scholarly journals Electroacupuncture is Beneficial for Primary Dysmenorrhea: The Evidence from Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Si-yi Yu ◽  
Zheng-tao Lv ◽  
Qing Zhang ◽  
Sha Yang ◽  
Xi Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trials ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Alternative Therapy ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Primary Dysmenorrhea ◽  
Symptom Scale ◽  
Promising Alternative ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
And Control

Electroacupuncture (EA) is considered to be a promising alternative therapy to relieve the menstrual pain for primary dysmenorrhea (PD), but the conclusion is controversial. Here, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis specifically to evaluate the clinical efficacy from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the use of EA in patients with PD. PubMed, Embase, ISI Web of Science, CENTRAL, CNKI, and Wanfang were searched to identify RCTs that evaluated the effectiveness of EA for PD. The outcome measurements included visual analogue scale (VAS), verbal rating scale (VRS), COX retrospective symptom scale (RSS), and the curative rate. Nine RCTs with high risk of bias were included for meta-analysis. The combined VAS 30 minutes after the completion of intervention favoured EA at SP6 when compared with EA at GB39, nonacupoints, and waiting-list groups. EA was superior to pharmacological treatment when the treatment duration lasted for three menstrual cycles, evidenced by significantly higher curative rate. No statistically significant differences between EA at SP6 and control groups were found regarding the VRS, RSS-COX1, and RSS-COX2. The findings of our study suggested that EA can provide considerable immediate analgesia effect for PD. Additional studies with rigorous design and larger sample sizes are needed.

scholarly journals Acupuncture or Acupressure at the Sanyinjiao (SP6) Acupoint for the Treatment of Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Meta-Analysis

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ma-Na Chen ◽  
Li-Wei Chien ◽  
Chi-Feng Liu
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trials ◽  
Lower Limit ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Primary Dysmenorrhea ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Upper Limit ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
And Control

This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture or acupressure at the Sanyinjiao (SP6) acupoint in relieving pain associated with primary dysmenorrhea. We searched the scientific literature databases to identify randomized controlled trials. The primary outcome was visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score. Three acupuncture and four acupressure trials were included in the meta-analyses. For the acupuncture analysis, there was no difference in the mean VAS score reduction between the SP6 acupoint and control (GB39 acupoint) groups (−4.935; lower limit = −15.757, upper limit = 5.887;P=0.371). For the acupressure analysis, there was a significant difference in the mean VAS score after intervention between the SP6 acupoint and control (rest/light touch at SP6/nonacupoint acupressure) groups, favoring the SP6 acupoint group (−1.011; lower limit = −1.622, upper limit = −0.400;P=0.001). Sensitivity analyses demonstrated good reliability of the meta-analyses findings. These findings suggest that acupuncture at SP6 is not more effective than acupuncture at an unrelated acupoint in the relief from primary dysmenorrhea. Acupressure at SP6 may be effective in the relief from primary dysmenorrhea. High-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings.

scholarly journals The Effectiveness of Tocilizumab in the Treatment of COVID-19 in Adults: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun Chen ◽  
ZeMei Zhou ◽  
Jing Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trials ◽  
Hospital Discharge ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Cochrane Central Register ◽  
Composite Outcome ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Serious Infection ◽  
And Control

Abstract Background: Since December 2019, COVID-19 has spread to the world which leads to a global health threat. We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of tocilizumab on COVID-19 patients.Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and WHO international Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) from their inception to March 10, 2021 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on tocilizumab supplementation in adults with COVID-19 disease. The primary outcomes were mortality at 28-30 day and 60-day, incidence of mechanical ventilation (MV), composite outcome of death or MV, time to hospital discharge, and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions. A random-effects meta-analysis model was used to pool studies. Results: Eleven studies with a total of 6,579 patients were included in our meta-analysis, of which 3,406 and 3,173 were respectively assigned to the tocilizumab and control groups. Tocilizumab could significantly reduce 28-30 day mortality (RR = 0.89, 95% CI 0.80-0.99, P = 0.04), incidence of MV (RR= 0.79, 95% CI 0.71-0.89, P = 0.0001), composition outcome of MV or death (RR = 0.81, 95% CI 0.72-0.90, P = 0.0002), time to hospital discharge (HR = 1.30, 95% CI 1.16-1.45, P ＜ 0.00001 ), ICU admissions (RR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.47-0.88, P = 0.006), serious infection (RR = 0.61, 95% CI 0.40-0.94, P = 0.02) and events of serious adverse advents (RR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.47-0.86, P = 0.004). There was no significant difference between tocilizumab and control groups in 60-day mortality and adverse events (AEs).Conclusions: Tocilizumab could reduce the short-term mortality, incidence of MV, composite outcome of death or MV, ICU admissions, serious infection and events of serious adverse advents, and shorten the time to hospital discharge in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. The optimal effective dose needs to be confirmed by further studies.

scholarly journals Effects of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors on Arterial Stiffness: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiuli Li ◽  
Peng Chang ◽  
Qiongying Wang ◽  
Hao Hu ◽  
Feng Bai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Arterial Stiffness ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trials ◽  
Antihypertensive Drugs ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
And Control

