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  1. Kassab YW, Hassan Y, Aziz NA, Akram H, Ismail O
    J Eval Clin Pract, 2013 Aug;19(4):658-63.
    PMID: 22845427 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2753.2012.01894.x
    RATIONALE: Despite the availability of various prevention guidelines on acute coronary syndrome (ACS), secondary prevention practice utilizing aspirin, beta-blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and statins still can be sub-optimal.
    AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To review and document the utilization of pharmacotherapy for the secondary prevention of ACS in patients discharged from a Malaysian hospital.
    METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary hospital in Penang, Malaysia. Patients with a primary diagnosis of ACS were identified from medical records over a 4-month period. A range of clinical data was extracted from medical records, including medical history, clinical presentation and pharmacotherapy both on admission and at discharge. This audit focused on the use of four guideline-recommended therapies: aspirin ± clopidogrel, beta-blockers, statins and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI)/angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs).
    RESULTS: Data pertaining to a total of 380 ACS patients was extracted and reviewed, the mean age of the study population was 57.49 years and 73.9% of population was males. Patients with unstable angina accounted for 56.6% of the admissions whereas 23.4% and 20% of the patients were admitted for ST-elevation myocardial infarction and non-ST-segment elevation infarct respectively. 95.7% of the patients received antiplatelets comprising of at least aspirin, and 82% received aspirin plus clopidogrel. Furthermore, 80.3% of the patients received a beta-blocker at discharge, 95% a statin and 69.7% received either an ACEI or ARB. Compared with patients who presented with myocardial infarction (with or without ST-segment elevation), those presenting with unstable angina were less likely to receive the combination of aspirin plus clopidogrel or an ACEI/ARB at discharge. Patients over 65 years of age were also less likely to receive a beta-blocker at discharge, compared with younger patients.
    CONCLUSIONS: There is a good adherence to evidence-based guidelines for the secondary prevention of ACS in this local setting. However, there is some potential underutilization in the older population and patients presenting with unstable angina.
    KEYWORDS: acute coronary syndromes; evidence-based pharmacotherapy; secondary prevention; utilization
  2. Zulkifly HH, Clavarino A, Kassab YW, Dingle K
    Springerplus, 2016;5:6.
    PMID: 26759745 DOI: 10.1186/s40064-015-1639-6
    There is some evidence that self-rated perceptions of health are predictive of objective health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease, and mortality. The objective of this study was to examine the prospective association between perceptions of health during pregnancy and cardiovascular risk factors of mothers 21 years after the pregnancy. Data used were from the Mater University Study of Pregnancy (MUSP), a community-based prospective birth cohort study begun in Brisbane, Australia, in 1981. Logistic regression analyses were conducted. Data were available for 3692 women. Women who perceived themselves as not having a straight forward pregnancy had twice the odds (adjusted OR 2.0, 95 % CI 1.1-3.8) of being diagnosed with heart disease 21 years after the pregnancy when compared with women with a straight forward pregnancy (event rate of 5.2 versus 2.6 %). Women who experienced complications (other than serious pregnancy complications) during their pregnancy were also at 30 % increased odds (adjusted OR 1.3, 95 % CI 1.0-1.6) of having hypertension 21 years later (event rate of 25.7 versus 20 %). As a whole, our study suggests that pregnant women who perceived that they had complications and did not have a straight forward pregnancy were likely to experience poorer cardiovascular outcomes 21 years after that pregnancy.
  3. Wong AP, Kassab YW, Mohamed AL, Abdul Qader AM
    Pak J Pharm Sci, 2018 Jan;31(1):237-244.
    PMID: 29348109
    Hypertension is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality. Worldwide, Hypertension is estimated to cause 7.5 million deaths, about 12.8% of the total of all deaths. This accounts for 57 million disability adjusted life years (DALYS) or 3.7% of total DALYS. This led WHO to set a target of 25% reduction in prevalence by 2025. To reach that, WHO has adopted non-conventional methods for the management of hypertension? Despite worldwide popularity of such non-conventional therapies, only small volume of evidence exists that supports its effectiveness. This review attempted to make a critical appraisal of the evidence, with the aim to (1) describe the therapeutic modalities frequently used, and (2) review the current level of evidence attributable to each modality. Databases from Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, PUBMED, and EMBASE were searched from 2005-2015. A total of 23 publications have been identified and selected. Out of these, 15 systematic reviews and/or meta-analysis of RCTs, 5 RCTs, 1 non-RCT, and 2 observational studies without control. Among those 23 publications, therapeutic modalities identified are: fish oil, qigong, yoga, coenzyme Q10, melatonin, meditation, vitamin D, vitamin C, monounsaturated fatty acids, dietary amino-acids, chiropractic, osteopathy, folate, inorganic nitrate, beetroot juice, beetroot bread, magnesium, and L-arginine. The followings were found to have weak or no evidence: fish oil, yoga, vitamin D, monounsaturated fatty acid, dietary amino-acids, and osteopathy. Those found to have significant reduction in blood pressure are: magnesium, qigong, melatonin, meditation, vitamin C, chiropractic, folate, inorganic nitrate, beetroot juice and L-arginine. Coenzyme Q10on the other hand, showed contradicting results were some studies found weak or no effect on blood pressure while others showed significant blood pressure reduction effect. By virtue of the research designs and methodologies, the evidence contributed from these studies is at level 1. Results from this review suggest that certain non-conventional therapies may be effective in treating hypertension and improving cardiac function and therefore considered as part of an evidence-based approach.
  4. Kassab YW, Hassan Y, Aziz NA, Zulkifly HH, Iqbal MS
    Pak J Pharm Sci, 2015 Mar;28(2):641-6.
    PMID: 25730796
    To evaluate patients' adherence to evidence-based therapies at an average of 2 years after discharge for Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) and to identify factors associated with non-adherence. This study was conducted at Hospital Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. A random sample of ACS patients (n=190) who had discharged on a regimen of secondary preventive medications were included and followed up over a three follow-up appointments at 8, 16, and 23 months post discharge. At each appointment, patients were interviewed and given Morisky questioner to complete in order to compare their level of adherence to the prescribed regimens across the three consecutive time periods. Majority of patients reported either medium or low adherence across the three time periods with only small portion reported high adherence. Furthermore, there was a significant downward trend in the level of adherence to cardio protective medications during the study period (p<0.001). This study also identified 6 factors-age, gender, employment status, ACS subtype, number of co morbidities and number of prescription medications per day that may influence Patients' adherence to their medications. Our findings suggest that long-term adherence to secondary prevention therapies among patients with ACS in Malaysia is sub optimal and influenced by many demographic, social as well as clinical factors.
  5. Iqbal MS, Kassab YW, Al-Saikhan FI, Almalki ZS, Haseeb A, Iqbal MZ, et al.
    Saudi Pharm J, 2020 Aug;28(8):936-942.
    PMID: 32792838 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsps.2020.06.014
    Background and aim: The effect of anticoagulation control on overall Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in patients taking warfarin in Malaysia has not been explored yet. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate HRQoL among patients on warfarin in Malaysia.

