Mohamed Farouk Allam

Ain Shams University · Department of Family Medicine

Background Fragility fractures caused by osteoporosis are well-known to increase the risk of further fragility fractures; a history of the wrist, vertebral body, or hip fractures increases the risk of further fractures accordingly. Fragility fractures induce lower activities of daily living, and repeated fractures further reduce mobility. Aim of t...

Background COVID-19, a recently identified human disease resulting from a novel coronavirus, has led to a worldwide pandemic crisis. Considering their antiviral, anti- inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects, probiotics emerge as potential treatment options. Objective To evaluate the efficacy of probiotic supplements, specifically Lactobacillus...

Background Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a condition marked by the accumulation of fat (more than 5% of liver tissue) without the presence of alcohol abuse or other chronic liver ailments. NAFLD can lead to liver inflammation and advance to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrosis, cirrhosis, and, in severe cases, may contribut...

We present a case of a patient with extensive psoriasis successfully treated with “Psorisbye,” our newly developed foamy lotion. A 36-year-old male presented to our outpatient clinic with extensive psoriatic lesions affecting the chest, abdomen, back, arms, and forearms. His past medical history was unremarkable. The patient’s primary concern was s...

Background Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by hepatic fat accumulation (> 5% of liver tissue) in the absence of alcohol abuse or other chronic liver diseases. NAFLD can progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to assess the efficacy of prob...

Background Fragility fractures caused by osteoporosis are well-known to increase the risk of further fragility fractures; a history of the wrist, vertebral body, or hip fractures increases the risk of further fractures accordingly. Fragility fractures induce lower activities of daily living (ADL), and repeated fractures further reduce mobility. Stu...

Introduction and Aim of the work Malnutrition is the primary causative factor of pediatric mortality and repeated hospitalization. The aim of this study is to highlight the role of nutrition screening in identifying those at risk of malnutrition who may benefit from nutritional interventions and test whether the nutritional supplements are essentia...

Background. Covid-19 pandemic has led to global pandemic and substantial health, economic and social impact. The causative agent is coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) which belongs to the coronavirus family. The clinical picture of the infection ranges from a flu-like symptoms to severe pneumonia and mortality. Till January 2022, the cumulative number of c...

Background: vitamin D deficiency has long been associated with decreased immune function and can lead to viral infections. Studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 infection. However, it is unclear whether treatment with vitamin D can reduce the associated risk of COVID-19 infection. Objective: t...

Background: the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted global healthcare and economic systems. The clinical manifestation of the disease varies from flu-like symptoms to severe pneumonia and, in some cases, death. Melatonin and its metabolites play a crucial role in immunomodulation and possess anti-oxidative properties, capable of directly a...

An innovative topical treatment for psoriasis and atopic dermatitis has recently received patent approval from the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Tourism. This topical treatment Psorisbye, presented in the form of a lotion, includes a combination of clobetasol, papaverine hydrochloride, spironolactone, a milk-peptide complex, and propylen...

Background The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has robustly affected the global healthcare and economic systems and it was caused by coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The clinical presentation of the disease ranges from a flu-like illness to severe pneumonia and death. Till September 2022, the cumulative number of cases exceeded 600 million...

The primary approach for managing atopic dermatitis (AD) involves the use of topical corticosteroids as the first-line treatment.While high-potency topical corticosteroids have shown to be effective, they come with an increased risk of local and, rarely, systemic adverse effects. Additionally, patients often experience a relapsing and remitting cou...

Background. On 23 July 2022, the World Health Organization declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Monkeypox is a zoonotic viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus that is transmitted from animals to humans or from human to human. To date, treatment for human monkeypox is mostly symptomatic, as there is no specific standard...

Antenatal and postpartum major depressive episode (MDE) according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition (DSM-V) is defined as either daily sustained sad mood or lack of enjoyment or desire for a minimum two weeks plus four associated manifestations (only three if the two major symptoms are present) that start througho...

Background Fragility fractures are linked to significant costs for society as well as significant pain and suffering, disability, and even death. It is well-recognized that osteoporosis-related fragility fractures raise the risk of subsequent fragility fractures. One of the most frequent osteoporotic fractures brought on by low bone mineral density...

Background: Recently specific interactions and crosslinks between the gut microbiota and the lungs have been recognized, particularly with regard to respiratory immune and anti-microbial reactions. This is often known as the “gut-lung axis” or “a common mucosal immunological system”. Objective: The aim of the current systematic review was to evalua...

New cohort studies and randomized controlled clinical trials to assess the effectiveness of probiotics and Colchicine in the management of COVID-19 are strongly and urgently needed.

Practice guidelines recommend fixed combinations of calcipotriol, a topical vitamin D analogue, and betamethasone dipropionate, a high potency corticosteroid, as first line topical treatment for mild to moderate plaque psoriasis of the body and scalp. A new foaming lotion for treatment of Psoriasis was developed and patented by the Spanish Ministry...

