Saudi Medical Journal

Saudi Medical Journal was established in 1979 through the vision and initiative of His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation, and Inspector General, whose support laid the foundation for the journal’s continued development. Since its inception, the Journal has been published regularly and has maintained a strong commitment to scientific rigor and editorial quality.

Over the years, Saudi Medical Journal has evolved in scope, reach, and operational efficiency. Its editorial and publishing activities have been continuously refined to ensure timely publication while upholding high standards of peer review and content quality. The journal has attracted submissions from both within and outside the Kingdom and serves a broad readership across the Middle East and beyond.

The Editorial Office has been led by distinguished editors and supported by dedicated staff who have contributed to building the journal’s international reputation and credibility. Ongoing improvements in editorial processes and publishing practices reflect the journal’s commitment to excellence and continuous development.

As the longest-running medical journal in the Kingdom, Saudi Medical Journal plays an important role in bridging medical scholarship between the Middle East and the global research community. In addition to publishing original scientific research, the journal actively supports capacity building by offering medical publication workshops aimed at junior doctors and health researchers.

Current Issue

Volume 47, Issue 8 (2026)View issue

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Current Articles

Most Popular Articles

  • Journal Article
    1 January 2011

    Desogestrel+ethinylestradiol versus levonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol. Which one has better affect on acne, hirsutism, and weight change.

    Moradan Sanam, Omidvar Ziba
    OBJECTIVES: To compare complications of third and second generation oral contraceptive pills (OCPs). METHODS: In a randomized clinical trial from October 2007 to October 2008, 100 healthy women of reproductive age referred to Amir Hospital Family Planning Clinic and some heath centers in Semnan, Iran were randomized in 2 equal groups. They received either a third generation OCP (150 microgram desogestrel [DSG] + 30 microgram ethinylestradiol [EE]) or a second generation type (150 microgram levonorgestrel [LNG] + 30 microgram EE). Six months later, changes of weight, acne, and hirsutism severity, as well as serum titers of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and free testosterone were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: Forty-five women were evaluated in the DSG+EE OCP group, and 46 women in the LNG+EE OCP group. The BMI was significantly higher in the second group (p=0.000) after 6 months duration. Likewise, the decrement of acne and hirsutism severity was significantly higher in the DSG+EE users (p=0.000). Mean changes of serum free testosterone (p=0.967) and SHBG (p=0.916) were comparable between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: In comparison with the LNG+EE OCP, the DSG+EE OCP is a contraceptive pill that significantly decreases the severity of acne and hirsutism, without any significant change in weight.
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  • Review
    1 April 2011

    End stage chronic kidney disease in Saudi Arabia. A rapidly changing scene

    Abdulla A. Al-Sayyari, Faissal A. Shaheen
    There have been a marked rise in the prevalence and incidence of end stage chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Saudi Arabia over the last 3 decades. This rise exceeds those reported from many countries. The enormous and rapid changes in lifestyle, high population growth, and fast increase in life expectancy, and massive urbanization that has occurred over the last 3 decades combined to make the current CKD status different to what it was. The 2 major factors that influence the CKD status are the very high rate of diabetic nephropathy and shift in age demographics.
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  • Clinical Practice Guideline
    7 February 2026

    National Heart Center Perfusion Guidelines

    Fareed A. Khouqeer, Abdulaziz S. Albaradei, Ahmed A. Jamjoom, Husain H. Jabbad, Khalid A. Iskander, Omar M. Zainalabdeen, Yasser A. Alheraish, Ebtesam M. Alanazi, Abdulrahman F. Alhumiany, Areej S. Al Buraiki, Muhammad W. Rana, Muhamad I. Jelaldin, Zainab A. ZainAldeen, Bander A. Zamzami, Budoor S. Al Aujan, Ahmed M. Galal Elsherbeny
    Objectives: To establish the[-28pc]AU: Add abbreviated academic degree for authors Fareed A. Khouqeer and Yasser A. Alheraish. first national standards and guidelines for best practice in perfusion for patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery in Saudi Arabia. Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) enables complex cardiac surgeries; however, it poses risks of potential complications. Methods: We used the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach to develop these guidelines and assess the certainty of evidence through a collaborative process. A panel of 16 Cardiovascu- lar perfusion experts across Saudi Arabia formulated 22 key clinical questions relevant to local practice. PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases were searched for each question to identify relevant systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials (RCTs), non-randomized trials, post hoc analyses, and pooled analyses published from 2010 to 2024. The guideline panel voted for every question using the GRADEpro system, requiring a minimum consensus of 70% for approval. Results: A total of 16 conditional recommendations and 6 good practice statements were finally approved, categorized into 5 key domains. Of these, 4 addressed guidelines, protocols, and general practices; 2 focused on surgical techniques; 8 covered heart-lung machine hardware; 3 centered on cardioplegia and Priming Solutions; and 5 emphasized monitoring and perioperative management. Six statements were based on expert opinion due to insufficient supporting evidence. Using a standardized pre-bypass checklist to enhance safety and implementing perioperative glycemic management to control glucose levels and reduce complications were strongly recommended by the panel. Conditional recommendations focus on pump selection, biocompatible oxygenators, and continuous cerebral oxygenation monitoring. Anticoagulation, myocardial protection, and transfusion management were also highlighted. Conclusion: These Saudi guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations to enhance the care of patients undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB, offering clear guidance for clinicians to achieve optimal outcomes. Nevertheless, future locally relevant research and regular updates are essential to bridge existing evidence gaps.
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  • Review
    1 December 2005

    Ethical guidelines in genetics and genomics. An Islamic perspective

    Aida I. Al-Aqeel
    We are at a time of unprecedented increase in knowledge of rapidly changing technology. Such biotechnology especially when it involves human subjects raises complex ethical, legal, social and religious issues. A World Health Organization expert consultation concluded that "genetics advances will only be acceptable if their application is carried out ethically, with due regard to autonomy, justice, education and the beliefs and resources of each nation and community." Public health authorities are increasingly concerned by the high rate of births with genetic disorders especially in developing countries where Muslims are a majority. Therefore, it is imperative to scrutinize the available methods of prevention and management of genetic disorders. A minimum level of cultural awareness is a necessary prerequisite for the delivery of care that is culturally sensitive, especially in Islamic countries. Islam presents a complete moral, ethical, and medical framework, it is a religion which encompasses the secular with the spiritual, the mundane with the celestial and hence forms the basis of the ethical, moral and even juridical attitudes and laws towards any problem or situation. Islamic teachings carry a great deal of instructions for health promotion and disease prevention including hereditary and genetic disorders, therefore, we will discuss how these teachings play an important role in the diagnostic, management and preventive measures including: genomic research; population genetic screening pre-marital screening, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis; assisted reproduction technology; stem cell therapy; genetic counseling and others.
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