Background: Insomnia is one of the most prevalent neurological disorders in the United States, affecting up to half of primary care patients and often necessitating psycho-behavioral interventions. Acupuncture, a key component of traditional Chinese and Mongolian medicine, has been increasingly studied as a treatment for insomnia in recent years. Aim: Evaluating the effectiveness of acupuncture for insomnia Materials and Methods: The study was conducted using a randomized controlled clinical trial design. 148 participants, aged 18-65 years, with a diagnosis of Nonorganic Insomnia (F51.0) according to the ICD-10, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) >7, were divided into the transverse acupuncture, conventional acupuncture, and the control group. The results were analyzed using a Cardiopulmonary Coupling - CPC machine before and after treatment in the 3 groups to assess 1. Total sleep (hours), 2. Deep sleep (hours), 3. Light sleep (hours), 4. REM (hours), 5. Wake time (minutes), 6. Time to first fall asleep (minutes), 7. Sleep rate (%), 8. Number of apneas, and sleep quality was assessed using the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaires. The research approval was reviewed and granted by the Research Ethics Review Committee of the Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences on January 19, 2024 (Approval No. 24/19/01). Results: The mean age of participants was 51.5±10.8 years, with 79.7% (n=118) being female and 20.3% (n=30) male. In the transverse acupuncture group, post-treatment results demonstrated a 53.8% increase in total sleep time, a 102.8% increase in deep sleep time, a 19.8% increase in light sleep time, a 36.1% increase in REM sleep time, and a 22.1% improvement in sleep normalization rate. The mean differences between pre- and post-treatment scores were statistically significant based on a one-sample t-test. In contrast, no statistically significant improvements were observed in the control group, except for sleep quality. Conclusion Both transverse acupuncture and conventional acupuncture significantly improved sleep quality indicators following treatment.

Background: Musculoskeletal disorders account for 23.1-47.1% of occupational diseases in several countries. Studies have shown that operators of heavy machinery, including tractors and dump trucks, are twice as likely to experience lower back pain compared to workers not exposed to whole-body vibration. Furthermore, research has indicated that acute exposure to vibration can cause vasoconstriction and vascular inflammation. However, limited research has explored the relationship between lower back pain and specific biomarkers, highlighting the need for this study. Aim: This study aimed to compare lower back pain prevalence and muscle inflammation biomarkers among heavy machinery operators. Materials and Methods: A purposive sampling method was used to recruit 15 male participants aged 25-35 years who had worked as heavy machinery drivers for no more than three years. Inclusion criteria were: no alcohol consumption within 24 hours prior to sampling, body mass index (BMI) between 18.5-28.9 kg/m², no prior diagnosis of musculoskeletal disorders, and absence of infectious or non-infectious diseases during the study period. Blood samples were analyzed for Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: The mean BMI of participants was 25.89±3.23 kg/m². Over half (53.3%, n=8) exceeded the exposure limit for whole-body vibration. Low back pain was reported by 13 participants (86.7%) over the past six months and by 12 participants (80%) over the past seven days. TNF-α levels did not differ significantly between groups based on low back pain status or vibration exposure. However, IL-6 levels showed a significant increase 24 hours after whole-body vibration exposure (p=0.027). Conclusion Lower back pain was highly prevalent among participants exposed to whole-body vibration. Furthermore, IL-6 levels were elevated among participants reporting lower back pain, regardless of vibration exposure levels.

Background: Psychosocial work environment predicts a range of health risks including sickness absence, poor self rated health, and depression. Objective: To identify association between psychosocial work environment and health related indicators among health care workers in Mongolia Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between January and April, 2023. 655 health care workers from Ulaanbaatar city and 4 aimags were involved. Psychosocial work environment was assessed by the Effort-reward imbalance model. As for the health related indicators, we used the SF-12 questionnaire and sickness absence report. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed.
The study was approved by Medical Ethics Review Committee on January 18, 2023 (#23/02). Results: 1 in every 2 health care workers experience effort-reward imbalance at work and rated their health as poor. In average, 32.7 percent of the study participants took 16.6 sick days for the last 1 year. The study identified poor physical (44.7±8.6) and mental health functioning (42.1±9.8) among study participants. Physical functioning was lower among nurses whereas mental health functioning was lower among physicians. Conclusion Poor health related indicators among health care workers are associated with adverse psychosocial work environment such as effort-reward imbalance and high effort and low reward

