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Nutrients Apr 2023The Mediterranean diet (MD) is a healthy diet pattern that can prevent chronic age-related diseases, especially age-related eye diseases (AREDs) including cataract,... (Review)
Review
The Mediterranean diet (MD) is a healthy diet pattern that can prevent chronic age-related diseases, especially age-related eye diseases (AREDs) including cataract, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy (DR) and dry eye syndrome (DES). In this study, we systematically reviewed studies in the literature that had reported associations between adherence to the MD and the five above-mentioned AREDs. Randomized controlled trials as well as prospective and retrospective observational studies were included; 1164 studies were identified, of which 1, 2, 9, 2 and 4 studies met our eligibility criteria for cataract, glaucoma, AMD, DR, and DES, respectively. According to these studies, higher MD adherence was associated with reduced risks of incident DR, incident AMD and progression to late AMD, but whether early and neovascular AMD could be alleviated remained to be debated. The results regarding the effects of the MD on DES were mixed, with three studies reporting an associations between MD and decreased severity or incidence of DES, whereas one study reported the opposite. No significant associations were observed between the MD and cataract or glaucoma. Generally, convincing evidence suggested a protective effect of the MD against AMD and DR. However, the evidence for cataract, glaucoma, and DES was less conclusive, and high-quality studies are needed for comprehensive evaluations of the potential benefits of MD on these eye diseases.
Topics: Humans; Angiogenesis Inhibitors; Diet, Mediterranean; Prospective Studies; Retrospective Studies; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; Visual Acuity; Wet Macular Degeneration; Glaucoma; Cataract; Diabetic Retinopathy
PubMed: 37432187
DOI: 10.3390/nu15092043 -
Acta Obstetricia Et Gynecologica... May 2022Several studies have reported on the maternal age-associated risks of congenital anomalies. However, there is a paucity of studies with comprehensive review of... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
INTRODUCTION
Several studies have reported on the maternal age-associated risks of congenital anomalies. However, there is a paucity of studies with comprehensive review of anomalies. We aimed to quantify the risk of birth defects in children born to middle-aged mothers compared with that in children born to young or older mothers.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
We classified maternal ages into three groups: young (<20 years old), middle (20-34 years old) and older age (≥35 years old). Observational studies that met our age criteria were eligible for inclusion. The articles searched using the Embase and MEDLINE databases were those published from 1989 to January 21, 2021. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used to assess the risk of bias. If heterogeneity exceeded 50%, the random effect method was used; otherwise, the fixed-effect method was used. Prospero registration number: CRD42021235229.
RESULTS
We included 15 cohort, 14 case-control and 36 cross-sectional studies. The pooled unadjusted odds ratio (95% CI) of any congenital anomaly was 1.64 (1.40-1.92) and 1.05 (0.95-1.15) in the older and young age groups, respectively (very low quality of evidence). The pooled unadjusted odds ratio of chromosomal anomaly was 5.64 (5.13-6.20) and 0.69 (0.54-0.88) in the older and young age groups, respectively. The pooled unadjusted odds ratio of non-chromosomal anomaly was 1.09 (1.01-1.17) and 1.10 (1.01-1.21) in the older and young age groups, respectively (very low quality of evidence). The incidence of abdominal wall defects was increased in children of women in the young maternal age group.
CONCLUSIONS
We identified that very low quality evidence suggests that women in the older maternal age group had increased odds of having children with congenital anomalies compared with those in the 20-34 year age group. There was no increase in odds of children with congenital anomalies in women of <20 year age group except for abdominal defects compared with those in the 20-34 year age group. The results stem from very low quality evidence with no adjustment of confounders.
Topics: Adult; Case-Control Studies; Child; Cohort Studies; Congenital Abnormalities; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Maternal Age; Middle Aged; Parturition; Pregnancy; Young Adult
PubMed: 35288928
DOI: 10.1111/aogs.14339 -
International Journal of Environmental... May 2021Evidence has suggested that parental age at birth is a risk factor of offspring attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We conducted a meta-analysis of... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Evidence has suggested that parental age at birth is a risk factor of offspring attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We conducted a meta-analysis of observational studies investigating the association between parental age and offspring ADHD. We conducted a systematic search that followed the recommended guidelines for performing meta-analyses on PUBMED, EMBASE, and Web of Science up to 8 April 2021. We calculated pooled risk estimates from individual age with and without adjusting for possible confounding factors. Dose-response analysis for parental age and ADHD risk was performed. Eleven studies were selected in this meta-analysis, which included 111,101 cases and 4,417,148 participants. Compared with the reference points, the lowest parental age category was associated with an increased risk of ADHD in the offspring, with adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of 1.49 (95% confidence intervals (95%CI) 1.19-1.87) and 1.75 (95%CI 1.31-2.36) for the mother and father, respectively. The highest parental age was statistically insignificant, with adjusted ORs of 1.11 (95%CI 0.79-1.55) and 0.93 (95%CI 0.70-1.23) for mother and father separately. Dose-response analysis indicated a non-linear relationship of parental age with offspring ADHD, with the lowest ADHD risk at 31-35 years old. The results of this meta-analysis support an association between young parental age and the risk of ADHD. More high-quality studies are needed to establish whether the association with parental age is causal.