    Methods: HRQoL among patients on warfarin was measured using WHOQOL-BREF (World Health Organization Quality of life Assessment: Brief Version). Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.

    Results: Out of 319 patients, more female patients were observed than the males (n = 221, 69.3%, and n = 98, 30.7% respectively). Mean scores for the physical (61.14 ± 15.96), psychological (68.58 ± 16.11), social (63.55 ± 27.06) and environmental domains (62.78 ± 17.58) were observed. Statistically, a significant association was found between the comorbidities other than CVDs with health satisfaction (p = 0.002), physical (p = 0.001), psychological (p 

  6. Choudhry FR, Munawar K, Kassab YW, Bakrin FS, Al-Worafi YM, Khan TM
    Int Q Community Health Educ, 2021 Jan;41(2):199-207.
    PMID: 32249680 DOI: 10.1177/0272684X20916621
    AIMS: The Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network recently warned that the Zika virus-containing mosquitoes are being found in Pakistan and the health sector is on high alert. It is thus significant to understand public beliefs and perceptions of the Zika virus and vaccination in the current scenario of Pakistan.

    METHODS: Twenty semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted and analyzed through an inductive approach to analysis.

    RESULTS: The findings were presented in three main categories which were coded: Reality vs. Conspiracy, Vaccination Concerns, and Public Worries. The majority believed that the Zika virus is a real problem and that authorities might be trying to hide the Zika cases in Pakistan. Moreover, they believed that health organizations are being incompetent by failing to take timely remedial measures to manage the Zika. However, 20% have an opposing view and believed that the Zika virus is a conspiracy against Pakistan from the West.

    CONCLUSION: Overall, most participants were concerned about the lack of treatment and preventive methods and emphasized the need to create awareness among the public. It is observed that the participants' perceptions ranged from perceiving the Zika virus as real to as a conspiracy.