To determine the effects of ACEIs on arterial stiffness, a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials was conducted. Relevant articles that investigated the effects of ACEIs on arterial stiffness from PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane library from inception to September 2018 were systematically retrieved. The investigated outcomes included brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (ba-PWV) and carotid-femoral PWV (cf-PWV) by using weighted mean differences (WMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) with the random-effects model. A total of 17 RCTs including 1,458 individuals were included. The summary results indicated no significant differences between ACEIs and control for ba-PWV and cf-PWV. Also, no significant differences between ACEI and control for ba-PWV and cf-PWV were observed in hypertensive patients, while the therapeutic effects of ACEI versus placebo showed statistically significant difference. Moreover, subgroup analysis indicated that the levels of ba-PWV were significantly associated if the study was conducted in Western countries, mean age <60.0 years, percentage male ≥60.0%, compared with ARBs, baseline PWV <10.0, and high-quality study. Furthermore, the significant levels of cf-PWV in patients who received ACEIs were observed when percentage male was ≥60.0% and the studies were of high-quality. Finally, no significant differences were observed between ACEIs and other antihypertensive drugs regarding the changes of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). The overall analysis suggested no significant differences between ACEIs and other antihypertensive drugs for ba-PWV and cf-PWV levels, whereas ACEIs versus placebo showed lower levels of ba-PWV and cf-PWV.

scholarly journals Music Interventions for Anxiety in Pregnant Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 1884 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chien-Ju Lin ◽  
Yu-Chen Chang ◽  
Yu-Han Chang ◽  
Yu-Hsuan Hsiao ◽  
Hsin-Hui Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trials ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Anxiety Reduction ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Medical Patients ◽  
Music Intervention ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
And Control

Prenatal anxiety is extremely common and may result in adverse effects on both the mother and the baby. Music interventions have been used to reduce anxiety in various medical patients and in pregnant women during childbirth. This study aims to assess the clinical efficacy of music interventions in women during pregnancy rather than during labor. Seven databases were searched from inception to September 2019 without language restrictions. We included only randomized controlled trials that compared music intervention and control groups for anxiety reduction in pregnant women. We used the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool (RoB 2.0) for quality assessment. Finally, 11 studies with 1482 participants were included. The pooled meta-analysis results showed that music interventions significantly decreased anxiety levels (standardized mean difference (SMD), −0.42; 95% confidence interval (CI), −0.83 to −0.02; I2 = 91%). Moreover, subgroup analysis showed that listening to music at home had significant anxiolytic benefits (SMD, −0.28; 95% CI, −0.47 to −0.08; I2 = 0%). However, meta-regression revealed a nonsignificant trend for increase in the anxiety-reducing effects of music interventions with increasing maternal age. In conclusion, music interventions may be beneficial in reducing anxiety and may be applied in pregnant women.

The Effects of Statins on Physical Activity or Physical Fitness Among Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 762-774
Author(s):  
Adelle Gadowski ◽  
Alice J. Owen ◽  
Andrea Curtis ◽  
Natalie Nanayakkara ◽  
Stephane Heritier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Heart Rate ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trials ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Maximal Heart Rate ◽  
Exercise Time ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
And Control

This review examines the effects of statins on physical activity and/or fitness, as statins can have adverse muscle effects. A search was done of MEDLINE, Embase, and EBMR databases up to July 2018 for randomized controlled trials comparing statin with placebo or control, measuring physical activity and/or fitness in adults. Sixteen randomized controlled trials (total participants [N] = 2,944) were included, 6 randomized controlled trials contributed data for meta-analysis. Random effects meta-analysis examined differences in physical fitness, maximal exercise time (in seconds) in exercise testing, and maximal heart rate (in beats per minute) between statins and control. No significant difference between statin and control for maximal heart rate (mean difference = 2.8 beats per minute, 95% confidence interval [−7.4, 13.0]; p = .59) nor exercise time (mean difference = 82.8 s, 95% confidence interval [−31.9, 197.4]; p = .516) were seen. There were insufficient studies reporting habitual physical activity to perform a meta-analysis. This review found no evidence for an effect of statins on physical activity or fitness, but data availability is limited.

Acupuncture May Improve Quality of Life in Menopausal Women: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 183-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weihan Li ◽  
Yunyun Luo ◽  
Wenbin Fu ◽  
Rui Lei
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trials ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Menopausal Symptoms ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Menopausal Women

Objective: This analysis aims to identify, on the basis of the results of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), whether acupuncture therapy can alleviate menopausal symptoms and promote health-related quality of life. Methods: We included RCTs that directly compared any type of acupuncture with sham acupuncture in treating menopause-related symptoms and which were published from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2016 in 6 electronic databases. Two authors performed this work independently; ‘risk-of-bias' assessment and data extraction were also independently performed by these 2 review authors. The outcomes are presented as scores of the menopause rating scale (MRS), which represents the self-assessment of patients. Results: Six studies were included. Our analysis found that acupuncture can reduce the MRS score in menopausal women by the end of the treating period (2-3 months, on average) and even in the follow-up period (1-3 months), not only in the total score but also in each subscale score. But the grade of evidence is very low. Conclusions: Both the total score and the subgroup analysis strongly indicated that acupuncture can alleviate menopause-related symptoms. However, the evidence is not very strong. Thus, further studies about the efficiency of acupuncture on menopausal symptoms based on well-designed trials are needed.

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