Topics: Adult; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; Fathers; Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Male; Mothers; Odds Ratio; Risk Factors
PubMed: 34066379
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18094939 -
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) Jan 2021Health care provided to older adults must take into account the characteristics of chronic diseases and the comorbidities resulting from ageing. However, health services... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Health care provided to older adults must take into account the characteristics of chronic diseases and the comorbidities resulting from ageing. However, health services are still too oriented towards acute situations. To overcome this problem, the World Health Organization (WHO) proposed a set of Age-Friendly Principles that seek to optimize the provision of health care for this population. This article aims to understand how such Principles are considered in the implementation of age-friendly health care worldwide.
METHODS
A systematic review was conducted to synthesize the literature on age-friendly health care in accordance with the PRISMA recommendations in the PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases.
RESULTS
The research identified 34 articles, with only seven recognizing the WHO Principles and only four using the implementation toolkit. In addition, in the context of primary care, three studies recognize the WHO Principles, but only two use the toolkit.
CONCLUSIONS
The WHO Principles are being implemented in health care, but in a smaller scale than desired, which reveals possible flaws in their dissemination and standardization. Thus, a greater scientific investment in age-friendly health care should be considered, which represents a greater operationalization of the Principles and an evaluation of their effectiveness and impacts.
PubMed: 33561084
DOI: 10.3390/healthcare9010083 -
Frontiers in Pediatrics 2022The central nervous system (CNS) of preterm infants might have some peculiarities which distinguish it from that of full term infants. The difficulties associated with... (Review)
Review
The central nervous system (CNS) of preterm infants might have some peculiarities which distinguish it from that of full term infants. The difficulties associated with prematurity are the main cause of deaths all over the world during the new-born period after community-acquired pneumonia, and the second cause of deaths worldwide in children under five years old. Early recognition of signs indicating fragile postural control in premature infants can support understanding and help prevent and early intervention on possible future neuromotor dysfunctions in these subjects. The purpose of this paper is to determine if there is a qualitatively different development of postural control in premature infants without neurological involvement and infants born at term. We conducted a systematic review of longitudinal and cross-sectional case-control studies published between 2010 and March 2020 on this topic. The evaluation of parameters related to postural control was also included. The methodological quality of the selected works was evaluated using the CASPe critical reading programme for cases and controls. PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews were followed for prematurity and postural control. 16 articles were included. The total sample amounted to 3,460 participants, of which 1,860 in the preterm group, and 1,600 in the control group. All the studies found show a poorer postural control by the group of children born preterm compared to the group of children born at term and one study indicating more limited postural control with higher prematurity. Regarding the methodological quality according to CASPe, those studies exceeding half of the total score were considered of adequate quality.
PubMed: 36458142
DOI: 10.3389/fped.2022.883218 -
Environment International Aug 2023Maternal pesticide exposure might be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes through triggering inflammation and oxidative stress and disrupting endocrine functions.... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Maternal pesticide exposure might be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes through triggering inflammation and oxidative stress and disrupting endocrine functions. Yet the association between prenatal pesticide exposure and risk of preterm birth remains inconclusive.
OBJECTIVES
To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of human observational studies using the Office of Health Assessment and Translation (OHAT) framework to explore the association of per ten-fold increase of pesticide concentrations in maternal biological samples during pregnancy with risk of preterm birth and length of gestational age at birth.
DATA SOURCE
Five English (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Scopus) and 3 Chinese databases (China national knowledge infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM)) were searched till Jan 18th, 2023.
STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, PARTICIPANTS, AND INTERVENTIONS
To be included, pesticide exposure should be measured in maternal biological samples during pregnancy and in log-transformed forms. The primary outcome was preterm birth and the secondary outcome was gestational age at birth.
