News from the Middle East and North Africa (the MENA countries)

Hutan · Nov 7, 2024

I'm surprised we don't yet have a regional thread for the Middle East as we have seen some ME/CFS and Long Covid papers out of this region.

The MENA country grouping seems to be often used, ie from the World Bank definition:
six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates [UAE]),
and 15 other countries or territories: Algeria, Djibouti, the Arab Republic of Egypt, Iraq, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Morocco, the Republic of Yemen, the Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, and West Bank and Gaza.

Israel and Malta have separate threads.

Hutan · Nov 7, 2024

Prevalence of CFS and its related factors in covid- 19 patients discharged from at northwest of Iran hospitals in 2022, 2024, Arman Alizadeh et al
A paper suggesting that knowledge about ME/CFS in Iran is currently very poor.

Mij · Nov 9, 2024 at 3:57 AM

Frequency and characteristics of CFS and MS patients at a university hospital in Eastern Saudi Arabia, 2024, AlAmri, Abdullah S et al

Abstract
Click to expand...

BACKGROUND:
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, inflammatory demyelinating disease that affects various parts of the central nervous system. Fatigue, a common symptom, transient, prolonged, or chronic experienced by individuals with MS, can significantly impact daily functioning. It can be associated with underlying pathological processes or can have an idiopathic cause, such as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The study aimed to assess the presence and etiology of fatigue in MS patients and its relationship with CFS.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:
This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using a questionnaire from a sample of 225 MS patients receiving care at our university hospital. The questionnaire included the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria for diagnosing CFS and the Expanded Disability Status Scale to evaluate fatigue in MS patients.

RESULTS:
Of the total of 225 MS patients who participated in this study, 87.1% were diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS, 6.7% with primary progressive MS, 3.6% with clinically isolated syndrome, and 2.7% with secondary progressive MS. About 53% had experienced fatigue that persisted for over 6 months. Analysis of CFS diagnosis revealed that 7.3% of patients met both CDC criteria and self-reported answers while 17.5% reported having CFS despite not meeting the CDC criteria. These findings highlight a significant lack of agreement between patient-reported diagnoses and established criteria, indicating poor agreement (P = 0.028).

CONCLUSION:
The study found an association between CFS and MS, and a significant impact on daily functioning. The study revealed lack of agreement between patient-reported diagnoses and established criteria for CFS. This emphasizes the need for a standardized approach to diagnosis and evaluation of fatigue in MS patients.

Click to expand...

Forum thread here:
Frequency and characteristics of CFS and MS patients at a university hospital in Eastern Saudi Arabia, 2024, AlAmri et al

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News from the Middle East and North Africa (the MENA countries)

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News from the Middle East and North Africa (the MENA countries)

Hutan Moderator Staff Member

Hutan Moderator Staff Member

Mij Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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