Education, income and health insurance a factor in adherence to medication of patients with #Diabetes - Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research Vol.13 No.6

Awareness of several health issues in Canada are dedicated to the month of November. One of these issues is diabetes. Bioline has a variety of articles on Diabetes mellitus from several different journals. One of the latest articles uploaded on Bioline is in the Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research vol.13 no.6, and titled "Evaluation of Adherence to Diabetic Treatment in Northern Region of United Arab Emirates" by Koprulu et al.

In this article, researchers explored the reasons adhering or not adhering to certain medications for patients with diabetes in the northern region of the United Arab Emirates. The study occurred between May 2012 to April 2013, in which two hundred randomly selected patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were evaluated. The patients came from five different diabetes clinics and three outpatient hospitals in the northern region of the United Arab Emirates.

The results indicated that 40% of patients were non-adherent to their medication. Researchers also found that there was a significant correlation between education level and adherence to medication, as results indicated that 75% of patients had no or primary-level education, and a higher prevalence of non-adherence to medication. Monthly income was also a factor in whether or not a patient would be adherent to medication, as researchers found that patients who earned less than ten thousand Emirati dirham had a high prevalence of non-adherence. Non-adherence was also prevalent in patients without health insurance.

For more articles published on Bioline on diabetes, click here.

Featured Issue: Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research Vol.12 No.6

Stevia rebaudiana
Photo courtesy of hardworkinghippy

Today we are featuring the Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research on the blog. This issue of the Nigeria-based journal includes "Making Antibiotic Choices: Formula Derivation and Usage in the Rational Selection of Antibiotics in the Empirical Treatment of Infections" by Adorka et al., which aims to create a formula to determine treatment of empirical infections. Formulas were found using probability laws to determine cost and effectiveness of antibiotics. The formula was used in a study on the most appropriate treatment of urinary tract infections of patients in hospitals in Lesotho. The results indicated that quantifying antibacterial activities and procedures helped to make choices regarding antibiotics.

Stevia is a sugar substitute derived from the plant Stevia rebaudiana that is becoming increasingly popular in the Western world.
Vol.12 no.6 includes "Influence of Salicylic Acid on the Antimicrobial Potential of Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, Asteraceae) Leaf Extracts against Soybean Seed-Borne Pathogens" by Sedgh & Sahar examines the effects of salicylic acid on Stevia leaf extract against soybean seed-borne pathogens. Six weeks after initial planting of the seeds, salicylic acid was applied. Leaf extracts were taken using water, acetone, ethanol and chloroform. The results indicated that salicylic acid can give seeds antimicrobial protection against soybean seed-borne disease. The results also indicated that applying salicylic acid on the plant itself increases antimicrobial protection of the leaf extract.

You can find the complete results of these articles and others from this issue here.

Did you know...

Did you know that the extract of the bark of Acacia nilotica could potentially possess anti-aging properties and improve the appearance of skin?

The latest issue of Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research has been posted on Bioline! Vol.12 no.3 includes "Enhancement of Human Cheek Skin Texture by Acacia Nilotica Bark Extract Cream" by Ali et al. In this study, a cream, which contained 3% Acacia nilotica bark extract, was applied on the cheeks of 11 volunteers over a period of three months. The results indicated that Acacia nilotica bark extract contains anti-aging properties and can improve the look of skin.

For details of this article, including the parameters used in the experiment, go to: http://www.bioline.org.br/abstract?id=pr13050&lang=en

For other articles from this issue, go to: http://www.bioline.org.br/titles?id=pr&year=2013&vol=12&num=03&keys=v12n3

Did you know...

Did you know that the ethanol root extract of Flemingia chappar has a sedative quality?

Vol.12 no.2 of the Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research includes "Sedative and Anticonvulsant Activities of the Ethanol Root Extract of Flemingia chappar Benth" by Gahlot et al., in which a study was conducted to test the sedative and anticonvulsant properties of Flemingia chappar. The results indicated that because of these qualities, the extract can be used as traditional medicine for Epilepsy.

For this article and others from this issue, go to: http://www.bioline.org.br/titles?id=pr&year=2013&vol=12&num=02&keys=v12n2

Did you know...

Did you know Carica papaya extract can be used to heal dermal wounds, and that adding the chemical element Selenium can speed up the healing effects of the extract? Check out the article "Addition of Selenium to Carica papaya Linn Pulp Extract Enhances Dermal Wound Healing Activity" by Abdulrazaq et al. in vol.12 no.1 of the Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research for details of this study.
Fun fact: This is the second time we are featuring an article on the Carica papaya species! The first time Carica papaya was mentioned on the blog was in a featured issue of Biokemistri. You can find this post here: http://bioline-news.blogspot.ca/2013/02/featured-issue-biokemistri-vol-24-no-1.html

Did you know...

Did you know that Hippophae rhamnoides, a deciduous shrub commonly known as sea-buckthorn, has been found to improve the elasticity of aging skin? Improvement was seen after 7 weeks of treatment!
If you would like more information, read "Anti-aging effects on Hippophae rhamnoides emulsion on human skin" by Khan et al. found in vol.11 no.6 of the Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research.
You can also find other articles from this issue here: http://www.bioline.org.br/titles?id=pr&year=2012&vol=11&num=06&keys=v11n6

Featured New Issue: Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research Vol. 11 No. 4

The Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research has recently been updated on the Bioline website with vol. 11 no. 4! This issue includes studies based in Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan. 

One study on self-medication practice among university students in southwestern Nigeria reveals that self-medicating is more common among older students, ages 25 to 55, than younger students, ages 15 to 24. The study also reports that females self-medicated more than males. Among undergraduates, self-medication was found to increase as the students’ class level in the university increased. The study concludes that self-medication is significantly associated with age, gender, and students’ class level at the university.

For full text access to the article, click here. To review the abstracts of all the articles available in vol. 11 no. 4 of  the Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, click here.