Probiotics as a Complementary Therapy for Management of Obesity: A Systematic Review

Background. Considering the observed role of probiotics in modulating gut microbiome, probiotics are discussed to be one potential complementary therapy for obesity management in recent years. The aim of the present study was to systematically review the meta-analyses of controlled trials and investigate the effects of probiotics on obesity. Methods. A comprehensive search was conducted on PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library web databases up to May 2020. Inclusion criteria were meta-analyses of controlled trials which evaluated the impact of probiotics on obesity in English language. Meta-analyses done on pregnant women, children, animal studies, or the effect of prebiotics on anthropometric indices were excluded. Results. Within 325 recorded studies, 20 studies met the inclusion criteria consisting of 16676 overweight/obese adults with different underlying disorders such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The length of intervention varied from 2 to 26 weeks. Results of meta-analyses have shown a moderate effect of probiotics on body weight in overweight/obese adults: from −0.526 kg/m2 (95% CI: −0.810, −0.247) to −0.25 kg/m2 (95% CI: −0.33, −0.17). Body mass index (BMI) was changed from −1.46 kg/m2 (95% CI: −2.44, −0.48) to −1.08 kg/m2 (95% CI: −2.05, −0.11) in NAFLD. Probiotics could reduce BMI from −0.36 kg/m2 (95% CI: −0.74, 0.02) to −0.29 kg/m2 (95% CI: −0.54, −0.03) in patients with PCOS. Conclusion. It seems that the probiotic products could have beneficial effects as an adjunct therapy for care and management of obesity when used in high dose. However, due to heterogeneity of included studies, it is required to confirm our results by more meta-analyses of clinical trials.

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Appropriate Systemic Therapy Dosing for Obese Adult Patients With Cancer: ASCO Guideline Update

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.21.00471 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. JCO.21.00471

Author(s):

Jennifer J. Griggs ◽

Kari Bohlke ◽

Edward P. Balaban ◽

James J. Dignam ◽

Evan T. Hall ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Targeted Therapies ◽

Adult Patients ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Future Research ◽

Obese Adult ◽

Obese Adults ◽

Additional Information ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

Nonobese Patients ◽

The Impact

PURPOSE To provide recommendations for appropriate dosing of systemic antineoplastic agents in obese adults with cancer. METHODS A systematic review of the literature collected evidence regarding dosing of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapies in obese adults with cancer. PubMed and the Cochrane Library were searched for randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, or cohort studies published from November 1, 2010, through March 27, 2020. ASCO convened an Expert Panel to review the evidence and formulate recommendations. RESULTS Sixty studies, primarily retrospective, were included in the review. Overall, the evidence supported previous findings that obese adult patients tolerate full, body-size–based dosing of chemotherapy as well as nonobese patients. Fewer studies have addressed the dosing of targeted therapies and immunotherapies in relation to safety and efficacy in obese patients. RECOMMENDATIONS The Panel continues to recommend that full, weight-based cytotoxic chemotherapy doses be used to treat obese adults with cancer. New to this version of the guideline, the Panel also recommends that full, approved doses of immunotherapy and targeted therapies be offered to obese adults with cancer. In the event of toxicity, the consensus of the Panel is that dose modifications of systemic antineoplastic therapies should be handled similarly for obese and nonobese patients. Important areas for future research include the impact of sarcopenia and other measures of body composition on optimal antineoplastic dosing, and more customized dosing based on pharmacokinetic or pharmacogenetic factors. Additional information is available at www.asco.org/supportive-care-guidelines .

