Health Sciences

The Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor study 2013 (GBD 2013) is the first of a series of annual updates of the GBD. Risk factor quantification, particularly of modifiable risk factors, can help to identify emerging threats to population health and opportunities for prevention. The GBD 2013 provides a timely opportunity to update the comparative risk assessment with new data for exposure, relative risks, and evidence on the appropriate counterfactual risk distribution. Attributable deaths, years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) have been estimated for 79 risks or clusters of risks using the GBD 2010 methods. Risk-outcome pairs meeting explicit evidence criteria were assessed for 188 countries for the period 1990-2013 by age and sex using three inputs: risk exposure, relative risks, and the theoretical minimum risk exposure level (TMREL). Risks are organised into a hierarchy with blocks of behavioural, environmental...

Background The Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 (GBD 2013) aims to bring together all available epidemiological data using a coherent measurement framework, standardised estimation methods, and transparent data sources to enable comparisons of health loss over time and across causes, age–sex groups, and countries. The GBD can be used to generate summary measures such as disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) and healthy life expectancy (HALE) that make possible comparative assessments of broad epidemiological patterns across countries and time. These summary measures can also be used to quantify the component of variation in epidemiology that is related to sociodemographic development. Methods We used the published GBD 2013 data for age-specific mortality, years of life lost due to premature mortality (YLLs), and years lived with disability (YLDs) to calculate DALYs and HALE for 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2013 for 188 countries. We calculated HALE using the Sullivan method; 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) represent uncertainty in age-specific death rates and YLDs per person for each country, age, sex, and year. We estimated DALYs for 306 causes for each country as the sum of YLLs and YLDs; 95% UIs represent uncertainty in YLL and YLD rates. We quantified patterns of the epidemiological transition with a composite indicator of sociodemographic status, which we constructed from income per person, average years of schooling after age 15 years, and the total fertility rate and mean age of the population. We applied hierarchical regression to DALY rates by cause across countries to decompose variance related to the sociodemographic status variable, country, and time. Findings Worldwide, from 1990 to 2013, life expectancy at birth rose by 6·2 years (95% UI 5·6–6·6), from 65·3 years (65·0–65·6) in 1990 to 71·5 years (71·0–71·9) in 2013, HALE at birth rose by 5·4 years (4·9–5·8), from 56·9 years (54·5–59·1) to 62·3 years (59·7–64·8), total DALYs fell by 3·6% (0·3–7·4), and age-standardised DALY rates per 100 000 people fell by 26·7% (24·6–29·1). For communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional disorders, global DALY numbers, crude rates, and age-standardised rates have all declined between 1990 and 2013, whereas for non–communicable diseases, global DALYs have been increasing, DALY rates have remained nearly constant, and age-standardised DALY rates declined during the same period. From 2005 to 2013, the number of DALYs increased for most specific non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and neoplasms, in addition to dengue, food-borne trematodes, and leishmaniasis; DALYs decreased for nearly all other causes. By 2013, the five leading causes of DALYs were ischaemic heart disease, lower respiratory infections, cerebrovascular disease, low back and neck pain, and road injuries. Sociodemographic status explained more than 50% of the variance between countries and over time for diarrhoea, lower respiratory infections, and other common infectious diseases; maternal disorders; neonatal disorders; nutritional deficiencies; other communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases; musculoskeletal disorders; and other non-communicable diseases. However, sociodemographic status explained less than 10% of the variance in DALY rates for cardiovascular diseases; chronic respiratory diseases; cirrhosis; diabetes, urogenital, blood, and endocrine diseases; unintentional injuries; and self-harm and interpersonal violence. Predictably, increased sociodemographic status was associated with a shift in burden from YLLs to YLDs, driven by declines in YLLs and increases in YLDs from musculoskeletal disorders, neurological disorders, and mental and substance use disorders. In most country-specific estimates, the increase in life expectancy was greater than that in HALE. Leading causes of DALYs are highly variable across countries. Interpretation Global health is improving. Population growth and ageing have driven up numbers of DALYs, but crude rates have remained relatively constant, showing that progress in health does not mean fewer demands on health systems. The notion of an epidemiological transition—in which increasing sociodemographic status brings structured change in disease burden—is useful, but there is tremendous variation in burden of disease that is not associated with sociodemographic status. This further underscores the need for country-specific assessments of DALYs and HALE to appropriately inform health policy decisions and attendant actions.

