Dear all,
I read three interesting recent ச்டுடிஎஸ், published in the international journals. I have sumnmarised the essence of the studies. I hope you will find of use.

First study focused on

"Patient Knowledge of Coronary Risk Profile Improves the Effectiveness of Dyslipidemia Therapy".The goal was to determine whether showing physicians and patients the patient's calculated coronary risk can improve the effectiveness of treating dyslipidemia in a primary care setting, patients were randomized to receive usual care or ongoing feedback regarding their calculated coronary risk and the change in this risk after lifestyle changes, pharmacotherapy, or both to treat dyslipidemia. Two hundred thirty primary care physicians enrolled 3053 patients. After 12 months of follow-up, 2687 patients (88.0%) remained in the study. Significantly greater mean reductions in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and the total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio were observed in patients receiving risk profiles vs usual care but the differences were small . The authors conclude that discussing coronary risk with the patient is associated with a small but measurable improvement in the efficacy of lipid therapy. The value of incorporating risk assessment in preventive care should be further evaluated.

The second study focused on Dietary Carbohydrates, Glycemic Index, Glycemic Load, and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Middle-aged Chinese Women as much uncertainty exists about the role of dietary glycemic index and glycemic load in the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus, especially in populations that traditionally subsist on a diet high in carbohydrates. Authors observed a cohort of 64 227 Chinese women with no history of diabetes or other chronic disease at baseline for 4.6 years. In-person interviews were conducted to collect data on dietary habits, physical activity, and other relevant information using a validated questionnaire. Incident diabetes cases were identified via in-person follow-up. Authors identified 1608 incident cases of type 2 diabetes mellitus in 297 755 person-years of follow-up. Dietary carbohydrate intake and consumption of rice were positively associated with risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. Authors conclude, high intake of foods with a high glycemic index and glycemic load, especially rice, the main carbohydrate-contributing food in this population, may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Chinese women.

The third study, Using Pedometers to Increase Physical Activity and Improve Health as pedometers have recently become popular as a tool for motivating physical activity. From a search of 2246 citations; 26 studies with a total of 2767 participants met inclusion criteria Pedometer users significantly increased their physical activity by 2491 steps per day more than control participants Overall, pedometer users increased their physical activity by 26.9% over baseline. An important predictor of increased physical activity was having a step goal such as 10 000 steps per day Authors conclude that the use of a pedometer is associated with significant increases in physical activity and significant decreases in body mass index and blood pressure.

R.Srinivasa Murthy
Professor of Psychiatry(retd)
Bangalore-560078. India
Phone: 91 80 2658 7995