Use of BARD scoring system in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients and its correlation with ultrasonographic grading in Gizan, Saudi Arabia

Purpose: To assess the efficacy of the BARD scoring system in Saudi non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients attending Gizan General Hospital and to identify the clinical variables associated with advanced fibrosis. . Methods: The cross-sectional study involved 120 patients aged ≥ 18 years who attended the Ultrasound Department of Gizan General Hospital, Gizan, Saudi Arabia, during January – June 2013. BARD scoring system comprised the following variables: body mass index (BMI) ≥ 28 = 1 point, aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase (AST/ALT) ratio ≥ 0.8 = 2 points, and type 2 diabetes mellitus = 1 point. Results: Patients with advanced fibrosis were older (55.0 years) than patients with no/mild fibrosis (48.6 years), albeit not significantly so. A higher BMI was associated with advanced fibrosis in males, females and all study participants (p = 0.013, 0.016 and 0.001, respectively). Advanced fibrosis was more common in older patients with a higher weight to height ratio. Logistic regression suggested that age ≥ 50 years was associated with a 2.52-fold increase in the risk of advanced fibrosis, but this did not have a significant clinical impact (p = 0.087). BMI > 28 was associated with a 26.73-fold increased risk of advanced fibrosis, while AST/ALT ≥ 0.8 was associated with an 18.46-fold increased risk of advanced liver fibrosis (p = 0.002 and 0.006, respectively). Conclusion: The major risk factors for advanced fibrosis using BARD scoring system in patients with NAFLD were old age, BMI > 28, and AST/ALT ≥ 0.8. In addition, grade 3 ultrasonographic fatty liver significantly correlated with advanced fibrosis.

Factors associated with hypoglycemia episodes in hospitalized type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in a tertiary health facility in Malaysia

Purpose: To determine the factors associated with severity of hypoglycemia in hospitalized type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in a tertiary health facility in Malaysia. Methods: This retrospective study involved 207 hospitalised T2DM patients with hypoglycaemia episodes from January 2008 to December 2012 and was conducted in University Malaya Medical Centre, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. Patients were classified into 2 groups, viz, those who had hypoglycaemia on admission and those who had hypoglycaemia during hospital stay. Patients with hypoglycemia on admission were those admitted due to hypoglycemia while patients with hypoglycemia during hospital stay were those admitted due to other causes but subsequently developed hypoglycemia during hospitalization. Results: The results for the 207 patients investigated show that most of the patients (72.2 %) were asymptomatic during hypoglycemic episodes. The majority of the episodes (57.4 %) experienced by the patients were mild hypoglycemia (< 3.9 mmol/L). Old age (p = 0.011) and presence of stroke (p = 0.033) were found to be significantly associated with severe hypoglycemia (< 2.2 mmol/L) while concurrent use of opioid (p = 0.008) was associated with mild hypoglycemia. Conclusion: The identification of the underlying factors associated with severity of hypoglycemia may help in preventing and resolving hypoglycemia in T2DM patients.

Relationship between religiosity, religious coping and socio-demographic variables among out-patients with depression or diabetes mellitus in Enugu, Nigeria.

Background: Religion is a powerful coping strategy. Diabetes and depression are common conditions in our environment that induce psychological distress, thus requiring coping for better outcome. Studies indicate that increased religiosity is associated with better outcome in clinical and general populations. Therefore, studies of the distribution of religiosity and religious coping among these populations are essential to improve outcome. Objectives: To assess the association between religiosity, religious coping in depression and diabetes mellitus, and selected sociodemographic variables (age, gender and occupational status). Methods:Using simple random sampling we recruited 112 participants with diabetes and an equal number with depression consecutively, matching for gender. Religiosity was determined using religious orientation scale (revised), religious coping with brief religious coping scale and socio-demographic variables with a socio-demographic questionnaire. Results: Intrinsic religiosity was greater among older people with depression than among older people with diabetes(t=5.02,p<0.001); no significant difference among young people with depression and diabetes(t=1.47,p=0.15).Positive religious coping was greater among older people with depression than among older people with diabetes(t=2.31,p=0.02); no difference among young people with depression and diabetes(t=0.80,p=0.43). Females with depression had higher intrinsic religiosity scores than males with depression(t=3.85,p<0.001); no difference in intrinsic religiosity between females and males with diabetes(t=0.99,p=0.32).Positive religious coping was greater among participants with diabetes in the low occupational status(t=2.96,p<0.001) than those in the high occupational status. Conclusion: Religion is indeed a reliable coping method, most commonly used by the elderly and females with depression. Positive religious coping is more common among diabetic patients who are in the low occupational status.

Atopic Manifestations: Dermatitis, Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma in Patients With Hypogammaglobulinemia

Background: Most of the hypogammaglobulinemic patients have a clinical history in favor of allergic respiratory disease. Nevertheless, in these patients the importance and prevalence of atopic disorders have not been completely explained. Objectives: This study was aimed to evaluate atopic manifestations (dermatitis, allergic rhinitis and asthma) and pulmonary function in patients with hypogammaglobulinemia. Patients and Methods: We used the international study of asthma and allergies in childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire in forty-five patients diagnosed with hypogammaglobulinemia and spirometry was done in 41 patients older than 5 years. Results: Spirometry results were normal in 21 (51%), and showed obstructive in 15 (37%) and restrictive pattern in 5 (12%) of the 41 patients who were evaluated. By the end of the study, asthma was diagnosed in nine (20%) patients and other atopies (rhinitis and dermatitis) identified in 10 (22%), and four (9%), respectively. Conclusions: Atopic conditions should be investigated in the hypogammaglobulinemic patients and the prevalence in these patients may be higher than in normal population. Also, it is recommended to perform a pulmonary function test as a routine procedure in patients with hypogammaglobulinemia and atopy should be assessed in these patients.