scholarly journals Identification of Risk Factors for Falls in Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2013 ◽  
Vol 93 (4) ◽  
pp. 504-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hilary J. Gunn ◽  
Paul Newell ◽  
Bernhard Haas ◽  
Jonathan F. Marsden ◽  
Jennifer A. Freeman
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Fall Risk ◽  
English Language ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Newcastle Ottawa Scale ◽  
Risk Factors For Falls

Background Falls are a significant issue in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), with research demonstrating fall rates of more than 50%. Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the risk factors associated with falling in people with MS. Data Sources Mixed search methods were used, including computer-based and manual searches. Additionally, hand searches of reference lists and conference abstracts were performed. All literature published from the source's earliest date to January 2012 was included; only full-text English-language sources (or those where a translation was available) were included. Study Selection Eligibility criteria specified articles evaluating any aspect of fall risk in adults with a confirmed MS diagnosis, where the incidence of falling as determined by prospective or retrospective participant report was included. Data Extraction Data were extracted independently by 2 reviewers using a written protocol and standardized extraction documentation. Detailed assessment of each article was independently undertaken by both reviewers, including assessment of study quality using an adaptation of the Newcastle Ottawa Scale plus extraction of key data (participant characteristics, fall incidence, and outcomes). Data Synthesis The final review comprised 8 articles with a total of 1,929 participants; 1,037 (53.75%) were classified as fallers. Eighteen different risk factors were assessed within the included studies. Meta-analysis demonstrated an increase in fall risk associated with impairments of balance and cognition, progressive MS, and use of a mobility aid. Narrative review of the qualitative articles and those factors where meta-analysis was not possible also was undertaken. Limitations Variation in assessment, analysis, and reporting methods allowed meta-analysis for only 4 factors. Conclusion There is limited evidence of the factors associated with fall risk in people with MS. Further methodologically robust studies are needed.

scholarly journals Intensity and duration of lifestyle interventions for long-term weight loss and association with mortality: a meta-analysis of randomised trials

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. e029966 ◽  
Author(s):  
Navneet Singh ◽  
Ralph Alan Huston Stewart ◽  
Jocelyne Rachelle Benatar
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Weight Loss ◽  
English Language ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Cochrane Collaboration ◽  
Lifestyle Interventions ◽  
Randomised Trials ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Meta Analyses

ObjectivesTo evaluate the importance of the frequency and duration of lifestyle interventions for achieving weight loss over ≥1 year and associations with all-cause mortality.DesignMeta-analysis of randomised trials using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and RevMan software version 5·2 (The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen).Data sourcesMEDLINE, CENTRAL, Google and Science Direct databases alongside reference lists of appropriate articles and meta-analyses.Eligibility criteriaRandomised studies published in English-language journals from 1980 to June 2018 that assessed lifestyle compared with control interventions on weight loss and that included ≥100 subjects and reported weight change and mortality for ≥1 year.Data extraction and synthesisTwo independent reviewers extracted data and assessed risk of bias. Data were pooled using the generic inverse-variance method and expressed as mean differences (MDs) with 95% CI and OR with 95% CI as appropriate. Heterogeneity was assessed (Cochran Q statistic) and quantified (I2statistic). The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation score was used to assess the certainty of the evidence.Results31 randomised trials with a total of 20 816 overweight or obese participants were included. 70% of participants had cardiometabolic risk factors. Body weight was lower for lifestyle intervention compared with the control at 1 year (3.63 kg, 95% CI 2.58 to 4.67) and at 3 years (2.45 kg, 95% CI 1.17 to 3.73). Weight loss at 1 year was greater in studies with >28 compared with ≤28 interventions per year (4.50 kg, 95% CI 3.03, 5.97 vs 2.38, 95% CI 0.78 to 3.98 kg, p=0.001). In all studies, there were 593 deaths (~0.3%/year). The ORs for mortality for weight loss interventions compared with the controls was 0.86 (95% CI 0.73 to 1.02), p=0.09.ConclusionIn predominantly healthy populations with risk factors, there is a dose response with number of lifestyle interventions and weight loss. Frequent and sustained interventions are needed to achieve a clinically significant 5% weight loss. There was insufficient evidence to reliably evaluate the benefits in persons with known cardiovascular disease or cancer.Trial registration numberCRD42018095067.