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Impact of Diabetes Care by Pharmacists as Part of Health Care Team in Ambulatory Settings: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Annals of Pharmacotherapy ◽

10.1177/1060028017711454 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 51 (10) ◽

pp. 890-907 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Maryam T. Fazel ◽

Alaa Bagalagel ◽

Jeannie K. Lee ◽

Jennifer R. Martin ◽

Marion K. Slack

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Health Care ◽

Health Care Team ◽

Mean Difference ◽

Care Team ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Therapeutic Outcomes ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

The Impact

Objective: To conduct a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analyses examining the impact of pharmacist interventions as part of health care teams on diabetes therapeutic outcomes in ambulatory care settings. Data Sources: PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, Web of Science, Scopus, WHO’s Global Health Library, ClinicalTrials.gov , and Google Scholar were searched (1995 to February 2017). Search terms included pharmacist, team, and diabetes. Study Selection: Full-text articles published in English with comparative designs, including randomized controlled trials, nonrandomized controlled trials, and pretest-posttest studies evaluating hemoglobin A1C (A1C), were assessed. Data Extraction and Synthesis: Two reviewers independently screened for study inclusion and extracted data. Quality of the studies was assessed using tools developed based on the framework of the Cochrane Collaboration’s recommendations. Data Synthesis: A total of 1908 studies were identified from the literature and reference searches; 42 studies were included in the systematic review (n = 10 860) and 35 in the meta-analyses (n = 7417). Mean age ranged from 42 to 73 years, and 8% to 100% were male. The overall standardized mean difference (SMD) for A1C for pharmacist care versus comparison was 0.57 ( P < 0.01), a moderate effect representing a mean difference of 1.1% (95% CI = 0.88-1.27). The effects for systolic blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were between small and moderate (SMD = 0.31 and 0.32; P < 0.01). The heterogeneity was high for all outcomes (>83%), indicating functional differences among the studies. No publication bias was detected. Conclusion: Pharmacists’ interventions as part of the patient’s health care team improved diabetes therapeutic outcomes, substantiating the important role of pharmacists in team-based diabetes management.

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The Underrepresentation of Females in Studies Assessing the Impact of High-Dose Exercise on Cardiovascular Outcomes: a Scoping Review

Sports Medicine - Open ◽

10.1186/s40798-021-00320-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Roshan Patel ◽

Caitlin L. Kemp ◽

Muneebah Hafejee ◽

Nicholas Peckham ◽

Vageesh Jain ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Scoping Review ◽

Cardiovascular Effects ◽

Cardiovascular Outcomes ◽

High Dose ◽

Inclusion Criteria ◽

Scoping Reviews ◽

The Mean ◽

Exercise Induced ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

The Impact

AbstractHigh-dose exercise-induced cardiac outcomes may vary between sexes. However, many studies investigating the cardiovascular effects of high-dose exercise have excluded or under-recruited females. This scoping review aimed to describe the recruitment of females in studies assessing the impact of high-dose exercise on cardiovascular outcomes and describe how this has changed over time. This scoping review followed the protocol outlined by Arksey and O’Malley and is reported as per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. The OVID and EMBASE databases were searched for studies that assessed the effects of high-dose exercise on cardiovascular outcomes. Both professional and nonprofessional groups were included. The review found 2973 studies, and 250 met the inclusion criteria including cumulatively 17,548,843 subjects. Over half the studies (n = 127) excluded females entirely, and only 8 (3.2%) studies recruited all-female participants. The overall mean percentage of females recruited was 18.2%. The mean percentage was 14.5% in studies conducted before 2011 and 21.8% in studies conducted after 2011. Females are an underrepresented group in studies assessing the cardiovascular outcomes related to high-dose exercise. As cardiovascular outcomes vary between sexes, translating findings from a largely male-based evidence may not be appropriate. Future investigators should aim to establish and overcome barriers to female recruitment.

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Efficacy and safety of aliskiren combination therapy: a protocol for an umbrella review

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-043807 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. e043807

Author(s):

Jiantong Shen ◽

Wenming Feng ◽

Yike Wang ◽

Qiyuan Zhao ◽

Billong Laura Flavorta ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Combination Therapy ◽

Systematic Reviews ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Umbrella Review ◽

