Epidemiology of stroke in the elderly in Thailand.

Epidemiology of stroke in the elderly in Thailand was conducted from August 1994 to October 1996. The total of 3,036 Thai elderly were included in this study. They represented the elderly population from four regions; Central Region (615 elderly, Nakhon Pathom Province), Northern Region (840 elderly, Lampang Province), North-Eastern Region (706 elderly, Sakon Nakhon Province), and Southern Region (857 elderly, Ranong Province). All elderly in these selected areas received general physical examinations and complete neurological examinations from neurologists. Demographic data concerning each individual was recorded by specially trained nurses. Data included age, sex, occupation, education, drug usage, alcohol, smoking and pre-existing diseases. Blood was taken from each subject for complete blood count, fasting blood sugar, cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein cholesterol and VDRL. Data on physical examinations were recorded with particular attention to blood pressure, carotid bruit, cardiac murmurs, cardiac arrhythmia, speech, posture, gait, frontal lobe releasing signs, Babinski sign and focal neurological deficit. Thirty-four stroke patients were identified from 3,036 elderly (prevalence rate of 1.12 per cent). There were 12 stroke patients from Central Region (prevalence rate of 1.99 per cent), 5 from Northern Region (0.6 per cent), 4 from North-Eastern Region (0.6 per cent) and 13 from Southern Region (1.5 per cent). Hypertension was the main risk factor for stroke in this study whereas diabetes mellitus, smoking, alcohol consumption, hyperlipidemia and underlying heart diseases were insignificant risk factors. The prevalence of hypertension in Thai elderly was ranging from 16.7 to 47.2 per cent (criteria over 140/90 mmHg) or 6.1 to 24.8 per cent (criteria over 160/90 mmHg). Prevalence of smoking and alcohol consumption in Thai elderly ranged from 19.5 per cent (Sakon Nakhon) to 62.1 (Lampang) and 16.75 per cent (Nakhon Pathom) to 33.70 per cent (Lampang) respectively. Data from physical examinations revealed that dysarthria, hemiplegic gait and Babinski sign were the significant signs for diagnosis of stroke in the community setting. The prevalence of carotid bruit, cardiac murmur and cardiac arrhythmia were ranging from 1.3 to 1.8 per cent, 3.1-7.1 per cent and 0.8-1.4 per cent respectively. From this study, it can be concluded that stroke prevention is the best policy for stroke management. Stroke prevention measures should thus be aimed at the high risk elderly group. This is best achieved by identifying risk factors among them and then controlling these risk factors properly.

Botulinum A toxin treatment for blepharospasm and Meige syndrome: report of 100 patients.

One hundred patients (9.09 per cent) with blepharospasm from a grand total of 1,100 patients (at the Movement Disorders Clinic at Siriraj Hospital) who had been treated with botulinum A toxin (BTX-A) injection between 1989 and 1996 were analysed. The 100 patients comprised 65 females and 35 males with a female to male ratio of 1.86:1. Their mean age was 53.3 years (S.D. 12.03). Sixty patients had idiopathic blepharospasm, 31 patients were diagnosed with Meige syndrome (blepharospasm plus oromandibular dystonia) and nine patients with segmental dystonia (Meige syndrome plus cervical dystonia). The mean duration of suffering was 39.22 months (S.D. 44.83). Each patient received 30-50 IU of BTX-A injections according to the standard Siriraj injection pattern. Nine patients were lost to follow-up. The results of BTX-A injection were classified as: excellent result (an improvement of more than 75 per cent) in 83.51 per cent; a good response (an improvement of 50-75 per cent) in 13.19 per cent; a moderate response (an improvement of 25-50 per cent) in 2.20 per cent; and minimal or no response in 1.10 per cent. The complications of BTX-A injection were transient minimal ptosis (9.89 per cent), transient double vision (1.10 per cent) and excessive lacrimation (1.10 per cent). The efficacy of BTX-A injection lasted one to two months in 1.10 per cent, two to three months in 23.08 per cent, three to four months in 45.05 per cent, four to five months in 16.48 per cent, five to six months in 4.40 per cent and more than six months in 9.89 per cent. Botulinum A toxin injection is a simple and effective out-patient treatment for patients with blepharospasm, causing no systemic side-effects and minor transient local complications. The only drawback of this treatment is its high cost (100 IU cost 300 US dollars).