The efficacy of supplementation with the novel medical food, Souvenaid, in patients with Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Background And Rationale: Certain nutritional supplements are being marketed for the management of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the evidence for their effectiveness is not established. The objective of this review was to evaluate the evidence from randomized clinical trial (RCTs) examining the effect of Souvenaid in patients with AD.

Methods: We conducted electronic searches in Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, CINAHL, and The Cochrane Library.

Missed opportunities for diagnosis: lessons learned from diagnostic errors in primary care.

Background: Because of the difficulties inherent in diagnosis in primary care, it is inevitable that diagnostic errors will occur. However, despite the important consequences associated with diagnostic errors and their estimated high prevalence, teaching and research on diagnostic error is a neglected area.

Aim: To ascertain the key learning points from GPs' experiences of diagnostic errors and approaches to clinical decision making associated with these.

Oxfordshire Women and Their Children's Health (OxWATCH): protocol for a prospective cohort feasibility study.

Introduction: Some specific pregnancy disorders are known to be associated with increased incidence of long-term maternal ill health (eg, gestational diabetes with late onset type 2 diabetes; pre-eclampsia with arterial disease). To what degree these later health conditions are a consequence of the woman's constitution prior to pregnancy rather than pregnancy itself triggering changes in a woman's health is unknown. Additionally, there is little prospective evidence for the impact of pre-pregnancy risk factors on the outcome of pregnancy.

Accuracy of methods for detecting an irregular pulse and suspected atrial fibrillation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Pulse palpation has been recommended as the first step of screening to detect atrial fibrillation. We aimed to determine and compare the accuracy of different methods for detecting pulse irregularities caused by atrial fibrillation.

Methods: We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and LILACS until 16 March 2015.

Corticosteroids for the common cold.

Background: The common cold is a frequent illness, which, although benign and self limiting, results in many consultations to primary care and considerable loss of school or work days. Current symptomatic treatments have limited benefit. Corticosteroids are an effective treatment in other upper respiratory tract infections and their anti-inflammatory effects may also be beneficial in the common cold.

Antibiotics for preventing lower respiratory tract infections in high-risk children aged 12 years and under.

Background: Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in young children account for 1.4 million deaths annually worldwide. Antibiotics could be beneficial in preventing LRTIs in high-risk children, and may also help prevent school absenteeism and work days missed by children and/or carers.

The Diagnostic Value of Capillary Refill Time for Detecting Serious Illness in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Importance: Capillary refill time (CRT) is widely recommended as part of the routine assessment of unwell children.

Objective: To determine the diagnostic value of capillary refill time for a range of serious outcomes in children.

Methods: We searched Medline, Embase and CINAHL from inception to June 2014.

Protocol for an overview of systematic reviews of interventions to reduce unscheduled hospital admissions among adults.

Introduction: Unscheduled hospital admissions are an increasing burden on health systems worldwide. To date, initiatives to reduce admissions have had limited success as it is unclear which strategies effectively reduce admissions and are supported by a strong evidence-base. Therefore, we will conduct an overview to find, assess and summarise all published peer-reviewed systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials that examine the effect of an intervention on unplanned admissions among adults.

Moving Focus from Weight to Health. What Are the Components Used in Interventions to Improve Cardiovascular Health in Children?

Introduction: Obesity in childhood impacts on many areas of the child's current and future health, including their cardiovascular health. To date many attempts have been made to design interventions to tackle excess childhood weight but with limited success. We aimed to establish the components common to interventions in children that improve cardiovascular health parameters.

Yoga in adult cancer: an exploratory, qualitative analysis of the patient experience.

Background: Some patients receiving treatment in conventional health care systems access therapeutic yoga outside their mainstream care to improve cancer symptoms. Given the current knowledge gap around patient preferences and documented experiences of yoga in adult cancer, this study aimed to describe patient-reported benefits, barriers and characteristics of programming for yoga practice during conventional treatment.

Methods: In depth semi-structured interviews (n=10) were conducted in men and women recruited from cancer care clinics in Vancouver, Canada using a purposive sampling technique.

Yoga for Health-Related Quality of Life in Adult Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Feasibility Study.

