African health sciences
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African health sciences · Dec 2020
Classical ArticleNon- pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour presenting with hypoglycemia in an elderly patient.
Hypoglycemia is a common, symptom seen in individuals. Hypoglycemia in the elderly is both under-recognized and misdiagnosed due to nonspesific hypoglycemic symptoms and accompanying comorbidities in this population. In diabetic individuals, hypoglycemia is most commonly caused by administering insulin or sulphonylureas and insulin secretagogues. Other drugs, such as antibiotics or beta-blockers, have been reported to reduce blood glucose to abnormally low levels. Hypoglycemia in non-diabetic patients is considered a rare event, and the possible reasons may be reactive hypoglycemia, insulin-secreting tumours and other malignancies, hypopituitarism, hypocortisolism, alcohol abuse, inappropriate insulin self-administration, malnutrition, renal failure and sepsis. ⋯ For patients with hypoglycemia who are unable/decline to receive any further treatment, low dose glucocorticoid is a good choice to achieve normoglycemia. It seems to be more cost effective compared to other treatment options. Furthermore hospitalisation rates may decrease due to decreased hypogylcemic attacks.
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African health sciences · Dec 2020
Combating female genital mutilation in Northeast (Horn) Africa and its challenges.
This article investigates the practice of female genital mutilation as a long-held custom in the countries of Northeast Africa, known as Horn of Africa, where many women in rural and urban areas are faced with different physical and psychic consequences in their future lives. ⋯ This study reveals the Health education based on behavioral change. In doing so, the unity of policies between regional and international actors along with attracting the support of tribal elites is also needed.
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African health sciences · Dec 2020
Aerobic exercise affects sleep, psychological wellbeing and immune system parameters among subjects with chronic primary insomnia.
Chronic primary insomnia is characterized by long-term difficulties in maintaining and initiating sleep, too early waking up, poor mood, fatigue, impaired concentration and poor quality of life. Exercise training is recommended to prevent and alleviate sleep disorders. ⋯ Exercise training can be considered as a non-pharmacological modalty for modifying sleep quality, psychological wellbeing and immune system among subjects with chronic primary insomnia.
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African health sciences · Dec 2020
Improved antimalarial activity of caprol-based nanostructured lipid carriers encapsulating artemether-lumefantrine for oral administration.
Artemether and lumefantrine display low aqueous solubility leading to poor release profile; hence the need for the use of lipid-based systems to improve their oral bioavailability so as to improve their therapeutic efficacy. ⋯ This study has shown the potential of caprol-based NLCs for significant improvement in oral bioavailability and hence antimalarial activity of poorly soluble artemether and lumefantrine. Importantly, this would improve patient compliance due to decrease in dosing frequency as a sustained release formulation.
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African health sciences · Dec 2020
In vivo studies on the biochemical indices of Plasmodium berghei infected mice treated with Alstonia boonei leaf and root extracts.
A study on the biochemical indices of albino mice infected with Plasmodium berghei and treated with Alstonia boonei aqueous and ethanolic extracts was undertaken. ⋯ The antiplasmodial potentials of A. boonei leaf and root extracts were dosage and duration-dependent, and have demonstrated satisfactory normalization of altered biochemical indices due to malaria.