History of cardiovascular events and cardiovascular risk factors among patients initiating strontium ranelate for treatment of osteoporosis.

Purpose: To estimate the proportion of osteoporosis patients in whom initiating strontium ranelate treatment, under new EMA guidelines, should be contraindicated because of a history of cardiovascular events or risk for cardiovascular events.

Materials And Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of medical and pharmacy claims using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink database. Patients were included if they had ≥1 prescription of strontium from September 1, 2008 to August 31, 2013, were aged ≥50 as of the index date (the date of the first ever strontium ranelate prescription), and had ≥1 year of medical records pre-index.

Boceprevir and telaprevir for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 infection: an indirect comparison meta-analysis.

Background: The aim of this study was to examine the relative efficacy and safety of boceprevir and telaprevir, when used in combination with pegylated interferon alpha and ribavirin, using an indirect comparison meta-analysis.

Methods: Published phase II and phase III randomized placebo-controlled trials examining the efficacy of boceprevir and telaprevir in chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 1 infected adult populations were included. The primary outcomes were sustained virologic response, relapse, and discontinuation of all study drugs.

Differences in clinical outcomes among hepatitis C genotype 1-infected patients treated with peginterferon alpha-2a or peginterferon alpha-2b plus ribavirin: a meta-analysis.

Background: With the development of new direct acting antiviral (DAA) therapy for hepatitis C, the backbone peginterferon alpha used may be of importance in maximizing treatment outcomes. To this end, the rates of sustained virologic response (SVR), relapse, and treatment discontinuation among hepatitis C genotype 1-infected patients given peginterferon alpha-2a plus ribavirin or peginterferon alpha-2b plus ribavirin were determined using a meta-analysis.

Methods: Randomized trials examining peginterferon alpha-2a or peginterferon alpha-2b co-administered with ribavirin for 48 weeks were included.

Intensive statin therapy compared with moderate dosing for prevention of cardiovascular events: a meta-analysis of >40 000 patients.

Aims: Statin therapy is associated with important benefits for patients at risk of, and with, established cardiovascular disease. There is widespread interest in whether intensive dosing of statins yields larger treatment effects. We aimed to determine if intensive dosing is clinically important using a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs).

Estimating the power of indirect comparisons: a simulation study.

Background: Indirect comparisons are becoming increasingly popular for evaluating medical treatments that have not been compared head-to-head in randomized clinical trials (RCTs). While indirect methods have grown in popularity and acceptance, little is known about the fragility of confidence interval estimations and hypothesis testing relying on this method.

Methods: We present the findings of a simulation study that examined the fragility of indirect confidence interval estimation and hypothesis testing relying on the adjusted indirect method.

Incorporating multiple interventions in meta-analysis: an evaluation of the mixed treatment comparison with the adjusted indirect comparison.

Background: Comparing the effectiveness of interventions is now a requirement for regulatory approval in several countries. It also aids in clinical and public health decision-making. However, in the absence of head-to-head randomized trials (RCTs), determining the relative effectiveness of interventions is challenging.

Association between change in high density lipoprotein cholesterol and cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality: systematic review and meta-regression analysis.

Objective: To investigate the association between treatment induced change in high density lipoprotein cholesterol and total death, coronary heart disease death, and coronary heart disease events (coronary heart disease death and non-fatal myocardial infarction) adjusted for changes in low density lipoprotein cholesterol and drug class in randomised trials of lipid modifying interventions.

Design: Systematic review and meta-regression analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Data Sources: Medline, Embase, Central, CINAHL, and AMED to October 2006 supplemented by contact with experts in the field.

HIV/AIDS in African militaries: an ecological analysis.

The HIV/AIDS pandemic is considered a security threat. Policy-makers have warned of destabilization of militaries due to massive troop deaths. Estimates of the rate of HIV within African militaries have been as high as 90 per cent.

Statin therapy in stroke prevention: a meta-analysis involving 121,000 patients.

Purpose: More than 120,000 patients now have taken part in randomized trials evaluating statin therapy for stroke prevention. We aimed to conduct a comprehensive review of all randomized trials and determine the therapeutic potential of statins for all strokes.

Methods: We searched 10 electronic databases (from inception to December 2006).