Comparison of Electroacupuncture and Medical Treatment for Functional Constipation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objectives To assess the effectiveness of electroacupuncture (EA) relative to conventional medication in functional constipation (FC). Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Setting To be included, studies needed to: (1) have been randomised controlled trials; (2) have recruited adult patients diagnosed with FC according to the Rome II/III criteria or the American Gastroenterological Association guideline for chronic FC; and (3) have randomised patients to be treated with EA or anti-constipation medication. We searched Medline, the Cochrane Library and Embase databases for articles published up to 30 June 2016. Intervention EA or anti-constipation medication. Primary and secondary outcome measures The primary outcome was the change in the number of weekly spontaneous bowel movements. Secondary outcomes were total response rate (or total effective rate), symptom reduction and Cleveland Clinic constipation scores. Results The pooled results showed significantly more improvement in the frequency of spontaneous bowel movements in the EA treatment group compared with the medicine-treated group (pooled SMD 0.244, 95% CI 0.065 to 0.424, P=0.008). Deep-needling EA was significantly more effective than treatment with medication at increasing the frequency of spontaneous bowel movements (p=0.019). Significantly greater improvement was also seen for total response rates (p=0.018) and reductions in symptom score (p<0.001) in EA-treated patients. Conclusions EA was more effective than medication at improving spontaneous bowel movements and total response rate, and reducing the symptoms of FC.

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Efficacy and safety of anti-epidermal growth factor receptor agents for the treatment of oesophageal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-046352 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. e046352

Author(s):

Lijuan Zhang ◽

Yanli Song ◽

Nan Jiang ◽

Yaqi Huang ◽

Bo Dong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Growth Factor ◽

Outcome Measures ◽

Oesophageal Cancer ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Growth Factor Receptor ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Secondary Outcome ◽

Efficacy And Safety ◽

Positive Effects

ObjectivesDespite remarkable advances in the treatment of oesophageal cancer (OC), the role of antiepidermal growth factor receptor (anti-EGFR) agents in treating OC remains controversial. Herein, a systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to elucidate the efficacy and safety of anti-EGFR agents in patients with OC.DesignMeta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) identified by searching the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov, Cochrane Library, Chinese Biology Medicine, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform databases from inception to December 2019. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.SettingRCTs from any country and healthcare setting.ParticipantsPatients with OC.InterventionsCombination therapy with anti-EGFR agents and conventional treatments versus conventional treatments alone in patients with OC.Primary and secondary outcome measuresOverall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were primary outcome measures, and objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR) and treatment toxicities were secondary outcome measures.ResultsIn total, 25 RCTs comprising 3406 patients with OC were included. Overall, anti-EGFR treatment significantly improved the OS (HR: 0.81, 95% CI 0.74 to 0.89, p<0.00001), ORR (relative risk (RR): 1.33, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.52, p<0.0001) and DCR (RR: 1.22, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.34, p<0.0001) but not PFS (HR: 0.91, 95% CI 0.76 to 1.08, p=0.26). Anti-EGFR treatment was significantly associated with higher incidences of myelosuppression, diarrhoea, acne-like rash and hypomagnesaemia.ConclusionsOverall, anti-EGFR agents have positive effects on OS, the ORR and DCR in OC. However, considering the high incidence of adverse effects, such as myelosuppression, diarrhoea, acne-like rashes and hypomagnesaemia, careful monitoring of patients with OC is recommended during anti-EGFR treatment.Trial registration numberCRD42020169230.

