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Integrative Medicine Research Jun 2021Dyspepsia represents a symptom domain rather than a diagnostic condition and covers a wide range of complex, underlying pathophysiologies that are not well understood.... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Dyspepsia represents a symptom domain rather than a diagnostic condition and covers a wide range of complex, underlying pathophysiologies that are not well understood. The review explores comparative effectiveness interventions for the treatment of symptomatic dyspepsia along a pragmatic-explanatory continuum. The aim is to identify relevant design characteristics applicable to future upper gastrointestinal comparative effectiveness research employing integrative medicine.
METHODS
Medline, CINAHL, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and WHO Clinical Trials were systematically searched until January 2019. Included articles were original research with two or more comparative intervention arms for the primary outcome; relief of symptomatic dyspepsia. Evaluation of the studies was conducted using the pragmatic-explanatory continuum indicator summary (PRECIS-2) tool.
RESULTS
Thirty-six articles were included in the review. A total of 68 Patient Reported Outcome Measurements (PROMs), utilizing 50 different formats were deployed across the studies. The appraisal process revealed eligibility, flexibility in adherence, flexibility in delivery and organization domains further aligned towards an explanatory design.
CONCLUSION
This review identified three design characteristics relevant for future comparative effectiveness research for the treatment of upper gastrointestinal disorders in a community setting. Extensive exclusion eligibility criteria limited the generalization of comparative effectiveness study results by removing sub-groups of the target populations more at risk of dyspeptic symptoms. The requirement for entry endoscopy was found to be common and not always pragmatically justifiable. Development of validated PROMs appropriate for a generic application to upper gastrointestinal disorders would be advantageous for future comparative effectiveness research within integrative medicine.
PubMed: 34258220
DOI: 10.1016/j.imr.2020.100663 -
World Journal of Gastroenterology Jun 2021Eating disorders (ED) involve both the nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract. A similar double involvement is also found in disorders of the brain-gut...
BACKGROUND
Eating disorders (ED) involve both the nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract. A similar double involvement is also found in disorders of the brain-gut interaction (DGBI) and symptoms are sometimes similar.
AIM
To find out where there is an association and a cause-effect relationship, we looked for the comorbidity of DGBI and ED.
METHODS
A systematic review was undertaken. A literature search was performed. Inclusion criteria for the articles retained for analysis were: Observational cohort population-based or hospital-based and case-control studies, examining the relationship between DGBI and ED. Exclusion criteria were: Studies written in other languages than English, abstracts, conference presentations, letters to the Editor and editorials. Selected papers by two independent investigators were critically evaluated and included in this review.
RESULTS
We found 29 articles analyzing the relation between DGBI and ED comprising 13 articles on gastroparesis, 5 articles on functional dyspepsia, 7 articles about functional constipation and 4 articles on irritable bowel syndrome.
CONCLUSION
There is no evidence for a cause-effect relationship between DGBI and ED. Their common symptomatology requires correct identification and a tailored therapy of each disorder.
Topics: Brain; Constipation; Dyspepsia; Feeding and Eating Disorders; Humans; Irritable Bowel Syndrome
PubMed: 34239277
DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v27.i24.3668 -
Medicine May 2021Psychotropic drugs are frequently used for functional dyspepsia (FD); however, the efficacy of these drugs for treating FD remains controversial. We aimed to... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study Meta-Analysis
Psychotropic drugs are frequently used for functional dyspepsia (FD); however, the efficacy of these drugs for treating FD remains controversial. We aimed to comprehensively compare the relative efficacies of different psychotropic drugs for FD in adults.To conduct this study, we searched the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases on March 10, 2019, and conducted a frequentist network meta-analysis on the search results. The primary outcome was treatment efficacy estimated by the proportion of patients who achieved a certain percentage decrease in symptoms or who dropped below the threshold of the global FD symptom scores. The secondary outcome was acceptability, defined as all-cause discontinuation. Odds ratios (ORs) were reported with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).We deemed 10 trials to be eligible for analysis, and these trials included 970 participants and 10 psychotropic drugs. Flupentixol + melitracen (F + M) (OR, 10.00; 95% CI, 1.59 to 62.73), tandospirone (3.24, 1.38 to 7.60), imipramine (2.21, 1.02 to 4.79), and amitriptyline (1.71, 1.06 to 3.09) were significantly superior to placebo. According to the surface under the cumulative ranking curve, the most effective treatment was F + M (89.0%), whereas the least effective was R137696 (13.6%). In terms of acceptability, escitalopram (0.32, 0.11 to 0.92) was ranked as the worst drug (12.6%), followed by imipramine and sertraline.The present network meta-analysis suggests that F + M, tandospirone, imipramine, and amitriptyline are more effective than placebo as treatment for FD. Our results indicate that among the ten psychotropic drugs included, F + M is likely to be the most effective drug for alleviating dyspepsia symptoms.
