Psychosocial impact and quality of life among adult Egyptian patients with psoriatic arthritis

Background: psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic, inflammatory, progressive joint disease. It has much psychosocial impact and affects quality of life (QOL) of the patients. Aim of the study: to determine the psychosocial impact of PsA on the patients and to define QOL of them. Patients and Methods: the study was conducted on 50 PsA patients, 68 psoriasis (Ps) patients, and 100 controls. A case-control, clinic-based study design was used in this research. An interviewing form and Middle Sex Hospital Questionnaire were used to survey the characteristics of the patients and controls. Severity of PsA was determined clinically. Also, the medical outcomes study 36-item short form (SF-36) was used to assess impact of the disease on the patient's QOL. Results: most (92.0%) of PsA patients had psychiatric symptoms. The disease had interfered with most of patients' personal feelings and relationships, daily activities, school/work, and leisure/sport. Majority (88.0%) of the patients had stigma feeling. Also, 40.0% and 60.0% of PsA patients had severe and mild forms, respectively. The differences between two forms of PsA regarding interference with school/work and presence of suicidal ideation were significant. The difference regarding presence of familial psychological stress was significant. The highly affected SF-36 domain scores were general health and physical limitation. The eight mean domain scores were significantly lower among PsA patients than controls. The mean domain scores of physical functioning, physical limitation, social functioning, emotional limitation, and mental health were significantly lower among patients with severe PsA than those with mild PsA. The eight mean domain scores were significantly lower among PsA patients than those with only Ps. Conclusions: the physical and psychosocial aspects of PsA may interact and influence one another. So, PsA has a great effect on the patients' QOL; disrupting physical and psychosocial aspects, and interfering with daily activities, school/work, and leisure/sport. QOL scores were significantly lower among PsA than only Ps patients

Prevalence of dementia in Al Kharga District, New Valley Governorate, Egypt.

BACKGROUND: With aging, there is a parallel increase in the prevalence of dementia worldwide. The aim of this work is to determine the prevalence of dementia among the population of Al Kharga District, New Valley, Egypt. METHODS: Screening of all subjects aged ≥50 years (n = 8,173 out of 62,583 inhabitants) was done through a door-to-door survey by 3 neurologists, using a short standardized Arabic screening test and a modified Mini-Mental State Examination. Suspected cases were subjected to full clinical examination, psychometric assessment using the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale, Geriatric Depression Scale, Hachinski Ischemic Score, DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria, neuroimaging, and laboratory investigations, when indicated. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of dementia was 2.26% for the population aged ≥50 years. It increased steeply with age to a maximum of 18.48% for those aged ≥80 years. Alzheimer's disease (51.2%) was the most common subtype, followed by vascular dementia (28.7%), dementia due to general medical conditions (12.8%), and lastly dementia due to multiple etiologies (7.3%). Mild dementia was the commonest (53.7%). CONCLUSION: Dementia is prevalent in Egypt as elsewhere. Detection through a door-to-door survey is the best method in developing countries for early detection of mild cases.