scholarly journals Factors Associated with Disease Severity and Mortality among Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vignesh Chidambaram ◽  
Nyan Lynn Tun ◽  
Waqas Haque ◽  
Marie Gilbert Majella ◽  
Ranjith Kumar Sivakumar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Disease Severity ◽  
English Language ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Clinical Laboratory ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Risk Of Mortality

Background: Understanding the factors associated with disease severity and mortality in Coronavirus disease (COVID19) is imperative to effectively triage patients. We performed a systematic review to determine the demographic, clinical, laboratory and radiological factors associated with severity and mortality in COVID-19. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase and WHO database for English language articles from inception until May 8, 2020. We included Observational studies with direct comparison of clinical characteristics between a) patients who died and those who survived or b) patients with severe disease and those without severe disease. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed by two authors independently. Results: Among 15680 articles from the literature search, 109 articles were included in the analysis. The risk of mortality was higher in patients with increasing age, male gender (RR 1.45; 95%CI 1.23,1.71), dyspnea (RR 2.55; 95%CI 1.88,2.46), diabetes (RR 1.59; 95%CI 1.41,1.78), hypertension (RR 1.90; 95%CI 1.69,2.15). Congestive heart failure (OR 4.76; 95%CI 1.34,16.97), hilar lymphadenopathy (OR 8.34; 95%CI 2.57,27.08), bilateral lung involvement (OR 4.86; 95%CI 3.19,7.39) and reticular pattern (OR 5.54; 95%CI 1.24,24.67) were associated with severe disease. Clinically relevant cut-offs for leukocytosis(>10.0 x109/L), lymphopenia(< 1.1 x109/L), elevated C-reactive protein(>100mg/L), LDH(>250U/L) and D-dimer(>1mg/L) had higher odds of severe disease and greater risk of mortality. Conclusion: Knowledge of the factors associated of disease severity and mortality identified in our study may assist in clinical decision-making and critical-care resource allocation for patients with COVID-19.

scholarly journals Comprehensive Researcher Achievement Model (CRAM): a framework for measuring researcher achievement, impact and influence derived from a systematic literature review of metrics and models

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. e025320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Braithwaite ◽  
Jessica Herkes ◽  
Kate Churruca ◽  
Janet C Long ◽  
Chiara Pomare ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Full Text ◽  
English Language ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Promotion And Tenure ◽  
Full Text Review ◽  
Q Statistic

ObjectivesEffective researcher assessment is key to decisions about funding allocations, promotion and tenure. We aimed to identify what is known about methods for assessing researcher achievements, leading to a new composite assessment model.DesignWe systematically reviewed the literature via the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols framework.Data sourcesAll Web of Science databases (including Core Collection, MEDLINE and BIOSIS Citation Index) to the end of 2017.Eligibility criteria(1) English language, (2) published in the last 10 years (2007–2017), (3) full text was available and (4) the article discussed an approach to the assessment of an individual researcher’s achievements.Data extraction and synthesisArticles were allocated among four pairs of reviewers for screening, with each pair randomly assigned 5% of their allocation to review concurrently against inclusion criteria. Inter-rater reliability was assessed using Cohen’s Kappa (ĸ). The ĸ statistic showed agreement ranging from moderate to almost perfect (0.4848–0.9039). Following screening, selected articles underwent full-text review and bias was assessed.ResultsFour hundred and seventy-eight articles were included in the final review. Established approaches developed prior to our inclusion period (eg, citations and outputs, h-index and journal impact factor) remained dominant in the literature and in practice. New bibliometric methods and models emerged in the last 10 years including: measures based on PageRank algorithms or ‘altmetric’ data, methods to apply peer judgement and techniques to assign values to publication quantity and quality. Each assessment method tended to prioritise certain aspects of achievement over others.ConclusionsAll metrics and models focus on an element or elements at the expense of others. A new composite design, the Comprehensive Researcher Achievement Model (CRAM), is presented, which supersedes past anachronistic models. The CRAM is modifiable to a range of applications.

