Background: Herniated lumbar disc is a very common disease in the age group of 20-50 year olds the worldwide, likewise in Vietnam. There are many traditional therapies for treating this disease, such as electro-acupuncture, traditional massage, and traditional drugs... Objectives: To evaluate the effects and side-effects of combining electro-acupuncture, traditional massage, magnet-heating and lumbar traction in treating herniated lumbar disc. Subjects: 60 patients with herniated lumbar disc, over 20 years of age, were treated at the Department of Traditional Medicine and Rehabilitation, Hospital of Traditional Medicine between July 2006 and October 2007. Method: Prospective, clinical case-controlled trial. Participants were divided equally into two groups: intervention and control group. The treatment lasted for 30 days. Data was analyzed by SPSS software, version 11.5. Results: After 30 days of treatment, there were significant improvements in intervention patients about Lasegue sign, elasticity of lumbar spine, and daily movements when compared to control group. Outcomes after 30 days of treatment in the control group were 16.7% of very good, 43.3% of good, and 40% of moderate. Intervention group had better results, with 46.7% of very good, 46.7% of good, and 6.6% of moderate (p <0.01). There was not any side-effect observed in this trial. Conclusion: The combination of electro-acupuncture, traditional massage, magnet - heating and lumbar traction is a safe method and is an effective treatment for herniated lumbar disc.
Electro-acupuncture ; Traditional massage ; Magnet-heating ; lumbar traction ; Herniated lumbar disc

Objectives: The prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has increased, particularly among individuals who have recovered from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Health literacy is considered a “social vaccine” that helps people respond effectively to the pandemic. We aimed to investigate the association between long COVID-19 and PTSD, and to examine the modifying role of health literacy in this association. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at 18 hospitals and health centers in Vietnamfrom December 2021 to October 2022. We recruited 4,463 individuals who had recovered from COVID-19 infection for at least 4 weeks. Participants provided information about their sociodemographics, clinical parameters, health-related behaviors, health literacy (usingthe 12-item short-form health literacy scale), long COVID-19 symptoms and PTSD (Impact Event Scale-Revised score of 33 or higher). Logistic regression models were used to examine associations and interactions. Results: Out of the study sample, 55.9% had long COVID-19 symptoms, and 49.6% had PTSD.Individuals with long COVID-19 symptoms had a higher likelihood of PTSD (odds ratio [OR], 1.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.63–2.12; p < 0.001). Higher health literacy was associated with a lower likelihood of PTSD (OR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.97–0.99; p = 0.001). Compared to those without long COVID-19 symptoms and the lowest health literacy score, those with long COVID-19 symptoms and a 1-point health literacy increment had a 3% lower likelihood of PTSD (OR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.96–0.99; p = 0.001). Conclusion Health literacy was found to be a protective factor against PTSD and modified the negative impact of long COVID-19 symptoms on PTSD.

Background: Hypertension is a common disease in adults, also the leading cause of cardiovascular disease and premature death worldwide. The prevalence of hypertension has increased, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Therefore, hypertension screening is important to provide the basis and evidence for the development of timely intervention policies and programs. The objective of the “May Measurement Month” 2022 program is to investigate the prevalence of hypertension, drug treatment and blood pressure control in people in Thua Thien Hue province and to assess the risk factors surrounding hypertension. Subjects and Methods: This cross–sectional study collected data from volunteer adults (≥ 18 years old) in Thua Thien Hue province from 7/2022 to 8/2022. Sitting blood pressure had been measured in triplicate according to standardized specified methods of the International Society of Hypertension. Results: Average age 54.07 ± 18.17, there were 627 people (23.4%) with hypertension at the time of screening, 245 of which (39.1%) had never been diagnosed with hypertension before screening at the time. 724 people were on treatment with 1 or more types of drug, however, there were 337 people (46.5%) having their blood pressure not controlled. The statistics showed that 84.9% of volunteers were using at least 1 drug to treat hypertension. Related factors of hypertension are age, sex, overweight/obesity status, smoking, medical history of diabetes and medical history of COVID-19. The rate of subjects who had history of COVID-19 was 36.4%, including 31.6% of hypertension patients. Conclusion: The hypertension percentage of Thua Thien Hue population is still high and the rate of blood pressure control is still limited. There is a relationship between hypertension proportion and history of COVID-19. It is necessary to publish timely intervention measures to reduce the rate of hypertension and its risks to people.

Objective To screen Vietnamese medicinal plants for xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitory activity and to isolate XO inhibitor(s) from the most active plant. Methods The plants materials were extracted by methanol. The active plant materials were fractionated using different organic solvents, including n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol. Bioassay-guided fractionation and column chromatography were used to isolate compounds. The compounds structures were elucidated by analysis of spectroscopic data, including IR, MS, and NMR. Results Three hundreds and eleven methanol extracts (CME) belonging to 301 Vietnamese herbs were screened for XO inhibitory activity. Among these plants, 57 extracts displayed XO inhibitory activity at 100 μg/mL with inhibition rates of over 50%. The extracts of Archidendron clypearia (A. clypearia), Smilax poilanei, Linociera ramiflora and Passiflora foetida exhibited the greatest potency with IC