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At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Composition of gallstones and sequential events in biliary lithogenesis--is it different in south India compared to north?

AIMS: This study was carried out to determine the gross type and composition of gallstones from South India in order to compare it with published results from the North to see whether the sequential events in biliary lithogenesis are different in these two geographical areas. MATHODOLOGY: A total of 76 stones collected from various hospitals in South India including JIPMER were analysed using X-ray crystallography. Patient characteristics were recorded. Gross typing was done according to Bockus' morphological criteria. RESULTS: Patients with gallstones in South India were found to be older in age with near equal gender distribution. Pigment calcium stones accounted for 56.5%, pigment stones for 17.2% and mixed stones for 14.2% of gallstones. Bilirubin and its salts were the most frequently identified class of compounds by crystallography. Analysis of gallstones layer by layer revealed equal distribution of bilirubin compounds between the centre and outer layers except crystalline bilirubin which was found only in outer layers. Vaterite, a polymorph of calcium carbonate was found in the nucleus, whereas vaterite and aragonite were found in the outer layers. Combination of anhydrous cholesterol and cholesterol II were found in the nucleus. Epitaxial relationship were found to hold good except for vaterite and aragonite. CONCLUSION: Gallstones from South India are probably due to infection rather than supersaturation as evidenced by predominance of pigment calcium stones and various types of bilirubin and calcium carbonate compounds. Vaterite is important for nucleation. Further growth of stones is influenced by epitaxial relationship. These findings are dissimilar to that reported from North India indicating a different stimulus for stone precipitation in these two areas.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

The future of cardiothoracic surgery in India.

The population of India had just crossed one billion mark when we entered the new millennium and open-heart operations were carried out in 42,000 cases last year which is in sharp contrast of 42 operations/million population as compared to 1700/annum/million in USA. Cardiovascular diseases are major contributors to mortality and morbidity in India. Each year between 48,000 and 128,000 children are born in India with congenital heart diseases. In 1999, 6750 operations were done for congenital heart diseases. Though excellent results were achieved, but enough surgeries could not be done. There are more than one million rheumatic heart diseases in India and 50,000 new episodes are added every year. Well over 100,000 valve replacements have taken place during the last two decades. But the cost of valve replacement surgery is beyond common man's reach. There is need to set up an agency to provide heart valves at a subsidised rate. The rapid escalation of coronary heart disease in India is a matter of concern. In 1980, coronary by-pass surgery made up less than 10% of the work that was done by a cardiac surgeon. Today it is more than 60%. At present only 25,000 coronary by-pass operations and 12,000 coronary angioplasty procedures are done in a year. The Human Organs Transplantation Act though passed in 1994, but still only 50 heart transplants have been performed. The past two decades have seen remarkable changes in cardiac surgery in the country. The public hospitals need to be upgraded. The time has come for the MCI to permit joint training programmes between public and private hospitals. As insurance sector has come to the field, so a dramatic growth of health care facilities is expected. Until now, cardiac surgery in our country has developed in an unplanned manner. Progress has been the result of individual initiative. While significant progress has been made, it has not reached the nation's needs. With a planned approach, co-ordinated by IACTS, we can do better.

Cardiac Surgical Procedures↗
PubMed2003

PPD RT23 for tuberculin surveys in India.

SETTING: Tuberculosis sanatoria and villages in Bangalore district. OBJECTIVES: To study the appropriateness of continuing to use 1TU dilutions prepared by the BCG Laboratory, Guindy, in Chennai, India, from a freeze-dried form of PPD RT23 with Tween 80 received from Statens Serum Institut (SSI), Copenhagen, for tuberculin surveys in India. DESIGN: The responses to dual tuberculin tests were compared among: 1) 63 smear-positive cases using 2TU PPD prepared by the Guindy laboratory (Dilution-G), and 2TU PPD prepared by the SSI (Dilution-S); 2) 124 smear-positive cases using 1TU and 2TU Dilution-G; and 3) 1,338 apparently healthy children using 1TU and 2TU Dilution-G. Test sites were allocated randomly using the double-blind technique. Tuberculin responses obtained during studies conducted in India and in other countries were compared. RESULTS: The differences in sensitivity of tuberculin testing using the different preparations were found to be small and statistically non-significant. Among children, a higher proportion of reaction sizes in 10-14 mm and 15 + mm categories was observed to 2TU compared to 1TU of Dilution-G. This could reflect lower specificity of 2TU in the study area where non-specific sensitivity is highly prevalent. Studies in India and other countries do not suggest any loss in potency of 1TU PPD RT23 with Tween 80. CONCLUSION: 1TU dilutions of PPD RT23 with Tween 80 provided by the BCG Laboratory, Guindy, may continue to be used for tuberculin surveys in India.

