Prevalence of menstrual irregularities after coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination: A cross-sectional study in the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Reports indicate that there are menstrual cycle disturbances following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination. The present study explored the prevalence of menstrual irregularities after COVID-19 vaccination and the association of menstrual irregularities with vaccine type, doses, immediate adverse effects, history of COVID-19 infection, and its severity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For this cross-sectional study, 406 women of reproductive age completed an online survey about the postvaccine changes in their menstruation (cycle duration, bleeding days, and bleeding amount), COVID-19 vaccine history (doses, type of vaccine, and immediate adverse effects), history of COVID-19 infection, and its severity. Data was analyzed using SPSS; descriptive statistics were computed and Chi-square test, and binary logistic regression analysis were performed. RESULTS: Of the total 406 women, 45% reported postvaccine changes in their menstrual cycle. The most common menstrual change was increased dysmenorrhea (68%), followed by an increase in the length of the cycle (52%). There was a significant association between postvaccine menstrual changes and the age, marital status, and family history of menstrual irregularities. No association was observed between postvaccine menstrual changes and COVID-19 vaccine-and COVID-19 infection-related variables. As per the best-fit model of our predictors, the odds of having postvaccine menstrual changes were 0.41 times less in "single" women (confidence interval [CI] = 0.26-0.27; P < 0.001) and 1.714 times greater in women who had a "family history of menstrual irregularities" (CI = 1.092-2.690; P = 0.02), respectively. CONCLUSION: A substantial number of women complained of postvaccine menstrual changes regardless of their age, type of COVID-19 vaccine, doses, immediate adverse effects, and COVID-19 infection history/severity. Being "single" decreased the probability, whereas having a family history of menstrual irregularities increased the probability significantly of having postvaccine menstrual changes.

Assessment of anosmia/hyposmia in post-COVID-19 patients: a cross-sectional study in an eastern province of Saudi Arabia.

Background and aim It has been shown that olfactory dysfunction is one of Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19)common and puzzling symptoms that may persist weeks after the infection. This study aimed for the objective assessment of persisting olfactory dysfunction in post-COVID-19 patients. It also investigated the factors associated with the development of such symptoms in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study that was conducted in the Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, Khobar, Saudi Arabia. One hundred and forty-seven participants were included in this study, and sixty of them agreed  to participate in the objective testing using the Connecticut Chemosensory Clinical Research Center (CCCRC) olfaction test. RESULTS: There was a significant correlation between the following factors: (1) Persistence of anosmia/hyposmia and the time of onset of anosmia/hyposmia (P=0.015). (2) Persistence of anosmia/hyposmia and the duration of anosmia/hyposmia (P=0.012). (3) Duration of anosmia/hyposmia and the duration of COVID-19 symptoms (P=0.010). Interestingly, there was a significant association between the subjective participants' claim of anosmia/hyposmia and the score of their objective assessment (P=0.026). CONCLUSION: The current study demonstrated that post-COVID-19 participants with delayed onset of anosmia/hyposmia and/or longer duration of either anosmia/hyposmia or COVID-19 symptoms were prone to have persistent olfactory dysfunction. Further studies are necessary to uncover the underlying pathophysiology and management of this olfactory dysfunction in COVID-19 patients.

The Effectiveness of Nigella sativa and Ginger as Appetite Suppressants: An Experimental Study on Healthy Wistar Rats.

Background: Obesity is a global pandemic that is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Natural herbs are commonly used for weight reduction and appetite suppression. Therefore, we aim to investigate the role and mechanism of Nigella sativa (NS) and ginger on weight reduction and appetite regulation. Methods: This experimental study was performed at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University. Twenty-five female rats were distributed into 5 groups: NS (oral 1000mg/kg), Ginger (500 mg/kg), NS-ginger (both interventions), a positive control (intraperitoneal 50 µg/kg Liraglutide), and a negative control. Each intervention was given for 9 weeks. Food intake and body weight were assessed weekly. Serum lipid profile and peptides involved in appetite control (cholecystokinin (CCK), glucagon-like peptide 1(GLP-1), gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP), ghrelin, peptide YY, and orexin) were assayed at the end of the experiment. Results: None of the interventions showed a statistically significant difference regarding food consumption or weight gain (p > 0.05). However, the three interventions significantly reduced total cholesterol (TC), NS and NS-ginger significantly increased HDL, NS increased ghrelin and ginger increased orexin. Conclusion: The present dose and duration of NS, ginger, or in combination did not demonstrate a significant change in body weight or food consumption in comparison to the negative or positive controls. However, NS or ginger has improved the lipid profile by reducing TC and increasing HDL. In addition, NS or ginger can influence some of the peptides involved in appetite regulation such as the increase in ghrelin induced by NS and the reduction of orexin induced by ginger. We believe that these latter effects are novel and might indicate a promising effect of these natural products on appetite regulation.

