Prevalence of microvascular complications among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who visited diabetes clinics in Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the microvascular complications prevalence in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) in the eastern province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: The participants in this retrospective, cross-sectional study included patients with type 2 DM who visited the diabetes clinics of primary health care centers of 2 National Guard Hospitals, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. RESULTS: This study included 935 patients with type 2 diabetes (54.1% women versus 45.9% men). Oral hypoglycemic medication was the most common treatment (90.3%). Overall, 55.1% of patients visited the ophthalmology clinic for retinopathy screening. The last glycated hemoglobin A1c result (mean: 8.04%) was higher than the second-to-last result (mean: 8.03%), or the third-to-last result (mean: 7.99%). The prevalence of microvascular complications of DM was 55.1%. Independent significant factors linked with a higher risk of microvascular issues of DM were higher age, visits to an ophthalmology clinic, and the use of injection therapy. The most typical complications that our patients experienced was nephropathy (80.2%), followed by retinopathy (32.7%), and neuropathy (8.4%). CONCLUSION: Microvascular complications were extremely common in type 2 DM patients in our region. Being older, regularly visiting an ophthalmologist, and using injection therapy were predictive factors correlated with a higher chance of experiencing these complications.

Awareness of Blindness Related to Smoking Among Young Age Population: A Cross-Sectional Study in Saudi Arabia.

Globally, it is known that smoking can cause a variety of diseases. Studies have shown that smoking not only causes heart and lung diseases but is also strongly related to ocular diseases which could lead to blindness. This study aims to assess the level of awareness of blindness related to smoking in young people in Saudi Arabia. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted among the young population in Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed using an online platform that includes socio-demographic data, education level, smoking status, and knowledge of the harmful effect of smoking like lung and cardiac diseases, including blindness. The data were analyzed using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). A total of 655 young individuals responded to the survey. Among our subjects, the prevalence of smoking participants was (18.7%) more common among the age group 21-25 years, males, bachelor, or higher degrees and those living in the Central region (p<0.001). Participants were definitely or probably more aware that the most common condition associated with excessive smoking was lung cancer (99.5%), followed by heart disease (98.1%) and stroke (93%) while the least of them was melanoma (91.3%) and blindness (81%). This is the first study in Saudi Arabia to assess the level of awareness of the risks of blindness related to smoking in young people and disclosed limited knowledge of the effect of smoking on their vision. The effects of smoking on lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, and even melanoma received higher ratings than blindness. Smokers may be able to quit smoking and enhance their quality of life by better understanding the link between smoking and blindness, which suggests that appropriate action is required to enhance their awareness.

Psychological Impact of Acne Vulgaris Among Young Females in the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia.

Introduction Acne vulgaris is considered one of the most common dermatological issues that affect approximately 9.4% of the world's population, and the most affected group is adolescents. Acne can vary among adolescents and adults of different ethnicities and countries. Aim This study aimed to assess the psychological impact of acne vulgaris among female adults in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia. Subjects and methods This is a cross-sectional study conducted among young females aged 15 to 25 years old. A self-administered validated questionnaire translated into Arabic was distributed among the female respondents with acne vulgaris using an online survey. The questionnaire includes basic demographic data and the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire to assess the psychological impact of acne vulgaris. Results Four hundred seventy-six female participants aged 15-25 years took part. The majority were single (86.3%) and of Saudi nationality (92.4%). The prevalence of psychological impact affecting acne patients was 85.5% (ranging from low effect to severe effect). A significant relationship was observed between psychological impact according to marital status (p=0.034) and educational level (p=0.023). In a multivariate regression model, patients who had never been married and were more educated were the independent significant factors associated with increased rates of psychological impairment. Conclusion The quality of life of young females has been greatly affected by acne vulgaris. The severity of psychological impairment associated with acne vulgaris can be significantly predicted among educated and single females. Psychological counseling is necessary to decrease the burden caused by the dermatologic condition affecting young females in the region.