-
Translational Pediatrics Apr 2024Isolated fetal ventriculomegaly can have a range of consequences, ranging from mild neurodevelopmental delay to perinatal death; the extent of these consequences often...
BACKGROUND
Isolated fetal ventriculomegaly can have a range of consequences, ranging from mild neurodevelopmental delay to perinatal death; the extent of these consequences often depend on the severity of ventriculomegaly. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to investigate the impact of the degree of ventricular dilatation on the risk of neurodevelopmental delay and adverse perinatal outcomes in fetuses diagnosed with isolated fetal ventriculomegaly from gestational week 15 onwards.
METHODS
PubMed, Embase, Scopus and the Cochrane Library were searched electronically to identify studies investigating the prognosis of mild and/or severe isolated fetal ventriculomegaly. Articles were included if they reported neurodevelopmental or perinatal outcomes in fetuses prenatally diagnosed with isolated fetal ventriculomegaly from week 15 of gestation and onwards. Studies were excluded if they reported on non-isolated ventriculomegaly (IVM), failed to specify the degree of ventriculomegaly, were non-English papers, animal studies or published outside of the 21-year period of interest. Study quality was assessed by two independent reviewers using a modified version of the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. Ventriculomegaly was defined as either mild or severe when ventricular diameter measured as 10-15 or >15 mm, respectively. Meta-analyses were conducted for adverse neurodevelopmental outcome, intrauterine fetal demise and infant mortality.
RESULTS
Following the removal of duplicates, the search yielded 2,452 citations, of which 23 studies were included and 8 were eligible for meta-analysis. There were 767 and 347 cases of mild and severe isolated fetal ventriculomegaly, respectively. Adverse outcomes were consistently reported at a higher rate in severe cases than mild. The relative risks of adverse neurodevelopmental outcome, intrauterine fetal demise and infant mortality were 4.24 [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.46-7.30], 4.46 (95% CI: 1.64-12.11) and 6.02 (95% CI: 1.73-21.00), respectively, upon comparison of mild versus severe cases of isolated fetal ventriculomegaly.
CONCLUSIONS
The likelihood of adverse neurodevelopmental and perinatal outcomes, including intrauterine and infant mortality, is increased in severe isolated fetal ventriculomegaly compared to mild isolated fetal ventriculomegaly.
PubMed: 38715672
DOI: 10.21037/tp-23-548 -
American Journal of Obstetrics and... Mar 2024This study aimed to quantify the association between mode of operative delivery in the second stage of labor (cesarean delivery vs operative vaginal delivery) and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to quantify the association between mode of operative delivery in the second stage of labor (cesarean delivery vs operative vaginal delivery) and spontaneous preterm birth in a subsequent pregnancy.
DATA SOURCES
MEDLINE, Embase, EmCare, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science: Core Collection, and Scopus were searched from database inception to April 1, 2023.
STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
All retrospective cohort studies with participants who had a second-stage cesarean delivery (defined as intrapartum cesarean delivery at full cervical dilation) or operative vaginal delivery (including forceps- and/or vacuum-assisted delivery) and that reported the rate of preterm birth (either spontaneous or not specified) in subsequent pregnancy were included.
METHODS
Both a descriptive analysis and a meta-analysis were performed. A meta-analysis was performed for dichotomous data using the Mantel-Haenszel random-effects model and used the odds ratio as an effect measure with 95% confidence intervals. The risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane's 2022 Risk Of Bias In Non-randomized Studies of Exposure tool.
RESULTS
After screening 2671 articles from 7 databases, a total of 18 retrospective cohort studies encompassing 605,138 patients were included. The pooled rates of spontaneous preterm birth in a subsequent pregnancy were 6.9% (12 studies) after second-stage cesarean delivery and 2.6% (8 studies) after operative vaginal delivery. A total of 7 studies encompassing 75,460 patients compared the primary outcome of spontaneous preterm birth after second-stage cesarean delivery vs operative vaginal delivery in an index pregnancy with an odds ratio of 2.01 (95% confidence interval, 1.57-2.58) in favor of operative vaginal delivery. However, most studies did not include important confounding factors, did not address exposure misclassification because of failed operative vaginal delivery, and considered operative vaginal delivery as a homogeneous category with no distinction between forceps- and vacuum-assisted deliveries.
