RESUMO
Background In the past decade, there has been growing interest in identifying the relationship between nutritional status and acne. Many dietary factors have been studied, including milk, fast food, and chocolate. However, nutritional anemia, which is a common problem in young individuals, has not been well investigated. Objectives The objective of this study was to determine the relationships between acne and nutritional anemia among people in the Qassim Region of Saudi Arabia. Methods This study used a case-control design. It targeted people aged from 15 to 25 years old in the Qassim Region of Saudi Arabia. This study was conducted using a database of Electronic Health Records (EHR) data from the Qassim University outpatient department (OPD). Data analysis was conducted by using SPSS (IBM Inc., Armonk, New York). Results A total of 114 of the study population were involved in this study. The acne group represented was identical to the control group. The mean age of study participants was 23.1 ± 4.19 years old, and the majority of them were females (86%). Moreover, the patient group had relatively lower levels of mean corpuscular volume (MCV), vitamin B12, ferritin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and hemoglobin than the control group without any significant correlation, whereas the patient group had higher levels of mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and red cell distribution width (RDW) without significant difference. Our results showed that the prevalence of anemia among respondents was 17.5%, and a higher prevalence of anemia was observed in the control group without significant differences. Furthermore, the patient group had a significantly higher prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency (38.6%) than the control group (p=0.041). Conclusion Our results concluded that patients with acne vulgaris in the Qassim Region of Saudi Arabia had a significantly higher rate of vitamin B12 deficiency. Additional studies are needed to confirm this association.
RESUMO
Objective Dermatological complaints are one of the most common reasons to see a physician. Identifying the incidence and prevalence of different skin conditions is essential to improve health outcomes. Only a few studies regarding the pattern of skin diseases have been conducted in Saudi Arabia, especially in the Qassim region. This study aims to identify, evaluate, and compare the pattern of skin conditions in the Qassim region regarding age and sex, and to compare the results with previous studies. Methods A retrospective record-based study included all Saudi patients who attended the dermatology clinics at Qassim University Medical City, for 12 months, from 2021/08/26 to 2022/07/1. Data were collected from the electronic medical records. Results The study included 2775 Saudi patients comprising 1654 (59.6%) females and 1121 (40.4%%) males, with a male-to-female ratio of 1: 1.475. Around 75% of patients were between 15 and 34 years of age. The top most common diagnoses were pilosebaceous disorders (49.2%), with acne vulgaris being the predominant condition, followed by hair disorders (15.6%), dermatitis (9.2%), pigmentary disorders (7.2%), infections (3.9%), and papulosquamous disorders (3%). The prevalence of dermatological conditions was significantly higher in females than males for pilosebaceous disorders (P=.01) and hair disorders (P=.02). Conclusion There is a changing trend in the prevalence of skin disorders in the Qassim province of Saudi Arabia. Pilosebaceous disorders are being diagnosed more frequently compared to previous years and females visit dermatology clinics more than males. Due to its hospital-based setting, this study only gives a rough estimate of the pattern of skin diseases, and extensive epidemiological studies are needed to estimate the prevalence accurately.
RESUMO
Background The association between isotretinoin administration and depression in acne patients remains controversial. We aim to estimate the prevalence of depression among patients with acne vulgaris before and after treatment with isotretinoin in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods This was a prospective study on patients attending the King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH), a tertiary institution, who were prescribed isotretinoin for the treatment of acne vulgaris for the first time. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used to screen for depressive symptoms. Results A total of 179 patients were included in the study. The patients were then divided into two groups based on the treatment modality that they received: one group taking isotretinoin and the other treatment group who used other medications, including Retin-A (tretinoin) and Tazorac (tazarotene). A total of 119 patients were in the isotretinoin group with 91.6%, 2.5%, 1.7%, and 3.4% of those patients having a normal mood, mild depression, moderate depression, and severe depression scores before starting isotretinoin treatment, respectively. After three months of treatment, 94.1%, 1.7%, 0.8%, and 2.5% of patients had normal mood, mild depression, moderate depression, and severe depression, respectively. Meanwhile, after six months of treatment, 95.8%, 0.8%, 0%, and 1.7% of patients had normal mood, mild depression, moderate depression, and severe depression, respectively. The mean BDI score at the baseline was 3.31 ± 6.98 for isotretinoin and 3.17 ± 6.27 for other treatments. Compared to the baseline, patients using the isotretinoin showed a significant reduction in depression scores at three months (2.64 ± 6.17; p-value < 0.001), six months (1.99 ± 5.08; p-value < 0.001), and across all follow-up points (p-value < 0.001). Similar results were also estimated for the other treatment group, including Retin-A (tretinoin), adapalene, benzoyl peroxide, and doxycycline; however, no significant difference was noticed between the two groups (p-value = 0.885). Conclusion Isotretinoin treatment for acne does not appear to be associated with a statistically significant increased risk of depression in our population. Therefore, more studies are needed to understand this reflection in Saudi Arabia.
