Displaying publications 161 - 167 of 167 in total

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  1. Sahathevan S, Khor BH, Yeong CH, Tan TH, Meera Mohaideen AK, Ng HM, et al.
    JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr, 2021 07;45(5):872-873.
    PMID: 34165200 DOI: 10.1002/jpen.2206
  2. Sahathevan S, Karupaiah T, Khor BH, Sadu Singh BK, Mat Daud ZA, Fiaccadori E, et al.
    Front Nutr, 2021;8:743324.
    PMID: 34977109 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2021.743324
    Background: Muscle wasting, observed in patients with end-stage kidney disease and protein energy wasting (PEW), is associated with increased mortality for those on hemodialysis (HD). Oral nutritional supplementation (ONS) and nutrition counseling (NC) are treatment options for PEW but research targeting muscle status, as an outcome metric, is limited. Aim: We compared the effects of combined treatment (ONS + NC) vs. NC alone on muscle status and nutritional parameters in HD patients with PEW. Methods: This multi-center randomized, open label-controlled trial, registered under ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier no. NCT04789031), recruited 56 HD patients identified with PEW using the International Society of Renal Nutrition and Metabolism criteria. Patients were randomly allocated to intervention (ONS + NC, n = 29) and control (NC, n = 27) groups. The ONS + NC received commercial renal-specific ONS providing 475 kcal and 21.7 g of protein daily for 6 months. Both groups also received standard NC during the study period. Differences in quadriceps muscle status assessed using ultrasound (US) imaging, arm muscle area and circumference, bio-impedance spectroscopy (BIS), and handgrip strength (HGS) methods were analyzed using the generalized linear model for repeated measures. Results: Muscle indices as per US metrics indicated significance (p < 0.001) for group × time interaction only in the ONS + NC group, with increases by 8.3 and 7.7% for quadriceps muscle thickness and 4.5% for cross-sectional area (all p < 0.05). This effect was not observed for arm muscle area and circumference, BIS metrics and HGS in both the groups. ONS + NC compared to NC demonstrated increased dry weight (p = 0.039), mid-thigh girth (p = 0.004), serum prealbumin (p = 0.005), normalized protein catabolic rate (p = 0.025), and dietary intakes (p < 0.001), along with lower malnutrition-inflammation score (MIS) (p = 0.041). At the end of the study, lesser patients in the ONS + NC group were diagnosed with PEW (24.1%, p = 0.008) as they had achieved dietary adequacy with ONS provision. Conclusion: Combination of ONS with NC was effective in treating PEW and contributed to a gain in the muscle status as assessed by the US, suggesting that the treatment for PEW requires nutritional optimization via ONS.
  3. Sooryanarayana R, Choo WY, Hairi NN, Chinna K, Hairi F, Ali ZM, et al.
    BMJ Open, 2017 Sep 01;7(8):e017025.
    PMID: 28864485 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-017025
    BACKGROUND: As Malaysia is fast becoming an ageing nation, the health, safety and welfare of elders are major societal concerns. Elder abuse is a phenomenon recognised abroad but less so locally. This paper presents the baseline findings from the Malaysian Elder Mistreatment Project (MAESTRO) study, the first community-based study on elder abuse in Malaysia.

    DESIGN: Cross-sectional study, analysing baseline findings of a cohort of older adults.

    SETTING: Kuala Pilah district, Negeri Sembilan state, Malaysia.

    OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of elder abuse among community dwelling older adults and its associated factors.

    PARTICIPANTS: A total of 2112 community dwelling older adults aged 60 years and above were recruited employing a multistage sampling using the national census.

    PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Elder abuse, measured using a validated instrument derived from previous literature and the modified Conflict Tactic Scales, similar to the Irish national prevalence survey on elder abuse with modification to local context. Factors associated with abuse and profiles of respondents were also examined.

    RESULTS: The prevalence of overall abuse was reported to be 4.5% in the past 12 months. Psychological abuse was most common, followed by financial, physical, neglect and sexual abuse. Two or more occurrences of abusive acts were common, while clustering of various types of abuse was experienced by one-third of abused elders. Being male (adjusted OR (aOR) 2.15, 95% CI 1.23 to 3.78), being at risk of social isolation (aOR 1.96, 95% CI 1.07 to 3.58), a prior history of abuse (aOR 3.28, 95% CI 1.40 to 7.68) and depressive symptomatology (aOR 7.83, 95% CI 2.88 to 21.27) were independently associated with overall abuse.

    CONCLUSION: Elder abuse occurred among one in every 20 elders. The findings on elder abuse indicate the need to enhance elder protection in Malaysia, with both screening of and interventions for elder abuse.

