participants was 9.6 y (±1.9). The overall prevalence of goiter in Udupi district was found to be 9.3% with 7.0% and 2.3% having grade 1 and grade 2 goiter respectively. Prevalence of goiter was significantly higher among females [153(11.1%)] as compared to males [98(7.4%)] (p = 0.001). Of the 543 salt samples analyzed, 379 (69.8%) salt samples had adequate salt iodine content (> 15 ppm); while among the children with goiter 32 (8.4%) had inadequate salt iodine. Median iodine value was 202.12 mcg/l among the 270 urine samples tested for iodine levels. CONCLUSION: Goiter prevalence at 9.3% in the coastal district contributes to the endemicity of the public health problem. The district had adequate iodine nutrition based on median urinary iodine levels. Hence, other contributing factors for the persistence of endemic goiter need to be explored.