Brain Cancer Risk Factors: Sun Exposure and/or Smoking?

Brain Cancer Risk Factors: Sun Exposure and/or Smoking?

Amin GED (a), Abou Seif HA (a) , Abd Elaziz KM (a) and Allam MF (a,b)

a. Department of Community, Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

b. Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

Journal of Community Medicine and Health Research 2020;2(1):120.

Abstract

Background: An ecological study was conducted to evaluate the associations among brain cancer, cutaneous malignant melanoma and lung cancer in 40 European countries. Methods: Incidence rates were obtained from the database of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) 2012. We analyzed age-adjusted and gender-stratified incidence rates for cutaneous malignant melanoma, lung cancer and brain cancer in 40 European countries that had registration systems that fulfilled the IARC quality criteria. Before calculating the correlations among cutaneous malignant melanoma, lung cancer and brain cancer, the normal distribution of the variables was examined using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Results: There was no significant correlation between the overall rates (males and females combined) of cutaneous malignant melanoma and lung cancer (r=0.128; P=0.4), cutaneous malignant melanoma and brain cancer (r=-0.045; P=0.7), or brain cancer and lung cancer (r= 0.229; P=0.1). Conclusion: Brain cancer had no positive correlation with cutaneous malignant melanoma or lung cancer, rejecting the hypothesis that sun exposure and smoking could be risk factors for brain cancer. New analytical and genetic studies are needed to identify the risk factors for brain cancer.

Keywords: Epidemiology; Ecological; Brain Cancer; Melanoma; Lung Cancer

Citation: Amin GED, Abou Seif HA, Abd Elaziz KM, Allam MF (2020). Brain Cancer Risk Factors: Sun Exposure and/or Smoking?. J Community Med Health Res 2(1): 120

https://www.pubtexto.com/pdf/?brain-cancer-risk-factors-sun-exposure-andor-smoking

Persecutory Subtype Of Delusional Disorder. Descriptive Study Of 129 Cases.

Subtipo Persecutorio Del Trastorno Delirante: Estudio De Series De 129 Casos.

Persecutory Subtype Of Delusional Disorder. Descriptive Study Of 129 Cases.

Francisco Mármol Bernal (1), Rogelio Luque Luqueb (2), Mohamed Farouk Allam (3), Rafael Fernández-Crehuet Navajas (4)

(1) Delegación Territorial de Salud, Córdoba, España.

(2) Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía. Universidad de Córdoba, España.

(3) Área de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Córdoba, España.

Rev Chil Neuro-Psiquiat 2020; 58 (2): 116-126

Summary

Objective. The objective of this study is to investigate the demographic, environmental, psychosocial and clinical characteristics of the persecutory subtype in a group of patients with delusional disorder (DD). Methodology. Retrospective descriptive study of DD cases registered at Psychiatry and Mental Hygiene Clinic of Cordoba according to DSM-IV-TR criteria was conducted. We obtained a sample of 261 DD patients who met the inclusion criteria; of them 129 cases has persecutory subtype. Data and variables collected were divided into 4 groups: I. Socio-demographic and general data. II. DD risk factors (personal and family). III. DD clinical picture and diagnosis (presentation, symptoms, disability, use of health care resources, treatment, and evolution). Results. The proportion of males versus females of the persecutory subtype was of 1.04. Only 5.4% of patients had primary level of education. At the first visit of the psychiatry clinic, 65.9% of the patients were married and about half of them shared home. About 14.7% of patients had a past history of alcohol consumption, and only 0.8% consumed other drugs. Ideas of reference and of persecution were found in 98.4% and 99.2% respectively. Conclusions. It is necessary to conduct future prospective studies to investigate the risk factors associated with the persecutory subtype of DD.

Key words: delusional disorder, paranoia, persecutory subtype, retrospective study, case series.

