Saudi Med J
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To improve our local data and demographics of thyroid neoplasm in Makkah region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and provide some basic statistics for future studies in our local community. Methods: A record based retrospective epidemiological study was conducted and included 314 thyroid disease patients who were presented to our centers at Makkah region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between December 2009 and December 2019. Results: A descriptive statistical analysis was carried out. The average age was 42.77 years, with a female-to-male ratio of 3:1, and most of the patients were Saudi (77%). Fifty-seven percent of cases were benign, while in malignant cases, 33.4% were papillary thyroid carcinoma. The mean follow-up time was 15.44 months, with excellent compliance in 39.4% of the patients. Conclusion: Thyroid tumors have a leading incidence in head and neck tumors in Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, mandating further studies to determine the causes and distribution in other regions of the country.
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To establish an association between cigarette smoking, cognition, and plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in healthy young adults. ⋯ Plasma BDNF level is positively related to the number of cigarettes smoked per day. Young smokers have significantly impaired sustained attention and less ability to manage conflicting information as compared to age-matched non-smokers.
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To assess the cognitive status of older adults in Saudi Arabia. ⋯ Cognitive impairment affected around 21% of the participants. The reduced cognitive function was associated with increased age, female gender, low education level, unmarried, low income, dependency on others, functional impairment, and malnutrition. Such information could motivate health-policy makers to introduce appropriate measures to improve older adults' existing healthcare services in primary care, including cognitive function assessment.
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To evaluate the relationship between the frequency of ED visits and outpatient department (OPD) follow-up in sickle cell disease (SCD) pediatric patients. ⋯ This study found that regular OPD visits could improve SCD management, as a directly proportional relationship between the frequency of ED visits and missed OPD appointments along with high ED reliance.
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To investigate the seroprevalence of influenza viruses (A and B) among blood donors in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods: The present investigation was conducted between April 2019 and July 2019. Participants were healthy adults recruited from the central blood bank Al Madinah Al Munawarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels against influenza A and B were measured in serum samples using ELISA. ⋯ Approximately one-third of Saudi Arabian adults presented significant levels of influenza A and B antibodies in our study. Demographic factors, including age and BMI, might contribute to influenza A antibody levels.