Current Overview on Disease and Health Research Vol. 5

Previous studies have shown the beneficial effects of chronic native banana starch supplementation. In this study, the effects of acute ingestion of native banana starch on glycemic profiles by means of continuous glucose monitoring in obese and lean subjects was examined. All participants consumed beverages containing either 38.3 g of native banana starch or 38.3 g of digestible corn starch twice daily for 4 days. On day 5, a 3-h meal tolerance test was performed to evaluate glucose and insulin responses. After 1 week of washout period, treatments were inverted. Native banana starch supplementation reduced the 48-h glycemia area under the curve in lean, obese, and in the combined group of lean and obese subjects in comparison with digestible corn starch. Postprandial glucose and insulin responses at meal tolerance test were reduced after native banana starch in comparison with digestible corn starch in all groups. However, no changes were observed in glycemic variability indexes between groups. In conclusion, acute native banana starch supplementation improved postprandial glucose and insulin responses in obese and lean subjects during 48 h of everyday life and at meal tolerance test. Further research to elucidate the mechanism behind these changes is required.

This study was designed to determine the effects of native banana starch and high-amylose maize starch on glycemic control and glycemic variability in patients with type 2 diabetes when treatments were matched for digestible starch content. In a randomized, crossover study, continuous glucose monitoring was performed in 17 participants (aged 28 – 65 years, BMI \(\ge\) 25 kg/m², both genders) consuming native banana starch, high-amylose maize starch or digestible maize starch for 4 days. Native banana starch and high-amylose maize starch induced an increase in 24 h mean blood glucose during days 2 to 4 (p < 0.05). Continuous overlapping net glycemic action, glycemic risk assessment in diabetes equation and J-index values were higher in high-amylose maize starch compared with digestible maize starch only at day 4 (p < 0.05). Yet, native banana starch intake provoked a reduction in fasting glycemia changes from baseline compared with digestible maize starch (p = 0.0074).

In conclusion, under the experimental conditions, resistant starch from two sources did not improve glycemic control or glycemic variability. Future longer studies are needed to determine whether these findings were affected by a different baseline microbiota or other environmental factors.

The purpose of this study is to explain why the prevalence of hypothyroidism appears to be significantly higher than that reported in the medical literature. Most hypothyroidism (low thyroid function) patients go undiagnosed because laboratory tests only identify the presence of thyroid hormone in the blood and cannot tell us how much active hormone reaches the biological tissues that require it for metabolism. The thyroid gland's primary role is to control metabolism. The primary hormone secreted by the thyroid is thyroxine (T4), which is physiologically inactive. T4 has to be converted into its active form, triiodothyronine (T3), in order to exert its effects. The body's deiodinase enzymes, which are found in abundance in the majority of its tissues, catalyse this conversion. Reduced basal metabolism and concurrent hypothyroidism occur when insufficient T3 enters body cells. The physiological problem of low thyroid function frequently goes undetected by hormone blood tests. The physiological baseline temperature test (BTT), however, is 100 percent accurate at identifying hypothyroidism.

One of the main causes of mortality and morbidity as well as a major global health issue in the modern era is cancer. Cancer has overtaken cardiovascular disease as the second biggest cause of death globally, despite significant breakthroughs in science and medicine. About 1 in 6 deaths is due to cancer worldwide. Cancer is caused by the tendencies and the triggers. Tendencies refer to internal, hereditary, or genetic factors, while the triggers can arise from the environment, one’s lifestyle, or from some virus. Research reveals that in India, 60–70 per cent of cancer cases is lifestyle-oriented. After making an analytical and descriptive analysis of the secondary sources of data, this paper seeks to analyse the role of lifestyle patterns in the causation of cancer in India. The findings so analysed indicate that of all cancer-related deaths, 25–30 percent are due to tobacco, 30–35 percent are linked to diet, 15-20 percent to infections, and the remaining percentage is due to other factors. Every year, around 1 million new instances of cancer are diagnosed in India. Although some authors suggest that the risk factors for cancer in India are nearly identical to those in other parts of the world, the distinct socioeconomic patterns and bio-cultural elements demand investigating alternative causation paths. Unhealthy lifestyles contribute significantly to illness and mortality. Increased public knowledge of the linkages between lifestyle and cancer is critical because it can help people comprehend the health repercussions of their activities and motivate them to make necessary lifestyle changes.