scholarly journals The association between depression and later educational attainment in children and adolescents: a systematic review protocol

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. e031595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Wickersham ◽  
Sophie Epstein ◽  
Holly Victoria Rose Sugg ◽  
Robert Stewart ◽  
Tamsin Ford ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Newcastle Ottawa Scale ◽  
Date Estimate

IntroductionDepression represents a major public health concern for children and adolescents, and is thought to negatively impact subsequent educational attainment. However, the extent to which depression and educational attainment are directly associated, and whether other factors play a role, is uncertain. Therefore, we aim to systematically review the literature to provide an up-to-date estimate on the strength of this association, and to summarise potential mediators and moderators on the pathway between the two.Methods and analysisTo identify relevant studies, we will systematically search Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed, Education Resources Information Centre and British Education Index, manually search reference lists and contact experts in the field. Studies will be included if they investigate and report on the association between major depression diagnosis or depressive symptoms in children and adolescents aged 4–18 years (exposure) and later educational attainment (outcome). Two independent reviewers will screen titles, abstracts and full texts according to eligibility criteria, perform data extraction and assess study quality according to a modified version of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. If sufficiently homogeneous studies are identified, summary effect estimates will be pooled in meta-analysis, with further tests for study heterogeneity, publication bias and the effects of moderators using meta-regression.Ethics and disseminationBecause this review will make use of already published data, ethical approval will not be sought. The review will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, presented at practitioner-facing conferences, and a lay summary will be written for non-scientific audiences such as parents, young people and teachers. The work will inform upcoming investigations on the association between child and adolescent mental health and educational attainment.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42019123068

scholarly journals Primary tooth pulpectomy overfilling by different placement techniques: A systematic review and meta-analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 250-261
Author(s):  
Naser Asl Aminabadi ◽  
Nahid Asl Aminabad ◽  
Zahra Jamali ◽  
Sajjad Shirazi
Keyword(s):  
Calcium Hydroxide ◽  
Clinical Studies ◽  
English Language ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
In Vitro Studies ◽  
Primary Tooth ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Data Extraction Form

Background. This study was conducted to investigate root canal overfilling with different material placement techniques in primary teeth. Methods. A systematic search was undertaken by searching PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus for English language peer-reviewed articles published until February 2018 that reported primary tooth pulpectomy overfilling. Two reviewers independently screened and identified studies in terms of the selection criteria and independently collected the data using a specially designed data extraction form. The overfilling rate was the primary summary measure. The weighted pooled overfilling rates were estimated by random-effects meta-analysis. Results. Twenty clinical and four in vitro studies met the eligibility criteria. In the clinical studies, the pooled overfilling rate for zinc oxide-eugenol (ZOE) was 23.3% with a lentulo spiral mounted on a handpiece, 22.7% with a hand-held lentulo spiral, and 17% with a plugger. The pooled overfilling rate for calcium hydroxide-based materials was 16.7% with a lentulo spiral mounted on a handpiece, 14.7% with a hand-held lentulo spiral, 19.6% with a syringe, and 25.7% with a plugger. In the in vitro studies, neither individual overfilling rates nor two-by-two comparisons were subjected to meta-analysis because of an inadequate number of studies. Conclusion. The lowest overfilling rate in the clinical studies was related to plugger and handheld lentulo spiral techniques for ZOE and calcium hydroxide-based materials, respectively

scholarly journals Factors associated with disease severity and mortality among patients with COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0241541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vignesh Chidambaram ◽  
Nyan Lynn Tun ◽  
Waqas Z. Haque ◽  
Marie Gilbert Majella ◽  
Ranjith Kumar Sivakumar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Disease Severity ◽  
English Language ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Clinical Laboratory ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Risk Of Mortality

