Background: Self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) is as an important aspect of the management of diabetes mellitus. There have been different studies with different SMBG prevalence and varied degrees of association between SMBG and glycaemic control. This study is therefore aimed at determining the prevalence of SMBG practice and the degree of association between SMBG and glycaemic control among persons with diabetes in a North Central Nigerian population. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study carried out at the Endocrinology clinic of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital. The nature of the study was explained to the participants before informed consent was duly obtained from them. One hundred and forty five (145) participants were consecutively enrolled from the clinic. Data was collected using questionnaires administered to the participants by trained assistants. Analysis of data was conducted using IBM SPSS version 21 (IBM SPSS Co. LTD., New York, USA; June 6, 2012). Results were expressed as means and standard deviation (SD) at 95% confidence interval (CI). The significance level used was p < 0.05. Results: The mean fasting blood glucose (FBG) of persons who practised SMBG was lower than that of those who did not (7.2 vs 9.2 mmol/L, p=0.001). The range of FBG was also lower for those that practised SMBG compared to persons that did not practise (3.6-14.4 vs 4.02-15.0 mmol/L, p=0.001). Similarly, those who practised SMBG had a lower mean 2-hour postprandial glucose (2HrPP) compared to those who did not practise SMBG (9.6 vs 12.2 mmol/L, p=0.004). Likewise, the 2HrPP range was lower among those that indulge in SMBG practice than those who did not (3.0-16.8 vs 5.8-20 mmol/L, p=0.004). Conclusion: Persons who practised SMBG had better glycaemic control than those who don’t. Most of them own their glucometers and the majority checked their blood glucose daily followed by those that checked thrice weekly.

People living with HIV have accounted for 38–50% of those affected in the 2022 multicountry mpox outbreak. Most reported cases were in people who had high CD4 cell counts and similar outcomes to those without HIV. Emerging data suggest worse clinical outcomes and higher mortality in people with more advanced HIV [1, 2]. The first report of mpox that led to the discovery of the global outbreak was made to WHO on May 13, 2022. The outbreak spread to 110 countries and was declared a public health emergency of international concern. The Director-General of WHO called on member states to ensure respect for human rights and to address stigma and discrimination. As of Jan 31, 2023, there were 85 549 confirmed cases of mpox reported by 110 countries, including 89 deaths [3, 4].

The cocolmeca herb (Smilax) belongs to the smilacaceae family, comprising around 350 species of tropical and subtropical distribution, used as popular medicine in Central America and the Caribbean islands. In Mexico it has been used mainly for weight loss. Case presentation: A 52-year-old man with a history of systemic arterial hypertension and grade I obesity, with consumption of smilax for at least two months, presented deterioration in renal function, with initial studies with urea 90 mg/dl and serum creatinine 3.6. mg/dl, infectious and systemic causes were ruled out, acute tubulointerstitial nephritis was confirmed by percutaneous biopsy, management was given with methylprednisolone boluses and renal function improved. The use of traditional remedies is common throughout the world, with use rates exceeding 80% in some populations. It is considered that approximately 2% of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is due to AIN.

The study investigated the anti-ulcerogenic and hepatoprotective potential of the methanolic extract of Andrographis paniculata in Wistar albino rats with aspirin-induced ulcer and liver damage. The study measured the following parameters: AST, ALT, ALP, and MDA. A total of 50 rats (weighing about 150-300g) were divided into 5 groups of 10 rats each. Group 1 (Normal control), group 2 (Positive control) were given normal saline(10ml/kg), Group 3(Test 1) and Group 4(Test 2) received 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg of the extract, respectively, and group 5 (standard), received 30mg/kg of Omeprazole for 7days. On day 7, rats in groups 2, 3, 4, 5 were fasted for 24hrs and, on the 8th day, were induced with 10mg/kg of Aspirin orally. The animals were sacrificed on day 9 under chloroform anaesthesia, and blood was collected via cardiac puncture for liver function assay. Parts of the liver and the GIT of the rats was harvested and fixed in 10% chlorororm for histological studies while the liver and GIT were homogenized for lipid peroxidation assay. The study discovered that Serum AST, ALT and ALP. levels were significantly increased (p <0.05) in positive control compared to the normal control. However, pretreatments with Andrographis paniculata (200mg/kg and 400 mg/kg) in test1 and 2 significantly decreased the activities of serum AST, ALT, and ALP, compared to those in group 2 (positive control). In addition, treatment with. The activity of the GIT SOD was decreased in positive compared to normal control. Test 1 and 2 pretreated with Andrographis paniculata (200mg and 400 mg/kg) respectively demonstrated significant increase in the activities of MDA compared to positive control. From the Histology of the GIT Positive control shows Sections areas of ulcerated epithelium with atrophic gastric glands compared to Test 1 and 2 which shows gastric mucosa with the disappearance of the original gastric glands and other epithelium replacements and healing by fibrous respectively. In conclusion, the methanolic extract of Andrographis paniculata demonstrated antioxidant properties that conferred hepatoprotective and anti-ulcerogenic effects in the aspirin-induced ulcer and liver damage model in Wistar albino rats. The higher dose of the extract (400 mg/kg) exhibited more pronounced protective effects compared to the lower dose (200 mg/kg).