Child↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cancer risk and diet in India.

India is a developing country with one of the most diverse populations and diets in the world. Cancer rates in India are lower than those seen in Western countries, but are rising with increasing migration of rural population to the cities, increase in life expectancy and changes in lifestyles. In India, rates for oral and oesophageal cancers are some of the highest in the world. In contrast, the rates for colorectal, prostate, and lung cancers are one of the lowest. Studies of Indian immigrants in Western societies indicate that rates of cancer and other chronic diseases, such as coronary heart disease and diabetes, increase dramatically after a generation in the adopted country. Change of diet is among the factors that may be responsible for the changing disease rates. Diet in India encompasses diversity unknown to most other countries, with many dietary patterns emanating from cultural and religious teachings that have existed for thousands of years. Very little is known, however, about the role of the Indian diet in causation of cancer or its role, if any, in prevention of cancer, although more attention is being focused on certain aspects of the Indian diet, such as vegetarianism, spices, and food additives. Of particular interest for cancer prevention is the role of turmeric (curcumin), an ingredient in common Indian curry spice. Researchers also have investigated cumin, chilies, kalakhar, Amrita Bindu, and various plant seeds for their apparent cancer preventive properties. Few prospective studies, however, have been conducted to investigate the role of Indian diet and its various components in prevention of cancer. From a public health perspective, there is an increasing need to develop cancer prevention programs responsive to the unique diets and cultural practices of the people of India.

Diet↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical and familial correlates of tardive dyskinesia in India and Israel.

BACKGROUND: Antipsychotic drugs are widely used for the treatment of psychosis, especially schizophrenia. Their long-term use can result at times in serious side-effects such as Tardive Dyskinesia (TD). Since over 80% of schizophrenia sufferers (lifetime prevalence 1%) receive long-term antipsychotic drug treatment, the extent of the problem is potentially large. Increasing age is the most consistently demonstrated risk factor for TD. AIMS: To assess effect of different clinical factors and demographic variables in India and Israel and sib pair concordance of Tardive Dyskinesia (TD) in India. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: The study was conducted simultaneously among Indian and Israeli subjects: ascertainment was family-based in India and hospital-based in Israel. METHODS AND MATERIAL: In India the instruments used were: Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies (DIGS), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS), and Simpson Angus Scale (SAS). The last three instruments were also used in Israel. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Regression analysis and Pearson's correlation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: TD symptoms were present in 40.4% of 151 Israeli subjects and 28.7% of 334 Indian subjects. While age at onset and total scores on PANSS were significant predictors of TD in both the samples, lower scores on the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF), diagnostic sub-group and male gender were significant predictors among Indians. There was no concordance of TD symptoms among 33 affected sib-pairs from India.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Lung cancer in India.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is one of the commonest malignant neoplasms all over the world. It accounts for more cancer deaths than any other cancer. It is increasingly being recognized in India. METHODS: We did a systematic review of the published studies on epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer in India. Literature from other countries was also reviewed. RESULTS: With increasing prevalence of smoking, lung cancer has reached epidemic proportions in India. It has surpassed the earlier commonest form of cancer, that of oropharynx, and now is the commonest malignancy in males in many hospitals. In addition to smoking, occupational exposure to carcinogens, indoor air pollution and dietary factors have recently been implicated in the causation of lung cancer. Squamous cell carcinoma is still the commonest histological type in India in contrast to the Western countries, although adenocarcinoma is becoming more common. Molecular genetics of lung cancer has opened up new vistas of research in carcinogenesis. Various modalities for early detection through screening are being investigated. Majority of the patients have locally advanced or disseminated disease at presentation and are not candidates for surgery. Chemotherapy applied as an adjunct with radiation improves survival and the quality of life. New anticancer drugs, which have emerged during the last decade, have shown an improved efficacy-toxicity ratio. CONCLUSIONS: In view of our large population, the burden of lung cancer will be quite enormous in India. Drastic measures aimed at discouraging people from smoking must be taken to reduce the morbidity and mortality due to lung cancer.

