Background and Objectives: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), primarily driven by atherosclerosis, are the leading cause of mortality worldwide. In Saudi Arabia, the prevalence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) poses a significant public health challenge. To estimate the 10-year ASCVD risk among adults in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, and identify prevalent risk factors such as age, gender, diabetes, hypertension, smoking, cholesterol, and preventive medication use. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 58,743 adults aged 35–75 years from the Al-Ahsa Health Cluster. The ASCVD risk was calculated using the ACC/AHA Pooled Cohort Equations. Statistical analysis identified predictors of high ASCVD risk. Results: Most participants (76.3%) were at low ASCVD risk (≤10%), 13.3% at borderline to intermediate risk (10–19%), and 10.4% at high risk (≥20%). Smoking, diabetes (39.6%), hypertension (40.8%), and male gender were key predictors of high ASCVD risk. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) was protective, reducing ASCVD risk by 3%. Among high-risk individuals, 29.7% used aspirin, and 58.3% used statins. Conclusions: While most adults in Al-Ahsa are at low ASCVD risk, a significant portion remains at elevated risk. Modifiable risk factors, including smoking, diabetes, and hypertension, combined with statin and aspirin adherence, highlight critical areas for targeted interventions to reduce the ASCVD burden in this population.

Background and objective Allergic rhinitis (AR) is highly prevalent in Saudi Arabia, yet its broader consequences on adult well-being remain underexplored. In this study, we aimed to compare health-related quality of life (HRQoL), psychological distress, and insomnia between adults with and without AR in Alahsa, Saudi Arabia. Methods A retrospective case-control study was conducted from December 2024 to May 2025. Fifty adults (≥18 years) with the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10)-confirmed AR were randomly selected from Al Jabr Eye and ENT Hospital records; 150 controls without AR or chronic illness were recruited from the general community (1:3 ratio). Participants completed the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), and mini Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (miniRQLQ). Between-group differences were analysed with χ² or independent t-tests; Pearson correlations were employed to assess associations among scales. Results Cases and controls were comparable in age (mean age: 35.5 ± 11.2 vs. 34.6 ± 11.6 years, respectively) and sex distribution [23 males (46%)]. A significant difference was noted in educational level (p=0.023). AR cases scored significantly worse on all GHQ-12 items (p<0.001); 19 (38%) met the threshold for mild-to-moderate psychological distress vs. eight (5%) among controls. Clinically relevant insomnia (AIS ≥6) was present in 39 (78%) of cases and 34 (23%) of controls (p<0.001). Mean miniRQLQ domains most affected were tiredness/fatigue (2.98 ± 1.73) and sleep difficulty (2.80 ± 1.98). AIS scores correlated moderately with miniRQLQ scores in cases (r=0.40, p=0.006). Conclusions Based on our findings, AR imposes substantial burdens on mental health, sleep quality, and daily functioning among Saudi adults. Multidisciplinary management, including behavioural sleep counseling and psychological support, should accompany pharmacotherapy to reduce the societal impact of AR.

Background: Pediatric emergency departments (PEDs) frequently experience overcrowding, much of it related to low-acuity visits that may be manageable in outpatient settings. Pediatric Urgent Care Clinics (PUCCs) have been introduced to help accommodate such demand, but evidence from the Gulf region remains limited. Objectives: To evaluate changes in PED utilization, acuity mix, and patient-flow indicators following implementation of a PUCC at the Maternity and Children’s Hospital in Alahsa, Saudi Arabia. Methods: We conducted a retrospective pre–post observational cohort study using electronic health record data from October 2023 to June 2024 (pre-implementation) and October 2024 to June 2025 (post-implementation). Variables included Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS) level, timestamps for triage, physician start, and discharge, and demographic characteristics. Outcomes included PED visit volume, acuity distribution, door-to-doctor time, and length of stay (LOS). Continuous variables were summarized using medians with interquartile ranges (IQRs) and 5% trimmed means; categorical variables were compared using chi-square tests, and effect sizes for binary outcomes were expressed as risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals. Results: A total of 147,175 PED encounters were analyzed, including 84,595 in the pre-implementation period and 62,580 in the post-implementation period. In the post-implementation period, an additional 24,962 encounters were managed in the PUCC. The proportion of low-acuity PED visits (CTAS 4–5) decreased from 81.1% to 50.2% (RR 0.62; 95% CI 0.61–0.62; p < 0.001). Mean daily PED encounter volume declined from 308.7 to 229.2 encounters/day (incidence rate ratio 0.74; 95% CI 0.74–0.75; p < 0.001). Median door-to-doctor time was 37 min (IQR 22–63) before implementation and 39 min (IQR 22–65) after implementation, while median LOS increased from 62 min (IQR 34–112) to 76 min (IQR 43–131) ( p < 0.001 for distributional comparisons). Conclusion: Implementation of a PUCC was associated with lower PED visit volume, a reduced proportion of low-acuity PED encounters, and a small absolute difference in door-to-doctor time, while PED LOS was longer in the post-implementation period. These findings suggest that a PUCC model may help redistribute lower-acuity pediatric encounters within a hospital-based urgent and emergency care system. Further studies are needed to evaluate safety outcomes and to better account for operational confounding.