Tobacco smoking in Egypt: a scoping literature review of its epidemiology and control measures

Background: According to World Health Organization [WHO] reports, the prevalence of smoking is increasing in many developing countries, including Egypt. The aim of this study is to summarize the published data in the literature about tobacco smoking in Egypt. Methods: A computerized literature search of PubMed and relevant Egyptian journals was conducted using the relevant keywords. The findings of retrieved studies were extracted and discussed in a narrative approach. Results: Our search retrieved 44 relevant studies. The most updated prevalence of tobacco smoking in Egypt is 22% in 2010 and is increasing. Highly significant odds ratios were reported for sibling, parent, and peer smoking as risk factors for smoking. Cardiovascular disorders, malignant tumors, and erectile dysfunction are common complications of smoking in the Egyptian population. Efforts to control tobacco smoking are available, but inadequate. Conclusions: Tobacco smoking is a prevalent health problem in Egypt, associated with cardiovascular disorders and malignant tumors. Health education programmes should be delivered through mass media and school-based programmes to reach a large section of the Egyptian population

new method [nonivasive] for assessment of brain intergral functions in senescence: correlation of a neuropeptide with biological factors

This study was carried out on 10 young controls and 20 senescent individuals, 6 of which proved to be demented. For all subjects, the neuropeptide neuron specific enolase [NSE] was measured. NSE was significantly higher in geriatric than younger control P=0.01. 6 demented patients were still more high as compared with geriatric non demented 31, 21.2, respectively, P=0.0001. A correlation was found between those with high [NSE] as regards absence of milk in the diet, absence of physical and mental activity, habitual smoking, all these correlation were statistically significant P=0.0002, P=0.000001 and P=0.00003. It was concluded that simple assay of NSE in the serum dispose diagnostic and prognostic as regard early neuronal death among geriatric patients

Serum 5-nucleotidase, zinc, copper in geriatric dwellers of sequestrated communities. A correlation with folstein minimental state

In this study 5-nucleotidase was lower in aged individuals than controls, since serum levels of zinc, copper emerges in this study to be higher in aged than controls. A zinc and copper absolute deficiency can not explain this finding. The authors postulate is that supplementation of aged individuals with vitamin capsules containing zinc and copper in doses superseding accepted daily requirements for long periods would end in biological reduction of 5-nucleotidase levels, with subsequent derangement of higher integral functions. Therefore, they should obtain from drug abuse among aged individuals. It was concluded that rapid unexplained deterioration of higher mental functions in geriatrics can sometimes be due to abuse of vitamin capsules in suprabiological doses