Air Pollution↗
PubMed2005

Ahimsa and alternatives -- the concept of the 4th R. The CPCSEA in India.

The Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA) in India is one of a kind in the world. It is a statutory body of the government of India formed by an act of the Indian parliament. This body consists of nominated members and representatives from national regulatory agencies, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Environment and Forests, national academic and research councils, premier research institutes, eminent scientists and animal welfare organisations. The CPCSEA draws its powers from the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act of 1960 which states that the duty of the committee is "to take all such measures as may be necessary to ensure that animals are not subject to unnecessary pain or suffering before, during or after the performance of experiments on them". With the power to promulgate its own laws to ensure the humane and ethical use of animals in research and education, the CPCSEA in 1998 notified in the gazette of India the "Breeding of and Experiments on Animals (Control and Supervision) Rules 1998". The CPCSEA is unique in that the law in itself has enabled the creation of a common platform of discussion for scientists and animal activists for humane and progressive solutions for the use of animals in experimentation. In a country that is caught in a paradox of violence and rich cultural and religious traditions, India still draws a lot of its power from the concept of "Ahimsa" (the philosophy of non-violence). This concept is also pertinent to the use of animals in laboratories. Unethical, inhumane and unscientific practices, and ignorance of the use of alternatives were the way of science until 1999 when CPCSEA became functional. For four years CPCSEA has waged a battle, rescued thousands of animals from laboratories, fought legal battles to victory, enforced for the first time in the country good laboratory practice, designed guidelines for the use of animals in the production of immunobiologicals, introduced the credo of 3R principles, trained and taught scientific personnel the credibility of humane science and most importantly brought forward the concept of the fourth R, "rehabilitation" of used laboratory animals. Today CPCSEA has made it a national policy that personnel using experimental animals have a moral responsibility towards these animals after their use. Costs of after-care/rehabilitation of animals post experimentation are to be a part of research costs and should be scaled in positive correlation with the level of sentience of the animals. This paper is about the Indian law on animal experimentation and the success story of the CPCSEA in India in inculcating the credo of 4Rs -- Replacement, Reduction, Refinement, and Rehabilitation of animals used in experimentation.

Animal Experimentation↗
PubMed2005

Population-based risk factors for tuberculosis and adverse outcomes among Tibetan refugees in India, 1994-1996.

SETTING: Tibetan refugees in India, 1994-1996. OBJECTIVE: To determine tuberculosis (TB) incidence, independent risk factors for TB, and predictors of adverse outcomes. DESIGN: Data from a house-to-house census/demographic survey were merged with TB patient data. Separate multivariable models for each birthplace were developed for outcomes of interest. RESULTS: From 1994 to 1996, 47,491 Tibetans were surveyed and 1197 TB cases confirmed (incidence 835/ 100,000). Risk factors for TB in separate multivariable models differed by place of birth. Independent predictors of death for Tibet-born refugees included age >50 years, extra-pulmonary TB, and second-line therapy, while for India-born refugees they included second-line therapy and no improvement at the end of treatment. No significant risk factors for default were identified for Tibet-born refugees, while region of residence and the absence of a BCG scar were independent predictors among those born in India. Predictors of receipt of second-line therapy among Tibet-born refugees included region, years in camps, and prior TB, while among those born in India they were region, age > or =20 years, sputum-positive at diagnosis, and previous TB. CONCLUSIONS: TB incidence in Tibetan refugee settlements exceeds the highest national TB rates, and country of birth determines risk factors. TB control efforts in India should include this population.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Making road safety a public health concern for policy-makers in India.

