Editorial

It is almost one year since we launched the journal in July to stimulate more interest in aging in the region which we are now seeing. There are a number of conferences in the area concentrating on ageing, and a number of associations are being launched in the region, in addition to the heightened interest in research in the field.

In this issue Dr Ramadan M et al. presented their finding the causes of dementia in Qatar. The authors stressed that Dementia is getting a lot of interest in the gulf area due to aging of the population. More and more cases of dementia are being recognized. We attempt to find out the different causes of dementia in Qatar.

A very stimulating report was presented by Dr Huesmann J "Back to Methuselah: the challenge of Ageing" on the aging conference in Cumberland Lodge from 10th to 11th Feb , 2005. The question of whether we are programmed to die and whether "There is no such thing as a biological clock for ageing", was raised and debated. The role of telemers in the process was explained. Tom Kirkwood explained that stress shortens the telemers (which stop our chromosomes from unravelling). Olshansky explained that human longevity is limited by, amongst other things, our body design. In his defence of eternal human life John Harris, Professor of Bioethics at the University of Manchester, pointed to a generally accepted adherence to the intrinsic value of life. Professor Steven Rose, challenged Harris' arguments by pointing out that abstract principles about extending human life indefinitely will not work because the life of an individual impacts on other human beings.

Harris quoted Age Concern's Millennium Papers: "An individual's entitlement to the concern, respect and protection of the community, does not vary with age or life expectancy". John Polkinghorne took the view that the very early human embryo is human life, but not yet a human person. Polkinghorne conceded there was no particular point at which the embryo as human life turns into a human person.

The case report on palliative care is well written and demonstrates the suffering and the important human elements in the management of the terminally ill patient.