Antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial isolates from clinical specimens in four Pacific Island countries, 2017-2021.

Background: There are limited antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance data from low- and middle-income countries, especially from the Pacific Islands region. AMR surveillance data is essential to inform strategies for AMR pathogen control.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of antimicrobial susceptibility results from the national microbiology laboratories of four Pacific Island countries - the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Samoa and Tonga - between 2017 and 2021.

The protective effect of rs373863828 on type 2 diabetes does not operate through a body composition pathway in adult Samoans.

Objective: The aim of this study was to understand whether the paradoxical association of missense variant rs373863828 in CREB3 regulatory factor (CREBRF) with higher BMI but lower odds of diabetes is explained by either metabolically favorable body fat distribution or greater fat-free mass.

Methods: This study explored the association of the minor allele with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry-derived body composition in n = 421 Samoans and used path analysis to examine the mediating role of fat and fat-free mass on the relationship between rs373863828 and fasting glucose.

Results: Among females, the rs373863828 minor A allele was associated with greater BMI.

Does Samoa Have Adequate Policies to Reduce Obesity and Obesity-Related Disease?

In obesity, abnormal or excess body fat (adiposity) impairs health, increases the risk of long-term medical complications, and results in decreased lifespan. There are many long-term medical complications to consider, such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, among others. These are all difficult and expensive conditions to treat in a small developing country like Samoa.

Novel Relationship Between Hemoglobin A1c Levels and Foot Ulcer Development Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Admitted at Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital.

Background: Diabetes mellitus is one of the leading chronic conditions worldwide. One of its most debilitating complications is diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), which appear to have an increased incidence in the Pacific Islands. However, this report has not been studied extensively in Samoa.

Prevalence of Sepsis Continuum in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus at Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital in Samoa.

Background Individuals with longstanding type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have a significantly higher risk for infection caused by immune dysfunction, resulting in sepsis continuum (sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock) if not adequately addressed. In sepsis, organ dysfunction occurs because the host's response to infection is impaired, more so in severe sepsis. In septic shock, persistent hypotension happens, requiring vasopressors despite aggressive fluid management.

Exploring the Paradoxical Relationship of a Creb 3 Regulatory Factor Missense Variant With Body Mass Index and Diabetes Among Samoans: Protocol for the Soifua Manuia (Good Health) Observational Cohort Study.

Background: The prevalence of obesity and diabetes in Samoa, like many other Pacific Island nations, has reached epidemic proportions. Although the etiology of these conditions can be largely attributed to the rapidly changing economic and nutritional environment, a recently identified genetic variant, rs373863828 (CREB 3 regulatory factor, CREBRF: c.1370G>A p.

Dietary Patterns Are Associated with Metabolic Outcomes among Adult Samoans in a Cross-Sectional Study.

The Samoan population has been undergoing a nutrition transition toward more imported and processed foods and a more sedentary lifestyle. We aimed to identify dietary patterns in Samoa and to evaluate their associations with metabolic outcomes. The sample of this cross-sectional study includes 2774 Samoan adults recruited in 2010 (1104 with metabolic syndrome compared with 1670 without).