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Effect of dose administration aids on adherence to self-administered medications: a systematic review protocol

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-030536 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (10) ◽

pp. e030536

Author(s):

Kanika Chaudhri ◽

Madeleine Kearney ◽

Richard O Day ◽

Anthony Rodgers ◽

Emily Atkins

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Study Participant ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Secondary Outcome ◽

Dose Administration ◽

Common Solution ◽

The Impact

IntroductionForgetting to take a medication is the most common reason for non-adherence to self-administered medication. Dose administration aids (DAAs) are a simple and common solution to improve unintentional non-adherence for oral tablets. DAAs can be in the form of compartmentalised pill boxes, automated medication dispensing devices, blister packs and sachets packets. This protocol aims to outline the methods that will be used in a systematic review of the current literature to assess the impact of DAAs on adherence to medications and health outcomes.Methods and analysisRandomised controlled trials will be identified through electronic searches in databases including EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library, from the beginning of each database until January 2020. Two reviewers will independently screen studies and extract data using the standardised forms. Data extracted will include general study information, characteristics of the study, participant characteristics, intervention characteristics and outcomes. Primary outcome is to assess the effects of DAAs on medication adherence. Secondary outcome is to evaluate the changes in health outcomes. The risk of bias will be ascertained by two reviewers in parallel using The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. A meta-analysis will be performed if data are homogenous.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval will not be required for this study. The results of the review described within this protocol will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed journal and relevant conference presentations.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42018096087

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Efficacy and Safety of the TCM Qi-Supplementing Therapy in Patients with Myasthenia Gravis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2017/6512572 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Xi-qian Yang ◽

Ling Liu ◽

Wen-yu Yang ◽

Huan-huan Dong ◽

Yi-ran Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Adverse Events ◽

Myasthenia Gravis ◽

Relapse Rate ◽

Response Rate ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Effective Rate ◽

Efficacy And Safety ◽

Total Response ◽

Total Response Rate

Background. The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Qi-supplementing therapy has been used widely for treating myasthenia gravis (MG) in China. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Qi-supplementing therapy as an adjunctive therapy in MG patients. Methods. Seven electronic databases were searched through June 2016. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the add-on effect of Qi-supplementing therapy in MG patients were included. The outcome measures were the total effective rate, relapse rate, and adverse events. Results. Twenty-three RCTs involving 1,691 MG patients were included. The included studies were of low-to-moderate quality. Meta-analysis showed that Qi-supplementing therapy combined with Western medicine (WM) significantly improved the total response rate and reduced the relapse risk during 6–24 months of follow-up. Subgroup analysis showed that Qi-supplementing therapy only affected the total response rate within the first 6 months of treatment. Moreover, the rate of adverse events was lower with the addition of Qi-supplementing therapy to WM than with WM only. Conclusions. Short-term Qi-supplementing therapy combined with WM appears to be superior to WM for improving the total response rate and reducing the relapse rate. However, more high-quality RCTs are warranted owing to methodological flaws of previous trials.

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Comparison of complications of early and delayed open reduction and internal fixation for treating pilon fracture: A protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0258962 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (11) ◽

pp. e0258962

Author(s):

Yang Chen ◽

Xiaoyu Huang ◽

Yili Chen ◽

Changlong Shi ◽

Hao Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Postoperative Complications ◽

Internal Fixation ◽

Open Reduction ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Secondary Outcome ◽

Statistical Heterogeneity ◽

Pilon Fractures

Background Tibial Pilon fractures are severe fractures accompanied by soft tissue injury. Although open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) are effective in treating Pilon fractures, there is a controversy over time to surgery due to reported postoperative complications. However, there is no systematic review evaluating the difference of postoperative complications between early and delayed ORIF for treating pilon fractures. Methods Relevant literature written in English will be searched through PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, MEDLINE, and Web of Science. The study aims to compare the effects and complications of early and delayed ORIF for treating fresh pilon fractures in adult patients. The primary outcome will be infection rate, fracture union time, nonunion and malunion rate. And the secondary outcome will be metalwork removal, amputation, and ankle function grade. Two reviewers will independently assess the eligibility of the studies according to the pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. A meta-analysis for the available data will be conducted using Revman 5.3. To measure effect size, odds ratios (ORs) and mean difference will be used for dichotomous and continuous data, respectively. Statistical heterogeneity will be explored. And a random-effects model or a fixed-effects will be used in pooled data on the basis of the existence or absence of heterogeneity. Subgroup analysis will be conducted to identify sources of heterogeneity and sensitivity analysis to test the results’ robustness. We will assess the risk of bias by four different quality assessment tools according to the study design. Publication bias will be evaluated by funnel plot. The study data will be stored in the Open Science Framework website. PROSPERO registration number CRD42020207465

