Iqbal S, et al. Clin Exp Vaccine Res. 2024 Oct;13(4):263-270. https://doi.org/10.7774/cevr.2024.13.4.263

Background: Dietary supplements are widely used by athletes and sportspersons; however, little is known about protein supplement intake among university students undertaking strength training in gyms in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the consumption, knowledge, perceptions, and use of protein supplementation, alone or in association with other supplements, among university students attending fitness centers in the UAE. Method: A cross‐sectional study was conducted among university students in the UAE using a previously validated, self‐administered online survey. Result: A total of 402 adults participated in the study. Approximately 260 (64%) of the participants visited fitness centers, with a higher percentage of males (154/207, 74.4%) than females (106/195, 54.4%). Those who frequented gyms consumed more protein supplements (91/260, 35.0%) compared with nonattendees (8/142, 5.6%). Significant gender differences were observed regarding the benefits and risks of protein supplementation. Among all the participants, 123 (31%) thought that the greatest benefit was building muscle mass, while 141 (35%) believed there was no risk involved. Among protein supplement users, 65 of 109 (59.6%) experienced some type of side effect. Additionally, 57 (14.2%) reported that friends or family encouraged them to take protein supplements. Conclusion: There is an urgent need to educate university students about the responsible use of protein supplements and the potential risks associated with their misuse. This can be achieved by providing reliable information through university health centers, academic tutors, nutritionists, and awareness campaigns conducted by student wellness services.

Several randomized clinical trials have been undertaken to evaluate the effect of vitamin D supplementation on reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or CVD mortality; however, mixed results have been reported. The objective of this analysis is to quantify the effect of vitamin D supplements on CVD events and CVD mortality in adults. PubMed, the Cochrane Library and ClinicalTrial.gov were searched for randomized placebo-control trials on adults using common keywords related to vitamin D and CVDs. Two reviewers independently extracted data. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane tool. Data analysis was done using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis V2 (Biostat, Englewood, NJ, USA) to calculate risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI). The systematic review and meta-analysis have been registered at PROSPERO (CRD42020165293). One thousand two hundred twenty four abstracts were retrieved, of which 9 (compromising 114 379 participants) were used. This analysis reveals that compared with placebo, vitamin D did not reduce any CVD events (RR = 0.95, 95%CI: 0.88–1.04), CVD mortality (RR = 1.04, 95%CI: 0.871–1.242), myocardial infarction event (RR = 0.96, 95%CI: 0.83–1.11), or myocardial infarction mortality (RR = 1.527, 95%CI: 0.828–2.816). Current evidence does not support the use of vitamin D for the prevention of major cardiovascular events. PROSPERO Registration Number: (CRD42020165293).

Pharmacists play a critical role in promoting medication safety through patient counselling and identification of potential interactions. However, knowledge regarding drug–food interactions (DFIs) and drug–alcohol interactions (DAIs) among community pharmacists in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has not been previously examined. This cross-sectional study assessed pharmacists’ knowledge of DFIs, DAIs, and drug–food administration timing, and identified factors associated with higher knowledge levels using a validated self-administered 24-items questionnaires. The survey assessed sociodemographic and professional characteristics, knowledge of DFIs, DAIs, and drug-food timing. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression analyses were performed using SPSS v28.0 to determine predictors of total knowledge scores. Pharmacists demonstrated moderate knowledge, with mean scores of 8.62/12 for DFIs, 5.84/12 for drug–food timing, and 4.70/6 for DAIs (total score 19.16/30). High awareness was observed for interactions such as caffeine–diazepam (76.3%) and methotrexate–alcohol (81.0%), whereas only 25.9% identified potassium-rich foods’ interaction with spironolactone. Higher knowledge scores were associated with being male (p < 0.001), aged 20–29 years (p = 0.041), having ≥6 years of experience (p = 0.004), and higher self-perceived knowledge (p < 0.001). These findings highlight important knowledge gaps that may affect patient safety. Targeted continuing education and integration of DFI/DAI content into pharmacy curricula are recommended to strengthen counselling practices and improve medication safety outcomes.

Breast cancer is a leading public health concern among low- and middle-income countries, primarily due to inadequate knowledge and lack of early detection practices. This study aimed to assess knowledge about the signs and symptoms, risk factors, and screening procedures for breast cancer, and barriers and perceptions of screening, among female university students of Pakistan to explore the relationship between socio-demographic variables and levels of knowledge about breast cancer. A total of 413 participants took part in a cross-sectional survey and completed a self-administrative online questionnaire. The results reflected an overall poor knowledge among female students, with only 3.9% demonstrating adequate knowledge about risk factors and 7.7% correctly recognizing 80% or more relevant signs and symptoms. Embarrassment (58.8%) and lack of confidence in communicating symptoms with healthcare providers (50.6%) were the most commonly reported barriers for breast cancer screening. Young age and income status below PKR 50,000 per month (OR = 3.47, 95%CI: 1.20–10.07 rel. to highest income) were significantly associated with poor breast cancer knowledge. In conclusion, this study reports sub-optimal breast cancer awareness levels in the target population, indicating the need for awareness programs and policy-driven interventions to reduce barriers, improve knowledge, and improve adherence to screening recommendations.