Topics: Dyspepsia; Humans; Psychotropic Drugs
PubMed: 34011118
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000026046 -
Journal of Gastrointestinal and Liver... Jun 2021Functional dyspepsia (FD) symptoms may lead to depression or anxiety in affected individuals and vice versa. These individuals often have more serious somatic symptoms,...
BACKGROUND AND AIMS
Functional dyspepsia (FD) symptoms may lead to depression or anxiety in affected individuals and vice versa. These individuals often have more serious somatic symptoms, longer disease recovery time, and tend to consume more medical resources and health care costs. Therefore, recognition of depression and anxiety is crucial to improve clinical outcome in FD patients. The aim of this study is to systematically review the association of functional dyspepsia with depression and anxiety.
METHODS
This systematic review was reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria. A Literature search was carried out with PubMed and ProQuest databases from 1 January 2010 to 5 October 2020. The outcomes of interest were association of functional dyspepsia with depression and anxiety. The quality of each study was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) tool.
RESULTS
A total of 13 studies involving 14,076 subjects were included in this review. Almost all of the studies showed that prevalence of depression or anxiety is higher in patients with FD compared to controls. This is implied by a higher mean score on the depression and anxiety questionnaire assessment tools or a positive correlation in the odds ratio. FD is known to affect more females than males, but psychological links were stronger in males. Moreover, prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms in patients with refractory FD (63.3% and 61.5%) was higher compared to non-refractory FD (20.9% and 23.3%) and healthy patients (10% and 10%).
CONCLUSION
There is a significant association of FD with depression and anxiety. Thus, identifying psychological factors in FD patients is essential to help clinicians determine the best choice of treatment and improve the prognosis and quality of life of the patients.
Topics: Anxiety; Depression; Dyspepsia; Female; Humans; Male; Quality of Life; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 33951117
DOI: 10.15403/jgld-3325 -
Cancer Management and Research 2021Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is the most commonly performed bariatric procedure. It has been shown that bariatric surgery reduces cancer risk. However, the risk of...
INTRODUCTION
Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is the most commonly performed bariatric procedure. It has been shown that bariatric surgery reduces cancer risk. However, the risk of esophagogastric cancer after SG has not been defined yet and the development of cancer in the esophagus and stomach remains a matter of concern.
METHODS
Web of Science, PubMed and Embase databases were searched. Articles that described the diagnosis and management of esophageal or gastric cancer after SG were considered.
RESULTS
Seventeen esophagogastric cancer patients after SG were included. The age of the patients ranged from 21 to 64 years. Tumors were diagnosed after an interval of 33.9 ±22.8 months from SG (range 4 months-96 months). There were 4 esophageal cancers,4 gastroesophageal cancers and 9 gastric cancers; adenocarcinoma was the most frequent tumor histology (88.2%). The most commonly reported symptoms were food intolerance/dyspepsia (50.0%), vomiting/nausea/regurgitation (35.7%). Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGIE) with biopsy was used for diagnosis in most of the patients. Surgery was performed in 10 patients (58.8%), while 4 patients were treated by endoscopic procedures (23.5%). The mean follow-up length was 12.2 months (range 3 months- 36 months) and the overall disease-free survival rate was 88.9%.
CONCLUSION
The development of esophagogastric cancer after SG is still not well defined but it may occur at any time. Preoperative and follow-up UGIE are essential in order to allow for prevention, early diagnosis. Further epidemiologic studies are needed to investigate the post-SG-related risk of esophagogastric cancer development.
