African health sciences
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African health sciences · Mar 2024
The cytotoxic, genotoxic and mitotoxic effects of Atractylis gummifera extract in vitro.
The Mediterranean thistle Atractylis gummifera L. (Asteraceae; AG) has diterpenoid glucosides; atractyloside and carboxyatractyloside that interact with mitochondrial protein adenine nucleotide translocator (ANT) and resulted in ATP inhibition. Despite its well-known toxicity, acute poisonings still occur with this plant. Although most symptoms are attributed to ANT and diterpenoids interaction, in-depth investigation of the effects of AG extract on various cellular processes has not been performed. ⋯ this work highlights cellular and mitochondrial adverse effects of Atractylis gummifera extracts. A purified fraction that likely corresponds to ATR derivatives induces MPTP opening leading to swelling of mitochondria and its dysfunction. Allium cepa test provides the evidence for A. gummifera genotoxicity and cytotoxicity.
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African health sciences · Mar 2024
Newborn and infant hearing screening for early detection of hearing loss in Nairobi, Kenya.
Early detection of hearing loss and subsequent intervention leads to better speech, language and educational outcomes giving way to improved social economic prospects in adult life. This can be achieved through establishing newborn and infant hearing screening programs. ⋯ Establishing universal newborn and infant hearing screening programs is essential for early detection and intervention for hearing loss. Data management and efficient follow-up systems are an integral part of achieving diagnostic confirmation of hearing loss and early intervention.
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African health sciences · Mar 2024
Glycemic control and its associated factors among adult diabetic patients in Southern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.
Diabetes mellitus is a group of common metabolic disorders that share the phenotype of hyperglycemia. Chronic hyperglycemia causes vascular complications, mortality, and life-threatening disabilities in low-income countries including Ethiopia. Glycemic control status in diabetic patients is crucial to maintain the blood glucose level at the optimal level and to reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications and mortality. However, there is limited data on poor glycemic control status and its associated factors among diabetic patients in southern Ethiopia, particularly in the study area. Thus, this study aimed to determine glycemic control status and its associated factors using glycated hemoglobin among adult diabetic patients at Nigist Elleni Mohammad Memorial Referral Hospital, Hossana, southern Ethiopia. ⋯ A high prevalence of poor glycemic control status (82.4%) was observed among diabetic patients in this study area, and disease-related factors like duration of diabetes, complication, treatment type and lack of self-glucose monitoring, physical exercise, and dyslipidemia were identified as factors significantly associated with poor glycemic control status. The finding of the current study should be taken into account to conduct a strategic and timely intervention on significantly associated factors to delay diabetic complications and to improve the health outcome of diabetic patients. Routine screening and monitoring of dyslipidemia and providing health education on behavioral factors were the necessary measures that should be conducted to reduce the burden of poor glycemic control status among diabetic patients.
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African health sciences · Mar 2024
Nutritional status of school children in South-west Nigeria: Inferences from a national homegrown school feeding programme.
The School Feeding Programme if properly executed has the capacity to improve the nutritional status of the school children. ⋯ Majority of the children showed normal growth, the rest were in both extremes of malnutrition, the subjects from private schools seem to present better nutritional status, although there is no baseline data to ratify this finding. A further study on this subject using the current finding as a baseline data is recommended.
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African health sciences · Mar 2024
Attitude to cervical cancer screening and human papillomavirus testing experience in self-sampled Nigerian women.
Cervical cancer is a disease of major public health significance which can be prevented by adequate screening. ⋯ There is need for more education to improve the level of awareness and uptake of hr-HPV testing for cervical cancer in Lagos. Health care providers are not offering cervical cancer screening enough and this needs to be explored more in future studies.