Publications by authors named "Al-Houqani M"

Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can have negative impacts on the health outcomes of individuals with type 2 diabetes. However, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), there is a lack of understanding regarding the relationship between OSA and type 2 diabetes despite the significant implications it has on health. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the association between OSA risk and type 2 diabetes, associated risk factors, and gender differences in OSA symptoms among Emirati adults.

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Abnormal birth weight, particularly low birth weight (LBW), is known to have long-term adverse health consequences in adulthood, with disrupted sleep being suggested as a mediator or modifier of this link. We thus aimed to assess the associations between birth weight and self-reported adult sleep characteristics: sleep duration, difficulty waking up in the morning, daily nap frequency, sleep problems at night, snoring, daytime tiredness or sleepiness, and ever-stop breathing during sleep. This cross-sectional analysis used the United Arab Emirates Healthy Future Study data collected from February 2016 to March 2023 involving 2124 Emiratis aged 18-61 years.

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Introduction: Asthma and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) are linked in several possible ways. To date, there has been no study evaluating whether pediatric asthma is an independent risk factor for adult PCOS. Our study aimed to examine the association between pediatric asthma (diagnosed at 0-19 years) and adult PCOS (diagnosed at ≥20 years).

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Article Synopsis
  • Approximately 1.5 billion Muslims fast during Ramadan, which significantly alters sleep patterns, affecting health and intertwining with dietary and lifestyle choices.
  • A cross-sectional study surveyed over 24,500 adults across 27 countries, analyzing how dietary habits and lifestyle factors influence sleep quality, duration, and disturbances during Ramadan.
  • Results suggest that consuming more fruits, vegetables, and plant-based proteins, along with engaging in regular physical activity and avoiding smoking, can enhance sleep quality for those observing Ramadan.
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Article Synopsis
  • Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major health issue in the UAE, causing 40% of deaths, and this study focuses on understanding the prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors (CRFs) among young Emirati adults aged 18 to 40.
  • The analysis included data from over 5,000 participants and found high prevalence rates of obesity (26.5%), dysglycemia (11.7%), dyslipidemia (62.7%), hypertension (22.4%), and central obesity (22.5%), with notable differences based on social and behavioral factors like smoking and education.
  • The findings highlight the need for targeted prevention strategies addressing the specific CRF distribution among different groups of young Emirati adults
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Purpose: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of self-reported polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) among Emiratis and examine bi-directional associations of PCOS with self-reported chronic diseases, namely: diabetes, asthma, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

Patients And Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was performed using the UAE Healthy Future Study (UAEHFS) data collected from February 2016 to April 2022 involving 1040 Emirati women aged 25-67 years from recruitment centers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The bi-directional associations between self-reported PCOS and self-reported chronic diseases were evaluated by establishing temporality based on reported age-at-diagnoses.

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Introduction: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a multiplex of risk factors that predispose people to the development of diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD), two of the major non-communicable diseases that contribute to mortality in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). MetS guidelines require the testing of fasting samples, but there are evidence-based suggestions that non-fasting samples are also reliable for CVD-related screening measures. In this study, we aimed to estimate MetS and its components in a sample of young Emiratis using HbA1c as another glycemic marker.

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Background: The United Arab Emirates Healthy Future Study (UAEHFS) is one of the first large prospective cohort studies and one of the few studies in the region which examines causes and risk factors for chronic diseases among the nationals of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The aim of this study is to investigate the eight-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8) as a screening instrument for depression among the UAEHFS pilot participants.

Methods: The UAEHFS pilot data were analyzed to examine the relationship between the PHQ-8 and possible confounding factors, such as self-reported happiness, and self-reported sleep duration (hours) after adjusting for age, body mass index (BMI), and gender.

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Limited studies have focused on maternal early-life risk factors and the later development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We aimed to estimate the GDM prevalence and examine the associations of maternal early-life risk factors, namely: maternal birthweight, parental smoking at birth, childhood urbanicity, ever-breastfed, parental education attainment, parental history of diabetes, childhood overall health, childhood body size, and childhood height, with later GDM. This was a retrospective cross-sectional study using the UAE Healthy Future Study (UAEHFS) baseline data (February 2016 to April 2022) on 702 ever-married women aged 18 to 67 years.

