Clinical trials

A balanced diet is critical for preschool aged children; meals must be sufficiently diverse to provide the essential nutrients required for rapid physical and cognitive development. Because dietary habits established in early childhood often persist into adulthood, prioritizing this age group is a cost-effective investment in long-term national health and productivity. However, the National Food Consumption Survey in Ethiopia indicates a significant gap in dietary quality, with only 20% of households across all age groups consuming five or more food groups. Implementing multi-component nutrition interventions is essential, as these strategies significantly influence both the eating habits and dietary preferences of preschool children.

This prospective cohort study aims to investigate the cardiac manifestations of sepsis and their influence on disease outcomes among adult patients at Jimma University Medical Center, Ethiopia, from May 2025 to May 2026. The research will include adults aged 18 and older with sepsis, categorizing them based on the presence or absence of cardiac involvement, which will be assessed through clinical symptoms, biomarkers, ECG, and echocardiographic findings. The study will evaluate the persistence of cardiac abnormalities, functional capacity, and survival over one year, utilizing structured data collection and advanced statistical methods, including survival analysis and regression techniques, to identify predictors of adverse outcomes.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a condition associated with left and /or right ventricular (LV) dilatation and systolic dysfunction without coronary artery disease or abnormal loading circumstances proportionate to the severity of LV impairment. It is one of the leading causes of heart failure in younger adults. About 35% of patients have genetic mutations affecting cytoskeletal, sarcomere, and nuclear envelope proteins while others are idiopathic and possibly complications of myocarditis. Recently, in patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM)-a subtype of dilated cardiomyopathy, high levels of prolactin and its degradation by-products including a cleaved 16kDa N-terminal fragment have emerged as key factors in the pathophysiology. The 16kDa prolactin induces profound endothelial damage and subsequent cardiomyocyte dysfunction and hence heart failure. Bromocriptine has been studied as a potential treatment option and placebo-controlled studies have demonstrated its beneficial role in women with Peripartal cardiomyopathy (PPCM). However, prolactin level may also increase during menstrual cycles of reproductive-age women, which candidates the use of bromocriptine in women of all reproductive ages. The aim of this study is therefore to assess the potential effect of bromocriptine in dilated cardiomyopathy among women of reproductive age.