Association of Work Risk Factors and the Development of Cardiovascular Diseases: Protocol of a Systematic Review

Abstract Background: Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) are the number one cause of death, representing 31.8% of all global deaths. Several lifestyle behaviours are associated with the development and clinical manifestation of CVDs, however, these behavioural risk factors by themselves do not fully explain the population burden of CVDs. There is increasing recognition that working conditions and risk factors of the work environment are associated with health, including the development of CVDs. We will systematically review observational studies of adults exposed to work risk factors and their association with CVDs.Methods: We will follow the Navigation Guide framework. We will include cohort and case-control studies. The population will be adults of working age (18-65). The exposure will include six categories of work exposure: job strain, effort-reward imbalance, long working hours, job insecurity, shift work and occupational noise; the comparator will be the unexposed group or specified control group. The outcomes will be cerebrovascular diseases, ischaemic heart disease and hypertensive diseases. Published and unpublished studies will be included. The selection, data extraction, risk of bias assessment, quality assessment and strength of evidence will be carried out by two reviewers independently and disagreements will be solved by a third. Due to the diversity in the populations and exposures in the studies, the synthesis of the results, the quality and the strength of the evidence will be done by a synthesis without meta-analysis (SWiM), following the SWiM reporting guideline.Discussion: This systematic review will identify and synthesise the evidence for the association between work risk factors and risk of CVDs. This work will underpin and inform a broader objective to examine the effectiveness of interventions to minimise the effects of risk factors for CVDs in workplaces, with the final aim of informing occupational health policies in the future. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42020179972.

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Effect of Acupuncture on Heart Rate Variability: A Systematic Review

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2014/819871 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-19 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Joanne W. Y. Chung ◽

Vincent C. M. Yan ◽

Hongwei Zhang

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Heart Rate ◽

Heart Rate Variability ◽

High Frequency ◽

Healthy Subjects ◽

Keyword Search ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Low Frequency ◽

Control Group

Aim.To summarize all relevant trials and critically evaluate the effect of acupuncture on heart rate variability (HRV).Method.This was a systematic review with meta-analysis. Keyword search was conducted in 7 databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Data extraction and risk of bias were done.Results.Fourteen included studies showed a decreasing effect of acupuncture on low frequency (LF) and low frequency to high frequency ratio (LF/HF ratio) of HRV for nonhealthy subjects and on normalized low frequency (LF norm) for healthy subjects. The overall effect was in favour of the sham/control group for high frequency (HF) in nonhealthy subjects and for normalized high frequency (HF norm) in healthy subjects. Significant decreasing effect on HF and LF/HF ratio of HRV when acupuncture was performed on ST36 among healthy subjects and PC6 among both healthy and nonhealthy subjects, respectively.Discussion.This study partially supports the possible effect of acupuncture in modulating the LF of HRV in both healthy and nonhealthy subjects, while previous review reported that acupuncture did not have any convincing effect on HRV in healthy subjects. More published work is needed in this area to determine if HRV can be an indicator of the therapeutic effect of acupuncture.

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Risk Factors Associated with Irreversible Airway Obstruction in Asthma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2016/9868704 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2016 ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Lanlan Zhang ◽

Lixiu He ◽

Jin Gong ◽

Chuntao Liu

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Atopic Dermatitis ◽

Airway Obstruction ◽

Fixed Effects ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Case Control Studies ◽

Smoking Exposure ◽

Asthma Patients ◽

Irreversible Airway Obstruction

Irreversible airway obstruction (IAO) is a subtype of asthma and relates to poorer prognosis in some asthma patients. However, the prevalence and risk factors for IAO are unknown. A systematic review regarding controlled clinical studies (cohort, case-control studies) on IAO asthma in adult and/or children affected by asthma/early wheeze was performed. Eighteen papers were identified in this study. It was reported that the incidence of IAO at random effects or fixed effects in severe asthma and nonsevere asthma was 0.54 (95% CI: 0.45–0.62) and 0.16 (95% CI: 0.12–0.20), respectively. In IAO asthma, the pooled odds ratio (OR) related to smoking exposure was 2.22 (95% CI: 1.82–2.73), the OR for male, smoking, and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) was 2.22 (95% CI: 1.82–2.7), 1.79 (95% CI: 1.46–2.19), and 2.16 (95% CI: 1.05–4.43), respectively, suggesting these factors increase the risk of IAO. However, a decreased OR in IAO asthma was observed due to rhinitis (OR = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.24–0.40), atopy (OR = 0.584, 95% CI: 0.466–0.732), and atopic dermatitis (OR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.42–0.85), indicating these factors are associated with reduced risk of IAO. IAO in asthma is associated with gender, smoking, FENO, rhinitis, atopy, and atopic dermatitis.

