RESUMEN
Objective: The objective of this study is to assesses the preparedness of primary care centers (PHCs) in Aseer region, KSA, for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: This survey was conducted during April 2020 in PHCs. The questionnaire was developed by the investigators and sent via e-mail to health care providers of primary health care centers (PHCCs). The questionnaire consisted of five parts to assesses readiness of PHCs, knowledge, attitude, and practice of health care providers (HCPs) concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. Data entry and analysis were managed by SPSS version 20. Results: Three hundred and seventy-one HCPs participated in this study. Most of them were males (58%), doctors or nurses (81%). Almost all PHCCs have adequate infection control resources, with some shortage in sterilization rooms. Most of participants received on-job training (85%) and had good knowledge about COVID-19. Attitudes of participants showed variation toward COVID-19; 74% were afraid to be infected, 54% were afraid to care for infected patients, 58% were ready for vaccination, and 80% thought that COVID-19 has a huge negative impact on the health care system. Compliance with preventive measures ranged from 66% for keeping social distance to 90% for using personal protective equipment. Most of the participants had positive contributions regarding health education of individuals and communities using different methods including the new social media (80%). Conclusion: This study revealed that PHCCs in Aseer region were well equipped and HCPs were well prepared to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. There are some shortage in a few items of infection control at PHCCs and gaps in knowledge and practice among HCPs which need continuous assessment and monitoring to overcome such barriers.
RESUMEN
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading causes of death worldwide. Dyslipidemia is a cardiometabolic risk factor of CVD, yet it can be modifiable. Walnuts have been suggested as a dietary intervention to improve the lipid profile. Therefore, we reviewed the literature to assess the evidence linking walnut intake to the improvement of blood lipids, including total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) cholesterol, and triglycerides (TG). PubMed and Embase databases were searched from 2010 up to March 2022. We limited our search to randomized controlled trials conducted on humans and published in English during the specified period. Cochrane's risk of bias tool for interventional studies was used. A random-effects model was used for the meta-analysis, and weighted mean differences were obtained (WMD) Thirteen trials from the U.S., Europe, and Asia were included. Walnut intake was associated with significant reductions in TC (WMD: -8.58 mg/dL), LDL-C (WMD: -5.68 mg/dL), and TG (WMD: -10.94 mg/dL). Walnut consumption was not associated with HDL-C. Subgroup analysis showed that overweight/obese and those with comorbidities had more lipid improvement. A longer trial duration did result in further improvements. However, our results may be prone to bias due to extraneous confounding factors. Additionally, levels of heterogeneity were considerable for some outcomes of interest. Results from this meta-analysis provide evidence for the health benefits of walnuts on blood lipids. Walnuts possibly reduce the risk of CVD; thus, they can be successfully added to a dietary pattern to enhance health benefits.