Resumen

Objetivo. El objetivo de este estudio es conocer las características demográficas, factores ambientales, factores de riego psicosociales, y clínicas del subtipo persecutorio en un grupo de pacientes con trastorno delirante (TD). Metodología. Estudio epidemiológico retrospectivo sobre un Registro de Casos en el Dispensario de Psiquiatría e Higiene Mental de Córdoba sobre pacientes con TD según criterios DSM-IV-TR. Aquellos pacientes que cumplieron con los criterios de inclusión definidos constituyeron nuestra muestra final de 261 casos, de ellos 129 casos presentaban el subtipo persecutorio. Las variables sobre las que se recogió información en base a protocolos, fueron agrupadas con el orden siguiente: I. Variables de los datos sociodemográficos y generales. II. Variables de los Factores de riesgo del TD (familiares y personales). III. Variables del Cuadro Clínico y el Diagnostico del TD (Presentación, sintomatología delirante, funcionalidad y discapacidad, utilización de los recursos sanitarios, tratamiento, problemas psicosociales, evolución y curso). Resultados. La proporción hombres versus mujeres en el subtipo persecutorio fue de 1,04. Solo el 5,4% de estos pacientes tenía estudios primarios. Un 65,9%, al realizar la primera consulta psiquiátrica, se encontraba casado y el 50,4% convivían en el hogar. Un 14,7% consumió previamente alcohol y un 0,8% otras sustancias. Las ideas de referencia y de persecución se presentaron el 98,4% y en el 99,2% de los casos respectivamente. Conclusiones. Son necesarios futuros estudios prospectivos para investigar los factores de riesgo del subtipo persecutorio del TD.

Palabras clave: Trastorno delirante, paranoia, subtipo persecutorio, estudio retrospectivo, series de casos.

Rev Chil Neuro-Psiquiat 2020; 58 (2): 116-126

https://scielo.conicyt.cl/pdf/rchnp/v58n2/0717-9227-rchnp-58-02-0116.pdf

Is there a benefit of vitamin D supplementation in deficient children and adolescents suffering from obesity? A meta-analysis

Is there a benefit of vitamin D supplementation in deficient children and adolescents suffering from obesity? A meta-analysis

M F Nassar, E K Emam, M F Allam

QJM: An International Journal of Medicine, Volume 113, Issue Supplement_1, March 2020, hcaa063.001, https://doi.org/10.1093/qjmed/hcaa063.001

Published: 05 May 2020

Background and objectives. Both childhood obesity and vitamin D deficiency are common in the Middle East. This systematic review/meta-analysis aims to highlight the effect of vitamin D supplementation in deficient children suffering from obesity.

Methods. Published clinical studies on vitamin D supplementation in obese children and adolescents with vitamin D deficiency were identified through a comprehensive MEDLINE/PubMed search (from July 1966 to November 2017). Outcomes intended after vitamin D supplementation were improvements in vitamin D status, BMI alterations and appetite changes. The inclusion criteria were children aged 2 to 18 years of both sexes in clinical trials that specified the oral and/or intramuscular dose of vitamin D supplementation.

Results. Ten studies were retrieved, but only six were relevant. First, supplemented obese children and adolescents were compared to non-obese controls; thereafter, supplemented obese children and adolescents were compared to matching obese peers given placebo. Pooled risks from the two studies that evaluated the number of obese and non-obese children and adolescents who improved upon vitamin D supplementation revealed that obesity poses a risk for not benefiting from the vitamin D supplementation regardless of the dose and the duration of supplementation. Pooled results from the six retrieved studies that compared supplemented obese children and adolescents to matching non-obese or obese peers given placebo revealed significantly lower vitamin D levels in obese participants than in non-obese peers.

Conclusion. Vitamin D levels are significantly lower in obese children and adolescents with obesity, posing a risk for not benefiting from vitamin D supplementation regardless of the dose and duration of supplementation. Our results suggest that only with simultaneous weight adjustment strategies, vitamin D sufficiency would be achieved more effectively.

Vitamin D supplementation in deficient children suffering from obesity.

Keywords: Adolescents, children, clinical trials, obesity, supplementation, vitamin D

Topic: obesity, adolescent, child, vitamin d, childhood obesity

Issue Section: Pediatrics

https://academic.oup.com/qjmed/article-abstract/113/Supplement_1/hcaa063.001/5829038

Predictive Factors For Nutritional Behavior Among Pregnant Women Attending Ante Natal Care Clinic In 6th Of October City

Predictive Factors For Nutritional Behavior Among Pregnant Women Attending Ante Natal Care Clinic In 6^th Of October City

D A Nasrallah, H S Ez-elarab, M F Allam, E A Sultan

QJM: An International Journal of Medicine, Volume 113, Issue Supplement_1, March 2020, hcaa048, https://doi.org/10.1093/qjmed/hcaa048

Published: 05 May 2020

Background. Good maternal nutrition during pregnancy is important to ensure health for the mother and the fetus. This study aimed to establish optimal health of Egyptian mothers and their babies through proper nutrition, by assessing nutritional knowledge and behavior among a group of Egyptian pregnant women in addition to identifying the factors influencing their nutritional knowledge and behavior.

