Effectiveness of an online food shopping intervention to reduce salt purchases among individuals with hypertension - findings of the SaltSwitch Online Grocery Shopping (OGS) randomised trial.

Background: Online grocery shopping is a growing source of food purchases in many countries. We investigated the effect of nudging consumers towards purchases of lower sodium products using a web browser extension.

Methods: This trial was conducted among individuals with hypertension who shopped for their groceries online in Australia.

Cardiovascular health and economic outcomes under improved air quality in China: a modelling study.

Introduction: China faces the dual challenge of high air pollution and an increasing burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We aimed to estimate the healthcare costs associated with CVD and the quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) under scenarios of improved air quality in China.

Methods: A health prediction model was developed to estimate 10-year CVD-related costs and QALY associated with PM2.

Acceptability and feasibility of a chronic breathlessness diagnostic clinical algorithm in Australian primary care.

Background And Objectives: Chronic breathlessness is a frequent diagnostic challenge in primary care. Our aim is to evaluate the feasibility of a stepwise breathlessness diagnostic algorithm for primary care.

Method: This mixed-methods study included: (1) a general practitioner (GP) nominal group technique study; (2) focus groups on GPs' views on the algorithm; and (3) analysis of algorithm alignment against patterns of diagnostic referrals and diagnoses of breathlessness presentations (2014-19) from the MedicineInsight primary care electronic health record (EHR) dataset of 1,961,264 patients (405 general practice sites).

Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial of a Passive Non-invasive Positive End-Expiratory Pressure (PEEP) Device for Delivering Positive Pressure Therapy Compared to Standard Care in Non-critically Ill Patients With COVID-19.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were reports of a shortage of ventilators and oxygen supply, particularly in resource-limited settings. We report the preliminary evaluation of a non-invasive positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) mask in hospitalized non-critically ill patients with COVID-19.

Methods: We randomly assigned hospitalized adult patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection and requiring greater than 40% supplemental oxygen to either standard care oxygen delivery (control) or via Materialise passive non-invasive PEEP device mask (intervention; Belgium).

Efficacy and safety of a novel low-dose triple single-pill combination of telmisartan, amlodipine and indapamide, compared with dual combinations for treatment of hypertension: a randomised, double-blind, active-controlled, international clinical trial.

Background: Single-pill combinations (SPCs) of three low-dose antihypertensive drugs can improve hypertension control but are not widely available. A key issue for any combination product is the contribution of each component to efficacy and tolerability. This trial compared a new triple SPC called GMRx2, containing telmisartan, amlodipine, and indapamide, with dual combinations of components for efficacy and safety.

The health and economic burden of breathlessness, Australia, 2019: a national survey.

Objective: To examine the impact of breathlessness on quality of life, health care use, productivity loss, and economic costs in Australia.

Study Design: National internet-based survey of Australian adults drawn from a web-based survey panel (National Breathlessness Survey).

Participants, Setting: Australian adults (18 years or older), nationally representative by age group, gender, state of residence, and postcode-based socio-economic status (Index of Relative Socioeconomic Disadvantage quintile), 13-30 October 2019.

The costs, health and economic impact of air pollution control strategies: a systematic review.

Background: Air pollution poses a significant threat to global public health. While broad mitigation policies exist, an understanding of the economic consequences, both in terms of health benefits and mitigation costs, remains lacking. This study systematically reviewed the existing economic implications of air pollution control strategies worldwide.

The efficacy of interventions to prevent type 2 diabetes among women with recent gestational diabetes mellitus-A living systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: While previously considered a transient condition, with no lasting adverse impact, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is now a well-established risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The risk of developing T2DM appears to be particularly high in the first few years after childbirth, providing a compelling case for early intervention. This review provides an up-to-date systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effectiveness of interventions to reduce incidence of T2DM in women with a recent history of GDM.

A Patient-Level Meta-Analysis of Intensive Glucose Control in Critically Ill Adults.

Background: Whether intensive glucose control reduces mortality in critically ill patients remains uncertain. Patient-level meta-analyses can provide more precise estimates of treatment effects than are currently available.

Methods: We pooled individual patient data from randomized trials investigating intensive glucose control in critically ill adults.

Prolonged vs Intermittent Infusions of β-Lactam Antibiotics in Adults With Sepsis or Septic Shock: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Importance: There is uncertainty about whether prolonged infusions of β-lactam antibiotics improve clinically important outcomes in critically ill adults with sepsis or septic shock.

Objective: To determine whether prolonged β-lactam antibiotic infusions are associated with a reduced risk of death in critically ill adults with sepsis or septic shock compared with intermittent infusions.

Data Sources: The primary search was conducted with MEDLINE (via PubMed), CINAHL, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and ClinicalTrials.

Bayesian Meta-Analysis of Health State Utility Values: A Tutorial with a Practical Application in Heart Failure.

Researchers incorporate health state utility values as inputs to inform economic models. However, for a particular health state or condition, multiple utility values derived from different studies typically exist and a single study is often insufficient to represent the best available source of utility needed to inform policy decisions. The purpose of this paper is to provide an introductory guidance for conducting Bayesian meta-analysis of health state utility values to generate a single parameter input for economic evaluation, using R.

