Understanding the Impact of Vitamin B Supplements on a Saudi Population.

Introduction B vitamins help generate energy within cells. A significant portion of populations in developed countries suffer a deficiency in one or more B vitamins. This study assesses the use of vitamin B supplements and their effects. Methodology This cross-sectional study was conducted using public participants in Saudi Arabia. Participants from all over Saudi Arabia were recruited through self-conducted surveys to study the effects of using vitamin B supplements on appetite, BMI, energy, and sleep, and to identify any side effects in participants. Inclusion criteria included age (18 years or older) and use of vitamin B supplements. Children, pregnant women, adults who had never used vitamin B, and those not willing to participate in the study were excluded. Results In total, 1,521 adults were recruited. Most of the participants were young Saudi Females. While taking vitamin B supplements, a minority of participants complained of mild gastrointestinal upset, but a significant proportion experienced no side effects. In this study, a significant proportion of participants experienced an increase in appetite, which was associated with a significant increase in BMI after taking vitamin B supplements. This study also explored increases in energy, which were significant and associated with significant increases in sleeping time. Male participants in the present study noticed a significant increase in erectile dysfunction (ED). Conclusions This study found significant effects of vitamin B supplements on BMI, appetite, energy, and sleep, as well as an increase in ED in male participants. More studies are needed to further explore these findings.

Unusual presentation of neurobrucellosis in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

A 35-year-old female without any history of medical or psychiatric illness. One month prior to presenting to our clinic, she had intermittent headaches, night sweats, and muscle pain that went unnoticed by her. A week later, the patient developed agitation and behavioral changes. The patient was admitted through emergency room (ER) to the psychiatry unit for 3 days. During a detailed interview in the Neurology Clinic 10 days post discharge, she described the previously mentioned symptoms. Her cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed leukocytosis, with normal protein and glucose, and positive brucella titers in blood. She received antibiotics for neurobrucellosis with frequent follow ups. Repeated spinal tap was reported normal. Her symptoms gradually improved. Neuropsychiatric manifestations are an unusual presentation of brucellosis. This case emphasizes the importance of considering an organic cause, such as neurobrucellosis, as a differential diagnosis in patients with new onset of unexplained neuropsychiatric symptoms in endemic countries like Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Knowledge of Epilepsy and seizure first aid among teachers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

PURPOSE: Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders, with a national prevalence of 6.54/1000. The majority of the patients are adolescents and at risk of experiencing a seizure in school. Consequently, schoolteachers would be among the first health care providers. Thus, teachers' knowledge and practice are imperative for the students' safety and development. We aimed to assess the knowledge of epilepsy and seizure first aid among teachers at all educational levels in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. METHOD: A cross-sectional study using a self-administered validated questionnaire was distributed to teachers to assess their necessary demographic data and their knowledge about epilepsy and seizure first aid by using Chi-square test to find significant associations. RESULTS: Our sample included 822 teachers, 54.1% of the respondents were male, and 45.7% female. The majority of participants had moderate knowledge of epilepsy and lacked first aid training. Most participants recognized epilepsy as a neurological disorder, and 42.2% have witnessed a seizure in school. Our study showed a significant relationship between knowledge score and qualification (P-value = 0.037) as well as knowledge score and witnessing a seizure (P-value = 0.046). CONCLUSION: The knowledge score shows that teachers in Jeddah have moderate knowledge of epilepsy, and approximately one-tenth have taken first aid training. We recommend educational campaigns on epilepsy and first aid courses targeting students and teachers in schools.