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Timely Revisit of Proprioceptive Deficits in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Global Spine Journal ◽

10.1177/21925682211066824 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 219256822110668

Author(s):

Kenney K. L. Lau ◽

Karlen K. P. Law ◽

Kenny Y. H. Kwan ◽

Jason P. Y. Cheung ◽

Kenneth M. C. Cheung ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis ◽

Idiopathic Scoliosis ◽

Case Reports ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Detection Threshold ◽

Mean Difference ◽

Case Control Studies ◽

Meta Analyses

Study Design Systematic review and meta-analysis Objectives The present review aimed to summarize the evidence regarding differences in proprioception between children with and without adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Methods Seven electronic databases were searched from their inception to April 10, 2021. Articles were included if they involved: (1) AIS patients aged between 10 and 18 years, (2) measurements of proprioceptive abilities, and (3) comparisons with non-AIS controls. Animal studies, case reports, commentaries, conference proceedings, research protocols, and reviews were excluded. Two reviewers independently conducted literature screening, data extraction, risks of bias assessments, and quality of evidence evaluations. Relevant information was pooled for meta-analyses. Results From 432 identified citations, 11 case-control studies comprising 1121 participants were included. The meta-analyses showed that AIS participants displayed proprioceptive deficits as compared to non-AIS controls. Moderate evidence supported that AIS participants showed significantly larger repositioning errors than healthy controls (pooled mean difference = 1.27 degrees, P < .01). Low evidence substantiated that AIS participants had significantly greater motion detection threshold (pooled mean difference = 1.60 degrees, P < .01) and abnormal somatosensory evoked potentials (pooled mean difference = .36 milliseconds, P = .01) than non-AIS counterparts. Conclusions Consistent findings revealed that proprioceptive deficits occurred in AIS patients. Further investigations on the causal relationship between AIS and proprioception, and the identification of the subgroup of AIS patients with proprioceptive deficit are needed.

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Risk factors leading to pulmonary exacerbation in patients with cystic fibrosis: A systematic review

Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association ◽

10.47391/jpma.04-515 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 71 (9) ◽

Author(s):

Danish Abdul Aziz ◽

Syeda Khadija Fatima ◽

Hasan Nawaz Tahir

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Cystic Fibrosis ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Nutritional Deficiencies ◽

Pulmonary Exacerbation ◽

Case Control Studies ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Randomised Controlled

Objective: To ascertain major risk factors associated with pulmonary exacerbation and pulmonary function decline in cystic fibrosis. Method: The systematic review was conducted at Aga Khan University, Karachi, in September 2018, and comprised electronic search of PubMed, Ovid, Science Direct and Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases of studies conducted from January 1990 to September 2018 which were categorised into 3 sets; 1990-98, 1999-2007 and 2008-18. Studies included for review focussed on articles with pulmonary exacerbation as the health outcome indicator, and had diagnosis of cystic fibrosis as the inclusion criteria, while risk factors were the exposure terms used in the search process. References in bibliographies of the included studies were also systematically searched for relevant documents. Results: Of the 60 studies obtained, 31(51.7%) were selected; 2(6.45%) from 1990-98, 7(22.58%) from 1999-2007 and 22(70.96%) from 2008-18. Overall, 17(54.83%) were cohort studies, 7(22.5%) were cross-sectional studies, 3(9.6%) were case-control studies, 3(9.6%) were randomised controlled trials and 1(3.2%) was systematic review and meta-analysis. In terms of major risk factors, genetic mutations were cited by 4(12.9%) studies, infections and inflammatory biomarkers by 15(48.4%), nutritional deficiencies by 9(29%) and geographical and socioeconomic status by 3(9.6%) studies. Conclusion: Early identification and recognition of risk factors associated with pulmonary exacerbation can have an explicit impact on its management, leading to decreased morbidity and mortality burden in cystic fibrosis cases. Key Words: Pulmonary exacerbation, Cystic fibrosis, Risk factors, Systematic review. Continuous...