An increase in patient-led uptake of complementary therapies in adult cancer has led to a need for more rigorous study of such interventions and their outcomes. This study therefore aimed to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a yoga intervention in men and women receiving conventional treatment for a cancer diagnosis. Prospective, mixed methods feasibility trial allocated participants to receive one of three yoga interventions over a four-week study period.

Effectiveness, safety and costs of orphan drugs: an evidence-based review.

Introduction: Several orphan drugs have been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) over the past two decades. However, the drugs are expensive, and in some instances, the evidence for effectiveness is not convincing at the time of regulatory approval. Our objective was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of orphan drugs that have been granted marketing licenses in Europe, determine the annual costs of each drug, compare the costs of branded orphan drugs against their generic equivalents, and explore any relationships between orphan drug disease prevalence and annual costs.

Cohort study of Anticoagulation Self-Monitoring (CASM): a prospective study of its effectiveness in the community.

Background: Trials show that oral anticoagulation therapy (OAT) substantially reduces thromboembolic events without an increase in major haemorrhagic events, but it is not known whether these results translate into routine practice.

Aim: To estimate the current levels of control and adverse events in patients self-monitoring OAT, explore the factors that predict success, and determine whether the level of side effects reported from randomised controlled trials are translated to a non-selected population.

Design And Setting: Prospective cohort study in the UK.

Supporting patients to self-monitor their oral anticoagulation therapy: recommendations based on a qualitative study of patients' experiences.

Background: Clinical trials suggest that oral anticoagulation therapy (OAT) self-monitoring is safe and effective, however little is known about the patient experience of this process. There is a lack of understanding about how best to train and support patients embarking on OAT self-monitoring.

Aim: To collect in-depth information about patients' experiences of OAT self-monitoring outside of clinical trial conditions and to produce a set of recommendations on how best to support such patients.

Heterogeneity of prognostic studies of 24-hour blood pressure variability: systematic review and meta-analysis.

In addition to mean blood pressure, blood pressure variability is hypothesized to have important prognostic value in evaluating cardiovascular risk. We aimed to assess the prognostic value of blood pressure variability within 24 hours. Using MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Library to April 2013, we conducted a systematic review of prospective studies of adults, with at least one year follow-up and any day, night or 24-hour blood pressure variability measure as a predictor of one or more of the following outcomes: all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, all cardiovascular events, stroke and coronary heart disease.

The effect of wind turbine noise on sleep and quality of life: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

Noise generated by wind turbines has been reported to affect sleep and quality of life (QOL), but the relationship is unclear. Our objective was to explore the association between wind turbine noise, sleep disturbance and quality of life, using data from published observational studies. We searched Medline, Embase, Global Health and Google Scholar databases.

Relationship between altitude and the prevalence of hypertension in Tibet: a systematic review.

Introduction: Hypertension is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease, which is the cause of one-third of global deaths and is a primary and rising contributor to the global disease burden. The objective of this systematic review was to determine the prevalence and awareness of hypertension among the inhabitants of Tibet and its association with altitude, using the data from published observational studies.

Methods: We conducted electronic searches in Medline, Embase, ISI Web of Science and Global Health.

A BEME systematic review of UK undergraduate medical education in the general practice setting: BEME Guide No. 32.

Background: General practice is increasingly used as a learning environment in undergraduate medical education in the UK.

Aim: The aim of this project was to identify, summarise and synthesise research about undergraduate medical education in general practice in the UK.

Methods: We systematically identified studies of undergraduate medical education within a general practice setting in the UK from 1990 onwards.

Accuracy of self-monitored blood pressure for diagnosing hypertension in primary care.

Objective: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of recommendations for self-monitoring blood pressure (BP) for diagnosing hypertension in primary care.

Methods: Two hundred and forty-seven consecutive participants with raised (≥130 mmHg systolic) BP measured by their general practitioner from four primary care practices in the United Kingdom underwent 28 days of self-monitoring followed by 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM). Diagnostic accuracy of the first 7 days of self-monitored BP (minimum 4 days, discarding readings on day 1) in detecting hypertension with ambulatory blood pressure was taken as reference.

GP training in out-of-hours care: implications for the future workforce.

Aims: To understand GP trainees' experience of out-of-hours (OOH) training in England; whether it is achieving educational aims, and to highlight potential improvements. Additionally to explore factors that influence the decision to work in OOH care.

Methods: An online survey was sent to 1091 GP trainees in England.