CONCLUSION
Although a synthesis of the existing literature suggests that the risk of spontaneous preterm birth is higher in those with a previous second-stage cesarean delivery than in those with operative vaginal delivery, the risk of bias in these studies is very high. Findings should be interpreted with caution.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Infant, Newborn; Humans; Premature Birth; Retrospective Studies; Labor Stage, Second; Cohort Studies; Delivery, Obstetric
PubMed: 37673234
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2023.08.033 -
Diseases of the Esophagus : Official... Jan 2024Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is an intervention for the treatment of achalasia which has gained popularity over the last decade. It's efficacy and invasiveness are...
Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is an intervention for the treatment of achalasia which has gained popularity over the last decade. It's efficacy and invasiveness are comparable to laparoscopic Heller myotomy (LHM). The purpose of this systematic review is to compare POEM to existing therapies. The systematic review was performed following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science and Cochrane Libraries were searched using keywords: esophageal achalasia, POEM, LHM, pneumatic dilation (PD), and related terms. The studied outcomes were Eckardt score, clinical success, hospital stay, cost-utility analysis, complications, and post-treatment gastro-esophageal reflux disease. Articles were reviewed by one researcher and uncertainty was resolved by a second researcher. The search strategy retrieved 1948 citations. After removing duplicates and applying the exclusion criteria, 91 studies were selected for full-text review of which a total of 31 studies were considered eligible for further analysis, including two studies which were found through manual searching. POEM has improved efficacy compared to PD with similar cost-effectiveness. POEM results showed comparable patient outcomes when compared with laparoscopic myotomy. Overall, POEM is a feasible first-line treatment for achalasia.
Topics: Humans; Esophageal Achalasia; Esophageal Sphincter, Lower; Heller Myotomy; Dilatation; Treatment Outcome; Myotomy; Natural Orifice Endoscopic Surgery
PubMed: 37539633
DOI: 10.1093/dote/doad055 -
Pediatric Nephrology (Berlin, Germany) Nov 2023Children with non-refluxing primary megaureter are mostly managed by a watchful approach with close follow-up and serial imaging. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Children with non-refluxing primary megaureter are mostly managed by a watchful approach with close follow-up and serial imaging.
OBJECTIVES
This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to support the current non-surgical management strategy in these patients.
DATA SOURCES
A comprehensive search including electronic literature databases, clinical trial registries, and conference proceedings was performed.
DATA SYNTHESIS METHODS
Outcomes were estimated as pooled prevalence. If meta-analytical calculations were not appropriate, outcomes were provided in a descriptive manner.
RESULTS
Data from 8 studies (290 patients/354 renal units) were included. For the primary outcome, differential renal function estimated by functional imaging, meta-analysis was impossible due to reported data not being precise. Pooled prevalence for secondary surgery was 13% (95% confidence interval: 8-19%) and for resolution 61% (95% confidence interval: 42-78%). The risk of bias was moderate or high in most studies.
LIMITATIONS
This analysis was limited by the low number of eligible studies with few participants and high clinical heterogeneity, and the poor quality of the available data.
CONCLUSIONS
The low pooled prevalence of secondary surgical intervention and high pooled prevalence of resolution may support the current non-surgical management in children with non-refluxing primary megaureter. However, these results should be interpreted cautiously due to the limited available body of evidence. Future studies should overcome existing limitations of imaging methods by using standardized, comparable criteria and report outcome parameters in a quantitative manner. This would allow more sufficient data synthesis to provide evidence-based recommendations for clinical decision-making and counseling.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
The protocol was registered on PROSPERO under CRD42019134502.
