Effect of Micronutrients on HIV-Related Clinical Outcomes Among Adults Living With HIV on Antiretroviral Therapy: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Context: Micronutrient deficiencies are common and frequently co-occurring among people living with HIV (PLHIV) globally, with consequences for their health and clinical outcomes. Previous reviews of the influence of micronutrient supplementation on HIV outcomes were conducted in the pre-highly active antiretroviral therapy (pre-HAART) era or included both HAART-naive and HAART-experienced individuals; thus, the evidence in the context of HAART is inconclusive.

Objective: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the effect of micronutrient supplementation on important clinical outcomes among PLHIV on HAART.

Screening and treatment practices for iron deficiency in anaemic pregnant women: A cross-sectional survey of healthcare workers in Nigeria.

Background: Iron deficiency anaemia in pregnancy is a significant contributor to maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality globally. Despite international and national guidelines for its screening and treatment, knowledge and prescription practices of healthcare providers vary.

Aim: To determine maternal healthcare workers' screening and treatment practices for iron deficiency in anaemic pregnancy women in two states in Nigeria.

Impact of electronic medical records on healthcare delivery in Nigeria: A review.

Electronic medical records (EMRs) have great potential to improve healthcare processes and outcomes. They are increasingly available in Nigeria, as in many developing countries. The impact of their introduction has not been well studied.

Anemia and Iron Supplementation in Relation to Viral Load and Mortality among 70,442 People Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Tanzania.

Background: Anemia may be associated with poor clinical outcomes among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (PLHIV) despite highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). There are concerns that iron supplementation may be unsafe to prevent and treat anemia among PLHIV.

Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate the associations of anemia and iron supplementation with mortality and viral load among PLHIV in Tanzania.

Nutrition counselling and clinical outcomes in HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: People living with the HIV (PLHIV) are at an increased risk of various diseases due to a weakened immune system, particularly if they are naïve or poorly adherent to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Nutrients play a critical role in improving immune health, especially among this population. We systematically reviewed the evidence concerning the impact of nutritional counselling on the occurrence of important clinical outcomes among PLHIV.

Effect of intake of probiotics and probiotic fermented foods on clinical outcomes among people living with HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the effect of probiotics and of probiotic-fermented foods on CD4 T-cell count, viral load, anaemia and body mass index (BMI) among people living with HIV (PLHIV).

Methods: In this article, we systematically reviewed the evidence on the influence of probiotic supplementation on CD4 lymphocyte count, viral load and anaemia among PLHIV on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and those who were HAART-naive. Medical literature databases identified randomised trials and pre-post studies of probiotic supplementation and HIV-related outcomes, and random effects meta-analysis was conducted.

The Management of Opioid-Induced Constipation in Cancer and Advanced Illness: A Meta-Analysis.

Context: Constipation is a common problem among patients with cancer. By some accounts, about 60% of cancer patients experience constipation. There is limited empirical evidence of the clinical effectiveness of pharmacologic agents in opioid-induced constipation in advanced diseases.

Current trends in hospice care usage for dialysis patients in the USA.

Background: The predictors and latest trends in hospice utilization, adequate duration of hospice care, and dialysis discontinuation without hospice enrollment among patients with end stage kidney disease are not fully known; the aim of this study was to assess them, analysing data from the United States Renal Data System.

Methods: Data from the United States Renal Data System for patients with kidney failure who died between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2019, were analyzed. Chi-square and logistic regression were used to evaluate associations between outcomes of interest and predictors, while Joinpoint regression was used to examine trends.

Dietary Iron Intake and HIV-Related Outcomes Among Adults Initiating Antiretroviral Therapy in Tanzania.

Objective: Anemia is highly prevalent among people living with HIV (PLWHIV) and is often due to iron deficiency. This study evaluated the relationship of dietary iron intake levels and sources with mortality and clinical outcomes among adults initiating HAART.

Design: We conducted a secondary analysis of a multivitamin supplementation trial among 2293 PLWHIV initiating HAART in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Intravenous versus oral iron for iron deficiency anaemia in pregnant Nigerian women (IVON): study protocol for a randomised hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial.

Background: Anaemia in pregnancy is highly prevalent in African countries. High-dose oral iron is the current recommended treatment for pregnancy-related iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) in Nigeria and other African countries. This oral regimen is often poorly tolerated and has several side effects.

Iron status among HIV-infected adults during the first year of antiretroviral therapy in Tanzania.