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Introduction: Similar to other non-communicable diseases (NCDs), people who develop cardiovascular disease (CVD) typically have more than one risk factor. The clustering of cardiovascular risk factors begins in youth, early adulthood, and middle age. The presence of multiple risk factors simultaneously has been shown to increase the risk for atherosclerosis development in young and middle-aged adults and risk of CVD in middle age.

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Introduction: Epidemiological evidence suggests the prevalence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) ranges 9-38%. Multiple screening tools are used to aid diagnosis. In professions that require high levels of attentiveness, safety, and responsibility for other's lives, inaccuracies and biases are probable for self-reported data.

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Background: Few data were available on smoking and smokeless tobacco use in South Asian migrants in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study aimed to identify the prevalence and correlates of cigarette smoking and smokeless tobacco use in male South Asian migrants in the UAE.

Methods: We used a cross-sectional study to recruit a random representative sample of male South Asian migrants, including Indian (n = 433), Pakistani (n = 383) and Bangladeshi (n = 559) nationalities.

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Introduction: Non-cigarette tobacco products are an increasing public health concern globally. Little is known about midwakh, a pipe indigenous to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study aimed to assess the prevalence, attitudes, behaviours and policy evaluation of midwakh smoking among 13 to 15 year olds in the UAE.

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Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairment in social communication and restricted/repetitive behavior patterns or interests. Antagonists targeting histamine H3 receptor (H3R) are considered potential therapeutic agents for the therapeutic management of different brain disorders, e.g.

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Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental brain disorder characterized by two core behavioral symptoms, namely impairments in social communication and restricted/repetitive behavior. The molecular mechanisms underlying ASD are not well understood. Recent genetic as well as non-genetic animal models contributed significantly in understanding the pathophysiology of ASD, as they establish autism-like behavior in mice and rats.

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Introduction: Self-reported tobacco use in the United Arab Emirates is among the highest in the region. Use of tobacco products other than cigarettes is widespread, but little is known about specific behavior use patterns. There have been no studies that have biochemically verified smoking status.

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Objective: To explore undergraduate medical students' perception of variation in teaching and supervision at different clinical teaching sites.

Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the College of Medicine & Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, UAE during 2017. Four clinical teaching sites affiliated with CMHS were evaluated namely Shaikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC), Ambulatory Care Clinics (AC), Tawam Hospital (TH) and Al-Ain Hospital (AH).

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Background: The forced oscillation technique (FOT) allows the quantification of respiratory function, does not require active cooperation and as such is ideally suited for use in young children. The application of the FOT in non-Caucasian populations is limited and it remains unclear if current reference ranges for the FOT in Caucasian children are appropriate for children in the Arabian Peninsula. This study explored the use of the FOT in healthy school-aged children in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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Background: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is faced with a rapidly increasing burden of non-communicable diseases including obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The UAE Healthy Future study is a prospective cohort designed to identify associations between risk factors and these diseases amongst Emiratis. The study will enroll 20,000 UAE nationals aged ≥18 years.

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Aims: The transformation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from a semi-nomadic to a high income society has been accompanied by increasing rates of obesity and Type 2 diabetes mellitus. We examined if the AGE-RAGE (receptor for advanced glycation endproducts) axis is associated with obesity and diabetes mellitus in the pilot phase of the UAE Healthy Futures Study (UAEHFS).

Methods: 517 Emirati subjects were enrolled and plasma/serum levels of AGE, carboxy methyl lysine (CML)-AGE, soluble (s)RAGE and endogenous secretory (es)RAGE were measured along with weight, height, waist and hip circumference (WC/HC), blood pressure, HbA1c, Vitamin D levels and routine chemistries.

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Purpose: The primary objective of this paper was to identify significant factors associated with positional Obstructive Sleep Apnea (POSA) and to provide a clinical tool for discriminating non positional from POSA. Secondary objectives were about estimating the prevalence of POSA, comparing the polysomnographic variables across POSA and non-POSA patients.

Methods: This was a cross sectional study on 278 patients who completed an overnight sleep study for OSA assessment.

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Purpose: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep-related breathing disorder that is underdiagnosed. OSA is usually diagnosed by polysomnography (PSG) and, if untreated, could lead to life-threatening complications. Many screening questionnaires have been developed to screen and identify patients at high risk for OSA.

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