Surgical interventions for spontaneous supratentorial intracerebral haemorrhage: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Background: Surgical interventions for spontaneous supratentorial intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) include conventional craniotomy (CC), decompressive craniectomy (DC), and minimally invasive surgery (MIS), with the latter encompassing endoscopic surgery (ES) and minimally invasive puncture surgery (MIPS). However, the superiority of surgery over conservative medical treatment (CMT) and the comparative benefits of different surgical procedures remain unclear. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of various surgical interventions for treating ICH.

Risk of angioedema and thrombolytic therapy among stroke patients: An analysis of data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System database.

The angioedema risk may vary among stroke patients receiving different thrombolytic agents. This study aimed to investigate the angioedema risk associated with different thrombolytic agents and to identify associated risk factors. We conducted a large-scale retrospective pharmacovigilance study using the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database.

Comparison of Prior Distributions for the Heterogeneity Parameter in a Rare Events Meta-Analysis of a Few Studies.

Bayesian meta-analysis is a promising approach for rare events meta-analysis. However, the inference of the overall effect in rare events meta-analysis is sensitive to the choice of prior distribution for the heterogeneity parameter. Therefore, it is crucial to assign a convincing prior specification and ensure that it is both plausible and transparent.

Integrating randomized controlled trials and non-randomized studies of interventions to assess the effect of rare events: a Bayesian re-analysis of two meta-analyses.

Background: There is a growing trend to include non-randomised studies of interventions (NRSIs) in rare events meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to complement the evidence from the latter. An important consideration when combining RCTs and NRSIs is how to address potential bias and down-weighting of NRSIs in the pooled estimates. The aim of this study is to explore the use of a power prior approach in a Bayesian framework for integrating RCTs and NRSIs to assess the effect of rare events.

A Bayesian bias-adjusted random-effects model for synthesizing evidence from randomized controlled trials and nonrandomized studies of interventions.

Objective: An important consideration when combining RCTs and NRSIs is how to address their potential biases in the pooled estimates. This study aimed to propose a Bayesian bias-adjusted random effects model for the synthesis of evidence from RCTs and NRSIs.

Methods: We present a Bayesian bias-adjusted random effects model based on power prior method, which combines the likelihood contribution of the NRSIs, raised to the power parameter of alpha, with the likelihood of the RCT data, modeled with an additive bias.

Neoadjuvant therapy of sequential TACE, camrelizumab, and apatinib for single huge hepatocellular carcinoma (NEO-START): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: The high recurrence rate after liver resection emphasizes the urgent need for neoadjuvant therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to enhance the overall prognosis for patients. Immune checkpoint inhibitors, camrelizumab combined with an anti-angiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) apatinib, have emerged as a first-line treatment option for patients with unresectable HCC, yet its neoadjuvant application in combination with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in HCC remains unexplored. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of sequential TACE, camrelizumab, and apatinib as a neoadjuvant therapy for single, huge HCC.

Analysis of the Economic Burden of Chronic Kidney Disease With Comorbidities Among Patients in Xuzhou, China.

Objectives: To analyze the costs and medication patterns of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and comorbidities in Xuzhou, China, using a large electronic medical records database.

Methods: Data were obtained from an electronic medical records database. The annual per-person and per-visit cost of hospitalization, as well as the proportions of those costs, are presented.

Comparing various Bayesian random-effects models for pooling randomized controlled trials with rare events.

The meta-analysis of rare events presents unique methodological challenges owing to the small number of events. Bayesian methods are often used to combine rare events data to inform decision-making, as they can incorporate prior information and handle studies with zero events without the need for continuity corrections. However, the comparative performances of different Bayesian models in pooling rare events data are not well understood.

The Use of Real-World Evidence for Regulatory Decisions in China.

There is a growing demand for the use of high-quality real-world evidence (RWE) to support regulatory decision-making worldwide and in China, which highlights the need for conducting literature reviews to evaluate the available data and evidence. This study aims to review the use of RWE in Chinese regulatory decisions and to summarize relevant regulatory and methodological considerations to inform the future use of RWE in China. We identified policy documents, technical guidance documents, and cases on official Chinese government websites and extracted their contents separately.

Design and statistical analysis reporting among interrupted time series studies in drug utilization research: a cross-sectional survey.

Introduction: Interrupted time series (ITS) design is a commonly used method for evaluating large-scale interventions in clinical practice or public health. However, improperly using this method can lead to biased results.

Objective: To investigate design and statistical analysis characteristics of drug utilization studies using ITS design, and give recommendations for improvements.

Tenecteplase versus alteplase for acute ischemic stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized and non-randomized studies.

Objective: Alteplase is the current standard of care for acute ischemic stroke. Tenecteplase is a newer fibrinolytic agent with preferable administration and lower costs; however, its comparative effectiveness to alteplase remains uncertain. We set out to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to establish the benefits and harms of tenecteplase versus alteplase for acute ischemic stroke.

A systematic survey of adaptive trials shows substantial improvement in methods is needed.

Objectives: To investigate the design, conduct, and analysis of adaptive trials through a systematic survey and provide recommendations for future adaptive trials.

Study Design And Setting: We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases up to January 2020.

Methods for the Inclusion of Real-World Evidence in a Rare Events Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background: Many rare events meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have lower statistical power, and real-world evidence (RWE) is becoming widely recognized as a valuable source of evidence. The purpose of this study is to investigate methods for including RWE in a rare events meta-analysis of RCTs and the impact on the level of uncertainty around the estimates.

Methods: Four methods for the inclusion of RWE in evidence synthesis were investigated by applying them to two previously published rare events meta-analyses: the naïve data synthesis (NDS), the design-adjusted synthesis (DAS), the use of RWE as prior information (RPI), and the three-level hierarchical models (THMs).

Projected burden of stroke in China through 2050.

Background: Stroke is the leading cause of death in China, and predicting the stroke burden could provide essential information guiding the setting of medium- and long-term health policies and priorities. The study aimed to project trends associated with stroke burden in China through 2050, not only in terms of incidence and mortality but also for prevalence and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs).

Methods: Data on stroke rates in incidence, prevalence, deaths, and DALYs in China between 1990 and 2019 were obtained from a recent Global Burden of Disease study.

Use of statistical methods among acupuncture randomized controlled trials was far from satisfactory.

Objectives: To examine whether appropriate statistical methods were used in acupuncture randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Study Design And Setting: We searched PubMed to identify acupuncture RCTs with continuous outcome as primary outcome published in the core clinical journals and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) journals between January 2010 and December 2019 (10 years). We compared statistical characteristics of included trials published in core clinical journals and CAM journals.

The add-on effects of Danhong injection among patients with ischemic stroke receiving Western medicines: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Danhong injection is widely used for treating ischemic stroke in China. However, its effects on ischemic stroke patients when given along with Western medicines (i.e.