The Effect of Chronic Laxative Use on Lipid Profile and HbA1c: A Hospital-Based Retrospective Study.

Background: Laxatives are over-the-counter medications used as a treatment for constipation. The lipid-lowering effect of the long-term use of laxatives has been proposed.

Aim: To investigate the possible impact of the chronic use of laxatives on serum lipid profile, body mass index (BMI), and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c).

The Possible Effect of the Long-Term Use of Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1RA) on Hba1c and Lipid Profile in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Retrospective Study in KAUH, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

(1) Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disease with serious health complications. T2DM is associated with many chronic illnesses, including kidney failure, cardiovascular diseases (CVD), vision loss, and other related diseases. Obesity is one of the major factors associated with insulin resistance and dyslipidemia.

The Galabat-Metema cross-border onchocerciasis focus: The first coordinated interruption of onchocerciasis transmission in Africa.

Background: Onchocerciasis transmission across international borders is not uncommon, yet a coordinated cross border stops mass drug administration (MDA) decision has not been documented.

Methods/principle Findings: The Galabat-Metema focus involves neighboring districts on the border between Sudan and Ethiopia. Mass drug administration (MDA) was provided once and subsequently twice per year in this focus, with twice-per-year beginning in Ethiopia's Metema subfocus in 2016 and in the Sudan's Galabat subfocus in 2008.

Notes on distribution of Simulium damnosum s. l. along Atbara River in Galabat sub-focus, eastern Sudan.

Background: Onchocerciasis is caused by a nematode worm Onchocerca volvulus, which is transmitted in Sudan by black fly vectors of the Simulium damnosum sensu lato species complex. In Sudan, the disease is found in four foci where fast flowing rivers provide suitable breeding sites for the Simulium vector flies. The construction of dams and irrigation schemes for agricultural purposes has affected black fly breeding and distribution, such as in Merowe Dam in Abu-Hamed focus, where the perennially flowing water downstream of the Dam created new vector breeding sites, thereby, changing the pattern of disease transmission and creating public health problems.

The First Confirmed Elimination of an Onchocerciasis Focus in Africa: Abu Hamed, Sudan.

Mass treatment with ivermectin for onchocerciasis was stopped in 2012 in Abu Hamed, an isolated focus on the River Nile in northern Sudan. A 3-year posttreatment surveillance (PTS) ensued, at the end of which an evaluation was conducted in 2015 following the current World Health Organization guidelines for verification of onchocerciasis elimination. Vector black flies were collected from sentinel breeding sites and finger-prick bloodspots were collected from children ≤ 10 years of age resident in 35 communities within the focus.

Seasonal Variation in Biting Rates of Simulium damnosum sensu lato, Vector of Onchocerca volvulus, in Two Sudanese Foci.

Background: The abundance of onchocerciasis vectors affects the epidemiology of disease in Sudan, therefore, studies of vector dynamics are crucial for onchocerciasis control/elimination programs. This study aims to compare the relative abundance, monthly biting-rates (MBR) and hourly-based distribution of onchocerciasis vectors in Abu-Hamed and Galabat foci. These seasonally-based factors can be used to structure vector control efforts to reduce fly-biting rates as a component of onchocerciasis elimination programs.

The impact of Merowe Dam on Simulium hamedense vector of onchocerciasis in Abu Hamed focus - Northern Sudan.

Background: Abu Hamed, the northernmost onchocerciasis focus in the world, is located along the River Nile banks in the Nubian Desert. Hydroelectric dams can alter activity of black flies and may provide breeding sites for black fly. Merowe Dam, the largest hydropower project in Africa, was built west of Abu Hamed focus in 2009.

Interruption of Onchocerca volvulus transmission in the Abu Hamed focus, Sudan.

Abu Hamed, Sudan, the northernmost location of onchocerciasis in the world, began community-directed treatment with ivermectin (CDTI) in 1998, with annual treatments enhanced to semiannual in 2007. We assessed the status of the parasite transmission in 2011 entomologically, parasitologically, and serologically. O-150 pool screening showed no parasite DNA in 17,537 black flies collected in 2011 (95% confidence interval upper limit [95% CI UL] = 0.