Methods. This descriptive cross sectional study included 300 pregnant women attending the antenatal care clinics in 6^th of October University private hospital and EL-Hussary primary health care unit. The data was collected through a modified nutritional survey that was translated from Spanish to Arabic and revised by language experts for clarity.

Results. Almost all of the women attending the private hospital were university educated while about half of the women attending the PHC unit were graduated from technical education (skills diploma). In general, the level of knowledge about food requirements of both groups was satisfactory good; however, neither of them fulfilled the WHO recommendations of food intake during pregnancy or the optimum number of meals per day. The mean of random blood glucose was higher among the women attending the PHC unit; the BMI, mid arm circumference and subcutaneous fat were higher among the same group as well. In regard to fulfilling the WHO recommended servings per day, only starch and fat items were fulfilled by both groups, whereas the other three items (vegetables, fruits and dairy products) were merely included in the diets of both groups.

Conclusion. Women with higher education showed an active lifestyle with a lower BMI but showed no relation to the choice of a good and healthy diet. These findings could give an insight to the policy makers in order to update nutritional care programs for pregnant women addressing all aspects of sociodemographic differences among women.

Keywords: Pregnancy, Nutrition, Life-style behaviour, Eating habits, Antenatal care.

Issue Section: Family Medicine

https://epidemiologyandpreventivemedicine.blogspot.com/2020/05/vitamin-d-level-in-sample-of-egyptian.html

Vitamin D level in a sample of egyptian females in child bearing period attending a family medicine center

Vitamin D level in a sample of egyptian females in child bearing period attending a family medicine center

D M Abdelhamid, M F Allam, G Essamaldin, M E S Gerges

QJM: An International Journal of Medicine, Volume 113, Issue Supplement_1, March 2020, hcaa048.002, https://doi.org/10.1093/qjmed/hcaa048.002

Published: 05 May 2020

Abstract 

Background. Vitamin D deficiency is now recognized as a pandemic. It plays an important role in the development of bone health and possibly non-communicable diseases. The normal range of Vitamin D in the Arab countries is much lower than the international standards. Some Arab countries had made their own national studies to assess serum vitamin D level among women, yet in Egypt there is no national survey done, therefore we tried to assess serum vitamin D level among women during the child bearing period in Egypt and to investigate the factors affecting it.

Objective. To measure vitamin D level among a sample of females during the child-bearing period attending a family medicine center. To identify the factors affecting vitamin D level among studied females.

Patients and Methods. In the present study, we included 100 healthy adult females in their childbearing period who were attending a Family Medicine Center. The age of the included women ranged from minimum 19 years to maximum 49 years old with a mean age of 34 ± 8.47 years. We found that the majority of participants have deficiency and insufficiency of vitamin D level; 43% of the included women had vitamin D deficiency and 13% of the women had vitamin D insufficiency. In the present study, we sought to identify the factors affecting vitamin D level among studied females.

Results. The analysis showed that there was a statistically significance association between the employment status of the included women and vitamin D3 level groups; unemployed women were more likely to have vitamin D deficiency than employed women. In the present study, a statistically significance association was observed between the duration of sun exposure and vitamin D3 level groups. Participants who exposed to sun > 30 min/day were more likely to have sufficient vitamin D level. The results of the present study demonstrated that all participants who consume fish ≥3 times/week have sufficient vitamin D level. Therefore, there was a statistically significance association between a number of consuming fish/week and vitamin D3 level groups. The results of the present study also showed that there was statistically significant association between number of consumed milk cups/day and vitamin D3 level groups. All participants who drink 2 cups of milk have sufficient vitamin D level. In addition, we found no statistically significance association between using multivitamins and vitamin D3 level groups. Half of the participants who were using multivitamins had vitamin D insufficiency.

Conclusion. Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are prevalent among Egyptian women in childbearing period. In addition, the unemployment, low milk and fish consumption, and infrequent sun exposure are significant risk factors for vitamin D deficiency. Therefore, for improving the health and productivity of women in childbearing period, a routine monitoring system for vitamin D and the other factors should be put in place. Nevertheless, future research on the role of multivitamins supplements and fish consumption in improving vitamin D nutrition is warranted.

Keywords: Vitamin D, Osteoporosis, Antimicrobial peptides.

Topic: Vitamin D deficiency, child, cholecalciferol, family medicine, vitamin D.  

Issue Section: Family Medicine

https://academic.oup.com/qjmed/article-abstract/113/Supplement_1/hcaa048.002/5829110?redirectedFrom=PDF