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Abdullah A Alrasheed,1,2 Khalid F Alsadhan,1,2 Nawaf F Alfawzan,2 Nasser M AbuDujain,2 Ali H Alnasser,3 Hisham Almousa3 1Family and Community Medicine Department, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 2Family and Community Medicine Department, King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 3College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Abdullah A Alrasheed, Tel +966114670836, Email aalrasheed1@ksu.edu.saBackground: Isotretinoin is an effective treatment for acne but can cause side effects such as changes in blood lipids and liver enzymes. Laboratory monitoring is essential during treatment, but there is variation in monitoring practices.Aim: This study aims to investigate the relationship between isotretinoin therapy and its effects on complete blood count in Saudi Arabia to improve patient outcomes.Methods: The study was a retrospective cohort study conducted at King Khalid University Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between January 2016 and December 2020. Following the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 515 patients were randomly selected for the study. The data was analyzed using SPSS, and descriptive statistics and paired samples t-tests were employed to analyze the data.Results: In this study, 515 patients were enrolled. Of these participants, 76.7% (n=395) were females and 23.3% (n=120) were males. The mean age of the study participants was 23.98± 7.4 years and ranged between 16 and 65 years. The mean dose of Isotretinoin administered was 27.65± 9.6 mg/day, with a range of 10– 60 mg/day. The mean BMI of the study participants was 24.3± 4.1 kg/m2, ranging from 14.3 to 44.8 kg/m2. Regarding the effect of Isotretinoin on laboratory measures, significant statistical differences were found in hemoglobin measurements (t=− 3.379, p=0.001), platelets (t=− 3.169, p=0.002), neutrophils (%) (t=3.107, p=0.002), total cholesterol (t=− 13.017, p=0.000), AST (t=− 6.353, p=0.000), ALT (t=− 4.352, p=0.000), HDL (t=2.446, p=0.015), and LDL (t=− 12.943, p=0.000). However, there were no significant statistical differences in the measurements of WBC, neutrophils (count), or triglycerides. In the Chi-square analysis and Fisher’s Exact test to identify the interaction between BMI, dose, and gender on abnormal lab results, significant interaction was found between participants’ BMI and abnormal HDL measurements (p=0.006). Furthermore, there were significant interactions between Isotretinoin dose (either less than 30 mg/day or 30 mg/day or more) and abnormal neutrophil count (p=0.04), abnormal HDL measurements (p=0.010), and abnormal triglycerides measurements (p=0.020). Moreover, a statistically significant interaction was found between participants’ gender and abnormal hemoglobin measurements (p=0.006), abnormal total cholesterol (p=0.016), abnormal AST measurements (p=0.001), abnormal ALT measurements (p=0.000), abnormal HDL measurements (p=0.000), and abnormal triglycerides measurements (p=0.007).Conclusion: In conclusion, the study found that isotretinoin therapy has significant effects on several laboratory measures, including hemoglobin, platelets, neutrophils, total cholesterol, AST, ALT, HDL, and LDL. The study also revealed significant interactions between BMI, dose, gender, and abnormal lab results.Keywords: Isotretinoin, acne treatment, laboratory monitoring, blood lipids, liver enzymes, Saudi Arabia

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly raised public health concerns and efforts to limit its spread, impacting societies and health systems worldwide. As challenges persist, the emergence of Long COVID (LC) marks a turning point in understanding the pandemic's long-term effects., Aim: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of LC in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and explore factors contributing to its persistence., Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was carried out between December 1, 2023, and March 1, 2024, involving 1,355 patients who recovered from COVID-19. Participants were conveniently chosen and information was gathered through in-person interviews in public settings after obtaining consent., Results: A majority of the patients ( N  = 1,355; 47.5% female; 93.8% Saudis; mean Age ± SD 33.13 ± 12.60 years) had received three COVID-19 vaccine doses (89.5%). Women experienced 17.4% more LC symptoms than men ( p  < 0.001). The risk of having a higher symptom count increased by 42.5% 12 months after acute COVID-19 infection compared with baseline (<3 months, p  < 0.001). A higher body mass index (BMI) was associated with more symptoms (1.1% increase per unit, p  = 0.004). More acute-phase symptoms correlated with more LC symptoms ( p  < 0.001). Higher educational attainment reduced LC risk by 33% ( p  < 0.001). Finally, age and vaccination status had no effect on LC symptoms count ( p  > 0.05)., Conclusion: Sociodemographic and clinical factors contribute differently to the chances of having LC and the count of symptoms. Awareness of such factors could provide insight into improving management, leading to better health outcomes., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Aldhawyan, BuSaad, Almaghlouth, Alnasser, Alnasser, Almansour and AlHarkan.)

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a major health issue in Saudi Arabia, with a prevalence of 23.7% in 2015. Several factors contribute to the occurrence of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and its progression to Alzheimer's disease in patients with T2DM. This study assesses MCI and fatigue severity and their relationship in patients with T2DM. Out of the 160 Saudi adults interviewed at the King Khalid University Hospital in Riyadh from October 2019 till March 2020, 80 were known cases of T2DM while the rest were non-diabetic individuals. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test, Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) and Fatigue Severity Score (FSS) were used to evaluate MCI and fatigue severity, respectively. According to the MoCA scale, 68.7% diabetic individuals as against 42.5% from the non-diabetic group had MCI. While the FSS showed that 40% of the diabetic group vs 26.3% of the non-diabetic were fatigued. In conclusion, patients with T2DM are at a higher risk of developing MCI.

The aim of this research was to explore the relationship between the push, pull, anti-push, and anti-pull factors vs. early retirement intention among Saudi medical staff, and to investigate whether there are gender differences in the early retirement intention. To this end, we designed a correlational and cross-sectional study, for which data were collected through an online survey. A total of 680 responses were gathered, of which 221 valid responses constituted the final sample for the analysis. Logistics regression was used to test the hypotheses of the study. The results showed that approximately 58% of the respondents indicated early retirement intention. The significant factors in predicting this intention were the pull, anti-push, and anti-pull factors, whereas the push factors were found to be insignificant. Moreover, female medical staff tend to retire earlier than males. Strategies recommended to delay retirement are providing flexible work hours, working shorter shifts or on a part-time basis, offering programs for professional development, and according more recognition., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 AlKhars, AlFaraj and AlNasser.)