Shahin Akhondzadeh | Tehran University of Medical Sciences (original) (raw)

Papers by Shahin Akhondzadeh

Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 2019

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder, which is characterized ... more Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder, which is characterized by episodes of abdominal pain related to changes in bowel habits. This condition has an estimated prevalence of approximately 11 per cent in North America, whereas its prevalence is 7.5 per cent in the Middle East. 2 IBS is among gastrointestinal disorders which causes substantial productivity loss in terms of high work absenteeism rate in addition to physician visits in the United States. 3 Furthermore, people with this disorder have a significantly lower quality of life. Unfortunately, until now no definite treatment for this disorder has been found. Therefore, different modalities of treatment are currently advised for this condition. Some of these include lifestyle and diet modification, laxatives, antibiotics, probiotics and even faecal microbiota transplantation. Antidepressant medications and

European Psychiatry, 2002

Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, 2016

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder. Due to ... more Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder. Due to lack of response to the medication and significant side effects of the treatment with stimulants, alternative medications should be considered. The aim of this study is to evaluate efficacy of agomelatine in treatment of ADHD. Methods: Fifty-four outpatients, children 6-15 years old, with diagnosis of ADHD according to DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria participated in a 6-week, parallel, double-blind, randomized clinical trial. Fifty patients completed 6 weeks of treatment with either ritalin (methylphenidate hydrochloride [MPH]) (20 mg/day in participants below 30 kg and 30 mg/day in patients with weight ≥30 kg) or agomelatine (15 mg/day in patients with weight ≥30 kg and 25 mg/day in patients with weight ≥45 kg). Participants were assessed using Parent and Teacher ADHD Rating Scale-IV at baseline and at weeks 3 and 6. Results: General linear model repeated measures showed no significant differences between the two groups on Parent and Teacher Rating Scale scores (F = 1.13, df = 1.26, p = 0.305, and F = 0.95, df = 1.25, p = 0.353, respectively). Changes in Teacher and Parent ADHD Rating Scale scores from baseline to the study end were not significantly different between the agomelatine group (9.28 ± 8.72 and 24.12 ± 7.04, respectively) and the MPH group (6.64 ± 11.04 and 25.76 ± 7.82, respectively) (p = 0.46 and p = 0.44, respectively). There was a trend for less insomnia in the agomelatine group versus MPH-treated group (4% vs. 24%, p = 0.09). A treatment course of 6 weeks with agomelatine demonstrated a favorable safety and efficacy profile in children and adolescents with ADHD. Nonetheless, larger controlled studies with longer treatment periods are necessary.

Archives of iranian medicine, Nov 1, 2023

Avicenna journal of medical biotechnology., Feb 4, 2024

Avicenna Journal of Medical Biotechnology

Avicenna Journal of Medical Biotechnology

Following the news of the outbreak of the monkeypox virus in non-endemic countries from the media... more Following the news of the outbreak of the monkeypox virus in non-endemic countries from the media, a new wave of concerns was created. The current susceptibility to epidemics has resulted from successive peaks of the whole-society-inclusive coronavirus and its significant mortality and morbidity. To date, on May 28, 2022, there are 401 confirmed and 85 suspected cases worldwide 1 , almost all of which are from countries with high-income settings. According to Global.health, 3 suspicious and no confirmed cases have been tracked from Iran.

