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Houttuynia cordata Thunb. (HC), a perennial plant distributed mainly in the tropics and subtropics regions, has been widely used as a folk medicine in Asian countries such as Vietnam. Nevertheless, limited studies have reported the pharmacognostical standardization and toxicity of the Vietnamese HC. Therefore, this study collected, identified, extracted, and in-vivo toxicological tested various HC samples at four locations, representing the whole Vietnam, including Hanoi (the Northern area), Dak Lak (the Western area), Bien Hoa (the Middle area), and Long An (the Southern area). All plant samples satisfied the quality requirements according to the standards of the Vietnamese Pharmacopoeia V and Hong Kong Pharmacopoeia. Next, a standard extraction and preparation process of HC was developed with an extraction solvent of 70% ethanol, concentrated under reduced pressure to a density of 1.16 g/mL, and spray-dried with excipients of Syloid244FP:lactose (1:2 w/w) to obtain the crude ethanolic extract of HC with optimal recovery efficiency (71.35%). Finally, the crude HC extract was evaluated its acute toxicity in rats at a dose of 50 g/kg body weight, and sub-acute toxicity in rabbits at a dose of up to 1.5 g/kg/day. No potential toxicity was noted in both settings. Conclusively, the Vietnamese HC extract, which was standardized and possessed safeness in both rat and rabbit animal models, could be further investigated to become a pharmaceutical agent in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To identify factors associated with overweight/obesity among adolescents in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Methods. In 2004, a cross-sectional survey was conducted using multi-stage cluster sampling. Weight and height of 2 678 students from 31 junior high schools in Ho Chi Minh City were measured. Dietary intake and physical activity were assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire and a physical activity questionnaire. Parental, household and neighbourhood characteristics were also collected. Factors associated with overweight/obesity in adolescents were modelled using hierarchical, multivariate logistic regression. “Survey commands” in STATA were used to account for the multi-stage cluster sampling design. Results. After adjusting for other study factors, the odds of overweight/obesity was significantly higher for male gender (OR=3.1, 95% CI: 1.8, 3.8), younger age (OR=3.4, 95% CI: 2.1, 5.3), schools located in wealthy districts (OR=2.5, 95% CI: 1.8, 3.4), higher family economic status (OR=1.9, 95% CI: 1.1, 4.9), higher parental education (OR=2.0, 95% CI: 1.4, 2.9), overweight or obese parents (OR=3.5, 95% CI: 1.7, 7.0), more time spent watching TV (OR=4.3, 95% CI: 1.3, 14.7), frequent consumption of soft drinks (OR=3.0, 95% CI: 1.6, 5.3) and more time studying after class (OR=2.9, 95% CI: 1.7, 4.9). The odds of overweight/obesity was lower with the availability of fruit at home (OR=0.5, 95% CI: 0.3, 0.7), frequent consumption of fruit/vegetables (OR=0.3, 95% CI: 0.2, 0.4) and being physically active (OR=0.5, 95% CI: 0.4, 0.8). Conclusions. Family/parental factors as well as children’s lifestyle should be taken into account when planning interventions to prevent adolescent obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a fatal haematological disorder with diverse aetiology. This prospective study was undertaken to characterize HLH cases in Vietnamese children. Clinical and laboratory data, genetic analyses and outcome of the HLH patients were analysed. A total of 33 patients were enrolled from March 2007 to December 2008, with a median age of 3 years. Mutations of the SH2D1A ( SAP) and PRF1 genes were detected in one patient, respectively. The virus association was high, up to 63·6% (21/33), including Epstein–Barr virus (19/33), cytomegalovirus (2/33) and dengue virus (2/33). Five patients had malignant lymphoma and two had autoimmune diseases. Twenty-eight patients were treated according to the HLH-2004 protocol. The first response rate was 64·3% (18/28), with an early death rate of 35·7% (10/28). High levels of interferon-γ, interleukin-10, MIG and interferon-inducible protein-10 (IP-10) were associated with early mortality ( P < 0·05). Reactivation among the responders was high (9/18) and the uneventful resolution was low (3/18) after a median follow-up of 35 weeks. In conclusion, the majority of HLH cases are associated with virus infections in Vietnamese children. Familial HLH is rare. The frequent reactivation and high mortality demands a more appropriate therapeutic regimen in tropical areas like Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Mekong Delta in the south of Vietnam about 5.7 million people lack access to safe drinking water and 10 million people in rural areas live without adequate sanitation. Between May and August, 2007 a survey was carried out in An Bin, a peri-urban ward in the Mekong Delta, to gain insight