BACKGROUND: Road traffic injuries contribute substantially to the disease burden in India. This paper describes the road safety issues discussed by members of the Indian Parliament, and highlights the gaps that need to be addressed to make road safety visible as a public health problem to policy-makers in India. METHODS: All questions asked to and information provided by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, and questions relating to accident asked to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of India were reviewed for the two Houses of the Indian Parliament for the years 2002 to 2004. RESULTS: Of the 1529 questions asked to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, only 140 (9.1%) were related to road safety, whereas 1076 (70.5%), 181 (11.8%), 51 (3.3%) and 81 (5.3%) were related to other aspects of the national highways, state roads, vehicles and other issues, respectively. Data on the magnitude of road crashes dealt only with the number of crashes and fatalities and not with the age, sex and type of road users affected by road traffic injuries. The parliamentarians were informed that human error was the main cause of road crashes in India; however, the robustness of this information is questionable. Strategies to prevent road crashes focused mainly on training of drivers with little attention to other factors that cause road crashes. The discussion on legislations also focused on drivers, ignoring other road users. Ten of the 4741 questions (0.2%) asked to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare were related to accident, the majority of which were about the setting up of trauma care services. CONCLUSION: An appropriate policy and intervention response by policy-makers is not possible with data that are presented in a manner that do not highlight the true nature of the problem, and are neither comprehensive nor robust. Majority of the proposed road safety interventions by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways are based on the traditional view of human error as a major cause of road crashes highlighting the lack of a scientific public health approach towards prevention of road crashes. It would be useful to build the technical capacity of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in road safety to use the available data more effectively, and to facilitate generation of further relevant data about the magnitude, underlying causes and impact of road traffic injuries, for policy-makers to better understand the critical issues for planning effective road safety policies and interventions to reduce the high burden of mortality and morbidity due to road crashes in India.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed2006

Progress toward poliomyelitis eradication--India, January 2005-June 2006.

The global eradication of poliomyelitis has reached a critical stage. The disease remains endemic in only four countries (Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan), which have reported most of the cases in 2006. India is the most populous of the polio-endemic countries. Beginning in 2005, the Government of India (GOI) and its partners intensified eradication efforts by implementing additional immunization and surveillance strategies, including introduction of monovalent oral poliovirus vaccine types 1 and 3 (mOPV1 and mOPV3, respectively). The number of reported cases decreased from 134 in 2004 to 66 in 2005. However, cases have resurged in 2006; as of June 25, 2006, a total of 60 cases had been reported. Although intense local transmission continues in certain areas (i.e., western Uttar Pradesh [UP]), interruption of wild poliovirus (WPV) transmission in India is feasible with continued effective interventions. This report summarizes progress toward polio eradication in India from January 2005 through June 2006.

Humans↗
PubMed2006

Paget's disease from Western India.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: To prospectively study prevalence of Paget's disease from Western India. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Seventeen consecutive cases from Western India from 1998 to 2005 are analysed for the clinical, biochemical, skeletal profile. Seventeen cases (15 males & 2 females) with mean age of 62 were diagnosed RESULTS: The Western Indian cohort of Paget's disease has male preponderance with a mean age of 62 years at onset. Its clinical features are pain, fracture and typical skeletal involvement. It is a non-familial, polyostotic disease with pelvis, skull, spine and femur being the commonly affected bone sites. Elevated alkaline phosphatase is typical which responds well to bisphosphonate therapy in 6 months. Most cases do well with low dose alendronate (10-20mg/day). CONCLUSIONS: Paget's disease in western India is rare with classical clinical, radiological and biochemical features and responds well to low dose alendronate therapy. In eight years, seventeen cases of Paget's disease were seen from Western India indicating though still rare is present in this population of Western India.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

The need for a drug abuse documentation center in India.

The problems of alcoholism and drug addiction are major concerns in India. Alcohol and drugs were used in the past to obtain relief from pain and misery and to attain a state of forgetfulness. India is presently facing the problem of increased trafficking in drugs; heroin and hashish are supplied to the west through the subcontinent. Addiction has become a major problem in metropolitan centers. The Ministry of Welfare is responsible for drug abuse prevention programs and the rehabilitation of addicts. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is concerned with drug treatment. A deaddiction center, established at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, became operational in 1988; it is responsible for health manpower training, research, and documentation. India has witnessed an exponential growth in the literature on drug abuse; it is no longer possible for a single library to acquire all of the international literature. There is a clear need to establish a drug abuse information center in India. This paper describes the aims, objectives, and planning for such a center and recommends the establishment of a national center in New Delhi with regional centers in other geographic areas.

Databases, Bibliographic↗
PubMed1986

Age patterns of women at marriage, cohabitation, and first birth in India.

