RESUMEN
Background Obesity disrupts the equilibrium of sexual hormones, resulting in decreased sexual desire, arousal, and orgasm. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of substantial weight loss after bariatric surgery on sexual function, psychological health, and the overall quality of sexual life in a group of Saudi females. Method The study used a cross-sectional design and was conducted at King Fahad Hospital in Medina, Saudi Arabia. The study included adult female patients who had previously undergone bariatric surgery. We used the Sexual Quality of Life for Female (SQoL-F) and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaires to collect data. The study was extended from January 1, 2021, to December 30, 2022. Results A total of 100 participants were included in this study, all the samples underwent vertical sleeve gastrectomy, their mean age was 36.7±9.3, 94% (n=94) of the respondents had high school education or above, 50.0% (n=50) were unemployed, and around 13% (n=13) of the samples had a psychiatric history. Surgery complications were reported in 10% (n=10), which were reported as esophagitis (n=4), gastric ulcer (n=2), gastric stricture (n=1), infection (n=2), and leakage (n=1). The median of the FSFI and SQoL-F was 47.0 and 24.5, respectively. Approximately 66% of the respondents agreed that their sexual lives improved after surgery, 22% did not feel any difference before and after surgery, and 9% witnessed deterioration. In total, 61.0% had female sexual dysfunction (FSD) (25% had no dysfunction afterward, 45% had mild dysfunction, 27% suffered mild to moderate dysfunction, and only 2% had severe dysfunction). Regarding SQoL-F, the mean score was 5.59 for sexual repression, 6.1 for self-worthlessness, 18.56 for sexual and relationship satisfaction, and 16.4 for psychological feelings. Conclusions Bariatric surgery was associated with the improvement of female sexual function.
RESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: To assess the validity of the new International Diabetes Federation-Diabetes and Ramadan International Alliance (IDF-DAR) risk stratification tool for Ramadan fasting in predicting diabetic patients' ability to fast safely. METHODS: A prospective observational study was carried out during Ramadan 2022 at the Diabetes Center, King Fahad Hospital, Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah, Saudi Arabia. The IDF-DAR risk stratification tool was used to calculate fasting risk for diabetic patients pre-Ramadan. The patients were allocated into 3 categories: high, moderate, and low risk. Fasting was left up to the patients and their healthcare providers. Participants filled out a log-sheet each day of Ramadan showing whether they completed the fast. A final interview was carried out after Ramadan to assess patients' fasting experiences. RESULTS: We included 466 patients with diabetes: 79.4% with T2DM and 20.6% with T1DM. Based on the IDF-DAR score, 265 (56.9%) patients were classified as high risk, 115 (24.7%) as moderate risk, and 86 (18.4%) as low risk. Non-fasting the whole month of Ramadan was statistically relevant to the IDF-DAR risk stratification score. High-risk individuals were more likely to experience hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia than those with a moderate or low risk. But overall, 70.4% of people at moderate risk and 53.2% of the ones at high risk observed Ramadan's complete fast. CONCLUSION: The IDF-DAR has proven to be reliable and valid for predicting the risk of adverse events associated with fasting in diabetic patients. Nonetheless, it might overestimate the risk of fasting for some patients.
