Fairuz A. Algori

Background: Hypertension is a major public health challenge in Saudi Arabia. Previous studies have identified several sociodemographic, lifestyle, dietary, and clinical factors associated with hypertension, but findings have been inconsistent. Moreover, few studies have examined these factors simultaneously in primary healthcare settings. Therefore, this study examined their associations with hypertension among Saudi adults attending primary healthcare clinics. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 525 Saudi adults attending primary healthcare clinics at Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in May 2026. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire, and hypertension status was verified using electronic medical records. Logistic regression was applied to identify factors associated with hypertension, and odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated. Results: Of the 525 participants, 146 (27.8%) had hypertension. After age and sex adjustment, advancing age, lower educational attainment, current smoking, electronic cigarette use, daily sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, higher body mass index (BMI), diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and history of cardiovascular disease were associated with hypertension. However, after multivariable adjustment, only advancing age (OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.06–1.12), higher BMI (OR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.02–1.12), and history of cardiovascular disease (OR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.01–4.06) remained associated with hypertension. Conclusions: These findings support closer blood pressure monitoring among older adults, individuals with higher BMI, and those with a history of cardiovascular disease in primary healthcare settings. Weight management should also be considered an important component of hypertension prevention.

Background: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD), are chronic conditions with complex etiologies that may involve dietary factors. This study investigates the association between fruit and vegetable consumption and the risk of UC and CD, focusing on gender-specific differences. Methods: A hospital-based case–control study, comprising 158 UC patients (93 men and 65 women), 245 CD patients (167 men and 78 women), and 395 controls without IBD (256 men and 139 women), was conducted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Fruit and vegetable consumption data were gathered through a self-administered questionnaire distributed before diagnosis. Logistic regression analysis was applied to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for UC and CD among the participants reporting the daily consumption of fruits and vegetables. Results: Among men, daily vegetable consumption was associated with higher odds of UC in the age-adjusted model [OR (95% CI): 1.78 (1.02, 3.10)], but this association became non-significant after further adjustment for body mass index, smoking, anemia, and elevated liver enzymes [OR (95% CI): 1.70 (0.91, 3.18)]. No significant associations were observed between vegetable consumption and CD. In contrast, the women who consumed vegetables every day had a non-significant inverse association with UC and a significant inverse association with CD in both the age-adjusted and multivariable-adjusted models [ORs (95% CIs): 0.44 (0.23, 0.87) and 0.41 (0.20, 0.84), respectively]. Fruit consumption was neither associated with UC nor CD in either sex. Conclusions: Daily vegetable consumption was significantly associated with decreased odds of CD among women, but not men, highlighting potential sex-specific dietary influences on IBD risk.