Pharmacological research : the official journal of the Italian Pharmacological Society
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Meta Analysis
Effects of statin exposure and lung cancer survival: A meta-analysis of observational studies.
Statin exposure has been reported to improve survival in several cancers. However, studies evaluating the association between statins and prognostic outcomes in patients with lung cancer are conflicting and heterogeneous. Pubmed, EMBASE and reference lists of included studies were searched to identify studies investigating the association between statin exposure and lung cancer prognosis. ⋯ Besides, statin users were likely to have more survival benefits in stage IV lung cancer patients (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.74-0.79) than in mixed stage (I-IV or I-III) patients (P for interaction = 0.004). Statin exposure is associated with significantly improved survival in patients with lung cancer. Future studies are warranted to further demonstrate the therapeutic role of statins in specific lung cancer patients.
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Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Etrolizumab versus infliximab in the treatment of induction phase of ulcerative colitis: A systematic review and indirect comparison.
There is still a need to develop new effective medications for the treatment of ulcerative colitis, particularly for patients who are intolerant or resistant to first line therapies. This article compared the efficacy and safety of etrolizumab and infliximab in moderate to severe ulcerative colitis. ⋯ Seven trials were sufficiently homogeneous to be used for indirect comparison of the induction phase of the treatment. There were no significant differences in clinical remission and serious adverse events between etrolizumab and infliximab. Moreover, adverse events of etrolizumab were significantly less than those of infliximab. However, further trials are required to compare other parameters of efficacy such as the clinical response and mucosal healing of etrolizumab with infliximab in anti-TNF alpha naïve patients.
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Review Meta Analysis
A PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials investigating the effects of statin therapy on plasma lipid concentrations in HIV-infected patients.
Statin therapy may lower plasma lipid concentrations, but the evidence in HIV-infected patients is still unclear. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the impact of statin therapy on plasma lipid concentrations through a systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis of available randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The literature search included PUBMED, SCOPUS, Web of Science and Google Scholar up to October 30, 2015. ⋯ In subgroup analysis, no significant difference was found among different statins in terms of changing plasma concentrations of LDL-C, HDL-C and TG. However, atorvastatin was found to be more efficacious in reducing plasma total cholesterol concentrations (p<0.001). In conclusion, the meta-analysis suggested significant reductions in plasma concentrations of LDL-C, total cholesterol and non-HDL-C, and elevations in HDL-C, but no significant alteration in plasma TG following treatment with statins.
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Review Meta Analysis
The effects of a nutraceutical combination on plasma lipids and glucose: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia are associated with an increased risk of ischemic cardiovascular disease. Positive effects of a nutraceutical combination comprising red yeast rice, berberine, policosanol, astaxanthin, coenzyme Q10 and folic acid (NComb) on plasma lipid and glucose levels have been reported in some but not all clinical trials. To address this inconsistency, we tried to estimate the size of lipid- and glucose-lowering effects of NComb through a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. ⋯ NComb-induced amelioration of lipid profile was not affected by duration of supplementation nor by baseline lipid levels; conversely, a greater glucose-lowering effect of NComb was found with higher baseline glucose levels and longer durations of supplementation. In conclusion, the present results suggest that NComb supplementation is associated with improvement of lipid and glucose profile. Short-term beneficial effects of NComb supplementation appear to be maintained in the long term.
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Meta Analysis
Statin therapy and plasma coenzyme Q10 concentrations--A systematic review and meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials.
Statin therapy may lower plasma coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) concentrations, but the evidence as to the significance of this effect is unclear. We assessed the impact of statin therapy on plasma CoQ10 concentrations through the meta-analysis of available RCTs. The literature search included selected databases up to April 30, 2015. ⋯ With respect to treatment duration, a significant effect was observed in both subsets of trials lasting <12 weeks (WMD: -0.51 μmol/L, 95%CI: -0.64, -0.39, p<0.001) and ≥12 weeks (WMD: -0.40 μmol/L, 95%CI: -0.50, -0.30, p<0.001). The meta-analysis showed a significant reduction in plasma CoQ10 concentrations following treatment with statins. Further well-designed trials are required to confirm our findings and elucidate their clinical relevance.