Background Fragility fractures caused by osteoporosis are known to increase the risk of further fragility fractures. Also, several factors have been associated with an increasing risk of fracture in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, as prior fracture, advancing age, low bone mineral density (BMD), greater risk or history of falls certain, pha...

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared COVID-19 a public health emergency of international concern. In this context, effective and affordable diagnostic procedures are essential for identifying and managing cases. Complete blood counts (CBC) are among the most common and readily available diagnostic tests. The current study ai...

Background Antenatal and postpartum major depressive episode (MDE) according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition (DSM-V) is defined as either daily sustained sad mood or lack of enjoyment or desire for a minimum two weeks plus four associated manifestations (only three if the two major symptoms are present): 1) Unin...

Background The populations suffer from increasing over consumption of food, but continue to have high rates of micronutrient deficiencies. Adipose tissue of obese persons produces increased amount of pro-inflammatory cytokines contributing to the development of a low-grade systemic inflammation in these persons. Objectives To determine the relatio...

Introduction Lactose intolerance is the failure to digest foods and beverages containing the lactose present in milk. Lactose intolerance can be presented by many digestive symptoms. Objective To validate the modified CoMiSS score for the prediction of lactose intolerance, that was confirmed by a stool acidity test. Patients and Methods A crossse...

Background With rapid spreading of the outbreak of 2019-nCoV infection, the WHO announced a public health emergency of international concern. Among most common easily performed and inexpensive diagnostic procedures are Complete blood counts (CBC). Aim of the Work to evaluate efficacy of complete blood picture (CBC) in diagnosis and identifying cas...

The pandemic of the SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19) that was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March 2020 is still ongoing. One of the early recommendations from CDC and other international agencies is the seasonal influenza vaccination to decrease the effects and burden of COVID-19 pandemic. This review suggests that during COVID-19 pande...

Topical corticosteroids, alone or in combination with calcipotriol, a topical vitamin D analog, have proved effective in treating mild to moderate psoriasis. Topical corticosteroids, like clobetasol propionate, have a vasoconstrictor effect on the peripheral dermal vessels, and this explains skin atrophy in psoriatic patients applying topical corti...

Background: The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has robustly affected the global healthcare and economic systems. The causative agent is coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The clinical presentation of the disease ranges from a flu-like illness to severe pneumonia and death. Till September 2022, the cumulative number of cases exceeded 600 mill...

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a newly emerging human disease caused by a novel coronavirus, causing a global pandemic crisis. Probiotics and/or colchicine may be considered as options for treatment since they have anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. Objective To assess the effectiveness of probiotic sup...

Background Although chronic kidney disease (CKD) is considered the major cause of morbidity and mortality in hypertension, the recognition and prevention of CKD remain deficient. CKD is one of the major health challenges in Egypt. CKD affects approximately 13% of the adult population, resulting in significant morbidity, mortality, and health care c...

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has robustly affected the global health care and economic systems. The pandemic started in Wuhan, China at the end of 2019. The causative agent is coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) which belongs to the coronavirus family. The clinical presentation of the disease ranges from a flu-like illness to severe pneu...

Background: On the first of October 2018, the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP) launched an initiative; named “100 Million Healthy Lives”, for nationwide screening of hepatitis c virus (HCV) and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Egypt has the highest prevalence of HCV infection in the world where about 10% of the Egyptian population...

ABSTRACT Background: Over 630 million COVID-19 instances have been documented worldwide, and there have been close to 6.5 million fatalities. The primary methods for evaluating the effects of various variables on the COVID-19 mortality rate have centred on individual comorbidities and risk factors related to ageing. Objective: We looked at the con...

Background: In December 2019, a cluster of patients with unexplained viral pneumonia was identified in Wuhan, China. Since March 11th 2020 the WHO declared COVID 19 as a pandemic with rising number of cases all over the world. Aim of the work: The aim of the study was to measure the percentages of possible, probable and provisionally excluded cases...

Background Vitamin B12 malabsorption is one of the side effects of long-term metformin intake. Prolonged vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to irreversible nervous system damage. So, the current study aimed to determine the association between serum vitamin B12 level and clinical peripheral neuropathy among type 2 DM patients who are on metformin in c...

The SARS-COV-2 rapid spread caused an international public health emergency with unprecedented rates of morbidity and mortality. Post COVID-19 condition occurs as a spectrum of symptoms that present four or more weeks after acute infection with SARS-CoV-2. Most published data to date state 50-70% of hospitalized patients experienced at least one po...

Many attempts have been made to repurpose existing and approved drugs for thetreatment of COVID-19 infection. This involves anti-malarial drugs such as hydroxychloroquineand chloroquine, which have been shown to be less successful than initially believed, with asubstantial risk of often fatal complications and interactions. This also involves Remde...

Probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics modify various aspects of local and systemic immune function in multiple experimental models. However, their impact and mechanisms of action are not known across all products or noticed in every population studied, and impacts on in vitro, ex vivo, or other measures of immune function do not necessarily result...

Objective: Malnutrition threatens children worldwide. The objective of the current study was to highlight the role of nutritional screening, evaluate the effectiveness of nutritional intervention program, and whether nutritional supplements have surplus benefit. Patients and methods: Screening Tool for the Assessment of Malnutrition in Pediatric...

Abstract: Psoriasis is a multi-systemic chronic autoimmune inflammatory disorder affecting 125 million people worldwide. The most common type of psoriasis is plaque psoriasis affecting up to 90% of the patients and is characterized by well-demarcated, symmetric, and erythematous plaques with overlying silvery scales that may be painful or itchy. P...

A new coronavirus was identified as the cause of a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan (China) at the end of 2019, resulting in an epidemic across China and a global pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the disease COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) in February 2020. (WHO, 2020). Fever, dry cough, shortness of breath, and breath...

Objective Vitamin D has many immune benefits and because its deficiency impacts most age groups, it became a nutrient of interest in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) era. The objective of this study was to highlight the contribution of vitamin D status to the disease severity of hospitalized pediatric patients suffering from COVID-19 infecti...

Background Post-viral anosmia is responsible for more than 40% of cases of anosmia. Anosmia has been a neglected symptom in the primary healthcare setting until the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection highlighted new atypical symptoms of the disease, including anosmia, which has become one of the diagnostic symp...

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a rapidly spreading virus with a wide range of clinical manifestations. To manage treatment programs and promptly assess patient severity, prognostic factors must be identified early. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate if there was a link between the severity of COVID-19 an...

Background: Telehealth is delivering health care services remotely from healthcare facilities using telecommunications and virtual technology. Egypt is aiming to reach Universal Health Coverage; this increases the demand for telehealth in routine health services. Telehealth helps in increasing access to areas with no available medical services as...

Abstract: The pandemic corona virus disease 19 (COVID-19), caused by (SARS-CoV-2) a single stranded-RNA virus, has been spread rapidly worldwide with high rate of morbidity and mortality. Few months after the spread of the pandemic, few medications have proven to be efficient in human clinical trials. Several antiviral drugs have been used outside...

It is known that seasonal influenza virus vaccination is important to be taken every year among healthcare workers (HCWs) to avoid transmission of influenza virus and its complications inside the workplace. The reason behind the importance of vaccination is that HCWs are at high risk to be infected with influenza virus. Among the studies addressing...

Introduction: Lactose intolerance (LI) is the failure to digest foods and beverages containing the lactose present in milk. LI can present by many digestive symptoms. Objective: To validate the modified CoMiSS score for prediction of LI, that was confirmed by a stool acidity test. Patients and methods: A cross-sectional study, was conducted at...

Coronaviruses (CoVs) are a broad family of potentially serious RNA viruses that are now causing an outbreak of respiratory disease known as CoV disease 2019 (COVID-19). Melatonin is a pineal hormone that is predominantly produced and released at night from the amino acid trypto-phan. Melatonin and its metabolites are also important in immunomodulat...

After outbreaks in more than 110 countries, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic on the March 11, 2020, heralding unprecedented challenges in medical education. Our aim is to provide a descriptive overview of the impact of COVID-19 on medical education worldwide and to assess its future repercussions. Worldwide, medical...

CoV-2 disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exerted a great burden on the health and economic systems worldwide. One of the most important factors that affect the severity and prognosis of COVID-19 is the occurrence of hyperstimulation of the immune system resulting in “cytokine storm”. Similar to SARS-CoV, an intracellular complex called nod like r...

Background: Rapid dietary and lifestyle changes produce a double burden of malnutrition. The populations suffer from increasing over consumption of food, but continue to have high rates of micronutrient deficiencies. Adipose tissue of obese persons produces increased amount of pro-inflammatory cytokines contributing to the development of a low-grad...

Background Although most organizations recommend breastfeeding for at least one year due to its well-known beneficial effects, the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding in many developing countries was quite low and the current prevalence of breastfeeding and predictive factors for its discontinuation are not well-known. Objectives To identify pre...

Background Elderly persons are prone to frequent hospitalization for a longer period of time. It has been reported that approximately 5% of elderly die during hospital stay, whereas 20%– 30% die within one year following hospital discharge. Many factors including aging-associated diseases, chronic diseases, drug abuse, poly pharmacy, functional dis...

