Publications by authors named "Balvir S Tomar"
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, has re-emerged as a significant global health concern, particularly during the widespread outbreak of 2022. As an orthopoxvirus related to the eradicated smallpox virus, mpox has been primarily managed with smallpox vaccines and treatments, including the antiviral agent Tecovirimat. This systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Tecovirimat in treating mpox, focusing on its use during the 2022 outbreak, especially among high-risk populations, including men who have sex with men and people living with HIV.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Vitamin D, essential hormone for endocrine, autocrine, and paracrine functions. A billion people are deficient globally which contributing to numerous health issues. This study explores the link between vitamin D levels and sleep quality, impacting mental and physical health in adults.
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- People living with HIV (PLWH) face increased mortality risks from air pollution due to chronic inflammation and immune dysfunction, a link that has not been widely studied.
- A systematic review analyzed nine studies, primarily from China, revealing that long-term exposure to pollutants like particulate matter significantly correlates with higher AIDS-related and overall mortality rates in PLWH, with certain populations being more susceptible.
- The findings indicate that targeted interventions to lessen air pollution exposure could benefit vulnerable groups, emphasizing the need for further research in this area.
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- E-cigarettes are becoming popular as a way for people to quit smoking, but there are concerns about their use alongside traditional cigarettes, particularly among pregnant women, who may face increased health risks.
- A systematic review analyzed data from 18 studies involving nearly 6 million pregnant women, finding that 4.6% of them reported using both e-cigarettes and traditional tobacco.
- The findings suggest that dual use is a significant health issue, highlighting the need for further research and public health measures to inform and protect pregnant women from the risks of tobacco.
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- Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder linked to gluten intolerance that may affect cardiovascular health, with some studies suggesting a connection to myocardial infarction (MI), although results have been inconsistent.* -
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of 8 studies were conducted to evaluate the risk of MI in adults with CD, using data from databases like PubMed and Web of Science, analyzed with R software.* -
- The analysis found no significant association between CD and MI, but indicated high variability in study results, suggesting a need for more research on larger, more uniform samples to clarify potential cardiovascular risks for CD patients.*
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, with increased prevalence in individuals with chronic liver conditions and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1 RAs) have shown promise in diabetes management and may influence liver disease progression. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the efficacy of GLP-1 RAs in reducing the risk of HCC in patients with T2DM.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Malaria continues to be a critical public health concern in India, predominantly driven by complex interplays of ecological, climatic, and socioeconomic factors.
Methods: This study aimed to assess the association between climatic variables (temperature and precipitation) and malaria incidence across India from 2010 to 2019, utilizing data from the Global Historical Weather and Climate Data for climate metrics and the Global Burden of Disease Study for malaria incidence rates. Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMMs) with a Poisson distribution were employed to analyze the data, adjusting for socio-economic status, as indexed by the Human Development Index (HDI).
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- Periodontitis is a common inflammatory disease that can severely impact oral and overall health, and while traditional smoking is a known risk factor, the effect of e-cigarettes on gum health is not well understood.
- This systematic review analyzed data from twelve studies comparing periodontal outcomes between e-cigarette users and non-users, noting that e-cigarette users had a significantly lower bleeding on probing (BOP) score.
- The research suggests no strong evidence linking e-cigarette use to major negative impacts on periodontal health, but further comprehensive studies are needed to assess long-term effects and clarify any potential risks.
Introduction: Dyslipidemia with a considerable progression rate is a primary risk factor for CVDs if left untreated. Dietary interventions have explored the health influences of selenium on lipid profiles in adults, yet the findings remain contentious. This study seeks to determine if selenium supplementation can positively modify the lipid profile (total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in adults.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: This study aimed to investigate the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic on tuberculosis (TB) trends, patient demographics, disease types and hospitalisation duration within the Respiratory Medicine Department over three distinct phases: pre-COVID-19, COVID-19 and post-COVID-19.
Design: Retrospective analysis using electronic medical records of patients with TB admitted between June 2018 and June 2023 was done to explore the impact of COVID-19 on patients with TB. The study employed a meticulous segmentation into pre-COVID-19, COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 eras.
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- - Breast cancer is a significant global health issue, with 2.3 million new cases and 685,000 deaths reported in 2020; projections suggest this could rise to 3 million cases and 1 million deaths by 2040.
- - A study in rural Rajasthan, India, involved 2023 participants to assess breast cancer prevalence, finding that 2 out of 3 positive screening cases had breast cancer, resulting in a very low prevalence rate of 0.0009 (98 per 100,000).