PubMed: 33883944
DOI: 10.2147/CMAR.S303590 -
Drug Safety Jun 2021Ivermectin (IVM) and doxycycline (DOXY) have demonstrated in-vitro activity against SARS-CoV-2, and have a reasonable safety profile. The objective of this systematic...
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE
Ivermectin (IVM) and doxycycline (DOXY) have demonstrated in-vitro activity against SARS-CoV-2, and have a reasonable safety profile. The objective of this systematic review was to explore the evidence in the literature on the safety and efficacy of their use as monotherapy and combination therapy in COVID-19 management.
METHODS
After prospectively registering the study protocol with the Open Science Framework, we searched PubMed, Google Scholar, clinicaltrials.gov, various pre-print servers and reference lists for relevant records published until 16 February, 2021 using appropriate search strategies. Baseline features and data pertaining to efficacy and safety outcomes were extracted separately for IVM monotherapy, DOXY monotherapy, and IVM + DOXY combination therapy. Methodological quality was assessed based on the study design.
RESULTS
Out of 200 articles screened, 19 studies (six retrospective cohort studies, seven randomised controlled trials, five non-randomised trials, one case series) with 8754 unique patients with multiple stages of COVID-19 were included; four were pre-prints and one was an unpublished clinicaltrials.gov document. The comparator was standard care and 'hydroxychloroquine + azithromycin' in seven and three studies respectively, and two studies were placebo controlled; six studies did not have a comparator. IVM monotherapy, DOXY monotherapy and IVM + DOXY were explored in eight, five and five studies, respectively; one study compared IVM monotherapy and IVM + DOXY with placebo. While all studies described efficacy, the safety profile was described in only six studies. Efficacy outcomes were mixed with some studies concluding in favour of the intervention and some studies displaying no significant benefit; barring one study that described 9/183 patients with erosive esophagitis and non-ulcer dyspepsia with IVM + DOXY (without causality assessment details), there were no new safety signals of concern with any of the three interventions considered. The quality of studies varied widely, with five studies having a 'good' methodological quality.
CONCLUSIONS
Evidence is not sufficiently strong to either promote or refute the efficacy of IVM, DOXY, or their combination in COVID-19 management.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW PROTOCOL REGISTRATION DETAILS
Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/n7r2j .
Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Doxycycline; Drug Therapy, Combination; Humans; Ivermectin; SARS-CoV-2; Treatment Outcome; COVID-19 Drug Treatment
PubMed: 33864232
DOI: 10.1007/s40264-021-01066-y -
Integrative Medicine Research Sep 2021in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been recognised by the eleventh revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). Accurate pattern diagnosis... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been recognised by the eleventh revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). Accurate pattern diagnosis requires reliable and valid diagnostic instruments that guide the collection of TCM clinical data without bias. This study synthesised the existing TCM diagnostic instruments for functional dyspepsia (FD) and appraised their quality regarding their development process and measurement properties.
METHODS
Seven electronic databases were searched for validation studies on TCM diagnostic instruments for FD. Synthesis and appraisal of the included studies were performed following the COSMIN (COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments) Initiative guidelines adapted for TCM diagnostic instruments. Risk of bias assessment was conducted using the .
RESULTS
Five studies were included, with five unique TCM diagnostic instruments for FD identified. All five diagnostic instruments were of inadequate quality in terms of their development process, implying a shortcoming in their relevance, comprehensibility, and comprehensiveness. Only the criterion validity of was of sufficient quality and had no risk of bias in its validation.
CONCLUSION
The quality of TCM diagnostic instruments for FD warrants urgent improvements. None of them was considered reliable or valid for guiding TCM pattern diagnosis. To support the evidence base of the standardization of TCM patterns in ICD-11, TCM diagnostic instruments should be developed and validated rigorously under the COSMIN guidelines. Amendments should be made on the guidelines to accommodate the features and uniqueness of TCM diagnostic process.
