Cochrane Db Syst Rev
-
Alcohol is a major cause of liver disease in the Western world today. S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe) acts as a methyl donor for all known biological methylation reactions and participates in the synthesis of glutathione, the main cellular anti-oxidant. Randomised clinical trials have addressed the question whether SAMe has any efficacy in patients with alcoholic liver diseases. ⋯ This systematic review could not demonstrate any significant effect of SAMe on mortality, liver related mortality, mortality or liver transplantation, and liver complications of patients with alcoholic liver disease. SAMe should not be used for alcoholic liver disease outside randomised clinical trials.
-
Anticholinergic agents block bronchoconstriction mediated by the vagus nerve and may also dry up bronchial secretions. They are effective in obstructive airways disease and may be beneficial in bronchiectasis ⋯ No formal recommendations can be made about the use of anticholinergic therapy in acute or stable bronchiectasis based on the literature currently available.
-
Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2001
ReviewBeclomethasone at different doses for chronic asthma (review).
Beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) is available in a wide range of daily doses for the treatment of long-term asthma. ⋯ BDP appears to demonstrate a shallow dose response effect in long-term asthma for a small number of efficacy outcomes over range of daily doses from 400 mcg/d to 1600 mcg/d, although the clinical significance of the improvements afforded by higher doses is questionable.
-
Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2001
ReviewDietary advice given by a dietitian versus other health professional or self-help resources to reduce blood cholesterol.
The average level of blood cholesterol is an important determinant of the risk of coronary heart disease. Blood cholesterol can be reduced by dietary means. Although dietitians are trained to provide dietary advice, for practical reasons it is also given by other health professionals and occasionally through the use of self-help resources. ⋯ Dietitians were better than doctors at lowering blood cholesterol in the short to medium term, but there was no evidence that they were better than self-help resources. The results should be interpreted with caution as the studies were not of good quality and the analysis was based on a limited number of trials. More evidence is required to assess whether change can be maintained in the longer term. There was no evidence that dietitians provided better outcomes than nurses.
-
Symptoms of bronchiectasis include chronic productive cough, wheeze, breathlessness and recurrent infections of the lower respiratory tract. Long-acting bronchodilators are being used more frequently in the management of people with this condition. ⋯ Further research is needed to establish if long-acting bronchodilators have a role in the management of people with bronchiectasis.