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The British Journal of General Practice... Jun 2024Vulvovaginal Candidiasis (VVC) is a fungal infection causing inflammation of the vagina and/or the vulva. Symptoms include itching, irritation, and discharge. VVC... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study Review
BACKGROUND
Vulvovaginal Candidiasis (VVC) is a fungal infection causing inflammation of the vagina and/or the vulva. Symptoms include itching, irritation, and discharge. VVC presents commonly across primary care and, despite its mild symptoms, carries psychological burden and has a significant impact on women's quality of life. UK guidelines support treatment via oral or topical azole antifungal agents. Recent evidence attests to the superiority of novel non-azole antifungals. Thus, rigorous financial assessment of both antifungals is necessary for optimal VVC treatment allocation in UK primary care.
AIM
To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of ibrexafungerp against the gold standard fluconazole as first-line treatment of VVC within the NHS.
METHOD
A systematic review on the efficacy of ibrexafungerp and fluconazole in acute VVC was conducted. Cost-effectiveness analysis was initiated using health outcome data from the DOVE trial, a Phase 2 RCT. Costs in pound sterling were ascertained in monetary units, and effectiveness determined as reduced need for follow-up medication.
RESULTS
An incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of £2185.74 was determined. This suggests oral ibrexafungerp being largely more costly yet slightly more effective than fluconazole, and thus has unfavourable net benefit. Two sensitivity analyses were conducted considering follow-up medication combination and market price, which provided confidence in the calculated cost-effectiveness ratio.
CONCLUSION
This analysis highlights fluconazole's cost-effectiveness in current UK guidelines and favourability.
Topics: Humans; Fluconazole; Female; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal; Antifungal Agents; Administration, Oral; United Kingdom; Amphotericin B; State Medicine; Primary Health Care; Acute Disease; Treatment Outcome; Cost-Effectiveness Analysis; Glycosides; Triterpenes
PubMed: 38902100
DOI: 10.3399/bjgp24X738189 -
Frontiers in Medicine 2023Prehabilitation, which involves improving a patient's physical and psychological condition before surgery, has shown potential benefits but has yet to be extensively...
INTRODUCTION
Prehabilitation, which involves improving a patient's physical and psychological condition before surgery, has shown potential benefits but has yet to be extensively studied from an economic perspective. To address this gap, a systematic review was conducted to summarize existing economic evaluations of prehabilitation interventions.
METHODS
The PRISMA Protocols 2015 checklist was followed. Over 16,000 manuscripts were reviewed, and 99 reports on preoperative interventions and screening tests were identified, of which 12 studies were included in this analysis. The costs are expressed in Pounds (GBP, £) and adjusted for inflation to December 2022.
RESULTS
The studies were conducted in Western countries, focusing on specific surgical subspecialties. While the interventions and study designs varied, most studies demonstrated cost savings in the intervention group compared to the control group. Additionally, all cost-effectiveness analysis studies favored the intervention group. However, the review also identified several limitations. Many studies had a moderate or high risk of bias, and critical information such as time horizons and discount rates were often missing. Important components like heterogeneity, distributional effects, and uncertainty were frequently lacking as well. The misclassification of economic evaluation types highlighted a lack of knowledge among physicians in prehabilitation research.
CONCLUSION
This review reveals a lack of robust evidence regarding the economics of prehabilitation programs for surgical patients. This suggests a need for further research with rigorous methods and accurate definitions.