  4. Lee PY, Cheong AT, Ghazali SS, Salim H, Wong J, Hussein N, et al.
    NPJ Prim Care Respir Med, 2021 07 07;31(1):38.
    PMID: 34234145 DOI: 10.1038/s41533-021-00250-y
    Asthma self-management is a crucial component of asthma management. We sought to explore healthcare professionals' (HCPs') perceptions on barriers to asthma self-management implementation in primary care. We recruited 26 HCPs from six public primary care clinics in a semi-urban district of Malaysia in 2019. The analysis was done inductively. HCPs described barriers that resonated with the "COM-B" behaviour change framework. Capability-related issues stemmed from a need for specific self-management skills training. Opportunity-related barriers included the need to balance competing tasks and limited, poorly tailored resources. Motivation-related barriers included lack of awareness about self-management benefits, which was not prioritised in consultations with perceived lack of receptiveness from patients. These were compounded by contextual barriers of the healthcare organisation and multilingual society. The approach to implementation of asthma self-management needs to be comprehensive, addressing systemic, professional, and patient barriers and tailored to the local language, health literacy, and societal context.
  5. Cheong AT, Lee PY, Shariff-Ghazali S, Salim H, Hussein N, Ramli R, et al.
    NPJ Prim Care Respir Med, 2021 Nov 29;31(1):47.
    PMID: 34845205 DOI: 10.1038/s41533-021-00257-5
    Implementing asthma guideline recommendations is challenging in low- and middle-income countries. We aimed to explore healthcare provider (HCP) perspectives on the provision of recommended care. Twenty-six HCPs from six public primary care clinics in a semi-urban district of Malaysia were purposively sampled based on roles and experience. Focus group discussions were guided by a semi-structured interview guide and analysed thematically. HCPs had access to guidelines and training but highlighted multiple infrastructure-related challenges to implementing recommended care. Diagnosis and review of asthma control were hampered by limited access to spirometry and limited asthma control test (ACT) use, respectively. Treatment decisions were limited by poor availability of inhaled combination therapy (ICS/LABA) and free spacer devices. Imposed Ministry of Health programmes involving other non-communicable diseases were prioritised over asthma. Ministerial policies need practical resources and organisational support if quality improvement programmes are to facilitate better management of asthma in public primary care clinics.
  6. Tan PJ, Khoo EM, Chinna K, Saedon NI, Zakaria MI, Ahmad Zahedi AZ, et al.
    PLoS One, 2018;13(8):e0199219.
    PMID: 30074996 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199219
    OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of an individually-tailored multifactorial intervention in reducing falls among at risk older adult fallers in a multi-ethnic, middle-income nation in South-East Asia.

    DESIGN: Pragmatic, randomized-controlled trial.

    SETTING: Emergency room, medical outpatient and primary care clinic in a teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

    PARTICIPANTS: Individuals aged 65 years and above with two or more falls or one injurious fall in the past 12 months.

    INTERVENTION: Individually-tailored interventions, included a modified Otago exercise programme, HOMEFAST home hazards modification, visual intervention, cardiovascular intervention, medication review and falls education, was compared against a control group involving conventional treatment.

    PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was any fall recurrence at 12-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes were rate of fall and time to first fall.

    RESULTS: Two hundred and sixty-eight participants (mean age 75.3 ±7.2 SD years, 67% women) were randomized to multifactorial intervention (n = 134) or convention treatment (n = 134). All participants in the intervention group received medication review and falls education, 92 (68%) were prescribed Otago exercises, 86 (64%) visual intervention, 64 (47%) home hazards modification and 51 (38%) cardiovascular intervention. Fall recurrence did not differ between intervention and control groups at 12-months [Risk Ratio, RR = 1.037 (95% CI 0.613-1.753)]. Rate of fall [RR = 1.155 (95% CI 0.846-1.576], time to first fall [Hazard Ratio, HR = 0.948 (95% CI 0.782-1.522)] and mortality rate [RR = 0.896 (95% CI 0.335-2.400)] did not differ between groups.

    CONCLUSION: Individually-tailored multifactorial intervention was ineffective as a strategy to reduce falls. Future research efforts are now required to develop culturally-appropriate and affordable methods of addressing this increasingly prominent public health issue in middle-income nations.

    TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN Registry no. ISRCTN11674947.

    Study site: emergency department, medical outpatients and primary care clinic at a teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  7. Agarwal D, Hanafi NS, Khoo EM, Parker RA, Ghorpade D, Salvi S, et al.
    J Glob Health, 2021;11:04065.
    PMID: 34737865 DOI: 10.7189/jogh.11.04065
    Background: Our previous scoping review revealed limitations and inconsistencies in population surveys of chronic respiratory disease. Informed by this review, we piloted a cross-sectional survey of adults in four South/South-East Asian low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) to assess survey feasibility and identify variables that predicted asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

    Methods: We administered relevant translations of the BOLD-1 questionnaire with additional questions from ECRHS-II, performed spirometry and arranged specialist clinical review for a sub-group to confirm the diagnosis. Using random sampling, we piloted a community-based survey at five sites in four LMICs and noted any practical barriers to conducting the survey. Three clinicians independently used information from questionnaires, spirometry and specialist reviews, and reached consensus on a clinical diagnosis. We used lasso regression to identify variables that predicted the clinical diagnoses and attempted to develop an algorithm for detecting asthma and COPD.

    Results: Of 508 participants, 55.9% reported one or more chronic respiratory symptoms. The prevalence of asthma was 16.3%; COPD 4.5%; and 'other chronic respiratory disease' 3.0%. Based on consensus categorisation (n = 483 complete records), "Wheezing in last 12 months" and "Waking up with a feeling of tightness" were the strongest predictors for asthma. For COPD, age and spirometry results were the strongest predictors. Practical challenges included logistics (participant recruitment; researcher safety); misinterpretation of questions due to local dialects; and assuring quality spirometry in the field.

    Conclusion: Detecting asthma in population surveys relies on symptoms and history. In contrast, spirometry and age were the best predictors of COPD. Logistical, language and spirometry-related challenges need to be addressed.

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