Objectives: This study was undertaken with the aim to find out possible presence of subclinical peripheral neuropathy in patients of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and its association with advancing severity of disease. Changes in nerve conduction parameter values in these patients have been presented. Materials and Methods: Median, ulnar, peroneal motor, and sural sensory nerve conduction latency, amplitude, and velocity were recorded in 100 known cases of COPD in the age group of 25–65 years as per the standard protocol. Results: On analysis, statistically significant lowering of sural nerve conduction velocity (P = 0.002) and amplitude (P = 0.003) was found with decreasing FEV1% in the three stages of COPD. Decrease in ulnar sensory conduction amplitude and velocity was also noted but it was not significant. Fall in sural nerve conduction velocity was found to be strongly and positively correlated (P = 0.029, r = 0.444) with decrease in FEV1%. Conclusion: These findings suggest that with increasing severity of disease, airflow limitation enhances polyneuropathy in COPD patients. It is predominantly axonal and mainly involving sensory nerve.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic multisystem ,a long term ,progressive ,and disabling autoimmune disease of unknown etiology .as the immune system responds ,in inflammation occurs in the target tissue or organ .in the case of RA this can be the joints lungs eyes and heart .Heart rate variability is reliable tool for assessing the activities of autonomic nervous system. In some studies increased heart rate and decreased HRV associated with increased mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The present study was undertaken to determine the Heart rate variability in rheumatoid arthritis patients and to compare mean valve of time domain SDNN NN50 PNN50 RMSSD Heart rate variability with study group and normal group. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted on 50 rheumatoid arthritis patients in the age group of 30- 70years and 50 healthy age and sex matched controls. HRV was done with Medicaid students Physiopac and analyzed with Kubois software Version 2.1. Data was analyzed using statistical software STATA 11.2using ANOVA. Significance of p value was taken as 0.05. RESULT: Data was analyzed using statistical software STATA 11.2using ANOVA. Significance of p value was taken as 0.05. CONCLUSION: In patients with Rheumatoid arthritis time domain frequency is altered. Our findings indicate higher sympathetic activity and higher basal heart rate compared to normal study. An involvement of humoral and cellular immune component has been suggested to play a role in severe autonomic neuropathy

Introduction and Objectives : β-thalassemia major patients need to have repeated blood transfusions throughout their life for survival, which leads to so many complications. Heart disease is the most important complication and the main determinant of survival in these patients. Our study shows comparison of blood pressure between these patients and that of normal subjects. Material and Methods : Present study was a cross sectional type of study and consisted of 100 normal subjects (control group) and 100 patients of beta thalassemia major (study group). Blood pressure was recorded in both the groups using mercury sphygmomanometer and statistical analysis of the observations was done using Z test. Results : There was no statistically significant difference in the Systolic blood pressure (SBP) of study group as compared to control group whereas there was a difference in the Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of study group and control group which was statistically significant (p value <0.0001). Conclusion : There was an overall reduction in the blood pressure of study group as compared to control group but the difference in SBP was statistically not significant whereas that of DBP was statistically significant. Key Words: Beta thalassemia major, Diastolic blood pressure, Systolic blood pressure