Knowledge and attitude on the role of lifestyle modifications in the management of diabetes in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Public knowledge about the role of lifestyle in managing type two diabetes (T2D) is an essential preventive strategy. Despite efforts in public awareness, the prevalence continues to rise, with the majority relying on the availability of effective therapeutics, underestimating the role of healthy lifestyle changes. This study aims to assess public awareness of the impact of lifestyle modification in managing T2D in a major metropolitan city in Saudi Arabia, which will help inform the health management authority in the country on the level of public awareness and advise on the development of educational programs. METHODS: An observational cross-sectional survey study comprising 16 knowledge and 6 attitude questions was conducted among the population over 18 years old using online survey. After validation, the online self-developed questionnaire was distributed through social media. RESULTS: The knowledge and attitude scores were similar between males and females. Participants with a family member or friend with T2D demonstrated higher knowledge scores. However, the attitude scores did not differ significantly based on family or friend relationships. CONCLUSION: The knowledge and attitude on the role of lifestyle modifications in preventing and managing T2D is moderate, implying an opportunity for innovative strategies to raise public knowledge and attitude.

The Role of Cytosolic Lipid Droplets in Hepatitis C Virus Replication, Assembly, and Release.

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes chronic hepatitis by establishing a persistent infection. Patients with chronic hepatitis frequently develop hepatic cirrhosis, which can lead to liver cancer-the progressive liver damage results from the host's immune response to the unresolved infection. The HCV replication process, including the entry, replication, assembly, and release stages, while the virus circulates in the bloodstream, it is intricately linked to the host's lipid metabolism, including the dynamic of the cytosolic lipid droplets (cLDs). This review article depicts how this interaction regulates viral cell tropism and aids immune evasion by coining viral particle characteristics. cLDs are intracellular organelles that store most of the cytoplasmic components of neutral lipids and are assumed to play an increasingly important role in the pathophysiology of lipid metabolism and host-virus interactions. cLDs are involved in the replication of several clinically significant viruses, where viruses alter the lipidomic profiles of host cells to improve viral life cycles. cLDs are involved in almost every phase of the HCV life cycle. Indeed, pharmacological modulators of cholesterol synthesis and intracellular trafficking, lipoprotein maturation, and lipid signaling molecules inhibit the assembly of HCV virions. Likewise, small-molecule inhibitors of cLD-regulating proteins inhibit HCV replication. Thus, addressing the molecular architecture of HCV replication will aid in elucidating its pathogenesis and devising preventive interventions that impede persistent infection and prevent disease progression. This is possible via repurposing the available therapeutic agents that alter cLDs metabolism. This review highlights the role of cLD in HCV replication.

The Incidence of Respiratory Infections and Risk Factors Among Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Western Saudi Arabia.

Introduction Cancer patients receiving chemotherapy are prone to infections because of the treatment regimens' immunosuppression.  Objectives This study estimated the overall incidence of respiratory infections among patients undergoing chemotherapy and associated risk factors. Methods This study is a retrospective chart review of cancer patients at Princess Noorah Oncology Center in Western Saudi Arabia from January 2017 to December 2020.  Results This study included 196 patients, 53.1% males and 50.5% older than 50 years. The estimated incidence of respiratory infections among participants was 8.7%, and the most commonly detected organism was Klebsiella pneumoniae (35.3%). The risk factors significantly associated with infection were ICU admission (p=0.001), the use of mechanical ventilation (p=0.003), and the presence of hematologic malignancy (p=0.02). Conclusion Future multi-center studies should employ a prospective design, including laboratory confirmation of causative organisms. Such studies may better estimate the infection-associated burden on cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.