Cochrane Db Syst Rev
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2004
Review Meta AnalysisEffects of low sodium diet versus high sodium diet on blood pressure, renin, aldosterone, catecholamines, cholesterols, and triglyceride.
One of the controversies in preventive medicine is, whether a general reduction in sodium intake can decrease the blood pressure of a population and thereby reduce cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. In recent years the debate has been extended by studies indicating that reducing sodium intake has effects on the hormone and lipid profile. ⋯ The magnitude of the effect in Caucasians with normal blood pressure does not warrant a general recommendation to reduce sodium intake. Reduced sodium intake in Caucasians with elevated blood pressure has a useful effect to reduce blood pressure in the short-term. The results suggest that the effect of low versus high sodium intake on blood pressure was greater in Black and Asian patients than in Caucasians. However, the number of studies in black (8) and Asian patients (1) was insufficient for different recommendations. Additional long-term trials of the effect of reduced dietary sodium intake on blood pressure, metabolic variables, morbidity and mortality are required to establish whether this is a useful prophylactic or treatment strategy.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2004
ReviewInterventions for treating oral candidiasis for patients with cancer receiving treatment.
Treatment of cancer is increasingly effective but is associated with short and long-term side effects. Oral side effects, including oral candidiasis, remain a major source of illness despite the use of a variety of agents to treat them. ⋯ There is weak and unreliable evidence that the absorbed drug, ketoconazole, may eradicate oral candidiasis and that a higher dose of the partially absorbed drug, clotrimazole, may give greater benefit than a lower 10 mg dose, however, researchers may wish to prevent rather than treat oral candidiasis. Further well designed, placebo-controlled trials assessing the effectiveness of old and new interventions for treating oral candidiasis are needed.
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Rofecoxib is a selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor licensed in the UK and the US for acute pain treatment and is associated with fewer gastrointestinal adverse events than conventional NSAIDs. Rofecoxib is believed to be at least as effective as conventional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for postoperative pain. ⋯ Rofecoxib 50 mg (a dose 2 to 4 times the standard daily dose for chronic pain) is an effective single dose oral analgesic for acute postoperative pain.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2004
ReviewStabilisation splint therapy for temporomandibular pain dysfunction syndrome.
Pain dysfunction syndrome (PDS) is the most common temporomandibular disorder (TMD). There are many synonyms for this condition including facial arthromylagia, TMJ dysfunction syndrome, myofacial pain dysfunction syndrome, craniomandibular dysfunction and myofacial pain dysfunction. The aetiology of PDS is multifactorial and many different therapies have been advocated. ⋯ There is insufficient evidence either for or against the use of stabilisation splint therapy for the treatment of temporomandibular pain dysfunction syndrome. This review suggests the need for further, well conducted RCTs that pay attention to method of allocation, outcome assessment, large sample size, and enough duration of follow up. A standardisation of the outcomes of the treatment of PDS should be established in the RCTs.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2004
ReviewInterventions for preventing infection in nephrotic syndrome.
Infection is one of the most common complications and still remains a significant cause of morbidity and occasionally mortality in patients, especially children with nephrotic syndrome. Many different prophylactic interventions have been used or recommended for reducing the risks of infection in nephrotic syndrome in clinical practice. Whether the existing evidence is scientifically rigorous and which prophylactic intervention can be recommended for routine use based on the current evidence is still unknown. ⋯ IVIG, thymosin and TIAOJINING may have positive effects on prevention of nosocomial or unspecified infection with no obvious serious adverse events in children with nephrotic syndrome. However the methodological quality of all trials was poor, the sample sizes small and all studies were from China, and thus there is no strong evidence on the effectiveness of these interventions.