  7. Yun WZ, Kassab YW, Yao LM, Khairuddin N, Ming LC, Hadi MA
    Int J Clin Pharm, 2022 Oct;44(5):1140-1148.
    PMID: 35915341 DOI: 10.1007/s11096-022-01437-0
    BACKGROUND: Early administration of intravenous (IV) caffeine (initiation within 2 days of life) is an effective treatment strategy for the management of apnoea of prematurity among infants. However, the safety and effectiveness of early administration of oral caffeine treatment is not be fully established.

    AIM: We aimed to compare the effectiveness and safety of early versus late caffeine therapy on preterm infants' clinical outcomes.

    METHOD: A retrospective matched cohort study was conducted using data of patients admitted to neonatal intensive care units of two tertiary care hospitals between January 2016 and December 2018. The clinical outcomes and mortality risk between early caffeine (initiation within 2 days of life) and late caffeine (initiation ≥ 3 days of life) were compared.

    RESULTS: Ninety-five pairs matched based on gestational age were included in the study. Compared to late initiation, preterm infants with early caffeine therapy had: a shorter duration of non-invasive mechanical ventilation (median 5 days vs. 12 days; p 

  8. Eva JJ, Kassab YW, Neoh CF, Ming LC, Wong YY, Abdul Hameed M, et al.
    PMID: 30459707 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2018.00489
    Uncontrolled hyperglycaemia can lead to macro- and microvascular complications. Adolescents with T2DM develop similar complications as in adults, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, myocardial infarction, renal insufficiency, and chronic renal failure. Although regular medical follow-up is essential to avoid long-term complications, patients with diabetes mellitus need to perform holistic self-care activities such as opting for a healthy diet, physical activity, self-monitoring, and proper medication. To the best of our knowledge, only a limited number of studies have focused on self-care activities and self-management, including self-care practices, supportive networks, and self-care education programs in adolescent with T2DM. Some of the studies focused on the appreciation of self-care in adolescents with T2DM. This review aimed to analyse self-care and self-management among adolescents with T2DM, and discuss the impact of self-care and self-management on glycaemic control. The difficulties faced by adolescents in self-managing their disease are also highlighted. Such information is essential for healthcare providers in promoting self-care practices among adolescents with T2DM. A thorough search of the literature was performed using three databases: Medline, Google Scholar, and Scopus. The articles focused on self-care and self-management of adolescents patients with T2DM aged between 12 and 19 years old were included. Findings from this review reveal that healthy food adaptation, adequate physical activity, proper medication practices, and regular glucose monitoring are the most common self-care practices. Parental involvement and clinician encouragement also contribute toward the practice of self-care and self-management among the adolescents with T2DM. In conclusion, independent self-management regimens and supportive networks for appropriate administration are vital factors to enhance clinical outcomes of adolescents with T2DM.
  9. Al-Worafi YM, Kassab YW, Alseragi WM, Almutairi MS, Ahmed A, Ming LC, et al.
    Ther Clin Risk Manag, 2017;13:1175-1181.
    PMID: 28924350 DOI: 10.2147/TCRM.S140674
    OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the knowledge, attitude and barriers of pharmacy technicians and pharmacists toward pharmacovigilance, adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and ADR reporting in community pharmacies in Yemen.

    METHODS: This cross-sectional survey was conducted among community pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in the capital of Yemen, Sana'a. A total of 289 community pharmacies were randomly selected. The validated and pilot-tested questionnaire consisted of six sections: demographic data, knowledge about pharmacovigilance, experience with ADR reporting, attitudes toward ADR reporting, and the facilitators to improve ADR reporting.

    RESULTS: A total of 428 pharmacy technicians and pharmacists were contacted and 179 went on to complete a questionnaire (response rate: 41.8%). Of the 179 respondents, 21 (11.7%) were pharmacists and 158 (88.3%) were pharmacy technicians, of which, 176 (98.3%) were male and 3 (1.7%) were female. The mean age of the respondents was 25.87±2.63 years. There was a significant difference between the pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in terms of knowledge scores (P<0.05). The mean knowledge scores for pharmacists was 3.33±2.852 compared to 0.15±0.666 for pharmacy technicians. With regard to attitudes toward ADR reporting, all pharmacists (100%) showed a positive attitude, while only 43% of pharmacy technicians showed a positive attitude.

    CONCLUSION: Pharmacists have a significantly better knowledge than pharmacy technicians with regard to pharmacovigilance. More than half of pharmacy technicians showed a negative attitude toward ADR reporting. Therefore, educational interventions and training is very important for community pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Yemen to increase their awareness and participation in ADR reporting.

