African health sciences
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African health sciences · Sep 2018
Status of thiocyanate levels in the serum and saliva of non-smokers, ex-smokers and smokers.
Use of tobacco is often implicated in the development of oral diseases. Questionable accuracy of the traditional questionnaires to assess cigarette exposure necessitates the use of biomarkers like thiocyanate which provide a definitive quantitative measure. ⋯ This study highlights the high level of thiocyanate in the serum and saliva of smokers when compared to non-smokers and ex-smokers. Significant increase in thiocyanate level was also seen in saliva. Hence it can be stated that saliva can be used as a reliable, non-invasive tool to assess smoking behaviour in the population and its changes over time.
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African health sciences · Sep 2018
Clinical presentation of newly diagnosed diabetes patients in a rural district hospital in Eastern Uganda.
Our objective was to describe the clinical presentation of new diabetes patients in a rural hospital, to enhance clinical detection in low resource settings. ⋯ Out-patients aged 40-65 years should be prioritised for early diabetes diagnosis and associated risk factors in this setting.