Abdullah Almulhim

Background: Hypertension imposes a significant public health burden. An increased awareness of hypertension complications within a population can positively impact patient care and prevent complications. This study seeks to assess the awareness of hypertension complications among the population of Bisha in Saudi Arabia in 2020. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020. A validated self-administered online-based questionnaire was sent to a sample of the adult population of Bisha to measure their awareness of hypertension complications. Results: Almost three-quarters of the population (72.2%) were aware of hypertension complications. The awareness level was significantly higher among male participants (p < 0.001), those aged 31–40 years, those who were married, those working as police officers or in civilian jobs, those living in urban areas (p = 0.04), those with a university-level education (p = 0.03), those with a medium family income (SAR 5000–14,999) (p = 0.001), and those with a history of hospitalization because of causes other than hypertension (p = 0.05). Marital status was independently predictive of awareness (B = 0.851, Wald test = 12.179, p = 0.000) among the respondents. Conclusion: The study concludes that the awareness of hypertension complications among the Bisha population in Saudi Arabia was deemed acceptable. Factors such as marital status, age, gender, a family history of hypertension, the duration of hypertension, and medication adherence positively influenced this awareness and served as predictors of hypertensive awareness. The findings highlight the importance of health authorities in ensuring the widespread awareness of hypertension complications, particularly among hypertensive individuals.

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) TUG1 acts as a proto-oncogene, allowing the proliferation of tumor cells, and it has been related to inflammation. Therefore, we aimed in this study to investigate for the first time the role of TUG1 gene polymorphism and the TUG1 level as biomarkers in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and their link to lupus nephritis 145 SLE. A total of 145 healthy controls were subjected to clinical and laboratory evaluation. The disease activity was assessed by the SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) score. SLE patients were divided into two subgroups according to the presence of lupus nephritis. The TUG1 gene polymorphisms rs5749201 and rs886471 were determined by Sanger sequencing, and TUG1 expression was assessed by qRT-PCR. There was a significant increase in the risk of SLE AA, TA, dominant genotypes, and the A allele of rs5749201 (p < 0.001) by 4.9-, 10.1-, 6.5-, and 2.5-fold in comparison to the relative control. GG and TG, dominant genotypes and the G allele of rs886471 (p < 0.01) increased the risk by 5.09-, 11.9-, 6.5-, and 2.6-fold. AA, A allele, dominant and recessive rs5749201genotypes increased the risk of lupus nephritis by 16.6-, 7.4-, 7.1-, and 12.2-fold, respectively (p < 0.05). GG, dominant and recessive genotypes, and the G allele of rs886471 increased the risk of lupus nephritis by 17.04-, 7.8-, 9.4-, and 6.08-fold, respectively (p < 0.05). Additionally, the AG haplotype increased the risk of SLE and lupus nephritis by 2.7- and 7.8-fold, respectively. The AA rs5749201 and GG rs886471 variants are significantly associated with more severe disease (p < 0.001). TUG1 expression was significantly higher in SLE than in the control and in the lupus nephritis than in non-lupus nephritis cases (p < 0.05). Interestingly, AA rs5749201 and GG rs886471 were significantly associated with higher TUG1 levels (p < 0.001). It was also found that AA rs5749201 and high SLEDAI were predictors of lupus nephritis. Overall, our findings illustrated for the first time that TUG1 gene rs5749201 and rs886471 variants were associated with increased risk of SLE, more severe disease, and lupus nephritis, and the TUG1 level could be used as a diagnostic biomarker of SLE and lupus nephritis.

Depression is considered one of the most common psychiatric disorders that affects more than 260 million people in all age groups worldwide. Yet, among the geriatric population, in which it can show nonspecific symptoms, depression can be easily underdiagnosed. The objectives of this study are to assess the prevalence of depression among the geriatric population in primary healthcare centers and to estimate the effects of different sociodemographic and medical factors. A total of 408 patients aged 60 years or older were approached in the primary healthcare centers of the eastern region of Saudi Arabia. Using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, patients were either interviewed or filled the questionnaire by themselves. Questions about sociodemographic data and medical and medication histories were included in the questionnaire. Of the 408 participants, 173 (42.4%) reported depressive symptoms; 115 (28.2%) of the participants had mild depression, 50 (12.3%) had moderate depression, and 8 (2%) reported moderately severe depression. Correlates of depression included elderly patients aged 75 years or more, of whom 78.9% showed depression compared to 39.3% of those who were 60-65 years old (P = 0.001). Furthermore, the female elderly showed higher rates of depression compared to males (52.8% vs. 35.7%; P = 0.001). A reported 81.1% of the elderly were diagnosed with chronic diseases; approximately half of them were depressed, while only 32.9% of the elderly free of diseases were depressed (P = 0.001). The prevalence of depression is high among the elderly in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia, especially in those who complain of chronic diseases, older patients, and females. Screening for depression must be employed early to manage depressive symptoms and prevent further complications.