into water, sanitation and health as well as to health-related hygiene behaviour. The study employed a combination of quantitative (standardized questionnaire) and qualitative (focus group discussions, semi-structured interviews) methods. The most important features in the choice of drinking water sources are matters of hygiene and the taste of the water. The majority (74%) of the 120 households surveyed indicated their ownership of a sanitation facility, but the fish pond toilet (64%) which is predominantly utilized is considered to be unimproved sanitation. The local peri-urban population link water and hygiene to health, but sanitation instead to environmental pollution. This and other outcomes lead to the assumption that people have a basic knowledge of proper hygiene behaviour. However, hygiene measures such as hand washing are put into practice in an untimely manner, most likely due to a misconception of risks and/or a lack of background knowledge of cause-effect relationships as well as ingrained habits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To assess changes in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents in urban districts of Ho Chi Minh City between 2002 and 2004. Methods. Two surveys were conducted among high school students (11-16 years) in 2002 (n = 1003 students) and 2004 (n = 2684). International Obesity Taskforce (IOTF) sex and age specific BMI cut-offs were used to define overweight and obesity. Underweight was defined as a BMI-for-age z-score < - 2, based on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2000 growth reference. In 2002, students completed a questionnaire about household assets. In 2004, parents answered questions about their weight, height, education, occupation, and ownership of 14 household assets. Results. The prevalence of overweight and obesity increased from 5.0% and 0.6% in 2002, to 11.7% and 2.0% in 2004, respectively (p < 0.001), while the prevalence of underweight decreased from 13.1% to 6.7%. There was a significant increase in prevalence of overweight and obesity by gender over the two years: the 113% increase in prevalence of overweight and obesity in boys was significantly greater than the 39% increase in girls (p < 0.001). The percentage increase in overweight and obesity was considerably lower in adolescents from the poorest households (33%), than from the other quintiles of wealthier households (ranging from 77% to 124%) (p < 0.001). Conclusions. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents in Ho Chi Minh City is increasing rapidly. There is an urgent need to implement strategies for prevention and control amongst the adolescents of Ho Chi Minh City and other urban areas in Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a common disorder in clinical practice. It is necessary to rule out physical causes to diagnose this condition. However, the diagnosis is challenging particularly in resource-limited areas. The aim of this consensus is to update international and regional guidelines on the management of FD. The consensus panel included 32 experts from major Vietnamese universities and institutes. This consensus study was conducted using the Delphi method. The grade of recommendation and level of evidence were assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evalua-tion system. The consensus level was defined as ≥80% for agreement on the proposed statements. The expert panel approved 14 statements after two rounds of voting, which were related to two sections: (1) diagnostic tests for FD and (2) treatment of FD. This consensus is expected to help physicians in identifying and managing FD appropriately in daily clinical practice and to contribute FD data to Asian regions.

Radionuclides from the reactor accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant were observed in the surface air at stations in Hanoi, Dalat, and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) in Vietnam, about 4500 km southwest of Japan, during the period from March 27 to April 22, 2011. The maximum activity concentrations in the air measured at those three sites were 193, 33, and 37 μBq m(-3) for (131)I, (13)(4)Cs, and (13)(7)Cs, respectively. Peaks of radionuclide concentrations in the air corresponded to arrival of the air mass from Fukushima to Vietnam after traveling for 8 d over the Pacific Ocean. Cesium-134 was detected with the (134)Cs/(137)Cs activity ratio of about 0.85 in line with observations made elsewhere. The (131)I/(137)Cs activity ratio was observed to decrease exponentially with time as expected from radioactive decay. The ratio at Dalat, where is 1500 m high, was higher than those at Hanoi and HCMC in low lands, indicating the relative enrichment of the iodine in comparison to cesium at high altitudes. The time-integrated surface air concentrations of the Fukushima-derived radionuclides in the Southeast Asia showed exponential decrease with distance from Fukushima., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)