Syed Shahzad Hasan

University of Huddersfield · Department of Pharmacy

Introduction Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) poses a significant global health burden, warranting meticulous management strategies, particularly in patients with concurrent anemia. Blood transfusion strategies play a pivotal role in optimizing oxygen delivery while minimizing transfusion‐related risks. Two contrasting approaches, liberal and rest...

The use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), particularly diclofenac, during the COVID-19 pandemic has raised concerns due to its potential to worsen disease progression. This commentary evaluates key risks associated with diclofenac and highlights the critical role of pharmacists in mitigating adverse outcomes through careful medicati...

Background Type 2 diabetes (T2D) mellitus is a complex multi-system disorder with a tendency to develop complications. ‘Persistence to therapy’ plans affect almost 50% of all people with T2D, leading to suboptimal glycaemic and cardiovascular (CVD) risk factor control. The interplay between T2D and established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease...

Vitamin D, known for its role in bone health, is now being explored for its immunomodulatory effects. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of vitamin D supplementation on mortality in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients through a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. A comprehensive search was conducted ac...

Background and Aims We performed a meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to summarize the overall effect of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) on mortality outcomes among hospitalized coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) patients. Methods We systematically searched electronic databases up to June 1, 2023. Pooled odds ratio (OR) of mor...

Background: The pathophysiology of COVID-19 involves a signalling pathway based on the Janus kinases (JAKs) and the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) family of proteins. As such, there has been growing interest in exploring JAK inhibitors as potential therapeutic agents for this disease. Objective: To provide a comprehensive s...

Introduction This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the characteristics, types, and impact of interventions to improve adherence to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications within the context of the three phases of adherence, namely, initiation, implementation, and discontinuation. Methods PubMed, Psychological Inform...

Aim Cannabis-based medication has recently been made available in the NHS for reducing pain and spasticity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The currently available preparation of Sativex (nabiximols) contains a combination of botanical cannabis extracts with cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) with almost equal amounts in addi...

Introduction: This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates the evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving pharmacological interventions for improving sleep in people with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods: A systematic literature search in eight databases from January 2000 to July 2023 focusing on RCTs that compared a phar...

Background There is limited evidence to support definite clinical outcomes of direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) therapy in chronic kidney disease (CKD). By identifying the important variables associated with clinical outcomes following DOAC administration in patients in different stages of CKD, this study aims to assess this evidence gap. Methods A...

Objectives To determine risks associated with uricosurics in COVID-19 patients. Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted by systematically searching electronic databases. Key findings The pooled analysis of the included trials revealed that the use of uricosurics was not associated with the risk of mortality (pooled odds ratio...

Background and objective: Medicines optimisation and pharmaceutical care are used across the UK to address the problems associated with sub-optimal use of medicines and adopt a patient-centred approach to improved outcomes. The changing medical model of prescribing in the UK and the increasing utilisation of clinical pharmacists in general practice...

Background and objective: Oral anticoagulation (OAC) is the mainstay of treatment for the prevention of strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) account for an increasing proportion of OAC for patients with AF. The challenges of prescribing DOACs in established AF are widely reported, as are inappropriat...

Background: Oral anticoagulation (OAC) is the mainstay of treatment for the prevention of strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) account for increasing OAC in AF patients. However, prescribing DOACs for patients with established AF poses various challenges and general practice pharmacists may have an i...

To the Editor—We write to offer our commentary on the enduring significance of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination, even in the wake of a receding pandemic in many regions [1, 2]. Although the initial emphasis of COVID-19 vaccination primarily targeted the prevention of acute infection, our evolving understanding of the chronic complica...

Objective Through predictable pharmacokinetics—including a convenient fixed-dose regimen, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are preferred over previous treatments in anticoagulation for various indications. However, the association between higher body weight and the risk of adverse consequences is not well studied among DOAC users. We aim to explo...

Probiotics have been hypothesized to play a beneficial role in modulating immune responses and gut microbiota in various clinical settings. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the effectiveness of probiotics in reducing all-cause mortality among patients diagnosed with COVID-19. We conducted a comprehensive search of the follow...

The use of anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies, such as rituximab and ocrelizumab, has emerged as a matter of concern, in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to summarize the overall evidence on the pre-admission/pre-diagnosis use of anti-CD20 among patients with COVID-19 with regards to mortality and severe illness outcomes. A...

We were greatly intrigued by the systematic review and meta-analysis conducted by Sun et al.,¹ which investigated the efficacy of molnupiravir in patients with COVID-19. As we find ourselves in an era where the Omicron variant prevails, and the majority of patients present with mild symptoms, it is imperative to re-evaluate our priorities in COVID-...

Aim Empathic behaviour has a direct link to the positive clinical outcomes. Health professionals, which include dietitians, are increasingly expected to demonstrate the impact of their care on patient outcomes. To date, there is limited research exploring the empathic behaviour of dietetics students. Methods This cross-sectional study evaluated th...

Imatinib, an ABL tyrosine-kinase inhibitor, shows promise in restoring endothelial barrier function in patients with COVID-19, thus, preventing cytokine leakage from the alveolar compartment to the systemic compartment. COVID-19 is characterized by an alveolar cytokine storm, and imatinib has been shown to strengthen the endothelial barrier and mit...

