Lipid Profile in Alcoholic and Non Alcoholic Patients of Chronic Liver Disease - A Comparative and Analytical Study in a Rural-based Tertiary Care Centre.

BACKGROUND: The liver is the principal site for formation and clearance of lipoproteins. Here we decided to conduct this study to assess the degree of alteration of serum lipid levels in alcoholic liver disease, to compare the different parameters and to find out if there is any correlation between extent of lipid profile changes and severity of chronic liver disease. METHODS: In this comparative, analytical, cross sectional, institution-based, single centre study, the different parameters of fasting lipid profile were compared among 150 randomly selected subjects - 50 each of alcoholic cirrhosis, non-alcoholic cirrhosis and healthy normal - from the OPD and Indoor Wards of department of General Medicine of Midnapore Medical College and Hospital situated in Paschim Medinipur district of West Bengal after taking their written and informed consent within a period from July 2015 to June 2016. RESULTS: All the parameters were significantly different in alcoholic and non-alcoholic cirrhosis when compared with the normal group, but when compared between the alcoholic and non-alcoholic cirrhosis groups only the difference in HDL Cholesterol was significant. There appears to be an inverse relationship between severity of liver disease (according to Child-Pugh grading) and Body Mass Index. CONCLUSIONS: Serum lipid parameters were significantly lower in the cirrhotics than in the healthy normal group. Thus, studies of lipid profile may guide us in the prognosis and treatment of alcoholic cirrhosis in the near future.

Prevalence of the use of complementary and alternative medicine in an eastern Indian population with emphasis on tribal/ethnic minority groups.

OBJECTIVES: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) includes various therapies that are not recognized by modern scientific medicine. However, in chronic diseases, such as diabetes, the use of CAM is quite common. Data on the use of CAM are needed to understand the health behaviour of individuals and to identify possible side effects. In this study, we aimed to obtain data on the pattern of CAM use in a population in eastern India. METHODS: This was a hospital-based quantitative cross-sectional survey involving adult patients. The study was conducted simultaneously in an urban university hospital and a rural hospital. Data on the demographic characteristics of the participants and their reasons for CAM use were collected. RESULTS: In total, 442 participants were included in the study, and among them, approximately 50% were aged 31-50 years. Moreover, around 26.7% of the participants belonged to the tribal population, 36.7% used CAM within the last year, and 57.2% used CAM in their lifetime. Body ache and dyspepsia were the most common indications for CAM use among the participants. The pattern of CAM use was significantly higher in the tribal population (p < 0.001). On logistic regression analysis, being part of the tribal population was the only demographic factor related with CAM use within the last year (odds ratio [OR]: 3.205) or with lifetime CAM use (OR: 2.885). CONCLUSION: The use of CAM for certain symptoms was quite significant in the study population, particularly in the tribal population.