Priyanka Roy

Background: Despite progress, gender gaps persist in editorial leadership. This study explores the extent of women’s representation on editorial boards of occupational health and safety journals indexed in MEDLINE and discusses the potential implications of underrepresentation for scientific discourse and research visibility. Methods: This study presents a cross-sectional analysis of MEDLINE-indexed occupational health and safety (OSH) journals to assess gender representation across editorial roles and examine associations with journal characteristics using Spearman correlation. Objectives include: (i) quantifying female participation across editorial positions, (ii) examining associations with journal characteristics (e.g., impact factor, editor-in-chief gender), and (iii) identifying barriers to women’s inclusion. A structured search of the NLM Catalog was conducted on May 16, 2024 using MeSH terms for “occupational health” and “occupational medicine.” Eligible journals had OSH as their primary focus and publicly listed editorial boards. Data on editorial roles were extracted manually and analyzed using the Composite Editorial Board Diversity Score. All data were independently verified. No direct contact was made, and ethical approval was not required as only publicly available data were used. Results: Among 1215 editors across 32 journals, women comprised 39%. Female representation rose with journal impact factor (Spearman r = 0.591, P < 0.001) but did not increase with a female editor-in-chief ( r = –0.207). These results highlight persistent underrepresentation that is unlikely to be resolved by individual leadership alone. Conclusions: This study reveals underrepresentation of women on OSH journal editorial boards, raising concerns of bias and limited perspectives, indicating that appointing women to top roles alone does not yield gender-equitable boards and that systemic measures remain necessary. Persistent underrepresentation likely reflects structural barriers; interpretations are noncausal given the cross-sectional design. Addressing these gaps is vital for promoting equity and inclusivity in occupational health research.

Background: Challenges the socioeconomically vulnerable urban population faces in managing chronic diseases are compounded by deficiencies and lacunae in the healthcare delivery system. In the socioeconomic context of chronic disease management (CDM) under the ambit of the healthcare delivery system under National Urban Health Mission (NUHM), there is a dearth of adequate provision of health services and its delivery mechanisms to mitigate the issues. The objective of this research was to identify the barriers that lead to the snowballing of the deficiencies and inadequacies of the healthcare delivery mechanism related to CDM amongst the urban poor of Kolkata. Materials and Methods: The design of this study was a sequential explanatory mixed method using both structured and semistructured tools. The quantitative and qualitative data were collected separately at different time intervals and integrated to establish the interpretation. The study locations were Kalighat, Khidirpur, Mominpur, Ekbalpur, Ultadanga, and Brace Bridge under Kolkata Municipal Corporation, West Bengal. The total number of respondents was 271, which included NUHM programme officers at the state level, service providers at Urban Primary Health Centres (UPHCs), and urban poor population beneficiaries. Results: The accessibility barriers were the location of UPHCs, logistics barriers, quality of care and patients dissatisfaction, out-door timing, lack of medicines, diagnostics facilities, job loss due to repeated health visits, patients’ choice, preference over secondary and tertiary care delivery centres, inadequate information, education and communication, and dysfunctional referral system. Conclusions: There are several accessibility barriers to appropriate healthcare relevant to CDM and a huge implementation gap under NUHM policy.

Background: Several studies have reported a reduced risk of COVID-19-related mortality in patients taking antidiabetic medications. This is an umbrella review, meta-analysis, and Bayesian sensitivity assessment of SGLT2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) in COVID-19 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: A search was conducted on the MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE, Cochrane, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases on 5/12/2023. We performed an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the effects of SGLT2is in T2DM patients with COVID-19 and critically appraised them using AMSTAR 2.0. Trials investigating SGLT2i use in COVID-19 patients post-hospitalisation and observational studies on prior SGLT2i use among COVID-19 patients were included in the meta-analysis, adhering to the PRISMA guidelines. Results: SGLT2is exhibited significantly lower odds of mortality (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.53–0.84) and hospitalisation (OR 0.84, 0.75–0.94) in COVID-19 patients with T2DM. Bayesian sensitivity analyses corroborated most of the findings, with differences observed in hospitalisation and mortality outcomes. SGLT-2 inhibitors showed an OR of 1.20 (95% CI 0.64–2.27) for diabetic ketoacidosis. Publication bias was observed for hospitalisation, but not for mortality. The GRADE assessment indicated a low to very low quality of evidence because of the observational studies included. Conclusions: The prophylactic use of SGLT2is reduces mortality and hospitalisation among COVID-19 patients, particularly in patients with diabetes. The utility of SGLT2is after hospitalisation is uncertain and warrants further investigation. A limited efficacy has been observed under critical conditions. Individualised assessment is crucial before integration into COVID-19 management.

Purpose: To assess the presence and quantity of CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) through a meta-analysis. Methods: A systematic search of the databases identified the observational and interventional studies reporting baseline CD34+ cell counts in AD patients. The data on mean counts and the measures of variation were extracted. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) were calculated using common and random effects models to compare the CD34+ cell counts between the AD patients and controls. Heterogeneity among the studies was evaluated using tau², tau, and I² statistics. The risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale and the ROBINS-I tool. Patients: Five studies were included, comprising four observational studies and one open-label trial, with a total of 271 participants (139 AD patients and 132 controls). Results: The meta-analysis indicated an increase in CD34+ cell counts of the AD patients when compared to the controls. The common effects model showed a moderate SMD of 0.2964 (95% CI:0.0490–0.5437). However, the random effects model yielded a non-significant SMD of 0.2326 (95% CI: −0.4832–0.9484). Significant heterogeneity was observed among the studies (I² = 87.1%, p < 0.0001). Conclusion: AD patients may exhibit higher circulating CD34+ cell counts than the controls, but substantial heterogeneity and potential biases limit definitive conclusions.

