Knowledge and Attitudes Toward E-cigarette Use: A Cross-Sectional Study From Saudi Arabia.

Background In light of the fact that electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use is a newly emerging behavior in the Middle Eastern region, where tobacco consumption is widespread, it is imperative to examine the present state of e-cigarette awareness and attitudes toward e-cigarettes. The aim of this research is to investigate the level of knowledge and attitudes pertaining to the utilization of e-cigarettes within the context of Saudi Arabia. Methodology A cross-sectional online survey study was conducted between May and September 2023 to assess public knowledge and attitudes toward e-cigarettes in Saudi Arabia. This study utilized a previously validated questionnaire to assess the knowledge and attitudes of participants regarding e-cigarettes. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of being knowledgeable of and having a positive attitude toward e-cigarettes. Results A total of 422 participants were involved in this study. Around one-third of the study participants were current smokers (37.2%). The median knowledge score for the study participants was 13.00 (11.00-14.00), which reflects a high level of e-cigarette knowledge. The median knowledge score for the study participants ranged between 3.00 and 15.00. The median attitude score for the study participants was 3.00 (1.00-5.00), which reflects a negative attitude toward the use of e-cigarettes. The median attitude score for the study participants ranged between 0.00 and 12.00. Participants with a monthly income of 5,001 SAR and above were more likely to be knowledgeable about e-cigarette use (p < 0.05). However, binary logistic regression analysis did not identify any statistically significant predictor of positive attitude toward the use of e-cigarettes (p > 0.05). Conclusions The study population exhibited a significant level of knowledge regarding e-cigarettes, which was coupled with a prevailing negative attitude toward their use. The income level of individuals emerged as a significant predictor of e-cigarette knowledge. To obtain a comprehensive knowledge of the factors that contribute to negative attitudes toward e-cigarette usage, particularly among specific demographic groups, it is imperative to employ a qualitative research methodology.

Minimally-invasive approach via percutaneous femoral cannulation for the resection of intra-cardiac masses: a single center experience in the Middle-East.

BACKGROUND: Intra-cardiac masses are rare and challenging lesions with an overall incidence ranging of 0.02-0.2%. Minimally invasive approaches have been recently introduced for surgical resection of these lesions. Here, we evaluated our early experience using minimally invasive techniques in addressing intra-cardiac lesions. METHODOLOGY: This is a retrospective descriptive study conducted between April 2018 to December 2020. All patients were diagnosed with cardiac tumors and treated via a right mini-thoracotomy with cardiopulmonary bypass through femoral cannulation at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Jeddah. RESULTS: Myxoma was the most common pathology representing 46% of cases followed by thrombus (27%), leiomyoma (9%), lipoma (9%) and angiosarcoma (9%). All tumors were resected with negative margins. One patient was converted to open sternotomy. Tumor locations were in the right atrium, left atrium, and left ventricle in 5, 3, and 3 patients, respectively. The median ICU stay was 1.33 days. The median length of hospitalization was 5.7 days. There was no 30-days hospital mortality recorded in this cohort. CONCLUSION: Our early experience shows that minimally invasive resection can be performed safely and effectively for intra-cardiac masses. The minimally invasive approach using a mini-thoracotomy with percutaneous femoral cannulation can be an effective alternative in resecting intra-cardiac masses that achieves clear margin resection, quick post-operative recovery, and low rates of recurrence for benign lesions.

Blood Pressure Correlates with Serum Leptin and Body Mass Index in Overweight Male Saudi Students.

The precise association of serum leptin (Lep) with the body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure (BP) is not well known for understanding their involvement in health and disease. Hence, the present study was conducted to investigate the association of BP, BMI and serum Lep levels in young normal-weight (NW) and overweight (OW) male Saudi students. The NW (n: 198) and OW (n: 192) male subjects in the age range of 18-20 years were consulted. The BP was measured with a mercury sphygmomanometer. Leptin Human ELISA Kits were employed for the determination of the serum Lep levels. The mean ± SD values of BMI (kg/m2), Lep (ng/mL), systolic BP (SBP; mmHg), and diastolic BP (DBP; mmHg) all showed significant differences for young OW vs. NW subjects as: 27.52 ± 1.42 vs. 21.49 ± 2.03; 10.70 ± 4.67 vs. 4.68 ± 1.91; 121.37 ± 2.59 vs. 118.51 ± 1.54 and 81.44 ± 1.97 vs. 78.79 ± 1.44, respectively. All associations (among BMI, Lep, SBP and DBP) showed a positive linear and significant correlation, except the nonsignificant correlation of BMI and SBP for the NW group. Other variables showing significant variation for NW vs. OW subjects were: interleukin-6, high sensitivity C-reactive protein, apelin (APLN) and resistin. Serum APLN correlated significantly with Lep, BMI, SBP and DBP in lower and higher levels of BMI, with considerable progressive patterns in both the NW and OW groups and subgroups. The present study in young Saudi male students presents significant variations for BP and serum leptin levels, and a significant positive linear association among serum leptin, BMI and BP.

