Outcome of gestational diabetes in Bengali Asians living in an east London health district.

The characteristics and outcome of pregnancy complicated by gestational glucose intolerance are described in a consecutive series of 69 Bengali Asian patients and a parallel group of 22 Caucasian patients. The Bengali patients were older and of higher parity than the Caucasians and more frequently required insulin therapy. However, the outcome of pregnancy was similar in terms of antenatal clinic attendance, the number of antenatal hospital admissions, glycaemic control, birthweight and mode of delivery. Of those patients who attended for postnatal glucose tolerance test, 20% of the Bengali population demonstrated persisting abnormality of glucose tolerance, whereas no abnormalities were evident in the Caucasian group. These findings are consistent with the high prevalence and early age of onset of non-insulin-dependent diabetes in Asian populations. The World Health Organisation (WHO) criteria for the diagnosis of impaired glucose tolerance proved insufficiently sensitive for the diagnosis of gestational diabetes. This was particularly demonstrated by four patients with apparently normal glucose tolerance by WHO criteria who subsequently required insulin therapy.     

Psychiatric morbidity in stroke patients attending a neurology clinic in Nigeria

Back ground

Stroke produces a wide range of mental and emotional disorders. Neuropsychiatric complications associated with stroke may have negative effects on the social functioning, overall quality of life and the recovery of motor functioning of stroke survivors.

Objective

To determine the prevalence and nature of psychiatric morbidity among stroke patients attending neurology outpatient clinic of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Ilorin-Nigeria.

Methods

All patients with stroke aged 18 years and above at an outpatient neurology clinic in Ilorin, Nigeria were assessed for mental and emotional disorders using the Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) over one year (March 2009 to February 2010).

Results

Overall prevalence of psychiatric morbidity was 36.0% (30/83) among 83 patients who constituted the study population. Specific diagnoses recorded were depression (19.2%), generalised anxiety disorder (9.6%), harmful alcohol use (2.4%); dementia, somatoform disorder, phobia and delusional disorder each had a prevalence of 1.2%. Clinical and sociodemographic variables were not significantly associated with psychiatric morbidity.

Conclusion

Psychiatric disorders are often associated with stroke. Identifying and treating stroke patients with these psychiatric co-morbidities could thus help to improve the overall quality of life of these patients.