Screening for congenital hypothyroidism in Thailand: has its time come?

The incidence of congenital hypothyroidism at Ramathibodi Hospital was approximately 1:2,486-1:3,843 livebirths, comparable to those found in other industrialized countries. The screening program utilizing TSH measured by a kit manufactured in Thailand was accurate and cost-benefit. It is time to organize TSH screening at least in a university hospital in Thailand to prevent the social burden of raising mentally-handicapped children.

Prevalence, detection and control of hypertension in Thai population of a central rural community.

Epidemiolagical survey of hypertension was carried out on 2,374 villagers, aged 15 years and above, residing in Bang-Pa-in district, Ayutthaya province. The overall prevalence of hypertension was 11.3 per cent. The prevalence rate of pure systolic hypertension rose with age up to elderly; whereas the prevalence rate of diastolic hypertension increased with age up to late middle age, then declined in the elderly. Regarding the detection of hypertension, only 41.6 per cent of the cases were previously detected. And only 30.1 per cent of the cases were under current treatment. Females had a greater proportion of previously detected and currently treated cases than males. Among those currently treated hypertensive patients, 50.5 per cent went to see a physician, 29.5 per cent went to the local health centers; the rest sought the services of local quacks, traditional healers and drug stores. It yielded only 24.7 per cent of the treated cases whose BP were under control. Since the people prefer seeking help from local personnel, the role of community health personnel should be strengthened to bring more effective control of the disease.