Original Research Article
Year: 2018 | Month: December | Volume: 5 | Issue: 12 | Pages: 220-230
Impact of Perceived Stress on White Blood Cell Count, Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate and Lipid Profile among First MBBS Students in a Medical College of West Bengal
Dr. Arunima Chaudhuri1, Dr. Debdut Banerjee2
1Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, Rampurhat Government Medical College and Hospital (Affiliated to West Bengal University of Health Sciences), Rampurhat, West Bengal, India.
2Assistant Professor, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, West Bengal, India.
Corresponding Author: Dr. Debdut Banerjee
ABSTRACT
Background: Psychoneuroimmunology is a scientific field dealing with the relationships between the mind, the brain and the immune system and focuses on how these relationships affect health and susceptibility to disease.
Aims: To study impact of perceived stress on white blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and lipid profile among first MBBS students in a medical college of West Bengal.
Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in a medical college of eastern India. Approval from the institutional ethics committee and informed consent of the subjects was taken before conduction of this pilot project. On the first appointment, histories of the subjects were carefully recorded and general physical examination was done. BMI, Pulse, Blood Pressure were recorded. One hundred and twenty-one subjects were finally selected. The stress level in the subjects was assessed according to the presumptive life event stress scale (PSLES). Accordingly, they were categorized into two groups: 41–200 less/moderate stress; more than 200 severe stress. The perceived stress scale (PSS) of Cohen et al. was used for assessing perceived stress levels. Fasting blood sample were drawn for analysis of lipid profile, ESR and total count of white blood cells (WBC), Hb% were estimated.
Statistical analysis: Data were analyzed using software SPSS version16; Unpaired t test was used.
Results: One hundred and twenty-one subjects participated in the present study. Seventy- five subjects were male and forty-six were female. All subjects were on non-vegetarian diet. Sixty-six subjects had PSLES scores above 200 and fifty-five subjects had scores less than 200. There was no significant difference in age between the two groups: 18.4±1.02 vs. 18.8±1.2; P value 0.2. Results showed significant difference in WBC count, ESR, Hb%, Total Cholesterol, Triglyceride, LDL, HDL level, PSLES and PSS scores, but no significant difference in VDL level between the two groups. There was significant difference in BMI, Pulse and blood pressure between the two groups.
Conclusions: The prevalence of stress was found to be high during the initial years of study among MBBS students. Physical problems were associated with high stress levels. Results of the present study showed significantly higher WBC count, ESR, Hb%, Total Cholesterol, Triglyceride, LDL, PSLES and PSS scores, BMI, Pulse and blood pressure values in subjects with higher stress scores and decrease in values of HDL. All these factors may increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Preventive mental health services, therefore, should be made an integral part of routine clinical services for medical students, especially in the initial academic years, to prevent such occurrence.
Key words: Perceived stress, WBC count, ESR and lipid profile.
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