The unexpected truth about dates and hypoglycemia.

Background: Dates are a concentrated source of essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates (CHOs), which are necessary for the maintenance of optimum health. Most of the CHOs in dates come from sugars including glucose and fructose. Dates are commonly consumed in Saudi Arabia, particularly at the time of breaking the fast to provide instant energy and maintain blood sugar level.

Diagnosis and treatment of achalasia patients: a ten-year review of the clinical features.

Background/aims: To study the clinical features, the diagnosis and treatment efficacy with pneumatic balloon dilatation in patients with achalasia in a teaching hospital in Eastern Saudi Arabia.

Methodology: Clinical records of patients with the diagnosis of achalasia during the period from 2001 to 2012 were reviewed. Their presentation, radiologic, monometric and endoscopic findings as well as treatment outcome with pneumatic dilatation were reviewed.

Obesity and gastric balloon.

Background: The obesity epidemic, which is among the most common nutritional disorders, is rising rapidly worldwide. It leads to several health problems such as metabolic disorders, stroke, and even cancer. Efforts to control obesity with exercise and diet have a limited value in obese patients and different approaches to do this have been tried.

Percutaneous aspiration and drainage with adjuvant medical therapy for treatment of hepatic hydatid cysts.

Aim: To determine the efficacy and success of percutaneous aspiration irrigation and reaspiration (PAIR) in the management of hepatic hydatidosis.

Methods: Twenty-six patients with 32 hepatic hydatid cysts had PAIR. Twenty-two patients received at least 2 wk of drug therapy before the procedure was carried out to reduce the risk of recurrence from spillage during the procedure.

The impact of functional dyspepsia on health-related quality of life in Saudi patients.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD) on health-related quality of life (HRQOL), which was assessed using the Nepean Dyspepsia Index, the Short Form-12 quality of life (QOL) scale, the general health questionnaire (GHQ-30) and the self-reporting questionnaire (SRQ-20).

Materials And Methods: Validated Arabic versions of the four scales were administered to 158 subjects (54 with NUD, 50 with gastroesophageal reflux disease [GERD] and 54 with no history of gastrointestinal [GI] disease), with a mean age of 46.6 years and SD 10.