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Effect of music intervention on mental health in patients with diabetes mellitus: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomizsed controlled trials

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-036268 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. e036268

Author(s):

Lin-yue Zhou ◽

Yuan Zhang ◽

Yuan Tian ◽

Xiaoxu Fu ◽

Li-zhen Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Secondary Outcome ◽

Published Data ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Music Intervention ◽

Patients With Diabetes

IntroductionAbout 463 million adults aged 20–79 have diabetes globally. Mental disorders often exist in patients with diabetes as comorbidities, which can lead to aggravation of the diseases, increased difficulties in treatment, as well as elevated mortality rates. Music intervention has been applied in the treatment of comorbidities for 12 years now, but there are still no recommendations due to the lack of evidence. Thus, a meta-analysis is necessary to evaluate the effect of music intervention in treating mental disorders of patients with diabetes.Methods and analysisWe will search the following nine online electronic databases from their inception until March 2020: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, EBSCO, Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP) and Chinese Biomedical and Medical Database. We also plan to search other relevant resources, including grey literature and the reference lists of relevant publications. Only randomised controlled trials of music intervention to treat depression or anxiety in patients with diabetes will be involved. The primary outcomes include the depression score and anxiety score measured on certain scales, and the secondary outcome is safety. Data extraction will be independently implemented by two researchers. The risk of bias will be evaluated through the Cochrane Collaboration’s Risk of Bias tool. Eventually, all the data will be analysed via the Review Manager V.5.3 software.Ethics and disseminationThis meta-analysis will provide information about applying music intervention to treat depression or anxiety in patients with diabetes. No ethical approval is required because this meta-analysis is based on published data. The results of this systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42019146439

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Caesarean sections and private insurance: systematic review and meta-analysis

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016600 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 7 (8) ◽

pp. e016600 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Ilir Hoxha ◽

Lamprini Syrogiannouli ◽

Medina Braha ◽

David C Goodman ◽

Bruno R da Costa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Caesarean Section ◽

Financial Incentives ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Private Insurance ◽

Insurance Coverage ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Secondary Outcome ◽

Public Insurance ◽

Privately Insured

ObjectiveFinancial incentives associated with private insurance may encourage healthcare providers to perform more caesarean sections. We therefore sought to determine the association of private insurance and odds of caesarean section.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.Data sourcesMEDLINE, Embase and The Cochrane Library from the first year of records through August 2016.Eligibility criteriaWe included studies that reported data to allow the calculation of OR of caesarean section of privately insured as compared with publicly insured women.OutcomesThe prespecified primary outcome was the adjusted OR of births delivered by caesarean section of women covered with private insurance as compared with women covered with public insurance. The prespecified secondary outcome was the crude OR of births delivered by caesarean section of women covered with private insurance as compared with women covered with public insurance.ResultsEighteen articles describing 21 separate studies in 12.9 million women were included in this study. In a meta-analysis of 13 studies, the adjusted odds of delivery by caesarean section was 1.13 higher among privately insured women as compared with women with public insurance coverage (95% CI 1.07 to 1.18) with no relevant heterogeneity between studies (τ2=0.006). The meta-analysis of crude estimates from 12 studies revealed a somewhat more pronounced association (pooled OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.27 to 1.44) with no relevant heterogeneity between studies (τ2=0.011).ConclusionsCaesarean sections are more likely to be performed in privately insured women as compared with women using public health insurance coverage. Although this effect is small on average and variable in its magnitude, it is present in all analyses we performed.

