Risk factors of dementia in the adult population of the Iranian Petroleum Industries
Health Organization (PIHO),2017: a case-control study
Hossein Ghassemzadeh: MD, MPH, PhD st. on gerontology

Abstract

Introduction: Dementia, the fifth cause of death in older adults, along with the highest care and socio-economic burden, has been changed into a tough handeling challenge for the caregivers and health systems in the World. It is stimated that the economic burden of dementia may surpass $1 trilion for 2018, which economically may stand the18th country in the global ranking.
Object : The aim of this study was to determine the prevalent risk factors of dementia among the retirees and older adults, taking services from NIOC,1s health centers conducted in 2017.
Methods: This was a case-control study which was conducted on 551, randomly selected older adults all aged 60 and above from NIOC,s health centers, including 180 demented and 371 non demented pair matched for age,eduaction,gender and job throughout the country.The adjusted associations between dementia risk and bio-psycho-socio-economo and environmental variables have been evaluated. Logistic regression analysis determined the degree of risk for dementia associated with variables.
Results : Participants were mostly male (55%), between75-89 age groupe with high school diploma(29.1 %),coupled(69% ),retirees(68.4%),polypharmacy(58.6%) and blood group O(37.6%). According to the multivariate regression analysis: age, low levels of D3, polypharmacy ,personal cancer history and chronic anemia were the main predictors for dementia, while studying habbits, regular physical&social activites,egg intakes were the main independent protective factors against dementia.
Conclusion: The findings of current study while alarming, indicate significantly that nutrition, active life styles, polypharmacy, reading habbits and anemia need to be considered more throughly than before by policy makers , employees and retirees.
It is also important to bear in mind that more independent researches and interventionally preventing programs may be necessary in the Iranian oil ministry.

Key Words: Ageing , Dementia ,Risk factor, Protective factors

1 NIOC,: National Iranian Oil Company

Adverse cognitive effect of gabapentin in individuals with spinal cord injury: preliminary findings.
Shem K, et al. Spinal Cord Ser Cases. 2018.

Abstract

Study design: Prospective observational cohort study.

Objectives: To assess the effects of gabapentin on neuropsychological variables including memory, attention, and executive function in individuals with spinal cord injury.

Setting: Santa Clara Valley Medical Center inpatient spinal cord injury unit.

Methods: Ten patients (three females, seven males) with traumatic spinal cord injury underwent testing, with a mean age of 35.6 years (range 19-59, SD ±15.74). There were five patients with tetraplegia and five with paraplegia. Nine tests to assess neuropsychological function and two tests to assess pain were performed at 1 week post initiation of therapy, and at 4 weeks post initiation of therapy. The neuropsychological tests assessed aspects of memory, attention, and executive function.

Results: The average score for six out of the nine neuropsychological items administered at 1 week post initiation of gabapentin displayed a decrease in cognitive function when compared to baseline. The average score for five out of nine neuropsychological items improved from 1 week post initiation of treatment to 4 weeks post initiation of treatment.

Conclusions: Gabapentin therapy is associated with a tangible decline in memory, executive function, and attention in individuals with spinal cord injury. However, owing to small sample size, loss of patient follow-up at the 4 week post-treatment assessment, and lack of a control group, we cannot definitively state that any decreases in cognition are solely attributable to treatment with gabapentin.

PMID 29423314 [] PMCID PMC5802689 [Available on 2019-01-23]