Background/objectives: Although preclinical studies suggest that garlic has potential preventive effects on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, clinical trials and reports from systematic reviews or meta-analyses present inconsistent results. The contradiction might be attributed to variations in the manufacturing process that can markedly influence the composition of garlic products. To investigate this issue further, we performed a meta-analysis of the effects of garlic powder on CVD risk factors.
Materials/methods: We searched PubMed, Cochrane, Science Direct and EMBASE through May 2014. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed on 22 trials reporting total cholesterol (TC), 17 trials reporting LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), 18 trials reporting HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), 4 trials reporting fasting blood glucose (FBG), 9 trials reporting systolic blood pressure (SBP) and 10 trials reporting diastolic blood pressure (DBP).
Results: The overall garlic powder intake significantly reduced blood TC and LDL-C by -0.41 mmol/L (95% confidence interval [CI], -0.69, -0.12) (-15.83 mg/dL [95% CI, -26.64, -4.63]) and -0.21 mmol/L (95% CI, -0.40, -0.03) (-8.11 mg/dL [95% CI, -15.44, -1.16]), respectively. The mean difference in the reduction of FBG levels was -0.96 mmol/L (95% CI, -1.91, -0.01) (-17.30 mg/dL [95% CI, -34.41, -0.18]). Evidence for SBP and DBP reduction in the garlic supplementation group was also demonstrated by decreases of -4.34 mmHg (95% CI, -8.38, -0.29) and -2.36 mmHg (95% CI, -4.56, -0.15), respectively.
Conclusions: This meta-analysis provides consistent evidence that garlic powder intake reduces the CVD risk factors of TC, LDL-C, FBG and BP.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.4162/nrp.2014.8.6.644 | DOI Listing |
Anaesthesia
January 2025
Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Femme Mère Enfant Hospital, Bron, France.
Introduction: The diagnostic accuracy of gastric ultrasound in children has not been assessed thoroughly. We aimed to determine the sensitivity and specificity in children of a qualitative ultrasound examination of the gastric antrum in the supine 45° semi-recumbent position and a clinical algorithm for detecting a gastric fluid volume > 1.25 ml.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEClinicalMedicine
October 2024
Centre for Psychedelic Research, Division of Psychiatry, Department Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, United Kingdom.
Background: Psilocybin therapy (PT) produces rapid and persistent antidepressant effects in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the long-term effects of PT have never been compared with gold-standard treatments for MDD such as pharmacotherapy or psychotherapy alone or in combination.
Methods: This is a 6-month follow-up study of a phase 2, double-blind, randomised, controlled trial involving patients with moderate-to-severe MDD.
Hum Reprod Open
November 2024
Department of Medical Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Study Question: How accurately can artificial intelligence (AI) models predict sperm retrieval in non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) patients undergoing micro-testicular sperm extraction (m-TESE) surgery?
Summary Answer: AI predictive models hold significant promise in predicting successful sperm retrieval in NOA patients undergoing m-TESE, although limitations regarding variability of study designs, small sample sizes, and a lack of validation studies restrict the overall generalizability of studies in this area.
What Is Known Already: Previous studies have explored various predictors of successful sperm retrieval in m-TESE, including clinical and hormonal factors. However, no consistent predictive model has yet been established.
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Methods: Two independent reviewers conducted a literature search in PubMed (MEDLINE), EMBASE, Google Scholar and the Cochrane Library in July 2024, followed by data extraction and quality assessment. This study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and meta-analysis guidelines.
Biosci Microbiota Food Health
September 2024
Core Technology Laboratories, Asahi Quality & Innovations, Ltd., 1-1-21 Midori, Moriya-shi, Ibaraki 302-0106, Japan.
α-Cyclodextrin (αCD), a cyclic hexasaccharide composed of six glucose units, is not digested in the small intestine but is completely fermented by gut microbes. Recently, we have reported that αCD supplementation for nonathlete men improved their 10 km biking times. However, the beneficial effects of αCD on exercise are not yet fully understood.
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