The purpose of this paper has been to examine the age patterns of Indian women at marriage, cohabitation, and first birth. This task is complicated by features of the Indian marriage institution that differentiate it from the institution of marriage in Western cultures. It is also complicated by the diversity of Indian marriage customs and by the possibility that Indian marriage patterns have changed over time. Nevertheless, our analysis of survey data for two districts in south central India support the following conclusions: Marriage and childbearing have been and continue to be universal. The timing of marriage and childbearing, which showed only a small increase over a fairly long period of time, appears more recently to be undergoing some changes in the direction of longer delays. The significant rural-urban differences in marriage and fertility timing are at least partly the result of the greater impact of education on age at marriage, cohabitation, and first birth in urban areas than in rural areas. Observed characteristics such as religion and education explain more variation in women's marriage and fertility timing in urban areas than in rural areas (i.e., education seems to generate new social norms that tend to displace norms derived from tradition. The incidence of childhood marriages and two-stage marriages has been on the decline, causing the small but noticeable rise in age at marriage to exceed somewhat the increase in age at cohabitation. Age patterns of marriage in India do not closely resemble Western patterns, although age patterns of cohabitation and first birth do. And socioeconomic variables appear to explain less variation in marriage and fertility timing within local communities than across communities. Most important, the results highlight the need for more recent and richer data on marriage and fertility behavior in India. In particular, they strongly suggest that marriage patterns in India are now in the midst of major changes. This conclusion is similar to that reached by Caldwell, Reddy, and Caldwell (1983), who adopted a more qualitative approach to analyzing marriage change than ours, but whose observations are also more recent than ours. Through the collection and analysis of more recent and geographically widespread data, we can begin to assess more fully the nature and magnitude of the demographic changes under way and speculate on their implications for population growth, economic development, and the formulation of public policy in India.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

DNA profiling of the VNTR locus D2S44 in the population of Madras City and in the tribal Kotas of the Nilgiri Hills, south India.

Allele frequency distribution of the VNTR locus D2S44 was studied in Tamil Nadu (South India) population. Randomly chosen individuals (Tamils of the plains, Madras City; N = 142) were tested for HaeIII-generated polymorphism detectable by probe YNH24, and the allele sizes and frequencies were determined. Heterozygosity (93.6%) observed in the Tamils is comparable to that of other populations; the size and frequency distribution of alleles, however, vary significantly. The most prevalent allele, which ranges from 1.2 to 1.9 kb, appears to be unique to the Tamil Nadu population. No mutation was observed for the D2S44 locus in family material made up by 54 subjects (N = 54) including 37 offspring. DNA polymorphism at D2S44 locus was also studied in the endogamous Kota tribe of the Nilgiri Hills, South India, using enzyme HaeIII and probe YNH24. The Kota group (N = 48) is characterized by a very high frequency (32.3%) of the bin 1197-1352 bp. The DNA profile of the Kotas shows distinct differences from that of the urban population in the plains of Tamil Nadu, South India (Tamils of Madras City). The results have also been compared with the literature available on other world populations. The outcome indicates the uniqueness of the tribal Kotas and warrants the importance of DNA profiling in other tribal, caste/endogamous groups of India. This report incidentally represents the first comprehensive DNA profiling data for the locus D2S44 from India fulfilling the requirement for forensic and other applications.

Alleles↗
PubMed1998

AIDS in India: recent trends in opportunistic infections.

