Publications by authors named "Khalid AlHarkan"

Small-bowel diverticulosis is a rare condition that occurs in older adults. Patients are usually asymptomatic, and some will develop complications such as gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, intestinal obstruction, diverticulitis, and perforation. This is the case of a 95-year-old male patient with a previous history of heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction of 55%-60% and aortic stenosis since October 2019, atrial fibrillation managed with a permanent pacemaker, oral anticoagulation treatment (which was discontinued due to GI bleeding), hypertension, hypothyroidism, and chronic kidney disease.

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Background: Obesity is a significant public health issue in Saudi Arabia. Rising obesity rates increase the risk of weight bias and stigma, even among healthcare workers.

Objectives: This study assesses weight stigma in healthcare workers, with findings intended to inform strategies for creating a more supportive healthcare environment for patients with obesity.

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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.

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Purpose: Despite the surge of melatonin supplement consumption in recent years, data on the prevalence and patterns of melatonin usage in Saudi Arabia is lacking. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and pattern of sleep-related melatonin usage among adults in Saudi Arabia.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional, web-based, self-administered survey study conducted across all regions of Saudi Arabia.

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Article Synopsis
  • A study was conducted on primary care physicians in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia to assess their awareness of the Beers Criteria, which identifies potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) for older adults.
  • The findings revealed that only 41.3% of physicians were aware of Beers Criteria, although 52.9% felt confident prescribing for elderly patients, and their knowledge of clinical scenarios was above average.
  • The primary sources of information for the physicians included online searches and discussions with colleagues, and there was a significant correlation between their years of practice and their confidence in using guidelines like Beers Criteria.
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Background: Cognitive decline affects the quality of life, and dementia affects independence in daily life activities. Multimorbidity in older adults is associated with a higher risk of cognitive impairment. This research aims to study the relationship between cognitive decline and multimorbidity in the elderly population in the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia.

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Background: Primary care physicians play an essential role in the health of older adults as they are frequently the first point of contact. Their positive attitude and knowledge influence the quality of care provided to patients with dementia and their caregivers. This study examined the attitudes of primary care physicians towards dementia care and their confidence in their own dementia-care skills.

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Background: The association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and cognitive decline among older adults is a still a topic of debate. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the association between risk of OSA and cognitive function among Saudi older adults.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional community-based study conducted between July and October 2022.

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Introduction: Dementia is one of the major global health issues among the aging population, characterized clinically by a progressive decline in higher cognitive functions. This paper aims to apply various artificial intelligence (AI) approaches to detect patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia accurately.

Methods: Quantitative research was conducted to address the objective of this study using randomly selected 343 Saudi patients.

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Introduction: Lower back pain is common worldwide and affects over 600,000 people annually, including teachers. The study aimed to investigate the prevalence of low back pain and disability among secondary school teachers in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Materials And Methods: This cross-sectional study included secondary school teachers in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia.

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Introduction: COVID-19 remains a public health concern. Vaccinations, testing and tracing have been proven to provide strong protection against severe illness and death. Older adults are amongst the groups with an increased risk of severe illness.

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Background: Polypharmacy, or the routine use of five or more medications, can result in impacting patients' quality of life.

Objective: to examine the association between multi-morbidities and polypharmacy, and to examine prescription practices in the elderly.

Methods: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study.

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Purpose: Current evidence of whether napping promotes or declines cognitive functions among older adults is contradictory. The aim of this study was to determine the association between nap duration and cognitive functions among Saudi older adults.

Methods: Old adults (> 60 years) were identified from the Covid-19 vaccine center at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia between May and August 2021.

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