- - The research highlights the need for greater awareness, early detection, and improved healthcare access in rural areas, emphasizing that challenges like limited resources and delayed diagnoses should be addressed with better screening and healthcare
Introduction: The ongoing repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic include potentially deleterious impacts on bone health.
Aim: This research aimed to ascertain the effects of COVID-19 on the bone health of obese and non-obese Indian individuals.
Methods: We executed a case-control study enrolling individuals who recovered from COVID-19.
Background: The evolving challenge of persistent symptoms post-Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), particularly debilitating cardio-pulmonary manifestations, necessitates further exploration. Our study aimed to assess the cardio-pulmonary complications in patients a year after hospital discharge from severe COVID-19, contrasting these with findings from a non-COVID group.
Methods: The OneCoV2 study, a prospective, case-control study, was conducted at a tertiary care teaching hospital in northern India.
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- The study investigated the connection between glycemic variability and depression in nondiabetic patients, highlighting that increased glycemic fluctuations could be linked to cardiovascular risks for those with depression.
- Researchers used Flash Glucose Monitoring and the CES-D scale to classify patients into two groups based on depression severity, and analyzed several glycemic variability indices using specific software.
- Results showed that patients with more severe depressive symptoms (CES-D ≥ 33) exhibited significantly higher levels of glycemic variability across multiple indices compared to those with milder symptoms, indicating a potential relationship between severe depression and glycemic control.
The association between frailty and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among Asian patients with liver cirrhosis and sarcopenia remains largely unexplored. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a cross-sectional study involving individuals aged 32 to 69 years, all diagnosed with liver cirrhosis. The chronic liver disease questionnaire (CLDQ) was used to assess HR-QoL, the CLDQ score was used as an outcome to measure the factors related to HR-QoL, and the liver frailty index (LFI) was used to assess the frailty status.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim And Scope: Glycemic variability (GV) denotes the fluctuations in the glucose values around the baseline. High glycemic variability is associated with a higher risk of diabetes-associated complications. In this study, we sought to determine the impact of therapeutic interventions based on flash glucose monitoring on rapid, short-term glycemic variability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study aimed to investigate the long-term effects of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) supplementations on the parameters associated with improved prognosis in sarcopenic patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) and evaluate its impact on cirrhotic-related events. A 24-week, single-center, randomized, open-label, controlled, two cohort parallel-group intervention study was carried out by comparing the efficacy of BCAAs against lactoalbumin (L-ALB) on 106 sarcopenic patients with LC. The BCAA (intervention) group was treated with 7.
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- The study aimed to determine how common post-COVID symptoms are among patients who tested negative for COVID-19 after being discharged from a hospital in North India.
- The observational research involved 50 patients, primarily middle-aged males, many of whom had underlying conditions like type 2 diabetes, and analyzed their symptoms 14 days post-discharge.
- Results indicated that 82% experienced at least one ongoing symptom, with fatigue being the most prevalent, highlighting the need for continued monitoring and care for COVID-19 survivors.
Background: Specific treatment for COVID-19 is still an unmet need. Outcomes of clinical trials on repurposed drugs have not been yielding success. Therefore, it is necessary to include complementary approaches of medicine against COVID-19.
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- * An online survey assessed the mental health and professional quality of life of healthcare workers, revealing that female nurses and doctors, particularly in emergency units, experience higher psychological distress.
- * The findings suggest that support and stress management strategies are crucial for improving the well-being of medical staff during the pandemic.
Scrub typhus in rural Rajasthan and a review of other Indian studies.
Paediatr Int Child Health
May 2016
Background: Scrub typhus is an acute febrile illness which has been reported from various parts of India with Rajasthan recently joining the list of affected states.
Aim: To report a series of paediatric scrub typhus cases from rural Rajasthan.
Study Design: Retrospective review of children with scrub typhus admitted to the wards and paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of a tertiary-care hospital.
Objective. To determine the incidence of feed intolerance in vigorous babies with meconium stained liquor (MSL) who received prophylactic gastric lavage as compared to those who were not subjected to this procedure. Design.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntolerance to foods which contain lactose can cause a range of intestinal and systemic symptoms. These symptoms are caused by Lactase deficiency which is encoded by a single gene (LCT) of ≈ 50 kb located on chromosome 2q21. In some food items, lactose has been missed because of "hidden" lactose due to inadequately labeled, confusing diagnosis of lactose intolerance based on dietary restriction of dairy foods.
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