The first case of AIDS in India was reported in 1986. Subsequently, a surveillance system was developed in 1987. The data from this surveillance activity suggest that the HIV infection has now spread to the general population and to all parts of the country, except Arunachal Pradesh in North-eastern India. With the changing scenario of the AIDS epidemic, a host of opportunistic infections add to the present endemic state of some already existing infections like tuberculosis. This report analyses the AIDS cases in India, reported to the National AIDS Control Organization over the years between 1986 to 1997. A total of 3,551 AIDS cases had been reported till 31st May 1997. Tuberculosis (pulmonary and extrapulmonary) is the major opportunistic infection affecting 62% of the cases followed by candidiasis seen in 57% of the patients. In 1997, of the 390 AIDS cases analysed, tuberculosis (pulmonary and extrapulmonary) accounted for 56.5% of the total cases whereas candidiasis was seen in 61% of the cases. An increasing trend was observed with tuberculosis from 58% in 1986-1992 to 68.5% in 1995. No trend could be established in the case of candidiasis, though, a high prevalence of 66% was seen in the cases between 1986 and 1992. An increase was also observed in cases of PCP, cerebral toxoplasmosis and Kaposi sarcoma. In the AIDS cases, chronic diarrhea (76%), weight loss (87%) and fever (85%) appeared to be the major presenting symptoms. But, of the 390 AIDS cases reported in 1997, only 47% of them were suffering from chronic diarrhea. With increase in the number of AIDS cases, India is burdened with a dual epidemic of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. The National AIDS Control Organization in India, is involved in training clinicians and laboratory personnel in the diagnosis and management of the AIDS cases. With better diagnosis of the opportunistic infections, especially diarrhea, in AIDS patients, a better picture will emerge regarding the opportunistic infections which would help clinicians and health planners to tackle the AIDS epidemic in a more effective manner.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed2000

Some biochemical properties of Russell's viper (Daboia russelli) venom from Eastern India: correlation with clinico-pathological manifestation in Russell's viper bite.

In the present study, some biochemical properties and pathological effects of Daboia russelli venom from Burdwan district of West Bengal, eastern India are presented. The clinical features of Russell's viper envenomation observed in patients admitted to Burdwan Medical College & Hospital are also reported. In vitro, whole venom exerts strong trypsin inhibitory, phospholipase A2 and procoagulant activities in addition to moderate adenosine monophosphatase and adenosine triphosphatase activities. Lethality (LD50) of this venom sample is 0.7 mg kg (i.v.) of mice. Significant local tissue damaging effects including edema, hemorrhage and necrosis are observed in experimental animal models. An increase in the level of serum enzymes, such as aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, creatine phosphokinase, lactate dehydrogenase after D. russelli venom injection in albino rats is indicative of cell or tissue damage. High incidence of intravascular hemolysis in addition to hemostasis, haemoptysis and haematuria are observed as the most prominent features of RVV envenomation from this part of India. The present study reinforces the hypothesis that variation in the venom composition of RVV from eastern India with respect to venom samples of Russell's vipers from other parts of India is responsible for the differences in the clinical manifestation in patients from eastern India.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Consanguinity and ocular genetic diseases in South India: analysis of a five-year study.

OBJECTIVE: Consanguineous marriage is a widely practised social custom in Asia and northern Africa. In south India, Dravidian Hindus have contracted consanguineous marriages for over 2,000 years. In the present study, the influence of consanguinity on the prevalence of visual disorders was examined in patients attending a specialist genetic eye clinic. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 2,335 patients attending Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai, India, were screened for genetic eye disorders over a five-year period. The patients were drawn from all parts of India and from neighbouring countries in south Asia. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Six hundred and seventy-three (28.8%) of the patients tested for ophthalmic genetic disorders reported a family history of consanguinity. The majority (n = 574) of these families were from south India. In the patient group as a whole, the most common form of consanguineous union was between first cousins (n = 367), followed by uncle/niece marriage (n = 177), equivalent to a mean coefficient of inbreeding alpha = 0.0202. Among the consanguineous families, 430 of 673 (63.9%) had retinitis pigmentosa, 167 of these cases were autosomal recessive and 199 were isolated cases. The public in regions such as south India should be made aware of the merits and demerits of consanguineous marriages.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2006

Prevention in translation: tobacco use prevention in India.

Mobilising Youth for Tobacco-Related Initiatives in India (Project MYTRI) is a randomized community trial to prevent tobacco use among students in Grades 6 through 9 in 32 private and government schools in Delhi and Chennai, India (N=12,484). The project is a partnership between researchers and practitioners in the United States and India. This article describes the steps that were carried out to ensure that prior effective programs are appropriate and applicable to India. These steps involve (a) developing a conceptual behavioral intervention model, (b) ensuring the appropriateness of the model for urban India, (c) developing intervention strategies that modify factors in the model, (d) implementing the MYTRI program with more than 5,000 students, and (e) evaluating the process and outcomes of the intervention. Data to date suggest that this process has been successful, including high participation rates, teacher perceptions of appropriateness, and agreements for further implementation.

Adolescent↗