PubMed: 33665098
DOI: 10.1016/j.imr.2020.100713 -
European Journal of Nutrition Sep 2021Taste receptors are expressed throughout the gastrointestinal tract. The activation of post-oral taste receptors using tastants could provide a non-invasive treatment... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
PURPOSE
Taste receptors are expressed throughout the gastrointestinal tract. The activation of post-oral taste receptors using tastants could provide a non-invasive treatment option in combating the obesity epidemic. The aim of this review was to examine the effect of post-oral delivery of non-caloric tastants on eating behavior reflected by primary outcome energy intake and secondary outcomes GI symptoms and perceptions and potential underlying mechanisms. This review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews.
METHODS
A systematic literature search of the Cochrane, PubMed, Embase, and Medline databases was performed. This systematic review and meta-analysis was registered in the PROSPERO database on 26 February 2020 (ID: CRD42020171182). Two researchers independently screened 11,912 articles and extracted information from 19 articles. If at least two studies investigated the effect of the same taste compound on primary outcome energy intake, a meta-analysis was performed to determine pooled effect sizes.
RESULTS
Nineteen papers including healthy volunteers were included. In the 19 papers analyzed, effects of various tastants were investigated in healthy volunteers. Most extensively investigated were bitter tastants. The meta-analysis of effects of bitter tastants showed a significant reduction in energy intake of 54.62 kcal (95% CI - 78.54 to - 30.69, p = 0.0014).
CONCLUSIONS
Bitter stimuli are most potent to influence eating behavior. Energy intake decreased after post-oral delivery of bitter tastants. This highlights the potential of a preventive role of bitter tastants in battling the obesity epidemic.
Topics: Energy Intake; Feeding Behavior; Gastrointestinal Tract; Humans; Obesity; Taste
PubMed: 33559026
DOI: 10.1007/s00394-021-02485-4 -
Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) Jan 2021The most recommended treatment for a infection is high doses of combined antibiotics. The objective of this article is to perform a systematic review of the economic... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The most recommended treatment for a infection is high doses of combined antibiotics. The objective of this article is to perform a systematic review of the economic evaluation studies applied to assess the efficiency of diagnostic testing for infections, so that their main characteristics can be identified and to learn from the literature how the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) issue is incorporated into these economic evaluations.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic review to compare the costs and clinical effectiveness of diagnostic strategies for infections. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and extracted the items from the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) checklist.
RESULTS
We found thirteen articles that were of good quality according to CHEERS: six studies focused on diagnostics of infections associated with dyspepsia and four on duodenal ulcers. Testing was found to be the most cost-effective strategy in eight articles. Four studies considered AMR.
CONCLUSIONS
Testing was more cost-effective than empirical treatment, except in cases of high prevalence (as with developing countries) or when patients could be stratified according to their comorbidities. The introduction of AMR into the model may change the efficiency of the testing strategy.
PubMed: 33430005
DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10010055 -
Industrial Health Mar 2021This study comprised a review and compilation of literature to gain an in-depth understanding of the impact of rotating shift work on gastrointestinal health. PubMed,... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
This study comprised a review and compilation of literature to gain an in-depth understanding of the impact of rotating shift work on gastrointestinal health. PubMed, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library were searched for studies published between January 1, 1985, and June 30, 2020. Fixed day shifts were defined as work shifts that began between 7:00 and 9:00 in the morning. Shifts beginning at any other time were classified as rotating shifts. A meta-analysis was performed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Software (CMA) version 3. In the end, 16 studies were included in the meta-analysis. An odds ratio (OR) of 1.56 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.24-1.95), indicating that gastrointestinal problems are more common in rotating shift workers than in fixed day shift workers. Four gastrointestinal problems, namely, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, indigestion, and peptic ulcers, were then analyzed separately. Significant differences between rotating shift workers and fixed day shift workers were found only for indigestion and peptic ulcers. For indigestion, the OR was 1.72 (95% CI: 1.28-2.30). For peptic ulcers, the OR was 1.66 (95% CI: 1.19-2.30). Thus, research indicates that rotating shift work may increase the risk of gastrointestinal problems, particularly indigestion and peptic ulcers.
Topics: Constipation; Dyspepsia; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Humans; Irritable Bowel Syndrome; Peptic Ulcer; Shift Work Schedule; Work Schedule Tolerance
PubMed: 33408309
DOI: 10.2486/indhealth.2020-0153