Topics: Humans; Child; Kidney Function Tests; Kidney
PubMed: 36995462
DOI: 10.1007/s00467-023-05938-6 -
Scientific Reports Jul 2023The objective of this systematic review was to examine the effects of exercise training on endothelial function in individuals with overweight and obesity. Our review... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Effect of aerobic and resistance exercise training on endothelial function in individuals with overweight and obesity: a systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.
The objective of this systematic review was to examine the effects of exercise training on endothelial function in individuals with overweight and obesity. Our review study included only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving adults (≥ 18 years of age) with body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25.0 kg/m. Our search was conducted in the electronic bases MEDLINE (PubMed), Cochrane, LILACS and EMBASE and in the gray literature. We performed random-effects analyses for effect estimates and used 95% prediction intervals (95% PI) for estimating the uncertainty of the study results. There were selected 10 RCTs involving 14 groups (n = 400). The quality assessment of studies using Cochrane risk-of-bias 2 (RoB 2) tool identified some concerns. Exercise training resulted in improved flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in individuals with overweight and obesity (p < 0.001) compared to the no-exercise control group. This effect of training modalities on FMD was seen for aerobic training (p < 0.001) but not for resistance training (p = 0.051). There was no difference in FMD in response to exercise training by BMI classification (overweight, obesity, overweight + obesity), p = 0.793. The present results are consistent with the notion that aerobic exercise training elicits favorable adaptations in endothelial function in individuals with overweight and obesity. Our findings should be interpreted with caution because of the small number of studies included in this review.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Overweight; Resistance Training; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Obesity; Exercise
PubMed: 37479727
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38603-x -
International Braz J Urol : Official... 2024This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ultrasound-guided balloon dilation compared to non-balloon dilation for percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
PURPOSE
This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ultrasound-guided balloon dilation compared to non-balloon dilation for percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted by searching PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library. Results were filtered using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria as described and meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.4 software.
RESULTS
A total of six studies involving 1189 patients who underwent PCNL were included. The meta-analysis results demonstrated that compared to non-balloon dilation, balloon dilation was associated with reduced haemoglobin drop [mean difference (MD) = -0.26, 95% CI = -0.40 ~ -0.12, P = 0.0002], decreased transfusion rate [odds ratio (OR) = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.24 ~ 0.92, P = 0.03], shorter tract establishment time (MD = -1.30, 95% CI = -1.87 ~ -0.72, P < 0.0001) and shorter operation time (MD = -5.23, 95% CI = -10.19 ~ -0.27, P = 0.04).
CONCLUSIONS
Overall, ultrasound-guided balloon dilatation offered several advantages in PCNL procedures. It facilitated faster access establishment, as evidenced by shorter access creation time. Additionally, it reduced the risk of kidney injury by minimizing postoperative haemoglobin drop and decreasing the need for transfusions. Moreover, it enhanced the efficiency of surgery by reducing the operation time. However, it is important to note that the quality of some included studies was subpar, as they did not adequately control for confounding factors that may affect the outcomes. Therefore, further research is necessary to validate and strengthen these findings.
Topics: Humans; Nephrolithotomy, Percutaneous; Dilatation; Kidney; Kidney Calculi; Ultrasonography, Interventional; Hemoglobins; Nephrostomy, Percutaneous; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 38166218
DOI: 10.1590/S1677-5538.IBJU.2023.0373 -
Journal of Sport and Health Science Sep 2023There is a growing interest to understand the neurobiological mechanisms that drive the positive associations of physical activity and fitness with measures of cognitive... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
There is a growing interest to understand the neurobiological mechanisms that drive the positive associations of physical activity and fitness with measures of cognitive performance. To better understand those mechanisms, several studies have employed eye-based measures (e.g., eye movement measures such as saccades, pupillary measures such as pupil dilation, and vascular measures such as retinal vessel diameter) deemed to be proxies for specific neurobiological mechanisms. However, there is currently no systematic review providing a comprehensive overview of these studies in the field of exercise-cognition science. Thus, this review aimed to address that gap in the literature.
