Estimating the prevalence of select non-communicable diseases in Saudi Arabia using a population-based sample: econometric analysis with natural language processing.

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a major public health challenge globally, including in Saudi Arabia. However, measuring the true extent of NCD prevalence has been hampered by a paucity of nationally representative epidemiological studies.

Objectives: Assess the prevalence of selected NCDs, using population-based electronic health records and applying novel analytical methods to identify cases of NCDs.

Establishing the Saudi pediatric and youth diabetes registry: initial data and challenges.

The Saudi National Diabetes Registry focuses mainly on adult patients. In 2020, the National Guard Health Authority (NGHA) launched the Saudi Pediatric and Youth Diabetes Registry (SPYDR), for children and adolescents with diabetes. This report is about the first data and the challenges we faced during SPYDR initiation.

Unplanned Readmissions in Children with Medical Complexity in Saudi Arabia: A Large Multicenter Study.

Background: Children with medical complexity (CMC) account for a substantial proportion of healthcare spending, and one-third of their expenditures are due to readmissions. However, knowledge regarding the healthcare-resource utilization and characteristics of CMC in Saudi Arabia is limited.

Objectives: To describe hospitalization patterns and characteristics of Saudi CMC with an unplanned 30-day readmission.

The prevalence and predictors of diabetes in a private health insurance scheme: An analysis of three million beneficiaries in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are a leading threat to population health in Saudi Arabia. Addressing NCDs is a priority for health-care transformation, and understanding the current disease prevalence is crucial. The prevalence in other settings is unknown because studies have relied on data from households or public health-care institutions.

Establishing the Kidney dIsease in the National guarD (KIND) registry: an opportunity for epidemiological and clinical research in Saudi Arabia.

Background: In Saudi Arabia (SA), there has been an alarming increase in the prevalence of chronic kidney diseases (CKD) over the last three decades. Despite being one of the largest countries in the Middle East, renal conditions remain understudied, and there is limited data on their epidemiology and outcomes in SA.

Objectives: To document the experience of establishing a local renal registry assessing the epidemiology of CKD and identifying potential areas for improving the quality and delivery of care for CKD patients.

Gender Differences in Prevalence of Sleepy Driving Among Young Drivers in Saudi Arabia.

Introduction: Sleepy driving is associated with Motor Vehicles Accidents (MVAs). In Saudi Arabia, previous studies have addressed this association among men only. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of sleepy driving and associated factors between genders.

Survival implications vs. complications: unraveling the impact of vitamin D adjunctive use in critically ill patients with COVID-19-A multicenter cohort study.

Background: Despite insufficient evidence, vitamin D has been used as adjunctive therapy in critically ill patients with COVID-19. This study evaluates the effectiveness and safety of vitamin D as an adjunctive therapy in critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Methods: A multicenter retrospective cohort study that included all adult COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care units (ICUs) between March 2020 and July 2021.

COVID-19 and Pediatric Rheumatology: A Comprehensive Study from a Leading Tertiary Center in Saudi Arabia.

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has emerged as a significant global health concern, impacting millions of individuals worldwide. However, there remains a notable gap in the literature regarding pediatric studies, specifically focusing on children with rheumatic diseases and the potential risk factors associated with COVID-19 contraction in this specific patient population. Patients with rheumatic diseases are often undergoing immunemodulator/immunosuppressant therapies, which can further complicate their immune system response to infections.

Prevalence of Obesity among Children and Adolescents in Saudi Arabia: A Multicenter Population-Based Study.

Background: Childhood obesity has increased in Saudi Arabia over the past few decades. However, a representative burden of obesity remains unclear, as most studies had relied on small samples and/or used international growth references, which may have resulted in over-or underestimations of prevalence.

Objective: The study aimed to determine the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents in Saudi Arabia using the Saudi growth chart.

The clinical outcomes of COVID-19 critically ill patients co-infected with other respiratory viruses: a multicenter, cohort study.

Background: Previous studies have shown that non-critically ill COVID-19 patients co-infected with other respiratory viruses have poor clinical outcomes. However, limited studies focused on this co-infections in critically ill patients. This study aims to evaluate the clinical outcomes of critically ill patients infected with COVID-19 and co-infected by other respiratory viruses.

Clinical characteristics and outcome of Covid-19 illness and predictors of in-hospital mortality in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Patients' race and ethnicity may play a role in mortality from Covid-19. Studies in China, the US, and Europe have been conducted on the predictors of Covid-19 mortality, yet in the EMR countries, such studies are scarce. Therefore, we aimed to describe the hospitalization rate, ICU-admission, and in-hospital mortality of Covid-19 and predictors of in-hospital mortality in Saudi Arabia.

Population health data in KSA: Status, challenges, and opportunities.

