ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The coexistence of coronary artery disease (CAD) and depression is a growing concern, as both conditions lead to disability. Although depression is more prevalent in CAD patients than in the general population and has been associated with adverse cardiac outcomes, the underlying mechanisms linking depression and CAD are not yet fully understood. This study aims to assess the prevalence of depression in postmyocardial infarction (MI) patients as baseline data in Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at King Saud Medical City, Riyadh. The study population included male and female patients who had survived MI from January 2022 to June 2022. A sample size of 323 patients was initially planned, but only 249 patients could be included on account of exclusions. The patients underwent screening for depression using Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2), and those who were positive on screening were further assessed using the PHQ-9 according to DSM-5 criteria. Sociodemographic data, comorbidities, and previous cardiac interventions were collected from medical records. RESULTS: The mean age of the study participants was 57.15 years, and majority (76.6%) were males. The prevalence of previously diagnosed depression was 9.2%, and 5.2% of patients reported using antidepressant medication. According to the PHQ-9 scores, 33.33% had depression, 9% had moderate depression, and 2.4% had severe depression. There were significant associations between the severity of depression and previous CAD (P < 0.05), previous coronary artery bypass graft surgery (P < 0.05), and heart failure (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study reveals a high prevalence of depression in post-MI patients at King Saud Medical City. The findings highlight the need for comprehensive management of depression in this population to improve outcomes. Further research into the underlying mechanisms linking depression and CAD to develop effective interventions is required.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: We studied the frequency of neuropathy in Saudi patients with definite diabetic microvascular complications and compared it to patients without complications. A high frequency of neuropathy in patients with definite microvascular complications would suggest a vascular etiology. METHODS: The study group consisted of 201 type-2 diabetic patients followed in the diabetic clinic of King Fahad National Guard Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. These patients were screened for microvascular disease. Only symmetrical distal sensory and motor neuropathy cases were included in the study. Screening for retinopathy was carried out according to Klien`s criteria and nephropathy was diagnosed if albuminuria, microalbuminuria, abnormal blood urea nitrogen or creatinine was present. RESULTS: There was a strong correlation between the prevalence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy, retinopathy (P<0.001) and nephropathy (P<0.01), in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. This strong correlation suggests a common underlying pathogenesis. CONCLUSION: We conclude that microangiopathy may be a major factor in the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy. Major risk factors for microangiopathy are the degree of glycemic control and duration of diabetes.