Minerva medica
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Review
Exploring the landscape of academic retractions in medicine: a comprehensive umbrella review.
The escalating trend of academic article retractions over the last decades raises concerns about scientific integrity, but heterogeneity in retractions and reasons for them pose a major challenge. We aimed to comprehensively overview systematic reviews focusing on retractions in the biomedical literature. ⋯ In order to prevent retractions and amend their adverse effects, rigorous and transparent reporting standards, enhanced training in research ethics, strengthened peer review processes, and the establishment of collaborative and integrated research integrity offices are proposed.
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Alcohol consumption can cause, beyond addiction, roughly 200 different diseases and at least fourteen types of cancer. In 2016 the WHO estimated that 29% of alcohol-related deaths were mainly due to oncological diseases, liver cirrhosis (20%), and cardiovascular disorders (19%). The aim of this review was to focus on the absorption and metabolism of ethanol and discuss the main conditions caused by alcohol consumption (i.e., liver and cardiovascular diseases, and tumors). ⋯ Even moderate drinking appears not to reduce mortality risk. Alcohol intake is one of the main risk factors for several pathological conditions and social problems, thus drastically impacting on public health. Proper awareness of the high risk related to alcohol consumption is of crucial importance to reduce the harm to public health.
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In asymptomatic patients presenting with significant internal carotid artery (ICA) stenoses undergoing endovascular revascularization, a selective angiography before stenting (CAS) is required. Sometimes, angiographic findings could be discordant from non-invasive assessment and a tool able to evaluate functional relevance of the stenosis could be of value. We sought to evaluate the usefulness of quantitative flow ratio (QFR) as angiography-based tool for functional assessment of ICA stenoses. ⋯ This study suggest the potential benefit of adopting QFR for functional assessment of extracranial ICA stenoses. These data should be validated in larger studies.