Diagnosis and management of osteoporosis in Saudi Arabia: 2023 key updates from the Saudi Osteoporosis Society.

The Saudi Osteoporosis Society (SOS) has updated its guidelines for the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis in Saudi Arabia (SA), with emphasis on postmenopausal women. This document is relevant to all healthcare professionals in SA involved in the care of patients with osteoporosis and osteoporosis-related fractures. INTRODUCTION: The SOS launched the first national osteoporosis guidelines in 2015 and spearheaded the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries (GCC) osteoporosis consensus report in 2020 which was under the auspices of the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis (ESCEO). This paper highlights a major update of the guidelines in the SA setting. METHODS: This guideline is an adaptation of the current guidelines derived from ESCEO, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), and the GCC osteoporosis consensus report and studies on osteoporosis done in SA. Where accessible, the timeliest systematic review, meta-analysis, and randomized controlled trials were used as evidence. RESULTS: The present update includes new recommendations for the assessment of osteoporosis taking into consideration the Saudi model of FRAX for fracture probabilities, appropriate doses for the maintenance of vitamin D status and calcium, the use of representative blood analytes for therapy monitoring, the use of romosozumab and sequential therapy in the pharmacological management strategies, and the establishment of fracture liaison services to prevent secondary fractures. CONCLUSION: This updated guideline is for all healthcare professionals involved in osteoporosis and post-fracture care and management in SA and harmonized the most up-to-date changes in the field based on evidence-based medicine for use in the local setting.

Assessment of calcium intake and perception of calcium-rich food among healthcare students at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Science (KSAU-HS).

BACKGROUND: Calcium is an essential mineral compound and one of the most abundant minerals in the human body. A long-term low calcium intake predisposes the bones to fractures, osteopenia, and osteoporosis. This study was conducted to assess calcium intake and knowledge of calcium-related information among healthcare students in King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-Hs). METHODS: This cross-sectional survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire that has been distributed as a soft copy of 289 participants aged 19 years or older and studied at KSAU-Hs. The questionnaire had three sections assessing demographical data, calcium knowledge, and calcium intake. The knowledge outcome variables were good and poor, and participants were categorized as good knowledge if they answer 11 or more of the 18 questions, while the intake outcome variables were sufficient and insufficient intake based on the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of 1000 mg. RESULTS: Among all variables, 91.7% of the participants were found to be having an insufficient intake, and 74% were classified to be poor knowledge. As for knowledge, the highest score under the "Good" category were females 32.7% compared to males 22.2%, P = 0.05. The average intake of calcium was 497 mg/day. In terms of sufficient calcium intake, males scored 11.9% compared to females who scored 1.9% with a P value of 0.00. CONCLUSION: The results of this study have shown that there are significantly insufficient calcium intake and poor knowledge about calcium among healthcare students. The results indicate the urge to improve calcium intake and calcium knowledge among the healthcare students.

Knowledge of and attitudes towards electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) among psychiatrists and family physicians in Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the knowledge of and attitudes towards ECT among psychiatrists and family physicians in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: The study is quantitative observational cross-sectional with a convenient sample that included psychiatrists and family physicians (including residents) in Saudi Arabia. RESULTS: Of the 434 questionnaires emailed, a total of 126 returned completed questionnaires (29% response rate). The mean age of respondents was 35 years old. Psychiatrists accounted for 68.3%. The majority were Saudis (95.2%) and male (70.6%). Around half were consultants and about two-thirds (62.7%) had worked in a facility that used ECT. Psychiatrists showed better knowledge than family physicians in their answers, with a mean total knowledge scoring of 8.12 (±1.25) out of 10 and 6.15 (±1.25), respectively (P < 0.0001). Among psychiatrists, 87% thought that ECT required general anesthesia, while 35% of family physicians believed so (P < 0.0001). Other items of ECT knowledge are discussed. Psychiatrists displayed a better attitude towards ECT than family physicians in all answers, with a mean score of 9.54 (±1.16) and 7.85 (±2.39), respectively (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Psychiatrists scored better than family physicians in both knowledge and attitude regarding ECT.

Vitamin D: Light side and best time of sunshine in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Low levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D have been documented among inhabitants of the wider Middle East and North African countries. Sunlight has long been recognized as a major provider of vitamin D. In this study we aimed to determine the optimum time for sun exposure in the Central region of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Ampoules containing 7-dehydrocholesterol in ethanol were exposed to sunlight every hour starting from sunrise until sunset in July and December. Our results demonstrated that the time of the day has a major influence in vitamin D production. In this study, summer production of previtamin D3 was observed to occur between 8:00 PM to 4:00 PM with peak hours between 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. During wintertime however, the conversion began later at around 9:30 AM and ended sooner at 2:00 PM, with peak hours at 10:00 AM to 12 noon. In conclusion, the optimum time to get sun exposure for vitamin D3 production in Riyadh, during summer is from 9:00 AM and before 10:30 AM, as well as after 2:00 PM until 3:00 PM, while during winter it's from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM. These times are important on a public health perspective, as it's free, relatively safe and the most enjoyable. This strategy is a highly efficacious way for improving the vitamin D status for children and adults and preventing vitamin D deficiency.