Internal medicine journal
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Internal medicine journal · Nov 2013
Meta AnalysisPopulation attributable risks for modifiable lifestyle factors and breast cancer in New Zealand women.
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed invasive cancer in New Zealand women and modifiable lifestyle risk factors may contribute to this. ⋯ The most important primary preventive strategies to reduce the risk of breast cancer in New Zealand are lifestyle changes to reduce obesity, promoting regular physical activity (which may in turn reduce the prevalence of obesity), reducing HRT use and avoiding high alcohol intake. Strategies that encourage regular physical activity and reduce obesity could also have other benefits, such as reduced risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
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Internal medicine journal · Jul 2012
Review Meta AnalysisArterial stiffness as a cause of cognitive decline and dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Although arterial stiffness has recently been confirmed as a predictor of cardiovascular disease, the association between arterial stiffness and cognitive decline is less clear. ⋯ Aortic stiffness was found to predict cognitive decline in both qualitative review and quantitative analysis.
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Internal medicine journal · May 2012
Meta AnalysisDiabetes as a risk factor for dementia and mild cognitive impairment: a meta-analysis of longitudinal studies.
This study examined the association of diabetes with the onset of dementia (including Alzheimer's disease (AD), vascular dementia (VD) and any dementia) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) by using a quantitative meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. EMBASE and MEDLINE were searched for articles published up to December 2010. All studies that examined the relationship between diabetes and the onset of dementia or MCI were included. ⋯ All subjects were without dementia or MCI at baseline. The quantitative meta-analysis showed that subjects with diabetes had higher risk for AD (relative risk (RR):1.46, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.20-1.77), VD (RR: 2.48, 95% CI: 2.08-2.96), any dementia (RR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.31-1.74) and MCI (RR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.02-1.45) than those without. The quantitative meta-analysis showed that diabetes was a risk factor for incident dementia (including AD, VD and any dementia) and MCI.
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Internal medicine journal · Apr 2012
Meta AnalysisAngiotensin-converting enzyme gene insertion/deletion polymorphism and essential hypertension in the Chinese population: a meta-analysis including 21,058 participants.
The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism has been suggested to influence susceptibility to essential hypertension (EH), but the results of many individual studies are conflicting. ⋯ In the whole Chinese population, the D allele was significantly linked with EH susceptibility. However, the relation between the I/D polymorphism and EH is still inconclusive in some national minorities and must await larger scale studies.
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Internal medicine journal · May 2010
Meta Analysis Comparative StudyAtrial fibrillation and the risk of death in patients with heart failure: a literature-based meta-analysis.
Heart failure (HF) and atrial fibrillation (AF) are common, associated with significant morbidity and mortality, and frequently coexist. It is uncertain from published data if the presence of AF in patients with HF is associated with an incremental adverse outcome. The aim of this study was to combine the results of all studies investigating prognosis for patients with HF and AF compared with those in sinus rhythm (SR) to asses the mortality risk associated with this arrhythmia. ⋯ This meta-analysis demonstrates that AF is associated with worse outcomes for patients with HF compared with those with SR. Further research is required to determine whether the adverse outcome associated with AF is related to the arrhythmia itself, or to variables, such as HF severity, patient age and comorbidity.