Background Demand for diabetes care and prevention has increased due to Saudi Arabia’s high prevalence of diabetes mellitus and its insufficient treatment. This raised awareness of the significance of community pharmacists in Saudi Arabia, who may significantly improve diabetes treatment by setting up pharmacist-led diabetic clinics. Thus, to asses...

Background: Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide, and affects people regardless of country, age group, or sex. Using the most recent evidentiary and analytical framework from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD), we produced location-specific, age-specific, and sex-specific estimat...

Background: This study was aimed to explore thresholds with interaction effects among antibiotic usage, covariates (alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR)), and their effect on extended-spectrum β-lactamase - producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae) in hospitalized patients. Methods: Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines models w...

The present review critically appraised the randomized clinical trials that compared mortality outcomes between intermediate- to high-dose dexamethasone and low-dose dexamethasonein patients with COVID-19 and reported pooled mortality risk estimates associated with these two dosing regimens of dexamethasone. The systematic searching of electronic d...

Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders among the older population. Sleep disruption and circadian rhythm disorders often develop in AD patients, and many experience sleeping difficulties requiring pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions. Areas covered: This review appraised the...

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy continues to be a widespread problem in Pakistan due to various conspiracy beliefs, myths and misconceptions. Since the hemodialysis population is at a higher risk of contracting infections, we sought to investigate the current COVID-19 immunization status and reasons for any vaccine hesitancy among these patients in Paki...

Background and aims: Vitamin C appears to be a viable treatment option for patients with COVID-19. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of vitamin C versus comparative interventions in patients with COVID-19. The outcome of interest was all-cause mortality. Results: The meta-analysi...

Introduction Despite the advantages of Direct Oral Anticoagulants (DOACs) over older classes of anticoagulants, clinical experience is limited in special populations; data from landmark trials on safety and efficacy are relatively scarce (compared to warfarin). This makes it challenging for clinicians to prescribe the right DOAC at the right dose f...

Background: Community pharmacy practice in Saudi Arabia is evolving and needs to be at par with the developed world. Community pharmacists can play a vital role in bridging gaps in the delivery of healthcare services by providing patient-centred care to patients and contributing toward the healthcare transformation plan of vision 2030 of Saudi Ara...

Introduction The clinical outcomes of direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) dosage regimens in morbid obesity are uncertain due to limited clinical evidence. This study seeks to bridge this evidence gap by identifying the factors associated with clinical outcomes following the dosing of DOACs in morbidly obese patients. Method A data-driven observation...

We summarized through systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies the risk of mortality as well as severe illness of COVID-19 caused by omicron variant relative to delta variant of SARS-CoV-2. A total of twelve studies were included. Our results showed significantly reduced odds of mortality (pooled OR = 0.33; 95% CI: 0.16-0.67) an...

This article aims to highlight the dosing issues of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in patients with renal impairment and/or obesity in an attempt to develop solutions employing advanced data-driven techniques. DOACs have become widely accepted by clinicians worldwide because of their superior clinical profiles, more predictable pharmacokinetics...

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a well-known global threat due to the subsequent increase in antimicrobial usage. Several antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) strategies have been implemented to curb irrational prescribing and reduce the AMR burden. However, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has enormously impacted the healthcare system...

This study aimed to assess the vaccination status and factors contributing to vaccine hesitancy among pregnant women in the largest province of Pakistan. A multicentric, prospective, survey-based study using an interviewer-administered tool was conducted among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics between 1st December 2021 through 30th January...

Vaccine hesitancy is widespread in many parts of the globe, particularly in low–middle-income countries. Therefore, we surveyed a sample of hospitalized COVID-19 patients to assess COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and vaccine hesitancy in a low–middle-income country. A cross-sectional sample of 385 confirmed reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reacti...

Antimicrobial stewardship interventions are targeted efforts by healthcare organizations to optimize antimicrobial use in clinical practice. The study aimed to explore effective interventions in improving antimicrobial use in hospitals. Literature was systemically searched for interventional studies through PubMed, CINAHL, and Scopus databases that...

This study aimed to assess the risk factors for COVID-19 mortality among hospitalized patients in Jordan. All COVID-19 patients admitted to a tertiary hospital in Jordan from September 20, 2020, to August 8, 2021, were included in this study. Demographics, clinical characteristics, comorbidities, and laboratory results were extracted from the patie...

Objectives: To identify early indicators for invasive mechanical ventilation utilization among COVID-19 patients. Methods: This retrospective study evaluated COVID-19 patients who were admitted to hospital from September 20, 2020, to August 8, 2021. Patients' clinical characteristics, demographics, comorbidities, and laboratory results were eval...

Objectives: We aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to summarize the overall association between the choice of fluid (lactated Ringer's [LR] or normal saline [NS]) and clinical outcomes in patients with acute pancreatitis. Methods: A systematic literature search was performed in electronic databa...

Universal Health Coverage (UHC), initiative from the World Health Organization (WHO), is a means to provide the human right to health by providing essential health services to everyone, enabling disease prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care. In line with the WHO recommendations, the UHC was first introduced in Pakistan in Khybe...