Zohair Gazzaz | King AbdulAziz University (KAU) Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (original) (raw)

Papers by Zohair Gazzaz

Central European Journal of Biology, 2021

Several factors are linked with a higher risk of mortality from Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19)... more Several factors are linked with a higher risk of mortality from Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), including male gender, increased age, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cancer. Hyperglycemic COVID-19 patients have severe clinical problems, increased ICU admittance, machine-driven ventilation, and a substantial rise in inflammatory markers. Among all patients, those with diabetes or hyperglycemia have a two-to four-fold increase in mortality and severity of COVID-19 than those without diabetes. The primary cause of mortality in COVID-19 patients with diabetes is compromised immune response to viral infections. Increased blood sugar level probably affects intracellular degradation of bacteria, neutrophil chemotaxis, and phagocytosis, thus improving viral binding affinity and entry and decreasing virus clearance. In addition, it has significant effects on the proteins by inducing glycosylation and altering the composition of complements, and glycosylation renders cells susceptible to viral inflammation and damage. The treatment of COVID-19 in patients with diabetes requires an integrated team approach to minimize the risk of medical complications and mortality. Moreover, physicians should adopt proactive strategies to care for persons with comorbidities. This strategy would help reduce the frequency of complications and mortality among patients and load on the healthcare system.

Most chronic non-communicable diseases result from a complex interaction between heredity and env... more Most chronic non-communicable diseases result from a complex interaction between heredity and environmental factors. With better living conditions and adoption of western lifestyles in developing countries, there is an increased incidence of these diseases, the most common of which is diabetes. This study documents the prevalence of NIDDM, lOT, hypertension, obesity and hyperlipidaemia in an urban male community [n= 125] in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It also examines OGl'T reproducibility [n=35]; the influence of diet and physical activity; the differences in these aspects between nationals and non-nationals and the metabolic responses following the OGTT between the glucose tolerance groups [n=43]. Glucose intolerance, NIDDM [14%] and ICiT [27%], were very common. Overall, CVD risk factors such as smoking [43%], obesity [29%], hypertension [5%], hypercholesterolaemia [7%], hypertriglyceridaemia [14%], occurring in association with diabetes were high. Clustering of other risk factors such as abdominal obesity, hyperinsulinaemia and hyperproinsulinaemia were also shown. The OGTT is a poorly reproducible test in this community and a further confirmatory test is always required to establish the diagnosis of glucose intolerance. The dietary habit and food item record identified recognizable features characteristic of this community, which were affected by both the cultural and the social background. However, no differences were found between the glucose tolerance groups. Physical inactivity was a major lifestyle problem and the inactive group tended to have increased risk factors, although differences were not significant. These environmental factors could not, however, be excluded as possible causative factors in the high prevalence of glucose intolerance and CVD risk factors in this community as the sample was small. Subjects with 101' tended to have intermediate levels of risk factors and this study favours identifying IGT as an independent category which lies between normal and NIDDM. Ethnic differences should be considered whenever possible particularly in this multinational community, since 40 % of this community were non-nationals. Nationals differed in certain dietary aspects and they tended to be inactive, otherwise no other significant differences existed between the groups. As shown in different populations, those identified as ICT or NIDDM in this community, were characterised by hyperfunction of the a-cell in IGT, hypofunction of the a-cell in NIDDM and associated with immature secretion of proinsulin. The insulin resistance which was profound in NIDDM and intermediate in TOT was characterised by high glycerol and NEFA which were suggestive of insulin insensitivity at the level of adipose tissue. Large-scale and prospective studies are strongly recommended. Meanwhile, primary prevention measures are urgently required as these findings pose a significant public health problem. C CONTENTS INTRODUCTIONS CHAPTER ONE : DIABETES MELL1TUS IN WORLD CONTEXT CHAFFER TWO : IMPAIRED GLUCOSE TOLERANCE CHAFFER THREE : DIABETES MELL1TLJS IN SAUDI ARABIA OBJECTIVES GENERAL METHODS AND MATERIALS CHAPTER FOUR : GENERAL METHODS 4.1 Field methods. 4.2 Laboratory methods. 4.3 Statistical methods. 4.4 Computing methods.

Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy, Dec 1, 2020

This study aimed to investigate knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding diabetes mellitus (... more This study aimed to investigate knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding diabetes mellitus (DM) among university students. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out at the Faculty of Medicine, Rabigh, King Abdulaziz University (KAU) Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), in 2018. All participants were the registered students at the foundation year in the branch of KAU, Rabigh. A questionnaire was developed that had questions related to knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Results: A total of 1428 participants (770 [53.9%] females and 658 [46.1%] males) were included in the study. Surprisingly, there were 315 (22.1%) students who had been diagnosed with hypertension or told by the healthcare professional that he/she has increased blood pressure, and 223 (15.6%) had high blood sugar. There were 785 (55%) participants who had one or more DM relative. Among our students, only 186 (13%) had good knowledge scores, while 569 (39.8%) and 673 (47.1%) had moderate and poor knowledge scores, respectively. Interestingly, 1190 (83.3%) participants had positive attitudes, while 238 (16.7%) had negative attitudes. More than half of the participants, 844 (59.1%), were practicing adequately for preventing DM. It was observed that females had significantly better general knowledge about DM, its risk factors, signs and symptoms, control and management, complications, and total knowledge scores. Our results showed that the female gender was associated with good knowledge and positive attitude and relatives diagnosed with DM were associated with good knowledge score. The participants who had DM relative and hypertension were more likely to have good attitudes and practices, respectively, in preventing DM. Conclusion: Our students' knowledge score was not up to the mark. Interestingly, participants had positive attitudes and practicing adequately for preventing DM. The female gender was associated with good knowledge scores and positive attitudes.

Depression is one of the commonest psychiatric disorders and is a prominent reason for major heal... more Depression is one of the commonest psychiatric disorders and is a prominent reason for major health problems worldwide. The prevalence and the dysfunction, morbidity, suffering, and economic burden. Depression can lead to upsurge in the health-seeking performance, diminished excellence of life and increased propensity for desperate tendencies. In the majority of the cases, the affected patients report late and owing to various scales of assessing depression, patients with depressive disorder are often undertreated. As per the Global Burden of Disease report the prevalence of depression is 1.9% among men and 3.2% for women and the overall one-year prevalence increases to 5.8% in men and 9.5% in women. Given the existing epidemiological evolution and demographic, the impact of unhappiness can be tremendous by 2020 with the burden of depression at about 5.7% of all the illnesses. The morbidity bearing will be so huge that and it would be the most important reason for disability-adjuste...

Asia houses 45% of medical schools of the world and a large number of graduates migrate to develo... more Asia houses 45% of medical schools of the world and a large number of graduates migrate to developed countries of the western region. Most of these schools have acquired integration in undergrad medical education; however, assessment is still disintegrated in almost all, potentially risking the quality of medical graduates. This paper explains the need and concept of Comprehensive Integrated Assessment (CIA) for final year medical students and how it can be beneficial for graduating medical students compared to the traditional discipline-based assessment. The concept has developed by Establishment of Medical Education and Research (EMER), a group of medical educationists from different regions, working together for the development of medical education. The paper discusses the pros and cons of integrated assessment and provides suggestions for its implementation in medical colleges of Pakistan.

BJU International, 2009

OBJECTIVETo develop and validate an Arabic version of the International Prostate Symptom Score (I... more OBJECTIVETo develop and validate an Arabic version of the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS).PATIENTS, SUBJECTS AND METHODSAn Arabic version of the IPSS (IPSS‐Arb) was developed through a series of translations and modifications which involved the authors, urology and non‐urology medical and nursing staff. The validity and reliability were assessed in 76 patients with urinary symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and in 63 control subjects without BPH; 25 patients had transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) whereas the remaining 51 patients were treated with terazosin. The reliability of the IPSS‐Arb was assessed by determining the internal consistency (Cronbach’s α coefficient) and by assessing the test‐retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC). Construct validity was assessed by determining the correlation between the IPSS‐Arb scores and the quality‐of‐life question (QoL‐Arb), and by determining the ability of the IPSS‐Arb to discriminat...

