Search results for " observational studies"
showing 10 items of 24 documents
What Is the Role of Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Surgery in High-Risk Patients? A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies
2016
Background. Minimally invasive valve surgery is related to certain better postoperative outcomes. We aimed to assess the role of minimally invasive mitral valve surgery in high-risk patients. Methods. A systematic literature review identified eight studies of which seven fulfilled criteria for metaanalysis. Outcomes for a total of 1,254 patients (731 were conventional standard sternotomy and 523 were minimally invasive mitral valve surgery) were submitted to meta-analysis using random effects modeling. Heterogeneity and subgroup analysis with quality scoring were assessed. The primary end point was early mortality. Secondary end points were intraoperative and postoperative outcomes and long…
Use of oral anticoagulant drugs in older patients with atrial fibrillation in internal medicine wards
2018
no abstract available
Influenza vaccination reduces dementia risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis
2021
Animal models have indicated that influenza vaccination may prevent or delay the onset of dementia. However, the epidemiological evidence in human beings is still limited. Given this background, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize the current state of the art of observational studies investigating the association between influenza vaccination and the risk of dementia. We searched Scopus and Pubmed/Medline until 24 September 2021 for studies investigating the risk of dementia by influenza vaccination status. After adjustment for potentially important confounding variables, data were reported as risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Among 273 articles …
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection and Diverse Physical Health Outcomes: An Umbrella Review of Meta-analyses of Observational Studies.
2019
Abstract Background Our aim was to assess both the credibility and strength of evidence arising from systematic reviews with meta-analyses of observational studies and physical health outcomes associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) but not acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Methods We performed an umbrella review of observational studies. Evidence was graded as convincing, highly suggestive, suggestive, weak, or nonsignificant. Results From 3413 studies returned, 20 were included, covering 55 health outcomes. Median number of participants was 18 743 (range 403–225 000 000). Overall, 45 (81.8%) of the 55 unique outcomes reported nominally significant summary results (P < .05). O…
A clinical review on megalencephaly
2017
Abstract Megalencephaly and macrocephaly present with a head circumference measurement 2 standard deviations above the age-related mean. However, even if pathologic events resulting in both megalencephaly and macrocephaly may coexist, a distinction between these two entities is appropriate, as they represent clinical expression of different disorders with a different approach in clinical work-up, overall prognosis, and treatment. Megalencephaly defines an increased growth of cerebral structures related to dysfunctional anomalies during the various steps of brain development in the neuronal proliferation and/or migration phases or as a consequence of postnatal abnormal events. The disorders …
Sorafenib: from literature to clinical practice
2013
Sorafenib is considered the standard systemic therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), in patients with well-preserved liver function (Child-Pugh A class) and advanced-stage HCC (BCLC-C) or in patients with HCC progressing after locoregional therapies, with a high grade of recommendation. The approval of sorafenib for this indication was grounded on the efficacy and the safety results reported by two international randomized, controlled trials, the SHARP and the Asia-Pacific studies. In addition, the efficacy and the safety of sorafenib in clinical practice are addressed by several field-practice experiences, including the multinational GIDEON study and the SOFIA study. Finally, further …
Tea Consumption and Risk of Cancer
2020
Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages, but its association with cancer risk remains controversial and unclear. We performed an umbrella review to clarify and determine the associations between tea consumption and various types of cancer by summarizing and recalculating the existing meta-analyses. Meta-analyses of observational studies reporting associations between tea consumption and cancer risk were searched on PubMed and Embase. Associations found to be statistically significant were further classified into levels of evidence (convincing, suggestive, or weak), based on P value, between-study heterogeneity, prediction intervals, and small study effects. Sixty-four observational…
Assessing the quality of studies in meta-research: Review/guidelines on the most important quality assessment tools
2020
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses pool data from individual studies to generate a higher level of evidence to be evaluated by guidelines. These reviews ultimately guide clinicians and stakeholders in health-related decisions. However, the informativeness and quality of evidence synthesis inherently depend on the quality of what has been pooled into meta-research projects. Moreover, beyond the quality of included individual studies, only a methodologically correct process, in relation to systematic reviews and meta-analyses themselves, can produce a reliable and valid evidence synthesis. Hence, quality of meta-research projects also affects evidence synthesis reliability. In this overview…
Using natural analogues to investigate the effects of climate change and ocean acidification on Northern ecosystems
2018
AbstractNorthern oceans are in a state of rapid transition. Still, our knowledge of the likely effects of climate change and ocean acidification on key species in the food web, functionally important habitats and the structure of Arctic and sub-Arctic ecosystems is limited and based mainly on short-term laboratory studies on single species. This review discusses how tropical and temperate natural analogues of carbonate chemistry drivers, such as CO2 vents, have been used to further our knowledge of the sensitivity of biological systems to predicted climate change, and thus assess the capacity of different species to show long-term acclimation and adaptation to elevated levels of pCO2. Natur…
Physical activity and exercise in mild cognitive impairment and dementia::an umbrella review of intervention and observational studies
2020
Objectives:\ud \ud The aim of this umbrella review was to determine the effect of physical activity/exercise on improving cognitive and noncognitive outcomes in people with MCI (mild cognitive impairment) and dementia.\ud \ud Design:\ud \ud Umbrella review of systematic reviews (SR), with or without meta-analyses (MAs), of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies.\ud \ud Settings and Participants:\ud \ud People with MCI or dementia, confirmed through validated assessment measures. Any form of physical activity/exercise was included. As controls, we included participants not following any prespecified physical activity/exercise intervention or following the same standard…