Postgraduate medical journal
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Review Meta Analysis
Meta-analysis of cardiovascular superiority trials published in the New England Journal of Medicine to elucidate the concept of superiority margin.
To show that overpowered trials claim statistical significance detouring clinical relevance and warrant the need of superiority margin to avoid such misinterpretation. ⋯ The results of this meta-analysis indicate that overpowered trials give statistically significant results undermining clinical relevance. To avoid such misuse of current statistical tools, there is a need to derive superiority margin. We hope to generate debate on considering clinically significant difference, used to calculate sample size, as superiority margin.
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Meta Analysis
Effect of garlic intake on inflammatory mediators: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.
Garlic is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Data have shown that garlic has anti-inflammatory activity; however, the findings are inconclusive and inconsistent. We aimed to evaluate the impact of garlic intake on inflammatory mediators through systematic review and meta-analysis of existing data. ⋯ CRD42018108816.
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The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of antiosteoporotic drugs on preventing periprosthetic bone loss in calcar 6 and 12 months after total hip arthroplasty. ⋯ Antiosteoporotic drugs showed prophylactic efficacy on periprosthetic bone loss after total hip arthroplasty in calcar, the effectiveness varied. Zoledronate was the best recommendation due to its optimal efficacy both within 6 and 12 months as well as its residual effect in the long term. BTMs could be used as indicators for monitoring through the treatment. More head-to-head clinical trials are needed to confirm those findings.
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Review Meta Analysis
Efficacy of ultrasound guidance for lumbar punctures: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.
Ultrasound guidance has been reported to facilitate the performance of lumbar punctures (LPs). However, the use of ultrasound guidance has not yet received consistent conclusions. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the efficacy of ultrasound-guided LPs. ⋯ No significant heterogeneity was detected (I2=27%) among these trials. It further decreased first attempt to failure (RR=0.43, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.62, p<0.00001), mean attempts to success (SMD=-0.61, 95% CI -0.80 to -0.43, p=0.00001) and incidences of complications of headache and backache (RR=0.63, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.85, p=0.003). Ultrasound guidance is an effective technique for LPs in adults.
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Review Meta Analysis
Efficacy and safety of iron therapy in patients with chronic heart failure and iron deficiency: a systematic review and meta-analysis based on 15 randomised controlled trials.
Trials studying iron administration in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and iron deficiency (ID) have sprung up these years but the results remain inconsistent. The aim of this meta-analysis was to comprehensively evaluate the efficacy and safety of iron therapy in patients with CHF and ID. A literature search was conducted across PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, OVID and Web of Science up to 31 July 2019 to search for randomised controlled trials (RCT) comparing iron therapy with placebo in CHF with ID, regardless of presence of anaemia. ⋯ Iron therapy resulted in a reduction in NYHA class (mean difference (MD) -0.73, 95% CI -0.99 to -0.47, p<0.001), an increase in LVEF (MD +4.35, 95% CI 0.69 to 8.00, p=0.020), 6MWT distance (MD +35.44, 95% CI 11.55 to 59.33, p=0.004) and an improvement in QoL: EQ-5D score (MD +4.07, 95% CI 0.84 to 7.31, p=0.014); Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire score (MD -19.47, 95% CI -23.36 to -15.59, p<0.001) and Patients Global Assessment (PGA) scale (MD 0.71, 95% CI 0.32 to 1.10, p<0.001). There was no significant difference in adverse events or serious adverse events between iron treatment group and control group. Iron therapy reduces cardiovascular hospitalisation in patients with CHF with ID, and additionally improves cardiac function, exercise capacity and QoL in patients with CHF with ID and anaemia, without an increase of adverse events.