Cultura

Prevalence, Safety, Perceptions, and Association of Nicotine Pouches (DZRT) with Smoking Cessation Among Adult Smokers in Abha City, Saudi Arabia

VOLUME 23, 2026

The Role of Targeted Infra-popliteal Endovascular Angioplasty to Treat Diabetic Foot Ulcers Using the Angiosome Model: A Systematic Review

VOLUME 6, 2023

Abdulaziz Ali Alqahtani
Resident doctor of Preventive Medicine, Aseer Health Cluster, Ministry of Health
Omar Safar Al kuraydis
Department of Preventive Medicine Armed Forces Hospitals Southern Region, Khamis Mushait, Saudi Arabia
Awadh Mushabbab Alqahtani
Senior Registrar of Preventive Medicine, Aseer Health Cluster, Ministry of Health

Abstract

Background: Oral nicotine pouches are tobacco-free products increasingly marketed as smoke-free alternatives to combustible tobacco. Regional data on their prevalence, safety, and relationship with smoking cessation in southern Saudi Arabia remain scarce. Objective: To determine the prevalence and patterns of DZRT nicotine pouch use among adults in Abha City, and to examine its association with smoking status and smoking cessation. Methods: A cross-sectional, community-based online survey was conducted among 655 adults in Abha City in 2026. Data were analyzed using SPSS v29. Chi-square tests examined categorical associations, and multivariate logistic regression identified independent predictors of DZRT use. Results: The prevalence of ever having used DZRT nicotine pouches was 27.5% (180/655). Among nicotine-pouch users with a smoking history, former smokers were significantly more likely than current smokers to report having quit smoking (83.2% vs. 20.6%; χ² = 60.879, p < 0.001; Kendall's τ-b = 0.621). On multivariate logistic regression, DZRT use was independently associated with male sex (OR 8.05, 95% CI 2.18–29.75), current smoking (OR 41.60) and former smoking (OR 54.81) relative to never-smoking, younger age (18–44 years; OR 41.18), and the belief that nicotine-replacement products are a healthy alternative (OR 6.44) (Nagelkerke R² = 0.740). The most frequently reported adverse effects among users were gastrointestinal symptoms (37.2%) and anxiety/stress (32.8%). Conclusion: DZRT nicotine pouch use was common among adult smokers in Abha City and was strongly associated with a history of tobacco use and self-reported cessation. While the cross-sectional design precludes causal inference, these findings support a possible role for nicotine pouches in smoking cessation behavior, alongside a need for continued safety surveillance given the frequency of self-reported psychological and gastrointestinal symptoms.

Keywords : Nicotine pouches, DZRT, smoking cessation, tobacco harm reduction, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Erin Saricilar
Lecture in accounting. University of Basrah, College of Administration and Economics, Department of Accounting.

Abstract

Atherosclerotic disease significantly impacts patients with type 2 diabetes, who often present with recalcitrant peripheral ulcers. The angiosome model of the foot presents an opportunity to perform direct angiosome-targeted endovascular interventions to maximise both wound healing and limb salvage. A systematic review was performed, with 17 studies included in the final review. Below-the-knee endovascular interventions present significant technical challenges, with technical success depending on the length of lesion being treated and the number of angiosomes that require treatment. Wound healing was significantly improved with direct angiosome-targeted angioplasty, as was limb salvage, with a significant increase in survival without major amputation. Indirect angioplasty, where the intervention is applied to collateral vessels to the angiosomes, yielded similar results to direct angiosome-targeted angioplasty. Applying the angiosome model of the foot in direct angiosome-targeted angioplasty improves outcomes for patients with recalcitrant diabetic foot ulcers in terms of primary wound healing, mean time for complete wound healing and major amputation-free survival.
Keywords : Diabetic foot ulcer, angiosome, angioplasty