PubMed: 38105890
DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1281843 -
Nutrients Sep 2023(1) Background: There has been a growing interest in understanding the causes of obesity and developing effective prevention strategies. Lifestyle change programs are... (Review)
Review
(1) Background: There has been a growing interest in understanding the causes of obesity and developing effective prevention strategies. Lifestyle change programs are often considered the gold standard for weight reduction, and they can help individuals with obesity achieve an annual weight loss of around 8-10%. The aim of this review was to evaluate the effect of food during the winter holidays. This knowledge will serve as a valuable foundation for the development of targeted interventions and prevention programs. (2) Methods: We conducted a systematic search of the literature via one database (PubMed). The search was limited to studies published in English in the last 10 years, with adult participants, but without specifying limits regarding the study design. We excluded articles that addressed intermittent fasting diets or weight loss intervention methods during the holidays through various diets. (3) In separate sections, we analyzed the psychological causes of gaining weight during the winter holidays, behavioral patterns, prevention strategies and the nutritional composition of the different types of food served during the festive period. Results: Using the combination of the terms "holiday and obesity", "holiday and weight gain", "festive season and obesity", and "festive season and weight gain" we obtained 216 results involving the addressed topic. Thus, only ten articles remained after screening, with a total of 4627 participants. Most participants experienced weight fluctuations during the study period, particularly during holidays. One concerning observation was that most of the weight gained during these periods was maintained even after the end of the studies, especially in those with obesity. A supervised exercise program and a controlled diet at work over the Christmas period are effective strategies for avoiding weight gain and its deleterious effects in people with metabolic syndrome or weight problems. (4) In addition, attention must be focused on the psycho-social factors during the holidays because for some people it is a stressful period and can cause a much higher caloric consumption. The simplest method to approach during the holidays is to implement small tips and tricks during this period that will prevent individuals from gaining extra pounds. Conclusions: It is essential to acknowledge that obesity is a multifaceted condition that requires a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to address its underlying factors and provide ongoing assistance to individuals in their weight-management endeavors. Even the most effective short-term interventions are likely to produce continued positive outcomes with persistent intervention and support.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Holidays; Seasons; Obesity; Weight Gain; Feeding Behavior; Weight Loss
PubMed: 37836485
DOI: 10.3390/nu15194201 -
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology May 2023Hidradenitis suppurativa affects up to 4% of the population worldwide. Many treatment options exist but these come with a significant side-effect profile. Exercise,...
BACKGROUND
Hidradenitis suppurativa affects up to 4% of the population worldwide. Many treatment options exist but these come with a significant side-effect profile. Exercise, weight loss, and dietary modifications may be simple inexpensive alternatives and/or adjuncts to treating this disease.
OBJECTIVES
We aimed to summarize published evidence on the effects of dietary, weight loss, and exercise interventions on the clinical course, severity, or subjective improvement of hidradenitis suppurativa and to provide a framework regarding dietary changes and exercise modalities for clinicians treating this disease.
METHODS
A literature search of Scopus (1993 onwards), PubMed (1986 onwards), and MEDLINE (OVID interface, 1946 onwards) was conducted on 22 October, 2022. Case-control studies, cohort studies, and randomized controlled trials with five or more subjects conducted on adult participants (aged >18 years) were included; case reports, case series, and review papers were excluded.
RESULTS
Fifteen studies involving 2829 patients were included, encompassing nine cohort studies, five cross-sectional studies, and one cross-over study. Patients who were female, lost more than 50 pounds (22.7 kg), or were obese prior to weight loss saw improvement in hidradenitis suppurativa severity with weight loss. There was evidence for beneficial effects of diets, such as the Mediterranean diet that minimizes sugar, highly processed carbohydrates, and dairy, and emphasizes chicken, fruits, and vegetables, in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa. Evidence also supported benefit from oral zinc and vitamin D supplementation.
CONCLUSIONS
More evidence is needed in the form of randomized controlled trials or well-designed controlled trials to evaluate the effect of exercise and dietary manipulation on the hidradenitis suppurativa disease course. Overall, there is significant but weak evidence to support improvement in hidradenitis suppurativa severity with weight loss, dietary changes, and micronutrient supplementation. There is no significant evidence to support improvement in hidradenitis suppurativa symptomology with any type of exercise intervention.
CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION
This protocol was registered with PROSPERO with the registration number CRD4202235099.
Topics: Humans; Female; Male; Hidradenitis Suppurativa; Cross-Over Studies; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diet; Weight Loss
PubMed: 36757580
DOI: 10.1007/s40257-023-00756-w -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Feb 2023Outwardly directed aggressive behaviour in people with intellectual disabilities is a significant issue that may lead to poor quality of life, social exclusion and... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Outwardly directed aggressive behaviour in people with intellectual disabilities is a significant issue that may lead to poor quality of life, social exclusion and inpatient psychiatric admissions. Cognitive and behavioural approaches have been developed to manage aggressive behaviour but the effectiveness of these interventions on reducing aggressive behaviour and other outcomes are unclear. This is the third update of this review and adds nine new studies, resulting in a total of 15 studies in this review.
OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the efficacy of behavioural and cognitive-behavioural interventions on outwardly directed aggressive behaviour compared to usual care, wait-list controls or no treatment in people with intellectual disability. We also evaluated enhanced interventions compared to non-enhanced interventions.
SEARCH METHODS
We used standard, extensive Cochrane search methods. The latest search date was March 2022. We revised the search terms to include positive behaviour support (PBS).
SELECTION CRITERIA
We included randomised and quasi-randomised trials of children and adults with intellectual disability of any duration, setting and any eligible comparator.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
We used standard Cochrane methods. Our primary outcomes were change in 1. aggressive behaviour, 2. ability to control anger, and 3. adaptive functioning, and 4.
ADVERSE EFFECTS
Our secondary outcomes were change in 5. mental state, 6. medication, 7. care needs and 8. quality of life, and 9. frequency of service utilisation and 10. user satisfaction data. We used GRADE to assess certainty of evidence for each outcome. We expressed treatment effects as mean differences (MD) or odds ratios (OR), with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Where possible, we pooled data using a fixed-effect model.
MAIN RESULTS
This updated version comprises nine new studies giving 15 included studies and 921 participants. The update also adds new interventions including parent training (two studies), mindfulness-based positive behaviour support (MBPBS) (two studies), reciprocal imitation training (RIT; one study) and dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT; one study). It also adds two new studies on PBS. Most studies were based in the community (14 studies), and one was in an inpatient forensic service. Eleven studies involved adults only. The remaining studies involved children (one study), children and adolescents (one study), adolescents (one study), and adolescents and adults (one study). One study included boys with fragile X syndrome. Six studies were conducted in the UK, seven in the USA, one in Canada and one in Germany. Only five studies described sources of funding. Four studies compared anger management based on cognitive behaviour therapy to a wait-list or no treatment control group (n = 263); two studies compared PBS with treatment as usual (TAU) (n = 308); two studies compared carer training on mindfulness and PBS with PBS only (n = 128); two studies involving parent training on behavioural approaches compared to wait-list control or TAU (n = 99); one study of mindfulness to a wait-list control (n = 34); one study of adapted dialectal behavioural therapy compared to wait-list control (n = 21); one study of RIT compared to an active control (n = 20) and one study of modified relaxation compared to an active control group (n = 12). There was moderate-certainty evidence that anger management may improve severity of aggressive behaviour post-treatment (MD -3.50, 95% CI -6.21 to -0.79; P = 0.01; 1 study, 158 participants); very low-certainty evidence that it might improve self-reported ability to control anger (MD -8.38, 95% CI -14.05 to -2.71; P = 0.004, I = 2%; 3 studies, 212 participants), adaptive functioning (MD -21.73, 95% CI -36.44 to -7.02; P = 0.004; 1 study, 28 participants) and psychiatric symptoms (MD -0.48, 95% CI -0.79 to -0.17; P = 0.002; 1 study, 28 participants) post-treatment; and very low-certainty evidence that it does not improve quality of life post-treatment (MD -5.60, 95% CI -18.11 to 6.91; P = 0.38; 1 study, 129 participants) or reduce service utilisation and costs at 10 months (MD 102.99 British pounds, 95% CI -117.16 to 323.14; P = 0.36; 1 study, 133 participants). There was moderate-certainty evidence that PBS may reduce aggressive behaviour post-treatment (MD -7.78, 95% CI -15.23 to -0.32; P = 0.04, I = 0%; 2 studies, 275 participants) and low-certainty evidence that it probably does not reduce aggressive behaviour at 12 months (MD -5.20, 95% CI -13.27 to 2.87; P = 0.21; 1 study, 225 participants). There was low-certainty evidence that PBS does not improve mental state post-treatment (OR 1.44, 95% CI 0.83 to 2.49; P = 1.21; 1 study, 214 participants) and very low-certainty evidence that it might not reduce service utilisation at 12 months (MD -448.00 British pounds, 95% CI -1660.83 to 764.83; P = 0.47; 1 study, 225 participants). There was very low-certainty evidence that mindfulness may reduce incidents of physical aggression (MD -2.80, 95% CI -4.37 to -1.23; P < 0.001; 1 study; 34 participants) and low-certainty evidence that MBPBS may reduce incidents of aggression post-treatment (MD -10.27, 95% CI -14.86 to -5.67; P < 0.001, I = 87%; 2 studies, 128 participants). Reasons for downgrading the certainty of evidence were risk of bias (particularly selection and performance bias); imprecision (results from single, often small studies, wide CIs, and CIs crossing the null effect); and inconsistency (statistical heterogeneity).