Background: Asbestos, a durable fibrous silicate once widely used for its thermal resistance, remains in use in countries like India and China despite being banned in over 70 nations and classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by IARC. Prolonged occupational exposure causes asbestosis, lung cancer, and malignant pleural mesothelioma, but in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) the true burden is underreported due to weak regulation, low awareness, limited diagnostics, and inadequate occupational health systems. Objectives: This review aimed to examine the epidemiological patterns and diagnostic challenges of Asbestos-Related Disease (ARDs) in emerging economies, with a focus on the applicability and limitations of existing and emerging diagnostic strategies. Methods: We conducted a narrative review of peer-reviewed literature, global databases (WHO, IARC), and recent cohort and cross-sectional studies, sourcing articles through structured keyword searches in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Diagnostic approaches were compared across diverse healthcare settings, emphasizing radiological, histopathological, and functional tools. The review also assessed the utility of newer technologies, including low-dose CT (LDCT), ultra-low-dose CT (ULDCT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), FDG-PET is Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography (FDG-PET), breath biomarkers using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and digital tomosynthesis (DTS). Findings: LDCT and ULDCT showed superior sensitivity for early detection of pleural abnormalities like circumscribed pleural plaques and diffuse thickening, yet distinguishing benign from malignant lesions remains difficult without biopsy. Diffusion capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO) emerged as a sensitive but nonspecific pulmonary function marker. Histopathological confirmation of mesothelioma remains the gold standard but is rarely accessible in low-resource settings. Conclusion: Addressing the diagnostic gap in ARDs in LMICs requires systemic strengthening of occupational health surveillance, better regulatory enforcement, expanded access to advanced diagnostic tools, and targeted clinician training. Without urgent intervention, the burden of asbestos exposure will remain an escalating public health crisis.

Disease X is caused by pathogen X, an unknown infectious agent that can potentially trigger an epidemic or pandemic. Pathogen X might be any pathogen, including bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi, and prions. WHO uses the term ‘Disease X’ for any new emerging disease caused by an unknown pathogen X. Disease X stands for any possible future pandemic in WHO’s shortlist of high-priority diseases. This review looks at the manifestations of the recent COVID-19 epidemic as the first Disease X to evaluate what has happened and to learn from what went wrong in India and worldwide. To this end, a summary is presented of response measures by governments, often lacking flows of information, discrepancies in the views of experts and decisions of policymakers, and undesirable variations in individual and collective behavior and their consequences. The elements of combating Disease X in a world with considerable inequalities in relevant knowledge, expertise, information, quality of governance, and financial possibilities are discussed. Based on this, recommendations are given for an innovative global pandemic preparedness system.

Objective: Evaluate the safety and efficacy of zavegepant (BHV-3500), a recently approved nasal spray containing a third-generation calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonist, for treating acute migraine attacks. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted across various databases up to 06/26/2023 to identify relevant randomized clinical trials (RCTs) on zavegepant's efficacy and safety in treatment of acute migraine attacks. Primary outcome: freedom from pain at 2 hours postdose. Safety outcomes were evaluated based on adverse events (AEs), with zavegepant 10 mg and placebo groups compared for incidence of AEs. Results: Two RCTs, involving 2061 participants (1014 receiving zavegepant and 1047 receiving placebo), were quantitatively analyzed. An additional trial was included for qualitative synthesis. Zavegepant 10 mg exhibited a significantly higher likelihood of achieving freedom from pain at 2 hours postdose compared with the placebo group (risk ratio [RR] 1.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.28 to 1.84). It also showed superior relief from the most bothersome symptoms at 2 hours postdose compared with placebo (RR 1.26, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.42). However, the zavegepant 10 mg group experienced a higher incidence of AEs compared with placebo (RR 1.78, 95% CI 1.5 to 2.12), with dysgeusia being the most reported AE (RR 4.18, 95% CI 3.05 to 5.72). Conclusion: Zavegepant 10 mg is more effective than placebo in treating acute migraine attacks, providing compelling evidence of its efficacy in relieving migraine pain and most bothersome associated symptoms. Further trials are necessary to confirm its efficacy, tolerability, and safety in diverse clinic-based settings with varied patient populations.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a prevalent and intricate health condition affecting a significant global population, characterized by a cluster of metabolic and hormonal disorders disrupting lipid and glucose metabolism pathways. Clinical manifestations encompass obesity, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and hypertension, contributing to heightened risks of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Existing medications often fall short in addressing the syndrome’s multifaceted nature, leading to suboptimal treatment outcomes and potential long-term health risks. This scenario underscores the pressing need for innovative therapeutic approaches in MetS management. RNA-based treatments, employing small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), and antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), emerge as promising strategies to target underlying biological abnormalities. However, a summary of research available on the role of RNA-based therapeutics in MetS and related co-morbidities is limited. Murine models and human studies have been separately interrogated to determine whether there have been recent advancements in RNA-based therapeutics to offer a comprehensive understanding of treatment available for MetS. In a narrative fashion, we searched for relevant articles pertaining to MetS co-morbidities such as cardiovascular disease, fatty liver disease, dementia, colorectal cancer, and endocrine abnormalities. We emphasize the urgency of exploring novel therapeutic avenues to address the intricate pathophysiology of MetS and underscore the potential of RNA-based treatments, coupled with advanced delivery systems, as a transformative approach for achieving more comprehensive and efficacious outcomes in MetS patients. Graphical abstract Incorporating the basis of RNA therapeutics in metabolic syndrome. RNA ribonucleic acid, mRNA messenger RNA, ASO anti-sense oligonucleotide, miRNA microRNA, siRNA small interfering RNA

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