42,458 papers found

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review is to determine the costs and benefits of non-invasive liver tests vs liver biopsy in patients with chronic liver diseases. INTRODUCTION: Hepatic diseases can lead to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. In the past, liver biopsy was the only option for diagn…

BACKGROUND: Serratiopeptidase is a proteolytic enzyme prescribed in various specialities like surgery, orthopaedics, otorhinolaryngology, gynaecology and dentistry for its anti-inflammatory, anti-edemic and analgesic effects. Some anecdotal reports suggest it to possess anti-atherosclerotic effects also, due to its fib…

AIM: Statin therapy is considered the gold standard for treating hypercholesterolemia. This updated meta-analysis aims to compare the efficacy and safety of a low/moderate-intensity statin in combination with ezetimibe compared with high-intensity statin monotherapy in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disea…

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of physical activity interventions in preventing cardiovascular risk factors in childhood through a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs). METHODS: A search of online databases (PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane CENTRAL) was conducted from inception until J…

CONTEXT: Vesicourethral anastomosis (VUA) is a crucial step during radical prostatectomy (RP). Generally, either a continuous (CS) or an interrupted suture (IS) is used. However, there is no clear evidence if one technique is superior to the other. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to provide a systematic overview and compa…

INTRODUCTION: Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists are novel medications with proven efficacy in treating type 2 diabetes mellitus, and are increasingly being used for weight loss. They may potentially have benefit in treating metabolic disorders; however, evidence is sparse with regards to treating high blood pre…

CONTEXT: Retzius sparing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RS-RARP) is increasingly being used, but results of pertinent studies on perioperative, functional, and oncological outcomes comparing the Retzius sparing approach with standard robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) remain inconsistent. OBJECTIVE: To…

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) significantly increases the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) development, yet the population-level impact on NHL burden is unquantified. We aim to quantify this association and estimate the global burden of HIV-associated NHL. METHODS: In this meta-analysis, we searched…

BACKGROUND: Central nervous system tumors are now the most common primary neoplasms seen in children, and radiation therapy is a key component in management. Secondary malignant neoplasms (SMNs) are rare, but dreaded complications. Proton beam therapy (PBT) can potentially minimize the risk of SMNs compared to conventi…

BACKGROUND: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a chronic disease that is considered a global public health problem. Education and self-monitoring by diabetic patients help to optimize and make possible a satisfactory metabolic control enabling improved management and reduced morbidity and mortality. The global growth in the use…

BACKGROUND: Guidelines for type 2 diabetes (T2D) recommend reducing HbAthrough lifestyle interventions and glucose-lowering drugs (metformin, then combination with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors [DPP-4Is] among other glucose-lowering drugs). However, no double-blind randomized clinical trial (RCT) compared with plac…

INTRODUCTION: Smokers have a higher chance of developing peri-implant diseases and are therefore considered an at-risk population. Our aim was to compare peri-implant characteristics in users of electronic cigarettes (EC), waterpipes (WP), cigarettes (CS), smokeless tobacco (ST), and nonsmokers (nonusers of any nicotin…

Autoimmune skin diseases (AISDs) are disorders characterized by disrupted immune tolerance and aberrant responses against skin antigens, including atopic dermatitis (AD), psoriasis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), bullous pemphigoid (BP), and other common conditions. Dysregulated expression of immune-related genes-…

Mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and stress-related disorders, are often difficult to diagnose and monitor using traditional methods. Salivary biomarkers offer a promising alternative due to their non-invasive nature, ease of collection, and the potential to reflect real-time physiological changes…

BACKGROUND: Traditionally, monocular interventions, like patching, have been the gold standard in amblyopia treatment. However, the current understanding that amblyopia is a binocular rather than monocular condition has inspired a surge in binocular treatments, which encourage the simultaneous use of both eyes. OBJECT…

BACKGROUND: Anxiety and stress-related disorders are associated with abnormal neural reactivity and connectivity, particularly in the amygdala and prefrontal regions. Intranasal oxytocin (OXT) has emerged as a potential modulator of these neural circuits, but evidence for its clinical efficacy remains mixed. This syste…

IMPORTANCE: Obesity is a significant factor that increases complication rates in patients undergoing abdominal wall reconstruction (AWR). This has led to caution about performing elective AWR in patients with higher body mass index (BMI). In light of this, our study aims to synthesize the current information on AWR out…

The aim of this study was to systematically review the efficacy and safety of entecavir versus lamivudine for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB). A computerized search of The Cochrane Library (CENTRAL, Issue 5, 2011), MEDLINE (PubMed, 1978-June 2011), EMbase (1974-June 2011) and CNKI (1978-June 2011) databases…

BACKGROUND:: This systematic review focuses on antiretroviral therapy (ART) for treating human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in ART-eligible pregnant women. Mother- to-child transmission (MTCT) is the primary means by which children worldwide acquire HIV infection. MTCT occurs during three major timepoints dur…

BACKGROUND: Blood pressure (BP) measuring devices must demonstrate clinical accuracy proven by proper validation testing in the intended population, following recommendations published by scientific organizations. OBJECTIVES: This review aims to evaluate out-of-office validated BP measuring devices in children and ado…