Whole-Exome Sequencing Reveals Migraine-Associated Novel Functional Variants in Arab Ancestry Females: A Pilot Study.

Migraine, as the seventh most disabling neurological disease with 26.9% prevalence in Saudi females, lacks studies on identifying associated genes and pathways with migraines in the Arab population. This case control study aims to identify the migraine-associated novel genes and risk variants. More than 1900 Arab ancestry young female college students were screened: 103 fulfilled the ICHD-3 criteria for migraine and 20 cases confirmed in the neurology clinic were included for the study with age-matched healthy controls. DNA from blood samples were subjected to paired-end whole-exome sequencing. After quality control, 3365343 missense, frameshift, missense splice region variants and insertion-deletion (indels) polymorphisms were tested for association with migraine. Significant variants were validated using Sanger sequencing. A total of 17 (p-value 9.091 × 10-05) functional variants in 12 genes (RETNLB, SCAI, ADH4, ESPL1, CPT2, FLG, PPP4R1, SERPINB5, ZNF66, ETAA1, EXO1 and CPA6) were associated with higher migraine risk, including a stop-gained frameshift (-13-14*SX) variant in the gene RETNLB (rs5851607; p-value 3.446 × 10-06). Gene analysis revealed that half of the significant novel migraine risk genes were expressed in the temporal lobe (p-value 0.0058) of the cerebral cortex. This is the first study exploring the migraine risk of 17 functional variants in 12 genes among Saudi female migraineurs of Arab ancestry using whole-exome sequencing. Half of the significant genes were expressed in the temporal lobe, which expands migraine pathophysiology and early identification using biomarkers for research possibilities on personalised genetics.

Association Between Time Spent on Electronic Devices and Body Mass Index in Young Adults.

Objective: To evaluate the association between time spent on electronic devices (TSED) and body mass index in young adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from June to December 2021 on 1877 students (aged 18-22 yrs) from multiple health Colleges of Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University. The main tools of the study were 1) Body mass index (BMI) and an online questionnaire. The subjects were categorized into 3 main groups based on their TSED: 1) Low TSED < 2 hours/day, 2) Medium TSED= 3 to 5 hours/day, 3) Excessive TSED ≥ 6 hours /day. Based on BMI, subjects were categorized into three main groups: Normal and underweight (BMI ≤ 24.9), overweight (BMI > 25-29.9), and obese (BMI > 30). Results: Participants' average age was 20 ± 2 years. The average BMI was 23.5 k/m2. The % of students falling into the categories of normal weight, overweight, and obesity was 69.2%, 19.05%, and 11.7% respectively. The average TSED of study participants was 8.2 ± 3.45 hrs /24 hours. 71.15% of participants indicated a TSED of ≥6 hrs/24 hours and 23.71% reported a TSED of 3-5 hrs/24 hours. Only 3.15% of participants reported TSED of ≤2 hrs/24 hours. Although a rise in the mean BMI was observed with an increase in the TSED, but this difference was not statistically significant. The pairwise wise comparison also failed to demonstrate any difference in BMI between different categories of TSED. Furthermore, no significant positive correlation was found between increased BMI and excessive TSED (P = 0.37). Conclusion: A high percentage of young adults (31.2%) were overweight or obese, but excessive TSED was not significantly associated with increased BMI in this study population. Further studies are recommended to identify the effects of other factors in causing increased BMI in young adults.

Factors Affecting Health Care Professionals' Adherence to COVID-19 Precautionary Measures.