Background On the first of October,2018, the Egyptian Ministry Of Health and Population (MoHP) launched an initiative; named 100 Million Seha, for nationwide screening of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and major non communicable diseases (NCDs) diabetes, hypertension and obesity. Egypt has one of the highest prevalence rate of HCV infection in the world a...

Background The four-dimensional symptom questionnaire (4DSQ) is a Dutch self-administered screening tool that has been developed in primary care to differentiate non pathologic general distress from depression, anxiety and somatization. It has been validated in the English language as well as other languages yet it has not been validated in Arabic....

Background Anemia can negatively affect the outcome of many diseases, including infections and inflammatory conditions. Aim To compare the prognostic value of hemoglobin level and the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) for prediction of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, clinical data from pat...

Background Seasonal influenza vaccination is highly recommended for healthcare workers (HCWs) every year to protect them and reduce the risk of disease transmission at workplaces. Relatively few studies addressed influenza vaccination in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Objectives The main objective of this study was to explore the attitudes, bel...

This systematic review/meta-analysis aims to highlight the effect of vitamin D supplementation in deficient children suffering from obesity. Published clinical studies on vitamin D supplementation in obese children and adolescents with vitamin D deficiency were identified through a comprehensive MEDLINE/PubMed search (from July 1966 to November 201...

The present study was designed to highlight the physical and psychological health hazards that a young Egyptian soccer team faced during the first COVID-19 wave lockdown. The study included 37 young Egyptian male soccer players. History taking and anthropometric measurements were taken. Two questionnaires were filled covering the athletes’` sleep h...

Background The WHO has declared COVID-19 as a global pandemic with a rapidly increasing number of patients at a rate exceeding the limits of health-care resources. Some people seem to be at higher risk of worse prognosis and increased mortality. Identifying these vulnerable groups is a necessity. Aim of study To identify the risk factors associate...

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) represents a global public health concern and results in poor health outcomes. While the burden of CKD is accurately well defined in developed countries, increasing evidence indicates that the CKD burden may be even greater in developing countries. Primary care has an essential role in the early identification of CKD an...

Background: Telehealth is delivering health care services remote from health-care facilities using telecommunications. Egypt is aiming for Universal Health Coverage; this increases the demand of telehealth in routine health services. Objective: to measure the awareness of telehealth health care workers of primary health care units and to evaluat...

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has affected countless countries all over the world with rapidly increasing case fatality reports and a highly variable clinical course. Since the evolution of the clinical condition of these patients is difficult to forecast, early identification of prognostic indicators is an essential foundation to...

Introduction. Although most organizations recommend breastfeeding for at least one year due to its well-known beneficial effects, the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding in many developing countries was quite low. Aim. To identify prevalence and predictive factors affecting exclusive breastfeeding in Primary Healthcare (PHC) Centers in Cairo, Egy...

A recent article by Jop de Vrieze (March 23, 2020) suggested that BCG vaccine could protect against COVID-19 infections. The arguments were that several European countries, like Italy, Spain, France, and Germany, which are badly affected by COVID-19, and the USA stopped vaccination of the general population by BCG and excluded it from their routine...

The aim of this meta-analysis is to investigate the effectiveness of chloroquine in treating coronavirus, in general not only novel coronavirus (COVID¬-19), by pooling the results of randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs). Only 28 publications were identified; none of which was a RCT. Identified studies were published between 1987 and March 1...

Background: Telehealth is delivering health care services remote from healthcare facilities using telecommunications and virtual technology. Egypt is aiming to reach Universal Health Coverage; this increases the demand of telehealth in routine health services. Telehealth benefits are increasing access to expertise in difficultly reached geographica...

A recent article by Jop de Vrieze (March 23, 2020) suggested that BCG vaccine could protect against COVID-19 infections. The arguments were that several European countries, like Italy, Spain, France, and Germany, which are badly affected by COVID-19, and the USA stopped vaccination of the general population by BCG and excluded it from their routine...

Background Obstructive sleep-disordered breathing (OSDB) is a term for several chronic conditions in which partial or complete cessation of breathing occurs many times throughout the night, resulting in fatigue or daytime sleepiness that interferes with a person’s functions and reduces the quality of life. Objective Comparing the effectiveness of...

Background: Although chronic kidney disease (CKD) is considered the major cause of morbidity and mortality in hypertension, the recognition and prevention of CKD remain deficient. Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is one of the major health challenges in Egypt. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects approximately 13% of the adult population, resulting in...

To date, the use chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 treatment is restricted to clinical trials. The efficacy of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine in pre- or post-exposure prophylaxis groups is unknown and pending the outcomes of clinical trials. This raises the following questions: is the current use of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine,...

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is now recognized as a pandemic. The normal range of Vitamin D in the Arab countries is much lower than the international standards. Several Arab countries have published studies assessing serum Vitamin D levels among women - to date there is no national study assessing Vitamin D levels among Egyptian women. Objec...