A Systematic Review of Chronic Diseases and Their Prevalence Among the Population of Northern Borders Province (NBP) in Saudi Arabia.

Estimation of the prevalence of chronic conditions is pivotal to effective healthcare planning and management. Therefore, our objective was to systemically review previous literature about the prevalence of chronic diseases among residents of Northern Borders Province (NBP) in Saudi Arabia. The electronic search has been done using scientific databases (PubMed, Ebsco, SciFinder, and Web of Science) and search engines up to September 2021. The following main key terms: chronic disease OR chronic conditions AND prevalence AND Northern Borders Province OR Northern Borders AND Saudi Arabia were applied. Other related terms with a more specific search were done with names of the main cities in the province and the most common diseases in Saudi Arabia. Duplicates were removed electronically by Endnote and manually. Extracted data were tabulated in the literature matrix. The risk of bias and quality of included studies were assessed using the "Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology" (STROBE) checklist. Out of 63 observational studies that were assessed for eligibility, 21 observational studies were included to synthesize the evidence. These studies were conducted on Arar (n=16), Turaif (n=2), and Rafha (n=1), while the remaining were national studies in which NBP was one of the included regions (n=2). The most frequently studied diseases were diabetes (4 records), psychological diseases (4 records), and obesity (3 records). The most prevalent disease was gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), with an estimated prevalence of 61% among adults in Arar city. In conclusion, although some research is conducted about chronic diseases somewhere in NBP, further studies are needed to study chronic diseases using a representative sample of the whole NBP population.

Prevalence and associated risk factors of Entamoeba histolytica infection among school children from three primary schools in Arsi Town, West Zone, Ethiopia.

Entamoeba histolytica is one of the major pathogenic intestinal parasites and is amongst the leading causes of diarrheal illness in children. Around 500 million people are infected worldwide, while 75,000 die of the disease annually. E. histolytica is associated with moderate to severe diarrhoea and increased mortality among children in African countries and negatively affects child growth and development. Malnutrition is also an important contributor to the prevalence of E. histolytica in Ethiopia. It is mostly associated with poor hygiene, poverty, illiteracy, lack of access to potable water, and a hot, humid tropical climate. Thus, the present investigation was aimed to assess the prevalence rate and associated factors of E. histolytica among schoolchildren in Arsi Town, West Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted from February 1st to May 1st, 2020. A total number of 334 students were selected from three governmental elementary schools in the west zone using a systematic sampling method. A structured questionnaire was adopted to identify environmental, socio-demographic, and behavioral factors. Microscopically positive samples for E. histolytica cysts were further characterised using an E. histolytica II antigen detection kit. The statistical analysis of the data was done using SPSS software. A univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was done. P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The overall prevalence of E. histolytica was 19.8%. Hand washing habits before eating [AOR = 0.32; 95% CI (0.12, 0.84)], hand washing habits after defecation [AOR = 0.396; 95% CI (0.165, 0.946)], and ameba awareness [AOR = 0.35; 95% CI (0.142, 0.889)] were factors associated with parasite prevalence. The findings of this study could assist the government in targeting infected areas, improving sanitation to prevent E. histolytica transmission, and implementing effective control measures in these rural communities, particularly among youngsters, who represent the nation's future.

Prevalence of obesity in Hail region, KSA: in a comprehensive survey.

BACKGROUND: Obesity contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. We, therefore, aimed to provide epidemiological data on the prevalence of obesity in Hail, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). METHODOLOGY: Data were collected during cross-sectional survey which included 5000 Saudi selected from 30 primary health care centers (PHCs) in Hail Region. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of obesity in Hail was 63.6%. Moreover, the prevalence of males was 56.2% and the prevalence of females was 71%. CONCLUSION: Obesity is prevalent in the Hail Region which necessitates urgent interventions including health education.

Cytological changes in oral epithelium due to Sudanese homemade alcoholic beverages

Introduction and Objective : The aim of this study was to assess the cytological changes in oral epithelium that might be induced by Sudanese homemade alcoholic beverages. Material and methods: Oral Exfoliative Cytology (OEFC) was applied to a case control study to assess the presence and severity of oral epithelial atypia (ET) in 300 subjects (150 alcohol abuse individuals (cases); 150 non-alcohol abuse individuals (controls)). All cases were using homemade alcoholic drinks, locally known as, Aragee, Marisa and others. Five patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCCs) were included as internal controls. Results: ET was detected in 7 subjects and was not observed in the remaining 293. All the 7 subjects with cytological atypia were cases. Cytological atypia were identified among those using Aragee, Marisa, and Aragee & Marisa together, representing 53%, 28.6%, 18%.4, respectively. Cytological atypia was found in all the 5 control cases with OSCCs. For the cytological atypia among alcohol abuse individuals, the adjusted OR and the 95% CI were found to be 5 (4.34-5.84) and P = 0.008. Inflammatory cells infiltrates were identified among 21 (14%) of the cases and only 12 (8%) of the controls and the adjusted OR and the 95% CI were found to be 5 (2.51-11.21) and P = 0.009. Conclusion: In view of these findings, Sudanese homemade alcoholic beverages cause oral epithelial atypical changes, which lead to oral precancerous and cancerous lesions. OEFC is a useful procedure for detection and assessment of oral ET.