Background Understanding the factors associated with disease severity and mortality in Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is imperative to effectively triage patients. We performed a systematic review to determine the demographic, clinical, laboratory and radiological factors associated with severity and mortality in COVID-19. Methods We searched PubMed, Embase and WHO database for English language articles from inception until May 8, 2020. We included Observational studies with direct comparison of clinical characteristics between a) patients who died and those who survived or b) patients with severe disease and those without severe disease. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed by two authors independently. Results Among 15680 articles from the literature search, 109 articles were included in the analysis. The risk of mortality was higher in patients with increasing age, male gender (RR 1.45, 95%CI 1.23–1.71), dyspnea (RR 2.55, 95%CI 1.88–2.46), diabetes (RR 1.59, 95%CI 1.41–1.78), hypertension (RR 1.90, 95%CI 1.69–2.15). Congestive heart failure (OR 4.76, 95%CI 1.34–16.97), hilar lymphadenopathy (OR 8.34, 95%CI 2.57–27.08), bilateral lung involvement (OR 4.86, 95%CI 3.19–7.39) and reticular pattern (OR 5.54, 95%CI 1.24–24.67) were associated with severe disease. Clinically relevant cut-offs for leukocytosis(>10.0 x109/L), lymphopenia(< 1.1 x109/L), elevated C-reactive protein(>100mg/L), LDH(>250U/L) and D-dimer(>1mg/L) had higher odds of severe disease and greater risk of mortality. Conclusion Knowledge of the factors associated of disease severity and mortality identified in our study may assist in clinical decision-making and critical-care resource allocation for patients with COVID-19.

scholarly journals Epidemiology of placenta previa accreta: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. e031193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Jauniaux ◽  
Lene Grønbeck ◽  
Catey Bunce ◽  
Jens Langhoff-Roos ◽  
Sally L Collins
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Placenta Previa ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Registration Number ◽  
Newcastle Ottawa Scale ◽  
Placenta Accreta Spectrum ◽  
Obstetric Population ◽  
Ottawa Scale

ObjectiveTo estimate the prevalence and incidence of placenta previa complicated by placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) and to examine the different criteria being used for the diagnosis.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.Data sourcesPubMed, Google Scholar, ClinicalTrials.gov and MEDLINE were searched between August 1982 and September 2018.Eligibility criteriaStudies reporting on placenta previa complicated by PAS diagnosed in a defined obstetric population.Data extraction and synthesisTwo independent reviewers performed the data extraction using a predefined protocol and assessed the risk of bias using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for observational studies, with difference agreed by consensus. The primary outcomes were overall prevalence of placenta previa, incidence of PAS according to the type of placenta previa and the reported clinical outcomes, including the number of peripartum hysterectomies and direct maternal mortality. The secondary outcomes included the criteria used for the prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of placenta previa and the criteria used to diagnose and grade PAS at birth.ResultsA total of 258 articles were reviewed and 13 retrospective and 7 prospective studies were included in the analysis, which reported on 587 women with placenta previa and PAS. The meta-analysis indicated a significant (p<0.001) heterogeneity between study estimates for the prevalence of placenta previa, the prevalence of placenta previa with PAS and the incidence of PAS in the placenta previa cohort. The median prevalence of placenta previa was 0.56% (IQR 0.39–1.24) whereas the median prevalence of placenta previa with PAS was 0.07% (IQR 0.05–0.16). The incidence of PAS in women with a placenta previa was 11.10% (IQR 7.65–17.35).ConclusionsThe high heterogeneity in qualitative and diagnostic data between studies emphasises the need to implement standardised protocols for the diagnoses of both placenta previa and PAS, including the type of placenta previa and grade of villous invasiveness.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42017068589

scholarly journals Determinants of COVID-19 outcomes: A systematic review.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shirley Crankson ◽  
Subhash Pokhrel ◽  
Nana Kwame Anokye
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
English Language ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Population Level ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Healthcare Research ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Eligibility Criteria