Objective: COVID-19 is a public health emergency of international concern. There is still no definitive cure for this highly transmittable illness. Immunization and breaking the chain of infection is the only successful approach to mitigate its spread. Our study explored the adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures and its associating factors among Health Care Professionals (HCPs) working in Saudi Arabia. Methods: For this cross-sectional study, an online survey was conducted from December 01, 2020, to March 31, 2021, among 978 HCPs in Saudi Arabia. The self-administered questionnaire consisted of demographic information, COVID-19 preventive behaviors, knowledge, attitude, fear, and risk. Mann-Whitney U-test, Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis, Spearman correlation, and binary logistic regression tests were used in data analysis. Results: Most of the HCPs were Saudi nationals (86.9%), females (63.1%), age group 20-29 years (42.3%), Middle Eastern ethnicity (82.5%), and working in the government sector (80.8%). A 52.2% of the participants were compliant with COVID-19 preventive behavior. The most and the least compliant preventive behaviors were "wearing masks" (88.8% compliance) and "keeping social distancing" (60.7% compliance). Preventive behavior was significantly higher in HCPs having a) more knowledge of COVID-19 (U=104849; p 0.001); b) positive attitude (U=84402; p 0.001); c) higher fear (U=103138; p less than 0.001) and d) nursing profession (p 0.01). COVID-19 knowledge (p<0.001), attitude (p<0.001), and fear (p<0.001) contributed significantly to the prediction of preventive behavior compliance. A unit increase in COVID-19 knowledge, attitude, and fear scores raised the odds of being compliant with preventive behavior by factors of 2.34, 1.87, and 1.53 respectively. Conclusion: About half of the study participants were compliant with COVID-19 preventive behavior. Preventive behavior is significantly higher among HCPs having more knowledge of COVID-19, more fear, a positive attitude, and the "nursing" profession. Having more knowledge, a positive attitude, and more fear of COVID-19 may increase the likelihood of being compliant with preventive behavior.

A Pilot Mitochondrial Genome-Wide Association on Migraine Among Saudi Arabians.

Background: Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations have been reported in multiple neurological diseases and helped to explain the pathophysiology of these diseases. Similarly, variations in mtDNA might exist in migraine and can explain the effect of low ATP production in the neurons on the initiation of migraine attack. Therefore, in the current study we aim to explore the association of mtDNA mutations on migraine in the Saudi population. Subjects and Methods: Over 1950 young Saudi female students were screened for migraine, among that a total of 103 satisfied the ICHD-3 criteria. However,  20 migraine cases confirmed in the neurology clinic and gave consent to participate in the study. Another 20 age-matched healthy controls were also recruited. Mitochondrial sequence variations were filtered from exome sequencing using NCBI GenBank Reference Sequence: NC_012920.1 and analysed using MITOMAP. Genes with significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were investigated by the gene functional classification tool DAVID and functional enrichment analysis of protein-protein interaction networks through STRING 11.5 for the most significant associated genes. Results: Genome wide analysis of the mitochondrial sequence variations between the patients with migraine and control revealed the association of 30 SNPs (p < 0.05) in the mitochondrial genome. The highest significance (p = 0.001033) was observed in a coding SNP (rs1603225278) in the CYTB gene and rs386829281 in the region of origin of replication. Twenty-four significant SNPs were in the coding region of nine (ND5, ND4, COX2, COX1, ND3, CYTB, COX3, ND2 and ND1) genes. Conclusion: This is the first study to demonstrate the association of mtDNA variations with migraine in the Saudi population. The current findings will help to highlight the significance of mtDNA mutations to migraine pathophysiology and will serve as a reference data for larger national and international studies.

Is Nigella sativa an Effective Bodyweight Lowering Agent and a Mitigator of Obesity Risk? A Literature Review.

Obesity is one of the major health-threatening conditions nowadays. Nigella sativa (NS) is a medicinal plant that demonstrates multiple therapeutic effects. In the current review, we aim to evaluate the weight lowering effect of NS in both clinical trials and experimental studies and to explore the possible reported mechanisms of this effect. We searched PubMed and Web of science and retrieved 14 clinical trials and 5 experimental studies that justify our inclusion criteria. After the analysis of these articles, we can conclude that long-term administration of NS for 6-12 weeks can significantly lower bodyweight and other anthropometric indices. NS-oil is more potent than NS-powder in lowering bodyweight probably due to the higher concentration of fatty acids and thymoquinone. The weight lowering effect of NS is not a toxic effect, it conversely and preferably lowers the elevated liver enzymes in condition of fatty liver. It is also frequently accompanied by positive metabolic modifications, such as enhancement of lipid profile, lowering blood glucose and improving insulin resistance. Possible mechanisms for NS-bodyweight lowering effect might include an appetite-suppression effect, lowering caloric-intake and inhibition of intestinal glucose absorption. However, further experimental evidence is required to support these mechanisms or unveil new ones.

