Catheter ablation as an adjunctive therapy to ICD implantation in Brugada Syndrome.

Background: Brugada Syndrome (BrS) is a life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia disorder associated with an increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) and sudden cardiac death. Current management primarily relies on implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), but patients may experience ICD shocks. Catheter ablation (CA) has emerged as a potential intervention to target the arrhythmogenic substrate.

Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of 32 randomized trials.

Introduction: Several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have examined mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) in heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). This systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) evaluated the comparative efficacy and safety of MRAs in HFrEF.

Materials And Methods: MEDLINE(Pubmed), Scopus, Cochrane and ClinicalTrials.

A Simple Guide to Randomized Controlled Trials.

Randomized controlled trials represent the cornerstone for the regulatory approval of drugs and evidence-based medicine and policy. Compared with observational studies random assignment of participants to each study arm guarantees an equal distribution of potential confounders thus achieving impartiality in the evaluation of between group differences and allowing for causal inferences to be drawn. These complex and costly medical experiments are tightly regulated and require substantial planning with great attention to several methodological aspects ranging from allocation concealment and blinding to sample size estimation, statistical analysis, and handling of protocol deviations.

The reporting completeness and transparency of systematic reviews of prognostic prediction models for COVID-19 was poor: a methodological overview of systematic reviews.

Objectives: To conduct a methodological overview of reviews to evaluate the reporting completeness and transparency of systematic reviews (SRs) of prognostic prediction models (PPMs) for COVID-19.

Study Design And Setting: MEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Epistemonikos (epistemonikos.org) were searched for SRs of PPMs for COVID-19 until December 31, 2022.

Assessment of histologic risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis B of advanced stage.

Histologic markers of increased risk for hepatocellular carcinoma can provide useful information for the management of patients with chronic hepatitis B. The expression of epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM, a marker of hepatic progenitor cells), p21 (a marker of hepatocyte senescence), glutamine synthetase (a marker of perivenular hepatocytes) and CD34 (a marker of sinusoidal capillarization) were assessed by immunohistochemistry in 52 liver biopsy specimens from patients with advanced stage chronic hepatitis B. Nineteen patients developed hepatocellular carcinoma during a follow-up period of 133 months.

Total Atrial Conduction Time as a Predictor of Atrial Fibrillation Recurrence: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the predictive value of total atrial conduction time (TACT) assessed by tissue Doppler echocardiography (PA-TDI) in atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence in patients following a rhythm-control strategy. A systematic approach following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses reporting guidelines was applied in electronic databases (Pubmed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science), supplemented by scanning through studies' references. TACT was compared using a random-effects model and presented as a difference in means (MD).

An overview of systematic reviews on imaging tests for diagnosis of pulmonary embolism applying different network meta-analytic methods.

Purpose: This study aimed to apply different methods of diagnostic test accuracy network meta-analysis (DTA-NMA) for studies reporting results of five imaging tests for the diagnosis of suspected pulmonary embolism (PE): pulmonary angiography (PA), computed tomography angiography (CTPA), magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), planar ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) scintigraphy and single-photon emission computed tomography ventilation/perfusion (SPECT V/Q).

Methods: We searched four databases (MEDLINE [via PubMed], Cochrane CENTRAL, Scopus, and Epistemonikos) from inception until June 2, 2022 to identify systematic reviews (SRs) describing diagnostic accuracy of PA, CTPA, MRA, V/Q scan and SPECT V/Q for suspected PE. Study-level data were extracted and pooled using a hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) meta-regression approach and two DTA-NMA models to compare accuracy estimates of different imaging tests.

Treatment of obesity with intragastric injection of botulinum toxin. Is it worth the pinch? An overview of systematic reviews and meta-analysis.

Background And Aims: Αvaialble evidence regarding the effectiveness of intragastric injection of botulinum toxin in reducing anthropometric indices of subjects with obesity is conflicting. We evaluated the existing evidence and perform a meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of intragastric botulinum toxin in treating obesity.

Methods: We identified published systematic reviews evaluating the efficacy of intragastric injection of botulinum toxin in patients with overweight or obesity and additionally performed a systematic literature search to retrieve randomized controlled trials on this topic.