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
There is moderate-certainty evidence that cognitive-behavioural approaches such as anger management and PBS may reduce outwardly directed aggressive behaviour in the short term but there is less certainty about the evidence in the medium and long term, particularly in relation to other outcomes such as quality of life. There is some evidence to suggest that combining more than one intervention may have cumulative benefits. Most studies were small and there is a need for larger, robust randomised controlled trials, particularly for interventions where the certainty of evidence is very low. More trials are needed that focus on children and whether psychological interventions lead to reductions in the use of psychotropic medications.
Topics: Male; Adult; Adolescent; Child; Humans; Intellectual Disability; Quality of Life; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Aggression; Cognition
PubMed: 36745863
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD003406.pub5 -
Advances in Mind-body MedicineBariatric surgery has been an effective treatment for severe obesity. However, it can be challenging for bariatric-surgery patients to reach and maintain long-term...
CONTEXT
Bariatric surgery has been an effective treatment for severe obesity. However, it can be challenging for bariatric-surgery patients to reach and maintain long-term weight loss. Behavioral interventions may be beneficial in reducing weight and improving the psychological outcomes of bariatric patients.
OBJECTIVE
The review intended to evaluate the benefits of mindfulness training for weight management among pre- and postoperative, bariatric-surgery patients and to help determine the design of the most effective mindfulness program for them.
DESIGN
The research team performed a systematic narrative review by searching the Medline, Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), PsycINFO, Web of Knowledge, PubMed, and CENTRAL databases. The search terms included mindfulness-based therapy, stress reduction, relaxation therapy, meditation, and acceptance and commitment therapy. Eligible studies included those using interventions that examined the impact of mindfulness on weight loss for bariatric-surgery patients. Due to the heterogeneity of the included studies, the research team conducted a narrative synthesis rather than a meta-analysis.
SETTING
The review took place in the Community Health Sciences Department at the College of Applied Medical Sciences of King Saud University in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
OUTCOME MEASURES
Primary outcomes included indicators of body-weight change, such as kilograms, pounds, or BMIs. Secondary outcomes included changes: (1) in eating behavior, such as in binge eating, grazing behavior, craving behavior, and emotional eating, (2) in caloric intake, (3) in mental health, including a reduction in anxiety or depression, (4) in quality of life, (5) mindfulness acceptability and practice, (6) in physical activity, and (7) in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c).
RESULTS
The research team included eight studies in the review. One study aimed to explore the impact of mindfulness on pre-operative patients, and the remaining seven studies measured the impact among postoperative individuals. Most studies suggested that mindfulness-based interventions can have a positive impact on weight outcomes and eating behaviors. The team also found promising effects for mental health outcomes, including anxiety and depression. It's important to note that the included studies reported no strategies that examined treatment fidelity and the monitoring of an intervention's delivery.
CONCLUSIONS
Preliminary results suggest that mindfulness-based interventions can be useful in tackling eating disorders and in promoting weight loss among bariatric individuals. Further studies are warranted in this area to make explicit recommendations that inform pre- and post-bariatric guidelines. The field needs further well-developed studies to understand the impact of mindfulness on weight loss in the long term.
Topics: Humans; Mindfulness; Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; Quality of Life; Bariatric Surgery; Weight Loss
PubMed: 38345771
DOI: No ID Found -
Neurosurgical Review Oct 2022Endovascular coiling (EC) has been identified in systematic reviews and meta-analyses to produce more favourable clinical outcomes in comparison to neurosurgical...