The Psychological Impact of COVID-19 on Residents of Saudi Arabia.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the stress levels and identify various factors responsible for causing high-stress scores during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Saudi population. Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, from June 2020 until December 2020 on 4052 respondents from the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia. An online survey was used to collect information about various stress factors. The psychological impact of COVID-19 was measured by using the COVID-19 impact event scale (COVID-19 IES), whereas general stress levels were assessed by K10 Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). Results: The psychological impact of the COVID-19 outbreak revealed that 35.4% of participants suffered from moderate or severe psychological impact (score>33); 19.7% had a mild psychological impact (scores24-32), whereas 44.9% reported minimal psychological impact (score <23). The factors significantly associated with higher stress scores and COVID-19 IES included male gender, low monthly income, having a private business, living in apartments/residential complexes, poor general health status, visit hospital/doctor in the past three months, presence of chronic disease, direct/indirect contact with someone diagnosed with/suspected to have COVID-19, contact with surfaces/tools infected with COVID-19, getting screened or quarantined for COVID-19, follow-up of the latest news about COVID-19 and knowledge of a greater number of people infected and died with COVID-19 (p < 0.05). In contrast, being an elementary school student, having 4-10 children, observing various protective measures, and staying home for 4-12 hours were associated with lower COVID-19 IES (p < 0.05). Conclusion: During the initial six months of the COVID-19 outbreak in Saudi Arabia, 35.4% participants suffered from moderate to the severe psychological impact. This study identified various factors responsible for high COVID-19 IES and K10 stress scores. These findings can help formulate psychological interventions for improving the stress scales in vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whole-Genome Sequencing Reveals Exonic Variation of ASIC5 Gene Results in Recurrent Pregnancy Loss.

Family trio next-generation sequencing-based variant analysis was done to identify the genomic reason on unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). A family (dead fetus and parents) from Saudi Arabia with an earlier history of three unexplained RPLs at the ninth week of pregnancy was included in the study. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of a dead fetus and the parents was done to identify the pathogenic variation and confirmed through Sanger sequencing. WGS of dead fetus identifies a novel homozygous exonic variation (NM_017419.3:c.680G>T) in ASIC5 (acid-sensing ion channel subunit family member 5) gene; the parents are heterozygous. Newly designed ARMS PCR followed by direct sequencing confirms the presence of heterozygous in one subject and absence of homozygous novel mutation among randomly selected healthy Saudis. The second family with heterozygous was confirmed with three unexplained RPLs. Pathogenicity analysis of R227I amino acid substitution in ASIC5 protein through molecular docking and interaction analysis revealed that the mutations are highly pathogenic, decrease the stability of the protein, and prevent binding of amiloride, which is an activator to open the acid-sensing ion channel of ASIC5. The identified rare and novel autosomal recessive mutation, c.680G>T:p.R227I (ASIC5Saudi), in two families confirm the ASIC5 gene association with RPL and can be fatal to the fetus.

The Long-Term Impact of COVID-19 Pneumonia on the Pulmonary Function of Survivors.

BACKGROUND: The sequelae of COVID-19 pneumonia on pulmonary function and airways inflammation are still an area of active research. OBJECTIVE: This research aimed to explore the long-term impact of COVID-19 pneumonia on the lung function after three months from recovery. METHODS: Fifty subjects (age 18-60 years) were recruited and classified into two groups: the control group (30 subjects) and the post-COVID-19 pneumonia group (20 patients). Pulmonary function tests, spirometry, body plethysmography [lung volumes and airway resistance (Raw)], diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO), and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), were measured after at least 3 months post-recovery. RESULTS: Significant reduction in total lung capacity (TLC), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume (FEV1), FEV1/FEV, and diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) was observed in post-COVID-19 subjects compared to controls. Restrictive lung impairment was observed in 50% of post-COVID-19 cases (n = 10) compared to 20% in the control group (n = 6, P = 0.026). In addition, mild diffusion defect was detected in 35% (n = 7) of the post-COVID-19 group compared to 23.3% (n = 7) in the controls (P = 0.012). CONCLUSION: COVID-19 pneumonia has an impact on the lung functions in terms of restrictive lung impairment and mild diffusion defect after three months from recovery. Therefore, a long-term follow-up of the lung function in post-COVID-19 survivors is recommended.

