Cochrane Db Syst Rev
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Mar 2012
Review Meta AnalysisAntioxidant supplements for prevention of mortality in healthy participants and patients with various diseases.
Our systematic review has demonstrated that antioxidant supplements may increase mortality. We have now updated this review. ⋯ We found no evidence to support antioxidant supplements for primary or secondary prevention. Beta-carotene and vitamin E seem to increase mortality, and so may higher doses of vitamin A. Antioxidant supplements need to be considered as medicinal products and should undergo sufficient evaluation before marketing.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Mar 2012
Review Meta AnalysisRiluzole for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)/motor neuron disease (MND).
Riluzole is approved for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in most countries. Questions persist about its clinical utility because of high cost and modest efficacy. ⋯ Riluzole 100 mg daily is reasonably safe and probably prolongs median survival by about two to three months in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Mar 2012
Review Meta AnalysisNutrient-enriched formula versus standard term formula for preterm infants following hospital discharge.
Preterm infants are often growth-restricted at hospital discharge. Feeding infants after hospital discharge with nutrient-enriched formula rather than standard term formula might facilitate "catch-up" growth and improve development. ⋯ Current recommendations to prescribe "post-discharge formula" for preterm infants following hospital discharge are not supported by the available evidence. Some limited evidence exists that feeding preterm infants following hospital discharge with "preterm formula" (which is generally only available for in-hospital use) may increase growth rates up to 18 months corrected age.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Mar 2012
Review Meta AnalysisMicronutrient supplementation in pregnant women with HIV infection.
Micronutrient deficiencies are widespread and compound the effects of HIV disease; micronutrient supplements may be effective and safe in reducing this burden. ⋯ In keeping with previous World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations everything possible should be done to promote and support adequate dietary intake of micronutrients, while recognising that this may not be sufficient to correct specific micronutrient deficiencies in all HIV-infected individuals.Specific recommendations for pregnant and lactating women infected with HIV would be to include the provision of multivitamin supplements in single RDA formulations during the antenatal period and at least for 6 weeks post-partum, especially for women who are breast-feeding.There is no conclusive evidence to provide stand-alone zinc or selenium supplementation to HIV-infected pregnant and lactating women.Micronutrient supplementation should not be used as a substitute for provision of recommended antiretroviral medication for preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV and treating maternal HIV infection when this is recommended.Further trials of single supplements are required to build the evidence base. The long-term clinical benefits, adverse effects, and optimal formulation of multiple micronutrient supplements require further investigation in pregnant women at different stages of HIV infection.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Mar 2012
Review Meta AnalysisMirror therapy for improving motor function after stroke.
Mirror therapy is used to improve motor function after stroke. During mirror therapy, a mirror is placed in the patient's midsagittal plane, thus reflecting movements of the non-paretic side as if it were the affected side. ⋯ The results indicate evidence for the effectiveness of mirror therapy for improving upper extremity motor function, activities of daily living and pain, at least as an adjunct to normal rehabilitation for patients after stroke. Limitations are due to small sample sizes of most included studies, control interventions that are not used routinely in stroke rehabilitation and some methodological limitations of the studies.