Publications by authors named "Vanesa Bellou"
Background: Periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) are associated with altered hemostatic dynamics; therefore, coagulation laboratory methods such as rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) may be valuable in their diagnosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic role of ROTEM in PJI.
Methods: A diagnostic study was conducted including 65 patients who underwent revision total hip arthroplasty or total knee arthroplasty due to PJI (30 patients) or aseptic loosening (35 patients).
In this article, Lazaros Belbasis and colleagues explain the rationale for umbrella reviews and the key steps involved in conducting an umbrella review, using a working example.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAsthma is a prevalent chronic pulmonary condition with significant morbidity and mortality. Tobacco smoking is implicated in asthma pathophysiology, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. Smokers display increased prevalence and incidence of asthma, but a causal association cannot be claimed using existing evidence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: The individual prognostic factors for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are unclear. For this reason, we aimed to present a state-of-the-art systematic review and meta-analysis on the prognostic factors for adverse outcomes in COVID-19 patients.
Methods: We systematically reviewed PubMed from 1 January 2020 to 26 July 2020 to identify non-overlapping studies examining the association of any prognostic factor with any adverse outcome in patients with COVID-19.
Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an interstitial lung disease of unknown origin. A limited number of small studies show an effect of tobacco smoking on risk of IPF, but second-hand smoking has not been examined.
Research Question: Are smoking-related exposures associated with risk of IPF and does interaction between them exist?
Study Design And Methods: We designed a prospective cohort study using UK Biobank data, including 437,453 nonrelated men and women of White ethnic background (40-69 years of age at baseline).
Background: Although several risk factors are associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) in adulthood, evidence for risk factors acting from birth to adolescence is scarce.
Methods: We conceived a 2-step study design, where signals from an Environment-Wide Association Study are prioritized for follow-up in a Mendelian Randomization study (MR-EWAS), to examine the association of early-life factors with risk of MS. The EWAS was conducted in UK Biobank, where we agnostically selected all the available risk factors acting from the perinatal period until the adolescence, including perinatal factors, anthropometric characteristics during childhood, male and female sexual factors, and skin phenotypic characteristics.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating disease that is associated with permanent disability and low quality of life. Development of MS is attributed to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Genome-wide association studies revealed more than 200 variants that are associated with risk of MS.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To map and assess prognostic models for outcome prediction in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Design: Systematic review.
Data Sources: PubMed until November 2018 and hand searched references from eligible articles.
Article Synopsis
- Postpneumonectomy-like syndrome is a rare condition that occurs when one lung suffers extensive volume loss, causing the mediastinal structure to shift dramatically, much like the effects seen after lung removal surgery (pneumonectomy).
- A notable case involved a 25-year-old woman experiencing chronic breathing difficulties due to an atypical bronchial carcinoid tumor fully blocking her left main bronchus, leading to complete left lung collapse and herniation of the right lung.
- After surgical removal of the tumor and subsequent recovery, the patient remains symptom-free 16 months later, with imaging confirming that the mediastinal shift has not progressed.
The basic epidemiological study designs are cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort studies. Cross-sectional studies provide a snapshot of a population by determining both exposures and outcomes at one time point. Cohort studies identify the study groups based on the exposure and, then, the researchers follow up study participants to measure outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a global epidemic associated with increased health expenditure, and low quality of life. Many non-genetic risk factors have been suggested, but their overall epidemiological credibility has not been assessed.
Methods: We searched PubMed to capture all meta-analyses and Mendelian randomization studies for risk factors of T2DM.
Introduction: Dementia is a heterogeneous neurodegenerative disease, whose etiology results from a complex interplay between environmental and genetic factors.
Methods: We searched PubMed to identify meta-analyses of observational studies that examined associations between nongenetic factors and dementia. We estimated the summary effect size using random-effects and fixed-effects model, the 95% CI, and the 95% prediction interval.
Environmental risk factors and Parkinson's disease: An umbrella review of meta-analyses.
Parkinsonism Relat Disord
February 2016
Background: Parkinson's disease is a neurological disorder with complex pathogenesis implicating both environmental and genetic factors. We aimed to summarise the environmental risk factors that have been studied for potential association with Parkinson's disease, assess the presence of diverse biases, and identify the risk factors with the strongest support.
Methods: We searched PubMed from inception to September 18, 2015, to identify systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies that examined associations between environmental factors and Parkinson's disease.
Background: The pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) involves both environmental and genetic factors. Our study aimed at summarising the environmental risk factors for ALS, assessing the evidence for diverse biases, and pinpointing risk factors with high epidemiological credibility.
Methods: We searched PubMed from inception to August 20, 2015, to identify systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies examining associations between environmental factors and ALS.
Background: The cause of multiple sclerosis is believed to involve environmental exposure and genetic susceptibility. We aimed to summarise the environmental risk factors that have been studied in relation to onset of multiple sclerosis, assess whether there is evidence for diverse biases in this literature, and identify risk factors without evidence of biases.
Methods: We searched PubMed from inception to Nov 22, 2014, to identify systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies that examined associations between environmental factors and multiple sclerosis.
Background: Bullying is quite prevalent in the school setting and has been associated with several subjective health complaints such as headache, backache, abdominal pain, dizziness, fatigue and sleep problems. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between bullying and subjective health complaints in a sample of Greek adolescents taking into account the presence of psychiatric morbidity.
Methods: A stratified random sample of 2427 adolescents aged 16-18 years old and attending senior high schools were randomly selected for a computerized interview.