Editorial

Editor: Abdulrazak Abyad

This is the last issue this year - a year full with good quality papers. We would like to give special thanks for our readers, authors and above all the editorial board. In addition to a special thanks to our production team headed by Lesley Pocock, for their support and help.

A cross sectional study was carried out through December to March 2007 at Rumaillah hospital in Doha. The data was collected from 113 cases of stroke out of 163 stroke cases all of whom were above age 60 years old. The aim was to determine the prevalence of the major risk factors: (diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and smoking) among elderly stroke patients. The results of this study showed that 80% from the total 113 stroke cases were hypertensive and 60% were diabetic while 3.5% were smokers. The authors concluded that hypertension is the most frequent determined risk factor among stroke patients followed by diabetes mellitus. The least determined risk factor was smoking.

A descriptive study from Jordan looked at Treatment of Post Herpetic Neuralgia with topical Lidocaine gel 2%. About 28 (60%) of the patients complain of lanicating pain, where 22 (79%) of them showed positive improvement, and 12 (25%) complain of burning pain where only 5 (41%) of them showed positive improvement, while 7 (15%) of them complained of other types of pain and 6 (86%) of them showed positive improvement. The authors concluded that Lidocaine gel 2% is an effective symptomatic treatment for post herpetic neuralgia especially for lanicating pain type.
A study from Nigeria describes three anthropometric measures (height, weight, and body mass index [BMI]) of elderly in Asaba, Delta state. Data on body weight, height and BMI was derived from 176 subjects. This study had 62.5% males and 37.5% females. Approximately18.2% of them were aged 50– 59 years, 43.8% (60– 69 years), 29% (70– 79 years) and only 9.1% aged 80 years or more. The authors revealed that the body weight, height and BMI of the elderly in Asaba, Nigeria declines with age, with higher magnitude before the age of 60 years and from 80 years.

A prospective clinical study from Jordan attempted to demonstrate the value of Daflon in the management of hemorrhoidal symptoms in Jordanian patients attending the Surgical clinic. The study was conducted over a 6-months period (December 2003 to May 2006). All were started on Daflon; 2 tablets twice daily for 4 weeks and were followed up weekly during the study period and proctoscopic examination was conducted at each consultation. The authors concluded that Daflon is a very safe and effective drug in the treatment of all hemorrhoidal symptoms in the population of the north of Jordan.

A paper from India investigated the patterns in disability prevalence among older persons and their health care seeking behavior and to see how they vary between the two selected states which vary in socioeconomic and demographic conditions. The authors looked at Data from 58th round of National Sample Survey (NSS) on disabled persons which was utilized in the study. The states in focus were Kerala, the state well advanced in health transition processes and Uttar Pradesh, the state lagging in these processes. The authors concluded that critical evidence that both the disability and health care utilization rates are on the rise among older persons. At the same time, substantial disparities are demonstrated in the pattern of disability prevalence and health care utilization among older persons by socio-demographic factors and between Kerala and Uttar Pradesh.

A paper from Iran looked at grandparents' health history. The portrait of older families or grandparents would also help younger generations how to plan their health so as to have healthy ageing in future. Similarly, the paper identifies quality of life of the ageing grandparents in association with their safety. The paper evaluates how social and economic conditions among the elderly are different from each other.