Self-reported Hearing Loss Associated with Frailty among Afro-Caribbeans / Pérdida de la audición autoreportada asociada con la fragilidad entre los afrocaribeños

ABSTRACT Objective: Data on ethnic differences in the relationship between hearing loss and frailty are sparse. We investigated the relationship between self-reported hearing loss and frailty in four ethnic groups. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of a community-dwelling sample of African American, Afro-Caribbean, Hispanic, and European American individuals aged 60 years or older (n = 484). Participants had to be able to ambulate independently or with the help of a device, and had an age- and education-adjusted Mini-Mental State Examination score of > 23 to be enrolled. Self-reported hearing loss was measured by a single question: 'Is your hearing excellent, very good, good, fair or poor?'. Answers of excellent, very good and good were considered as 'no hearing loss', and answers of fair and poor as 'self-reported hearing loss'. Frailty was defined as reporting three or more of the following criteria: weight loss, weakness, exhaustion, slow walking speed, and low physical activity. Results: In unadjusted (odds ratio: 3.075; 95% confidence interval: 1.149, 8.233; p = 0.025) and adjusted (odds ratio: 7.509; 95% confidence interval: 1.797, 31.386; p = 0.006) models, self-reported hearing loss was associated with frailty in Afro-Caribbeans, but not in African Americans, Hispanics and European Americans. Out of the five frailty criteria, only exhaustion was significantly more common in the self-reported hearing loss group among Afro-Caribbeans. Conclusion: Self-reported hearing loss was associated with frailty among Afro-Caribbeans, and this association was largely due to the frailty criterion of exhaustion.

RESUMEN Objetivo: Los datos sobre las diferencias étnicas en la relación entre la pérdida auditiva y la fragilidad son escasos. Investigamos la relación entre la pérdida de la audición autoreportada y la fragilidad en cuatro grupos étnicos. Métodos: Se trató de un estudio transversal de una muestra de una comunidad de residentes afroamericanos, afrocaribeños, hispanos y euroamericanos de 60 años o más (n = 484). Para ser seleccionados, los participantes tenían que ser capaces de deambular independientemente o con la ayuda de un dispositivo, y tener una puntuación de >23 en el Mini Examen del Estado Mental ajustado a la edad y al nivel educacional. La pérdida de audición autoreportada fue medida con una sola pregunta: '¿Es tu audición excelente, muy buena, buena, satisfactoria, o pobre?'. Las respuestas de 'excelente', 'muy buena', y 'buena', se consideraron como 'sin pérdida de la audición', y las respuestas de 'satisfactoria' y 'pobre' como 'pérdida de la audición autoreportada'. La fragilidad se definió a partir de reportar tres o más de los siguientes criterios: pérdida de peso, debilidad, agotamiento, velocidad de marcha lenta, y baja actividad física. Resultados: En los modelos no ajustados (odds ratio: 3.075; 95% intervalo de confianza: 1.149, 8.233; p = 0.025) y ajustados (odds ratio: 7.509; 95% intervalo de confianza: 1.797, 31.386; p = 0.006), la pérdida de audición autoreportada se asoció con la fragilidad en los afrocaribeños, pero no en los afroamericanos, hispanos y euroamericanos. De los cinco criterios de fragilidad, sólo el agotamiento fue significativamente más común en el grupo de pérdida de la audición autoreportada entre afrocaribeños. Conclusión: La pérdida de audición autoreportada estuvo asociada con la fragilidad entre afrocaribeños, y esta asociación se debió en gran parte al criterio de agotamiento como aspecto de la fragilidad.

[Assessment of color matching ability among the student of Yazd faculty of dentistry]

One of the most challenging procedures in restorative dentistry is fitting the color of the restoration to the tooth. The main purpose of this study was to determine the ability rate of color matching among the students of Yard faculty of dentistry in December 2004. In this descriptive study, 127 dental clinical students of Yard faculty were participated. Age, gender, wearing eyeglasses or lens and the year of starting the dental faculty were assessed as variable. Heliomolar composite with 16 colors was used to make the shade guide and 6 colors of the same composite were used as test group. The students were matched the shade guide with the test group in similar conditions. The data was analyzed by t, ANOVA and LSD test. Mean truth definition of all colors in 20-29 years old students were 3.86 and in 30-40 years old group were 3.38 and there was no significant differences between them. Mean truth definition in male group was 3.57 and was 3.91 in females. There was no significant differences between them. Mean truth definition in all of the colors by students without eyeglasses or contact lens were 3.98 and the other group was 3.55 which was significantly differences [P=0.023]. The difference between the entrance year for mean truth definition of all colors was significant [P=0.016]. In this study, the students whom specially wear photochoromic eyeglasses or contact lenses were lower truth color definition, but age and gender had no effect on truth color definition

Incidental prostatic adenocarcinoma in patients with PSA less than 4 ng/ml undergoing radical cystoprostatectomy for bladder cancer in iranian men

OBJECTIVE:To assess the incidence of prostate adenocarcinoma in patients undergoing radical cystoprostatectomy due to bladder cancer in Iranian men. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty cystoprostatectomy specimens removed due to bladder malignancy (2004-2005) at two referral centers (Shaheed Modarress and Shaheed Labbafinejad Hospitals, Tehran, Iran) were examined for the coincidental finding of prostate cancer (PCa). At the time of surgery the patient's serum PSA was less than 4 ng/mL and there were no suspicious lesions by digital rectal examination. Pathologic grade, stage, morphometric volume, number of tumor foci and association with areas of high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) were assessed by light microscopy. All specimens were totally embedded and whole-mounted. Clinically significant cancers were defined as tumors with 0.5 mL volume, Gleason pattern 4 or 5, pT3, positive surgical margin, and multifocality > 3. RESULTS: Incidentally detected cancer was found in 7 (14 percent) of cystoprostatectomy specimens. HGPIN was present in 1 (14.3 percent) of the cystoprostatectomies with incidentally detected prostate cancer. None of cystoprostatectomies without prostate cancer had HGPIN. Four (57 percent) of the detected cancers were significant. CONCLUSION: We conclude that incidentally detected prostate cancer in Iran is lower than the rates reported in other countries. Further studies are warranted for better declaration of variability of prostate cancer between different ethnic groups.