Association between sex hormones and migraine in young Saudi females.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the sex hormone levels in young Saudi female migraineurs during a migraine attack and during pain-free periods and compare them with control subjects. METHODS: A case-control study involving 14 Saudi female migraineurs and 21 control subjects was conducted between December 2019 and March 2020. Demographic and disease history data were collected through participant interviews. Blood samples were drawn during the migraine attack and pain-free periods. RESULTS: Follicular (30.00±19.60; p<0.001) and luteal (39.79±11.45; p=0.037) estrogen levels were significantly higher in patients with non-menstrual related migraine (NMM), while luteal testosterone levels (1.10±0.31; p=0.023) were significantly higher in patients with menstrually related migraine (MM). Body mass index (BMI) was higher in patients with NMM (25.77±6.53; p=0.013), and it was found to be associated with follicular estrogen (p=0.016), progesterone (p=0.018), and pain intensity (p=0.042). Luteal estrogen level was significantly lower (13.96±7.88; p=0.036) in patients with luteal onset of attack. CONCLUSION: High estrogen levels were found to mediate NMM, their effect being more pronounced with increase in BMI; whereas low luteal estrogen levels mediated MM. Young females with MM might have high luteal testosterone levels, and a compensatory protective role could be surmised accordingly.

Molecular Mechanisms of Nigella sativa- and Nigella sativa Exercise-Induced Cardiac Hypertrophy in Rats.

BACKGROUND: In our lab, we demonstrated cardiac hypertrophy induced by long-term administration of Nigella sativa (Ns) with enhanced function. Therefore, we aim to investigate the molecular mechanisms of Ns-induced cardiac hypertrophy, compare it with that induced by exercise training, and explore any possible synergistic effect of these two interventions. METHOD: Twenty adult Wistar male rats were divided into control (C), Ns-fed (N.s.), exercise-trained (Ex.), Ns-fed exercise-trained (N.s.Ex.) groups. 800 mg/kg of Ns was administered orally to N.s. rats. Ex. rats were trained on a treadmill with speed 18 m/min and grade 32° for two hours daily, and the N.s.Ex. group underwent both interventions. After 8 weeks, Immunohistochemical slides of the left ventricles were prepared using rat growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), angiotensin-II receptors 1 (AT-I), endothelin-I (ET-1), Akt-1, and Erk-1. Cell diameter and number of nuclei were measured. RESULTS: Cardiomyocyte diameter, number of nuclei, GH, and Akt were significantly higher in N.s, Ex., and N.s.Ex groups compared with the controls. IGF-I, AT-1, and ET-1 were significantly higher in Ex. rats only compared with the controls. Erk-1 was lower in N.s., Ex., and N.s.Ex. compared with the controls. CONCLUSION: We can conclude that Ns-induced cardiac hypertrophy is mediated by the GH-IGF I-PI3P-Akt pathway. Supplementation of Ns to exercise training protocol can block the upregulation of AT-I and ET-1. The combined N.s. exercise-induced cardiac hypertrophy might be a superior model of physiological cardiac hypertrophy and be used as a prophylactic therapy for athletes who are engaged in vigorous exercise activity.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Serum Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide and Apolipoprotein E in Migraine: A Preliminary Study.

BACKGROUND: A reliable, migraine-specific biomarker has not been identified so far. Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) and Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) might serve as migraine biomarkers due to their roles in migraine pathophysiology. However, their diagnostic usefulness has not been explored yet. Present study explored the diagnostic accuracy of CGRP and ApoE in migraine. METHODS: A cross-sectional, case-control study was conducted from November 2019 to April 2020 at Physiology department of our university. Fourteen female migraine patients, 18-25 years old, with confirmed "Migraine" diagnosis by a neurologist, were recruited. Control group consisted of 14 age-matched healthy females with no personal/family history of migraine. Blood was drawn once from control subjects and twice from migraine patients (ictal and interictal phase). Serum CGRP and ApoE levels were assessed by ELISA. Statistical analysis involved paired t-test, one-way ANOVA, Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and cross-tabs. RESULTS: ApoE (mg/dl) was higher significantly in interictal (1.90±0.50) and ictal (1.97±0.65) phases of migraine compared to control (1.07±0.26) (p ≤ 0.001). ROC curves for ApoE were significant in migraine ictal vs control (AUC= 0.91, AUC 95% CI: 0.78-1.0) and migraine interictal vs control (AUC=0.92, AUC 95% CI: 0.8-1.0) subjects. ROC curve for CGRP (pg/mL) was significant in migraine ictal vs control subjects only (AUC=0.79, AUC 95% CI: 0.6-0.97). CONCLUSION: Serum ApoE has "excellent" accuracy to diagnose migraine patients whether in ictal or interictal phase, from healthy subjects. ApoE levels of patients in these two phases of migraine are raised significantly than healthy subjects. CGRP has "fair" diagnostic accuracy to discriminate between migraine ictal phase and healthy subjects. Its levels do not differ significantly among migraine ictal, interictal phase and healthy controls.