Outcomes of the retinopathy of prematurity screening and treatment in Mongolia Background: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a disease characterized by abnormal retinal vasculature that can have devastating visual consequences. Despite evidence that early detection and treatment can prevent blindness, ROP remains a leading cause of pediatric blindness worldwide. We aimed at investigating the outcomes of ROP screening, intravitreal anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and laser surgery in the treatment ROP and describe an evidence-based and specific process for identifying birth weight and gestational age screening guidelines in Mongolia utilizing telemedicine. Materials and methods: This was a retrospective of prematurity infants screened ROP from 2012 September to July 2020 and prospective cohort study of premature infants with treatment-requiring ROP who received intravitreal injections, laser surgery and combined therapy from 2015 December 01 to January 31, 2017. Demographic factors, diagnosis and clinical course were recorded in a de-identified manner using REDCap, a secure, web-based platform to collect image and demographic data. The IRB approved the study protocol not requiring parental consent due to the de-identified nature of the data which was used for program monitoring purposes. Indirect ophthalmoscopy and Retinal imaging was performed using RetCam (Natus Medical, Pleasanton, CA) and images were uploaded to the web-based platform which could be accessed by the Mongolian ophthalmologist for reference. Each eye was evaluated by the local Mongolian ophthalmologist for the presence or absence of ROP, zone of vascularization, stage, plus disease, and aggressive posterior ROP (AP-ROP). The diagnosis and classification of ROP for this current study were determined by examination using indirect ophthalmoscopy, and treatment plans were determined according to the International Classification for ROP and the Early Treatment for ROP Study (ET-ROP).2,13 Regression analysis to determine association between BW and GA and the development of ROP. Results: A total of 9126 premature infants with BW ≤ 2500 g and/or GA ≤ 36 weeks were screened for ROP during the study period. 327 (3.5%) of the 9126 infants screened required treatment. The193 infants who received ROP screening had a mean GA of 30.09 ± 1.7 weeks, and mean BW of 1500.3 ± 125.42g. The BW of infants in this study ranged from 750g to 2000g, and the GA at birth ranged from 25 to 35 weeks. The BW of infants in this study ranged from 750g to 2000g, and the GA at birth ranged from 25 to 35 weeks. There were 96 boys (49.7%) and 97 girls (50.3%). Among infants receiving treatment, the highest BW was 2000g (born at 31 weeks GA), and the oldest was 34 weeks (with a BW of 1300g). The distribution of birth weight and gestational age in Mongolia was similar to other low-middle income countries, with higher birth weight and older gestational age. As birth weight and gestational age decreased, relative risk of developing ROP increased. Conclusions: After treatment, resolution of ROP was noted in approximately 90 % of the patients who had treatment-requiring ROP. 10 % of patients treated with IVB, IVR, Laser surgery and combined therapy however, did not respond and progressed to retinal detachment. This prospective study provides information about the development of ROP in preterm infants in the capital city of Mongolia. The distributions of BW and GA among infants developing ROP in Mongolia differ from those found in higher-income countries, and are comparable to other low and middle-income countries. We used a secure, web-based data collection and retrieval system that could be extended to multiple countries, which is now equipped with a telemedicine platform enabling remote grading of fundus images.

Introduction: Erectile dysfunction (ED), also known as impotence, is defined as a consistent or recurrent inability to attain and/or maintain penile erection sufficient for sexual performance [1]. According to recent study results, ED occurs more than 50% over 60 year old males, emphasizing a need to diagnose and treat it at an earlier stage. ED may be assessed in several ways. The most widely used standardized questionnaire is the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) with 15 questions, which also exists in a short form with 5 questions [2]. On the other hand, ED is associated with a decreased level of androgens in aging males; the latter is often referred to as a Late Onset Hypogonadism (LOH) or Testosterone Deficiency Syndrome (TDS). In simple terms, LOH or TDS can be defined as a decreased serum testosterone level in aging males [3, 4]Objective: To detect the testosterone deficiency syndrome in aging males with erectile dysfunction. Materials and Methods. 309 males over 40 years of age who received medical care at the ADAM urological and andrological clinic from 2010 to 2011 were included in this study. An approval of the Ethical Committee of MOH was obtained at the commencement of the study. Each study participant signed a consent form at the beginning of the study. Each participant was assigned to either an ED group or a control group depending on results of the IIEF-5 questionnaire. The ED group was further divided into three groups (moderate, severe and very severe) based on a level of ED. The total testosterone (TT) levels were determined in blood serum, using a competitive ELISA analytical system UBI MAGIWELTM TestosteroneQuantitative test (GLS, USA), with C.V. (%) 6.8 and free testosterone (FT) calculated as described by Vermeulen. Test samples were collected between 8.00-11.00 am. The biochemical diagnosis of TDS was based on the Study Aging Male (ISSAM) guidelines of the International Society, particularly, if TT was _3.46 ng/ml or free testosterone FT was ≤0.072 ng/ml [5].Results: ED of moderate, severe and very severe levels were diagnosed in 199 (64.41%) out of 309 participants. There was an inverse association between an erectile function and age (r=-0.380, p <0.01). The average TT was 5.75±2.316 ng/ml and FT was 0.091±0.0084 ng/ml. Compared to the ED group, the control group had a higher TT level: 5.6440±1.177 ng/ml and 5.812±2.316 ng/ml respectively. In the control group the FT level was 0.061±0.0084 ng/ml whereas it was 0.041±0.0076 ng/ml in the ED group. Conclusion: Our study showed that most of aging males who came to the clinic had a moderate to very severe ED (64.55%). The level of TT (5.644±1.177 ng/ml) and FT (0.041±0.0036 ng/ml) was significantly lower in ED patients (p<0.05). The testosterone deficiency syndrome was detected in 24.27% of the ED group.