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Critical Reviews in Food Science and... 2019Over 60 percent of the human population has a reduced ability to digest lactose due to low levels of lactase enzyme activity. Probiotics are live bacteria or yeast that...
Over 60 percent of the human population has a reduced ability to digest lactose due to low levels of lactase enzyme activity. Probiotics are live bacteria or yeast that supplements the gastrointestinal flora. Studies have shown that probiotics exhibit various health beneficial properties such as improvement of intestinal health, enhancement of the immune responses, and reduction of serum cholesterol. Accumulating evidence has shown that probiotic bacteria in fermented and unfermented milk products can be used to alleviate the clinical symptoms of lactose intolerance (LI). In this systematic review, the effectiveness of probiotics in the treatment of LI was evaluated using 15 randomized double-blind studies. Eight probiotic strains with the greatest number of proven benefits were studied. Results showed varying degrees of efficacy but an overall positive relationship between probiotics and lactose intolerance.
Topics: Animals; Bacteria; Cholesterol; Databases, Factual; Dietary Supplements; Digestion; Double-Blind Method; Fatty Acids, Volatile; Fermentation; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Humans; Lactose; Lactose Intolerance; Milk; Probiotics; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Yeasts
PubMed: 29425071
DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2018.1425977 -
PLoS Medicine Nov 2016Women are commonly prescribed a variety of medications during pregnancy. As most organ systems are affected by the substantial anatomical and physiological changes that... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Women are commonly prescribed a variety of medications during pregnancy. As most organ systems are affected by the substantial anatomical and physiological changes that occur during pregnancy, it is expected that pharmacokinetics (PK) (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of drugs) would also be affected in ways that may necessitate changes in dosing schedules. The objective of this study was to systematically identify existing clinically relevant evidence on PK changes during pregnancy.
METHODS AND FINDINGS
Systematic searches were conducted in MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Ovid), and Web of Science (Thomson Reuters), from database inception to August 31, 2015. An update of the search from September 1, 2015, to May 20, 2016, was performed, and relevant data were added to the present review. No language or date restrictions were applied. All publications of clinical PK studies involving a group of pregnant women with a comparison to nonpregnant participants or nonpregnant population data were eligible to be included in this review. A total of 198 studies involving 121 different medications fulfilled the inclusion criteria. In these studies, commonly investigated drug classes included antiretrovirals (54 studies), antiepileptic drugs (27 studies), antibiotics (23 studies), antimalarial drugs (22 studies), and cardiovascular drugs (17 studies). Overall, pregnancy-associated changes in PK parameters were often observed as consistent findings among many studies, particularly enhanced drug elimination and decreased exposure to total drugs (bound and unbound to plasma proteins) at a given dose. However, associated alterations in clinical responses and outcomes, or lack thereof, remain largely unknown.
CONCLUSION
This systematic review of pregnancy-associated PK changes identifies a significant gap between the accumulating knowledge of PK changes in pregnant women and our understanding of their clinical impact for both mother and fetus. It is essential for clinicians to be aware of these unique pregnancy-related changes in PK, and to critically examine their clinical implications.
Topics: Female; Humans; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Pharmacokinetics; Pregnancy
PubMed: 27802281
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002160 -
Cell Death & Disease Feb 2023Sepsis is a life-threatening disorder disease defined as infection-induced dysregulated immune responses and multiple organ dysfunction. The imbalance between... (Review)
Review
Sepsis is a life-threatening disorder disease defined as infection-induced dysregulated immune responses and multiple organ dysfunction. The imbalance between hyperinflammation and immunosuppression is a crucial feature of sepsis immunity. Epigenetic modifications, including histone modifications, DNA methylation, chromatin remodeling, and non-coding RNA, play essential roles in regulating sepsis immunity through epi-information independent of the DNA sequence. In recent years, the mechanisms of histone modification in sepsis have received increasing attention, with ongoing discoveries of novel types of histone modifications. Due to the capacity for prolonged effects on immune cells, histone modifications can induce immune cell reprogramming and participate in the long-term immunosuppressed state of sepsis. Herein, we systematically review current mechanisms of histone modifications involved in the regulation of sepsis, summarize their role in sepsis from an immune perspective and provide potential therapeutic opportunities targeting histone modifications in sepsis treatment.