Changing from preserved, to preservative-free cyclosporine 0.1% enhanced triple glaucoma therapy: impact on ocular surface disease-a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: Halting and reversing glaucoma therapy-related ocular surface disease (GTR-OSD) will improve the success of long-term medical therapy, impacting millions of patients worldwide.

Methods: A single-centre, masked, prospective, placebo-controlled, crossover trial of 41 well-controlled open-angle glaucoma subjects with moderate to severe GTR-OSD on preserved latanoprost and dorzolamide/timolol fixed combination (DTFC) therapy was conducted. Subjects were randomized to preservative-free (PF) tafluprost and DTFC with either placebo or cyclosporine 0.

A network meta-analysis of the antithrombotic strategies in patients with atrial fibrillation and percutaneous coronary interventions: Focus on bleeding.

Background: We performed a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials comparing non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC)-based versus vitamin K antagonists (VKA)-based regimens in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and acute coronary syndromes or PCI, aiming to examine the precise impact of recently established antithrombotic strategies on major bleeding as primary end-point and other safety and efficacy as secondary end-points.

Methods: A literature search was conducted for randomized controlled trials. Our search took place in three major databases.

Effectiveness and safety of a time to isolation strategy of cryoballoon ablation of atrial fibrillation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aim: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized and observational studies with a control group to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of a time to isolation (TTI)-based strategy of cryoballoon ablation (CBA) in the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods: Three electronic databases (MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Embase) without language restrictions were searched. The intervention assessed was a TTI-based strategy of CBA in the treatment of AF.

Comparison Between Different Manufacturers' 2-D and Point Shear Wave Elastography Techniques in Staging Liver Fibrosis in Chronic Liver Disease Using Liver Biopsy as the Reference Standard: A Prospective Study.

The purpose of this study was to assess the utility of 2-D shear wave elastography (SWE) in assessing liver fibrosis in patients with chronic liver disease by comparing its performance with that of point shear wave elastography (pSWE) using liver histological staging as the reference standard. In this ethics committee-approved, single-institution prospective study, pSWE and 2-D SWE velocity measurements were obtained in 121 adult patients (age: 18-70 y, median: 45 y) immediately before a liver biopsy for chronic liver disease. Shear wave velocity (SWV) and Ishak scores were compared using the Kruskal-Wallis test, Spearman's correlation and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

High-flow nasal cannula oxygen in patients with haematological malignancy: a retrospective observational study.

Patients with haematological malignancies (HM) face high rates of intensive care unit (ICU) admission and mortality. High-flow nasal cannula oxygen (HFNCO) is increasingly used to support HM patients in ward settings, but there is limited evidence on the safety and efficacy of HFNCO in this group. We retrospectively reviewed all HM patients receiving ward-based HFNCO, supervised by a critical care outreach service (CCOS), from January 2014 to January 2019.

Reappraising the role of class Ic antiarrhythmics in atrial fibrillation.

Purpose: The objective of the present systematic review was to compare the effectiveness and safety of class Ic agents for cardioversion of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF), in patients with and without structural heart disease (SHD).

Methods: We focused on RCTs enrolling at least 50 adult patients with electrocardiogram-documented paroxysmal AF that compared either two pharmacological class Ic cardioversion agents (flecainide, propafenone), regardless of study design (parallel or crossover). We searched MEDLINE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials.

Reporting completeness in abstracts of systematic reviews of diagnostic test accuracy studies in cardiovascular diseases is suboptimal.

Objective: Journal abstracts are crucial for the identification and initial assessment of content of studies. We evaluated whether authors in the field of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) reported Diagnostic Test Accuracy Systematic Reviews (DTA SRs) abstracts adequately, as defined by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)-DTA guidelines.

Methods: SRs of DTA studies in CVDs published in general and specialized medical journals were identified in a MEDLINE search between 2010-2020.

Diagnostic test accuracy network meta-analysis methods: A scoping review and empirical assessment.

Objectives: To (a) identify methodological and application papers reporting a model developed specifically for diagnostic test accuracy network meta-analysis (DTA-NMA) or a hierarchical meta-regression method for comparing at least three index tests; (b) review and summarize the characteristics of the methods and the application papers; and (c) compare DTA-NMA and hierarchical meta-regression methods empirically.