India is currently going through a rapid health shift, with increase in rise of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, sleep disorders, liver diseases, arthritis, depression, cancer and many more. Obesity is among one of the leading factors for the development of these diseases. Obesity is on rising trend among all ages and racial groups, especially due to physical inactivity and increased energy intake in excess of energy expenditure, leading to accumulation of body fat that can be prevented. Other modifiable risk factors as socioeconomic status, sleep and many others also account for obesity and obesity-related diseases but these factors however, are not the only determinants of obesity. Besides modifiable risk factors, there are some un-modifiable risk factors also such as age, sex, genetics, ethnicity, gestational weight and other molecular factors that may be responsible to some extent. With the global increase in prevalence of obesity and obesity related diseases, it becomes important to have knowledge about the less known causes of obesity so as to decrease its rising trend so that we can implement appropriate and better preventive and interventional strategies.

Meniere disease (MD) is characterized by the classic triad of symptoms (episodic vertigo, tinnitus, and hearing loss) is likely caused by endolymphatic hydrops of the labyrinthine system of the inner ear.The course of MD is variable.Some patients experience progressive hearing loss with infrequent vestibular symptoms; some have severe and frequent vertigo with only mild auditory symptoms; and some manifest both auditory and vestibular symptoms in equal measure. Most patients tend to cycle from active symptoms to prolonged remissions.

A clinical diagnosis of MD is made based upon the following criteria:

• Two or more spontaneous episodes of vertigo, each lasting 20 minutes to 12 hours
• Audiometrically documented low- to mid-frequency sensorineural hearing loss in the affected ear
• Fluctuating aural symptoms (reduced or distorted hearing, tinnitus, or fullness) in the affected ear
• Symptoms not better accounted for by another vestibular diagnosis

Although audiometric testing is a required part of the diagnostic evaluation, there is no specific diagnostic test for MD.

A variety of other conditions can present with symptoms similar to MD and are often considered in the differential diagnosis.The conditions include vestibular migraine, vestibular schwannoma, multiple sclerosis (MS), transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, and Cogan syndrome.

• Dietary and lifestyle modifications for all patients – As initial therapy for all patients with MD, (Grade 2C).If other triggers are identified (eg, nicotine, stress, monosodium glutamate [MSG]), these should also be avoided. Dietary and lifestyle modifications should be continued indefinitely
• Vestibular rehabilitation for persistent disequilibrium – For patients with MD and persistent disequilibrium symptoms between attacks, we suggest referral for vestibular rehabilitation therapy (Grade 2C).Although vestibular rehabilitation does not reduce the frequency of vertigo attacks, the exercise activities maximize balance and central nervous system (CNS) compensation for disequilibrium symptoms.Vestibular rehabilitation has no role in the treatment of acute vertigo due to MD.
• Pharmacotherapy for refractory symptoms – For all patients with MD with refractory symptoms and poor quality of life despite dietary and lifestyle interventions,we suggest the use of pharmacotherapy rather than no pharmacotherapy (Grade 2C). Betahistine and diuretics are the two options for pharmacologic therapy to reduce the severity and intensity of MD attacks. We suggest treatment with betahistine rather than diuretics, when available (Grade 2C). Acute episodes of vertigo should be managed with vestibular suppressants and antiemetics if necessary.
• Glucocorticoid therapy (systemic or intratympanic) for persistent symptoms – Among all patients with refractory symptoms severe enough to require further treatment beyond dietary changes, lifestyle adjustment, and first-line pharmacotherapy, there is no widely accepted agreement upon which treatment is preferred. However, we suggest treatment with glucocorticoids rather than other therapies for these patients (Grade 2C). For the majority of patients with MD and refractory, disabling vertigo symptoms despite first-line treatments, we treat with a limited course of oral glucocorticoids.
• For patients with MD with disabling vertigo symptoms despite first-line treatments, and in whom oral glucocorticoid therapy is contraindicated, or who through shared decision-making prefer intratympanic therapy with intratympanic glucocorticoids.
• Additional treatment options for patients refractory to glucocorticoid therapy – For patients with refractory MD symptoms and continued poor quality of life despite treatment with glucocorticoids (systemic or intratympanic),additional treatments are offered depending on the degree of labyrinthine function (severity of vertigo attacks and the degree of disequilibrium between attacks) and the level of hearing loss to determine the most appropriate management for an individual patient.
• For MD patients with preserved hearing,treatment with endolymphatic sac procedures (including decompression and/or shunting) or sacculotomy is offered; if this is unsuccessful,we typically then offer treatment with intratympanic gentamycin.
• For patients with MD with complete hearing loss in the affected ear, we suggest treatment with IT gentamycin rather than labyrinthectomy (Grade 2C). Labyrinthectomy is generally reserved for those patients who have disabling symptoms that persist despite treatment with intratytmpanic gentamicin.