Quality Of Reporting ◽

Ethical Approval ◽

Registration Number ◽

Third Person ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

The Impact

IntroductionEfficacy of aliskiren combination therapy with other antihypertensive has been evaluated in the treatment of patients with hypertension in recent systematic reviews. However, most previous reviews only focused on one single health outcome or one setting, none of them made a full summary that assessed the impact of aliskiren combination treatment comprehensively. As such, this umbrella review based on systematic reviews and meta-analyses is aimed to synthesise the evidences on efficacy, safety and tolerability of aliskiren-based therapy for hypertension and related comorbid patients.Methods and analysisA comprehensive search of PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CNKI published from inception to August 2020 will be conducted. The selected articles are systematic reviews which evaluated efficacy, safety and tolerability of aliskiren combination therapy. Two reviewers will screen eligible articles, extract data and evaluate quality independently. Any disputes will be resolved by discussion or the arbitration of a third person. The quality of reporting evidence will be assessed using the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews V.2 tool tool. We will take a mixed-methods approach to synthesising the review literatures, reporting summary of findings tables and iteratively mapping the results.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is not required for the study, as we would only collect data from available published materials. This umbrella review will be also submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication after completion.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020192131.

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Is the use of contraceptives associated with periodontal diseases? A systematic review and meta-analyses

BMC Women s Health ◽

10.1186/s12905-021-01180-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Micaele Maria Lopes Castro ◽

Maria Karolina Martins Ferreira ◽

Iasmin Encaua Essashika Prazeres ◽

Paula Beatriz de Oliveira Nunes ◽

Marcela Baraúna Magno ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Quantitative Analysis ◽

Periodontal Diseases ◽

Hormonal Contraceptive ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Hormonal Contraceptives ◽

Clinical Parameters ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Previous studies indicated an impact of hormonal contraceptive use on oral health. This systematic review aimed to investigate the evidence supporting the impact of the use of hormonal contraceptives and periodontal diseases. Methods This study is based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and based on the PECO acrostic. Inclusion criteria comprised observational studies including women (P), which evaluated hormonal contraceptive users (E) and hormonal contraceptive non-users (C), to verify the association between this hormonal therapy and the periodontal diseases (O). Searches were performed on 5 databases: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, LILACS and grey literature (OpenGrey and Google Scholar). After the selection process, the included studies were evaluated qualitatively. Moreover, quantitative data were analyzed in two meta-analyses for clinical attachment loss (CAL) and probing depth (PD). Finally, the level of certainty was measured with the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) tool between periodontal clinical parameters. Results 18 articles were eligible for the qualitative synthesis and 7 of them were selected for quantitative analysis. Hence, 15 of the eligible articles reported an association between the use of hormonal contraceptives and severity of periodontal disease. However, 6 articles demonstrated high risk of bias and were excluded from quantitative synthesis. The meta-analysis showed a statistically significant difference for CAL (MD 0.24 [0.09, 0.40]; p = 0.002), but in PD (MD 0.05 [− 0.05, 0.15]; p = 0.33) such difference was not identified. A very low level of evidence was found between the clinical parameters. Conclusions The use of hormonal contraceptives may be associated to severity of periodontal diseases. However, the quantitative analysis points to an inconclusive outcome due to the high level of heterogeneity. The association is biologically plausible, however additional studies are warranted to better elucidate the clinical significance of this possible association.

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Efficacy of hydrofibre dressing following total joint arthroplasty: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Hip International ◽

10.1177/11207000211012669 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 112070002110126

Author(s):

Raman Mundi ◽

Harman Chaudhry ◽

Seper Ekhtiari ◽

Prabjit Ajrawat ◽

Daniel M Tushinski ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Total Joint Arthroplasty ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Joint Infection ◽

The United States ◽

Joint Arthroplasty ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Observable Effect ◽

The Impact

Introduction: In the United States, over 1,000,000 total joint arthroplasty (TJA) surgeries are performed annually and has been forecasted that this number will exceed 4,000,000 by the year 2030. Many different types of dressing exist for use in TJA surgery, and it is unclear if any of the newer, hydrofibre dressings are superior to traditional dressings at reducing rates of infections or improving wound healing. Thus, the aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the impact of hydrofiber dressings on reducing complications. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed using the online databases MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing hydrofibre dressings to a standard dressing were included. Summary measures are reported as odds ratios (ORs) and mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Our primary outcome was prosthetic joint infection (PJI). Secondary outcomes included blisters, dressing changes and wound irritation. Results: 5 RCTs were included. Hydrofibre dressing had no observable effect on PJI or wound irritation (OR 0.53; 95% CI, 0.14–1.98; p = 0.35). Hydrofibre dressings reduced the rate of blisters (OR 0.36; 95% CI, 0.14–0.90; p = 0.03) and number of dressing changes (MD -1.89; 95% CI, -2.68 to -1.11). Conclusions: In conclusion, evidence suggests hydrofibre dressings have no observable effect on PJI and wound irritation. Evidence for reduction in blisters and number of dressings is modest given wide CIs and biased trial methodologies. Use of hydrofibre dressings should be considered inconclusive for mitigating major complications in light of current best evidence.