Background: The influence of inflammation on iron status among people living with HIV (PLWHIV) has not been well explored. We evaluated the trajectory of iron status among PLWHIV during the first year of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), compared alternative approaches for inflammation correction, and assessed the associations of iron status with HIV-1 viral load and anthropometric outcomes.

Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a randomized trial among 400 adults initiating HAART in Tanzania.

Gestational weight gain during the second and third trimesters and adverse pregnancy outcomes, results from a prospective pregnancy cohort in urban Tanzania.

Background: Appropriate gestational weight gain (GWG) is important for optimal pregnancy outcomes. This study prospectively evaluated the associations between GWG during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes in an urban Tanzanian pregnancy cohort.

Methods: We used data from a randomized clinical trial conducted among pregnant women recruited by 27 weeks of gestation in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (N = 1230).

Public Health Surveillance for Adverse Events Following COVID-19 Vaccination in Africa.

Local, national, and international health agencies have advocated multi-pronged public health strategies to limit infections and prevent deaths. The availability of safe and effective vaccines is critical in the control of a pandemic. Several adverse events have been reported globally following reception of different vaccines, with limited or no data from Africa.

Dietary diversity and diet quality with gestational weight gain and adverse birth outcomes, results from a prospective pregnancy cohort study in urban Tanzania.

Healthy maternal diets during pregnancy are an important protective factor for pregnancy-related outcomes, including gestational weight gain (GWG) and birth outcomes. We prospectively examined the associations of maternal dietary diversity and diet quality, using Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women (MDD-W) and Prime Diet Quality Score (PDQS), with GWG and birth outcomes among women enrolled in a trial in Tanzania (n = 1190). MDD-W and PDQS were derived from a baseline food frequency questionnaire.

Will Africans take COVID-19 vaccination?

The economic and humanistic impact of COVID-19 pandemic is enormous globally. No definitive treatment exists, hence accelerated development and approval of COVID-19 vaccines, offers a unique opportunity for COVID-19 prevention and control. Vaccine hesitancy may limit the success of vaccine distribution in Africa, therefore we assessed the potentials for coronavirus vaccine hesitancy and its determinants among Africans.

Prenatal anemia and postpartum hemorrhage risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) has remained the leading cause of maternal mortality. While anemia is a leading contributor to maternal morbidity, molecular, cellular and anemia-induced hypoxia, clinical studies of the relationship between prenatal-anemia and PPH have reported conflicting results. Therefore, our objective was to investigate the outcomes of studies on the relationships between prenatal anemia and PPH-related mortality.

Calcium Intake and Iron Status in Human Studies: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials and Crossover Studies.

Background: The interaction between dietary (and supplementary) divalent ions has been a long-standing issue in human nutrition research. Developing an optimal calcium and iron supplementation recommendation requires detailed knowledge of the potential trade-offs between: 1) the clinical effects of concurrent intake on iron absorption and hematological indices; and 2) the potentially negative effects of separated ingestion on adherence to iron and/or calcium supplements. Human clinical studies have examined the effects of calcium intake on iron status, but there are no meta-analyses or recent reviews summarizing the findings.

Effect of micronutrient supplements on influenza and other respiratory tract infections among adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Acute respiratory tract infections (ARIs) are a leading cause of ill-health and death globally. Individual or multiple micronutrients have been shown to modulate immune function and affect the risk and severity of a number of infectious diseases. We systematically reviewed the evidence on the impact of micronutrient supplements to reduce the occurrence of ARIs and shorten the duration of ARI symptoms among adults.

Spatio-temporal trends in anaemia among pregnant women, adolescents and preschool children in sub-Saharan Africa.

Objective: We investigated the spatiotemporal trends in the burden of maternal, adolescent and child anaemia in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and evaluated some individual and household predictors of anaemia.

Design: Average Hb concentrations and anaemia prevalence were estimated, plotted over time and mapped by country and sub-region. Multilevel linear regression models were used to evaluate individual and household predictors of Hb concentration.

Factors associated with sub-microscopic placental malaria and its association with adverse pregnancy outcomes among HIV-negative women in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: a cohort study.

Background: Malaria infection during pregnancy has negative health consequences for both mothers and offspring. Sub-microscopic malaria infection during pregnancy is common in most African countries. We sought to identify factors associated with sub-microscopic placental malaria, and its association with adverse pregnancy outcomes among HIV-negative pregnant women in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.