Assessment of baroreceptor reflex sensitivity in young obese Saudi males at rest and in response to physiological challenges.

Autonomic imbalance in overweight/obese persons could lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular complications including hypertension and arrhythmias. Baroreceptor reflex sensitivity is a sensitive indicator to detect an altered sympathovagal balance in overweight/obese individuals. This study investigated the effects of overweight/obesity on baroreceptor sensitivity in young Saudi males at rest and in response to physiological challenges. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, spontaneous baroreceptor sensitivity at rest and in response to deep breathing, isometric hand grip exercise and moderate intensity isotonic exercise were recorded in 20 normal weight and 20 overweight/obese subjects. Finger arterial blood pressure signal, recorded through Finometer, was used to calculate baroreceptor sensitivity through cross-correlation method. The baroreceptor sensitivity data were log transformed before application of parametric tests. RESULTS: The spontaneous baroreceptor sensitivity was similar in both groups at baseline, but exhibited a significant increase during deep breathing only in normal weight (p < .001). Immediately after the isotonic exercise the baroreceptor sensitivity was significantly lower than baseline in both normal weight and overweight/obese and remained significantly lower in overweight/obese individuals compared to normal weight (p < .05) throughout the recovery period. There was a significant rise in baroreceptor sensitivity after isometric exercise in overweight/obese group only (p = .001). Pearson's correlation showed a significant negative correlation of baroreceptor sensitivity with body mass index during deep breathing (r = -.472, p = .004) and in post-isotonic exercise recovery period (r = -.414, p = .013). CONCLUSION: A significantly reduced baroreceptor sensitivity response to deep breathing, reduced baroreceptor sensitivity recovery after isotonic exercise, and an exaggerated shoot up after isometric exercise in overweight/obese suggests an altered sympathovagal balance. Baroreceptor sensitivity measurements in response to physiological challenges, deep breathing, and isotonic exercise, may be more sensitive investigations for detection of early attenuation of cardiac autonomic function. This would enable timely intervention thereby delaying complications and improving the quality of life.

Prevalence of Migraine and its Relationship with Psychological Stress and Sleep Quality in Female University Students in Saudi Arabia.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of migraine in young female adults and to identify if a relationship exists between psychological stress or poor sleep quality and migraine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This case control study was carried out at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU), Dammam, KSA from March 2019 to March 2020 on 1,990 female students (17- to 26-years-old). The study tools were Migraine Screening Questionnaire (MS-Q), International Headache Society (IHS) Criteria for Migraine, K10 Psychological Distress Instrument (K10) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). RESULTS: A total of 103 out of 1,990 (5.17%) participants were identified to have migraine. Migraineurs compared to controls had significantly higher average stress scores; felt more tired, nervous, restless, could not sit still, felt that everything was an effort, and nothing cheered them up (p values; 0.008, 0.001, 0.02, 0.01, 0.004, 0.009, 0.02 respectively). Moreover, presence of migraine was significantly correlated with various stress parameters including "High K10 scores," "being tired," "being nervous," "restlessness," "inability to sit still," and "feeling that everything is an effort" (p values: 0.01, 0.002, 0.018, 0.01,0.005, 0.01,0.02). Regarding sleep quality and sleep parameters, no statistically significant difference was found between migraineurs and controls. No correlation was found between presence of migraine and poor sleep quality. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that 5.17% of young females (17- to 26-years-old) suffer from migraine. It also concludes that poor sleep quality is not correlated with migraine, whereas high stress scores are significantly correlated with migraine in young female adults.

Effects of -3.7α Deletion and Sickle-Cell Trait on Ventilatory and Hemodynamic Responses to Maximum Exercise in Young Saudi Females.