Population dynamics and health risk factors keep changing in the KSA, requiring continuous research and quality data. We aimed to review the current status of population health data, outline the available opportunities for data utilization, and provide recommendations for population data-related improvement initiatives. We provide practical solutions to support the collection, linkage, quality assurance, and governance of population health data.

Do crashes happen more frequently at sunset in Ramadan than the rest of the year?

Objectives: Because the epidemiology of road traffic injuries (RTIs) can differ in time due to differences in traffic dynamics or behaviors, this paper aims to examine whether RTIs are more likely to occur at sunset in Ramadan than in other months in KSA.

Methods: A nationwide cross-sectional study of all RTIs recorded in the Saudi Red Crescent Authority database. Cases were those who sought emergency care following any RTI in 2021.

Reply to Alsarwani, R.M. Comment on "Alghnam et al. The Association between Obesity and Chronic Conditions: Results from a Large Electronic Health Records System in Saudi Arabia. 2021, , 12361".

We genuinely thank Dr. Alsarwani for his insights [..

Prevalence of sarcopenia among Saudis and its association with lifestyle behaviors: Protocol for cross-sectional study.

Background: Sarcopenia is an age-related muscular disease manifesting as a loss of muscle function and mass-leads to detrimental consequences at both individual and community levels. Modifiable lifestyle factors (such as physical behaviors and nutritional habits) may be involved in sarcopenia etiology. European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older Population (EWGOSP2) established a cut-off point for sarcopenia diagnosis based on the European population and they recommend the use of a regional normative population.

Comparison of Hospital Readmission and Mortality between COVID-19 and Pneumonia Patients.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) survivors can have lasting signs and symptoms, including various organ damage, indicating that COVID-19 can be a chronic illness. The current study aims to compare the 30-day hospital readmission and death rate of patients admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 and pneumonia due to other causes. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the Saudi National Guard Health Affairs (NGHA).

The future health and economic burden of obesity-attributable type 2 diabetes and liver disease among the working-age population in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are increasing in Saudi Arabia (SA). Among other conditions, these risk factors increase the likelihood of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which in turn increases risks for advanced liver diseases, such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis and cancer. The goal of this study was to quantify the health and economic burden of obesity-attributable T2DM and liver disease in SA.

Real-World Impact of Switching From Insulin Glargine (Lantus) to Basaglar and Potential Cost Saving in a Large Public Healthcare System in Saudi Arabia.

Background: The advent of Basaglar, which is a biosimilar insulin glargine formulation for Lantus has brought hope that it will result in similar outcomes and lower costs. However, some health practitioners raised some concerns about the therapeutic equivalence of this new biosimilar. Therefore, we aimed to examine the clinical and financial impact of switching from Lantus to Basaglar.

Epidemiology of Traffic Injuries before, during and 1 Year after the COVID-19 Pandemic Restrictions: National Findings from the Saudi Red Crescent Authority.

Background: Road traffic injuries are a leading cause of death in Saudi Arabia. Studies have examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on traffic injuries treated in healthcare institutions, but its impact on patients seeking emergency medical transport for traffic injuries remains unclear.

Objective: This study aimed to determine changes in traffic injuries' distribution and outcomes among patients seeking emergency medical transport before, during, and after the COVID-19 restrictions were imposed in Saudi Arabia.

Factors associated with mortality and morbidity among pediatrics with burn injuries in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Objectives: To describe characteristics, mechanism, and factors associated with morbidity and mortality of pediatrics with burn injuries.

Methods: This cross-sectional retrospective study examined all pediatrics with burn injuries carried out at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2015-2020. Collected data included demographics, mechanism of burn, total body surface area (TBSA) burned, body region burned, incidence of infection, renal failure, scars, and respiratory events.

Outcomes of single dose COVID-19 vaccines: Eight month follow-up of a large cohort in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Two vaccines for COVID-19 have been approved and administered in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA); Pfizer-BioNtech BNT162b2 and AstraZeneca-Oxford AZD1222 vaccines. The purpose of this study was to describe the real-world data on the outcome of single dose of these COVID-19 vaccines in a large cohort in KSA and to analyse demographics and co-morbidities as risk factors for infection post one-dose vaccination.

Methods: In this prospective cohort study, a total of 18,543 subjects received one dose of either of the vaccines at a vaccination centre in KSA, and were followed up for three to eight months.

Prevalence and Clinical Characterization of Bocavirus Infection in a Specialized Children's Hospital in Saudi Arabia.

Aim The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and clinical characterization of bocavirus infection in patients admitted with respiratory symptoms to a specialized children's hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods This is a retrospective cross-sectional study that included children aged 0-14 years and was conducted over a two-year period (2017-2019). All data were gathered from an electronic information recording system, which included patients' demographics, comorbidities, clinical presentation, complication, and duration of hospitalization.