METHODS
To identify eligible studies, we searched 5 electronic databases on October 23, 2022. Two researchers independently extracted data and assessed the risk of bias using a modified version of the Tool for the assEssment of Study qualiTy and reporting in EXercise (TESTEX scale, for interventional studies) and the critical appraisal tool from the Joanna Briggs Institute (for cross-sectional studies).
RESULTS
Our systematic review (n = 35 studies) offers the following main findings: (a) there is insufficient evidence available to draw solid conclusions concerning gaze-fixation-based measures; (b) the evidence that pupillometric measures, which are a proxy for the noradrenergic system, can explain the positive effect of acute exercise and cardiorespiratory fitness on cognitive performance is mixed; (c) physical training- or fitness-related changes of the cerebrovascular system (operationalized via changes in retinal vasculature) are, in general, positively associated with cognitive performance improvements; (d) acute and chronic physical exercises show a positive effect based on an oculomotor-based measure of executive function (operationalized via antisaccade tasks); and (e) the positive association between cardiorespiratory fitness and cognitive performance is partly mediated by the dopaminergic system (operationalized via spontaneous eye-blink rate).
CONCLUSION
This systematic review offers confirmation that eye-based measures can provide valuable insight into the neurobiological mechanisms that may drive positive associations between physical activity and fitness and measures of cognitive performance. However, due to the limited number of studies utilizing specific methods for obtaining eye-based measures (e.g., pupillometry, retinal vessel analysis, spontaneous eye blink rate) or investigating a possible dose-response relationship, further research is necessary before more nuanced conclusions can be drawn. Given that eye-based measures are economical and non-invasive, we hope this review will foster the future application of eye-based measures in the field of exercise-cognition science.
Topics: Cross-Sectional Studies; Exercise; Cardiorespiratory Fitness; Physical Examination; Cognition
PubMed: 37148971
DOI: 10.1016/j.jshs.2023.04.003 -
Frontiers in Neurology 2023Intravenous infusion of human alpha calcitonin gene-related peptide (h-α-CGRP) has been applied to explore migraine pathogenesis and cerebral hemodynamics during the... (Review)
Review
Intravenous infusion of human alpha calcitonin gene-related peptide (h-α-CGRP) has been applied to explore migraine pathogenesis and cerebral hemodynamics during the past three decades. Cumulative data implicate h-α-CGRP in regulating the vascular tone. In this systematic review, we searched PubMed and EMBASE for clinical studies investigating the vascular changes upon intravenous infusion of h-α-CGRP in humans. A total of 386 studies were screened by title and abstract. Of these, 11 studies with 61 healthy participants and 177 participants diagnosed with migraine were included. Several studies reported hemodynamic effects including flushing, palpitation, warm sensation, heart rate (HR), mean arterial blood pressure (MABP), mean blood flow velocity of middle cerebral artery (mean V), and diameter of superficial temporal artery (STA). Upon the start of h-α-CGRP infusion, 163 of 165 (99%) participants had flushing, 98 of 155 (63%) participants reported palpitation, and 160 of 165 (97%) participants reported warm sensation. HR increased with 14%-58% and MABP decreased with 7%-12%. The mean V was decreased with 9.5%-21%, and the diameter of the STA was dilated with 41%-43%. The vascular changes lasted from 20 to >120 min. Intravenous infusion of h-α-CGRP caused a universal vasodilation without any serious adverse events. The involvement of CGRP in the systemic hemodynamic raises concerns regarding long-term blockade of CGRP in migraine patients with and without cardiovascular complications.
PubMed: 37483452
DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1204734 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2024An increasing number of studies have investigated the effect of exercise on flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), while the... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
INTRODUCTION
An increasing number of studies have investigated the effect of exercise on flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), while the findings were controversial. The primary aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the effect of exercise on FMD in T2DM patients, and the secondary aim was to investigate the optimal type, frequency, session duration, and weekly time of exercise for T2DM patients.
