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Aim To systematically review the literature to compare the use of DPP4 inhibitors vs sulphonylurea in type 2 diabetic Muslim patients who fast in Ramadan, with regards to its safety, tolerability, glycemic control, and body weight changes. Methods All English-language medical literature published from inception till October 2014 which met the inclusion criteria were reviewed and analyzed. Results A total of nine papers were included, reviewed and analyzed. The total sample size was 4276 patients. All studies used either of the two DPP4 inhibitors – Vildagliptin or Sitagliptin, vs sulphonylurea or meglitinides. Patients receiving DPP4 inhibitors were less likely to develop symptomatic hypoglycemia (risk ratio 0.46; 95% CI, 0.30–0.70), confirmed hypoglycemia (risk ratio 0.36; 95% CI, 0.21–0.64) and severe hypoglycemia (risk ratio 0.22; 95% CI, 0.10–0.53) compared with patients on sulphonylureas. There was no statistically significant difference in HbA1C changes comparing Vildagliptin and sulphonylurea. Conclusion DPP4 inhibitor is a safer alternative to sulphonylurea in Muslim patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who fast during the month of Ramadan as it is associated with lower risk of symptomatic, confirmed and severe hypoglycemia, with efficacy comparable to sulphonylurea.

Objective This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the construct of the phases of the female sexual response cycle (SRC) in women with hypertension and their association with the duration of hypertension and types of antihypertensive agents. Methods The sexual response phases were measured with a validated Malay version of the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). The correlations structure of the items of the SRC's phases (i.e. desire, arousal, orgasm, satisfaction and pain) was determined using principal component analysis (PCA), with varimax rotation method. The number of factors obtained was decided using Kaiser's criteria. A total of 348 hypertensive women were recruited for this study. Four constructs were extracted in the analysis of all subjects. Results Using the factor analysis, the six domains (i.e. sexual desire, arousal, etc.) of the women's SRC among hypertensive women merged into 4 constructs. They were composed of (i) sexual desire and arousal, (ii) orgasm and sexual satisfaction, (iii) vaginal lubrication and (iv) sexual pain. Interestingly, vaginal lubrication stood out alone as one construct, compared to the non-hypertensive women. It was also observed that the duration of hypertension, beta blocker and diuretic antihypertensive medications had different influence on the SCR (in terms of constructs). Conclusion Duration of hypertension and types of antihypertensive drugs may affect the components of the SRC. A clear understanding would help the clinician in strategizing the treatment approach of sexual dysfunction in women with hypertension.