  10. Aidit S, Soh YC, Yap CS, Khan TM, Neoh CF, Shaharuddin S, et al.
    Front Pharmacol, 2017;8:637.
    PMID: 29170637 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00637
    Objective: To evaluate the impact of pharmacist-led warfarin management and standardized treatment protocol.
    Methods: A retrospective cohort study was carried out in a cardiology referral hospital located in central Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 2009 to 2014. The inclusion criteria were: adult patients who were diagnosed and treated for atrial fibrillation (AF) with warfarin, attended the warfarin medication therapy adherence clinic (WMTAC) for at least 12 weeks, and with at least four international normalized ratio (INR) readings. The electronic medical records were reviewed for demographics, type of AF, warfarin dose, INRs, adverse events, co-morbidities, and drug-drug interactions. The outcome measures included the mean time to therapeutic INR, the mean percentage of time in therapeutic range (TTR), bleeding events, and common drug interactions.
    Results: Out of 473 patients, 151 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The findings revealed that there were significant associations between the usual medical care (UMC) group and pharmacist-led WMTAC in terms of TTR (p = 0.01) and INR (p = 0.02) levels. A positive impact of pharmacists' involvement in the WMTAC clinic was where the "pharmacist's recommendation accepted" (p = 0.01) and "expanded therapeutic INR range" (p = 0.04) were statistically significantly higher in the WMTAC group.
    Conclusion: There was a significant positive association between the pharmacist-led WMTAC and anticoagulation effect (therapeutic TTR, INR). The identified findings revealed that expanded role of pharmacist in pharmacist-managed warfarin therapy is beneficial to optimize the warfarin therapy. This study also highlighted the critical roles that pharmacists can actively play to ensure optimal anticoagulation pharmaceutical care.
    Key messages: What is already known on this subject?
    • Pharmacist-managed warfarin therapy is beneficial for optimizing warfarin therapy. In such therapy, recommendations such as dose adjustment and safer alternative drugs (given drug-drug interactions and/or food-drug interactions) are made.
    • The active involvement of pharmacists in warfarin adherence clinics could significantly improve adherence.
    • However, the warfarin treatment outcomes from UMC, pharmacist-and-physician-led care and pharmacist-led care have not been studied.
    • The impact of the implementation of the standardized protocol for the warfarin adherence clinic has not been assessed.
    What this study adds?
    • INR levels among UMC group and WMTAC group were significantly different.
    • Though the TTR level for the WMTAC group was not significantly different than the UMC group, it was higher and close to the targeted 60% level.
    • The identified findings show that pharmacists' focus on intervention for missed doses, adherence and dose adjustment provide positive impact on patients' warfarin therapy.
  11. Paneerselvam GS, Goh KW, Kassab YW, Farrukh MJ, Goh BH, Lua PL, et al.
    Front Med (Lausanne), 2023;10:992870.
    PMID: 37305144 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.992870
    BACKGROUND: End-stage renal disease is the last stage of chronic kidney disease and can affect the quality of life (QOL) of dialysis patients. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of life and examine its determinants.

    METHODS: A cross-sectional survey involving patients on dialysis in a tertiary hospital was conducted from July 2020 to September 2020. Demographic data were collected using a predesigned questionnaire. QOL was measured using the 36-item KDQOL questionnaire, and statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS version 25.

    RESULTS: Of the 108 patients, 59 were men and 49 were women, and the mean age was 48.15 ± 15.4 years. The results showed that there was no significant difference in the mean score of all components of health-related quality of life in different types of dialysis. The demographic data, which included age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, education level, occupation, and monthly income, did not significantly affect the QOL of dialysis patients. Patients with a dialysis duration of more than 5 years had a better QOL compared to other groups. Laboratory parameters such as low albumin and low hemoglobin showed a significant correlation with the health-related quality of life of dialysis patients.

    CONCLUSION: The quality of life among patients on dialysis was impaired, especially in terms of burden of the kidney disease. Hypoalbuminemia and anemia were the two factors that influenced QOL.

  12. Ng CZ, Lean YL, Yeoh SF, Lean QY, Lee KS, Suleiman AK, et al.
    Clin Exp Vaccine Res, 2020 Jan;9(1):8-14.
    PMID: 32095436 DOI: 10.7774/cevr.2020.9.1.8
    Purpose: The objective of this research was to examine the cold chain temperature maintenance for the supply of vaccines and other biological products by pharmaceutical wholesaler.

