Introduction: Several research have demonstrated the connection between lipid levels, diabetes mellitus (DM), and hypertension, but none have focused specifically on the association between lipid levels and essential hypertension in Nepal's non-diabetic population. Aims: To study the relationship between lipid profile, body mass index (BMI), and blood pressure (BP) in the nondiabetic hypertensive population. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 150 participants. Anthropometric measurements including height, weight and BP were taken. Blood was collected in serum vial for lipid profile [total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and low and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC and HDLC)] after an overnight fasting. Results: 44.7% were female, and 55.3% were male with the age ranging between 28-80 years. Among 48.67% of the overweight participants, 56.8% were male. 25.33% were obese, among which 52.6% were male. 56% of participants had systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥140 mmHg and 58% had diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥90 mmHg and showed no significance among the gender. Borderline TG level was observed in 76.2% of participants with SBP ≥140 mmHg and in 74.7% with DBP ≥90 mmHg. HDLC vs gender showed significance. SBP and DBP had a significant relationship with LDLC and TC. The association of BMI with BP and lipid profile was not significant. Conclusion: Dyslipidemia is prevalent among non-diabetic hypertensive individuals. The majority of participants were overweight, however blood pressure and lipid profile did not correlate with BMI presumably because other anthropometric characteristics have better predictive values than BMI.

Introduction: Biochemistry is an important but volatile subject for undergraduate medical students and is included in integrated organ-based system with problem-based learning method in the curriculum of Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences. Objective: This study was conducted to assess students’ attitudes toward Biochemistry and its integration into problem-based learning. Methods: It was a descriptive cross-sectional study that lasted 5 months (October 2020-February 2021) after ethical approval from the Institutional Review Committee- KUSMS. Among 150 students participated in the study, 51 were girls and 99 were boys. After taking consent, a pretested self-assessment semi structured questionnaire with a five point Likert scale for each question was used. Out of the statements in the questionnaire, eight questions were positive statements. Mean for each statement was calculated along with average mean score for each positive and negative statements. Results: The mean positive score was 3.06 for the attitude towards studying Biochemistry. The mean score towards the negative statements was 2.4. The mean score was 3.36 for positive statements towards attitude of students towards integration of Biochemistry in problem-based learning whereas the mean score of negative statements was 3.41. Conclusions: Students had overall positive attitude towards studying Biochemistry and its integration into an organ system based curriculum using problem-based learning.

Estimation of serum aminotransferase levels play important role in the diagnosis and monitoring of hepatic diseases. Studies suggest that in patients with chronic kidney disease, especially in those under hemodialysis, the reference ranges of the serum aminotransferases might not be reflective of hepatic function. Due to this, diagnosis and management of liver diseases in such patients becomes quite challenging. This study aims to estimate and compare serum aminotransferases levels of hemodialysis patients and healthy controls. Seventy-five patients undergoing hemodialysis in Nepal Medical College Teaching Hospital for at least three months were included in the study as cases and apparently healthy individuals with no active illness and regular medication use for the past three months and were recruited as controls. Predialysis blood samples were drawn and were analyzed for serum aminotransferases and other blood parameters. The median serum AST and ALT values for hemodialysis patients were 15 U/L and 21 U/L, while for the healthy controls, it was 30 U/L and 36 U/L and the differences were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Among the hemodialysis patients, serum AST was positively correlated with eGFR (ρ = 0.247, p = 0.033) and negatively correlated with serum creatinine levels (ρ = -0.307, p = 0.007). Hence, serum aminotransferases levels were found to be low in patients with impaired kidney function compared to those with normal kidney function.

Uric acid increases insulin resistance; likewise, hyperinsulinemia increases uric acid concentration, and both are global health problems. This study is conducted to find the association between serum uric acid and blood glucose level. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in the Department of Biochemistry and Internal Medicine at Dhulikhel Hospital, Nepal, for a duration of six months (September 2021 - February 2022). A total of 130 diabetic patients who consented were compared with 130 non-diabetics by using non-probability convenient sampling technique. Ethical clearance was taken from the Institutional Review Committee-Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences. Venous blood was collected and fasting blood glucose, post-prandial blood glucose, and serum uric acid were measured. Data were analyzed in the Statistical Package for Social version 16.0. Analytical data were compared using Mann Whitney U test, and Spearman correlation was performed to correlate numerical parameters. Statistical significance was defined as a two-sided p-value of less than 0.05. The median of serum uric acid level was significantly higher in diabetics than non-diabetics; the level of fasting and post-prandial blood glucose positively correlated with serum uric acid (p<0.05). Hyperuricemia was more in diabetics than non-diabetics (p<0.05). Serum uric acid level increased with the increase in age and duration of diabetes.