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Therapeutic efficacy of specific immunotherapy for glioma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Reviews in the Neurosciences ◽

10.1515/revneuro-2017-0057 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 29 (4) ◽

pp. 443-461 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Sara Hanaei ◽

Khashayar Afshari ◽

Armin Hirbod-Mobarakeh ◽

Bahram Mohajer ◽

Delara Amir Dastmalchi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Overall Survival ◽

Clinical Trials ◽

Specific Immunotherapy ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Progression Free Survival ◽

Control Group ◽

Free Survival ◽

Median Difference

Abstract Although different immunotherapeutic approaches have been developed for the treatment of glioma, there is a discrepancy between clinical trials limiting their approval as common treatment. So, the current systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to assess survival and clinical response of specific immunotherapy in patients with glioma. Generally, seven databases were searched to find eligible studies. Controlled clinical trials investigating the efficacy of specific immunotherapy in glioma were found eligible. After data extraction and risk of bias assessment, the data were analyzed based on the level of heterogeneity. Overall, 25 articles with 2964 patients were included. Generally, mean overall survival did not statistically improve in immunotherapy [median difference=1.51; 95% confidence interval (CI)=−0.16–3.17; p=0.08]; however, it was 11.16 months higher in passive immunotherapy (95% CI=5.69–16.64; p<0.0001). One-year overall survival was significantly higher in immunotherapy groups [hazard ratio (HR)=0.69; 95% CI=0.52–0.92; p=0.01]. As the hazard rate in the immunotherapy approach was 0.83 of the control group, 2-year overall survival was significantly higher in immunotherapy (HR=0.83; 95% CI=0.69–0.99; p=0.04). Three-year overall survival was significantly higher in immunotherapy as well (HR=0.67; 95% CI=0.48–0.92; p=0.01). Overall, median progression-free survival was significantly higher in immunotherapy (standard median difference=0.323; 95% CI=0.110–0.536; p=0.003). However, 1-year progression-free survival was not remarkably different between immunotherapy and control groups (HR=0.94; 95% CI=0.74–1.18; p=0.59). Specific immunotherapy demonstrated remarkable improvement in survival of patients with glioma and could be a considerable choice of treatment in the future. Despite the current promising results, further high-quality randomized controlled trials are required to approve immunotherapeutic approaches as the standard of care and the front-line treatment for glioma.

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Environmental risk factors of leptospirosis in urban settings: a systematic review protocol

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023359 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. e023359

Author(s):

Mohd Hatta Abdul Mutalip ◽

Mohd Amierul Fikri Mahmud ◽

Noor Aliza Lodz ◽

Norzawati Yoep ◽

Eida Nurhadzira Muhammad ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Environmental Risk ◽

Observational Studies ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Environmental Risk Factors ◽

Primary Data ◽

Urban Settings ◽

Susceptible Populations

IntroductionLeptospirosis is the most common zoonotic disease that causes morbidity and mortality worldwide. The disease can cause sporadic epidemics and recent epidemics have become more apparent in urban localities. There is lack of documented evidence on the specific risk factors of leptospirosis infection among the urbanites, thereby impeding initiatives for prevention in urban settings. We aim to systematically search published articles and synthesise evidence on the risk factors associated with leptospirosis infection among the susceptible populations in urban localities, particularly to identify the risk factors of non-recreational leptospirosis infection.Methods and analysisWe will conduct a systematic review of observational studies that investigated environmental risk factors of leptospirosis in urban localities. The search will be performed for any eligible articles from selected electronic databases from 1970 until May 2018. The study will include any studies that investigated risk factors of confirmed leptospirosis cases who acquired the infection in urban locality, particularly exposures from the non-recreational and non-water-related activities. Study selection and reporting will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guideline. All data will be extracted using a standardised data extraction form and quality of the studies will be assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale guideline. Descriptive and meta-analysis will be performed by calculating the standardised median ORs and risk ratios for types of the non-recreational risk factors stratified by social, living conditions and environmental exposures, types of reservoirs and transmissions and types of activities and employments associated with leptospirosis infection in urban locality.Ethics and disseminationNo primary data will be collected thus no formal ethical approval is required. The results will be disseminated though a peer-reviewed publication and conference presentation.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42018090820.

