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.
Monitoring the river’s water quality is important to predict the environmental risk. The Tigris River is Baghdad’s main source for living organisms, drinking water, and agro-industrial purposes. Three selected sites were carried out using different water quality parameters from July 2017 to April 2018 in the Tigris River in Baghdad. Fourteen water quality parameters: water temperatures, turbidity, electrical conductivity, pH, calcium, magnesium, chloride, sulfate, phosphate, dissolved oxygen (DO), alkalinity, total hardness, total dissolved substances TDS, and biological oxygen demand (BOD5). According to CCME WQI analysis, the water quality of Tigris River water was Fair for aqua
Background/Aim: Knee osteoarthritis is a frequently crippling chronic condition. Numerous pharmacological medications have been successfully utilised to treat knee osteoarthritis. This research aimed to compare the efficiency of metformin and serratiopeptidase in treating and preventing osteoarthritis development via distinct mechanisms. Methods: Between 1 January and 30 May 2019, a randomised-clinical-trial was done at Al-Kindy Hospital on 80 osteoarthritis patients, divided in two groups. Group I was given metformin 850 mg orally, whereas Group II was given serratiopeptidase 20 mg and metformin 850 mg orally. Parameters in these groups were compared with forty healthy normal controls. Results: Following treatment, patients in Grou
... Show MoreThe research dealt with the study of choice between a range of different words between the repetitive texts in the verses of the Koran and explain the reason behind this choice, and how the context has the greatest impact in this choice, and that each word in the Koran was placed in the most appropriate place, which can not be replaced by equivalent words, whatever The degree of similarity between them in the indication of the other because it remains at the end that each of those vocabulary synonyms are indicative, the first of them especially that makes the possibility of replacing them with the equivalent vocabulary impossible, and the second general significance and this connotation makes them share with their peers In one aspect of
... Show MoreIn order to specify the features of higher education process and its quantitative and qualitative development in Iraq ; one should look back at its historical process and the need of interesting with it .
Accordingly , there will be a chance for verifying the demand of the Iraqi society according to the political , social , and cultural changes especially during the national governance (1932 – 1958 ) .
For depicting the most important quantitative and qualitative development of this kind of education the period of 1932 -1958 , and since there is no previous study that tackled this topic , here comes the need of writing this paper .
After historical
... Show MoreConcentrated research topic in the study of key variables in the work of the inspectors general offices , which are in the application of quality management standards audit work and reduce the incidence of corruption. It highlights the importance of current research in being a serious attempt aimed at highlighting the role of the importance of standards of quality management audit work , because they represent a router and leader of the accountant or ( Sergeant ) in the performance of his work and the extent of compliance with these standards , as well as highlight the role of quality audit in reducing the incidence of corruption , of during the professional performance of Higher auditors and determine the responsibilities entrus
... Show MoreBackground: Hypertension is a chronic medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is elevated, it's classified as either primary (essential) hypertension or secondary hypertension, and it increases the risk of ischemic heart disease, peripheral vascular disease and other cardiovascular diseases. Several classes of medications collectively referred to as antihypertensive drugs like beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, renin inhibitors and statins (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor. Statin medication may have some beneficial effects when subjects have dental plaque or signs of periodontitis as gingival bleeding. The purpose of this study were to as
... Show MoreEpstein-Barr Virus (EBV) infection is associated with broad spectrum of clinical manifestationsdepending on the immune status of the host, To analyze their possible role in the complication ofautoimmune hepatitis, we investigated (30) female patients with autoimmune hepatitis type-1 of(10-40)years and 25 healthy female of same ages(control groups). Both groups were carried outto measure the levels of EBV-CA IgM, IgG Ab, EBV-EA IgM, IgG Ab, and EBV-NA IgM, IgGAb using indirect immunoflourescent assay (IFAT).The prevalence of EBV-CA IgM, IgG Ab were(10%,20%) and EBV-EA IgM, IgG Ab were (10% and20%) respectively, while the prevalence ofEBV-NA IgG Ab was( 3.33%) and there are no prevalence of EBV-NA IgM Ab. There weresignificant differences (P
... Show MoreObesity has been connected to a higher risk of acquiring a number of diseases, including cancer, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Periostin is a crucial regulator of the growth and maintenance of bones, teeth, and the heart.
The aim of the study was to estimate the level of (periostin, glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c], fasting serum [FBG], total cholesterol [TC], high-density lipoprotein [HDL], low-density lipoprotein [LDL], and triglycerides [TG]) in diabetic Ira
Obesity has been connected to a higher risk of acquiring a number of diseases, including cancer, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Periostin is a crucial regulator of the growth and maintenance of bones, teeth, and the heart.
The aim of the study was to estimate the level of (periostin, glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c], fasting serum [FBG], total cholesterol [TC], high-density lipoprotein [HDL], low-density lipoprotein [LDL], and triglycerides [TG]) in diabetic Ira