Avicenna Journal of Medical Biotechnology, 2022

More than two years after the first report of the rapidly spreading coronavirus disease 2019 (COV... more More than two years after the first report of the rapidly spreading coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the coronavirus is still unpredictable by emerging highly divergent variants 1. Through the highly contagious viral sickness the virus causes, it imposes significant morbidity and mortality on global populations, becoming the second cause of death in people aged 25 to 44 years in January 2021 in the United States. Although mortality rates in disease peaks were significantly reduced as vaccination rates increased, mortality increased again with the outbreak of a variant of concern called Omicron so that the virus became the second leading cause of death in January 2022 in the United States 1,2. The novel variant, first identified in Botswana and named Omicron (B.1.1.529) by World Health Organization on November 26, 2021, exhibited 36 mutations in the spike protein, the target of antibodies, and a total of 59 mutations throughout its genome. More importantly, 15 mutations occurred in the Receptor-Binding Domain (RBD), which can increase infectivity and mediate virus escape from vaccine-induced antibodies 3. In other words, the highly mutated omicron variant can evade immunity in vaccinated individuals and is associated with vaccine breakthroughs 1,3. The Omicron has a 13-fold increase in viral infectivity, and compared to the Delta variant, it is 2.8 times more contagious and its R0, the indicator of contagiousness and transmissibility, can be as high as 10, while for the Delta, it did not reach 7 4. Fortunately, the mortality of this variant is lower than the wild type and Alpha, Beta and Delta variants 5. About two years after the first official report of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in Iran, like in other countries, the virus is still raging. As in other countries, the peak of the Omicron variant in Iran increased infection, hospitalization, and mortality once again. During the Omicron outbreak in Iran, the maximum number of newly identified cases in one day was more than 39,000, so that the maximum number of active cases in one day reached about 375,000 by mid-February 2022. Although in the previous peak, the maximum number of new cases detected in a day and the maximum number of deaths per day were about 50,000 and more than 700, respectively, the number of deaths per day did not reach 250 in this peak 6. This difference may be due to the lower mortality 5 and progress of the vaccination process, although vaccine efficacy is negatively affected by new variants 3. Although the percentages of people who have received at least one dose of a vaccine, have been fully vaccinated, and given the booster dose are now about 75%, 65%, and 25%, respectively, these percentages on August 24, 2021, when the highest number of deaths due to COVID-19 were reported in Iran, were about 20%, 7%, and 0, respectively 7. The fastest and most accessible ways to protect against the Omicron variant seem to be wearing medical-grade masks and receiving the third dose of vaccine 8. The protection provided by two shots of vaccines is reduced to less than 40% a few months after the second shot, but the third shot seems to cause about 60 to 70% protection in the two weeks after the injection and protect against severe COVID-19 9. It has been shown that vaccine efficacy decreases with increasing time after vaccination 3. There is not much difference in the treatment of the disease caused by this variant, but of the monoclonal antibodies, only sotrovimab appears to be effective and is authorized 4. Eventually, updating the current vaccines and pursuing a universal vaccine should be of concern to those in charge 8,10 .

The aim of this study was to evaluate knowledge, attitude and practice of herbal remedies (HRs) i... more The aim of this study was to evaluate knowledge, attitude and practice of herbal remedies (HRs) in infertile patients. This was a cross sectional study in a referral infertility care center. Three hundred and six outpatients, both women and men, presenting for the first time with complaint of infertility at Arash hospital, were recruited. Verbal consent for participation was received. A self administered questionnaire was used. Main outcome measure was knowledge, attitude and practice of patients toward herbal medications. 47.3% of participants were knowledgeable of HRs with female gender and lower educational background being the associated factors in knowledge. 43.4% of patients with significant female dominancy had positive attitude toward HRs. 31% of participants were using HRs. Only 3.2% of those using HRs informed their physician. The most common health condition promoting herbal use was psychological (33.3%) and gastrointestinal (30.8%) disorders. 3.5% of participants used HR...

Avicenna Journal of Medical Biotechnology, 2022

Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 2019

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder, which is characterized ... more Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder, which is characterized by episodes of abdominal pain related to changes in bowel habits. This condition has an estimated prevalence of approximately 11 per cent in North America, whereas its prevalence is 7.5 per cent in the Middle East. 2 IBS is among gastrointestinal disorders which causes substantial productivity loss in terms of high work absenteeism rate in addition to physician visits in the United States. 3 Furthermore, people with this disorder have a significantly lower quality of life. Unfortunately, until now no definite treatment for this disorder has been found. Therefore, different modalities of treatment are currently advised for this condition. Some of these include lifestyle and diet modification, laxatives, antibiotics, probiotics and even faecal microbiota transplantation. Antidepressant medications and

European Psychiatry, 2002

Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, 2016

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder. Due to ... more Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder. Due to lack of response to the medication and significant side effects of the treatment with stimulants, alternative medications should be considered. The aim of this study is to evaluate efficacy of agomelatine in treatment of ADHD. Methods: Fifty-four outpatients, children 6-15 years old, with diagnosis of ADHD according to DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria participated in a 6-week, parallel, double-blind, randomized clinical trial. Fifty patients completed 6 weeks of treatment with either ritalin (methylphenidate hydrochloride [MPH]) (20 mg/day in participants below 30 kg and 30 mg/day in patients with weight ≥30 kg) or agomelatine (15 mg/day in patients with weight ≥30 kg and 25 mg/day in patients with weight ≥45 kg). Participants were assessed using Parent and Teacher ADHD Rating Scale-IV at baseline and at weeks 3 and 6. Results: General linear model repeated measures showed no significant differences between the two groups on Parent and Teacher Rating Scale scores (F = 1.13, df = 1.26, p = 0.305, and F = 0.95, df = 1.25, p = 0.353, respectively). Changes in Teacher and Parent ADHD Rating Scale scores from baseline to the study end were not significantly different between the agomelatine group (9.28 ± 8.72 and 24.12 ± 7.04, respectively) and the MPH group (6.64 ± 11.04 and 25.76 ± 7.82, respectively) (p = 0.46 and p = 0.44, respectively). There was a trend for less insomnia in the agomelatine group versus MPH-treated group (4% vs. 24%, p = 0.09). A treatment course of 6 weeks with agomelatine demonstrated a favorable safety and efficacy profile in children and adolescents with ADHD. Nonetheless, larger controlled studies with longer treatment periods are necessary.