Topics: Humans; Histones; Histone Code; Epigenesis, Genetic; Sepsis; DNA Methylation
PubMed: 36774341
DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-05656-9 -
Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) Jan 2018Basketball is a popular, court-based team sport that has been extensively studied over the last decade. (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Basketball is a popular, court-based team sport that has been extensively studied over the last decade.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this article was to provide a systematic review regarding the activity demands and physiological responses experienced during basketball match-play according to playing period, playing position, playing level, geographical location, and sex.
METHODS
An electronic database search of relevant articles published prior to 30 September 2016 was performed with PubMed, MEDLINE, ERIC, Google Scholar, SCIndex, and ScienceDirect. Studies that measured activity demands and/or physiological responses during basketball match-play were included.
RESULTS
Following screening, 25 articles remained for review. During live playing time across 40-min matches, male and female basketball players travel 5-6 km at average physiological intensities above lactate threshold and 85% of maximal heart rate (HR). Temporal comparisons show a reduction in vigorous activities in the fourth quarter, likely contributing to lower blood lactate concentrations and HR responses evident towards the end of matches. Guards tend to perform a higher percentage of live playing time sprinting and performing high-intensity shuffling compared with forwards and centers. Guards also perform less standing and walking during match-play compared with forwards and centers. Variations in activity demands likely account for the higher blood lactate concentrations and HR responses observed for guards compared with forwards and centers. Furthermore, higher-level players perform a greater intermittent workload than lower-level players. Moreover, geographical differences may exist in the activity demands (distance and frequency) and physiological responses between Australian, African, and European basketball players, whereby Australian players sustain greater workloads. While activity demands and physiological data vary across playing positions, playing levels, and geographical locations, male and female players competing at the same level experience similar demands.
CONCLUSION
The current results provide a detailed description of the specific requirements placed on basketball players during match-play according to playing period, playing level, playing position, geographical location, and sex, which may be useful in the development of individualized basketball training drills.
Topics: Athletic Performance; Australia; Basketball; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Heart Rate; Humans; Male; Oxygen Consumption; Running; Walking
PubMed: 29039018
DOI: 10.1007/s40279-017-0794-z -
International Journal of Environmental... Sep 2021Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an essential measure that is used to assess the effect of chronic disease management on the health status of an individual.... (Review)
Review
Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an essential measure that is used to assess the effect of chronic disease management on the health status of an individual. Previous studies have identified various instruments used in the measuring of diabetes-specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The aim of this paper is to provide a systematic review of the various instruments used for the diabetes-specific measure of HRQOL, and place emphasis on its content and measurement properties. Methods Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta analyses (PRISMA) guidelines was used. A systematic search strategy was used to identify publications reporting diabetes HRQOL measures. The search terms used were: "diabetes quality of life", "measurements", and "instruments". The database that was searched includes PubMed, Science Direct, CINAHL, and Medline. Articles written in the English language and published from January 1990 to December 2020 were included. Those articles that did not measure HRQOL for diabetic patients were excluded. Results: A total of seventeen instruments met the inclusion criteria and included in the review. The appraisal of diabetes scale (ADS), Audit of Diabetes-Dependent QOL measure (ADDQOL), Diabetes Health Profile (DHP), and Problem Areas in Diabetes (PAID) are more suitable for single-scale questionnaires when investigating one or more specific aspects of diabetes-specific quality of life (QOL). The ADDQOL, ADS, Diabetes Impact Measurement Scales (DIMS), Diabetes Quality of Life Clinical Trial Questionnaire (DQLCTQ-R), Malay Version of Diabetes Quality of Life (DQOL), Iranian Diabetes Quality of Life (IRDQOL), Brief Clinical Inventory, and PAID are relevant measures of HRQOL for insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients. The Asian Diabetes Quality of Life AsianDQOL, The Chinese Short Version of DQOL, Elderly Diabetes Burden Scale (EDBS), Malay Version of Diabetes Quality of Life (DQOL), are relevant measures of HRQOL for NIDDM patients. Only two instruments assess for responsiveness, namely PAID and DQLCTQ-R. In PAID, the effect sizes ranged from 0.32 to 0.65 for interventions. The DQLCTQ-R four domains were responsive to clinical change in metabolic control. Based on this review ADDQOL, DSQOLS, and EDBS psychometric properties are sufficient. Conclusion: Most studies did not check for responsiveness, and future studies should prioritize responsiveness to change, which was not included in the psychometric finding of the reviewed instruments.