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Association between sepsis and retinopathy of prematurity: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-025440 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. e025440 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Xiaofen Wang ◽

Kun Tang ◽

Ling Chen ◽

Sixiang Cheng ◽

Huilan Xu

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Cohort Studies ◽

Premature Infants ◽

Retinopathy Of Prematurity ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Case Control Studies ◽

Severe Stage

ObjectiveTo explore the association between sepsis and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in premature infants.DesignA systematic review and meta-analysis.Data sourcesWe performed a systematic search of PubMed, the Cochrane Library and Embase from 1 January, 2000, to 1 January, 2018, with no language restrictions and reported the relationship between sepsis and ROP.Eligibility criteriaOriginal observational studies, including cohort studies and case-control studies.Data extraction and synthesisTwo reviewers independently completed the study selection and data extraction. The OR and corresponding 95% CI were used to measure the risk of sepsis in patients with ROP. The heterogeneity between studies was evaluated using Cochran’s Q test and the I2statistic. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was adopted to evaluate the quality of each of the included studies, and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach was used to assess the quality of the evidence.ResultsSixteen studies with a total sample size of 12 466 premature infants and 2494 cases of ROP were included in this meta-analysis. Adjusted analysis showed that sepsis was closely related to any stage of ROP (OR = 1.57, 95% CI 1.31 to 1.89) and severe stage of ROP (OR = 2.33, 95% CI 1.21 to 4.51) in premature infants, with 56.3% and 81.8% heterogeneity, respectively. Subgroup analyses showed that heterogeneity was obvious in prospective cohort studies (I2= 62.1%, p<0.001). In a sensitivity analysis, we found that removing any single study did not significantly change the overall effect value. The quality of the evidence was rated as low for both any stage of ROP and severe stage of ROP.ConclusionsSepsis increases the risk of ROP in preterm infants. However, considering that all included studies are observational and causality can rarely be established, additional evidence is needed to substantiate this finding and provide advice for practice.

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Oral hormone pregnancy tests and the risks of congenital malformations: a systematic review and meta-analysis

F1000Research ◽

10.12688/f1000research.16758.2 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

pp. 1725 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Carl Heneghan ◽

Jeffrey K. Aronson ◽

Elizabeth Spencer ◽

Bennett Holman ◽

Kamal R. Mahtani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Cohort Studies ◽

Congenital Malformations ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Case Control ◽

Control Group ◽

Case Control Studies ◽

Renal Anomalies ◽

Congenital Heart Malformations ◽

Increased Risk

Background: Oral hormone pregnancy tests (HPTs), such as Primodos, containing ethinylestradiol and high doses of norethisterone, were given to over a million women from 1958 to 1978, when Primodos was withdrawn from the market because of concerns about possible teratogenicity. We aimed to study the association between maternal exposure to oral HPTs and congenital malformations. Methods: We have performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of case-control and cohort studies that included data from pregnant women and were exposed to oral HPTs within the estimated first three months of pregnancy, if compared with a relevant control group. We used random-effects meta-analysis and assessed the quality of each study using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale for non-randomized studies. Results: We found 16 case control studies and 10 prospective cohort studies, together including 71 330 women, of whom 4,209 were exposed to HPTs. Exposure to oral HPTs was associated with a 40% increased risk of all congenital malformations: pooled odds ratio (OR) = 1.40 (95% CI 1.18 to 1.66; P<0.0001; I2 = 0%). Exposure to HPTs was associated with an increased risk of congenital heart malformations: pooled OR = 1.89 (95% CI 1.32 to 2.72; P = 0.0006; I2=0%); nervous system malformations OR = 2.98 (95% CI 1.32 to 6.76; P = 0.0109 I2 = 78%); gastrointestinal malformations, OR = 4.50 (95% CI 0.63 to 32.20; P = 0.13; I2 = 54%); musculoskeletal malformations, OR = 2.24 (95% CI 1.23 to 4.08; P= 0.009; I2 = 0%); the VACTERL syndrome (Vertebral defects, Anal atresia, Cardiovascular anomalies, Tracheoesophageal fistula, Esophageal atresia, Renal anomalies, and Limb defects), OR = 7.47 (95% CI 2.92 to 19.07; P < 0.0001; I2 = 0%). Conclusions: This systematic review and meta-analysis shows that use of oral HPTs in pregnancy is associated with increased risks of congenital malformations.