    Materials and Methods: In this study, six configurations using cold vaccine boxes or bags made with different materials, with and without insulation, of different sizes, and number of coolant-packs were used to simulate the configuration used by the pharmaceutical wholesalers for transportation of vaccine. Model vaccines (vial, n=10) were packed using these six configurations which then stored in an incubator at 38℃ and monitored for 24 hours. Each configuration was tested repeatedly for 5 times.

    Results: In term of compliance to 2℃-8℃, four out of six tested configurations are effective in cold chain transportation. The effectiveness is highly dependent on the type of passive containers used, size of cold boxes, insulation, and number of coolant-packs. The configuration with a larger polystyrene foam box with five coolant-packs maintained the required temperature up to 23 hours. In contrast, configurations using a polystyrene foam box with four coolant-packs and a large vaccine cold box with two coolant-packs failed to reach below 8℃ throughout the 24 hours.

    Conclusion: Packaging method, the material and size of the container could have a direct impact on the effectiveness of cold chain temperature maintenance. Polystyrene foam box, cold box with polyethylene interior lining and polypropylene insulation, a cooler bag with proper number of ice packs could be effectively used for transportation of vaccines within their respective transportation duration allowance.

  13. Iqbal MS, Muthanna FMS, Kassab YW, Hassali MA, Al-Saikhan FI, Iqbal MZ, et al.
    PLoS One, 2020;15(6):e0234734.
    PMID: 32555595 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234734
    INTRODUCTION: The effect of anticoagulation control on overall Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in patients taking warfarin in Pakistan has not been explored yet. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate HRQoL among warfarin patients in Pakistan.

    METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among patients on warfarin in Pakistan. By purposive sampling, data were collected using demographic data collection form and the World Health Organization Quality of Life: Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF). The WHOQOL-BREF is comprised of four domains; physical, psychological, social relationships, and environment. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 22.

    RESULTS: Out of 295 warfarin patients, more females than males (<0.001) were observed (n = 184, 62.4%, and n = 111, 37.6% respectively). One hundred and eighteen (40.0%) patients were less than 30-years of age, whereas one hundred and seventy-seven (60.0%) patients were above 30-years of age. Mean scores for the physical (62.44±15.36), psychological (67.84±15.54), social (64.27±26.28) and environment domains (63.45±17.66) were observed.

    CONCLUSION: Patients had overall lower to moderate but satisfactory HRQoL scores in all four domains. Age, gender, employment status, education level, the indication of use and duration of warfarin therapy was associated with one or more domains of HRQoL among warfarin patients. The findings of this study would serve as a primary database for future studies. This study highlights how non-clinical factors could impact HRQoL in studied patients.

  14. Choudhry FR, Al-Worafi YM, Akram B, Ahmed MA, Anwar Ul Haq M, Khan TM, et al.
    Front Psychol, 2018;9:1513.
    PMID: 30283370 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01513
    Background: A great deal of research has been carried out on the assessment of the eudaimonic perspective of psychological well-being and the hedonic perspective of subjective well-being. The Flourishing Scale (FS) has been extensively used in research and practice, as it assesses the fundamental aspects of social psychological functioning. Nevertheless, the psychometric properties of Urdu versions of eudaimonic measures, such as the FS, have not yet been ascertained. The translation and validation of the FS in the Urdu language was not available, and hence this study was planned with the aim to validate the Urdu version of the FS. Methods: We assessed the psychometric properties of the FS in a sample of adults aged 18 years and above in Pakistan (N = 130) using exploratory factor analysis based on principal component analysis with varimax rotation and confirmatory factor analysis. Results: The exploratory factor analysis confirmed the unidimensional nature of the 8-item FS. We assessed that the Urdu version of the FS showed a high internal consistency reliability (α = 0.914) with a significant intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), p < 0.001). In our study, the Kaiser-Mayer-Olkin value was 0.915 with a chi-square test value (χ2) of 637.687, and Bartlett's test of sphericity was significant (df = 28, p < 0.001). The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) at test-retest for all domains were statistically significant (p < 0.001) and showed excellent agreement for all the items. The revised confirmatory factor analysis revealed a good-fit model, but with item 8-"People respect me"-removed due to its lower factor loading. Conclusions: The findings suggest that the FS is a psychometrically sound instrument for assessing social psychological functioning among adults in Pakistan. Therefore, the validated Urdu version of the FS may be used in future studies of well-being in clinical psychology and positive psychology.
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