Bariatric Surgery Reduces Weight Loss, Comorbidities Prevalence, and Improves Quality of Life in the Southern Region of Saudi Arabia.

Background and Objectives: Bariatric surgery has been proposed as a treatment option for type 2 diabetes, but there is limited research on its efficacy and the use of standardized outcome measures. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of bariatric surgery in managing type 2 diabetes and to assess the BAROS protocol postoperatively. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in southern Saudi Arabia, involving 346 bariatric surgery patients aged 18-60. This study collected data through an electronic questionnaire distributed via a Telegram group and Twitter hashtag. Anthropometric data, postoperative complications, and the evolution of obesity-related comorbidities were collected. The quality of life was evaluated using the Moorehead-Ardelt questionnaire of the BAROS protocol. The total BAROS score was classified as "Insufficient", "Moderate", "Good", "Very good", or "Excellent", considering the presence of comorbidities. The data were analyzed using SPSS software ver.23. Results: The mean age of the participants was 30.97 ± 8.49 years, and 70.81% were female. Sleeve Vertical Gastrectomy was the most common surgical technique used (n = 336). The excess weight loss percentage (EWL%) was 70.55 ± 22.57%, and 27.75% of participants achieved complete remission of type 2 diabetes. The total BAROS score was "Excellent" for 40.17% of participants and "Moderate" for 27.16%. The presence of comorbidities was negatively correlated with the BAROS score (r = -0.651, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Bariatric surgery effectively manages type 2 diabetes with a high rate of EWL% and complete remission. The BAROS protocol is a valuable tool for assessing the quality of life postoperatively, with most participants achieving a "Moderate" to "Excellent" score. Comorbidities negatively impact the BAROS score, highlighting the importance of managing these conditions postoperatively.

Lifestyle choices and prevalence of chronic noncommunicable diseases among primary healthcare physicians in the Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: One of the factors that may influence patient adherence to a healthy lifestyle is the adherence of their treating physicians to a healthy lifestyle. This study aimed to measure the lifestyles of primary healthcare center (PHCs) physicians in the Jazan region and to identify the prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and obesity among this sample of physicians. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Jazan region which lies in the southwest of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected via a questionnaire completed during personal interviews. The questionnaire included several components related to physicians' demographics, lifestyles, and history of chronic non-communicable diseases. Descriptive statistics were performed to summarize the overall lifestyle of the physicians and disease prevalence. RESULTS: A total of 234 physicians agreed to participate in this investigation. The age of the participants varied between 25 and 65 years, with a median age of 38. Almost 70% of the physicians reported BMI levels higher than 25, indicating a high prevalence of overweight and obesity. Twenty-seven physicians reported no engagement in any type of exercise while the majority reported engagement with low-intensity exercise. While 56% reported daily consumption of vegetables, only 41.8% of them reported daily consumption of fruits. The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia was 10.3%, 8.5%, and 3.4%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Poor lifestyle choices of the physicians may indicate limited engagement of the physicians in providing effective lifestyle counseling to patients visiting their clinics in PHC settings of the studied community.