Relationship between plasma angiotensinII, leptin and arterial blood pressure.

OBJECTIVE: Obesity and hypertension are 2 closely associated conditions and obesity probably predisposed to hypertension. The mechanism of the association between obesity and hypertension is not clear. The aim of the present study was to clarify the relationship between blood pressure (BP), body mass index (BMI), serum angiotensinII (AGII) and serum leptin levels and to investigate the relation between serum AGII and leptin. This study also aimed to rule out if there is a difference in serum AGII and leptin levels between lean and obese hypertensive females. METHODS: We measured fasting serum AGII and leptin levels in 16 normotensive lean (LN) females, 25 obese normotensive (ON) females, 12 lean hypertensive (LH) females and 25 obese hypertensive (OH) females. All subjects had no evidence of preexisting cardiovascular disease, were non pregnant, had no previous history of ill health or smoking and were not on antihypertensive therapy. This study was performed in King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from January 2002 through to January 2003 RESULTS: In lean groups, there were a significant increase in BMI and serum AGII in hypertensive group compared to normotensive group while the serum leptin level was insignificantly higher in hypertensive group than in normotensive group. On the other hand, there was a significant increase in serum AGII, BMI and serum leptin for obese hypertensive compared to obese normotensive group. The mean arterial blood pressure (ABP) was significantly correlated to serum AGII, serum leptin and BMI in all groups. A significant correlation was found between serum AGII and serum leptin if all studied females (LN, LH, ON and OH) or obese females (ON and OH) were analyzed (P=0.000 and 0.04). However, in lean females (LN and LH) there was no relation between serum AGII and serum leptin. CONCLUSION: When obesity is present, both serum AGII and serum leptin were strong predictor of BP, which is not the case in lean females in whom only serum AGII is a predictor of BP. Elevation of serum AGII and serum leptin levels when associated with increased BMI may contribute to the pathophysiology of obesity induced hypertension. Further study on leptin resistance in obese persons and its relation to increased ABP has to be carried out.

Effects of snake venom from Saudi cobras and vipers on hormonal levels in peripheral blood.

OBJECTIVE: Knowledge about the effects of snake venoms on endocrine glands in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is meager. The aim of the present study is to investigate the acute and chronic envenomation from 4 snakes out of 8 species of Saudi Cobras and Vipers on the tissues of endocrine glands and peripheral hormonal levels in male rats. METHODS: The peripheral blood levels of 4 hormones mainly testosterone, cortisol, insulin and thyroxin were investigated in male Wistar rats following acute and chronic treatment of the rats with poisonous snake venoms at the Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdul-Aziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between September 2000 to May 2001. RESULTS: Using radio immunoassay for hormonal analysis, a rise in testosterone levels in peripheral blood was obtained following acute treatment, which is due to the effect of the venoms on vascular permeability and increased blood flow. In contrast, the chronic treatment with venoms resulted in a delayed effect on vascular permeability and testicular degeneration resulting in a decreased blood flow and a significant drop in testosterone concentration. Cortisol levels were no different from the controls during acute treatment but it demonstrates gradual rise following chronic treatment to withstand the stress imposed on the animals. Similar results were obtained for insulin, which showed normal values with acute treatment but decreased levels of chronic treatment suggesting insulin insufficiently. Likewise, the thyroxin levels were decreased with chronic treatment suggesting a toxic effect of the poison on the rich blood supply of the thyroid follicles with a subsequent decrease in blood flow to the tissues and therefore, decreased thyroid hormone levels. CONCLUSION: The effects of venom toxicity on testosterone levels were either normal or stimulatory with acute treatment or inhibitory with chronic treatment depending on the vascular blood flow and testicular degeneration. Cortisol levels were normal at acute treatment but showed a gradual rise reflecting the stress imposed on the animals. The rise in cortisol levels was visualized to potentiate the cardiovascular and metabolic changes. The effects on insulin and thyroxin were similar to those of testosterone level showing normal or stimulatory effect with acute treatment followed by decreased levels of hormones with chronic treatment.