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Aims: Preeclampsia is a significant disorder that poses serious risks to maternal and fetal health. This study aimed to identify the severity of preeclampsia and associated factors in a University Hospital in Malaysia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among preeclampsia patients at the Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Kelantan, Malaysia, between 2011 and 2016. Preeclampsia patients with chronic hypertension, hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelet (HELLP) syndrome, and eclampsia were included, whereas patients with chronic kidney disease were excluded. Preeclampsia severity was classified into mild, moderate, and severe. Results: The study included 202 patients [mean (standard deviation) maternal age: 30.49 (6.18) years]. Most patients were multigravida (134) and multipara (134). Sixty-five (32.2%) patients had a history of preeclampsia. The proportion of patients with mild preeclampsia was 35% [95% confidence interval (CI): 30%, 40%], moderate preeclampsia was 30% (95% CI: 25%, 35%), and severe preeclampsia was 35% (95% CI: 30%, 40%). High levels of uric acid [adjusted odds ratio (OR): 1.05, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.07, p=0.001], chronic hypertension (adjusted OR: 2.36, 95% CI: 1.28, 4.33, p=0.006), and gestational diabetes mellitus (adjusted OR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.30, 0.96, p=0.035) were the factors associated with the severity of preeclampsia. Conclusions: Higher levels of uric acid, chronic hypertension, and gestational diabetes mellitus were significantly associated with the severity of preeclampsia among patients in the USM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Body self-image questionnaire-short form (BSIQ-SF) is developed to measure body image perceptions. Due to the cultural, language and environmental differences between western and eastern population, the validity and reliability need to be established. The aim of this study was to determine validity and reliability of Malay version BSIQ-SF. Methods: A cross-sectional study involved web-based survey was employed. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed using SPSS version 22 and Mplus 7.3. Results: There were 688 young adults in Malaysia with mean age of 23.67 (SD = 0.188) and mean body mass index (BMI) of 23.34 (SD = 0.27) participated in the study. Exploratory factor analysis performed and the number domains reduced from nine to four, namely 'Negative Affect', 'Attractiveness Evaluation', 'Physical Functionality Awareness' and 'Height Dissatisfaction'. CFA further confirmed the structure of the model with adequate goodness-of-fit values [CFI = 0.927, TLI = 0.913, SRMR = 0.075, RMSEA = 0.053 (95% CI: 0.047, 0.060)]. Conclusion: The revised 21-item of the Malay version BSIQ-SF was a valid and reliable instrument to measure body image perceptions among Malaysian young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preeclampsia patients have frequently been found to experience hyperuricaemia and this may result in poor outcomes compared to those with normal uric acid levels. This study aimed to determine the relationship of hyperuricaemia in pre-eclampsia patients with foetal and maternal outcomes. This prospective cohort study involved 79 patients in a tertiary centre from year 2016 to 2018. Blood samples were taken antenatally and at the 6th week, post-delivery for renal function including serum uric acid level. Our findings indicate that there was a higher incidence of poor maternal and foetal outcomes in the hyperuricaemia group than the normal uric acid group. Serum uric acid has been shown to be a significant predictor for low birth weight and premature delivery in preeclampsia patients. It was also found that there was a significant negative correlation between uric acid level and antenatal creatinine clearance (rs = −0.338, p =.002). The assessment of the serum uric acid level seems to be important to ensure better outcomes in patients with preeclampsia. What is already known on this subject? Preeclampsia is a serious pregnancy-related complication and remains as one of the most important cause of maternal and foetal morbidity and mortality, affecting 2–8% in all pregnancy. Many studies have established the association between hyperuricaemia and preeclampsia. Besides, numerous studies have found that hyperuricaemia contributed to adverse maternal and foetal outcomes. What the results of this study add? There was a significant increase in adverse foetal and maternal outcomes in the hyperuricaemia group compared to the normal uric acid group. This study revealed that serum uric acid remains a significant predictor for low birth weight and premature delivery in preeclampsia patients. Whatthe implicationsareof these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Hyperuricaemia does not merely become an indicator for the severity of disease in preeclampsia patients but also indicates adverse foetal outcomes. Large population-based studies are required to establish the absolute maternal and foetal outcomes in patients with hyperuricaemia. Besides, further studies are recommended on long-term implication of hyperuricaemia which is not limited to only during antenatal period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health and medical research are important parts of the curriculum of medical and health programmes in universities and play an important role in the functioning of organisations related to health care. There is a shortage of well-trained health and medical research statisticians. This article describes the courses and structure of the Master of Science in Medical Statistics programme at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), as well as the graduates' achievements. It is a 2-year programme that prepares qualified and competent graduates in statistical methods and data analysis for research in health and medical sciences. The Biostatistics and Research Methodology Unit, School of Medical Sciences, USM has been running the programme since 2003. It is currently the only medical statistics programme available in Malaysia. There have been 97 graduates since 2005, with an employment rate of 96.7% and a successful subsequent doctorate rate of 21.1%. Most of the students returned to their previous employments, mainly with the Ministry of Health of Malaysia and several others became lecturers, statisticians or research officers. The employability of graduates from this programme is very high and their professional future is bright. We hope our graduates will impart their knowledge and skills to the nation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Detection of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in ocular tissue may perhaps provide insight into the role of VEGF in the pathogenesis and progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR). The aim of this study was to evaluate the levels of VEGF in tears and serum amongst type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted between August 2016 and May 2018 involving type 2 DM patients with no DR, non-proliferative DR (NPDR), and proliferative DR (PDR). Tear samples were collected using no.41 Whatman filter paper (Schirmer strips) and 5 mL blood samples were drawn by venous puncture. VEGF levels in tears and serum were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: A total of 88 type 2 DM patients (no DR: 30 patients, NPDR: 28 patients, PDR: 30 patients) were included in the study. Mean tear VEGF levels were significantly higher in the NPDR and PDR groups (114.4 SD 52.5 pg/mL and 150.8 SD 49.7 pg/mL, respectively) compared to the no DR group (40.4 SD 26.5 pg/mL, p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the mean serum VEGF levels between the three groups. There was a fair correlation between serum and tear VEGF levels (p = 0.015, r = 0.263). Conclusion: VEGF levels in tears were significantly higher amongst diabetic patients with DR compared to those without DR and were significantly associated with the severity of DR. There was a fair correlation between serum and tear VEGF levels. Detection of VEGF in tears is a good non-invasive predictor test for the severity of DR. A large cohort study is needed for further evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistical editors of the Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences (MJMS) must go through many submitted manuscripts, focusing on the statistical aspect of the manuscripts. However, the editors notice myriad styles of reporting the statistical results, which are not standardised among the authors. This could be due to the lack of clear written instructions on reporting statistics in the guidelines for authors. The aim of this editorial is to briefly outline reporting methods for several important and common statistical results. It will also address a number of common mistakes made by the authors. The editorial will serve as a guideline for authors aiming to publish in the MJMS as well as in other medical journals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]