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The Impact of Vegan Diet in the Prevention and Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13062123 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 2123

Author(s):

Daniela Pollakova ◽

Aikaterini Andreadi ◽

Francesca Pacifici ◽

David Della-Morte ◽

Davide Lauro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Type 2 Diabetes ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Vegan Diet ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Diabetic Patients ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Observational Cohort ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

The Impact

A protective effect of vegan diets on health outcomes has been observed in previous studies, but its impact on diabetes is still debated. The aim of this review is to assess the relationship between vegan diets and the risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D) along with its effect on glycemic control and diabetes-related complications. In accordance with PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta–Analyses) guidelines, Pubmed and Cochrane library databases were systematically searched for all relevant studies. Seven observational and eight randomized controlled (RCTs) studies were included. The methodological quality of studies was assessed using the National Institutes of Health quality assessment tool for observational cohort and cross-sectional studies and the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for RCTs. We found that a vegan diet is associated with lower T2D prevalence or incidence and in T2D patients decreases high glucose values and improves glucose homeostasis, as reported from the majority of included studies. This approach seems to be comparable to other recommended healthful eating models, but as it may have potential adverse effects associated with the long-term exclusion of some nutrients, appropriate nutritional planning and surveillance are recommended, particularly in specific groups of diabetic patients such as frail elderly, adolescents, and pregnant or breastfeeding women.

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The Impact of Subclinical Hypothyroidism on Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis

Hormone and Metabolic Research ◽

10.1055/a-1463-3198 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 53 (06) ◽

pp. 382-390

Author(s):

Yuling Xing ◽

Jinhu Chen ◽

Jing Liu ◽

Huijuan Ma

Keyword(s):

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome ◽

Subclinical Hypothyroidism ◽

Polycystic Ovary ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Chinese Patients ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Academic Journal ◽

Ovary Syndrome ◽

Funnel Plot ◽

The Impact

AbstractThe association between subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has been shown in many studies. These findings are still controversial, however. It is unclear whether the co-incidence of subclinical hypothyroidism and polycystic ovary syndrome will affect the severity of metabolism. Therefore, we performed this meta-analysis to investigate the association. A comprehensive search strategy was developed to obtain all relevant studies published in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Chinese Academic Journal Full-text Database (CNKI) up to 31 December 2020. We adopted the standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for evaluation, and sensitivity analysis was performed. Publication bias was analyzed and represented by a funnel plot, and funnel plot symmetry was assessed with Egger’s test. Twenty-seven studies with 4821 participants (1300 PCOS patients with SCH, 3521 PCOS patients without SCH) were included in the present meta-analysis,among which 71.31% chinese patients out of the total. The results showed that PCOS patients with SCH had higher levels of HOMA-IR, TG, TC, LDL, FBG, FCP, PRL and lower levels of HDL, LH and T. It also recognized the limitation of the lack of a consistent definition of hypothyroidism in the 27 studies included. The results of this study indicated that SCH may aggravate lipid and glucose metabolism in patients with PCOS.

