Objectives: To identify the prevalence of health literacy among adult Saudi with type 2 diabetes mellitus)T2DM(patients and determine the clinical factors that are associated with health literacy scores including glycemic control. Method: A cross-sectional study that included 249 adult Saudi patients with T2DM)99 males and 150 females(who visited the Diabetes Clinic of the Endocrine Center at King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between September 2017 and January 2018. The short test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults)Arabic version(was used to classify patients into 3 levels of functional health literacy: inadequate, marginal, and adequate. Demographic characteristics were noted and glycosylated hemoglobin was assessed routinely. Regression analysis was carried out to determine whether health literacy is associated with glycemic control. Results: Majority of the participants had adequate literacy rate)68.7%(. The adequate group is significantly younger)48.4±12.8(than the marginal)54.2±13.3(and inadequate group)54.1±9.1(. Females in the adequate group were significantly lesser)54.6%(than the marginal)66.7%(and inadequate)81.8%(groups. Being female has a lesser odds of having an adequate health literacy level)odds ratio [OR]-1.24, confidence interval [CI]-1.97-0.50; p=0.001(. Body mass index was positively associated with adequate health literacy level, but the significance was modest)OR 0.04; CI 0.003-0.09; p=0.045(. Conclusion: Health literacy is high among Saudi T2DM patients and is not associated with glycemic control.

Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent among subfertile women. Optimization of serum calcium and vitamin D levels is encouraged.

The Ca2+ ion is used ubiquitously as an intracellular signaling molecule due to its high external and low internal concentration. Many Ca2+-sensing ion channel proteins have evolved to receive and propagate Ca2+ signals. Among them are the Ca2+-activated potassium channels, a large family of potassium channels activated by rises in cytosolic calcium in response to Ca2+ influx via Ca2+-permeable channels that open during the action potential or Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum. The Ca2+ sensitivity of these channels allows internal Ca2+ to regulate the electrical activity of the cell membrane. Activating these potassium channels controls many physiological processes, from the firing properties of neurons to the control of transmitter release. This review will discuss what is understood about the Ca2+ sensitivity of the two best-studied groups of Ca2+-sensitive potassium channels: large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels, KCa1.1, and small/intermediate-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels, KCa2.x/KCa3.1.

days prior to hospitalisation. Crude in-hospital mortality and composite cure rate (significant resolution or complete resolution of all signs and symptoms of the infection), defined as both clinical cure and microbiological eradication were evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS statistics v24.0. Results A total of 155 infections in 87 patients were included. Mean age was 67 (IQR 50-75) years. Median CCI was 3 (IQR 1-5). 43.9% of patients had previous hospitalisation and in 42.4% of patients antibiotics were administered previously. Thirty-three per cent of patients were transferred from another hospital or a social-sanitary centre. Death occurred in 19.4% of infections. The main infections were urologic (42.6%). 5.8% were PDR strains, 17.4% were colistin-resistant and 40.0% meropenem-resistant strains. The main systemic antibiotics used were: colistin 22.7% and meropenem 20.7%. Intratracheal and inhaled antibiotics were used in 4.0% and 1.0% of episodes respectively: 27.1% were combined treatments. Microbiological resolution was achieved in 54.2% of infections, while clinical resolution was observed in 75.5%. Non-statistically significant results were obtained when comparing the effectiveness of combination therapy versus monotherapy in achieving clinical resolution (OR:0.539; 95% CI: 0.246 to 1.181). Conclusion In our hospital these kinds of infections were produced in the older population with a moderate CCI and previous exposure to antibiotics. A high percentage of meropenem-resistant strains were found. Combination therapy was not more effective than monotherapy in achieving clinical resolution.

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