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INTRODUCTION: As the primary cause of morbidity and mortality among older individuals, cardiovascular disease remains a major concern. Choosing between revascularization and medical management of elderly patients remains controversial. This study aims to evaluate the clinical implications of these treatment approaches in the context of non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) in octogenarian patients. METHODS: This observational cohort study involved 41 octogenarian patients who were diagnosed with NSTEMI from 2019 to 2021 and were managed by revascularization (with either percutaneous coronary intervention, coronary artery bypass graft surgery, or both) or conservative medical therapy. All NSTEMI patients were diagnosed based on symptoms, electrocardiographic changes, and cardiac biomarkers. The study compared the short- and long-term outcomes of 13 patients in the revascularization group and 28 in the medical therapy group. RESULTS: Overall, the mean patient age was 84.63 years. Eighteen patients were men (43.9%), and 23 were women (56.1%). The most prevalent disease among the sample was hypertension (34 patients, 82.9%), followed by diabetes mellitus (27 patients, 65.9%) and prior ischemic heart disease (21 patients, 51.2%). Almost all patients in the revascularization-treated group developed complications after the procedure (84.6%), while 46.4% of the patients in the medication-only group developed a complication later on. The revascularization-treated group showed higher mortality rates in both the short- and long-term (23.1% and 38.5%, respectively) compared to the medication-only group, which showed better survival rates numerically in both the short- and long-term (14.3% and 32.1%, respectively). This was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Revascularization treatment in elderly patients with NSTEMI was associated with a higher risk of complications and a higher mortality rate compared with conservative medical management. Patients managed with only medications had a better survival rate in both the short- and long-term.
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BACKGROUND: Substance abuse is a term that refers to the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs. One of the key impacts of illicit drug use on society is the negative health consequences experienced by its members. OBJECTIVE: This study recorded the pattern of substance abuse and the sociodemographic characteristics of adult substance abusers in Makkah City. METHODS: An online self-administered survey was provided to the general population through social media platforms between March 2023 and August 2023. Males and females living in Makkah over the age of 18 were included in it. The participants who refused to take part or those who were younger than 18 were not included in the study. RESULTS: The number of participants in this study was 720; 73.5% were under the age of 30 and 424 were females (58.9%). The significant variables between substance abuse and sociodemographic data were gender (P=0.001), depression (P≤0.000), anxiety (P≤0.000), stress (P=0.025), and bad/shocking experience during childhood (P=0.004). CONCLUSION: Substance abuse positively correlates with sociodemographic data, with males having a higher risk, and psychiatric neurosis is associated with childhood trauma and anxiety.
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Background Heart failure (HF), a major public health problem worldwide, is a complex clinical syndrome caused by structural or functional heart disorders occurring when the heart cannot supply sufficient blood to the body. The most common cause of HF is impairment of the left ventricle. Public awareness of HF is critical for controlling the disease burden, recognizing disease severity, and determining its prognosis. Therefore, this study assesses the awareness and perception of HF among the population in Makkah City, Saudi Arabia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,053 participants over 18 years of age who lived in Makkah City between October 2022 and February 2023. Participants were randomly selected and recruited using a validated online questionnaire. Results Of the participants, 62.4% had heard of HF, and the majority (59.5%) correctly identified it. Regarding the etiology of the disease, about 50.6% indicated that it was related to the aging process, and 82.9% indicated it was related to high blood pressure. Only 24.1% of participants correctly recognized HF symptoms; most defined the symptoms as general heart disease. Moreover, 51.6% of participants agreed that the current HF medications can reduce deaths from HF and improve quality of life. However, most respondents disagreed that HF drugs can prevent the onset of HF. Conclusion The findings emphasize the need for more awareness programs to raise the public awareness about HF and effectively guide the population to more reliable sources that provide evidence-based information about the disease.
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BACKGROUND AND AIM: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic functional bowel disorder. Many adults worldwide have symptoms associated with IBS and are responsible for most gastroenterology visits. The aim of this study is to illustrate and analyze the prevalence of IBS among the general population in Makkah Al-Mukarramah city using the Rome IV criteria in relation to psychiatric disorders. METHODOLOGY: This was a cross-sectional study conducted on Makkah citizens. The study excluded all residents in Makkah without Saudi nationality or below the age of 18. The survey was created using Google forms and shared randomly on social media. The sample size was calculated using the OpenEpi website v3.0. The online questionnaire is composed of three sections: sociodemographic data, Rome IV criteria with the Bristol Stool Scale, and lastly the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21) score for stress, anxiety, and depression. Data were analyzed using SPSS software for Windows V.23, and odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) was obtained for selected risk factors using logistic regression. RESULTS: Nine hundred and twenty-one individuals from Makkah city completed the survey. The overall IBS prevalence was 20.19%. The commonest subtypes of IBS were IBS-M followed by IBS-C (53.8% and 22%, respectively). In the multiple regression analysis, stress (P = <0.001, OR = 2.473) was statistically significantly associated with IBS. CONCLUSION: In this study, the prevalence of IBS among Makkah citizens is high. Stress was found to be a major risk factor for IBS.
