Editorial

Editor: A. Abyad

In this issue of the journals we have papers from Egypt, Iran, Malaysia, Jordan and Bangladesh discussing various issues on Ageing. We noticed that interest in ageing issues in the region is growing and this was one of the aims of the journal.

A paper from Bangladesh looked at Decline in Mortality in Developing Countries. The authors reviewed three countries. The authors state that Mortality reductions in developing countries were faster at relatively low levels of economic development than those achieved in developed countries. The authors stressed that mortality reductions in developed countries took place phase by phase and were mainly related with economic development, public health measures and improvement of medical sciences. While it is a complex issue in developing countries it is mainly related to public health programs, target-oriented preventive measures and broader socio-cultural, political factors rather with economic development.


A retrospective study from Jordan analyzed the role of primary cemented hemiarthroplasty in cases of unstable osteoporotic intertrochanteric femur fractures. The management of unstable osteoporotic intertrochantric fractures in the elderly is challenging because of difficult anatomical reduction, poor bone quality, and sometimes a need to protect the fracture from stresses of weight bearing. The authors showed good results in the majority of the patients in terms of return to pre-fracture level of activity, independent ambulation and satisfaction with the procedure. The authors concluded that cemented hemiarthroplasty is a successful procedure for the elderly population, over 70 years, with femoral neck fractures.

A cross sectional paper from Malaysia attempted to determine the prevalence of hypertension among the residents of an elderly care home in north Malaysia. Data was collected by trained research assistants. Blood pressure was measured using standardized methods using a manual sphygmomanometer. The authors concluded that screening for hypertension is a viable solution to help detect hypertension early to reduce its complications which include cognitive impairment.

A paper from Iran looked at the lack of continuity of rehabilitation care for stroke survivors. The authors stated that stroke is a common disabling disorder that requires the involvement of family caregivers to successfully encourage the patient's rehabilitation. The authors found that family caregivers need continuity of rehabilitative care besides their family engagement, to enable access to care. They also need support from adequate social insurances and increased access to rehabilitation care. Undergoing rehabilitation at home gives people the advantage of practicing skills and developing compensatory strategies in the context of their own living environment by training and helping family caregivers and stroke survivors in terms of modifying the home environment and managing coexisting medical conditions. Here, nurses can have an important role by helping the family caregivers with education and training.

A case control study from Ain Shamas University studied the impact of comorbidities on different aspects of depression (depressive symptoms and risk indicators). They studied the elderly in three nursing homes. The authors concluded that depression is prevalent and underdiagnosed in nursing homes.

A prospective study from Egypt analyzed the effect of age on management and prognosis of stroke. The authors found that in older patients, brain magnetic resonance imaging (6% vs 27%, P < .001) and immediate referral to the stroke unit were less frequent (6% vs 28%, P < .001); median length of stay was longer (11 vs 8 days, P = .007); and in-hospital mortality tended to be higher (12% vs 6%, not significant). The authors concluded that despite the fact that age was not an independent predictor when stroke severity was considered, their data suggests differences in the management of elderly compared with younger stroke patients admitted to the ED.

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