Demographics and Characteristics of Acutely Decompensated Heart Failure (ADHF) Patients in a Tertiary Care Center in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) has been defined as the gradual or rapid change in heart failure (HF) signs and symptoms resulting in a need for urgent therapy. Patients with ADHF usually have multiple comorbidities that contribute to the severity of exacerbation at admission, including diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease. The prognosis for these individuals is generally poor, with a high risk of readmission and death after discharge.

Atorvastatin Treatment Modulates the Gut Microbiota of the Hypercholesterolemic Patients.

Hypercholesterolemia is one of the most important risk factors for development of cardiovascular diseases. The composition of gut microbiota (total microbes residing in the gut) impacts on cholesterol and lipid metabolism. On the contrary, alterations in gut microbiota in response to hypercholesterolemia or drug treatment with atorvastatin (a cholesterol-lowering agent) are rarely investigated.

Vitamin d deficiency in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objectives: Hypovitaminosis D is common in the general population. Many studies that have been conducted to show the association between vitamin D deficiency and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) reveal that deficiencies in vitamin D are common in this group of patients. Our aim was to study the relationship between 25(OH)D and disease activity in patients with SLE.

Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency rickets in adolescent school girls in Western region, Saudi Arabia.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency rickets among female adolescents and assess its relation to calcium intake and sun exposure.

Methods: Four hundred and thirty-three school girls between 12-15 years old were selected randomly from different schools in Jeddah, between October 200--February 2004. We identified symptoms of rickets and determined the dietary habits and sun exposure habits, and laboratory investigations were also carried out.