The Libyan journal of medicine
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Observational Study
Effectiveness of direct-acting antiviral drugs against hepatitis C virus: predictive factors of response to the treatment.
Background/Aims. Despite the high efficacy and safety of direct-acting antivirals against hepatitis C virus shown in clinical trials, treatment failures continue to occur. Our aim was to establish the effectiveness of these drugs in routine clinical practice, as well as to determine factors that could influence the response to the treatment. ⋯ Conclusion. The effectiveness and safety of direct-acting antivirals against hepatitis C virus have been maintained in routine clinical practice. Further research on predictive factors of response is required in order to develop more reliable and reproducible predictive models.
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Background: The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) is a dietary pattern effective in terms of prevention of many diseases such as gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Recently, many studies have paid attention to nutritional factors during pregnancy as a modifiable contributor to GDM risk. Objective: to investigate associations of nutrients intakes and MedDiet pattern of eating with risk of GDM. ⋯ GDM subjects consumed significantly more dairy products and cereals (P < 10-3). After adjustment for confounders, no nutrient was associated with the risk of developing gestational diabetes except vitamin D intake (OR 0.29 [0.15-0.54], P < 10-3) which had a protective effect. Conclusion: Our study underlines the importance of adequate vitamin D intake during pregnancy and suggests that the MedDiet may reduce the incidence of gestational diabetes.
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Quercetin (QN) is a naturally occurring phenolic compound found largely in vegetables and fruits. Lycopene (LY) is yet another natural phytocompound, found abundantly in red-colored fruits and vegetables. Both have been reported to have beneficial activities in humans. ⋯ QL pretreatment prevented all these adverse effects of ISO cardiotoxicity and significantly reduced the myocardial damage. Decrease in oxidative stress was observed, possibly through alterations in the expression levels of enzymic antioxidant genes (GSTµ, SOD1, SOD2 and CAT). In general, QL exert a strong protective effect through the modulations in enzymic antioxidant activity and associated molecular pathways-regulating effect in cardiovascular disease.
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Comparative Study
The awareness of water intake and its correlation with BMI among students attending national and international secondary schools in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Dehydration is linked to worse cognitive functions and preference for beverages that are linked to obesity and other health conditions. Saudi Arabia's hot climate can exacerbate these effects and it is important to ensure that children in the region understand the benefits of adequate water intake. To evaluate secondary school student perceptions and practices regarding water intake, investigate how water intake is related to BMI and school performance, and compare international schools to national schools. ⋯ A positive correlation between BMI and water intake was observed only among international school students. Students have inadequate water intake despite understanding the importance of hydration. There are some differences between international school students and national school students that can be attributed to the availability and sources of water, though other factors cannot be excluded.
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Comparative Study
CPMPARISON between COVID-19 and MERS demographic data in Saudi Arabia: a retrospective study.
The outbreak of corona virus disease (COVID-19) caused by the new severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 began in Wuhan, China, resulting in respiratory disorders. In January of 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic owing to its global spread. Because no studies have investigated COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia, this study investigated similarities and differences between demographic data during the COVID-19 and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreaks in Saudi Arabia. ⋯ Targeted prevention of and interventions against MERS should be allocated populations according to the areas where they inhabit. However, much more information regarding the dynamics and epidemiology of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia is needed. Abbrevation : MERS: Middle East Respiratory syndrome; COVID-19: Corona Virus Disease 2019.