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Background/Purpose: Owing to genetic predilection of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the risk of developing impaired glucose metabolism is thought to be higher in first-degree relatives (FDRs) of those with T2DM. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and impaired fasting glycemia (IFG) and its associated risk factors in FDRs of patients with T2DM. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study of 320 cases (FDRs of T2DM outpatients) aged ≥25 years (145 males and 175 females) and 160 controls (76 males, 84 females) who were age and sex matched. All subjects underwent anthropometric, physical activity, and laboratory assessments after an overnight fast. Oral glucose tolerance test with 75g anhydrous glucose was administered. Fasting plasma glucose of 6.1–6.9 mmol/L and 2-h post-fasting glucose value of 7.8–11.0 mmol/L were used to define IFG and IGT, respectively. Statistical analysis was carried out using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software, version 20 (SPSS, Chicago, Illinois), and P value of

Background: The buttock is an essential feature of the female silhouette. This has led to the rise of the Brazilian butt lift as one of the most popular plastic surgery procedures in recent years. Despite this popularity, there remains no prevailing standard for the ideal buttock size and shape. In fact, a wide range of preferred sizes and shapes among the authors' patients has been observed. The authors hypothesized that age, religious affinity, and ethnic differences may demonstrate different buttock size and shape preferences., Methods: The authors designed the buttock assessment tool, which utilizes digitally altered buttock sizes and shapes to determine desired buttock shape (upper, middle, and lower pole maximum fullness) and buttock size (waist-to-hip width ratio) for both the posteroanterior and lateral views. A survey of 422 patients was completed, evaluating variation of desired buttock size and shape based on patient age, cultural, and ethnic differences., Results: There were significant differences in buttock size and buttock shape based on age, ethnicity, and religion. Hispanics and African Americans were twice as likely as Caucasians to request lower pole fullness in the posteroanterior view. Older respondents preferred a smaller buttock in both views. African Americans preferred a larger buttock compared to Caucasians in both views. Hispanics preferred a larger buttock in only the lateral view. Muslim respondents preferred a smaller buttock in the posteroanterior view., Conclusion: The Brazilian buttock assessment tool has become critical to understanding and delivering prospective Brazilian butt lift patients' goals by objectifying buttock size and shapes., Competing Interests: Disclosure:Dr. Mowlavi is the lead author on this page and is a paid trainer for VASER by Valeant Pharma and Apyx Medical. The other authors declare no conflicts of interest in regards to the research, authorship, or publication of this article., (Copyright © 2021 by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.)

The field of pacing in Africa has evolved in an uncoordinated way across the continent with significant variation in local expertise, cost, and utilization. There are many countries where pacemaker services do not meet one-hundredth of the national demand. Regional, national, and institutional standards for pacemaker qualification and credentials are lacking. This paper reviews the current needs for bradycardia pacing and evaluates what standards should be set to develop pacemaker services in a resource-constrained continent, including the challenges and opportunities of capacity building and training as well as standards for training programs (training prerequisites, case volumes, program content, and evaluation)., (Copyright © 2020 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Patients commencing on haemodialysis (HD) have an increased risk of cardiovascular events in the first year after starting HD compared to those patients established on HD longer. Left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and abnormal myocardial strain predict mortality. There may be changes in the myocardium of incident HD patients over a 6-month period of HD which may explain changes in cardiovascular risk. We used CMR to consider changes in LV mass, myocardial strain and T1 mapping. We examined changes in pre-dialysis highly sensitive troponin T. 33 patients undergoing HD for <12 months were recruited. Participants underwent CMR at baseline and after 6-months of standard care. 6-months of HD was associated with reduction in LV mass index (Baseline: 78.8 g/m 2 follow up: 69.9 g/m 2 , p = <0.001). LV global longitudinal strain also improved (Baseline: -17.9%, follow up: -21.6%, p = <0.001). Change in T1 time was not significant (Baseline septal T1 1277.4 ms, follow up 1271.5 p = 0.504). Highly sensitive troponin T was lower at follow up (Baseline 38.8 pg/L, follow up 30.8 pg/L p = 0.02). In incident HD patients, 6-months of HD was associated with improvements in LV mass, strain and troponin. These findings may reflect improvement in known cardiac tissue abnormalities found in patients over the first year of HD.

Background: The estimated rate of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in Western countries ranges from 300,000 to 400,000 annually, which represents 0.36 to 1.28 per 1 000 inhabitants in Europe and the United States. The burden of SCD in Africa is unknown. Our aim is to assess the epidemiology of SCD in Africa., Methods: The Pan-Africa SCD study is a prospective, multicentre, community-based registry monitoring all cases of cardiac arrest occurring in victims over 15 years old. We will use the definition of SCD as 'witnessed natural death occurring within one hour of the onset of symptoms' or 'unwitnessed natural death within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms'. After approval from institutional boards, we will record demographic, clinical, electrocardiographic and biological variables of SCD victims (including survivors of cardiac arrest) in several African cities. All deaths occurring in residents of districts of interest will be checked for past medical history, circumstances of death, and autopsy report (if possible). We will also analyse the employment of resuscitation attempts during the time frame of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in various patient populations throughout African countries., Conclusion: This study will provide comprehensive, contemporary data on the epidemiology of SCD in Africa and will help in the development of strategies to prevent and manage cardiac arrest in this region of the world.

The milestone in polio eradication program is to protect effectively children aged 0-5 years against the three serotypes of poliovirus. It became necessary to measure the level of neutralizing antibodies to the three poliovirus types in an endemic State in Nigeria. Neutralizing antibodies to the poliovirus types among children aged 0-5 years was estimated using micro neutralization assay. Of 129 children, 99 (76.8%), 95 (73.6%), and 95 (73.6%) had neutralizing antibodies with the geometric mean titer of 42.7, 31.3, and 33.2 for the poliovirus type 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Fifty-three percent of the children were protected against the three types of poliovirus. Combination of poliovirus types 1 and 2, 1 and 3, and 2 and 3 were neutralized by 62.8, 58.9, and 61.2% of the children studied, respectively. Only poliovirus type 1 induced antibody titres ≥1:1,024. The number of children with neutralizing antibodies after receiving three doses was significantly higher than those who received one or two doses of oral polio vaccine (P ≤ 0.05). However, those who received more than three doses of oral polio vaccine showed no significant difference in their antibody response. The existence of immunity gap poses a risk of re-emergence of the paralytic poliovirus. The existence of unimmunized and unprotected children along with high birth rate could impede the success of polio vaccination in Nigeria. Elimination of non-compliance to polio vaccine, promotion of health education and documented evidence of vaccination of each child with the parents may facilitate the success of polio eradication program in Nigeria., (Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)