Risk of bleeding with ticagrelor in elderly patients over 75 years old: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Bleeding is an untoward outcome in the management of elderly patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Although the potent oral P2Y12 inhibitor, ticagrelor is clinically beneficial, its association with bleeding events in elderly ACS patients (≥75 years) is poorly understood. METHODS: We conducted a systematic search of 7 databases up to May 20, 2020 to identify studies which examined the risk of bleeding (defined according to each study) among elderly ACS patients (≥75 years) receiving ticagrelor compared to clopidogrel. Summary risk ratios (RR) were estimated using the random effects model. RESULTS: Eight studies consisting of 5 observational studies and 3 randomized controlled trials involving 7032 elderly patients met the eligibility criteria. The mean age of the patients was 77.8 years, and the mean follow-up duration was 12 months. Overall, the pooled RRs showed higher risk of a bleeding event with ticagrelor compared to clopidogrel (RR 1.20, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.03-1.40; P = .017). No statistically significant heterogeneity was observed among the studies (Q = 6.93; P = .44; I2 = 0). Also, pooled RRs did not show a higher risk of major bleeding (RR 1.32, 95% CI 0.91-1.92; P = .15) or minor bleeding (RR 1.09, 95% CI 0.76-1.58; P = .64) when comparing the ticagrelor to the clopidogrel group. CONCLUSIONS: There is a 20% increased risk of a bleeding event in elderly ACS patients treated with ticagrelor compared to clopidogrel; for such patients, clopidogrel may be considered as an alternative agent to ticagrelor due to its lower risk of bleeding.

Hospital admission trends due to respiratory diseases in England and Wales between 1999 and 2019: an ecologic study.

BACKGROUND: Identifying trends of hospital admissions for respiratory diseases is crucial for public health and research to guide future clinical improvements for better outcomes. This study aims to define the trends of respiratory disease-related hospital admissions (RRHA) in England and Wales between 1999 and 2019. METHODS: An ecological study was conducted using hospital admission data taken from the Hospital Episode Statistics database in England and the Patient Episode Database for Wales. Hospital admissions data for respiratory diseases were extracted for the period between April 1999 and March 2019. The trend in hospital admissions was assessed using a Poisson model. RESULTS: Hospital admission rate increased by 104.7% [from 1535.05 (95% CI 1531.71-1538.38) in 1999 to 3142.83 (95% CI 3138.39-3147.26) in 2019 per 100,000 persons, trend test, p < 0.01]. The most common causes were influenza and pneumonia, chronic lower respiratory diseases, other acute lower respiratory infections, which accounted for 26.6%, 26.4%, and 14.9%, respectively. The age group 75 years and above accounted for 34.1% of the total number of hospital admissions. Males contributed to 50.5% of the total number of hospital admissions. Hospital admission rate in females increased by 119.8% [from 1442.18 (95% CI 1437.66-1446.70) in 1999 to 3169.38 (95% CI 3163.11-3175.64) in 2019 per 100,000 persons, trend test, p < 0.001]. Hospital admission rate increased by 92.9% in males [from 1633.25 (95% CI 1628.32-1638.17) in 1999 to 3149.78 (95% CI 3143.46-3156.09) in 2019 per 100,000 persons, trend test, p < 0.001]. CONCLUSION: During the study period, hospital admissions rate due to respiratory diseases increased sharply. The rates of hospital admissions were higher among males for the vast majority of respiratory diseases. Further observational studies are warranted to identify risk factors for these hospital admissions and to offer relevant interventions to mitigate the risk.

