Awareness on Concentration of Saccharides in Drugs among College Students - A Questionnaire Based Survey
Snehaa Baskaran
Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha University, Chennai-600077, India.
V. Vishnu Priya *
Department of Biochemistry, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha University, Chennai-600077, India.
R. Gayathri
Department of Biochemistry, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha University, Chennai-600077, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Sugar is used in medicine for coating, adding volume or texture, and flavouring the medicine. It can also act as a preservative and antioxidant. Sucrose is often used in medications to impart a more pleasant taste to often unpalatable chemicals. Sucrose can be found in many medicinal forms such as chewable tablets, syrups and lozenges. The aim of the study is to create awareness on concentration of sugar in medicines among college students. A survey was administered through survey planet link with sample size 100. The questionnaire consisted of 14 questions based on awareness on concentration of sugar. In the present study majority of the participants felt addition of sweeteners in syrups and tablets should be decreased. Adults and children who are administered to long term medicines are prone to caries and other health problems. Chronically ill children are exposed to a greater sugar load from oral medications than healthy children leading to a greater risk of developing caries as a side effect of the treatment. Awareness may be created on the concentration of sugar in medicines and its deleterious effect on health.
Keywords: Sugar, sucrose, dental caries, online survey, survey planet