Russian Open Medical Journal, 2012

The research goal is to assess Medical Doctors' knowledge of the various dental specialties and t... more The research goal is to assess Medical Doctors' knowledge of the various dental specialties and to determine if their past dental experience affects their level of knowledge. Resident Doctors and Medical Officers working in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Nigeria were surveyed with selfadministered questionnaire in 2008. A total of 142 doctors responded to the questionnaire, giving a response rate of 71%. The female: male ratio was approximately 1:2.5. The designations of respondents were Senior Registrar 21.8%, Registrar 48.6% and Medical Officers 29.6%. The Departments that returned the questionnaire were Internal Medicine 21.1%, Surgery 19%, Paediatrics 15.5% Family Medicine 11.3%, Accident and Emergency 5.6%, Radiology 4.9%, Ophthalmology 8.5%, Pathology 5.6%, Anaesthesiology 5.6% and Mental Health 2.8% The mean knowledge score was 10.1±3.3. (Maximum score =21). Only a small percentage (5.6%) had a good knowledge (scored above 16), 79.6% had a fair knowledge (scored 8-15) and 14.8% had a very poor knowledge (scored less than 8). Doctor with history of previous dental treatment had better knowledge (P=0.03). The knowledge of Medical Doctors about the various areas in Dentistry is presently not satisfactory. Comprehensive care of patients, which includes prompt and appropriate referral, can be optimized by improvement of Doctors' knowledge of dental specialty through seminars and other educational interventions.

Oman Medical Journal, May 1, 2011

Background: Neglected tropical diseases are of major concern to sub-Saharan African countries. Th... more Background: Neglected tropical diseases are of major concern to sub-Saharan African countries. Though efforts to monitor the prevalence and control are in place, these are mostly restricted to groups within the population. This study was performed to determine the prevalence among patients of a Ghanaian psychiatric hospital and find out whether there is a reason for active monitoring in this population. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites among patients of a Ghanaian psychiatric hospital. Stool samples were collected and analyzed in addition to data. Results: Of the 111 patients studied, asymptomatic carriage of parasites was 13.5 % and was higher in males (18.8 %) than in females (4.8 %). Carriage of parasites decreased with age but increase with duration of admission. Conclusion: This is the first report of parasitic pathogens among patients of a psychiatric institution in Ghana. The data shows that there are risks of transmission of infectious diseases via the oral route hence, the need for regular monitoring and intervention is emphasized.

Proceedings

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has become a global health problem. Growing prevalence... more Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has become a global health problem. Growing prevalence rates of diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension further add on to potential increase in CKD along with many other contributing risk factors. Community knowledge regarding CKD is gaining more importance considering magnitude of disease and limited available resources. Aims & Objectives: To assess community knowledge about CKD and explore prevalence of risk factors for developing CKD among the inhabitants of Rabigh city in Saudi Arabia. Place and duration of study: Rabigh city, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2018. Material & Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional household survey was performed. Self-administered semi structured questionnaire made by research team was used to interview 340 Saudi inhabitants of the Rabigh city. The required information about awareness of CKD sign and symptoms and its risk factors was obtained and then analyzed using SPSS. Results: Study found limited knowledge...

Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research, 2017

Minimal hepatic encephalopathy is more common than the acute syndrome. Losartan, the first angiot... more Minimal hepatic encephalopathy is more common than the acute syndrome. Losartan, the first angiotensin-II receptor blocker (ARB), and candesartan, another widely-used ARB, have protected against developing fibrogenesis, but there is no clear data about their curative antifibrotic effects. The current study was designed to examine their effects in an already-established model of hepatic fibrosis and also their effects on the associated motor dysfunction. Low-grade chronic liver failure (CLF) was induced in 3-month old Sprague-Dawley male rats using thioacetamide (TAA, 50 mg Á kg-1 Á day-1) intraperitoneally for 2 weeks. The TAA-CLF rats were randomly divided into five groups (n=8) treated orally for 14 days (mg Á kg-1 Á day-1) as follows: TAA (distilled water), losartan (5 and 10 mg/kg), and candesartan (0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg). Rats were tested for rotarod and open-field tests. Serum and hepatic biochemical markers, and hepatic histopathological changes were evaluated by H&E and Masson's staining. The TAA-CLF rats showed significant increases of hepatic malondialdehyde, hepatic expression of tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a), and serum ammonia, alanine aminotransferase, g-glutamyl transferase, TNF-a, and malondialdehyde levels as well as significant decreases of hepatic and serum glutathione levels. All treatments significantly reversed these changes. The histopathological changes were moderate in losartan-5 and candesartan-0.1 groups and mild in losartan-10 and candesartan-0.3 groups. Only candesartan significantly improved TAA-induced motor dysfunction. In conclusion, therapeutic antifibrotic effects of losartan and candesartan in thioacetamide-induced hepatic fibrosis in rats are possibly through angiotensin-II receptor blocking, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. Improved motor dysfunction by candesartan could be attributed to better brain penetration and slower ''off-rate'' from angiotensin-II receptors. Clinical trials are recommended.