Study Design And Setting: We performed a scoping review and searched major databases until March 3rd, 2021. We assessed the characteristics of the identified methods, conducted a descriptive analysis of characteristics of the application articles, and applied the DTA-NMA and meta-regression methods to the available data.

Pharmacologic Cardioversion in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation: A Network Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: We sought to indirectly compare and rank antiarrhythmic agents focusing exclusively on adults with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in order to identify the most effective for pharmacologic cardioversion over different time settings (4 h as primary, and 12, 24 h as secondary outcomes).

Methods: We searched several databases from inception to March 2020 without language restrictions, ClinicalTrials.gov, references of reviews, and meeting abstract material.

Effectiveness of oral vitamin D supplementation in lessening disease severity among patients with psoriasis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Objective: Many treatment modalities have been used to manage psoriasis; however, there is, to our knowledge, no pooled estimate for the effectiveness of oral vitamin D supplements in patients with psoriasis. Hence, the aim of the present study was to systematically review and meta-analyze the efficacy of oral vitamin D supplementation in lessening disease severity of patients with psoriasis.

Methods: A systematic literature review was performed on the electronic databases PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central and the gray literature for retrieving randomized controlled trials comparing oral vitamin D supplementation with placebo.

Correction to: 24-Hour Efficacy and Ocular Surface Health with Preservative-Free Tafluprost Alone and in Conjunction with Preservative-Free Dorzolamide/Timolol Fixed Combination in Open-Angle Glaucoma Patients Insufficiently Controlled with Preserved Latanoprost Monotherapy.

In the original article, the incorrect Open Access License type has been incuded.

Diagnostic and clinical significance of antigen-specific pancreatic antibodies in inflammatory bowel diseases: A meta-analysis.

Background: Non-invasive criteria are needed for Crohn's disease (CD) diagnosis, with several biomarkers being tested. Results of individual diagnostic test accuracy studies assessing the diagnostic value of pancreatic autoantibodies-to-glycoprotein-2 (anti-GP2) tests for the diagnosis of CD appear promising.

Aim: To systematically review and meta-analyze evidence on the diagnostic accuracy of anti-GP2 tests in patients with suspected/confirmed CD.

A study about neck pain on active population who visit Primary Health Centers.

Background: Cervical pain is very common among population and several methods have been used until now in order to evaluate it. The main aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of non-specific neck pain and the special features of it through its relation to demographic agents, habits and physiology parameters. Additionally, this study aims to select the most valid and objective methods for neck pain evaluation, which could also be useful in Primary Health Care and could give new prospectives.

The role of a critical care outreach service in the management of patients with haematological malignancy.

Introduction: Although improvement in survival from haematological malignancies has been reported, a substantial number of these patients develop life threatening complications. Critical care outreach services (CCOS) aim to avert inappropriate ICU admissions, while ensuring timely patient review.

Methods: We retrospectively analysed patients with haematological malignancy reviewed by an outreach service between January 2014 and December 2015 at a single institution.

Simple hematological predictors of AF recurrence in patients undergoing atrial fibrillation ablation.

Backgound: Red cell distribution width (RDW) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) are simple hematologic indices that have been used to predict adverse outcomes in different clinical settings. The aim of our study is to determine whether RDW and NLR can predict atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence in patients undergoing AF ablation.

Methods: Consecutive patients, without known hematological disorders, who underwent AF catheter ablation between January 2014 and April 2017 were enrolled into this study.

Free IGF-1, Intact IGFBP-4, and PicoPAPP-A are Altered in Acute Myocardial Infarction Compared to Stable Coronary Artery Disease and Healthy Controls.

Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and its binding proteins have been implicated in the pathophysiology of coronary artery disease (CAD) and myocardial infarction (MI). We investigated components of the IGF-1 system in circulation at the time of acute MI and following reperfusion in relation to levels of stable CAD patients and controls. Patients with MI (MI Group, n=31) treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were compared to patients with stable CAD subjected to scheduled PCI (CAD Group, n=40) and controls with symptoms mimicking CAD without stenosis in angiography (Control Group, n=43).