These findings suggest that supplementation with selenium during pregnancy might be an effective approach for the prevention of postpartum depression.

Background and Purpose-The epidemiology of stroke and its subtypes in the Middle East is unclear. Most previous studies have been performed in Western countries, and incidence rates are unlikely to apply in the Middle East. We aimed to determine the incidence of stroke in Mashhad, northeastern Iran. Methods-During a 12-month period (2006 -2007), we prospectively ascertained all strokes occurring in a population of 450 229. Multiple overlapping sources were used to identify people with stroke. A large number of volunteers assisted in finding stroke patients not admitted to hospital. Potential cases were reviewed by a group of stroke experts before inclusion. Results-A total of 624 first-ever strokes occurred during the study period, 98.4% undergoing imaging. Despite a relatively low crude annual incidence rate of first-ever stroke FES (139; 95% CI, 128 to 149) per 100 000 residents, rates adjusted to the European population aged 45 to 84 years were higher than in most other countries: 616 (95% CI, 567 to 664) for ischemic stroke, 94 (95% CI, 75 to 113) for intracerebral hemorrhage, and 12 (95% CI, 5 to 19) for subarachnoid hemorrhage. Age-specific stroke incidence was higher in younger patients than is typically seen in Western countries. Comparison of age-specific incidence rates between regions revealed that stroke in Mashhad occurs approximately 1 decade earlier than in Western countries. Conclusions-The results of this study provide evidence that the incidence of stroke in Iran is considerably greater than in most Western countries, with stroke occurring at younger ages. Ischemic stroke incidence was also considerably greater than reported in other regions. (Stroke. 2010;41:e3-e10.)

In the present study, the aim was to explore the quality of life of thalassaemia major (TM) patients according to age, sex, school performance, severity and complications of the disease. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted. Quality of life was evaluated by 4 questionnaires; demographic characteristics, the short form 36 health survey (SF-36), Persian version of symptoms checklist-90-revised (SCL-90-R) and life satisfaction index (LSI). 687 (41.08%) of the eligible patients with TM completed the questionnaires. With the SF-36 questionnaire, 329 (47.9%) participants had an excellent level of physical functioning. With the SCL-90-R questionnaire, 446 (64.9%) participants had a global severity index of > 0.7, considered psychiatric patients, 141 (20.5%) patients had GSI between 0.4 and 0.7, considered suspected psychiatric patients and 100 (14.6%) participants had GSI of < 0.4, considered non-psychiatric patients. The mean score of LSI questionnaire was 20.50 (SD 5.95), range 2-37. Beta-TM patients are at risk of psychiatric symptoms and need appropriate psychiatric counselling. Qualité de vie de patients iraniens atteints de β-thalassémie majeure vivant sur la côte sud de la mer Caspienne RÉSUMÉ La présente étude vise à examiner la qualité de vie de patients atteints de thalassémie majeure en fonction de l'âge, du sexe, des résultats scolaires, et de la gravité et des complications de la maladie. Une étude descriptive transversale a été menée. Dans cette étude, la qualité de vie a été évaluée au moyen de quatre outils : les caractéristiques démographiques, le questionnaire d'évaluation de la santé SF-36 en version abrégée, la version en persan de l'échelle de symptômes SCL-90-R et l'indice de satisfaction de vie. Parmi les patients éligibles souffrant de thalassémie majeure, 687 d'entre eux (41,08 %) ont rempli les questionnaires. Selon les résultats du questionnaire SF-36, 329 participants (47,9 %) avaient un excellent niveau de capacité physique fonctionnelle. En tout, 446 participants (64,9 %) ont obtenu un indice de sévérité global de plus de 0,7 (patients psychiatriques) au questionnaire SCL-90-R ; 141 participants (20,5 %) présentaient un indice de sévérité global allant de 0,4 à 0,7 (patients psychiatriques présumés) ; et 100 participants (14,6 %) avaient des résultats inférieurs à 0,4 (patients non psychiatriques). Le score moyen au questionnaire d'indice de satisfaction de vie était de 20,50 (± 5,95, extrêmes 2-37). Les patients souffrant de β-thalassémie majeure risquent de présenter des symptômes psychiatriques et ont donc besoin d'un accompagnement dans ce domaine.