The goal of this study was to characterize neurological complications in scrub typhus from northeastern region of India.

We conducted a prospective study of scrub meningoencephalitis at North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Medical Sciences among patients admitted to hospital between October 2009 and November 2011. The clinical pictures of scrub typhus are typically associated with fever, rash, myalgia, and diffuse lymphadenopathy. The diagnosis was made based on the clinical pictures, presence of an eschar, and a positive Weil–Felix test (WFT) with a titer of >1:160 and if required a positive scrub IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Lumbar puncture was carried out on patients with headache, nuchal rigidity, altered sensorium, or cranial nerve deficits, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain was performed if necessary.

The study included 23 patients with scrub typhus meningitis who were serologically confirmed. There were 13 men and 10 women.  Fever \(\ge\)1 week was the most common manifestation (39.1%). Surprisingly, none of them had an eschar. Median cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cell count, lymphocyte percentage, CSF protein, CSF glucose/blood glucose, CSF ADA were 17 cells/\(\mu\)L, 90%, 86 mg/dL, 0.6605 and 3.6 U/mL, respectively. Doxycycline was administered to all patients. In our study, there was no death.

Scrub typhus cannot be ruled out in the absence of Eschar. Because clinical features and CSF findings can be mistaken for tuberculous meningitis, misdiagnosis may result in unnecessary long-term empirical antituberculous therapy in cases of lymphocytic meningoencephalitis. Delays in treatment have the potential to be fatal. In resource-poor countries, WFT remains a useful and affordable diagnostic tool for this disease.

Globally, COVID-19 has resulted in fatalities and significant upheaval. A zoonotic illness that has spread from its original animal host to infect people and spread throughout the world. It has put pressure on the healthcare infrastructure of countries that are ill-equipped to combat this disease. It is preferable to vaccinate a group to build immunity. Due to vaccine monopolies, wealthy countries can immunize the majority of their people whereas underdeveloped countries can only immunize a small portion. Newer variants are likely to emerge. The Omicron variant has followed previous surges od the Alpha and Delta variants. Non pharmacological measures will remain an important preventive strategy for delaying viral spread and reducing disease. Covid-19 causes acute respiratory failure and has sequelae termed long covid that causes multi organ dysfunction. This has huge impact on health related quality of life (HRQol).

Writer’s cramp is the most commonly identified tasks specific focal dystonia of writing, characterized by abnormal muscle spasm of hand and arm. In my case a 20(twenty) years unmarried male from urban part of Tripura, India was presented with history of difficulty to write because of a stiffening of his right hand and also he was noticed that prolonged period of writing caused cramping pain of his right hand. He was diagnosed a case of paranoid schizophrenia (F20.0) as per ICD-10 for last three years and was on tablet Aripiprazole. Diagnosis of writer’s cramp was made which developed after six months of treatment with Aripiprazole 15 mg.

The research focuses on the personal factors that influence public-school teachers' mental health. This survey was given to elementary and secondary school teachers in Lavezares I District, Division of Northern Samar. The descriptive-correlational research design was used in this study, which included 30 participants chosen through purposive sampling. Descriptive statistics and the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient were used to analyse survey questionnaire data. This was done during the third quarter of the 2021-2022 school year. According to the findings, the majority of them are between the ages of 31 and 38. The majority of them are female, married, with a net take-home pay of 5,000 - 11,499, recipients of completed academic requirements (CAR) for their MA, hold a teacher III position, have been in the service for 7 years or less, and have attended no more than two distance learning trainings and seminars. In regards to mental health, outcomes revealed that teachers at the forefront of distance learning implementation experience severe stress, moderate anxiety, and mild depression. The demographic data of age, gender, civil status, net take-home pay, highest educational attainment, teaching position, length of service, and number of attended distance education trainings and seminars were found to be unrelated to teachers' mental health. The results of this research will provide insight into how schools can address personal factors and mental health issues of teachers in order for them to become resilient in the face of adversity.