STUDY APPRAISAL, SYNTHESIS METHODS AND CONFIDENCE ASSESSMENT
Quality of studies was evaluated using OHAT Risk of Bias Tool. Evidence was quantitatively synthesized with Correlated and Hierarchical Effects (CHE) model. The confidence rating in the body of evidence was done using OHAT.
RESULTS
A total of 21 studies reported by 18 papers were included, with 7 studies for preterm birth and 19 for gestational age at birth. The meta-analysis found a ten-fold increase of pesticide concentrations was potentially associated with risk of preterm birth (pooled OR = 1.28; 95%CI: 0.93, 1.78) and shortened gestational age at birth (β = -0.10; 95%CI: -0.21, 0.01). Sampling biospecimens in different trimesters was identified as a potential modifier in the association between pesticide exposure and length of gestational age (F = 2.77, P < 0.05). For studies that collected samples at any time during pregnancy, pesticide exposure was found to be associated with shortened length of gestational age (β = -0.43; 95%CI: -0.81, -0.06). The confidence rating in the body of evidence was "moderate" and "very low" for preterm birth and gestational age at birth, respectively.
CONCLUSION
Our result suggested moderate evidence of an association between pesticide exposure and higher risk of preterm birth. Yet more studies are still needed with larger sample size and careful considerations of confounders and accuracy of outcome measurements. Attention is also required on other pesticide compounds in addition to organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticides, and on windows of susceptibility.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Infant, Newborn; Humans; Premature Birth; Pesticides; Organophosphorus Compounds; Pregnancy Outcome; Gestational Age
PubMed: 37364307
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108043 -
Updates in Surgery Dec 2023Increasing organ shortage results in extended criteria donors (ECD) being used to face the growing demand for liver grafts. The demographic change leads to greater use... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Increasing organ shortage results in extended criteria donors (ECD) being used to face the growing demand for liver grafts. The demographic change leads to greater use of elderly donors for liver transplantation, historically considered marginal donors. Age is still considered amongst ECD in liver transplantation as it could affect transplant outcomes. However, what is the cutoff for donor age is still unclear and debated. A search of PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane Library was performed. The primary outcome was 1-year graft survival (GS). The secondary outcome was overall biliary complications and 3-5 years of graft and overall survival. A meta-regression model was used to analyse the temporal trend relation in the survival outcome. The meta-analysis included 11 studies. Hazard ratios for 1-year (age cutoff of 70 and 80,) and 5-year GS (I2:0%) were similar irrespectively of the age group. The meta-regression analysis showed a significant correlation between the 1-year graft survival and the year of publication. (coef. 0.00027, 95% CI - 0.0001 to - 0.0003 p = 0.0009). Advanced-age donors showed an increased risk of overall biliary complications with an odd ratio (OR) of 1.89 (95% CI 1-3.65). Liver grafts potentially discharged because of high-risk failure show encouraging results, and GS in ECD has progressively improved with a temporal trend. Currently, the criteria of marginality vary amongst centres. Age alone cannot be considered amongst the extended criteria. First of all, because of the positive results in terms of septuagenarian graft survival. Moreover, the potential elderly donor-related adjunctive risk can be balanced by reducing other risk factors. A prospective multicentre study should investigate a multi-factorial model based on donor criteria, recipient features and new functional biomarkers to predict graft outcome, as proper donor-recipient matching seems to be the critical point for good outcomes.
Topics: Humans; Aged; Liver Transplantation; Prospective Studies; Tissue Donors; Tissue and Organ Procurement; Graft Survival; Liver; Treatment Outcome; Retrospective Studies; Age Factors; Multicenter Studies as Topic
PubMed: 37695503
DOI: 10.1007/s13304-023-01641-1 -
Imaging Science in Dentistry Jun 2023This systematic review aimed to investigate the correlation between chronological age and dental pulp volume in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
This systematic review aimed to investigate the correlation between chronological age and dental pulp volume in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The literature was searched in 4 databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar). Within each study, the outcome of interest was the correlation (r) between chronological age and pulp volume. A random-effect meta-analysis was conducted. Subgroup analysis was carried out according to sex and tooth type.
RESULTS
Of 5693 identified studies, 27 fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were selected for meta-analysis. These articles focused on single-rooted teeth (n=21), multi-rooted teeth (n=6), maxillary teeth (n=14), mandibular teeth (n=6), and maxillary and mandibular teeth (n=12). The relationship between chronological age and dental pulp volume was examined in the entire population (r=-0.67), men (r=-0.75), and women (r=-0.77) in single- and multi-rooted teeth. The results of the total population analysis showed a relatively strong negative relationship between age and pulp volume.
