ABSTRACT
Aim of the work: hypertension is the commonest cardiovascular disorder. Prehypertension in adolescents and young adults is a risk factor for developing hypertension in later years of life. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence rate and risk factor associated with prehypertension and hypertension in the medical students of Northern Border University in Arar city, Saudi Arabia
Methods: this crosssectional study included 232 students. The study subjects were selected by systematic random sampling method. This study included 232 medical students [136 male and 96 female]. The study period was from 1 March to 31 May 2017. Students were given a predesigned and pretested questionnaire to collect the relevant data
Results: Fifty [52.1%] of females and 58.8% of males were pre-hypertensive and 1.5% from males were hypertensive. Family history of hypertension was positive in 66.7% of hypertensive or prehypertensive students [P<0.05], 18.2% were obese [P<0.05], 9.1% of hypertensive or pre-hypertensive students were diabetic [P>0.05], 31.8% were smokers [P>0.05], 10.6% were drug addicts [P>0.05], 18.2% only performing muscular exercise [P>0.05], 62.1% consume >5g salt /day [P<0.05]and 40.9% of them spent 2-5 hours in front of TV, Computer or mobile [P>0.05]
Conclusion: in medical students of the Northern Border University, 52.1% of females and 58.8% of males were pre-hypertensive and 1.5% of males were hypertensive. Risk factors included obesity, family history, sedentary life and excess salt intake. So health-care providers should recognize the increased risk of prehypertension and hypertension and should seek to identify and manage the modifiable risk factors in those students
ABSTRACT
Background: Dyspnea is defined as the subjective experience of breathing discomfort. It is increasing by age and it is a common problem affecting up to half of patients admitted to acute, tertiary care hospitals and also affecting one quarter of ambulatory patients
Study Objective: to determine the prevalence and risk factors of dyspnea among general population of Arar city, Northern Border Province, Saudi Arabia
Methods: This was a cross-sectional, community-based study. It was conducted on the general population of Arar city during the period from 1[st] October, 2015 to 30[th] June 2016.Data were collected using a predesigned online selfadministered questionnaire covering all the needed items
Results: Dyspnea was reported in 35.2% of the study population. Causes of dyspnea reported in our study were mainly of unknown causes [38.6%], bronchial asthma [23.9%], allergy [22.7%], psychological causes [12.5%], cardiac causes [1.1%], and COPD [1.1%].It was more common among females as 44.8% of females reported dyspnea while it was reported in only 31.7% of males. Our study has also shown that dyspnea was most prevalent among the < 20 age group by ratio as 52.6% of them reported dyspnea. However, 36.1% of subjects aged between 20 and 40 have reported dyspnea. Precipitating causes of dyspnea were found to be mostly due to dust [30.7%], smoking [22.7%], climate changes [14.7%], nervousness [13.6%], specific food/ingested material [11.4%], and excess physical activities [6.8%]. It was also founded in our study that 56.5% of participants with family history of dyspnea suffered from dyspnea. While 72.9% of those who did not have a family history of dyspnea did not suffer any dyspnea
Conclusion: Dyspnea was reported in 35.2% of Arar population. Our study showed that dyspnea was more common among females than males. large scale study with detailed investigations about causes and precipitating factors are required