Prognostic and Predictive Role of SPOP Mutations in Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Context: Mutations in the speckle-type POZ (SPOP) gene are frequently identified in prostate cancer (PC); yet, prognostic implications for affected patients remain unclear. Limited consensus exists regarding tailored treatments for SPOP-mutant (SPOPmut) PC.

Objective: To elucidate the prognostic and predictive significance of SPOP mutations across distinct PC stages and treatments.

Methodological issues of retrospective surveys for measuring mortality of highly clustered diseases: case study of the 2014-16 Ebola outbreak in Bo District, Sierra Leone.

Background: There is a lack of empirical data on design effects (DEFF) for mortality rate for highly clustered data such as with Ebola virus disease (EVD), along with a lack of documentation of methodological limitations and operational utility of mortality estimated from cluster-sampled studies when the DEFF is high.

Objectives: The objectives of this paper are to report EVD mortality rate and DEFF estimates, and discuss the methodological limitations of cluster surveys when data are highly clustered such as during an EVD outbreak.

Methods: We analysed the outputs of two independent population-based surveys conducted at the end of the 2014-2016 EVD outbreak in Bo District, Sierra Leone, in urban and rural areas.

Quality Appraisal in Systematic Literature Reviews of Studies Eliciting Health State Utility Values: Conceptual Considerations.

Background: The increasing number of studies that generate health state utility values (HSUVs) and the impact of HSUVs on cost-utility analyses make a robust tailored quality appraisal (QA) tool for systematic reviews of these studies necessary.

Objective: This study aimed to address conceptual issues regarding QA in systematic reviews of studies eliciting HSUVs by establishing a consensus on the definitions, dimensions and scope of a QA tool specific to this context.

Methods: A modified Delphi method was used in this study.

Secondary Analysis of the Salt Substitute and Stroke Study (SSaSS): Effects of Potassium-Enriched Salt on Cardiac Outcomes.

Background: The SSaSS (Salt Substitute and Stroke Study) has shown that use of a potassium-enriched salt lowers the risk of stroke, total cardiovascular events, and premature death. The effects on cause-specific cardiac outcomes are reported here.

Methods: SSaSS was an unblinded, cluster-randomised trial assessing the effects of potassium-enriched salt compared with regular salt among 20 995 Chinese adults with established stroke and older age and uncontrolled hypertension.

Rationale for a New Low-Dose Triple Single Pill Combination for the Treatment of Hypertension.

Two recent large trials showed the potential of single pill combinations (SPCs) with ≥3 low-dose components among people with hypertension who were untreated or receiving monotherapy. In both trials, these 'hypertension polypills' were superior to usual care, achieving >80% BP control without increasing withdrawal due to side effects. However, there are no such products available for prescribers.

Bayesian approach for meta-analyses in biomedical research: a scoping review protocol.

Objective: The overarching aim of this scoping review is to describe and analyze the scope of use and reporting of Bayesian methods in meta-analyses in biomedical research.

Introduction: The Bayesian approach provides a powerful and flexible framework for meta-analysis, particularly suited for dealing with complex, sparse, or heterogeneous data. Due to these advantages and its appeal, Bayesian methods have been increasingly used in many areas of biomedical research; however, their use in meta-analysis remains scarce.

Anticoagulation Strategies in Non-Critically Ill Patients with Covid-19.

BACKGROUND: Optimal thromboprophylaxis for hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is uncertain. METHODS: In an open-label, adaptive platform trial, we randomly assigned hospitalized adults with Covid-19 to low-dose low-molecular-weight heparin thromboprophylaxis or intermediate-dose or low-dose plus aspirin. In response to external evidence, the aspirin intervention was discontinued and a therapeutic-dose arm added.

The association between influenza vaccination, cardiovascular mortality and hospitalization: A living systematic review and prospective meta-analysis.

Background: The effects of seasonal influenza vaccination on cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes, including among individuals with established CVD, are uncertain.

Methods: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of influenza vaccines compared to no vaccines or placebo for preventing all-cause/CVD mortality or all-cause/CVD hospitalization in the general population and in populations with pre-existing CVD, we conducted a living systematic review (LSR) and prospective meta-analysis (PMA). Published randomized controlled trials (RCT) and observational studies between 1994 and 2023 were searched.

Intensive glucose control in critically ill adults: a protocol for a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis.

Objective: The optimal target for blood glucose concentration in critically ill patients is unclear. We will perform a systematic review and meta-analysis with aggregated and individual patient data from randomized controlled trials, comparing intensive glucose control with liberal glucose control in critically ill adults.

Data Sources: MEDLINE®, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Clinical Trials, and clinical trials registries (World Health Organization, clinical trials.

Understanding the Natural History of Chronic Hepatitis D: Proposal of a Model for Cost-Effectiveness Studies.

Background: As new therapeutic options become available, better understanding the potential impact of emerging therapies on clinical outcomes of hepatits D virus (HDV) is critical.

Objective: The aim of this study was to develop a natural history model for patients with hepatitis D virus.

Methods: We developed a model (decision tree followed by a Markov cohort model) in adults with chronic HDV infection to assess the natural history and impact of novel treatments on disease progression versus best supportive care (BSC).