Archives of iranian medicine, Nov 1, 2023

Avicenna journal of medical biotechnology., Feb 4, 2024

Avicenna Journal of Medical Biotechnology

Avicenna Journal of Medical Biotechnology

Following the news of the outbreak of the monkeypox virus in non-endemic countries from the media... more Following the news of the outbreak of the monkeypox virus in non-endemic countries from the media, a new wave of concerns was created. The current susceptibility to epidemics has resulted from successive peaks of the whole-society-inclusive coronavirus and its significant mortality and morbidity. To date, on May 28, 2022, there are 401 confirmed and 85 suspected cases worldwide 1 , almost all of which are from countries with high-income settings. According to Global.health, 3 suspicious and no confirmed cases have been tracked from Iran.

Avicenna Journal of Medical Biotechnology, 2022

More than two years after the first report of the rapidly spreading coronavirus disease 2019 (COV... more More than two years after the first report of the rapidly spreading coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the coronavirus is still unpredictable by emerging highly divergent variants 1. Through the highly contagious viral sickness the virus causes, it imposes significant morbidity and mortality on global populations, becoming the second cause of death in people aged 25 to 44 years in January 2021 in the United States. Although mortality rates in disease peaks were significantly reduced as vaccination rates increased, mortality increased again with the outbreak of a variant of concern called Omicron so that the virus became the second leading cause of death in January 2022 in the United States 1,2. The novel variant, first identified in Botswana and named Omicron (B.1.1.529) by World Health Organization on November 26, 2021, exhibited 36 mutations in the spike protein, the target of antibodies, and a total of 59 mutations throughout its genome. More importantly, 15 mutations occurred in the Receptor-Binding Domain (RBD), which can increase infectivity and mediate virus escape from vaccine-induced antibodies 3. In other words, the highly mutated omicron variant can evade immunity in vaccinated individuals and is associated with vaccine breakthroughs 1,3. The Omicron has a 13-fold increase in viral infectivity, and compared to the Delta variant, it is 2.8 times more contagious and its R0, the indicator of contagiousness and transmissibility, can be as high as 10, while for the Delta, it did not reach 7 4. Fortunately, the mortality of this variant is lower than the wild type and Alpha, Beta and Delta variants 5. About two years after the first official report of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in Iran, like in other countries, the virus is still raging. As in other countries, the peak of the Omicron variant in Iran increased infection, hospitalization, and mortality once again. During the Omicron outbreak in Iran, the maximum number of newly identified cases in one day was more than 39,000, so that the maximum number of active cases in one day reached about 375,000 by mid-February 2022. Although in the previous peak, the maximum number of new cases detected in a day and the maximum number of deaths per day were about 50,000 and more than 700, respectively, the number of deaths per day did not reach 250 in this peak 6. This difference may be due to the lower mortality 5 and progress of the vaccination process, although vaccine efficacy is negatively affected by new variants 3. Although the percentages of people who have received at least one dose of a vaccine, have been fully vaccinated, and given the booster dose are now about 75%, 65%, and 25%, respectively, these percentages on August 24, 2021, when the highest number of deaths due to COVID-19 were reported in Iran, were about 20%, 7%, and 0, respectively 7. The fastest and most accessible ways to protect against the Omicron variant seem to be wearing medical-grade masks and receiving the third dose of vaccine 8. The protection provided by two shots of vaccines is reduced to less than 40% a few months after the second shot, but the third shot seems to cause about 60 to 70% protection in the two weeks after the injection and protect against severe COVID-19 9. It has been shown that vaccine efficacy decreases with increasing time after vaccination 3. There is not much difference in the treatment of the disease caused by this variant, but of the monoclonal antibodies, only sotrovimab appears to be effective and is authorized 4. Eventually, updating the current vaccines and pursuing a universal vaccine should be of concern to those in charge 8,10 .

The aim of this study was to evaluate knowledge, attitude and practice of herbal remedies (HRs) i... more The aim of this study was to evaluate knowledge, attitude and practice of herbal remedies (HRs) in infertile patients. This was a cross sectional study in a referral infertility care center. Three hundred and six outpatients, both women and men, presenting for the first time with complaint of infertility at Arash hospital, were recruited. Verbal consent for participation was received. A self administered questionnaire was used. Main outcome measure was knowledge, attitude and practice of patients toward herbal medications. 47.3% of participants were knowledgeable of HRs with female gender and lower educational background being the associated factors in knowledge. 43.4% of patients with significant female dominancy had positive attitude toward HRs. 31% of participants were using HRs. Only 3.2% of those using HRs informed their physician. The most common health condition promoting herbal use was psychological (33.3%) and gastrointestinal (30.8%) disorders. 3.5% of participants used HR...

Avicenna Journal of Medical Biotechnology, 2022