Background: Although the orthotic treatment of CTEV has mixed evidence, still it remains the mainstay of conservative management (Ponseti Casting Technique) in economically developing countries, where bracing is a critical component of the current standard of treatment for CTEV or clubfoot. Objective: Thus this study aimed to design a cost-effective Indigenous Orthosis for the Management of Congenital Talipes Equino Varus with Ankle foot orthosis. So that it can avoid unnecessary wearing of CTEV shoes. Study design: A case report Methods: The subject reported was a 2-year-old male child with a Pirani score of 5 congenital bilateral CTEV deformity. An Indigenous CTEV Orthosis with the combination of AFO and Denis Browne Splint was designed by the clinical team and the subject was followed prospectively for the next 1 year using the orthosis. Results: The Pirani score of 2 was achieved after the use of this Indigenous CTEV Orthosis which was 5 before using the orthosis. Conclusion: In...

Background: Although the orthotic treatment of CTEV has mixed evidence, still it remains the mainstay of conservative management (Ponseti Casting Technique) in economically developing countries, where bracing is a critical component of the current standard of treatment for CTEV or clubfoot. Objective: Thus this study aimed to design a cost-effective Indigenous Orthosis for the Management of Congenital Talipes Equino Varus with Ankle foot orthosis. So that it can avoid unnecessary wearing of CTEV shoes. Study design: A case report Methods: The subject reported was a 2-year-old male child with a Pirani score of 5 congenital bilateral CTEV deformity. An Indigenous CTEV Orthosis with the combination of AFO and Denis Browne Splint was designed by the clinical team and the subject was followed prospectively for the next 1 year using the orthosis. Results: The Pirani score of 2 was achieved after the use of this Indigenous CTEV Orthosis which was 5 before using the orthosis. Conclusion: In...

A healthy condition is defined by complex human metabolic pathways that only function properly when fully satisfied by nutritional inputs. Poor nutritional intakes are associated with a number of metabolic diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis, hypertension, and osteoporosis. In recent years, nutrition science has undergone an extraordinary transformation driven by the development of innovative software and analytical platforms. However, the complexity and variety of the chemical components present in different food types, and the diversity of interactions in the biochemical networks and biological systems, makes nutrition research a complicated field. Metabolomics science is an “-omic”, joining proteomics, transcriptomics, and genomics in affording a global understanding of biological systems. In this review, we present the main metabolomics approaches, and highlight the applications and the potential for metabolomics approaches in advancing nutritional food research.

Surrogacy refers to a method of reproduction whereby a woman, known as surrogate, carries a pregnancy and gives birth as a substitute for the contracted party/ies. Women, due to poverty, joblessness, patriarchal social and family structures and low educational levels, opt for becoming surrogates considering the financial gain through surrogacy. There are many odds of an adverse reaction and risks involved. Mothers who do not want pregnancy have lower quality bonding with the child. Childbirth and breastfeeding causes production of oxytocin which increases parasympathetic activity, thus reducing anxiety and fostering bonding as surrogate mother knows that she is only the carrier for the fetus thus she may have lower quality bonding with the fetus as compared to the biological mother and also there will be low quality bonding between the biological mother and the new born as she does not experience the processes of childbearing, childbirth and breastfeeding which play important role i...

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a combination of physical, psychological, and emotional symptoms that relate to the woman’s menstrual cycle. The types of this syndrome can be classified according to its symptoms: type A (anxiety), type H (hyperhydration), type C (craving), type D (depression), and the combination of all mentioned types. The objective of this research was to identify the dominant type of PMS experienced by Diploma-III students Program of Study of Midwifery – Fakultas ilmu keperawatan dan kebidanan UNUSA. This research was descriptive by using the cross sectional design. The population involved 245 Diploma-III students Program of Study of Midwifery - UNUSA in 2015-2016. 152 students were taken as the samples by using the probability sampling technique in which the simple random sampling was used. The data collected by using questionnaires and descriptive analysis . Tthe result showed that 56 students experienced PMS type A; 3 students experienced type H; 16 students ex...

Tyrimo tikslas – įvertinti viešosios įstaigos Šeškinės poliklinikos pacientų informuotumą apie ŽIV ir lytiškai plintančias infekcijas. Pirmųjų lytinių santykių debiutas 16,0 metų (min=14; max=27). 34,9 proc. respondentų paskiausių lytinių santykių metu buvo apsvaigę nuo psichoaktyviųjų medžiagų. 24,6 proc. respondentų visada lytinių santykių metu naudojo kontracepcijos priemones. 51,4 proc. respondentų savo gyvenime turėjo 2-3 lytinius partnerius. 80,1 proc. respondentų žino, kad pirmą kartą lytiškai santykiaujant, galima užsikrėsti lytiškai plintančiomis infekcijomis. 80,9 proc. respondentų žino, kad nesant simptomų, asmuo gali užkrėsti savo partnerį. 61,8 proc. respondentų teigė, kad prezervatyvai 100 proc. neapsaugo nuo lytiškai plintančių infekcijų. 79,8 proc. tiriamųjų žino, kad hormoninės kontraceptinės tabletės neapsaugo nuo lytiškai plintančių infekcijų. 73,4 proc. respondentų žino, kad persirgus lytiškai plintančiomis infekcijomis, neišsivysto imunitetas ir dar kartą užsikr...

