Yahya M. Naguib

Background: Eating disorders (EDs) are among the most serious forms of psychiatric illness, potentially leading to multi-systemic complications. Owing to their high stress levels, medical students are more likely to experience mental health difficulties that predispose them to developing EDs. Societal stigmatization and misinformation, especially in a middle eastern context, contribute to the underreporting and challenges in seeking the appropriate treatment at an early stage, increasing the risk of complications and mortality. EDs remain an under-studied phenomena in the middle east, limiting understanding and treatment options.Objective: The objectives of the current study were to assess the prevalence of EDs, potential contributing factors, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as an independent global stressor among medical students at the Arabian Gulf University.Methods: This cross-sectional study consisted of a three-part self-administered questionnaire comprising of demographic data, the Eating Attitudes-26 (EAT-26) test, and COVID-19 associated stressors. The study was conducted on medical students at the AGU in the preparatory year up to Year 6. Data was collected from September 2022 to February 2023.Results: Three hundred and ninety-seven students were recruited in the present study. 32.1% of the tested students demonstrated an elevated risk for developing EDs. Living situation, earlier years of study, and mental health status were significantly associated with increased risk. Response to global stressors such as COVID-19 pandemic was significantly correlated to worsening EDs status in high-risk individuals.Conclusion: Eating disorders have been discovered to be highly prevalent among medical students, which brings to light an undervalued health concern. This warrants both awareness programs on campus, and the development of individual-tailored eating disorder treatment programs to halt progression and increase overall quality of life and education.

Background: Sleep is a crucial physiological phenomenon that enables the body to engage in restoration and rejuvenation. Remarkably, even limited periods of sleep deprivation (SD) can adversely affect cognitive functions such as memory retention, emotional regulation, data processing, and concentration. The Rose of Jericho (RoJ) has been considered more than a plant and has demonstrated potential therapeutic actions in childbirth, respiratory diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, and cancer. The effect of the RoJ on memory, cognition, and behavior has not yet been well-studied.

This article has been corrected to change the description of the study in the title and abstract from "cross-sectional" to "case-control". The journal regrets that this error was not identified and corrected prior to publication.

Background Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) can be defined as hyperglycemia that develops during pregnancy. GDM poses both maternal and fetal potential risks. Elevated maternal cortisol levels have been linked to maternal hyperglycemia and insulin resistance. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between GDM and serum cortisol levels in Bahraini and non-Bahraini pregnant women in the Kingdom of Bahrain. We also investigated the relationship between age and ethnicity in the development of GDM. Methods Data were collected from a total of 75 pregnant women; 41 of which were diagnosed with GDM and 34 had normal blood glucose levels. Serum cortisol, insulin, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), fasting (FBG), and random (RBG) blood glucose levels were measured. Results FBG, RBG, and insulin blood levels were significantly higher in the GDM group when compared to the control group. Serum cortisol and ACTH levels tended to be higher in the GDM group; however, they were statistically insignificant. Within the GDM group, there were no statistically significant differences in serum insulin, cortisol, and ACTH levels between Bahraini and non-Bahraini patients or between patients less than or more than 30 years old. Conclusion Our results suggest that cortisol may not have a major role in the development of GDM in our patients. Further research is needed to confirm these results. This study highlights the necessity to better understand the underlying mechanisms of the development of GDM in pregnant women.

Background: Sleep is a physiological process that provides the body with a window for recovery and restoration. Intriguingly, even short-term sleep deprivation can impair brain memory, emotional capacity, information processing, and attention. Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) has been shown to attenuate memory loss and improve anxiety and depression.