Topics: Aged; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Humans; Iran; Psychometrics; Quality of Life; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 34501838
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18179245 -
Physiotherapy Dec 2012The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is a common outcome measurement in cardiac rehabilitation. However, a search of the literature found no established guidelines for use of... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is a common outcome measurement in cardiac rehabilitation. However, a search of the literature found no established guidelines for use of the 6MWT in cardiac rehabilitation.
OBJECTIVES
Systematic review of the validity, reliability and responsiveness of the 6MWT in cardiac rehabilitation.
DATA SOURCES
OvidMEDLINE, SPORTdiscus, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Reviews and Cochrane Clinical Trials between January 1948 and April 2011.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Studies using 6MWTs in subjects with coronary artery disease undergoing cardiac rehabilitation on an outpatient basis, published in English, were included. STUDY APPRAISAL AND METHODS: Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted, including quality assessment of methodology, meta-analysis and assessment against level of evidence criteria.
RESULTS
Fifteen articles met the inclusion criteria. One high-quality study was identified for reliability, six high-quality studies were identified for validity and 11 high-quality studies were identified for responsiveness. The meta-analysis found strong evidence that the 6MWT was responsive to change in clinical status following cardiac rehabilitation, with an estimated mean difference in 6-minute walk distance of 60.43m (95% confidence interval 54.57 to 66.30m; P<0.001). Qualitative analysis indicated moderate evidence for repeatability of the 6MWT in patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation, for a 2% to 8% learning effect between repeated 6MWTs, for a relationship between peak heart rate during the 6MWT and during cycle exercise at the ventilatory threshold, and for moderate-to-high correlation between the 6-minute walk distance and maximum metabolic equivalents achieved on symptom-limited exercise tests.
LIMITATIONS
Few studies assessed similar aspects of validity for the 6MWT.
CONCLUSION
Strong evidence suggests that the 6MWT is responsive to clinical change following cardiac rehabilitation. Intra- and intertester reliability of the 6MWT and its validity in patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation requires further research.
Topics: Ambulatory Care; Coronary Artery Disease; Exercise Test; Humans; Physical Therapy Modalities; Reproducibility of Results; Walking
PubMed: 23122432
DOI: 10.1016/j.physio.2011.11.003 -
Jornal Brasileiro de Pneumologia :... 2019To evaluate the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), in comparison with those of continuous exercise, on functional capacity and cardiovascular variables... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), in comparison with those of continuous exercise, on functional capacity and cardiovascular variables in patients with COPD, through a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
METHODS
We searched PubMed, the Physiotherapy Evidence Database, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and EMBASE, as well as performing hand searches, for articles published up through January of 2017. We included studies comparing exercise regimens of different intensities, in terms of their effects on functional capacity and cardiovascular variables in patients with COPD.
RESULTS
Of the 78 articles identified, 6 were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. Maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) did not differ significantly between HIIT and control interventions. That was true for relative VO2max (0.03 mL/kg/min; 95% CI: -3.05 to 3.10) and absolute VO2max (0.03 L/min, 95% CI: -0.02 to 0.08).
CONCLUSIONS
The effects of HIIT appear to be comparable to those of continuous exercise in relation to functional and cardiovascular responses. However, our findings should be interpreted with caution because the studies evaluated present a high risk of bias, which could have a direct influence on the results.
Topics: Exercise Therapy; High-Intensity Interval Training; Humans; Oxygen Consumption; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 31576905
DOI: 10.1590/1806-3713/e20180011 -
Nutrients Nov 2022Time-restricted feeding (TRF) and Ramadan fasting (RF) have been recently associated with several health outcomes. However, it is not yet clear if they are superior to... (Review)
Review
Effects of Time-Restricted Feeding and Ramadan Fasting on Body Weight, Body Composition, Glucose Responses, and Insulin Resistance: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Time-restricted feeding (TRF) and Ramadan fasting (RF) have been recently associated with several health outcomes. However, it is not yet clear if they are superior to existing treatments in terms of glucose metabolism, insulin action, and weight loss. This review aims to summarize the current data on the effects of these regimes on body weight, body composition, and glycemia. An electronic search was conducted in PUBMED and SCOPUS databases up to August 2022. Twenty-four records met the inclusion criteria and underwent a risk-of-bias assessment. The main outcomes were: (a) TRF may result in moderate weight loss in individuals with overweight/obesity; when TRF is combined with caloric restriction, weight loss is >5% of the initial body weight, (b) 14 h of fasting may be as effective as 16 h in terms of weight loss, and (c) TRF may lead to improved insulin sensitivity and glycemic responses/variability throughout the day in individuals with overweight/obesity. Concerning RF, only two studies were available and thus, conclusions were not drawn. TRF may be an effective nutritional approach for weight loss, and the amelioration of glycemic control and insulin sensitivity in individuals with overweight/obesity. However, more long-term, well-designed studies are needed.
