Methods: This is a pre- and post-measurement intervention study conducted in low-income community housing projects in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A total of 90 participants aged 18 years and above with hypertension received intervention. The participants were divided into small groups and received instructions on the use of home blood pressure measurement. They also attended a series of talks on dietary intake modification and exercise demonstration for the first six months (active phase). In another 6 months (maintenance phase), they received only pamphlet and SMS reminders. Their anthropometry, blood pressure, dietary, and biochemical parameter changes were measured at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months of intervention.
Results: Macronutrients and micronutrients showed a significant improvement at the end of 12-month dietary intervention. The energy, carbohydrate, protein, total fat, sodium, and potassium are showing significant reduction from baseline to end of the 12-month intervention. There is no significant reduction in blood pressure. Fasting blood glucose, renal sodium, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol showed a significant improvement, after controlling for age and reported physical activity.
Conclusion: The intervention improved the nutritional intake and biochemical profiles of the low-income urban population with hypertension. This promising result should be replicated in a larger scale study.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (Hospital USM), Health Campus, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia. Thirty newly diagnosed patients with PCOS attending gynecology clinic between July 2016 and April 2017 were recruited. Fasting venous blood samples were collected from the subjects. Serum AMH, insulin, adiponectin, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and plasma glucose levels were measured, and insulin resistance was calculated based on homeostasis model of assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). The serum AMH level was estimated, and the correlation of serum AMH level with the metabolic parameters was analyzed.
Results: The median of serum AMH levels in women with PCOS was 6.8 ng/mL (interquartile range: 7.38 ng/mL). There was a significant negative correlation between serum AMH and HOMA-IR or triglyceride levels (r = -0.49, P = 0.006 and r = -0.55, P = 0.002, respectively). A significant positive correlation was observed between serum AMH and serum HDL-C or serum adiponectin levels (r = 0.56, P = 0.001 and r = 0.44, P = 0.014, respectively) in all study subjects.
Conclusion: The serum AMH level is associated with HOMA-IR, triglycerides, HDL-C, and adiponectin levels, and hence it may be used as a potential cardiometabolic risk marker in women with PCOS.