RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Few studies have investigated suicidal behavior and attitudes of medical students. We are not aware of any previous reports emerging from the Arab world. AIMS: To investigate suicidal behavior and attitudes among medical students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). METHOD: The prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempts as well as attitudes toward suicide and reactions to a hypothetical suicidal friend were assessed using a self-report survey. Furthermore, the survey included the self-assessment of the current mood and religiosity, and socio-demographic information. RESULTS: A group of 115 medical students (mean age 20.7 years, 59.1% female) participated in the survey. The prevalence of lifetime suicidal ideation was 17.5% and of suicide attempts 1.8%. In general, students showed very low acceptability of suicide, strong beliefs in the punishment after death, and highly endorsed communicating problems with parents. Moreover, high acceptance of and support for a suicidal friend were found. Sadness was associated with higher acceptability of suicide and fewer beliefs in punishment after death. Religiosity was associated with less acceptability of suicide, seeing suicide in context of mental illness, communicating problems with parents, and greater support for a suicidal friend. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempts among medical students in the UAE was in the lower range in international comparison. Negative attitudes toward suicide were accompanied by a strong support for a suicidal friend, and both were related to religiosity.
Asunto(s)
Actitud del Personal de Salud , Comparación Transcultural , Estudiantes de Medicina/psicología , Ideación Suicida , Intento de Suicidio/psicología , Estudios Transversales , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Estudiantes de Medicina/estadística & datos numéricos , Intento de Suicidio/estadística & datos numéricos , Emiratos Árabes Unidos , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Given the clinical prevalence of type 2 diabetes and obesity and their association with high mortality linked to cardiovascular disease, the aim of the study was to investigate the effects of feeding type 2 diabetic Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats either high- or low-fat diets on cardiomyocyte structure and function. The GK rats were fed either a high-fat diet (HFD) or a low-fat diet (LFD) from the age of 2 months for a period of 7 months. The GK-HFD rats gained more weight, ate less food and drank less water compared with GK-LFD rats. At 7 months, non-fasting blood glucose was higher in GK-LFD (334 ± 35 mg dl(-1)) compared with GK-HFD rats (235 ± 26 mg dl(-1)). Feeding GK rats with a HFD had no significant effect on glucose clearance following a glucose challenge. Time-to-peak (t(peak)) shortening was reduced in myocytes from GK-HFD (131.8 ± 2.1 ms) compared with GK-LFD rats (144.5 ± 3.0 ms), and time-to-half (t(1/2)) relaxation of shortening was also reduced in myocytes from GK-HFD (71.7 ± 6.9 ms) compared with GK-LFD rats (86.1 ± 3.6 ms). The HFD had no significant effect on the amplitude of shortening. The HFD had no significant effect on t(peak), t(1/2) decay, amplitude of the Ca(2+) transient, myofilament sensitivity to Ca(2+), sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) content, fractional release of Ca(2+) and the rate of Ca(2+) uptake. Structurally, ventricular myocytes from GK-HFD rats showed extensive mitochondrial lesions, including swelling, loss of cristae, and loss of inner and outer membranes, resulting in gross vacuolarization and deformation of ventricular mitochondria with a subsequent reduction in mitochondrial density. Expression of genes encoding various L-type Ca(2+) channel proteins (Cacnb2) and cardiac muscle proteins (Myl2 and Atp2a1) were downregulated in GK-HFD compared with GK-LFD rats. Structural lesions and changed expression of genes encoding various cardiac muscle proteins might partly underlie the altered time course of myocyte shortening and relaxation in myocytes from GK-HFD compared with GK-LFD rats.