Methodological quality of antimalarial randomized controlled trials during pregnancy and its impact on the risk of low birth weight

Panax ginseng is one of the most frequently used herbs in the world. Numerous trials have evaluated its clinical benefits. However, the quality of these studies has not been comprehensively and systematically assessed. We reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of Panax ginseng to evaluate their quality and risk of bias. We searched four English databases, without publication date restriction. Two reviewers extracted details about the studies' methodological quality, guided by the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) checklist and its extension for herbal interventions. Risk of bias was determined using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Of 475 potentially relevant studies, 58 met our inclusion criteria. In these 58 studies, 48.3% of the suggested CONSORT checklist items and 35.9% of the extended herbal items were reported. The quality of RCTs published after the CONSORT checklist improved. Until 1995 (before CONSORT) (n = 4), 32.8% of the items were reported in studies. From 1996–2006 (CONSORT published and revised) (n = 30), 46.1% were reported, and from 2007 (n = 24), 53.5% were reported (p = 0.005). After the CONSORT extension for herbal interventions was published in 2006, RCT quality also improved, although not significantly. Until 2005 (n = 34), 35.2% of the extended herbal items were reported in studies; and from 2006 onwards (n = 24), 37.3% were reported (p = 0.64). Most studies classified risk of bias as "unclear". Overall, the quality of Panax ginseng RCT methodology has improved since the CONSORT checklist was introduced. However, more can be done to improve the methodological quality of, and reporting in, RCTs.

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Volume and methodological quality of randomized controlled trials in laparoscopic surgery: assessment over a 10-year period

The American Journal of Surgery ◽

10.1016/j.amjsurg.2015.04.022 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 210 (5) ◽

pp. 922-929 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Stavros A. Antoniou ◽

Alexandros Andreou ◽

George A. Antoniou ◽

Oliver O. Koch ◽

Gernot Köhler ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Laparoscopic Surgery ◽

Randomized Controlled Trials ◽

Methodological Quality ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Randomized Controlled

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Continuous feeding versus intermittent bolus feeding for premature infants with low birth weight: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition ◽

10.1038/s41430-019-0522-x ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 74 (5) ◽

pp. 775-783 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Yan Wang ◽

Wei Zhu ◽

Bi-ru Luo

Keyword(s):

Birth Weight ◽

Low Birth Weight ◽

Randomized Controlled Trials ◽

Premature Infants ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Intermittent Bolus ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Continuous Feeding

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A systematic review of trends in the methodological quality of randomized controlled trials in various research fields

Journal of Clinical Epidemiology ◽

10.1016/j.jclinepi.2008.07.012 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 62 (3) ◽

pp. 227-231.e9 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

Matthew E. Falagas ◽

Tatiana Grigori ◽

Eleni Ioannidou

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Randomized Controlled Trials ◽

Methodological Quality ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Research Fields

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Characteristic of Clinical Studies on Baduanjin during 2000–2019: A Comprehensive Review

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2020/4783915 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Jing Zhou ◽

Yunyang Yu ◽

Biwei Cao ◽

Xiaoya Li ◽

Miao Wu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trials ◽

Clinical Studies ◽

Methodological Quality ◽

Case Reports ◽

Case Series ◽

Small Sample ◽

Chronic Obstructive ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Randomized Controlled

To date, a growing number of clinical studies have demonstrated the safety and health benefits from Baduanjin intervention. Based on this, our objective is to systematically retrieve and summarize the clinical studies on Baduanjin, with a view to providing more evidence-based evidence in support of the application of Baduanjin for healthcare, and to identify the shortcomings of existing research and provide feasibility suggest for further clinical research. Both four English language and four Chinese language electronic databases were used to search articles related to Baduanjin during 2000–2019. SPSS 22.0 software was used to analyze the data, and the risk of bias tool in the RevMan 5.3.5 software was used to evaluate the methodological quality of randomized controlled trials. A total of 810 publications were identified, including 43 (5.3%) systematic reviews, 614 (75.8%) randomized controlled trials, 66 (8.1%) nonrandomized controlled clinical studies, 84 (10.4%) case series, and 3 (0.4%) case reports. The top 10 diseases/conditions included diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, low back pain, neck pain, stroke, coronary heart disease, cognitive impairment, insomnia, and osteoporosis or osteopenia. The style of State General Administration of Sport of China in 2003 was the most commonly used version of Baduanjin, and Baduanjin was practiced with an average of 35 minutes, 1 or 2 times a day, 3–5 days per week, and a 18-week average duration. It is also worth noting that there were no serious adverse events related to Baduanjin intervention. Most studies were small sample size research, and the methodological quality of randomized controlled trials is generally low. The clinical studies of Baduanjin have a substantial quantity and evidence base. However, there are significant differences among different studies in the specific intervention measures such as style, intensity, duration, learning, and practice methods, which need to be further standardized and unified. Further high-quality designed and reporting studies are recommended to further validate the clinical benefits of Baduanjin.

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