Background/Objectives Contrary to popular belief, the condition of dementia is not an actual discrete disease, but rather a group of symptoms, most notable of which is the disturbance of memory and social ability, often severe enough to impair daily functioning. As a result, it has been a major cause of functional deterioration among varying populations in the world. This study is aimed at reviewing the epidemiology of dementia in Arab countries in terms of its prevalence, distribution, and risk factors. Methods A systematic literature review was conducted using articles published in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and other local journals between 1990 and 2018. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 18 studies were concluded to be eligible for the review. Results Prevalence studies demonstrated that dementia is indeed a prevalent condition in Arab countries, ranging between 1.1% and 2.3% among age groups of 50 years and older, as well as between 13.5% and 18.5% among age groups of 80 years and above. However, these results are not different from those of many other countries in the world. Moreover, prevalence was found to vary depending on sociodemographic characteristics. Major risk factors of dementia included hypertension, low income, and low education, while the risk of developing dementia is increased by obesity, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular risk factors. Despite the growing evidence regarding the epidemiological distribution and determinants of dementia worldwide, studies from the Arab region remain scarce. Conclusion This systematic review highlights the need for population-based studies to provide necessary information for developing preventive and curative strategies specific to the Arab region.

Background. Recurring migraine disorders are a common medical problem, standing among the top causes of disability and sufferings. This study aimed to evaluate epidemiological evidence to report updated estimates on prevalence, risk factors, and associated comorbidities of migraine headache in the Arab countries. Design and Setting. A systematic review was conducted at the College of Public Health and Health Informatics, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods. A systematic search in electronic databases, such as PubMed and Embase, as well as manual searches with cross-referencing was performed from 1990 up to 2019. Overall, 23 included papers were rated independently by two reviewers. Studies were eligible for inclusion only if they investigated migraine headache epidemiology in any Arab country and were published in English. Results. Migraine prevalence among the general population ranged between 2.6% and 32%. The estimated prevalence of migraine headache among medical university students ranged between 12.2% and 27.9% and between 7.1% and 13.7% in schoolchildren (6 to 18 years). Females were found more likely to have migraine than males. The duration of migraine attacks became shorter with increasing age, while chronic (daily) migraine showed increasing prevalence with age. The most commonly reported comorbidities with migraine included anxiety, hypertension, irritable bowel syndrome, and depression. Most common headache-triggering factors included stress, fatigue, sleep disturbances, prolonged exposure to excessive sunlight or heat, and hunger. Conclusion. The prevalence and risk factors of migraine headache in Arab countries are comparable to reports from western countries. Longitudinal studies are still needed to investigate the prognosis and predictors of chronicity in the arab countries.

Background and Aims. Celiac disease (CD) is possibly the most common autoimmune disorder, which may lead to dietary problems in the Arab region. This paper is aimed at exploring the epidemiology of the celiac disease in Arab countries, including its prevalence, associated risk factors, and clinical patterns. Methods. An extensive search of the literature was conducted from electronic databases such as PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar. In total, 134 research papers were retrieved. We extracted studies published from January 1996 to December 2019. Our search was limited to studies published in English. Findings. The review included 35 studies with 22,340 participants from 12 countries and demonstrated a wide variation in the prevalence of CD. The highest prevalence among the general population (3.2%) was reported in Saudi Arabia, and the lowest (0.1%) was reported in Tunisia. Women demonstrated a higher prevalence of celiac disease relative to men. The peak age at diagnosis fell between 1 and 3 years and 9-10 years. Most studies focused on type 1 diabetes. Children with type 1 diabetes have a higher prevalence of CD (range from 5.5% to 20%), while the prevalence of CD in Down’s syndrome patients was 1.1% and 10.7% in UAE and Saudi Arabia, respectively. Other autoimmune diseases associated with CD are thyroid disease and irritable bowel disease. The most widely recognized clinical presentation was an inability to flourish and poor weight gain, followed by short stature, abdominal pain, abdominal distension, bloating, and chronic diarrhea. Conclusion. The prevalence of the celiac disease in Arab countries varies with sex and age. However, we found that celiac disease presented similar clinical characteristics independent of the geographic region. Longitudinal population-based studies are needed to better identify the true burden and determinants of celiac disease.

Background The discharge against medical advice (DAMA) in the Emergency Department (ED) is an issue of great concern because it may result in adverse consequences at a later stage. The reported worldwide prevalence of DAMA ranges from 0.07 to 20% for emergency admissions. The outcomes of DAMA can have significantly damaging effects, causing possible relapses of disease, readmission, and increases in medical costs for the patient. Therefore, it is imperative to identify the predictors of DAMA in ED. Methods It was a cross-sectional study. The medical records used were those of all the patients (n = 11513) admitted to the Emergency Department (ED) of King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAAUH) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between 2017 and 2018. A thorough analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 22. Descriptive statistics were reported for quantitative and categorical variables and assessed by independent t-test/chi-square/ANOVA (analysis of variance), where appropriate. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios with their 95% CI (confidence interval) were reported by performing logistic regression. A p value of ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant throughout the study. Results The prevalence of DAMA in our study was 1%. In a multivariable analysis, after adjusting for the other covariates, we observed a significant interaction between age and gender. It was observed that the odds of DAMA for ≤40-year-old males were 3.12 times higher than those of a ≤40-year-old female (p value < 0.1). To further investigate this interaction, men and women were modeled separately in multivariable models using the same covariates. We found that, for men, the effect of age (≤40 years) was significant (OR = 3.94, 95% CI 1.31–11.80, p=0.014), while, for women, the effect of age (≤40 years) was not as pronounced (OR = 1.27, 95% CI = 0.66–2.42, p=0.27). Conclusions Our study concluded that DAMA was more likely among younger male patients (≤40 years of age). Most of the patients with DAMA were presented to the urgent care of the Emergency Department. We recommend that patients be given some financial support to bear the expenses of the hospital stay from the healthcare facility or from the state. Future studies should assess the socioeconomic status of the patients and estimate the cost that is incurred by the patients.

Background. Diabetes is a debilitating chronic health condition that is associated with certain pain syndromes. The present study sought to evaluate chronic pain and its association with diabetes mellitus at a population level. Methods. A population-based cross-sectional questionnaire survey study was conducted in Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia, from January 2016 to June 2016. Participants from both private and governmental institutions were selected following a multistage sampling technique and using a cluster sampling method. Anthropometric measurements were taken, including body weight, height, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference. A blood sample was also drawn from each respondent for fasting blood sugar, HbA1c, and fasting lipid profile. A P value of less than 0.05 indicated statistical significance. Results. A total of 1003 subjects were included for final analysis. Compared to prediabetic and nondiabetic individuals, diabetic subjects had a higher prevalence of lower limb pain (11.1%), back pain (8.9%), abdominal pain (6.7%), and neck pain (4.4%) (X2 = 27.792, P=0.015). In a multiple logistic regression model, after adjusting for age, gender, education level, cholesterol, and smoking status, diabetic/prediabetic patients had a significantly higher prevalence of chronic pain ((OR) = 1.931 (95% CI = 1.536–2.362), P=0.037). Increased age was also significantly associated with chronic pain ((OR) = 1.032 (95% CI = 1.010–1.054, P=0.004). Conclusion. Results of this study found a significant association between diabetes and prediabetes and chronic pain symptoms. Prospective studies are needed to explore temporality of such association.