PubMed, Apr 1, 2021

Objective: To investigate the knowledge, perceptions, and attitude of young doctors and nurses at... more Objective: To investigate the knowledge, perceptions, and attitude of young doctors and nurses at Kind Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH) Jeddah, KSA, regarding the effectiveness of telemedicine in dealing with the patients for either follow-up or continuous monitoring of chronic diseases. Material and methods: This prospective cross-sectional study was carried out on the young doctors and nursing staff at KAUH. An online questionnaire addressing all the required fields, i.e., background essential demography, perceptions, acceptance, and knowledge regarding telemedicine's utility, was sent to the targeted population of health care workers. Completed responses were analyzed statistically as per study objectives. Results: The response rate in our study was 85%. A total of 335 participants responded to our questionnaire. One hundred seventy-one (51.1%) were doctors, whereas one hundred sixty-four (48.9%) were the nursing staff. Among doctors, 50 (29.4%) were recent graduates, whereas, in the nursing side, 77 (46.7%) were the senior nursing students. The knowledge and attitude of the young nursing staff were relatively better than the senior staff taking part in the study and the trends were found statistically significant. Conclusion: Our study participants, being young, were enthusiastic, had good knowledge regarding the advantages and limitations of telemedicine in managing the selected groups of patients. Their perception and attitude were quite positive. This is an encouraging trend in the promotion of telemedicine as an established way of managing patients with special requirements in an effective way. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of telemedicine in emergencies to protect both patients and health care workers by reducing chronic patients' avoidable hospital visits.

Pakistan Journal of Health Sciences, Jun 30, 2023

Millions of people worldwide suffer from diabetes, a chronic metabolic illness that presents seri... more Millions of people worldwide suffer from diabetes, a chronic metabolic illness that presents serious di culties for public health systems [1]. Diabetes prevalence has increased to alarming proportions around the world, including Saudi Arabia [2]. Effective diabetes management necessitates a thorough strategy that goes beyond glucose control and incorporates preventive care services

BACKGROUND NA OBJECTIVE NA METHODS NA RESULTS NA CONCLUSIONS NA CLINICALTRIAL NA

PLOS ONE, Jan 31, 2022

This study investigated the perceptions of Saudi Arabian medical disciplines students undergoing ... more This study investigated the perceptions of Saudi Arabian medical disciplines students undergoing training in various institutes of Australia regarding psychosocial, cultural, and academic challenges. Methods This cross-sectional study was from March 15 to June 15, 2019. Data were collected by an online questionnaire. It consisted of questions regarding demographic, psychosocial, cultural, and academic challenges. Two hundred nineteen students studying in Australia responded to our questionnaire. Results Of the total 219 students, 13(6.0%) were undergraduate, 167(76%) were postgraduate, and 39(18%) were Ph.D. students. For most students (171[79.2%]), Australia was the country of choice for studying. Most of them were satisfied with their academic performance and adjustment to the Australian way of living. Most of the students (180[82.2%]) showed satisfaction over the availability of fair chances of their religious practices in Australia. Few of them faced difficulties coping with the Australian climate (25[11.4%]), homesickness (59 [26.9%]), and food and dietary sources (44[20.1%]). Students were overall satisfied with the student advisory system (156[71.2%]), university assessments (147[67.2%]), and available research facilities (170[77.6%]). Among participants, 77 (35.1%), 119(54.3%), and 23 (10.5%) students indicated that they wished to stay in Australia only until completion of their studies, temporarily and permanently, respectively.