This study aimed to describe factors related to the oral hygiene products consumption and preference by health care providers students. It was a cross-sectional study conducted through a self-administered questionnaire with 307 students of Dentistry, Biomedicine and Physical Education. It was found that 63.5% are used to looking at inserts, 49.8% preferred to shop for at the drugstore and 32.9% bought a toothbrush monthly. Regarding the factors involved in the purchase, the main ones were indicated by dental surgeon for toothbrush (43.6%), brand for dental floss (26.4%) and toothpaste (37.5%). Colgate® and Oral-B®, respectively, were the most preferred brands for toothbrush, dental floss and toothpaste. Regarding the consumption trend as a function of monthly family income, it was found that the most important factor for the dental brush purchase was the indication of the dental surgeon, whereas the brand was the main one involved in the purchase of dental floss and toothpaste. The ...

The objective of this research was to analyze the functional changes of lower limbs by means of surface electromyography in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. A total of 60 men and women (age mean of 36.77 ± 9.33 years) were divided into two groups: 30 individuals with human immunodeficiency virus group (HIVG) Subtype 1 and 30 healthy individuals control group. Muscle activity was evaluated using surface electromyography (sEMG). sEMG measurements were made while the subjects assumed the static positions: Rest in orthostatism (RS), squat "normalization factor," right and left single leg support (RSLS, LSLS) and during functional activities: Right and left single leg step rise (RSLSR, LSLSR), right and left single leg step down (RSLSD, LSLSD), rising and seating on a chair (RC, SC). To sEMG results revealed statistically significant values in the conditions of RSLS to left semitendinosus muscle, for LSLS to right and left semitendinosus, right rectus femoris a...

Introduction: Menopause is a complex physiological, self-perceived health condition caused by the reduction and termination of ovarian function, a process that results in a range of both psychological and physiological symptoms. The aim of this literature review was to synthesize the results of published studies on factors associated with menopausal symptoms in women during the transition to menopause and the postmenopausal period.Methods: This systematic review was carried out according to the PRISMA statement. Primary studies published between 2007 and 2017 were identified through the following databases: PUBMED, SCOPUS, and CINAHL. In total, 3301 studies were identified and 279 were screened in full text. Of these, 54 studies were included for quality assessment using checklists from the Norwegian Institute for Public Health. A total of 22 studies were ultimately selected for inclusion in the results. These were thematically reviewed.Results: A wide range of determinants was sort...

BACKGROUND: The very old (80+) are often described as a "frail" group that is particularly exposed to diseases and functional disability. They are at great risk of losing the ability to manage their activities of daily living independently. A health-promoting intervention programme might prevent or delay dependence in activities of daily life and the development of functional decline. Studies have

Background: In this review we survey medical treatments and research strategies, and we discuss why they have failed to cure degenerative disc diseases or even slow down the degenerative process. Objective: We seek to stimulate discussion with respect to changing the medical paradigm associated with treatments and research applied to degenerative disc diseases. Method proposal: We summarize a Biological Transformation therapy for curing chronic inflammations and degenerative disc diseases, as was previously described in the book Biological Transformations controlled by the Mind Volume 1. Preliminary studies: A single-patient case study is presented that documents complete recovery from an advanced lumbar bilateral discopathy and long-term hypertrophic chronic rhinitis by application of the method proposed. Conclusion : Biological transformations controlled by the mind can be applied by men and women in order to improve their quality of life and cure degenerative disc diseases and ch...

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is the most commonly reported nosocomial infection among intensive care unit (ICU) patients. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of an oral hygiene protocol on VAP incidence among mechanically-ventilated (MV) ICU patients. The dentate patients admitted without VAP to the hospital’s adult ICU requiring mechanical ventilation for ≥48 hours during a 4-month period in two consecutive years (2015 – Control group and 2016 – Experimental group) were included in this investigation. The oral hygiene protocol was implemented daily, once a day, in the morning hours, using a disposable brush with suction and ultrasoft bristles and 3 g of 0.12% chlorhexidine gel. Hospital-related respiratory infection data, including VAP diagnoses and microbiological analyses, were collected from the monthly health epidemiological notification bulletins issued by the hospital. T tests were applied to compare variables before versus after implementation of the oral hyg...