Endovascular coiling (EC) has been identified in systematic reviews and meta-analyses to produce more favourable clinical outcomes in comparison to neurosurgical clipping (NC) when surgically treating a subarachnoid haemorrhage from a ruptured aneurysm. Cost-effectiveness analyses between both interventions have been done, but no cost-utility analysis has yet been published. This systematic review aims to perform an economic analysis of the relative utility outcomes and costs from both treatments in the UK. A cost-utility analysis was performed from the perspective of the National Health Service (NHS), over a 1-year analytic horizon. Outcomes were obtained from the randomised International Subarachnoid Aneurysm Trial (ISAT) and measured in terms of the patient's modified Rankin scale (mRS) grade, a 6-point disability scale that aims to quantify a patient's functional outcome following a stroke. The mRS score was weighted against the Euro-QoL 5-dimension (EQ-5D), with each state assigned a weighted utility value which was then converted into quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). A sensitivity analysis using different utility dimensions was performed to identify any variation in incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) if different input variables were used. Costs were measured in pounds sterling (£) and discounted by 3.5% to 2020/2021 prices. The cost-utility analysis showed an ICER of - £144,004 incurred for every QALY gained when EC was utilised over NC. At NICE's upper willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of £30,000, EC offered a monetary net benefit (MNB) of £7934.63 and health net benefit (HNB) of 0.264 higher than NC. At NICE's lower WTP threshold of £20,000, EC offered an MNB of £7478.63 and HNB of 0.374 higher than NC. EC was found to be more 'cost-effective' than NC, with an ICER in the bottom right quadrant of the cost-effectiveness plane-indicating that it offers greater benefits at lower costs. This is supported by the ICER being below the NICE's threshold of £20,000-£30,000 per QALY, and both MNB and HNB having positive values (> 0).
Topics: Cost-Benefit Analysis; Humans; Quality of Life; State Medicine; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
PubMed: 36056977
DOI: 10.1007/s10143-022-01854-9 -
Health Technology Assessment... Jan 2022Chronic heart failure is a debilitating condition that accounts for an annual NHS spend of £2.3B. Low levels of endogenous coenzyme Q10 may exacerbate chronic heart... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Chronic heart failure is a debilitating condition that accounts for an annual NHS spend of £2.3B. Low levels of endogenous coenzyme Q10 may exacerbate chronic heart failure. Coenzyme Q10 supplements might improve symptoms and slow progression. As statins are thought to block the production of coenzyme Q10, supplementation might be particularly beneficial for patients taking statins.
OBJECTIVES
To assess the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of coenzyme Q10 in managing chronic heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction.
METHODS
A systematic review that included randomised trials comparing coenzyme Q10 plus standard care with standard care alone in chronic heart failure. Trials restricted to chronic heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction were excluded. Databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL were searched up to March 2020. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool (version 5.2). A planned individual participant data meta-analysis was not possible and meta-analyses were mostly based on aggregate data from publications. Potential effect modification was examined using meta-regression. A Markov model used treatment effects from the meta-analysis and baseline mortality and hospitalisation from an observational UK cohort. Costs were evaluated from an NHS and Personal Social Services perspective and expressed in Great British pounds at a 2019/20 price base. Outcomes were expressed in quality-adjusted life-years. Both costs and outcomes were discounted at a 3.5% annual rate.
RESULTS
A total of 26 trials, comprising 2250 participants, were included in the systematic review. Many trials were reported poorly and were rated as having a high or unclear risk of bias in at least one domain. Meta-analysis suggested a possible benefit of coenzyme Q10 on all-cause mortality (seven trials, 1371 participants; relative risk 0.68, 95% confidence interval 0.45 to 1.03). The results for short-term functional outcomes were more modest or unclear. There was no indication of increased adverse events with coenzyme Q10. Meta-regression found no evidence of treatment interaction with statins. The base-case cost-effectiveness analysis produced incremental costs of £4878, incremental quality-adjusted life-years of 1.34 and an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of £3650. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses showed that at thresholds of £20,000 and £30,000 per quality-adjusted life-year coenzyme Q10 had a high probability (95.2% and 95.8%, respectively) of being more cost-effective than standard care alone. Scenario analyses in which the population and other model assumptions were varied all found coenzyme Q10 to be cost-effective. The expected value of perfect information suggested that a new trial could be valuable.
LIMITATIONS
For most outcomes, data were available from few trials and different trials contributed to different outcomes. There were concerns about risk of bias and whether or not the results from included trials were applicable to a typical UK population. A lack of individual participant data meant that planned detailed analyses of effect modifiers were not possible.
CONCLUSIONS
Available evidence suggested that, if prescribed, coenzyme Q10 has the potential to be clinically effective and cost-effective for heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction. However, given important concerns about risk of bias, plausibility of effect sizes and applicability of the evidence base, establishing whether or not coenzyme Q10 is genuinely effective in a typical UK population is important, particularly as coenzyme Q10 has not been subject to the scrutiny of drug-licensing processes. Stronger evidence is needed before considering its prescription in the NHS.
