Annals of internal medicine
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Knee osteoarthritis is a major cause of pain and functional limitation. ⋯ Sham-controlled trials show clinically irrelevant short-term benefits of acupuncture for treating knee osteoarthritis. Waiting list-controlled trials suggest clinically relevant benefits, some of which may be due to placebo or expectation effects.
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Meta Analysis
Meta-analysis: antithrombotic therapy to prevent stroke in patients who have nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.
Atrial fibrillation is a strong independent risk factor for stroke. ⋯ Adjusted-dose warfarin and antiplatelet agents reduce stroke by approximately 60% and by approximately 20%, respectively, in patients who have atrial fibrillation. Warfarin is substantially more efficacious (by approximately 40%) than antiplatelet therapy. Absolute increases in major extracranial hemorrhage associated with antithrombotic therapy in participants from the trials included in this meta-analysis were less than the absolute reductions in stroke. Judicious use of antithrombotic therapy importantly reduces stroke for most patients who have atrial fibrillation.
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Review Meta Analysis
Meta-analysis: diagnostic accuracy of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody and rheumatoid factor for rheumatoid arthritis.
Rheumatoid factor (RF) and autoantibodies against cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) are markers that might help physicians diagnose rheumatoid arthritis. ⋯ Anti-CCP antibodies are more specific than RF for diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis and may better predict erosivedisease.