Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria

About: Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria is a based out in . It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Adipose tissue. The organization has 528 authors who have published 579 publications receiving 18688 citations.

Genome-wide association analysis identifies a susceptibility locus for pulmonary arterial hypertension

Abstract: Florent Soubrier and colleagues report a genome-wide association study of pulmonary arterial hypertension. They identify a susceptibility locus near CBLN2 associated with a twofold elevated risk of developing this life-threatening disease.

The SPOTLIGHT virtual audit tool: a valid and reliable tool to assess obesogenic characteristics of the built environment

Abstract: Background: A lack of physical activity and overconsumption of energy dense food is associated with overweight and obesity. The neighbourhood environment may stimulate or hinder the development and/or maintenance of a healthy lifestyle. To improve research on the obesogenicity of neighbourhood environments, reliable, valid and convenient assessment methods of potential obesogenic characteristics of neighbourhood environments are needed. This study examines the reliability and validity of the SPOTLIGHT-Virtual Audit Tool (S-VAT), which uses remote sensing techniques (Street View feature in Google Earth) for desk-based assessment of environmental obesogenicity. Methods: A total of 128 street segments in four Dutch urban neighbourhoods – heterogeneous in socio-economic status and residential density – were assessed using the S-VAT. Environmental characteristics were categorised as walking related items, cycling related items, public transport, aesthetics, land use-mix, grocery stores, food outlets and physical activity facilities. To assess concordance of inter- and intra-observer reliability of the Street View feature in Google Earth, and validity scores with real life audits, percentage agreement and Cohen's Kappa (k) were calculated. Results: Intra-observer reliability was high and ranged from 91.7% agreement (k = 0.654) to 100% agreement (k = 1.000) with an overall agreement of 96.4% (k = 0.848). Inter-observer reliability results ranged from substantial agreement 78.6% (k = 0.440) to high agreement, 99.2% (k = 0.579), with an overall agreement of 91.5% (k = 0.595). Criterion validity was substantial to high for most of the categories ranging from 87.3% agreement (k = 0.539) to 99.9% agreement (k = 0.887) with an overall score of 95.6% agreement (k = 0.747). Conclusion: These study results suggest that the S-VAT is a highly reliable and valid remote sensing tool to assess potential obesogenic environmental characteristics.

Statins, antidiabetic medications and liver histology in patients with diabetes with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Abstract: Background Type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a risk factor for progressive non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Drugs commonly prescribed in patients with T2DM may affect liver histology by interfering with lipid metabolism and insulin resistance/secretion. Aim We studied if statins or antidiabetic agents were associated with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and significant fibrosis (SF). Methods We performed a cross-sectional study of 346 diabetics with biopsy-proven NAFLD. T2DM was defined as fasting glucose ≥7 mmol/L or glycated haemoglobin ≥6.5% and/or use of antidiabetics. NASH was defined according to the FLIP algorithm and SF as F2–4 Kleiner9s stages. Results 84% of patients were on antidiabetic therapy and 45% on statins. NASH and SF were present in 57% and 48% of patients. Statin-treated patients were older, more frequently male and with poorer glycaemic control despite more frequent antidiabetic therapy than those without statins; however, the prevalence of NASH (57%vs56%, p=0.868) and SF (48%vs48%, p=0.943) was not different between statin users and non-users. NASH was more common in patients on metformin or insulin than in those not treated with these drugs (60%vs47%, p=0.026; 68%vs53%, p=0.017). SF was more common in those treated with sulfonylureas (57%vs44%, p=0.030). Multivariate analyses confirmed that use of statins was independently and negatively associated with both NASH (OR (95% CI) 0.57 (0.32 to 1.01), p=0.055) and SF (OR (95% CI) 0.47 (0.26 to 0.84), p=0.011). Moreover, we found independent associations between insulin use and NASH (OR (95% CI) 2.24 (1.11 to 4.54), p=0.025) and sulfonylureas use and SF (OR (95% CI) 2.04 (1.11 to 3.74), p=0.022). Conclusions Several medications used in patients with diabetes are differently associated with NAFLD histology. Statin use is negatively associated, while insulin and sulfonylureas are positively associated with NASH and SF. A wider use of statins may be warranted in this high-risk population.