Background: The current pandemic, COVID-19, caused by a novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has claimed over a million lives worldwide in a year, warranting the need for more research into the wider determinants of COVID-19 outcomes to support evidence-based policies. Objective: This study aimed to investigate what factors determined the mortality and length of hospitalisation in individuals with COVID-19. Data Source: This is a systematic review with data from four electronic databases: Scopus, Google Scholar, CINAHL and Web of Science. Eligibility Criteria: Studies were included in this review if they explored determinants of COVID-19 mortality or length of hospitalisation, were written in the English Language, and had available full-text. Study appraisal and data synthesis: The authors assessed the quality of the included studies with the Newcastle Ottawa Scale and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality checklist, depending on their study design. Risk of bias in the included studies was assessed with risk of bias assessment tool for non-randomised studies. A narrative synthesis of the evidence was carried out. Results: The review included 22 studies from nine countries, with participants totalling 239,830. The included studies quality was moderate to high. The identified determinants were categorised into demographic, biological, socioeconomic and lifestyle risk factors, based on the Dahlgren and Whitehead determinant of health model. Increasing age (ORs 1.04-20.6, 95%CIs 1.01-22.68) was the common demographic determinant of COVID-19 mortality while living with diabetes (ORs 0.50-3.2, 95%CIs -0.2-0.74) was one of the most common biological determinants of COVID-19 length of hospitalisation. Review limitation: Meta-analysis was not conducted because of included studies heterogeneity. Conclusion: COVID-19 outcomes are predicted by multiple determinants, with increasing age and living with diabetes being the most common risk factors. Population-level policies that prioritise interventions for the elderly population and the people living with diabetes may help mitigate the outbreak's impact.

scholarly journals Prevalence and risk factors of epiretinal membranes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based studies

BMJ Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. e014644 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Xiao ◽  
Xiaoyun Chen ◽  
William Yan ◽  
Zhuoting Zhu ◽  
Mingguang He
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
English Language ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Epiretinal Membranes ◽  
Large Variability ◽  
Prevalence Estimates ◽  
Potential Risk Factors

ObjectiveThis study was to aggregate the prevalence and risks of epiretinal membranes (ERMs) and determine the possible causes of the varied estimates.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.Data sourcesThe search strategy was designed prospectively. We searched PubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases from inception to July 2016. Reference lists of the included literatures were reviewed as well.Study selectionSurveys published in English language from any population were included if they had a population-based design and reported the prevalence of ERM from retinal photography with or without optical coherence tomography. Eligibility and quality evaluation was conducted independently by two investigators.Data extractionThe literature search generated 2144 records, and 13 population-based studies comprising 49 697 subjects were finally included. The prevalence of ERM and the ORs of potential risk factors (age, sex, myopia, hypertension and so on) were extracted.ResultsThe pooled age-standardised prevalence estimates of earlier ERM (cellophane macular reflex (CMR)), advanced ERM (preretinal macular fibrosis (PMF)) and any ERM were 6.5% (95% CI 4.2% to 8.9%), 2.6% (95% CI 1.8% to 3.4%) and 9.1% (95% CI 6.0% to 12.2%), respectively. In the subgroup analysis, race and photography modality contributed to the variation in the prevalence estimates of PMF, while the WHO regions and image reading methods were associated with the varied prevalence of CMR and any ERM. Meta-analysis showed that only greater age and female significantly conferred a higher risk of ERMs.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that ERMs are relatively common among aged population. Race, image taking and reading methodology may play important roles in influencing the large variability of ERM prevalence estimates.

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