Cochrane Db Syst Rev
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Hepatic encephalopathy may be caused by a decreased plasma ratio of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) to aromatic amino acids. Treatment with BCAA may therefore have a beneficial effect on patients with hepatic encephalopathy. ⋯ We did not find convincing evidence that BCAA had a significant beneficial effect on patients with hepatic encephalopathy. The trials performed in this field were small with short follow-up and most had low methodological quality.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2003
ReviewTreadmill training and body weight support for walking after stroke.
Treadmill training, with some body weight supported using a harness, is a method of treating walking after stroke. Systematic review is required to assess the cost, effectiveness and acceptance of this treatment. ⋯ Overall, no statistically significant effect of treadmill training and body weight support was detected. However, among people who could walk independently, treadmill training with body weight support appeared to be more effective than other interventions at improving walking speed, but this conclusion was not robust.
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The tremor of Parkinson's disease can cause considerable disability for the individual concerned. Traditional antiparkinsonian therapies such as levodopa have only a minor effect on tremor. Beta-blockers are used to attenuate other forms of tremor such as Essential Tremor or the tremor associated with anxiety. It is thought that beta-blockers may be of use in controlling the tremor of Parkinson's disease. ⋯ In view of this lack of evidence, it is impossible to determine whether beta-blocker therapy is effective and safe for the treatment of tremor in Parkinson's disease. The high frequency of bradycardia in one trial raises some concerns about the prescription of beta-blockers to normotensive elderly patients but the study was too small for the true degree of risk to be calculated.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2003
ReviewTreatments for gestational diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance in pregnancy.
Gestational diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in pregnancy affects between 3 and 6% of all pregnancies and both have been associated with pregnancy complications. A lack of conclusive evidence has led clinicians to equate the risk of adverse perinatal outcome with pre-existing diabetes. Consequently, women are often intensively managed with increased obstetric monitoring, dietary regulation, and in some cases insulin therapy. However, there has been no sound evidence base to support intensive treatment. The key issue for clinicians and consumers is whether treatment of gestational diabetes and IGT will improve perinatal outcome. ⋯ There are insufficient data for any reliable conclusions about the effects of treatments for impaired glucose tolerance on perinatal outcome.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2003
ReviewCervical stitch (cerclage) for preventing pregnancy loss in women.
A cervical stitch has been used to prevent preterm deliveries in women with previous second trimester pregnancy losses, or other risk factors such as short cervix on digital or ultrasound examination. ⋯ The use of a cervical stitch should not be offered to women at low or medium risk of mid trimester loss, regardless of cervical length by ultrasound. The role of cervical cerclage for women who have short cervix on ultrasound remains uncertain as the numbers of randomised women are too few to draw firm conclusions. There is no information available as to the effect of cervical cerclage or its alternatives on the family unit and long term outcome.