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Effects of Aerobic Training Progression on Blood Pressure in Individuals With Hypertension: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression

10.21203/rs.3.rs-156120/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Guilherme Tadeu de Barcelos¹ ◽

Isabel Heberle¹ ◽

Juliana Cavestré Coneglian¹ ◽

Bruno Allan Vieira¹ ◽

Rodrigo Sudatti Delevatti¹ ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Blood Pressure ◽

Clinical Trials ◽

Systolic Blood Pressure ◽

Aerobic Training ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Control Group ◽

Meta Regression ◽

Selection Of

Abstract Objective: To analyze, through a systematic review with meta-analysis, the effects of aerobic training with and without progression on systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in hypertensive adults.Method: The search for the studies was carried out in the PubMed, Cochrane Central, SPORTDiscus and LILACS databases. Clinical trials that analyzed the effect of aerobic training, lasting at least six weeks, on blood pressure in hypertensive individuals comparing with a control group without intervention were selected. The selection of studies and data extraction were carried out independently by two pairs of researchers. Results: Of the 13028 studies found, 24 were selected and included in this review. There was a reduction in SBP after aerobic training with progression (-10.67 mmHg; 95% CI -15.421, -5.926; p <0.001) and without progression (-10.17 mmHg; CI -12.213, -8.120; p <0.001). DBP also decreased after aerobic training with progression (-5.49 mmHg; 95% CI -8.663, -2.310; p <0.001) and without progression (-6.51 mmHg; 95% CI -9.147, -3.868; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Aerobic training promotes a reduction in the SBP and DBP levels of adults with hypertension, regardless of whether or not the training variables progression.

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Risk Factors for Delirium in the Palliative Care Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Frontiers in Psychiatry ◽

10.3389/fpsyt.2021.772387 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Duan Guo ◽

Taiping Lin ◽

Chuanyao Deng ◽

Yuxia Zheng ◽

Langli Gao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Palliative Care ◽

Group Performance ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Performance Status ◽

Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group ◽

Individual Risk ◽

Case Control Studies

Objective: Delirium is common and highly distressing for the palliative care population. Until now, no study has systematically reviewed the risk factors of delirium in the palliative care population. Therefore, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate delirium risk factors among individuals receiving palliative care.Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Medline, Embase, and Cochrane database to identify relevant observational studies from database inception to June 2021. The methodological quality of the eligible studies was assessed by the Newcastle Ottawa Scale. We estimated the pooled adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for individual risk factors using the inverse variance method.Results: Nine studies were included in the review (five prospective cohort studies, three retrospective case-control studies and one retrospective cross-section study). In pooled analyses, older age (aOR: 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01–1.04, I2 = 37%), male sex (aOR:1.80, 95% CI: 1.37–2.36, I2 = 7%), hypoxia (aOR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.77–0.99, I2 = 0%), dehydration (aOR: 3.22, 95%CI: 1.75–5.94, I2 = 18%), cachexia (aOR:3.40, 95% CI: 1.69–6.85, I2 = 0%), opioid use (aOR: 2.49, 95%CI: 1.39–4.44, I2 = 0%), anticholinergic burden (aOR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.07–1.30, I2 = 9%) and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (aOR: 2.54, 95% CI: 1.56–4.14, I2 = 21%) were statistically significantly associated with delirium.Conclusion: The risk factors identified in our review can help to highlight the palliative care population at high risk of delirium. Appropriate strategies should be implemented to prevent delirium and improve the quality of palliative care services.

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