FUTURE WORK
A new independent, well-designed clinical trial of coenzyme Q10 in a typical UK heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction population may be warranted.
STUDY REGISTRATION
This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42018106189.
FUNDING
This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in ; Vol. 26, No. 4. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.
Topics: Cost-Benefit Analysis; Heart Failure; Humans; Quality-Adjusted Life Years; Technology Assessment, Biomedical; Ubiquinone
PubMed: 35076012
DOI: 10.3310/KVOU6959 -
The American Journal of Case Reports Dec 2021BACKGROUND Bilateral simultaneous quadriceps tendon rupture is a relatively rare injury, more commonly seen in patients older than 50 years and is usually associated...
Early, Bilateral Re-Rupture of Quadriceps Tendon After Previous Bone-Anchor Repair for Simultaneous, Low-Energy, Bilateral Quadriceps Rupture: A Case Report and Literature Review.
BACKGROUND Bilateral simultaneous quadriceps tendon rupture is a relatively rare injury, more commonly seen in patients older than 50 years and is usually associated with underlying metabolic or inflammatory diseases. CASE REPORT We report the case of an otherwise healthy, 42-year-old man who sustained a bilateral, quadriceps tendon rupture while he was trying to pound a branch of an olive tree into the ground. On clinical examination, a defect in both proximal patella poles was found on palpation, with complete discontinuity of the extensor apparatus. A meticulous surgical repair was performed using 3 bone anchors with an uneventful postoperative rehabilitation. A biopsy specimen taken at surgery showed evidence of chronic inflammation. He had a second episode while walking fast on the beach 3.5 months postoperatively, and presented again with bilateral quadriceps rupture. He was successfully managed with bilateral allograft reconstructions, showing a very good outcome at 18 months of follow-up. Our systematic literature review covering a 20-year period (2000-2020) revealed 10 articles on bilateral quadriceps ruptures in 14 healthy patients without comorbidities. All these injuries occurred in males, with a mean age of 56.8 years, during walking, descending stairs, or participating in recreational sports; the functional outcome was good to excellent in most cases, without any reported re-ruptures. To the best of our knowledge, no similar case has been reported in the literature. CONCLUSIONS Bilateral quadriceps tendons rupture is a rare injury, especially in young patients without associated comorbidities. The risk of recurrence is low, but when it occurs, more complex techniques of reconstruction are needed.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Quadriceps Muscle; Rupture; Suture Anchors; Tendon Injuries; Tendons
PubMed: 34857727
DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.932723 -
Harm Reduction Journal Nov 2021Several published systematic reviews have examined the potential associations between e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking, but their methodological and/or reporting... (Review)
Review
Reporting and methodological quality of systematic literature reviews evaluating the associations between e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking behaviors: a systematic quality review.
INTRODUCTION
Several published systematic reviews have examined the potential associations between e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking, but their methodological and/or reporting quality have not yet been assessed. This systematic quality review followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and AMSTAR (A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews) 2 to evaluate the quality of systematic reviews investigating potential associations between e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO were searched from 01 January 2007 to 24 June 2020. Methodological quality was assessed using AMSTAR 2, and reporting quality was assessed using PRISMA guidelines.
RESULTS
Of 331 potentially relevant systematic reviews, 20 met predefined inclusion criteria. Most reviews (n = 15; 75%) reported on e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking cessation, while three reported on e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking initiation (15%); and two reported on cigarette smoking initiation and cessation (10%). According to AMSTAR 2 guidelines, 18 of the 20 reviews (90%) were "critically low" in overall confidence of the results, while two were ranked "low." Additionally, reporting quality varied across the reviews, with only 60% reporting at least half of the PRISMA items.
DISCUSSION
Methodological limitations were identified across reviews examining potential associations between e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking behaviors, indicating that findings from these reviews should be interpreted with caution.
CONCLUSIONS
Future systematic reviews in this field should strive to adhere to AMSTAR 2 and PRISMA guidelines, to provide high quality syntheses of the available data with transparent and complete reporting.
Topics: Cigarette Smoking; Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems; Humans; Research Report; Vaping
PubMed: 34838030
DOI: 10.1186/s12954-021-00570-9