The Dissemination of Research Findings: Some Limitations Revealed When Attempting a Meta-Analysis

1986 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 384-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. F. Jorm
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Descriptive Statistics ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Dissemination Of Research ◽  
Drug Treatments ◽  
Research Findings

A meta-analysis of the literature on drug treatments for Alzheimer's disease revealed the following limitations in the dissemination of research findings: multiple publication of findings, failure to report basic descriptive statistics and failure to respond to written requests for additional information on the research. The possible reasons for these problems and remedies for them are discussed.

Effect of antihypertensive drugs on cognition and behavioral symptoms of patients with Alzheimer’s disease: A meta-analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roja Rahimi ◽  
Shekoufeh Nikfar ◽  
Masoud Sadeghi ◽  
Mohammad Abdollahi ◽  
Reza Heidary Moghaddam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Randomized Clinical Trials ◽  
Antihypertensive Drugs ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Behavioral Symptoms ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Mean Differences ◽  
Global Impression Of Change ◽  
State Examination

Background: It has been found that there is a link between hypertension and elevated risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Herein, a meta-analysis based on randomized clinical trials (RCTs) was used to assess the effect of antihypertensive drugs on cognition and behavioral symptoms of AD patients. Method: The three databases – PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and Cochrane Library- were searched up to March 2020. The quality of the studies included in the meta-analysis was evaluated by the Jadad score. Clinical Global Impression of Change (CGIC) included in two studies, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) included in three studies, and Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) in three studies were the main outcomes in this systematic review. Results: Out of 1506 studies retrieved in the databases, 5 RCTs included and analyzed in the meta-analysis. The pooled mean differences of CGIC, MMSE, and NPI in patients with AD receiving antihypertensive drugs compared to placebo was -1.76 with (95% CI = -2.66 to -0.86; P=0.0001), 0.74 (95% CI = 0.20 to 1.28; P= 0.007), and -9.49 (95% CI = -19.76 to 0.79; P = 0.07), respectively. Conclusion: The findings of the present meta-analysis show that antihypertensive drugs may improve cognition and behavioral symptoms of patients with AD. However, more well-designed RCTs with similar drugs are needed to achieve more conclusive results.

Characteristics of Insulin-degrading Enzyme in Alzheimer's Disease: A Meta-Analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. 610-617 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huifeng Zhang ◽  
Dan Liu ◽  
Huanhuan Huang ◽  
Yujia Zhao ◽  
Hui Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Enzyme Activity ◽  
Protein Level ◽  
Senile Plaque ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Insulin Degrading Enzyme ◽  
Degrading Enzyme ◽  
Significant Difference

Background: β-amyloid (Aβ) accumulates abnormally to senile plaque which is the initiator of Alzheimer's disease (AD). As one of the Aβ-degrading enzymes, Insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) remains controversial for its protein level and activity in Alzheimer's brain. Methods: The electronic databases PubMed, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, OVID and Sinomed were systemically searched up to Sep. 20th, 2017. And the published case-control or cohort studies were retrieved to perform the meta-analysis. Results: Seven studies for IDE protein level (AD cases = 293; controls = 126), three for mRNA level (AD cases = 138; controls = 81), and three for enzyme activity (AD cases = 123; controls = 75) were pooling together. The IDE protein level was significantly lower in AD cases than in controls (SMD = - 0.47, 95% CI [-0.69, -0.24], p < 0.001), but IDE mRNA and enzyme activity had no significant difference (SMD = 0.02, 95% CI [-0.40, 0.43] and SMD = 0.06, 95% CI [-0.41, 0.53] respectively). Subgroup analyses found that IDE protein level was decreased in both cortex and hippocampus of AD cases (SMD = -0.43, 95% CI [-0.71, -0.16], p = 0.002 and SMD = -0.53, 95% CI [-0.91, -0.15], p = 0.006 respectively). However, IDE mRNA was higher in cortex of AD cases (SMD = 0.71, 95% CI [0.14, 1.29], p = 0.01), not in hippocampus (SMD = -0.26, 95% CI [-0.58, 0.06]). Conclusions: Our results indicate that AD patients may have lower IDE protease level. Further relevant studies are still needed to verify whether IDE is one of the factors affecting Aβ abnormal accumulation and throw new insights for AD detection or therapy.

TREM2 p.H157Y Variant and the Risk of Alzheimer's Disease: A Meta-Analysis Involving 14,510 Subjects

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 318-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teng Jiang ◽  
Jian-Kang Hou ◽  
Qing Gao ◽  
Jin-Tai Yu ◽  
Jun-Shan Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Meta Analysis

Orthostatic hypotension in patients with Alzheimer’s disease: a meta-analysis of prospective studies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmet Turan Isik ◽  
Neziha Erken ◽  
Idil Yavuz ◽  
Derya Kaya ◽  
Mehmet Selman Ontan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Orthostatic Hypotension ◽  
Prospective Studies ◽  
Meta Analysis

Race-Related Association between APOE Genotype and Alzheimer’s Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Wei Qin ◽  
Wenwen Li ◽  
Qi Wang ◽  
Min Gong ◽  
Tingting Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Black People ◽  
Late Onset ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Group Analysis ◽  
Apoe Genotype ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Apoe Genotypes

Background: The global race-dependent association of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype is not well understood. Transethnic analysis of APOE could clarify the role of genetics in AD risk across populations. Objective: This study aims to determine how race and APOE genotype affect the risks for AD. Methods: We performed a systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library since 1993 to Aug 25, 2020. A total of 10,395 reports were identified, and 133 were eligible for analysis with data on 77,402 participants. Studies contained AD clinical diagnostic and APOE genotype data. Homogeneous data sets were pooled in case-control analyses. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for developing AD were calculated for populations of different races and APOE genotypes. Results: The proportion of APOE genotypes and alleles differed between populations of different races. Results showed that APOE ɛ4 was a risk factor for AD, whereas APOE ɛ2 protected against it. The effects of APOE ɛ4 and ɛ2 on AD risk were distinct in various races, they were substantially attenuated among Black people. Sub-group analysis found a higher frequency of APOE ɛ4/ɛ4 and lower frequency of APOE ɛ3/ɛ3 among early-onset AD than late-onset AD in a combined group and different races. Conclusion: Our meta-analysis suggests that the association of APOE genotypes and AD differ between races. These results enhance our understanding of APOE-related risk for AD across race backgrounds and provide new insights into precision medicine for AD.

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