Background The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a crucial connective tissue that links the femur to the tibia, playing a vital role in stabilizing the knee by resisting forward and rotational movements. ACL tears can occur due to both contact and non-contact sports injuries. Diagnosis and assessment typically involve the Lachman test and magnetic resonance imaging. Initial treatment focuses on reducing swelling, followed by physical therapy or surgery to restore long-term knee functionality. Objective This study aimed to assess the injury prevalence and awareness of ACL and the engagement of preventing training programs among Bahraini athletes across diverse sports. Methods A cross-sectional survey was utilized to evaluate injury prevalence and awareness of ACL and engagement in preventing training among 161 Bahraini athletes from different sports. Data were collected through a detailed questionnaire addressing demographics, sports involvement, ACL injury history, and preventive training. The analysis involved descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, and independent t-tests to compare knowledge across sports types. A chi-square test was performed to examine correlations between injury history and training. Results The results showed that athletes in full-contact sports exhibited significantly higher ACL injury awareness compared to those in semi-contact and non-contact sports. Furthermore, a higher percentage of athletes in semi-contact and non-contact sports reported a history of ACL injuries when compared to those in full-contact sports. However, there was no significant difference in the engagement of preventive exercise training across different sports categories. Conclusion A notable gap in ACL injury awareness exists among Bahraini athletes, varying significantly across sport types. The data highlight the need for customized educational programs catering to different sports.

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the most common complications of pregnancy. It may be attributed to certain placental hormones during pregnancy which render insulin less effective. Our study aimed to focus on the levels of insulin in gestational diabetic women in the Kingdom of Bahrain as compared with non-diabetic pregnant women. Furthermore, we studied the correlation between insulin levels by ethnicity and age of the pregnant women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 75 pregnant participants: 41 with GDM (test group) and 34 without GDM (control group). Insulin levels were determined in patients with GDM and compared to non-diabetic pregnant women. A comparison between Bahraini and non-Bahraini women was carried out in two different age groups: below and above 30 years of age. P values < 0.05 were considered significant. Results: The results showed higher mean values of fasting blood glucose (FBG), random blood glucose (RBG), and insulin levels in the test group when compared to the control group. There was no significant difference in FBG, RBG, and insulin levels among Bahraini women with GDM and non-Bahraini women (Indian, Pakistani. Bengali, and Filipino) with GDM. Age, less than 30 vs more than 30 years, had no significant effect on women with GDM. Conclusion: Insulin levels were higher in pregnant women with GDM irrespective of their ethnicity or age. The lack of blood glucose control in GDM even in the presence of high insulin secretion may suggest loss of insulin effectiveness due to other factors such as stress and lactogenic placental hormones.

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is a major global health problem. Most previous studies focused attention on the significant role of sunlight exposure in the homeostasis of vitamin D and calcium blood levels. Magnesium is pivotal in the proper functioning of vitamin D, and the physiologic functions of different organs require a balanced vitamin D and magnesium status. The relationship between sunlight exposure and blood levels of vitamin D and magnesium has often been overlooked. The aim of this study was to evaluate vitamin D and magnesium status based on sunlight exposure and ethnicity in Bahraini and expatriate workers. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2018 and September 2019. One hundred and seventy-four subjects participated in this study were subdivided based on their ethnicity and work environment-dependent exposure to sunlight into four groups: (1) Bahraini exposed (n=94), (2) Bahraini non-exposed (n=25), (3) expatriate exposed (n=31), and (4) expatriate non-exposed (n=24). Blood levels of vitamin D and magnesium were evaluated for all the participants. Results: Independent of ethnicity, vitamin D levels were insignificantly different among the studied groups and were all below the normal reference range. Yet, there was still a sunlight-dependent increase in vitamin D level that could be seen only in Bahraini workers. Magnesium levels were significantly higher in expatriates when compared to Bahraini workers. Sunlight-exposed expatriates had significantly higher magnesium levels than their Bahraini counterparts, while there was no significant difference between both ethnicities in the non-exposed groups. Conclusion: Country- and ethnic-specific definitions for vitamin D status and sunlight exposure are recommended. The assessment of magnesium status is pivotal in the overall assessment of vitamin D status.