ABSTRACT… Objectives: To find out the association of body mass index with different blood groups in medical students. Background: Increased body mass index leads to obesity and is a prominent risk factor for hypertension and diabetes. Blood groups are known to be associated with various diseases and recent studies have shown that a particular blood group with the highest body mass index appeared to be more susceptible to predisposition to hypertension. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Liaquat National Medical College, Karachi. Period: June 2015 to September 2015. Methodology: 181 medical students with 85 males and 96 females and age ranging from 18-22 years. Weight and height of each student was measured using the standard stadiometer and blood groups were determined using the antisera. Results: Mean age of the participants was 19.92 ± 1.10 years. Blood group "O" was found to be most prevalent (39.2%) while blood group "AB" was found to be the least (8.3%). Mean BMI of subjects with blood group A, B, AB and O were found to be 24.3 ± 5.04, 22.6 ± 3.59, 23.0 ± 2.91 and 23.7 ± 4.20 kg/m 2 respectively. The highest BMI was found in subjects with blood group "A" 24.3 ± 5.04 kg/m 2 and lowest in blood group "AB" 23.0 ± 2.91kg/m 2 . The Rhesus-D positive and male students had greater body mass index 23.6 ± 3.56 than females 23.2 ± 3.44. Comparison of overall mean BMI values among different blood groups showed significant difference with p-value < 0.001. Conclusion: Blood group "A" and Rhesus-D positive subjects especially males were found to be the high risk blood type with predisposition to morbidity associated with increased body mass index. Key words:Blood groups, body mass index, medical students. Article Citation: Parveen N, Rehman J, Hassan SH, Hassan Z, Rehman M. Different blood groups; association with body mass index in medical students of Karachi.

Objectives: To determine the correlation of peak expiratory flow rate and hand dynamometry in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and to find out the differences between hand grip in cases and control group Methodology: This study was carried out in the Department of Physiology and Department of Chest Medicine, Liaquat National Hospital and Medical College between July 1st 2019 and June 30th 2020 after the approval of the research and ethical committee of the same hospital. We used purposive sampling technique. Total 100 consenting individuals were recruited that were equally divided into control group and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease group. Anthropometric measurements alongwith peak expiratory flow rate and hand dynamometry values were measured. Results: We found significant difference in hand grip strength and peak expiratory flow rate between the case and control groups, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients have decreased peak expiratory flow rate and handgrip strength. Weak correlation exists between peak expiratory flow rate and hand grip strength with significant p value. No relationship was found between waist hip ratio and hand grip. Also, body mass index showed a weak negative but statistically significant correlation with hand grip strength. Conclusion: In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients, hand grip strength is decreased and determining hand grip strength may ensures quick assessment of quality of life.

Objectives: To find out the association of body mass index with different bloodgroups in medical students. Background: Increased body mass index leads to obesity and is aprominent risk factor for hypertension and diabetes. Blood groups are known to be associatedwith various diseases and recent studies have shown that a particular blood group with thehighest body mass index appeared to be more susceptible to predisposition to hypertension.Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Liaquat National Medical College, Karachi.Period: June 2015 to September 2015. Methodology: 181 medical students with 85 malesand 96 females and age ranging from 18-22 years. Weight and height of each student wasmeasured using the standard stadiometer and blood groups were determined using the antisera.Results: Mean age of the participants was 19.92 ± 1.10 years. Blood group “O” wasfound to be most prevalent (39.2%) while blood group “AB” was found to be the least (8.3%).Mean BMI of subjects with blood group A, B, AB and O were found to be 24.3 ± 5.04, 22.6 ±3.59, 23.0 ± 2.91 and 23.7 ± 4.20 kg/m2 respectively. The highest BMI was found in subjectswith blood group “A” 24.3 ± 5.04 kg/m2 and lowest in blood group “AB” 23.0 ± 2.91kg/m2. TheRhesus-D positive and male students had greater body mass index 23.6 ± 3.56 than females23.2 ± 3.44. Comparison of overall mean BMI values among different blood groups showedsignificant difference with p-value < 0.001. Conclusion: Blood group “A” and Rhesus-D positivesubjects especially males were found to be the high risk blood type with predisposition tomorbidity associated with increased body mass index.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways, which is associated with excessive airway narrowing in response to stimuli that have little or no effect on healthy subjects. Airway hyper-responsiveness with a short duration of asthma is coupled with airway inflammation which may or may not be associated with lung impairment. Objectives: To study correlation of asthma duration with total anti oxidant capacity and lung function parameters. Design: Cross sectional study. Period: June 2013 to Dec 2013. Setting: Baqai Medical University and Hospital. Methodology: A total of 92 known and diagnosed cases of asthma meeting the inclusion criteria were recruited in the study. The subjects included both male and female with age ranging from 16-70 years. Portable handheld electronic Spirometer was used for performing spirometry. FRAP assay was done to measure TAC according to the method of Benzie and Strai. Results: The mean age of patients (n-92) was 34.88±12.14 SD. The mean duration of asthma was 11.57 ± 11.30 SD years. Mean value of TAC was found to be 11.46 ± 4.34SD. Mean FEV I was 1.90±0.82SD, mean FVC was 2.17±0.88 SD, mean PEFR was 247.8±122.7 SD and mean FEV 1 /FVC was 86.21±16.58 SD. Paired sample t-test was applied to compare the spirometric values which were found highly significant. Pearson correlation was applied and showed negative but insignificant correlation of asthma duration with patients' FEV1, FEV1/FVC and PEFR as well as insignificant correlation with other spirometric parameters and TAC. Conclusion: Our study showed that duration of asthma has no significant correlation with lung function parameters and antioxidant capacity.

Back ground:Evidences suggest that oxidative stress may play an important role in the etiology of diabetes and diabetic complications. The free radicals can be encountered by the conventional treatment of diabetes. Alternatively, some plants and trace elements may be proven to bring desirable results including Coriander and Vanadyl sulfate. To produce hypoglycemic and anti oxidative effects, expensive and huge amount of these are required.Objective: An innovative method should be developed in which the Vanadyl sulfate may be up taken by coriander so that it must render it non toxic to produce hypoglycemic and anti oxidative effects in diabetic rats. Material & methods:150 albino rats were employed. 25 rats were kept normal (Group A). 125 made diabetic by STZ injection. Total 05 groups were identified and developed; each comprised of 25 rats. These were treated by Vanadyl sulfate (Group B), coriander only (Group C), Vanadyl sulfate up taken by coriander (V+C) (Group D), insulin treated (Group E) and last one did not receive any treatment (Group F). Results:The hypoglycemic effects and total antioxidant activity produced by the Vanadyl sulfate uptaken coriander are compatible than that of the insulin with negligible difference. All the other employed groups in the study did not reveal marked hypoglycemic activity. Pharmacological studies of Vanadyl sulfate uptaken herb demonstrated no deleterious effects. Conclusion:The detoxification of vanadyl sulfate has been achieved through possible auto oxidation of this valuable trace element by coriander. Vanadyl sulfate uptaken by coriander acts as antidiabetic agent and shows a considerable insulinomimetic and total antioxidant activity in the Diabetic rats.