Fetal and neonatal outcomes of posterior fossa anomalies: a retrospective cohort study.

The primary aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of posterior fossa anomalies (PFA) and assess the associated outcomes in King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC), Riyadh. All fetuses diagnosed by prenatal ultrasound with PFA from 2017 to 2021 in KAMC were analyzed retrospectively. PFA included Dandy-Walker malformation (DWM), mega cisterna magna (MCM), Blake's pouch cyst (BPC), and isolated vermian hypoplasia (VH). The 65 cases of PFA were 41.5% DWM, 46.2% MCM, 10.8% VH, and 1.5% BPC. The annual incidence rates were 2.48, 2.64, 4.41, 8.75, and 1.71 per 1000 anatomy scans for 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021, respectively. Infants with DWM appeared to have a higher proportion of associated central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities (70.4% vs. 39.5%; p-value = 0.014) and seizures than others (45% vs. 17.9%; p-value = 0.041). Ten patients with abnormal genetic testing showed a single gene mutation causing CNS abnormalities, including a pathogenic variant in MPL, C5orf42, ISPD, PDHA1, PNPLA8, JAM3, COL18A1, and a variant of uncertain significance in the PNPLA8 gene. Our result showed that the most common PFA is DWM and MCM. The autosomal recessive pathogenic mutation is the major cause of genetic disease in Saudi patients diagnosed with PFA.

The Prevalence of Headache and Associated Factors in Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Only few studies have investigated the prevalence and risk factors of headaches among the Saudi population. The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of headache and to explore its associated risk factors Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia. Methods: The multistage sampling technique was used to enroll 1200 population-based participants who were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire about headaches, demographics, and several other parameters such as smoking status and different chronic and psychological illnesses. The chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to test the association. Results: The overall prevalence of headaches in this study was 3%. The multiple logistic regression analysis showed that females were more likely to have headaches than males (odds ratio (OR) 0.735, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.612-1.341; P=0.024). Being a current smoker was also significantly associated with higher "odds" of having headache (OR = 1.319, 95% CI = 0.932-2.462; P=0.037). Participants who were overweight had a significantly higher risk of headache (OR = 1.631, 95% CI = 1.48-1.854; P=0.037). Nonmarried people were significantly more likely to have headache pain, compared to married individuals (OR = 0.875, 95% CI = 0.646-2.317; P=0.047). Conclusion: The prevalence of headaches was 3%, and four significant associated factors were identified: females, nonmarried, smoking, and overweight. The temporality of the relationship between these factors and headache cannot be confirmed in this cross-sectional study; so future longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these potential causal relationships.

The relationship between chronic pain, prehypertension, and hypertension. A population-based cross-sectional survey in Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Chronic pain and hypertension are highly prevalent in both developing and developed countries. Although they may appear to be two separate phenomena, several studies in developed countries have found them associated at the population level. Studies in developing countries are scarce and association between pain with prehypertension are rarely explored. The objective of this study was to explore the potential association between prehypertension, hypertension, and chronic pain in a Saudi population.Methods: A cross-sectional general population-based study was conducted on a random sample of employees and university students over a period of 6 months from January 2016 to June 2016 in Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia. A total of 1200 general population adults (aged 18 years and above) were invited to participate in the study.Results: With a response rate of 85.9%, 1031 individuals were included in the final analysis. Among the general population of Al-Kharj, statistically significant association was found between age and chronic pain [Odds ratio (OR) = 1.764 [95% C.I. = 1.391-1.927], P < 0.0001] and between hypertension and chronic pain [(OR) = 1.039 [95% C.I. = 1.018-1.060], P < 0.0001], respectively. The association between prehypertension and chronic pain was not statistically significant [(OR) = 1.211 [95% C.I. = 0.879-1.668, P = 0.243].Conclusion: Results of this survey suggests a statistically significant relationship between hypertension (but not prehypertension) and chronic pain. The temporality of the relationship between hypertension and chronic needs to be explored in future longitudinal studies.

Red and Processed Meat and Mortality in a Low Meat Intake Population.

Associations of low-to-moderate consumption of red and processed meat with mortality would add to the evidence of possible adverse effects of these common foods. This study aims to investigate the association of red and processed meat intake with mortality. The Adventist Health Study-2 (AHS-2) is a prospective cohort study of ~96,000 Seventh-day Adventist men and women recruited in the US and Canada between 2002 and 2007. The final analytic sample after exclusions was 72,149. Cox proportional hazards regression was used and hazard ratios (HR) and confidence intervals (CI) were obtained. Diet was assessed by a validated quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), calibrated using six 24-h dietary recalls. Mortality outcome data were obtained from the National Death Index. During a mean follow-up of 11.8 years, there were 7961 total deaths, of which 2598 were Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) deaths and 1873 were cancer deaths. Unprocessed red meat was associated with risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.07⁻1.31) and CVD mortality (HR: 1.26; 95% CI: 1.05⁻1.50). Processed meat alone was not significantly associated with risk of mortality. The combined intake of red and processed meat was associated with all-cause mortality (HR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.11⁻1.36) and CVD mortality (HR: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.12⁻1.60). These findings suggest moderately higher risks of all-cause and CVD mortality associated with red and processed meat in a low meat intake population.