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Objective: To determine the association of serum cholesterol and body mass index with body composition in the healthy Pakistani adults. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Physiology Department, Army Medical College Rawalpindi/National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS), in collaboration with Armed Forces Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (AFIRM) Rawalpindi and Clinical Pathology Laboratory (CPL), Pak-Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi. (Duration to be asked form the authors). Methodology: The total study sample of 100 participants was taken, that comprised of two groups. Group-1 included male participants (n=50) while group-2 included female participants (n=50). The participants were healthy adults of ages 18-60 years having same physical activity background. Body composition of the participants was evaluated by bioelectric impedance analysis machine. Measurement of serum cholesterol was carried out by the Bosh Diagnostic Kit. Body Mass Index (BMI) was determined by the formula. Results: Serum cholesterol was found to be significantly correlated with body fat mass and percent body fat in males (r-value = 0.90 and 0.82, p-value <0.001 and 0.002 respectively) and in females there was significantly positive correlation with the body fat mass (r-value=0.51, p-value 0.007), skeletal muscle mass (r-value = 0.59, p-value 0.005), total body water (r-value=0.67, pvalue 0.006) and fat free mass (r-value=0.47, p-value 0.008). Conclusion: Serum cholesterol and BMI were associated with the body composition in females but with only fat parameters in the males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the perceived stress, its sources, and severity and evaluated the relationship between causes of perceived stress and their coping mechanisms. Study Design: Cross-Sectional Survey. Place and Duration of Study: Army Medical College Rawalpindi and Fuji Foundation University Medical College, Islamabad Pakistan from Jun 2018 to Jun 2019. Methodology: Four hundred undergraduate medical students of the first and second-year MBBS were included in this study. Voluntary consenting students filled the questionnaires regarding perceived stress, its sources, and severity, along with the coping mechanisms. Results: Among 400 participants, the male and female students were 55.3% and 44.8%, respectively. Three hundred and forty (85%) students were stressed. Perceived stress was not statistically associated with academic stress (p-value=0.77). The coping mechanisms that were found significant were the 'use of tranquillizer' and 'positive reframing' with p-value of 0.018 and 0.025. Conclusion: A higher level of perceived stress was found in the medical students. Mostly the stressors were associated with the academic domain and not related to health and psychosocial domains. The coping mechanism used by the medical students were tranquillizers and positive reframing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To discern the relationship of height and weight with body composition in healthy attendants of cancer patients. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Oct to Dec 2022. Methodology: A total of 226 healthy adults aged 19-47 years having similar daily physical activity levels were included. The body composition of study participants was evaluated using a bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA) machine. The weight of all participants was recorded with the help of a weighing machine. The participants' height was measured using a Harp enden Stadiometer and recorded. Results: Our study showed that weight had a significant positive correlation with body fat mass (rs value=0.83), skeletal muscle mass (rs value=0.763), total body water (rs value=0.704), fat-free mass (rs value=0.75) and per cent body fat (rs value 0.716). On the other hand, height had a negative but non-significant association with fat mass (rs value= 0.025) and a negative significant association with per cent body fat (rs value=-0.16). Height had a positive and significant association with fat-free mass (rs value=0.553), total body water (rs value=0.501) and skeletal muscle mass (rs value=0.505). Conclusion: Weight, if used alone, is not a good indicator of obesity or emaciation, and height has a negative association with fat mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the perceived stress, its sources, and severity and evaluated the relationship between causes of perceived stress and their coping mechanisms. Study Design: Cross-Sectional Survey. Place and Duration of Study: Army Medical College Rawalpindi and Fuji Foundation University Medical College, Islamabad Pakistan from Jun 2018 to Jun 2019 Methodology: Four hundred undergraduate medical students of the first and second-year MBBS were included in this study. Voluntary consenting students filled the questionnaires regarding perceived stress, its sources, and severity, along with the coping mechanisms. Results: Among 400 participants, the male and female students were 55.3% and 44.8%, respectively. Three hundred and forty(85%) students were stressed. Perceived stress was not statistically associated with academic stress (p-value=0.77). The coping mechanisms that were found significant were the 'use of tranquillizer' and 'positive reframing' with p-value of 0.018 and 0.025. Conclusion: A higher level of perceived stress was found in the medical students. Mostly the stressors were associated with the academic domain and not related to health and psychosocial domains. The coping mechanism used by the medical students were tranquillizers and positive reframing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the effect of combined supplementation of Pioglitazone and Acacia Honey on blood glucose levels in Streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetic rats. Study Design: Laboratory-based animal study. Place and Duration of study: Al-Nafees Medical College, in collaboration with the National Institute of Health, Islamabad Pakistan, from Jan 2016 to Jun 2017. Methodology: The study was conducted on 150 male Sprague Dawley rats, divided into five groups with 30 rats. Group-I was the control Group. Groups II-V were given Streptozotocin 65 mg Streptozotocin intraperitoneally to make them diabetic. Group II was diabetic control. Group-III was given acacia honey for three weeks. Group-IV received an intraperitoneal injection of Pioglitazone (oral hypoglycemic) 15 mg/kg body weight per day plus Acacia honey, and Group-V was given Pioglitazone intraperitoneally for the same dose and duration. Fasting blood glucose levels were measured after three weeks of supplementation. Results: After three weeks of supplementation, the blood glucose levels were significantly (p-value <0.001) lower in all Groups (Group-III: 228.33±40.60 mg/dl, Group-IV: 132.50±22.67 mg/dl and Group-V: 120.73±14.19 mg/dl) as compared to Group-II (Diabetic Controls) (290.13±52.60 mg/dl). Conclusion: Combined supplementation of Acacia honey and Pioglitazone reduces blood glucose levels in Streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetic rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the effect of combined supplementation of Pioglitazone and Acacia Honey on blood glucose levels in Streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetic rats. Study Design: Laboratory-based animal study. Place and Duration of study: Al-Nafees Medical College, in collaboration with the National Institute of Health, Islamabad Pakistan, from Jan 2016 to Jun 2017. Methodology: The study was conducted on 150 male Sprague Dawley rats, divided into five groups with 30 rats. Group-I was the control Group. Groups II-V were given Streptozotocin 65 mg Streptozotocin intraperitoneally to make them diabetic. Group II was diabetic control. Group-III was given acacia honey for three weeks. Group-IV received an intraperitoneal injection of Pioglitazone (oral hypoglycemic) 15 mg/kg body weight per day plus Acacia honey, and Group-V was given Pioglitazone intraperitoneally for the same dose and duration. Fasting blood glucose levels were measured after three weeks of supplementation. Results: After three weeks of supplementation, the blood glucose levels were significantly (p-value <0.001) lower in all Groups (GroupIII: 228.33±40.60 mg/dl, Group-IV: 132.50±22.67 mg/dl and GroupV: 120.73±14.19 mg/dl) as compared to Group-II (Diabetic Controls) (290.13±52.60 mg/dl). Conclusion: Combined supplementation of Acacia honey and Pioglitazone reduces blood glucose levels in Streptozotocininduced type 2 diabetic rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]