Aim of the work: hypertension is the commonest cardiovascular disorder. Prehypertension in adolescents and young adults is a risk factor for developing hypertension in later years of life. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence rate and risk factor associated with prehypertension and hypertension in the medical students of Northern Border University in Arar city, Saudi Arabia. Methods: this crosssectional study included 232 students. The study subjects were selected by systematic random sampling method. This study included 232 medical students (136 male and 96 female). The study period was from 1 March to 31 May 2017. Students were given a predesigned and pretested questionnaire to collect the relevant data. Results: Fifty (52.1%) of females and 58.8% of males were pre-hypertensive and 1.5% from males were hypertensive. Family history of hypertension was positive in 66.7% of hypertensive or prehypertensive students (P<0.05), 18.2% were obese (P<0.05), 9.1% of hypertensive or pre-hypertensive students were diabetic (P>0.05), 31.8% were smokers (P>0.05), 10.6% were drug addicts (P>0.05), 18.2% only performing muscular exercise (P>0.05), 62.1% consume >5g salt /day (P<0.05)and 40.9% of them spent 2-5 hours in front of TV, Computer or mobile (P>0.05). Conclusion: in medical students of the Northern Border University, 52.1% of females and 58.8% of males were pre-hypertensive and 1.5% of males were hypertensive. Risk factors included obesity, family history, sedentary life and excess salt intake. So health-care providers should recognize the increased risk of prehypertension and hypertension and should seek to identify and manage the modifiable risk factors in those students.

Background: seizures are the most common neurologic emergency in pediatrics and can be terrifying for patients and families. Aim of the work: this study aimed to determine the etiologies and sex distribution of seizure in children admitted to Emergency Department of Maternity and Children's Hospital in Arar city, Northern Saudi Arabia, during the period from 1 January to 30 July 2017. Methods: this was a descriptive hospital-based study conducted in the Department of Pediatrics Emergency, Maternal and Child Hospital of Arar City during the period from 1 January to 30 July 2017. All the children below 12 years of age who were hospitalized at emergency department were enrolled in this study. The final diagnosis of seizure was made by a pediatric neurologist. The age, sex, type of seizure, associated fever, history of head trauma and other variables related to seizure in pediatric group were reviewed from the medical records. Results: a total of 158 children with diagnosis of seizures were included in this study. The proportion of male to female was about 2:1 as the percentage of males was 65.8% of patients. All patients up to 12 years were included with a mean age of 26.3±15.8 months. Less than quarter (16.5%) of the patients had focal seizures, while 83.5% had generalized seizures. Family history of seizures disorders were noted in only 15.2% patients. A previous history of seizure was mentioned in 19% patients. Febrile seizure was the most common etiology (72.2% of patients). Epilepsy in 17.7% and vaccine-associated seizure in 5.1% of the patients. Hypoglycemia, intracranial hemorrhage, encephalitis and hyponatremia were reported 2(1.3%) for each of them. Conclusion and recommendations: as this is the first study conducted in Arar maternity and children's hospital to differentiate of the etiology of seizure in children attending the emergency department. Indeed, we suggested other researchers to follow the patients to show the repetitions of seizure and the prognosis in them especially those with dangerous etiologies as epilepsy, diabetes, encephalitis and intracranial hemorrhage. Fever coexistence, seizure type, physical and neurological examinations and history of head injury and measurement of serum blood sugar level may provide important information for primary emergency physicians when evaluating children with attack of seizures.

Background: Senile cataract is an age-related, vision-impairing disease characterized by gradual progressive thickening of the lens of the eye. It is the world's leading cause of treatable blindness. The objective of this study was to identify the percentage and determinants of Senile Cataract in Arar, Northern Saudi Arabia. Methods: The current study is a hospital based conducted in Arar Cental Hospital, for the period from 1/3/ 2016 to 30/9/2017. All elderly patients referred to or admitted to the hospital ocular department and who were clinically suspected to have Cataract were included in the study after obtaining an informed consent from them. Exclusion criteria included patients who refused to participate in the study. Data was collected through face to face interview and filling a questionnaire which included questions about age, sex of participants, signs and symptoms of cataract and it's complications, presence of comorbidities. Results: The study included 134 cases, 95.5% of the studied cases had Cataract, of them 53.9% were males and 46.1% females, 53.1% aged between 50-60. One third of the cases had cataract for less than one year, 37.5% for -2 years. Fifty five (43%) reported foggy vision, 17.2% see halos around the light, 15.6% reported problems in seeing bright colors, 12.5% problems with night vision and 11.7% reported fad in colors and 0.6% had complete blindness. Twenty nine (22.7%) of the cases had DM, 17.2% were obese, 16.4% had hypertension, 6.2% had IHD and 28.1% were smokers. Only 49.2% had cataract operation but succeeded in 28.9% of them. Conclusions: We found senile cataract in 95.5% of the studied old aged participants, there was high rates of no operated cataract in older people in North Saudi Arabia. Males had higher rates of cataract, and 0.6% had complete blindness.

Background: Type 2 diabetes (DM) mellitus and Hypertension (HT) are among the most common chronic non-communicable diseases affecting at a higher prevalence in the older age group. The presence of hypertension in diabetic patients substantially increases the risks of coronary heart disease, stroke, nephropathy and retinopathy. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence rate and risk factor associated with co-existence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus in elderly population in Arar city, Northern Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross sectional study, included 181 elderly attending seven randomly selected primary healthcare centers in Arar city during the period from 1 st January to 30 th June 2017. Participants selected using a systemic random sampling procedure as we take every second elderly attending the PHC during the study period. Data collected by means of personal interview using a predesigned questionnaire covering the required items. Results: The prevalence of coexistence of diabetes and hypertension was 16.6% while coexistence of diabetes, hypertension and obesity were found in 9.9%. Two-thirds (66.66%) of cases of coexisting diabetes and hypertension were females (P value>0.05). The relation between coexisting diabetes and hypertension with smoking status was significant (P value<0.05) while the relation with BMI was non-significant (P value>0.05). Conclusion: Coexistence of diabetes and hypertension were found in 16.6% of elderly population of Arar, Northern KSA. This association leads to several cardiovascular complications, so it is mandatory to adopt more strategies for the control of DM and HT in Arar elderly population by appropriate methods.