International Physiology

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder which affects the joints and is associated with swelling, stiffness and pain. Advanced disease stages can lead to substantial loss of functioning and mobility. As RA causes functional limitations in the joints, this might affect the movements or the movement patterns of the damaged and inflamed joints. The prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in India is about 1 to 1.5 %. The primary targets of inflammation are synovial membranes and articular structures but other organs also affected. Reaction time is a time interval between the presentation of stimulus and initiation of muscular response to that stimulus. Aim: To study audio-visual reaction time in Rheumatoid Arthritis. Material and Methods: 50 Rheumatoid Arthritis patients and 50 controlled subjects were randomly selected from the Medicine & Orthopedics OPD. Age group of the subject from 25 to 75 years and it includes both male & female. Reaction Time Apparatus by Anand Agencies Pune was used to record audio-visual reaction time. Study was carried out in research lab, dept. of Physiology, GMC Mumbai. Result: Comparison of the results for the patients with RA and for the healthy controls indicated that the reaction times were longer in the patients with RA than in the controls on both sides. Conclusion: Result shows that audiovisual reaction time is longer in RA patients than healthy subject. This could be due to impaired motor functions in RA patients.

Keywords: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA); RT (Reaction Time); Auditory Reaction Time (ART); Visual Reaction Time (VRT); OPD (Out Patient Department).

Background: Blood is an unique connective tissue which confers identity to an individual with blood group and type. Blood group has clinical importance in transfusion medicine. One of the major health problems in the world is malnourishment, of which anemia contributes to a vast subset, especially in developing countries. Decreased hemoglobin levels in turn adversely affect functioning of other systems of the human body. Blood group association with diseases like gastric cancer, pernicious anemia are proven. Previously, some studies had varied results analysing association of anemia with different blood groups. So, the present study was done to throw light on Hb levels and blood groups. Objective: The objective of this study was to find out the distribution of blood groups, the variation of hemoglobin concentration of the subjects, if there is any association of low Hb levels and blood groups. Methods: First MBBS and BDS students of the academic year 2018–2019 who were admitted in Mamata Medical College were taken as subjects and their blood grouping was done using standard antisera method.The hemoglobin content of the subjects was estimated with the help of Sahli’s hemoglobinometer. Results: The blood group distribution was O (44.87% ), B (27.31% ), A (23.85%), AB ( 3.90% ). 12.72% males were anemic and 84.66% females were anemic. The distribution of anemia in blood groups was O with 7.31%, A with 4.87%, B of 4.39% and AB with 0.97%. The Chi-square value was 0.76 with p value of 0.85 which is insignificant. Conclusion: Anemia was found to be more in subjects with O blood group and less in case of persons belonging to AB group. The blood groups were seen to follow the Asiatic trend (O > B > A > AB). Females were anemic may be due to reduced red blood cell mass influenced by high estrogen levels.

Keywords: Anemia; ABO Blood group; Hemoglobin.

Objectives: 1. To correlate BMI with Ambulatory Arterial Stiffness Index (AASI) 2. To correlate Waist Circumference with AASI 3. To correlate body fat percentage with AASI 4. To determine the best predictor of AASI amongst the obesity parameters Methodology: 30 healthy young adults of age between 20 to 35 years were enrolled in the study. Subjects with any H/o hypertension, cardiovascular, renal disorders were excluded. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated as body weight/height2 (kg/m2). Waist circumference (WC) was measured midway between lower rib margin and anterior superior iliac spine. Skinfold thickness was measured using Harpendent skinfold calipers at four sites viz triceps, biceps, subscapular and suprailiac. Body-fat percentage was calculated using Durnin-Womersley formula. 24 hours Ambulatory Blood Pressure was measured using Contec Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor (AMBP). AASI was calculated by the formula one minus the regression slope of diastolic BP over systolic BP. Results: There was a positive correlation between AASI and BMI, WC and fat percentage with correlation coefficients of 0.715 (p < 0.01), 0.735 (p < 0.01) and 0.646 (p < 0.01) respectively. Since the WC had strongest correlation with AASI, WC can be considered as the strongest predictor of AASI. Conclusion: AASI is a predictor of arterial stiffness. As the BMI, WC and fat % the AASI increases. Amongst them WC had the strongest relation with AASI. Increase in AASI predispose to peripheral arterial diseases including coronary artery disease, cerebral vascular disease. So, controlling obesity is a must to prevent peripheral arterial diseases.

Keywords: AASI; BMI; Waist circumference; Body fat percentage.

Objectives: Cardiac co-morbidities add to the overall morbidity and mortality of patients with COPD. Rate Pressure product is the product of systolic blood pressure and heart rate and is indicative of increased myocardial oxygen demand or the cardiac workload. The objective of the study was to assess cardiovascular status of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseasepatients, by determining rate pressure product (RPP). The study was performed with the hypothesis that RPP would be increased in COPD patients and may be used to detect cardiovascular complications in these patients. Methods and materials: Thirty COPD patients of more than 18 years age without frank cardiovascular symptoms were selected. Patients with pulmonary co-morbidities, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, thyroid disorders, any heart disease or other diseases that may affect cardiovascular system were excluded from the study. They were divided into different stages of severity (GOLD classification), based on FEV1. Their RPP was calculated. Outcomes: The results showed RPP to be above normal range in all the patients. Spirometry was abnormal (decreased FVC, FEV1, FVC/FEV1 below predicted) in all the patients. A negative correlation was observed between FVC/FEV1 and FEV1 and RPP, however it was not statistically significant. Conclusion: The study emphasises the implication of RPP in detecting early and imperceptible cardiovascular morbidity in COPD patients.

Keywords: COPD; Rate pressure product; Cardiovascular morbidity.

Pregnancy is a physiological condition associated with profound adaptive changes in the maternal hemodynamics and cardiovascular system. Autonomic nervous system plays a central role in this adaptation to the various needs of pregnancy. Several studies suggest that there are evidences of an age-related increase of cardiovascular sympathetic nervous system activity and a reduction of cardiac parasympathetic nervous system activity. Older age is associated with a gradual loss of vascular compliance, which subsequently leads to a higher afterload. Thus, increased sympathetic activity with maternal age, decreased baroreceptor sensitivity, and loss of vascular compliance all together contributes to increase in blood pressure. The study was conducted among 225 pregnant womenfrom 7 weeks of gestation and they were divided in different age groups (18–23 years, 24–29 years, 30–35 years). Older maternal age was associated with higher blood pressure having the mean systolic blood pressure 102.90 ± 11.95, 103.23 ± 12.58, 113.2 ± 12.53 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure 63.90 ± 9.20, 65.78, 71.33 and mmHg respectively in different age groups. Women aged 30–35 years had the highest blood pressure, but the steepest increase was observed in those aged 35 years. Thus, changes in sympatho-adrenal function with advancing age may have a number of important physiological and pathophysiological consequences for human health and may lead to gestational hypertensive disorders.

Keywords: Sympathetic nervous system; Vascular compliance; Gestational hypertensive disorders.