Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND: Telomere length, an indicator of ageing and longevity, has been correlated with several biomarkers of cardiometabolic disease in both Arab children and adults. It is not known, however, whether or not telomere length is a highly conserved inheritable trait in this homogeneous cohort, where age-related diseases are highly prevalent. As such, the aim of this study was to address the inheritability of telomere length in Saudi families and the impact of cardiometabolic disease biomarkers on telomere length.

A case of de ClÈrambault syndrome, secondary to paranoid schizophrenia, in a Saudi woman is documented. Cultural factors were found ineffective in modifying or preventing symptoms. Erotomania appeared to arise from the same dynamics as those of the Western patients and to follow the same pattern.

OBJECTIVE: The main objectives of this study are to assess patient satisfaction at both Ministry of Health and private hospitals in Riyadh city, to compare the perceived satisfaction of patients to their expectations prior to admission at both sectors, and to determine the variables that influence the patient's future intention. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 500 patients (392 were returned fully completed) in 7 private and Ministry of Health hospitals.

OBJECTIVE: The main objectives of this study are to assess patient satisfaction at both Ministry of Health and private hospitals in Riyadh city, to compare the perceived satisfaction of patients to their expectations prior to admission at both sectors, and to determine the variables that influence the patient's future intention. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 500 patients (392 were returned fully completed) in 7 private and Ministry of Health hospitals.

This study investigated whether hypnotherapy provides a significant therapeutic effect in Saudi Arabian patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Patients (n=26) were consecutively recruited at a psychiatry outpatient clinic after diagnosis by a gastroenterologist and a medical evaluation for irritable bowel syndrome. Each patient had 12 sessions of hypnotherapy over a period of 12 weeks (1 session per week). Patients completed a scale measuring symptom severity before and 3 months after the trial.

OBJECTIVE: To draw a profile, and study the media habits for cigarette smokers in Saudi Arabia using the Target Group Index survey (TGI). METHODS: A household survey using the TGI sample was conducted in March 2008 in 21 cities in Saudi Arabia. A sample of 7003 individuals aged 15 years or more, male and females, living in town and cities, were randomly selected using the multistage sampling technique. One individual per household was interviewed using a structured questionnaire covering socio-economic profile, media exposure, and cigarette consumer information.

Two hundred and three Plasmodium falciparum isolates from Jazan area, southwest Saudi Arabia, were typed for Pfcrt, Pfmdr1, dhps, and dhfr mutations associated with resistance to chloroquine, mefloquine, halofantrine, artemisinin, sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine, and the neutral polymorphic gene Pfg377. A large proportion (33%) of isolates harbored double mutant dhfr genotype (51I,59C,108N). However, only one isolate contained mutation dhps-437G.

Significant headway has been made in the global fight against malaria in the past decade and as more countries enter the elimination phase, attention is now focused on identifying effective strategies to shrink the malaria map. Saudi Arabia experienced an outbreak of malaria in 1998, but is now on the brink of malaria elimination, with just 82 autochthonous cases reported in 2012. A review of published and grey literature was performed to identify the control strategies that have contributed to this achievement.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the level of knowledge, attitudes, and utilization of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) of primary health care (PHC) physicians in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A crosssectional study including all physicians working at PHC centers in the Riyadh region, Saudi Arabia, was carried out from the beginning of April 2010 to the end of June 2010. Using a self-administered questionnaire, 1,113 physicians answered questions regarding their socio-demographic data, and knowledge, attitudes and utilization of CAM.

Patient falls have been a concern in North American healthcare for many years. Studies have examined environmental, clinical, and patient variables for purposes of risk identification and fall reduction, primarily in the context of Western societies.