Status of health and oral health of the elderly population in Lebanon

Lebanon is in demographic transition as more people reach increasingly older age; 10% of the population in Lebanon is elderly. The incidence of chronic diseases and oral diseases increases significantly with age. However, 55% of the elderly have no health insurance and 82% have no dental insurance. Both noncommunicable diseases [NCDs] and oral diseases are a major health burden in the country and share the same risk factors. The WHO strategy for prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases should therefore be a new approach for the prevention and control of dental diseases among Lebanese elderly. This paper aims to increase the awareness of the medical community in Lebanon about the interrelationship between general and oral health in the elderly and concludes with the need for the Ministry of Health to develop policies and national action plans against NCDs to reduce not only mortality from NCDs but also morbidity from oral diseases

Oral and general health indicators for Lebanese elderly in oral surveys: review article

Various factors are taken into account in assessing objectively the dental status and the quality of life related to oral health, particularly in elderly. Basic socio-demographic characteristics and oral hygiene habits must be identified and screened, respectively. The dental health can be evaluated using indicators such as the ASA score or by determining the person's level of autonomy. Cognitive ability of older people must be checked prior to use oral health questionnaires. This competence can be assessed by the Mini Mental State score [MMS]. The use of Mini Nutritional Assessment [MNA] evaluates the nutritional status of patients. The aim of the article is to identify the most relevant indicators that can be used in epidemiological studies to assess the oral health of Lebanese elderly

Hair lead concentration in the Lebanese population: phase 1 results

Phase 1 of this cross-sectional study aimed to compare hair lead concentrations and establish the determinants of hair lead levels in 149 occupationally exposed individuals versus 177 non-occupationally exposed controls in the Lebanese population. In addition to a standardized questionnaire, lead concentration was measured by atomic spectrophotometry. A 5-6-fold difference in hair lead concentration was found between occupationally exposed and non-exposed individuals [23.60 ppm versus 4.33 ppm]. Professional exposure, particularly working in petrol refining and gasoline stations, had the highest correlation with lead exposure. In non-exposed individuals, male sex, non-Lebanese nationality and urban worksite correlated with higher hair lead concentration

Prevalence of malnutrition in general surgical patients

The possibility of protein calorie malnutrition [PCM] was studied on one hundred consecutive patients admitted to the department of surgery at the Saint Georges hospital, Beirut, during the months of April and June 1991, regardless of age, sex and socio economic status. Data was completed on 94 of those cases. Multiple parameters were studied, including measurements of triceps and subscapular skinfold thickness, mid arm muscle circumference, percent weight loss, creatinine height index, serum albumin and transferring levels and total lymphocyte count. We found a prevalence of 81%, 65%, 53% and 31% of PCM, if one, two, three or at least four abnormal parameters are used respectively, to assess malnutrition. Defining malnutrition as the presence of at least three abnormal parameters, we conclude that 53% of the patients, on admission to the department of surgery, had evidence of PCM. Further studies are required to assess the impact of this prevalence on length of stay, morbidity and mortality