Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive airflow limitation that is preventable but not curable. It is associated with persistent symptoms that cause a considerable burden on individual productivity at work, and daily activities, and reduced quality of life, also burdening the healthcare system and society. Objectives: The study aims to measure the burden of COPD on patients in terms of daily activities and work productivity. It also seeks to investigate some inflammatory biomarkers' levels and their correlation with selected outcomes. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study on 120 stable COPD patients who were diagnosed and treated according to the GOLD guidelines at Kirkuk General Hospital's chest and Internal Medicine consultation clinics, and in private internist clinics in Kirkuk City, Iraq between January and April 2023. The Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire (WPAI-COPD) measured the Burden of COPD. The symptom burden was assessed by the COPD assessment test (CAT). The level of IL-6 monoclonal antibodies was measured via a Roche Cobas 6000 analyzer and TNF-α using the ELISA sandwich technique. All these devices and machines were authorized by the Ministry of Health, Iraq. Results: The mean age was (54.1 ± 8.12) years, 62.5% being males and 37.5% being females; 41.7% were public sector employees, and 39.2% were self-employed. Due to COPD, the overall work loss was (45.9±18.91) days, the mean percentage of absenteeism was (10.9% ± 12.31%), activity impairment was (47.5% ±17.79%) among all patients, presenteeism was (40.8 ± 15.05%,) and COPD-related retirees were 14.2% of the study group. The mean CAT score (19.3±5.63) was high and the most troubling symptom among patients was chest tightness. WPAI-COPD scores were higher in older age and longer disease duration. The levels of biomarkers were above the reference ranges, the mean IL-6 level was (69.4 ± 35.29) pg/ml, and the mean TNF-α was (72.3 ± 22.45) pg/ ml. Conclusions: COPD patients exhibit a disease burden in terms of productivity loss at work and activity impairment that increases with aging and disease duration. COPD patients with low BMI are more prone to a decline in lung functions and to worse symptoms.
The love of the world and its lusts are the head of sins and the corruptors of religion, and the one who loves and loves them who prefers them over the hereafter is one of the most pitiful of creation, and the least intelligent of them, as he prefers imagination over reality, sleep over wakefulness, fleeting shadow over eternal bliss and the mortal abode over the eternal abode, and he sold the life of eternity for the most luxurious life. In life, it is dreams and sleep or as a fleeting shadow, and as it was said: The intelligent person is not deceived.
The reason for choosing this topic is due to two things:
The first: When I contemplated the reasons for the differences and conflicts that afflicted our wounded and occupied country
BACKGROUND: Acute appendicitis (AA) remains a complex case even for experienced surgeons. Rate of negative appendectomy is 5–40% and delayed intervention result in perforated appendicitis in 5–30% of cases. AIM: The aim of the study was to evaluate NPT as a marker for the diagnosis of AA concerning its severity. And compare the diagnostic value of it with the ALV scoring system. METHODS: One hundred twenty patients presented with signs and symptoms of AA and underwent appendectomy, only 84 patients proved to be AA by histopathological examination, were included in the study. Blood samples for neopterin (NPT) estimation and Alvarado (ALV) score was calculated. Control group consists of 45 healthy individual. RESULTS: NPT levels were s
... Show MoreThe present study evaluates the effects of Ginkgo biloba extract as monotherapy on the glycemic status, insulin resistance (IR), body mass index (BMI), and visceral adiposity index (VAI), in addition to the inflammatory markers, oxidative status and leptin level in patients with metabolic syndrome in comparison with metformin.
The study is a randomized, double-blind pilot study conducted during the period May to September, 2020. Fifty patients were recruited in the study and they were allocated into two groups (25 per each group): Ginkgo biloba and Metformin groups, they received (120 mg Ginkgo biloba extract/ capsule) and (500 mg Metformin/ capsule) respectively; orally as a single dose for 90 days. Blood samples were taken at z
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The research talks about the interest and its impact on polygamy as a legitimate social psychological issue, where she talked about the concept of polygamy, and evidence of the legitimacy of polygamy, and clarify the conditions, and then touched on the great interests for which the law allowed polygamy, and mentioned some practical models in polygamy, including What is in the interest of men in pluralism, including in the interest of women in pluralism, including in the interests of both sexes in pluralism .
Background : Diabetes mellitus, also known as blood sugar, is a series of metabolic disorders described by high blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia), low blood glucose (hypoglycemia), or both, resulting from defects in insulin production, insulin action, or both. Numerous studies have shown that interleukin (IL-6) acts on skeletal muscle cells , liver cells, and pancreas cells to influence glucose balance and metabolism, which directly or indirectly contributes to the development of diabetes. Research in this area is crucial because diabetes is recognized as a major risk factor for many diseases like Diabetic retinopathy, Diabetic nephropathy, Diabetic Neuropathy , heart disease and others. Patients and methods : In this study, we
... Show MoreObjective: This study was conducted to identify the association of HLA-DRB1/DQB1 genes with the susceptibility or resistance to type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) among patients between the ages of five and eighteen.
Subjects and Methods: The study included 200 Sudanese participants, ages ranging from 5 to 18. One hundred participants were healthy non-diabetic as the control group and 100 with T1D as the case group. The investigation was carried out in Khartoum state. The selection of patients with T1D was from diabetic centers and hospitals. The allele-specific-refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR) techniq
... Show MoreAzo derivative ligand[H3L] have been synthesized by the reaction of diazonium salt of p-amino benzoic acid with orcinol in(1:1)mole ratio. The bidente ligand was reacted with the metal ions MnII,FeIIandCrIIIin(2:1)mole ratio via reflux in ethanol using Et3N as a base to give complexes of the general formula: [ M(H2L)2(H2O)x]Cly The synthesized compounds were characterized by spectroscopic methods[ I.R , UV-Vis, A.A and H1 NMR]along with melting point, chloride content and conductivity measurements. The complexes were screend for their in vitro antibacterial activity against one strain of staphylococcus as Gram(+) positive and one strain of pseudomonas as Gram(-) Negative, using the agar diffusion technique.
Experimental densities, viscosities η, and refractive indices nD data of the ternary ethanol+ n-hexane + 3-methyl pentane system have been determined at temperatures 293.15,303.15 and 313.15 K and at atmospheric pressure then these properties were calculated theoretically by using mixing rules for densities, viscosities and refractive indices .After that the theoretical data and the experimental data were compared due to the high relative errors in viscosities an equation of viscosity was proposed to decrease the relative errors.