World Health Organization

About: World Health Organization is a government organization based out in Islamabad, Pakistan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Public health. The organization has 13330 authors who have published 22232 publications receiving 1322023 citations. The organization is also known as: World Health Organisation & WHO.

Health information systems: the foundations of public health

Abstract: Public health decision-making is critically dependent on the timely availability of sound data. The role of health information systems is to generate, analyse and disseminate such data. In practice, health information systems rarely function systematically. The products of historical, social and economic forces, they are complex, fragmented and unresponsive to needs. International donors in health are largely responsible for the problem, having prioritized urgent needs for data over longer-term country capacity-building. The result is painfully apparent in the inability of most countries to generate the data needed to monitor progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. Solutions to the problem must be comprehensive; money alone is likely to be insufficient unless accompanied by sustained support to country systems development coupled with greater donor accountability and allocation of responsibilities. The Health Metrics Network, a global collaboration in the making, is intended to help bring such solutions to the countries most in need.

Protein Supplements Increase Serum Insulin-Like Growth factor-I Levels and Attenuate Proximal Femur Bone Loss in Patients With Recent Hip Fracture. A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Abstract: BACKGROUND Elderly persons who have osteoporotic hip fracture are often undernourished, particularly with respect to protein. Protein malnutrition may contribute to the occurrence and outcome of hip fracture. OBJECTIVE To investigate whether oral protein supplements benefit bone metabolism in patients with recent hip fracture. DESIGN 6-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with a 6-month post-treatment follow-up. SETTING University orthopedic ward. PATIENTS 82 patients (mean age, 80.7 +/- 7.4 years) with recent osteoporotic hip fracture. Patients received calcium supplementation, 550 mg/d, and one dose of vitamin D, 200,000 IU (at baseline). INTERVENTION Protein supplementation, 20 g/d, or isocaloric placebo (among controls). MEASUREMENTS Bone mineral density, biochemical markers of bone remodeling, calciotropic hormone levels, biochemically evaluated nutritional and immunologic status, and muscle strength were measured every 6 months. RESULTS Compared with controls, patients who received protein supplements had significantly greater increases in serum levels of insulin-like growth factor-I (85.6% +/- 14.8% and 34.1% +/- 7.2% at 6 months; difference, 51.5 percentage points [95% CI, 18.6 to 84.4 percentage points]; P = 0.003) and an attenuation of the decrease in proximal femur bone mineral density (-2.29% +/- 0.75% and -4.71% +/- 0.77% at 12 months; difference, 2.42 percentage points [CI, 0.26 to 4.59 percentage points]; P = 0.029). Seven and 13 new vertebral deformities were found among patients who received protein supplements and controls, respectively (P > 0.2). Median stay in rehabilitation wards was shorter for patients who received protein supplements than for controls (33 days [CI, 29 to 56 days] and 54 days [CI, 44 to 62 days]; difference, 21 days [CI, 4 to 25 days]; P = 0.018). CONCLUSION Protein repletion after hip fracture was associated with increased serum levels of insulin-like growth factor-I, attenuation of proximal femur bone loss, and shorter stay in rehabilitation hospitals.