Effect of rosuvastatin on dyslipidemia and other parameters associated with metabolic syndrome in Saudi patients

CONTEXT

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a constellation of metabolic irregularities consisting of dyslipidemia, hypertension, hyperglycemia, chronic inflammatory, and hypercoagulable state predisposing to diabetes and cardiovascular events. Statins are first-line drugs to treat the associated atherogenic dyslipidemia.

AIM

Effect of rosuvastatin on MS in Saudi patients was studied.

SETTINGS AND DESIGN

Prospective, open label, randomized clinical study.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients of either sex ≥18 years (n = 153) having MS as per modified National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria were prescribed rosuvastatin 10 mg OD for 24 weeks. Serum lipids, biochemical, clinical, and anthropometric parameters were studied before and after treatment.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED

Statistical Package for Social Sciences version17 was used. Descriptive analysis was used for all variables and documented as mean ± SD. Normality checked by Shapiro-Wilk test, Kurtosis and Skewness Z-score, and visualization of histograms. Lipid levels and other parameters before and after treatment were evaluated by paired t-test for parametric data and Wilcoxon signed rank test for nonparametric data. Pre- and post-test values were correlated by Pearson's correlation coefficient. Multiple regression analysis was performed to see effect of other variables.

RESULTS

Highly significant reduction was observed in low density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides; very low density lipoprotein cholesterol, non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol and atherosclerotic index with an elevation in high density lipoprotein cholesterol. A total of 86% patients reached low density lipoprotein cholesterol goal of ≤ 100 mg/dL. Beneficial response was observed on other associated parameters. There was strong correlation between pre- and post values. No significant effect was observed for any of the variables on cholesterol reduction. No serious/severe adverse effect was observed.

CONCLUSION

Rosuvastatin markedly improved atherogenic dyslipidemia of MS.

Accuracy of the initial evaluation of heart murmurs in neonates: do we need an echocardiogram?

The objective of this study was to determine the differences between neonatologists and pediatric cardiologists with regards to the initial assessment of neonatal heart murmur and to evaluate the role of echocardiography in this group of patients. During a period of 1 year, all neonates with heart murmur seen in pediatric cardiology consultation from neonatal intensive care units at the Children Hospital of Eastern Ontario and Ottawa General Hospital were included in this study. Neonates with heart murmur were initially evaluated clinically by a neonatologist and the most likely clinical diagnosis was recorded. This was followed by similar evaluation and assessment by the pediatric cardiologist, who did not know the result of the previous assessment. Echocardiography diagnosis was considered the gold standard for the accurate diagnosis in the two groups, and it was done for all patients. For the neonatologists, the sensitivity to detect a pathological murmur was 78% and the specificity was 33%; the positive predictive value was 77% and the negative predictive value was 37%. For the pediatric cardiologists, the accuracy of the clinical examination showed a sensitivity of 83% in detecting a pathological murmur and a specificity of 25%; the positive predictive value was 80% and the negative predictive value was 29%. There was no significant difference between the two groups. Certified neonatologists are able to assess the significance of neonatal heart murmurs well as pediatric cardiologists, although echocardiogram is still needed to reach the accurate diagnosis of congenital heart disease in neonates even if a pediatric cardiologist is consulted.

Combining pulse oximetry and clinical examination in screening for congenital heart disease

The objective of this study was to evaluate combined pulse oximetry and clinical examination as a screening method for congenital heart disease (CHD) in asymptomatic newborns. Asymptomatic newborns were screened for CHD using pulse oximetry and clinical examination before their discharge from the nursery. Oxygen saturation > or =94% was considered normal. Echocardiography was done for newborns with abnormal readings and for those with significant murmurs. Data concerning undetected cases were collected from the pediatric referral hospital. A total of 5211 cases were screened. Echocardiographic evaluations were done based on low pulse oximetry in five cases and on murmur detection in ten others. The sensitivity of the combined method of screening was 77%, whereas it was 31% for oximetry alone and 46% for clinical examination alone. Specificity was approximately 100% for all methods. The positive predictive value of the combined tool was 66.7%. We conclude that combining pulse oximetry and clinical examination can enhance the clinician's ability to detect life-threatening CHD in a timely manner. This screening method should become a part of the discharge plan for every newborn.

Neonatal hearing screening with transient evoked otoacoustic emissions in Western Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVE

To study the incidence of congenital hearing impairment in the Saudi population and to evaluate the need of establishing a Saudi universal neonatal hearing screening program based on transient evoked otoacoustic emission.

METHODS

A total of 11986 well non-high-risk neonates were screened by transient evoked otoacoustic emission over period of 8 years from September 1996 to February 2004. The universal hearing screening was consequently done in a daily base before discharge from nursery. Those who failed the initial screening were followed up diagnostically until hearing loss was confirmed or excluded.

RESULTS

From the total number of 11,986 neonates (41.4% male and 58.6% females) examined in this study 10943 (91.3%) neonates passed the first screening step while 1043(8.7%) neonates failed. From the 1043 neonates examined in the second screening step in the 5th day of life, 300 (29%) neonates failed. At the age of 5 months, all the 300 infants that failed the second screening step underwent a comprehensive audiological assessment to confirm the existence of hearing loss. The 278 infants that passed the assessment were considered as normal; while 22 failed and were confirmed to have congenital hearing loss. Of these 22 infants, 2 had unilateral sensorineural hearing loss, and the remaining 20 had bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. The incidence of sensorineural hearing loss was estimated to be 0.18% while the incidence of bilateral sensorineural hearing loss was 0.17%. No significant difference between males and females was found. The average age at confirmation of congenital hearing loss was 5.5 months.

CONCLUSION

The incidence of congenital hearing loss in the western region of Saudi Arabia is relatively high compared with international figures. Hearing screening for all neonates using transient evoked otoacoustic emission should be part of the standard medical care in Saudi Arabia.