Background: Lung cancer (LC) is the most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. With lung cancer often diagnosed at advanced stages, understanding the local population’s awareness levels is crucial for designing effective preventive strategies. By identifying gaps in knowledge, the research aims to inform targeted health education efforts, optimize resource allocation, influence policy development, and contribute to the limited body of research on lung cancer awareness in the region, ultimately fostering improved public health outcomes. Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study conducted in Jazan region, Saudi Arabia, from July 2022 to June 2023, 671 participants over 18 years old, encompassing both genders, were gsurveyed. Data was collected through a questionnaire covering sociodemographic characteristics and LC-related awareness. SPSS 23 was used for analysis. Factors associated with knowledge scores were explored using independent t-tests and ANOVA, with the Tukey post-hoc test identifying specific group differences. Results: The study included 671 participants, most participants were between 18 and 35 years (73.5%), with 38.5% males and 61.5% females. Lung cancer (LC) awareness was high (95.1%), with 4.9% reporting a family history. Knowledge assessment revealed a mean score of 14.66, with 41.6% having low, 49.5% moderate, and 8.9% high knowledge levels. Correct responses were notable for recognizing LC as a common cancer, a leading cause of death, and associating smoking and shisha with risk. Symptoms were well identified. Screening awareness was at 63.5%, with 78.8% willing to undergo tests if at risk. Age, marital status, and occupation were associated with knowledge, while factors like gender, nationality, residency, education, income, and smoking status showed no significant associations. Conclusion: The findings indicate that there are knowledge gaps related to LC and its screening in Jazan region in Saudi Arabia. Effective awareness programs targeting specific sociodemographic groups are needed to improve the early detection and outcomes.

Background: Hypertension (HTN) is a major global public health problem. Knowledge of the risk factors and repercussions of HTN is crucial to preventing the disease. Rural populations have lower levels of knowledge of the disease than urban populations. However, no studies have assessed the levels of awareness of HTN and their determinants in rural regions of Saudi Arabia. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the awareness of HTN and its determinants among a rural population of Jazan region, Saudi Arabia. Methodology: We conducted a cross-sectional analytical study among six primary healthcare centers selected randomly from the rural areas of Jazan region. We targeted all Saudi adults visiting these centers. Information was gathered using interview questionnaires completed by 607 people. SPSS was utilized to analyze the collected data. Results: In all population groups, the prevalence of diagnosed HTN increased with age, particularly gradually increasing in those aged younger than 40 years and then rapidly and sharply increasing in those aged 40 years and over. The women (43.3%) had a higher prevalence of HTN than the men (34.6%), which is comparable with findings in other areas in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. Approximately 65.6% of the participants without HTN and 34.4% of the participants with HTN did not know their normal blood pressure. Approximately 61.7% of the participants without HTN and 59.0% of the participants with HTN felt that pharmaceuticals are insufficient in curing HTN, while 60.7% and 64.7% believed that HTN can be cured. Conclusions: The global prevalence of HTN is increasing annually owing to rapid changes in lifestyle and dietary habits. Furthermore, because adherence to antihypertensives is poor in rural Jazan, the Ministry of Health and researchers advocate implementing a program to increase awareness and assess patient adherence to prescribed medication for the control of HTN.

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the perception of sudden cardiac death (SCD) and heart attack risk and its influence on the intention to adopt healthy lifestyle behaviors among the general population in Jazan province, Saudi Arabia. SCD refers to an abrupt and unexpected loss of heart function resulting in death, and its incidence has been alarmingly increasing worldwide. Several factors, including smoking, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and specific medications, have been associated with an elevated risk of SCD. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a pretested questionnaire distributed among the general population in Jazan province. Descriptive statistics, chi-square, and t-tests were employed for data analysis. Results: The study included 974 participants with a mean age of 27.90 ± 9.32 years, of whom 56% were female. More than half of the participants perceived themselves as highly susceptible to SCD, and all participants demonstrated a moderate willingness and readiness to modify their unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. Age, gender, marital status, body mass index (BMI), history of hypertension, dyslipidemia, medication use, physical exercise, and family history of chronic diseases and SCD were statistically associated with the perception of SCD. Conclusion: The study revealed a high-risk perception and a moderate readiness to adopt lifestyle modifications. These findings can inform the development of effective strategies and support programs aimed at reducing the burden of SCD.

