Spoligotyping of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates at a tertiary care hospital in India.

Objective: Spoligotyping is a valuable genotyping tool to study the genetic diversity and molecular epidemiology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb). The aim of this study was to analyse different spoligotype patterns of M.

Xpert MTB/Rif for the diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis--an experience from a tertiary care centre in South India.

Objective: The Xpert MTB/Rif, with a detection limit of 131 CFU/ml, plays a valuable role in the diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis, both susceptible and resistant. This study aims at evaluating the Xpert MTB/Rif for the same, at a tertiary care centre in south India, assessing it against both culture and a composite gold standard (CGS).

Methods: We tested consecutive samples from patients suspected of extrapulmonary tuberculosis with Xpert MTB/Rif, evaluated its sensitivity and specificity against solid and/or liquid culture and CGS.

Adjunctive vitamin D for treatment of active tuberculosis in India: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Vitamin D has immunomodulatory effects that might aid clearance of mycobacterial infection. We aimed to assess whether vitamin D supplementation would reduce time to sputum culture conversion in patients with active tuberculosis.

Methods: We did this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, superiority trial at 13 sites in India.

Nutrition and Frailty: A Review of Clinical Intervention Studies.

Frailty is one of the major health concerns in aging. It is considered a geriatric syndrome characterized by muscle weakness, sarcopenia and fatigue. It is also associated with several adverse health outcomes, including disability.

Malnutrition risk and its association with appetite, functional and psychosocial status among elderly Malays in an agricultural settlement.

Introduction: Malnutrition is a common phenomenon among the elderly and quite often related to psychosocial problems. The objective of this study was to determine malnutrition risk and its association with appetite, functional and psychosocial status among elderly Malays in an agricultural settlement, i.e.

Bone health status and lipid profile among post-menopausal malay women in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.

Introduction: A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine bone health status and nutrient intakes among post-menopausal women residing in low cost houses in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.

Methods: A total of 125 subjects aged 60 +/- 4 years who had attained menopause at age 50 +/- 5 years participated in this study. Subjects' weight and height were measured and calculated for body mass index (BMI).

Development of a local malnutrition risk screening tool-hospital (MRST-H) for hospitalised elderly patients.

Introduction: Hospitalised elderly patients are at high risk of malnutrition due to the presence of chronic diseases and inadequate food intake. It was on this premise that a Malnutrition Risk Screening Tool-Hospital (MRST-H) was developed for identifying the risk of malnutrition among Malaysian elderly patients.

Methods: A total of 181 respondents aged 65 years and above who had been admitted to the Geriatric Ward of the University Malaya Medical Centre were recruited.

Validation of screening tools to assess appetite among geriatric patients.

Poor appetite is one of the main contributing factors of poor nutritional status among elderly individuals. Recognizing the importance of assessment of appetite, a cross sectional study was conducted to determine the validity of appetite screening tools namely, the Council on Nutrition Appetite questionnaire (CNAQ) and the simplified nutritional appetite questionnaire (SNAQ) against the appetite, hunger and sensory perception questionnaire (AHSPQ), measures of nutritional status and food intake among geriatric patients at the main general hospital in Malaysia. Nutritional status was assessed using the subjective global assessment (SGA) while food intake was measured using the dietary history questionnaire (DHQ).

Sensitivity and specificity of waist circumference as a single screening tool for identification of overweight and obesity among Malaysian adults.

Generalised obesity and central obesity are risk factors for Type II diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases. Waist circumference (WC) has been suggested as a single screening tool for identification of overweight or obese subjects in lieu of the body mass index (BMI) for weight management in public health program. Currently, the recommended waist circumference cut-off points of > or = 94cm for men and > or =80cm for women (waist action level 1) and > or = 102cm for men and > or = 88cm for women (waist action level 2) used for identification of overweight and obesity are based on studies in Caucasian populations.

Influence of food intake and eating habits on hypertension control among outpatients at a government health clinic in the Klang Valley, Malaysia.

Introduction: In Malaysia, hypertension prevalence has increased from 13% in 1996 to 43% in 2006 based on the Third National Health and Morbidity Survey.

Methodology: Recognising the importance of hypertension control to prevent cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, a cross-sectional study was carried out to assess factors influencing blood pressure among 74 hypertensive adults (22 men, 52 women, mean age 61.1 +/- 8.

Reliability, technical error of measurements and validity of length and weight measurements for children under two years old in Malaysia.

The National Health and Morbidity Survey III 2006 wanted to perform anthropometric measurements (length and weight) for children in their survey. However there is limited literature on the reliability, technical error of measurement (TEM) and validity of these two measurements. This study assessed the above properties of length (LT) and weight (WT) measurements in 130 children age below two years, from the Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM) paediatric outpatient clinics, during the period of December 2005 to January 2006.

Relationship between Appetite, Food Intake and Body Composition among Elderly Malays from an Urban Residential Area in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Loss of appetite, decrease in food intake and changes in body composition appear to be inter-related factors that can influence the well-being of older individuals. Therefore, a study was conducted to determine the level of appetite, food intake and its relation to body composition and functional status among noninstitutionalised elderly Malays in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. The Council on Nutrition Appetite Questionnaire (CNAQ), Diet History Questionnaire (DHQ), Bio-impedance Analysis (BIA) and Instrumental Activity of Daily Living (IADL) questionnaire and handgrip dynamometer were used to measure appetite, food intake, body composition and functional status respectively.

