Urban environment as an independent predictor of insulin resistance in a South Asian population.

Background: Developing countries, such as India, are experiencing rapid urbanization, which may have a major impact on the environment: including worsening air and water quality, noise and the problems of waste disposal. We used health data from an ongoing cohort study based in southern India to examine the relationship between the urban environment and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR).

Methods: We utilized three metrics of urbanization: distance from urban center; population density in the India Census; and satellite-based land cover.

Sodium Intake, Blood Pressure, and Dietary Sources of Sodium in an Adult South Indian Population.

Background: The association between prevalence of hypertension and its relationship with dietary sodium intake has never been published from large epidemiological studies in the South Indian population before.

Objectives: To assess sodium intake and its association with blood pressure, and major dietary sources of sodium in an adult population in southeastern India.

Methods: This study included a representative population-based sample of 8080 individuals (57% women) >20 years of age.

The Usefulness and Feasibility of Mobile Interface in Tuberculosis Notification (MITUN) Voice Based System for Notification of Tuberculosis by Private Medical Practitioners--A Pilot Project.

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is a notifiable disease and health care providers are required to notify every TB case to local authorities. We conducted a pilot study to determine the usefulness and feasibility of mobile interface in TB notification (MITUN) voice based system for notification of TB cases by private medical practitioners.

Methodology: The study was conducted during September 2013 to October 2014 in three zones of Chennai, an urban setting in South India.

Population Study of Urban, Rural, and Semiurban Regions for the Detection of Endovascular Disease and Prevalence of Risk Factors and Holistic Intervention Study: Rationale, Study Design, and Baseline Characteristics of PURSE-HIS.

We designed and implemented the PURSE-HIS (Population Study of Urban, Rural and Semiurban Regions for the Detection of Endovascular Disease and Prevalence of Risk Factors and Holistic Intervention Study) to understand the prevalence and progression of subclinical and overt endovascular disease (EVD) and its risk factors in urban, semiurban, and rural communities in South India. The study is also designed to generate clinical evidence for effective, affordable, and sustainable community-specific intervention strategies to control risks factors for EVD. As of June 2012, 8,080 (urban: 2,221; semiurban: 2,821; rural: 3,038) participants >20 years of age were recruited using 2-stage cluster sampling.

Venthamarai chooranam, a polyherbal Siddha medicine, alleviates hypertension via AT₁R and eNOS signaling pathway in 2K1C hypertensive rats.

The present study was aimed to scientifically demonstrate the anti-hypertensive action of Venthamarai chooranam (VMC) in renal hypertensive rats. Two Kidney One Clip (2K1C) Goldblatt model was adopted to induce hypertension in rats. Male Sprague Dawley rats (270-320 g) were randomized into sham (n = 6), vehicle-treated 2K1C (n = 9) and VMC-treated 2K1C (400 mg/kg, p.