Iodine deficiency remains a global concern for developing countries and some industrialised countries. Iodine deficiency is the most common cause of preventable mental retardation, posing a threat to the social and economic development of countries. Initiatives were developed and instituted to accelerate progress to achieve the goal of universal salt iodisation (USI). However, these efforts were not successful in eliminating iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) in some countries. Every year, 50 million children are born without the protection that iodine offers to the growing brain and body and about 18 million suffer some significant degree of mental impairment. The World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and non-governmental organisations assist to ensure that populations at risk have access to iodised salt. This paper will review the highlights of iodine deficiency and present the experiences in the various countries in Asia, i.e. assessments of the situation, action plans, and obstacles to implementation.
Deficiency Diseases ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Iodine ; deficiency

China ; epidemiology ; Deficiency Diseases ; epidemiology ; Health Status ; Humans ; Iodine ; deficiency

By reviewing research contents of patient-reported outcome (PRO) and discussing Chinese medicine (CM) theories related to chronic liver disease (CLD), we have followed international PRO questionnaire development specification, combined CM theories such as uniformed spirit and body, correspondence between human and the universe, yin in property and yang in function of Gan, and seven emotions, and constructed theoretical structure of PRO questionnaire of treating CLD, including four major areas as physiology, psychology, independence, and society and nature. Of them, the physiological field contained six aspects such as blood deficiency, yin deficiency, bleeding, disorder of qi movement, improper transformation and transportation of Pi-Wei, and abnormal biliary excretion. The psychological field contained two aspects: Gan-related emotions and general disease related emotions. The independence field contained two aspects: daily life and study and work. The field of society and nature contains three aspects: social relations, social environment, and natural adaptability.
Humans ; Liver Diseases ; therapy ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Yang Deficiency ; Yin Deficiency

China ; epidemiology ; Deficiency Diseases ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Iodine ; deficiency ; Sodium Chloride, Dietary

Deficiency Diseases ; prevention & control ; Goiter ; chemically induced ; Humans ; Iodine ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; deficiency

Psoriasis has been known to have various humoral and cellular immune abnormalities. And adenosine deaminase (ADA) activities are known to be decreased in immune deficiency diseases. The present study was designed to measure the activities of ADA in sera and erythrocytes of psoriasis patients by Giustiss method. There were no significant differences in the erythrocytes ADA activities between normal subjects (9, Gp+4 43 units/10 cells) and psoriasis patients (7, 29+3. 64 units /10 cells). The ADA activities in sera of the psoriasis patients (13. 15+3. 43 units/ L) showed lowered activities than those of normal subjects (20. 44-2, 07 units/L).
Adenosine Deaminase* ; Adenosine* ; Deficiency Diseases ; Erythrocytes* ; Humans ; Psoriasis*

From 1997 to 2002 in Lang Son, HIV/AIDS epidemic evaluated and was going worsen. In the year 1997, there were 260 cases of HIV/AIDS, but in December 2002, 1511 cases of HIV infection were detected, of them 556 were evaluated to AIDS and 506 died. HIV/AIDS interventing were developed in large scale with good results, especially the education for HIV/AIDS control and various programmes of minimizing the damages
HIV ; Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome ; Communicable Diseases ; epidemiology

Testosterone, as the most important sex hormone of the male, plays a critical role in growth, development, reproduction, and maintenance of the functions of vital organs. Testosterone deficiency may lead to functional disorders in many organs or systems, which are collectively termed testosterone deficiency syndrome (TDS). TDS is a clinical and physiochemical syndrome resulted from ageing. It is recognized that the abnormally low level of testosterone is correlated with the male unhealthy status. As for the treatment of TDS, disputes exist over the necessity of testosterone supplement and the time to start the therapy, because the testosterone threshold that induces the clinical symptoms differs among different individuals and the symptoms are non-specific.
Endocrine System Diseases ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Testosterone ; deficiency

Humans ; Mitochondrial Diseases ; genetics ; Molecular Biology ; Oxidoreductases ; chemistry ; deficiency ; genetics

Child ; Communicable Diseases ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Nutritional Status ; Zinc ; deficiency