Search

Introduction: Eating-out is common in almost all countries, including Malaysia, but this frequent practice may affect human health. In Malaysia, data on eating-out is limited. This study aimed to assess the proportion of eating-out, to assess the association between socio-demographic factors and eating patterns, and to compare energy and nutrient intakes between people eating-out and eating-in. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 adults aged 30 to 70 years old. Three-day food diaries were used to collect data on dietary intake. Eating-out was defined as eating foods prepared outside the home. Respondents who ate outside for at least one meal per day, for two or three days per week were considered as those who frequently practised eating-out. Results: A total of 84% of respondents who ate out had significantly higher sodium intake than those who ate at home (2934 mg/day vs. 2165 mg/day, p=0.025). Foods and drinks that were most commonly consumed outside were nasi lemak, roti canai, rice, ayam masak kicap, vegetable soup, tomyam, rice vermicelli soup (mee-hoon soup), hot teh-o, iced tea, and orange juice. Occupation (p=0.004) and location type (p=0.001) were associated with eatingout. Government and semi-government workers (61%) and urban population (57%) had higher percentage of eating-out compared to eating at home (19% and 12%, respectively). Conclusion: More than two-thirds of our respondents ate out and this habit was related to poor diet quality with excessive intake of sodium. Interventions are needed to improve the diet quality of the overall eating-out behaviour among targeted population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aims to investigate the influence of variations of loci in the DRD2 on cold pressor pain responses among healthy Malay males. Design: This was a cross-sectional observational study conducted at the Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Lniversiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Malaysia. Materials and Methods: Healthy Malay males (n = 152) from the local population participated in this study. Their cold pressor test (CPT) responses (pain threshold, pain tolerance and pain intensity) were assessed at 0 hour, and at 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours after the first CPT. DNA was extracted from whole blood and subjected to PCR-genotyping for eight DRD2 polymorphisms of our research interest (Val96Ala, Leul41Leu, Vall54Ile, Pro3IOSer, Ser311Cys, TaqI A, -141C Ins/Del and A-241G). The differe nces of CPT responses between the DRD2 polymorphisms were analysed using repeated measure ANOVA (RM-ANOVA). Results: The Val96Ala, Leul41Leu, Vall54Ile and Pro310Ser polymorphisms were not detected in any subject. There were no significant differences of pain responses (pain threshold, tolerance and intensity) between Ser311Cys, TaqI A, -141C Ins/Del and A-241G polymorphisms of DRD2 gene. DRD2 polymorphisms were not associated with cold pressor pain threshold, pain tolerance and pain intensity. Conclusion: The present results do not support the idea that the investigated DRD2 polymorphisms play a major role in cold pressor pain sensitivity among healthy Malay males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to investigate cold-pressor test (CPT) over a 24 hour period in order to determine whether healthy opioid-naive Malay adult males exhibited any diurnal variation in their pain sensitivity. Design: This was a cross-sectional observational study conducted at the Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Malaysia. Materials and Methods: One hundred and fifty two healthy opioid-naive Malay adult males [mean age (SD) = 27.46 (10.10) years) who had given informed consent and had not suffered from any pain requiring analgesic medication within 72 hours of the CPT were entered into this study. Their pain-threshold, pain-tolerance and pain-intensity in response to the CPT were measured at 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours after the first CPT. Repeated measure analysis of variance was used to test for difference in diurnal variation of cold-pain responses. Results: There were no significant differences in diurnal variation of pain-threshold, pain-tolerance and pain-intensity scores in the studied population. Conclusion: The results indicated that healthy opioid-naive Malay adult males do not display significant diurnal variation to cold pressor pain sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gastroesophageal junction is structurally complex and functionally designed to ensure the acid secreted by the most proximal gastric mucosa flows towards the stomach and not up onto the oesophageal squamous mucosa. The pattern and mechanism of reflux vary with the severity of reflux disease and this probably represents different ends of a spectrum rather than distinct pathophysiological mechanisms. Nearly all patients with severe reflux disease have hiatus hernia, however, a substantial proportion of patients with mild reflux disease do not, and this may be a result of intermittent or partial hiatus hernia undetectable by current available tools. The acid pocket is an area of post-prandial unbuffered gastric acidity immediately distal to the gastroesophageal junction and which is enlarged in patients with hiatus hernia. The acid pocket provides a reservoir of acid available to reflux when the intrinsic sphincter fails. Central obesity is an important factor in the aetiology of reflux and does this by the increased abdomino-thoracic pressure gradient inducing hiatus hernia and increasing the rate of flow of reflux when sphincter opens. Central obesity also induces short segment intrasphincteric reflux and thereby columnar metaplasia of the most distal oesophagus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]