CONCLUSION
This study suggested that CBCT is a reliable and repeatable tool for dental age estimation. A strong inverse relationship was observed between pulp chamber volume and age. Further studies on the correlation between chronological age and pulp volume of multi-rooted teeth may be beneficial.
PubMed: 37405204
DOI: 10.5624/isd.20221226 -
BJOG : An International Journal of... Oct 2022Birthweight (BW) is an important prognostic factor in newborns with congenital heart defects (CHD). (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Birthweight (BW) is an important prognostic factor in newborns with congenital heart defects (CHD).
OBJECTIVES
To give an overview of the literature on BW z-score in children with isolated CHD.
SEARCH STRATEGY
A systematic search was performed on isolated CHD and BW in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, COCHRANE Library and Emcare.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Neonates with isolated CHD were included if a BW percentile, BW z-score or % small-or-gestational age (SGA) was reported.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
BW z-score and percentage SGA were pooled with random-effect meta-analysis. Quality and risk of bias were assessed using the modified Newcastle Ottawa Scale.
MAIN RESULTS
Twenty-three articles (27 893 cases) were included. BW z-scores were retrieved from 11 articles, resulting in a pooled z-score of -0.20 (95% CI -0.50 to 0.11). The overall pooled prevalence of SGA <10th percentile was 16.0% (95% CI 11.4-20.5; 14 studies). Subgroup analysis of major CHD showed similar results (BW z-score -0.23 and percentage SGA 16.2%).
CONCLUSIONS
Overall BW in isolated CHD is within range of normality but impaired, with a 1.6-fold higher risk of SGA, irrespective of the type of CHD (major CHD vs all CHD combined). Our findings underline the association between CHD and BW. The use of BW z-scores provides insight into growth of all fetuses with CHD.
TWEETABLE ABSTRACT
Infants with a congenital heart defect (CHD) have a lower birthweight z-score and a higher incidence of small-for-gestational age (<10th percentile). This was encountered both in the major CHD-group as well as in all-CHD combined group analysis. Future research on the association between birthweight and CHD should include all types of CHDs (including mild cardiac defects) and placental-related disease, such as pre-eclampsia. We advocate the use of international standardised fetal growth and birthweight charts in CHD research.
Topics: Birth Weight; Child; Female; Fetal Growth Retardation; Heart Defects, Congenital; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Small for Gestational Age; Placenta; Pregnancy
PubMed: 35352871
DOI: 10.1111/1471-0528.17164 -
Oman Medical Journal Mar 2022Japanese encephalitis (JE) is one of the major mosquito-borne infectious diseases in the Western Pacific region, accounting for 20%-30% of mortality cases. The JE virus... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
Japanese encephalitis (JE) is one of the major mosquito-borne infectious diseases in the Western Pacific region, accounting for 20%-30% of mortality cases. The JE virus (JEV) seroprevalence fluctuations indicate that continuous research is important for prevention and control activities. By mapping JEV seroprevalence by age stratification, the population profile for immunity and susceptibility can be identified to aid in vaccination program planning. Thus, this study aimed to determine the trend of age-specific JEV seroprevalence.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic review of all studies conducted on JEV seroprevalence between 2010 and 2019. The two search engines used were PubMed and Web of Science. Eligible criteria were set, and articles were screened according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta- Analyses guidelines. Three investigators cross-checked all articles assigned. Data were extracted into an Excel sheet, and results were tabulated in tables and graphs accordingly.
RESULTS
Four studies from four countries (Taiwan, Sri Lanka, South Korea, and India) met the eligibility criteria. The papers showed an increasing trend of JEV seropositivity in all countries as their populations reach older age cohorts. Nonetheless, there were slight downtrend notches seen among young adults in Taiwan and India before increasing after reaching more mature ages. South Korea has the highest seroprevalence rate (97.8%-98.3%) among the compared countries. This is most likely because it was the earliest to introduce the JEV vaccine in 1967, which was later made mandatory in the early 1980s, while India has the lowest seroprevalence rate (12.9%-18.1%). Among the old vaccination-naïve population, seropositivity is commonly derived from natural infection.
CONCLUSIONS
Decreases in reported JE cases are mainly due to immunization. As JEV is expected to remain in nature and the zoonotic chains, the risk of infection will persist. Hence, it is important to apply JEV vaccination protocols in national immunization programs, prioritizing young children.
PubMed: 35356365
DOI: 10.5001/omj.2021.86