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Effect of garlic (Allium sativum) extract on salivary streptococcus mutans: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Pharmaceutical Sciences ◽

10.34172/ps.2021.37 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Mostafa Torbati ◽

Parya Emamverdizadeh ◽

Mohammadalili Torbati ◽

Mahsa Maghalian ◽

Mojgan Mirghafourvand

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Streptococcus Mutans ◽

Allium Sativum ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Garlic Extract ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Secondary Outcome ◽

Control Group ◽

Dental Diseases

Background: Oral and dental diseases are among the common health conditions which can have different effects on the individuals’ health and quality of life. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of garlic (Allium sativum) extract on saliva Streptococcus mutans (primary outcome) and its side effects (secondary outcome). Methods: In the present systematic review and meta-analysis, English and Persian databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, SID, and Magiran) were systematically searched until February 25, 2021. The quality of the included studies was examined using Cochrane handbook, and the meta-analysis was carried out using RevMan 5.3. Heterogeneity of the studies was analyzed by index I2. Moreover, the quality of the evidence was assessed through GRADE approach. Results: A total of 93 studies were found on the databases; 89 articles were screened by title and abstract review and were removed as 19 studies were repetitive and 70 studies were unrelated to the subject under study. Ultimately, 4 articles with a sample size of 171 participants were included in this study, and two of the four studies were meta-analyzed. In all the 4 studies, garlic extract was effective in reducing the number of saliva Streptococcus mutans colonies compared to the control group. The results of the meta-analysis showed that using garlic extract mouthwash significantly decreased the average number of saliva Streptococcus mutans colonies (Mean Difference: -3.32; 95%CI: -4.39 to -2.26; P<0.00001). Conclusion: Although this review study indicated the significant effect of garlic extract in reducing saliva Streptococcus mutans, the evidence is not sufficient enough to recommend garlic extract to fight saliva Streptococcus mutans, and more clinical trials with stronger designs and larger sample sizes are needed.

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Caesarean section in uninsured women in the USA: systematic review and meta-analysis

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-025356 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. e025356 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ilir Hoxha ◽

Medina Braha ◽

Lamprini Syrogiannouli ◽

David C Goodman ◽

Peter Jüni

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Caesarean Section ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Private Insurance ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Secondary Outcome ◽

Lower Odds ◽

The Usa ◽

Publicly Insured ◽

Privately Insured

ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to assess the odds of caesarean section (CS) for uninsured women in the USA and understand the underlying mechanisms as well as consequences of lower use.Study designSystematic review and meta-analysis.Data sourcesPubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library and CINAHL from the first year of records to April 2018.Eligibility criteriaWe included studies that reported data to allow the calculation of ORs of CS of uninsured as compared with insured women.OutcomesThe prespecified primary outcome was the adjusted OR of deliveries by CS of uninsured women as compared with privately or publicly insured women. The prespecified secondary outcome was the crude OR of deliveries by CS of uninsured women as compared with insured women.Results12 articles describing 16 separate studies involving more than 8.8 million women were included in this study. We found: 0.70 times lower odds of CS in uninsured as compared with privately insured women (95% CI 0.63 to 0.78), with no relevant heterogeneity between studies (τ2=0.01); and 0.92 times lower odds for CS in uninsured as compared with publicly insured women (95% CI 0.80 to 1.07), with no relevant heterogeneity between studies (τ2=0.02). We found 0.70 times lower odds in uninsured as compared with privately and publicly insured women (95% CI 0.69 to 0.72).ConclusionsCSs are less likely to be performed in uninsured women as compared with insured women. While the higher rates for CS among privately insured women can be explained with financial incentives associated with private insurance, the lower odds among uninsured women draw attention at barriers to access for delivery care. In many regions, the rates for uninsured women are above, close or below the benchmarks for appropriate CS rates and could imply both, underuse and overuse.

