Patterns of tobacco use: results from the 2005 Global Youth Tobacco Survey in Lebanon

We report the results of the 2005 Global Youth Tobacco Survey in Lebanon which investigated the self-reported attitudes and behaviours related to tobacco among 3314 Lebanese schoolchildren aged 13-15 years. Current use of any tobacco product was 60.1%; the use of cigarettes was 10% and other tobacco products 59% with male predominance in all areas. About 80% of students lived in homes where others smoked. About 60% of current smokers wanted to quit smoking and 51% of all students had learned about the effects of tobacco in class. Over a quarter [27%] thought that boys who smoke have more friends and 17% believed that smoking makes boys more attractive. The majority of students had been exposed to both anti-smoking media messages and pro-smoking advertisements

[Control of blood pressure morning surge in a lebanese hypertensive population]

The primary endpoint of this prospective clinical study is to ascertain the degree of blood pressure control in the early-morning hours after 8 weeks of treatment with telmisartan in hypertensive patients using home blood pressure measurements. Two hundred forty Lebanese patients with uncontrolled hypertension are enrolled in the study. The blood pressure is measured at the initial visit, then at week 4 of follow-up [optional visit] and after the 8 weeks period, by the physician at his office [with pulse rate] and by the patient at home in the morning. The blood pressure measured by the patient at home in the morning has a mean value of 129.7/79.1 mmhg, significantly less than 135/85 mmhg [P< 10[-5]], and it is reduced by 31.9/13.5 mmhg [P< 10[-5]]. At the physician's office, the reduction is 34.8/16 mmhg [P< 10[-5]. Heart rate is decreased by 4.7 +/- 0.5 bpm [P< 10[-5]. The drug was well tolerated. This study has demonstrated that Telmisartan, by his long half-life, protects the patients against the early-morning hours blood pressure surge, period during which coronary and cerebral events are the most frequent