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Reasons why people do not attend NHS Health Checks: a systematic review and qualitative synthesis

British Journal of General Practice ◽

10.3399/bjgp17x693929 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 68 (666) ◽

pp. e28-e35 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Emma Harte ◽

Calum MacLure ◽

Adam Martin ◽

Catherine L Saunders ◽

Catherine Meads ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Health Management ◽

Health Check ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Inclusion Criteria ◽

Qualitative Synthesis ◽

Health Checks ◽

The Impact ◽

Nhs Health Checks ◽

Nhs Health Check

BackgroundThe NHS Health Check programme is a prevention initiative offering cardiovascular risk assessment and management advice to adults aged 40–74 years across England. Its effectiveness depends on uptake. When it was introduced in 2009, it was anticipated that all those eligible would be invited over a 5-year cycle and 75% of those invited would attend. So far in the current cycle from 2013 to 2018, 33.8% of those eligible have attended, which is equal to 48.5% of those invited to attend. Understanding the reasons why some people do not attend is important to maximise the impact of the programmes.AimTo review why people do not attend NHS Health Checks.Design and settingA systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative studies.MethodAn electronic literature search was carried out of MEDLINE, Embase, Health Management Information Consortium, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Global Health, PsycINFO, Web of Science, OpenGrey, the Cochrane Library, NHS Evidence, Google Scholar, Google, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the ISRCTN registry from 1 January 1996 to 9 November 2016, and the reference lists of all included papers were also screened manually. Inclusion criteria were primary research studies that reported the views of people who were eligible for but had not attended an NHS Health Check.ResultsNine studies met the inclusion criteria. Reasons for not attending included lack of awareness or knowledge, misunderstanding the purpose of the NHS Health Check, aversion to preventive medicine, time constraints, difficulties with access to general practices, and doubts regarding pharmacies as appropriate settings.ConclusionThe findings particularly highlight the need for improved communication and publicity around the purpose of the NHS Health Check programme and the personal health benefits of risk factor detection.

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A Review of Marital Intimacy-Enhancing Interventions among Married Individuals

Global Journal of Health Science ◽

10.5539/gjhs.v8n8p74 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 8 (8) ◽

pp. 74 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Maryam Kardan-Souraki ◽

Zeinab Hamzehgardeshi ◽

Ismail Asadpour ◽

Reza Ali Mohammadpour ◽

Soghra Khani

Keyword(s):

Clinical Trials ◽

Randomized Controlled Trials ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Main Concern ◽

Care Providers ◽

Marital Intimacy ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

The Impact

BACKGROUND: Lack of intimacy is currently the main concern rather than main concern of the experts in psychology and counseling. It is considered as one of the most important causes for divorce and as such to improve marital intimacy a great number of interventions have been proposed in the literature. Intimacy training and counseling make the couples take effective and successful steps to increase marital intimacy. No study has reviewed the interventions promoting marital intimacy after marriage. Thus, this review study aimed to classify the articles investigating the impact of interventional programs on marital intimacy after marriage.SEARCH METHODS: In April 2015, we performed a general search in Google Scholar search engines, and then we did an advanced search the databases of Science Direct, ProQuest, SID, Magiran, Irandoc, Pubmed, Scopus, <a href="http://www.cochranelibrary.com/">Cochrane Library</a>, and Psych info; Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL). Also, lists of the references of the relevant articles were reviewed for additional citations. Using Medical Subject Headings (MESH) keywords: Intervention (Clinical Trials, Non-Randomized Controlled Trials, Randomized Controlled Trials, Education), intimacy, marital (Marriage) and selected related articles to the study objective were from 1995 to April 2015. Clinical trials that evaluated one or more behavioral interventions to improve marital intimacy were reviewed in the study.MAIN RESULTS: 39 trials met the inclusion criteria. Eleven interventions had follow-up, and 28 interventions lacked follow-up. The quality evidence for 22 interventions was low, for 15 interventions moderate, and for one intervention was considered high. Findings from studies were categorized in 11 categories as the intimacy promoting interventions in dimensions of emotional, psychological, physical, sexual, temporal, communicational, social and recreational, aesthetic, spiritual, intellectual intimacy, and total intimacy.AUTHORS’ CONCLUSIONS: Improving and promoting communication, problem solving, self-disclosure and empathic response skills and sexual education and counseling in the form of cognitive-behavioral techniques and based on religious and cultural context of each society, an effective step can be taken to enhance marital intimacy and strengthen family bonds and stability. Health care providers should consider which interventions are appropriate to the couple characteristics and their relationships.

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