Heart failure (HF) is a condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body’s requirements, causing multiple significant symptoms that affect the patient’s quality of life. Worldwide, HF awareness is known to be low. However, no studies have assessed the levels of awareness of HF and their influencing factors in our region. This study aims to investigate the knowledge of HF and its influencing factors among adults in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. A community-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. Adult participants (≥18 years) were recruited using an online, self-administered structured questionnaire. The questionnaire assessed sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge of HF definition, symptoms, causes, risk factors, and treatment options. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize participants’ responses, and logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with higher HF knowledge. Out of 399 respondents, more than half 51.6% identified HF as a condition involving the heart’s pumping failure. As far as symptoms are concerned, only 16.3% recognized shortness of breath, about 1.8% noted reduced exercise tolerance, and only 1.5% identified leg edema as typical symptoms of HF. About 45.6% of the participants were aware of all 3 symptoms. Moreover, participants with higher education exhibited higher levels of knowledge. Less than half of the participants correctly identified cardiovascular conditions leading to HF 45.9%. Knowledge regarding HF treatment was also insufficient; some participants believed that HF has no effective treatment or requires prolonged bed rest. Additionally, working in the medical field was significantly associated with better knowledge about HF (odds ratio = 3.38, 95% confidence interval: 2.11–5.54). The study found inadequate knowledge among participants, particularly regarding the most common causes of HF and the measures to reduce the risk of developing it. These findings highlight the need for improved education and awareness programs to address misconceptions and provide accurate information about HF and its management.

Background: Balloon angioplasty can lead to multiple complications, such as myocardial perforation and dissection of coronary arteries. Device dislodgment during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication. Case description: We report on a 67-year-old woman presenting with acute coronary syndrome due to in-stent restenosis of the left circumflex artery, treated with a drug-coated balloon (DCB) following lesion preparation. During DCB retrieval resistance was encountered, and angiography revealed separation of the balloon from its shaft with distal embolisation. Despite this, thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grade 3 was preserved. After multidisciplinary discussion, conservative management was chosen due to the distal location of the embolised device and risks associated with retrieval. Final angiography showed no procedural complication, and at 12-month follow-up, the patient remained asymptomatic without ischaemic or device-related events. Conclusion: This example shows that in certain patients with intact coronary flow and no procedural complications, conservative therapy of distal DCB embolisation might be a safe and feasible strategy.

Background and aim: Primary care physicians are central to the early detection and management of chronic kidney disease (CKD), yet knowledge gaps in this setting remain a global concern. This study assessed CKD-related knowledge and self-reported competence among primary healthcare physicians in Jazan Province, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered to 233 physicians. Knowledge was evaluated using an 11-item questionnaire, and self-reported confidence was measured using a numerical rating scale. Results: The median number of correctly answered knowledge questions was 5 out of 11 (IQR 4–6), reflecting considerable variability in knowledge levels across the study population. While most participants correctly identified diabetes as the leading cause of CKD (91%) and recognized its asymptomatic nature (82.8%), significant deficiencies were identified in nephrology referral criteria (35.6%), microalbuminuria-based diagnosis (50.2%), and metformin discontinuation thresholds (58.8%). Notably, only 6.4% correctly identified finerenone as an approved agent for reducing CKD progression in diabetic kidney disease. The median self-reported confidence score was 7 (IQR 5–8). Higher confidence was significantly associated with greater CKD patient exposure (p = 0.001) and with higher knowledge scores (τ = 0.207; p < 0.0001). Conclusions: These findings highlight critical gaps and variability in CKD knowledge among primary care physicians and underscore the need for targeted educational interventions and system-level support to improve early CKD detection and management.