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[This retracts the article DOI: 10.7759/cureus.20188.].
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BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is defined as a chronic medical condition in which the blood glucose level remains high. The risk factors of T2DM are high body mass index due to obesity or being overweight, genetics, and certain medical conditions. Lifestyle modification plays a crucial role in T2DM regulation and prevention, and if it is not controlled well by either lifestyle modification or DM regulatory medications, it may lead to medical complications ranging from mild to life-threatening complications. AIM: The purpose of this study is to find the contributory factors of noncompliance with oral antidiabetic drugs and lifestyle modifications in patients with T2DM in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. This will help control one of the most widespread comorbidities that might otherwise be a significant burden on patients' health and financial status as well as on the government. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted on T2DM patients in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia through a link distributed on social media, and the contributory factors of noncompliance to diabetes medication and lifestyle modification were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 426 participants were included in the study. Regarding compliance with DM medications, 199 (46.7%) participants were adherent to their medications, 148 (34.7%) were not adherent to their medication, 42 (9.9%) were sometimes adherent, and 37 (8.7%) were mostly adherent to their medication. Regarding lifestyle modification, the level of adherence to a healthy diet and exercise among T2DM patients in the eastern province was low and unsatisfactory. According to the participants, the most reported factors contributing to noncompliance with DM medications and lifestyle modifications were forgetfulness, lack of knowledge about diabetes and the importance of controlling it, side effects of the medications, and difficulty in following a healthy diet. Regarding the influence of sociodemographic variables on the level of adherence in T2DM patients, factors such as age, marital status, occupation, comorbidities, diagnosis period, and previous complaints of DM complications showed significant associations with compliance with DM medication. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study revealed that the level of adherence to DM medications among T2DM patients in the eastern province was suboptimal. Although free medicines were available with a high level of healthcare access through government primary healthcare centers (PHCCs), poor adherence was observed. This study highlighted that medication adherence might be affected by age, marital status, occupation, chronic diseases, diagnosis period, and previous complaints of DM complications. Regarding lifestyle modification, this study showed that the level of adherence to a healthy diet and exercise among T2DM patients in the eastern province was low and unsatisfactory. Our recommendation is to measure the presence of dietician clinics, patient relationships with their healthcare providers, and their effect on patient compliance with DM medications. Further research is needed to include other factors that could influence adherence, such as patient-healthcare provider communication. Moreover, it is suggested that PHCCs discuss with noncompliant patients the reasons that prevent them from adhering to their medication and lifestyle modifications as part of their care plan.
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BACKGROUND: Due to the general increase in the use of social media, the increasing popularity of taking selfies and using filters, we found it essential to examine the effect of these behaviors on the perception and attitude toward blepharoplasty. AIM: This article was conducted to assess participants' attitudes and perceptions toward taking selfies and using filters and their relation to blepharoplasty. METHODS: This study was an observational cross-sectional study undertaken in Saudi Arabia. The study targeted all adults in Saudi Arabia. The study subjects are adults living in Saudi Arabia who consented to participate in the study and have filled out the questionnaire fully between January and April 2022 while meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria. A convenient sampling technique was used for data collection. The Chi-square test was used to test for association. RESULTS: A total of 466 participants were included in the study. (94.6%) of the participants reported taking selfies, with varying frequencies, with Snapchat being the most commonly used application (82.5%). Moreover, 87.05% of the participants reported using filters, and 96.08% of those who use filters used them from Snapchat. 45.5% of the participants reported comparing their eyelids with others' when seeing their selfies, 50.6% reported thinking that taking a selfie has a role in making a decision to undergo blepharoplasty, and 47.6% reported thinking that using filters has a role in making a decision to undergo blepharoplasty. Conclusion: This study reflected a notably high rate of taking selfies and using photo filters. The participants' assessment toward the impact of taking selfies and using filters on the decision to undergo blepharoplasty was observed to be moderate. Females were observed to have significantly higher rates of thinking that taking pictures and using filters influence the decision to undergo blepharoplasty compared to males.
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Acute diverticulitis is a prevalent surgical condition that typically presents with lower abdominal pain and tenderness. However, the clinical and laboratory findings of diverticulitis are non-specific and other conditions may give similar manifestations. We present the case of a middle-aged woman with a left lower quadrant abdominal pain and fever of three days duration. On examination, she had tachycardia and localized tenderness in the left iliac fossa with rebound tenderness. There were no signs of peritonitis, including the rigid abdomen and decreased bowel sounds. The laboratory findings were suggestive of an inflammatory or infectious process. A computed tomography scan of the abdomen demonstrated a fat-density lesion anterior to the descending colon representing epiploic appendagitis. The patient was managed conservatively with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (lornoxicam 8 mg). The patient experienced gradual improvement and was discharged after four days of hospitalization. No surgical intervention was needed. The case highlighted the importance of considering epiploic appendagitis in the differential diagnosis of acute diverticulitis. An accurate diagnosis will prevent the patient from having unnecessary surgeries as conservative management is often sufficient in patients with epiploic appendagitis.