INTRODUCTION: Hemoglobinopathies are common disorders in Saudi Arabia and have an impact on the general health of the affected individuals. The current study aimed to find out the effects of the presence of α 3.7 kb rightward deletion or sickle-cell trait (SCT) on ventilatory and hemodynamic parameters of maximum exercise testing in young Saudi women. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, 75 randomly selected female students from different colleges were tested for VO2max using a COSMED system for maximum exercise testing. Blood parameters and globin genotyping were determined. RESULTS: Hemoglobin genetic studies revealed 28 of the students had 3.7 α-globin deletion only (-3.7α2/α1α2), five had SCT, and 42 had normal α-globin (α1α2/α1α2 and no HbS) and were considered the control group. Subjects with -3.7α2/α1α2 showed significantly lower VO2max and higher resting systolic blood pressure, while SCT carriers showed no difference in regard to ventilatory parameters, but had higher post-exercise systolic blood pressure than controls. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that individuals with 3.7 α-globin deletion might have lower fitness capacity, as demonstrated by lower VO2max, which might explain the general lower VO2max in the young women of this population. Furthermore, increments in resting systolic and posteexercise systolic blood pressure in 3.7 α-globin deletion and SCT, respectively, might indicate a future risk of cardiovascular diseases and require attention and extensive studies.

Effects of Mobile Use on Subjective Sleep Quality.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to find out the association between mobile use and physiological parameters of poor sleep quality. It also aimed to find out the prevalence of mobile-related sleep risk factors (MRSRF) and their effects on sleep in mobile users. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 1925 students (aged 17-23yrs) from multiple Colleges of Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The study tools used were Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and MRSRF online questionnaires. RESULTS: The mean age (±SD) of participants was 19.91 ± 2.55 years. Average mobile screen usage time was 8.57±4.59/24 hours, whereas average mobile screen usage time in the bed after the lights have been turned off was 38.17±11.7 minutes. Only 19.7% of subjects used airplane mode, while 70% kept the mobile near the pillow while sleeping. The blue light filter feature was used by only 4.2% of the participants. "Screen usage time of ≥8 hours" was positively correlated with sleep disturbances and decrease in the length of actual sleeping time (p =0.023 and 0.022). "Using the mobile for at least 30 minutes (without blue light filter) after the lights have been turned off" showed positive correlation with poor sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, sleep disturbances and increased sleep latency (p= 0.003, 0.004 and 0.001). "Keeping the mobile near the pillow while sleeping" was also positively correlated with daytime sleepiness, sleep disturbances and increased sleep latency (p =0.003, 0.004 and 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study concludes that using mobile screen ≥8 hours/24 hours, using the mobile for at least 30 minutes before sleeping after the lights have been turned off and keeping the mobile near the pillow are positively associated with poor sleep quality. Moreover, we observed that MRSRF were highly prevalent amongst the mobile users.

Protective Association of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms rs1861868-FTO and rs7975232-VDR and Obesity in Saudi Females.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a major health threat worldwide. It predisposes individuals to diabetes, cardiovascular complications, and cancer. Genetic and environmental factors are responsible for the increasing incidence of obesity. In this study, we investigated the genetic factors associated with obesity in young Saudi women. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 131 young Saudi female students were recruited. Body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio, blood glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and vitamin D3 levels of the subjects were determined. Twelve SNPs of different genes that showed a correlation with obesity in different population were tested, namely GNPDA2 (rs10938397), TCF7L2 (rs10885409), FTO (rs1477196), ADIPOQ (rs1501299), MC4R (rs17782313), ABCA1 (rs1800977), FTO (rs1861868), VDR (rs2228570), VDR (rs731236), VDR (rs7975232), ADIPOQ (rs266729), and PFPK (rs6602024). Student's t-test was conducted for all parameters. Pearson correlation was performed to identify the correlated variables. The frequencies of different risk alleles were determined by direct counting of the test allele divided by the total number of alleles and compared. RESULTS: Only two SNPs, rs1861868 of FTO and rs7975232 of VDR, of the twelve tested SNPs showed significant protective associations with the BMI with odds ratio 0.3886 (0.1761-0.8572); p 0.0192 and odds ratio 0.4563 (0.2343-0.8888); p 0.0211, respectively. CONCLUSION: The current study showed that minor alleles, "T" of FTO and "A" of VDR, might be protective factors against increased BMI in young Saudi female subjects. To elucidate this association, further studies with larger sample size involving both sexes are required.