SAGE Open, Apr 1, 2023

Learning approaches are assumed as the utmost important aspect in all academic proceedings. With ... more Learning approaches are assumed as the utmost important aspect in all academic proceedings. With the identification of students’ learning approaches, relevant institutes can devise appropriate instructional strategies. Many models have been used to explore learning approaches and styles among students, but mostly in the developed world. Literature is further scarce in the Arab region. This study aimed to assess the construct validity and reliability of the revised Biggs Study Process Questionnaire-2-factor (R-SPQ-2F) both in English and Arabic. The study also explored the learning approaches among students at King Abdulaziz University Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This cross-sectional study comprised 556 participants and was carried out from October 15th, 2020, to January 15th, 2021. The reliability of the complete scale and its subscales showed good reliability, Cronbach’s α ranges from .881 to .925. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed no notable discriminant and convergent validity concerns, and all fit indices were well above threshold levels for both English and Arabic Versions. A significantly higher median deep learning score was observed in males and students with ≥4.0 GPA ( p = .018 and .012, respectively).

Nutrients, Jan 27, 2022

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

BMJ Open

ObjectivesThe present study aimed to assess the attitude of Saudi and Pakistani individuals with ... more ObjectivesThe present study aimed to assess the attitude of Saudi and Pakistani individuals with diabetes regarding Eid-al-Fitr festivities, exploring diabetes care during the month of Ramadan and these individuals’ dietary patterns on Eid day.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingJeddah (Saudi Arabia) and Karachi (Pakistan).ParticipantsOf the total 405 subjects, 204 individuals with diabetes from Saudi Arabia (SA) and 201 from Pakistan (Pak) were enrolled.Data collection and analysisThis survey-based study was carried out in SA and Pak after Eid-al-Fitr 2020. An online questionnaire was circulated via various social media platforms. The data analyses were performed using SPSS V.26.ResultsThere were 80 subjects with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) and 325 subjects with type 2 DM. Among our study subjects, 73 were on insulin, 260 were on oral antidiabetics (OADs) and 72 were taking both OADs and insulin. Two-thirds of the participants, 276 (68%) visited their physicians before Ramadan. Ma...

Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy, 2020

Purpose: To find out the association of dyslipidemia and comorbidities with risk factors among ty... more Purpose: To find out the association of dyslipidemia and comorbidities with risk factors among type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients attending King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH) Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (SA). Patients and Methods: Three hundred and twenty-five T2DM patients were enrolled from the electronic record of the KAUH. The patients' existing comorbidities and dyslipidemia correlation with demographic, clinical, and available laboratory data were sought. Statistical analysis was performed on SPSS-23. Results: Of the total 325 T2DM patients with a mean age of 60.13±10.5 years [males 95 (29.23%) and females 230 (70.77%)] were included from the electronic record. Poor glycemic control was observed in 222 (68.31%) subjects (HbA1c > 7%), and 154 (47.39%) subjects had DM for more than ten years. Among our study subjects, 103 (31.69%) were hypertensive (HTN), 112 (34.46%) had ischemic heart disease (IHD), 45 (13.85%) were obese, 8(2.46%) had a stroke and 269 (82.77%) had dyslipidemia. Of the total 269 dyslipidemic patients,168 (62.45%) were on hypolipidemic treatment. On comparison of study variables according to dyslipidemia versus normal lipid levels, the lipid profile, including HDLc, LDLc, TC, and TG, revealed a highly significant difference (p-value <0.001) whereas many variables were not significantly different. HBA1c, FBG, and RBG were significantly higher in dyslipidemic subjects. Logistic regression analysis of risk factors and comorbidities in our patients revealed that age 60-69 years and 70-79 years had a significant association with comorbidities. Similarly, logistic regression analysis of risk factors and dyslipidemia in our patients revealed no statistically significant association. Conclusion: Our results observed that the comorbidities were associated with increasing age and common comorbidities were HTN, IHD, dyslipidemia. Our study has highlighted the current trends in T2DM symptomatology and comorbidities. Efficient management and control by early screening and developing healthy lifestyles in our patients can be very helpful in the prevention of all these highly morbid complications of this preventable disease.