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Sex difference in coronavirus disease (COVID-19): a systematic review and meta-analysis

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040129 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. e040129 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Biruk Beletew Abate ◽

Ayelign Mengesha Kassie ◽

Mesfin Wudu Kassaw ◽

Teshome Gebremeskel Aragie ◽

Setamlak Adane Masresha

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Publication Bias ◽

Sex Difference ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Random Effect ◽

Sensitivity Analyses ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Secondary Outcome ◽

Men And Women ◽

High Prevalence

ObjectiveTo assess the sex difference in the prevalence of COVID-19 confirmed cases.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.SettingPubMed, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar were searched for related information. The authors developed a data extraction form on an Excel sheet and the following data from eligible studies were extracted: author, country, sample size, number of female patients and number of male patients. Using STATA V.14 for analysis, the authors pooled the overall prevalence of men and/or women using a random-effect meta-analysis model. The authors examined the heterogeneity in effect size using Q statistics and I2 statistics. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed. Publication bias was also checked.ParticipantsStudies on COVID-19 confirmed cases were included.InterventionSex (male/female) of COVID-19 confirmed cases was considered.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe primary outcome was prevalence of COVID-19 among men and women.ResultsA total of 57 studies with 221 195 participants were used in the analysis. The pooled prevalence of COVID-19 among men was found to be 55.00 (51.43–56.58, I2=99.5%, p<0.001). Sensitivity analysis showed the findings were not dependent on a single study. Moreover, a funnel plot showed symmetrical distribution. Egger’s regression test p value was not significant, which indicates absence of publication bias in both outcomes.ConclusionsThe prevalence of symptomatic COVID-19 was found to be higher in men than in women. The high prevalence of smoking and alcohol consumption contributed to the high prevalence of COVID-19 among men. Additional studies on the discrepancies in severity and mortality rate due to COVID-19 among men and women and the associated factors are recommended.

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Efficacy of Curcumin on Aortic Atherosclerosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis in Mouse Studies and Insights into Possible Mechanisms

Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity ◽

10.1155/2020/1520747 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-16 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ke Lin ◽

Huaijun Chen ◽

Xiaojun Chen ◽

Jinfu Qian ◽

Shushi Huang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Serum Lipid ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Atherosclerotic Lesion ◽

Lipid Profiles ◽

Effective Dosage ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Secondary Outcome ◽

Lesion Area ◽

Aortic Lesion

Since the first report in 2005, accumulating interests have been focused on the effect of curcumin in atherosclerosis with discrepancies. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to comprehensively estimate its effect against atherosclerosis. Literature search was performed on the database of PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library to identify relevant studies which estimated the effect of curcumin in atherosclerosis. Reporting effects on aortic lesion area was the primary outcome while effects on serum lipid profiles and circulating inflammatory markers were the secondary outcome. A total of 10 studies including 14 independent pairwise experiments were included in our analysis. We clarified that curcumin could significantly reduce aortic atherosclerotic lesion area (SMD=‐0.89, 95% CI: -1.36 to -0.41, P=0.0003), decrease serum lipid profiles (Tc, MD=‐1.005, 95% CI: -1.885 to -0.124, P=0.025; TG, MD=‐0.045, 95% CI: -0.088 to -0.002, P=0.042; LDL-c, MD=‐0.523, 95% CI: -0.896 to -0.149, P=0.006) as well as plasma inflammatory indicators (TNF-α, MD=‐56.641, 95% CI: -86.848 to -26.433, P<0.001; IL-1β, MD=‐5.089, 95% CI: -8.559 to -1.619, P=0.004). Dose-response meta-analysis predicted effective dosage of curcumin between 0 and 347 mg/kg BW per day, which was safe and nontoxic according to the existing publications. The underlying mechanisms were also discussed and might be associated with the modulation of lipid transport and inflammation in cells within artery walls as well as indirect modulations in other tissues. Clinical evidence from nonatherosclerosis populations revealed that curcumin would lower the lipid profiles and inflammatory responses as it has in a mouse model. However, standard preclinical animal trial designs are still needed; further studies focusing on the optimal dose of curcumin against atherosclerosis and RCTs directly in atherosclerosis patients are also warranted.

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