Clinical Profiles and One-Year Outcome in Middle Eastern Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Hypertension: Analysis From the Jordan Atrial Fibrillation Study.

Studies on the impact of hypertension (HTN) on the outcome of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) in the Middle East are scarce. The aim of this contemporary multicenter study is to evaluate the effect of the coexisting HTN on the baseline clinical profiles and 1-year prognosis in a cohort of Middle Eastern patients with AF. Consecutive AF patients in 29 hospitals and cardiology clinics were enrolled in the Jordan AF study (May 2019-December 2020). Patients were prospectively followed up for 1 year, and the study had no influence on their treatment, which was at the discretion of the treating physician. We compared clinical features, use of medications, and 1-year prognosis in patients with AF/HTN compared with AF/no HTN. Among 1849 non-valvular AF patients, 76.4% had HTN, with higher prevalence of diabetes, dyslipidemia, coronary heart disease, stroke, and left ventricular hypertrophy in HTN patients. There was a higher thromboembolic and bleeding risk among HTN patients. At 1 year, HTN patients had significantly higher rates of stroke and systemic embolism (SSE) (4.5%), acute coronary syndrome (ACS) (2.4%), rehospitalization (27.9%), and major bleeding events (3.0%) compared with non-HTN patients. In this cohort, the coexistence of HTN was associated with worse baseline clinical profile and 1-year outcomes.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice toward Skin Cancer Prevention and Detection among Jordanian Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: Skin cancer is one of the most growing types of cancer, especially in the Mediterranean, even though it is a preventable disease. The purpose of this study is to assess medical students' knowledge, attitude, and practice about skin cancer prevention and detection. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a validated structured questionnaire covering the areas of knowledge, attitude, and practice of the study participants. RESULTS: The study involved 1530 students; 55.3% were females. Most of the students possessed proper knowledge about skin cancer (81%). The most prevalent skin cancer risk factors were sun exposure during the day (83.5%) and immunosuppression (71.2%). More than half of the students did not have any habits of skin examination (61.5%). 20% of the students never used sunscreen, while only 20% of them avoided sun exposure during day hours. CONCLUSION: The general level of the medical students' knowledge of skin cancer and its risk factors appeared to be higher than what is found in other studies; it is reasonable as the study participants were medical students. However, the protective behavior from the sun was inadequate when compared to the level of knowledge reported. Additional education about the behavior toward sun exposure and protection against skin cancer may be needed to be implemented in the dermatology curriculum.