The Third National Health and Morbidity Survey: prevalence of obesity, and abdominal obesity among the Malaysian elderly population.

Obesity is an emerging public health threat in the elderly population in developing countries. Hence, the Third National Health and Morbidity Survey has assessed 4746 individuals aged 60 years and older recruited through a household survey to determine the prevalence of adiposity using body mass index and waist circumference. The national's prevalence of overweight and obesity in men was 29.

Assessment of Physical Activity Level among Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus at Cheras Health Clinic, Kuala Lumpur.

A cross-sectional study was carried out to assess the physical activity levels among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) at Cheras Health Clinic in Kuala Lumpur. A total of 132 subjects (62 men and 70 women) aged 30 years and above participated in this study. Data was collected using an interview based questionnaire to obtain socio-demographic and health profile information.

Reliability, technical error of measurements and validity of instruments for nutritional status assessment of adults in Malaysia.

Introduction: The Third National Health and Morbidity Survey Malaysia 2006 includes a nutritional status assessment of children. This study aimed to assess the inter- and intra-examiner reliability, the technical error of measurement and the validity of instruments for measuring weight, height and waist circumference.

Methods: A convenience sample of 130 adults working in a selected office setting was chosen to participate in the study, subject to the inclusion and exclusion study criteria.

Nutritional Status of Children below Five Years in Malaysia: Anthropometric Analyses from the Third National Health and Morbidity Survey III (NHMS, 2006).

The Third National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS III) was conducted in 2006 on a nationally representative sample of population in Malaysia. Over 21,000 children aged 0-17.9 years were measured for body weight and stature according to the protocol of the World Health Organization.

Relationship between selenium and breast cancer: a case-control study in the Klang Valley.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between selenium status and intake among breast cancer patients from the Klang Valley.

Methods: 64 cases and 127 controls were matched for age (range 30-65 years) and ethnicity, with an 80 percent study power. Subjects were interviewed to obtain information on their habitual dietary intakes, demographic data and medical history.

Assessing the nutritional status of children with leukemia from hospitals in kuala lumpur.

A cross-sectional study was carried out to evaluate the nutritional status of 51 subjects with leukemia aged 4 to 12 years from the Haematology and Oncology Paediatric Ward, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (PPUKM) and the Paediatric Institute of Kuala Lumpur. Nutritional status was assessed using anthropometric measurements, biochemical and haematological parameters. Subjects comprised 32 (62.

Changes in Nutritional, Functional Status and Quality of Life of COPD Out-patients after a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programme in HUKM: a Pilot Study.

This quasi-experimental study was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of an eight-week multi-disciplinary pulmonary rehabilitation programme in improving nutritional and functional status and quality of life of COPD out patients at Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. A total of 9 COPD outpatients aged 40 years and above (6 men and 3 women) completed at least 50% of 16 sessions of an eight-week pulmonary rehabilitation programme. Their nutritional and functional status and rating of quality of life were measured at baseline (0 day) and after 8 weeks and these were compared to those of the control group matched for age, comprising 13 subjects (11 men and 2 women).

Reliability and Technical Error of Calf Circumference and Mid-half Arm Span Measurements for Nutritional Status Assessment of Elderly Persons in Malaysia.

This study sought to examine the reliability of two measurements; Calf Circumference (CC) and Mid-half Arm Span (MHAS). A sample of 130 elderly persons aged 60 years and above seen consecutively in the Kuala Lumpur Hospital outpatient clinic during the period of December 2005 to January 2006, upon consent, were recruited to the study. There was a high degree of reliability for both inter- and intra-examiner (r close to 1).

Abdominal Obesity in Malaysian Adults: National Health and Morbidity Survey III (NHMS III, 2006).

Abdominal obesity (AO) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, hypertension and diabetes mellitus in adults. There is a lack of data on the magnitude and socio-demographic profile of AO among Malaysian adults at the national level. In the Third National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS III) conducted in 2006, AO of adults aged 18 years and above was determined based on the waist circumference as part of the nutritional status assessment.

Validation of nutritional screening tools against anthropometric and functional assessments among elderly people in selangor.

This cross sectional study was conducted to determine the validity of three screening tools, Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form (MNA-SF), Malnutrition Risk Screening Tool for Community (MRST-C) and Malnutrition Risk Screening Tool for Hospital (MRST-H) among elderly people at health clinics. The screening tools were validated against anthropometric and functional assessments. The anthropometric assessments that were carried out included body weight, height, arm span, body mass index (BMI), calf circumference (CC) and mid upper arm circumference (MUAC).

Association between dietary fibre and cancer: A case-control study in Malaysia.

A case control study to determine the association of dietary fibre and cancer among Malaysians. It was conducted among 100 newly-diagnosed cancer patients admitted to the Radiotherapy and Oncology Ward, Hospital Kuala Lumpur. A total of 100 controls matched with the cases for age, sex and ethnic origin were selected from the Outpatient Health Clinic in Sentul.

Social and health factors influencing poor nutritional status among rural elderly Malays.

Background: Older people especially those residing in rural areas are at a greater risk of malnutrition.

Objective: To assess nutritional status and social and health factors influencing poor nutritional status among rural elderly Malays.

Design And Methods: Cross-sectional study on 350 elderly Malays, aged 60 years and above selected from 11 traditional villages in a rural area of Malaysia.