We are currently facing an obesity pandemic, with worldwide obesity rates having tripled since 1975. Obesity is one of the main risk factors for the development of non-communicable diseases, which are now the leading cause of death worldwide. This calls for urgent action towards understanding the underlying mechanisms behind the development of obesity as well as developing more effective treatments and interventions. Appetite is carefully regulated in humans via the interaction between the central nervous system and peripheral hormones. This involves a delicate balance in external stimuli, circulating satiating and appetite stimulating hormones, and correct functioning of neuronal signals. Any changes in this equilibrium can lead to an imbalance in energy intake versus expenditure, which often leads to overeating, and potentially weight gain resulting in overweight or obesity. Several lines of research have shown imbalances in gut hormones are found in those who are overweight or obese, which may be contributing to their condition. Therefore, this review examines the evidence for targeting gut hormones in the treatment of obesity by discussing how their dysregulation influences food intake, the potential possibility of altering the circulating levels of these hormones for treating obesity, as well as the role of short chain fatty acids and protein as novel treatments.

Context: Emergency contraception (EC) use is rare in Saudi Arabia. Aims: The aim of this study is to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practice of EC among Saudi women of childbearing age. Settings and Design: This study is a cross-sectional descriptive study using a survey questionnaire tool. Materials and Methods: We conducted a survey of married women of childbearing age (18–45 years) attending the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between January and April 2018. Statistical Analysis Used: Pearson's Chi-square test is used for this study. Results: This study included 370 of 525 (70.5%) women, with a mean age of 32.3 ± 6.3 years. Of these, 117 (31.6%) knew how to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex, and 62 knew about EC. Forty-two women (67.7%) thought EC should be widely advertised, and 30 (48.4%) thought it should be made available even without prescription. Forty-seven women (75.8%) said that they were not shy to ask for EC, and 37 (59.7%) claimed that both partners should decide about the use of EC. The most common reason for not using EC was medical concerns ( n = 30, 48.4%). Thirty three (53.2%) of the 62 women with knowledge about EC would use it immediately after sex. Knowledge, awareness, and use of EC were significantly correlated with higher monthly income, educated women, having three or more children, and working women. Conclusions: Among Saudi women, knowledge, awareness, and use of EC remain low, although a positive attitude for future use of EC exists. Health information campaigns are necessary to reach women, particularly those of low socioeconomic status, less educated women, and housewives to explain EC, its availability, and its proper use.

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Although there is a consensus on beneficial effects of a low calorie diet in management of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, the optimal composition of diet has not yet been elucidated. The aim of this review is to summarize the results of current randomized controlled trials evaluating the effects of low fat diet (LFD) vs. low carbohydrate diet (LCD) on NAFLD. This is a systematic review of all the available data reported in published clinical trials up to February 2022. The methodological quality of eligible studies was assessed, and data were presented aiming specific standard measurements. A total of 15 clinical trial studies were included in this systematic review. There is an overall lack of consensus on which dietary intervention is the most beneficial for NAFLD patients. There is also an overall lack of consensus on the definition of the different restrictive diets and the percentage of macronutrient restriction recommended. It seems that low calorie diets, regardless of their fat and carbohydrate composition, are efficient for liver enzyme reduction. Both LCD and LFD have similar effects on liver enzymes change; however, this improvement tends to be more marked in LFD. All calorie restrictive dietary interventions are beneficial for reducing weight, liver fat content and liver enzymes in individuals with NAFLD. Low fat diets seem to be markedly successful in reducing transaminase levels. Further research is needed to explore diet intensity, duration and long-term outcome.

Purpose:Many studies have investigated the association between serum IGF-1 and IGFBP levels with gastric cancer (GC), but the results remained inconclusive. In this work, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the precise association of serum levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP with GC.Methods:A comprehensive systematic search was carried out in PubMed/MEDLINE, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases for (nested) case-control studies that reported the levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP in GC cases and healthy controls, from inception until October 2020. Weighted mean difference (WMD) was calculated for estimating combined effect size. Subgroup analysis was performed to identify the source of heterogeneity among studies. Results:We found eight and five eligible studies (with 1541 participants) which provided data for IGF-1 and IGFBP, respectively. All studies on IGFBP reported the IGFBP-3 isoform. The pooled results indicate that GC patients had significantly lower serum IGF-1 [WMD = −26.21 ng/mL (95% CI, −45.58 to −6.85; P = .008)] and IGFBP-3 [WMD = −0.41 ng/mL (95% CI, −0.80 to −0.01; P = .04; I 2 = 89.9%; P < .001)] levels than those in healthy subjects. Significant heterogeneity was observed in the association, which could be attributed to the sample size of the studies. Conclusions:In conclusion, our study reveals a significantly lower level of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in GC patients compared with healthy control subjects.