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Introduction: Diarrhea is a global problem that commonly occurs in cases of gastrointestinal infection. The prevalence of diarrhea in Indonesia was 6.8% according to Riskesdas 2018 data. The conventional diagnosis in cases of gastrointestinal infection is limited in sensitivity and time. This may be overcome by gastrointestinal syndromic testing that can detect a number of pathogens simultaneously in one assay. The aim of this study was to determine the role of the gastrointestinal syndromic testing panel in patients with gastrointestinal infection. Methodology: This retrospective study of stool specimens performed syndromic testing and microbiological cultures at a private hospital in Central Jakarta. Results: Of the 119 specimens with negative culture test results, syndromic gastrointestinal testing found pathogens in 46 specimens (38.7%), of which 32 specimens contained a single pathogen and 14 specimens had > 1 pathogen. The most frequently found pathogens were enteropathogenic E. coli, enteroaggregative E. coli, and C. difficile A/B toxins. Conclusions: Syndromic testing can increase the etiologic diagnosis of gastrointestinal infections in a shorter time period than the conventional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Indonesia is 39% and it is higher in females than in males (46% vs. 28%). Features of this syndrome comprise low-grade chronic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction from cardiometabolic abnormalities. High-sensitive C-reactive protein (HsCRP) is a biomarker of cardiovascular disease, whereas ferritin and pentraxin-3 (PTX-3) are markers of chronic inflammation. One of the markers of endothelial dysfunction is an intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). Studies on MetS in women aged 50-70 years and using several markers of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction are rare. The study aimed to determine differences in HsCRP, ferritin, PTX-3, and ICAM-1 level between females with and without MetS aged 50-75 years. Methods: For this cross-sectional study, 160 females aged 50-75 years from South Jakarta were recruited, divided into MetS and non-MetS (control) groups, 80 participants each. Participants that met the inclusion criteria were assessed for vital signs and metabolic parameters (e.g., lipid profile, fasting blood glucose level, and waist circumference [WC]). The groups were compared using an independent t-test for inflammatory (i.e., HsCRP, PTX-3, and ferritin) and endothelial dysfunction (ICAM-1) (p < 0.05) biomarkers. Results: The mean age of the MetS and control groups was 59.6 ± 5.6 and 59.2 ± 5.5 years. MetS criteria included WC of ≥80 cm (95.2%), increased blood pressure level (90.6%); and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol of <50 mg/dL (76.2%). Significant differences were found between the MetS and control groups for ferritin (p = 0.027), PTX-3 (p = 0.045), and ICAM-1 (p = 0.004) but not for HsCRP (p = 0.136). Conclusion: Elevated ferritin, PTX-3 level, and ICAM-1 level are significantly associated with an increased Mets risk in females aged 50-75 years; however, the same is not true for HsCRP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expectations of healthy living are greater in women than men at the age of 60 years. In life after a healthy life expectancy, often women begin to get sick. The prevalence of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in women increases with age, so more women than men have PAD after age 40 years. PAD is often undiagnosed in women, because many do not show clinical symptoms that can lead to ongoing disease and increase the risk of unexpected events and mortality. Ankle Brachial Index (ABI) tests predict death and adverse cardiovascular events regardless of traditional cardiovascular risk factors, and can be used to diagnose PAD. The study was conducted with a cross-sectional method on 146 women in District X, South Jakarta, conducted in February to July 2020. Data collection included demographic characteristics data, physical examination including weight, height, manual blood pressure and ABI (Ankle Brachial Index) examination. In this study it was found that the age of the respondents varied from 50 to 70 years. The mean systolic blood pressure was 145.20 + 25.204 mmHg and the mean diastolic blood pressure was 85.99 + 12.121 mmHg. The average value of the right ABI (1,024 + 0,108), the left ABI (1,027 + 0,112). Pearson correlation test results obtained diastolic blood pressure has a significant relationship with the value of the left ABI (p = 0.047 and r = - 0.164). Based on that, we can conclude that increased diastolic blood pressure is significantly associated with lower ABI values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]