Dynamism of the aortic annulus: Effect of diastolic versus systolic CT annular measurements on device selection in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

BACKGROUND: Annular dimensions, including cross-sectional area, perimeter and subsequently derived diameters, are subject to dynamic changes throughout the cardiac cycle. There is ongoing controversy as to whether perimeter measurement changes between systole and diastole are too small to impact on valve sizing. OBJECTIVES: To assess both the variability of aortic annular dimensions throughout the cardiac cycle across a range of sub-annular calcification using computed tomography (CT) and the impact of this variability on device size selection for balloon-expandable valves in a large, all-comer multi-center cohort. METHODS: ECG-gated CT data of 507 patients (mean 81 ± 7.5 years, 60.1% male) were analyzed in this retrospective, multicenter analysis. Aortic annulus dimensions were assessed on pre-specified systolic and diastolic phases by planimetry, yielding both area and perimeter. Contour smoothing was employed to avoid artificial increase in perimeter values by uneven contours. The extent of subannular calcification was graded semi-quantitatively and assessed in relation to the degree of annular dynamism. Hypothetical device sizing was undertaken to assess the impact of using systolic and diastolic measurements on valve selection. RESULTS: Mean annular dimensions were larger during systole than diastole (area: 474.4 ± 87.4 mm(2) vs. 438.3 ± 84.3 mm(2) or 8.23%, p < 0.001; perimeter: 78.5 ± 7.2 mm vs. 75.9 ± 7.2 mm or 3.36%, p < 0.001). The magnitude of annular area and perimeter change (systolic minus diastolic measurement) was greater among patients without calcification compared to patients with grade 3 calcification. Using diastolic rather than systolic data for device sizing resulted in a change of the recommended valve size in nearly half of patients for both annular area and perimeter. CONCLUSIONS: The systematic differences between systolic and diastolic annular measurements for cross-sectional area and perimeter have implications for device sizing with potential for valve under-sizing if diastolic annular dimensions are employed.

Right Ventricular Assessment in Adult Congenital Heart Disease Patients with Right Ventricle-to-Pulmonary Artery Conduits.

BACKGROUND: There is little data on right ventricular (RV) remodeling patterns in complex congenital heart disease (CHD) patients with right ventricle to pulmonary artery (PA) conduits, and novel RV imaging modalities have not been explored in this population. Knowledge of the RV remodeling process is an important first step to future understanding and tracking of the RV response to pressure and volume overload in this diverse population. Three-dimensional knowledge-based reconstruction (3DKBR) derived from two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (TTE-3DKBR) is a novel approach to RV assessment. The aims of this study were twofold: (1) to assess the feasibility and accuracy of 3DKBR in patients with CHD with RV to PA conduits and (2) to characterize the three-dimensional shape of the RV across the spectrum of CHD with RV to PA conduits. METHODS: Seventeen patients with tetralogy of Fallot, pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect, or truncus arteriosus (mean age, 29 ± 8 years; 24% women) and a conduit referred for cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) were prospectively recruited and underwent TTE-3DKBR. TTE-3DKBR echocardiographic image acquisition was performed using a standard ultrasound scanner linked to a Ventripoint Medical Systems unit. The surface RV volumetric reconstruction was performed by transmitting two-dimensional data points to an online database and comparing these with a lesion-specific catalog to derive the RV reconstruction. Parameters analyzed were end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume, and ejection fraction. Intertechnique agreement was assessed using Pearson's correlation analysis, coefficients of variation, and Bland-Altman analysis. Three-dimensional shape comparisons of RV surface reconstructions were performed via automated validation testing of CMRs from 43 patients (mean age, 30 ± 8 years; 32% women) with RV to PA conduits (tetralogy of Fallot, n = 15; pulmonary atresia, n = 19; and truncus arteriosus, n = 9) distinct from patients in the 3DKBR comparison. RESULTS: There was good correlation and agreement between the two modalities: EDV, R = 0.77, P = .0004; end-systolic volume, R = 0.93, P < .0001; ejection fraction, R = 0.75, P < .0005. On Bland-Altman analyses, CMR EDV was slightly larger TTE-3DKBR, while EF was slightly higher by 3DKBR. Qualitative and quantitative assessment both demonstrated RV shape diversity based on surface reconstructions. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that TTE-3DKBR is an alternative technology that can be used to assess the RV in patients with complex CHD with a conduit. A novel method was used to compare RV shapes in this important population, and our results draw specific attention to the fact that the RV both within and outside diagnostic groups has very different unpredictable shapes and should not be treated equally. Our findings should set into motion future work focused on indices of RV shape and their impact on overall RV function and clinical outcomes, hence defining optimal timing of conduit revision, which at the current time is very unclear.