Topics: Humans; Blood Glucose; Body Composition; Body Weight; Fasting; Glucose; Insulin Resistance; Obesity; Overweight; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Weight Loss
PubMed: 36432465
DOI: 10.3390/nu14224778 -
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... Jan 2021Metabolic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia are associated with the dysfunction of gut microbiota. Traditional Chinese medicines...
Metabolic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia are associated with the dysfunction of gut microbiota. Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) have shown considerable effects in the treatment of metabolic disorders by regulating the gut microbiota. However, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Studies have shown that TCMs significantly affect glucose and lipid metabolism by modulating the gut microbiota, particularly mucin-degrading bacteria, bacteria with anti-inflammatory properties, lipopolysaccharide- and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria, and bacteria with bile-salt hydrolase activity. In this review, we explored potential mechanisms by which TCM improved metabolic disorders via regulating gut microbiota composition and functional structure. In particular, we focused on the protection of the intestinal barrier function, modulation of metabolic endotoxemia and inflammatory responses, regulation of the effects of SCFAs, modulation of the gut-brain axis, and regulation of bile acid metabolism and tryptophan metabolism as therapeutic mechanisms of TCMs in metabolic diseases.
Topics: Animals; Bacteria; Blood Glucose; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Dysbiosis; Energy Metabolism; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Humans; Intestines; Lipid Metabolism; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Metabolic Diseases; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 33197760
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110857 -
Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) Jan 2020Resistance training is well known to increase strength and lean body mass, and plays a key role in many female athletic and recreational training programs. Most females...
BACKGROUND
Resistance training is well known to increase strength and lean body mass, and plays a key role in many female athletic and recreational training programs. Most females train throughout their reproductive years when they are exposed to continuously changing female steroid hormone profiles due to the menstrual cycle or contraceptive use. Therefore, it is important to focus on how female hormones may affect resistance training responses.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this systematic review is to identify and critically appraise current studies on the effect of the menstrual cycle and oral contraceptives on responses to resistance training.
METHODS
The electronic databases Embase, PubMed, SPORTDiscus and Web of Science were searched using a comprehensive list of relevant terms. Studies that investigated the effect of the menstrual cycle phase or oral contraceptive cycle on resistance training responses were included. Studies were also included if they compared resistance training responses between the natural menstrual cycle and oral contraceptive use, or if resistance training was adapted to the menstrual cycle phase or oral contraceptive phase. Studies were critically appraised with the McMasters Universities Critical Review Form for Quantitative Studies and relevant data were extracted.
RESULTS
Of 2007 articles found, 17 studies met the criteria and were included in this systematic review. The 17 included studies had a total of 418 participants with an age range of 18-38 years. One of the 17 studies found no significant differences in acute responses to a resistance training session over the natural menstrual cycle, while four studies did find changes. When assessing the differences in acute responses between the oral contraceptive and menstrual cycle groups, two studies reported oral contraceptives to have a positive influence, whilst four studies reported that oral contraceptive users had a delayed recovery, higher levels of markers of muscle damage, or both. For the responses to a resistance training program, three studies reported follicular phase-based training to be superior to luteal phase-based training or regular training, while one study reported no differences. In addition, one study reported no differences in strength development between oral contraceptive and menstrual cycle groups. One further study reported a greater increase in type I muscle fibre area and a trend toward a greater increase in muscle mass within low-androgenic oral contraceptive users compared with participants not taking hormonal contraceptives. Finally, one study investigated androgenicity of oral contraceptives and showed greater strength developments with high androgenic compared with anti-androgenic oral contraceptive use.
CONCLUSIONS
The reviewed articles reported conflicting findings, and were often limited by small participant numbers and methodological issues, but do appear to suggest female hormones may affect resistance training responses. The findings of this review highlight the need for further experimental studies on the effects of the menstrual cycle and oral contraceptives on acute and chronic responses to resistance training.
Topics: Body Composition; Contraceptives, Oral; Female; Humans; Menstrual Cycle; Muscle Strength; Resistance Training
PubMed: 31677121
DOI: 10.1007/s40279-019-01219-1