Background: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Mongolia, and atherosclerosis is its main pathogenic factor. The cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) is a marker of arterial stiffness, and measuring it allows atherosclerosis to be detected before clinical symptoms appear. This study was based on the need to assess CVD risk in older adults and to plan prevention accordingly. Aim: To determine whether CAVI independently predicts CVD mortality in older adults. Materials and Methods: This prospective cohort study included 1,403 adults aged 55–95 years from five regions of Mongolia who had participated in the study “Factors Influencing Population Longevity,” (2011–2015). CAVI was measured with a VaSera VS-1000 device (Fukuda Denshi, Japan). Mortality data as of December 20, 2025 were obtained from the Center for Health Development by linking participants’ national registration numbers to the death registry. Deaths coded I00–I99 under the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, were classified as CVD deaths. Participants were divided into four equal groups by CAVI value (quartiles: Q1 <8.0, Q2 8.0–8.8, Q3 8.9–9.7, Q4 ≥9.8), and the cumulative incidence of CVD mortality was estimated with the Aalen–Johansen method. Cox regression analysis was adjusted for age, sex, hypertension, smoking, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and estimated glomerular filtration rate. A Fine–Gray sensitivity analysis was also performed. Results: The mean age of participants was 66.8±7.9 years. During follow-up (median 13.2 years), 121 CVD deaths (8.6%) and 127 deaths from other causes (9.1%) were recorded. The cumulative incidence of CVD mortality rose stepwise from 3.3% in Q1 to 6.0% in Q2, 9.3% in Q3 and 14.1% in Q4 (Gray’s test p<0.001). Compared with Q1, the hazard of CVD death was higher in Q3 (HR 2.03 [95% CI 1.04–3.98]) and Q4 (HR 2.42 [95% CI 1.23–4.76]) (p-trend=0.012). Per 1-unit increase in CAVI, the HRs were: crude: 1.42 [95% CI 1.24–1.63], age- and sex-adjusted: 1.19 [95% CI 1.03–1.38] and fully adjusted: 1.17 [95% CI 1.00–1.36], p=0.045. Hypertension was an independent risk factor for CVD mortality (HR 1.53 [95% CI 1.06–2.21]). Conclusion In older adults, higher CAVI predicts CVD mortality independently of age, sex and traditional risk factors, and the risk of CVD death rises stepwise with higher CAVI quartiles.

Background: Osteoporotic fractures remain a major concern for public health and the economy. Osteoporosis is a chronic disease characterized by reduced bone density due to genetic, hormonal, mineral, and lifestyle factors. Although often asymptomatic, its primary complication is fractures, which lead to disability and loss of work capacity, impacting individuals, families, and society. In Mongolia, no long-term study has examined bone density changes and fracture risk factors, which forms the basis of this research. Aim: To assess 10-year changes in bone density and identify risk factors for fractures. Materials and Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted at the Department of Pathophysiology, School of Biomedicine, MNUMS. We have re-enrolled 133 adults from Ulaanbaatar between November 2023 and January 2024, originally part of the ‘Study of some risk and pathophysiological factors of osteoporosis in the Mongolian population’ funded by the Ministry of Health and the Science and Technology Fund of Mongolia. Data collection included questionnaires, anthropometric measurements, bone mineral density assessments using the ‘Sunlight Mini-Omni’ bone sonometer (Beammed, USA) Results: The mean age of participants was 54.4±9.6 years (N=133), with 33.1% (n=44) male and 66.9% (n=89) female. Among the participants, 51.1% had a history of bone fractures, with forearm fractures comprising 10.5% and other types of fractures accounting for 40.7%. The bone fractures was significantly higher among elderly individuals and those diagnosed with osteoporosis (p<0.05). The T-score was significantly lower in the fracture group than in the non-fracture group (p<0.05). Vitamin D deficiency was identified as a significant risk factor for fractures (p<0.05). Conclusion All participants’ bone density has decreased over the decade. Bone fractures are more common in elderly and people with osteoporosis. Inadequate vitamin D intake is a significant risk factor for bone fractures.

Abstract In this article, the self-evaluation and internal analysis of the “Pharmacology” course program at the Mongolian University of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MUPS) are described. The “Pharmacology” curriculum is included in the professional course category in the curriculum of school’s Pharmacy program and includes 48 hours of lectures and 96 hours of seminar content. A total of 1,997 pharmacists have been trained by this curriculum since 2005. The pharmacy program was accredited by the National Council for Educational Accreditation with a rating of 94 percent in 2014 and 100 percent in 2021. This time, the teachers who mainly teach in the program, together with the evaluation specialist, have collected the experience and evaluation results of the “Pharmacology” curriculum in this article. Data was collected by google form and processed by the SURE online tool and used the structure-oriented evaluation (SURE) model.