METHODS
Searches were conducted in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase and EBSCO databases. The Cochrane risk of bias tool (RoB2) in randomized trial and Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale were used to assess the methodological quality of the included studies.
RESULTS
From the 3636 search records initially retrieved, 13 studies met the inclusion criteria. Our meta-analysis revealed that exercise had a significant effect on improving FMD in T2DM patients [WMD, 2.18 (95% CI, 1.78-2.58), < 0.00001, = 38%], with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) being the most effective intervention type [HIIT, 2.62 (1.42-3.82); < 0.0001; aerobic exercise, 2.20 (1.29-3.11), < 0.00001; resistance exercise, 1.91 (0.01-3.82), = 0.05; multicomponent training, 1.49 (0.15-2.83), = 0.03]. In addition, a higher frequency [> 3 times, 3.06 (1.94-4.19), < 0.00001; ≤ 3 times, 2.02 (1.59-2.45), < 0.00001], a shorter session duration [< 60 min, 3.39 (2.07-4.71), < 0.00001; ≥ 60 min, 1.86 (1.32-2.40), < 0.00001], and a shorter weekly time [≤ 180 min, 2.40 (1.63-3.17), < 0.00001; > 180 min, 2.11 (0.82-3.40), = 0.001] were associated with larger improvements in FMD.
CONCLUSION
This meta-analysis provides clinicians with evidence to recommended that T2DM patients participate in exercise, especially HIIT, more than 3 times per week for less than 60 min, with a target of 180 min per week being reached by increasing the frequency of exercise.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero, identifier CRD42023466575.
Topics: Humans; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Dilatation; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Exercise
PubMed: 38596227
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1347399 -
Frontiers in Physiology 2023Exercise training improves endothelial function in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the influence of training variables remains unclear. The aim of...
Exercise training improves endothelial function in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the influence of training variables remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), compared to moderate intensity training (MIT) and other exercise modalities (i.e., resistance and combined exercise), on endothelial function, assessed by arterial flow-mediated dilation (FMD) or endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), in patients with CVD. Secondly, we investigated the influence of other training variables (i.e., HIIT protocol). The PICOS strategy was used to identify randomised and non-randomised studies comparing the effect of HIIT and other exercise modalities (e.g., MIT) on endothelial function in patients with CVD. Electronic searches were carried out in Pubmed, Embase, and Web of Science up to November 2022. The TESTEX scale was used to evaluate the methodological quality of the included studies. Random-effects models of between-group mean difference (MD) were estimated. A positive MD indicated an effect in favour of HIIT. Heterogeneity analyses were performed by the chi-square test and index. Subgroup analyses evaluated the influence of potential moderator variables. Fourteen studies (13; 92.9% randomised) were included. Most of the studies trained 3 days a week for 12 weeks and performed long HIIT. No statistically significant differences were found between HIIT and MIT for improving brachial FMD in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) (8 studies; MD = 0.91% [95% confidence interval (CI) = -0.06, 1.88]). However, subgroup analyses showed that long HIIT (i.e., > 1 min) is better than MIT for enhancing FMD (5 studies; MD = 1.46% [95% CI = 0.35, 2.57]), while no differences were found between short HIIT (i.e., ≤ 1 min) and MIT (3 studies; MD = -0.41% [95% CI = -1.64, 0.82]). Insufficient data prevented pooled analysis for EPCs, and individual studies failed to find statistically significant differences ( > .050) between HIIT and other exercise modalities in increasing EPCs. Poor methodological quality could limit the precision of the current results and increase the inconsistency. Long HIIT is superior to MIT for improving FMD in patients with CAD or HFrEF. Future studies comparing HIIT to other exercise modalities, as well as the effect on EPCs and in HF with preserved ejection fraction are required. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/#myprospero, identifier CRD42022358156.
PubMed: 37576344
DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1196665