Chinese Medical Journal Database Research Articles

Meta-analysis of the efficacy and impact on cardiac function of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor Empagliflozin in heart failure patients.

Currently, there is no comprehensive systematic review available to comprehensively assess the efficacy and safety of Empagliflozin and other sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors in the treatment of heart failure (HF). This study employed a meta-analysis approach to systematically evaluate the therapeutic effects of Empagliflozin in HF patients and its impact on cardiac function. The keywords including "heart failure," "HF," "cardiac failure," "cardiac disease," "Empagliflozin," and "sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors" were utilized to search for relevant clinical studies on Empagliflozin in the treatment of HF in various databases, such as China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, VIP Chinese Medical Journal Database, PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, Springer, and Science Direct. The studies included patients with HF who received drug treatment. Data on baseline characteristics and posttreatment outcomes, including HF hospitalization (HHF), cardiovascular mortality, all-cause mortality, estimated glomerular filtration rate changes, Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire quality of life (QoL) scores, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, left ventricular ejection fraction, hematocrit, and other relevant indicators were collected. Meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan5.3 to analyze the extracted data. A total of 15 studies were included in the final analysis, comprising 36,917 patients with HF. Among them, 18,486 patients were in Empagliflozin group, and 18,431 patients were in control (Ctrl) group. The results of the meta-analysis demonstrated that, relative to Ctrl group, Empagliflozin group showed a substantially lower HHF rate, a substantial improvement in estimated glomerular filtration rate changes, a reduced cardiovascular mortality rate, a higher Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire QoL score, increased hematocrit values, reduced N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide changes, and enhanced left ventricular ejection fraction changes. These findings suggest that remarkable improvements in various outcomes compared to the Ctrl group. The sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor Empagliflozin markedly reduces the HHF rate and cardiovascular mortality in HF patients. It also improves patients' QoL, enhances renal function, and increases cardiac function while reducing both, the preload and afterload.

Suboptimal reporting of randomized controlled trials on non-pharmacological therapies in Chinese medicine.

With the successive release of the CONSORT extensions for acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, and Tuina/massage, this review aims to assess the reporting characteristics and quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) based on these specific guidelines. A comprehensive review was conducted by searching multiple databases, including Embase, Ovid MEDLINE(R), All EBM Reviews, AMED, CNKI, VIP Chinese Medical Journal Database, and Wanfang Data, for publications from January 1 to December 31, 2022. Two reviewers independently evaluated the eligibility of the records, extracted predetermined information, and assessed the reporting based on the STRICTA, STRICTOM, STRICTOC, and STRICTOTM checklists. Among the included 387 studies (acupuncture, 213; Tuina/massage, 85; moxibustion, 73; cupping, 16), the overall reporting compliance averaged 56.0%, with acupuncture leading at 62.6%, followed by cupping (60.2%), moxibustion (53.1%), and Tuina/massage (47.9%). About half of the evaluated items showed poor reporting (compliance rate < 65%). Notably, international journals demonstrated significantly higher reporting quality than Chinese journals (P < 0.05). Although acupuncture trials had relatively higher compliance rates, deficiencies persist in reporting non-pharmacological therapies of Chinese medicine, particularly in areas like treatment environment details and provider background information.

Effects of Aromatherapy on Physical and Mental Health of Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy and/or Chemotherapy: A Meta-Analysis.

Currently, aromatherapy is being increasingly utilized in clinical practice, particularly in managing the side effects associated with radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy. However, it remains to be established whether aromatherapy can effectively alleviate these symptoms. To investigate the effects of aromatherapy on the physical and mental health of patients with cancer undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Seven databases were researched from inception until September 29, 2023, including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang database, China Biology Medicine disc and VIP Chinese Medical Journal Database. Review Manager version 5.3 was utilized for data analysis. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool RoB2 was employed to evaluate the quality of the literature included in the study. Evidence quality rating was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach through the GRADEpro GDT online tool. Nineteen studies involving 1,541 patients were included. Aromatherapy can alleviate nausea [relative risk (RR)=0.64, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.53 to 0.78, P<0.05, I2=46%; standardized mean difference (SMD)=-0.86, 95% CI: -1.21 to -0.51, P<0.05, I2=64%] and vomiting (RR=0.54, 95% CI: 0.42 to 0.69, P<0.05, I2=35%; SMD=-1.28, 95% CI: -1.52 to -1.03, P<0.05, I2=92%), improve sleep disorders [mean difference (MD)=-3.39, 95% CI: -3.95 to -2.84, P<0.05, I2=0%], relieve pain (SMD=-1.58, 95% CI: -1.96 to -1.21, P<0.05, I2=0%), mitigate fatigue (SMD=-1.28, 95% CI: -2.44 to -0.11, P<0.05, I2=93%) and enhance quality of life (SMD=0.50, 95% CI: 0.22 to 0.79, P<0.05, I2=0%) in cancer patients after radiotherapy and chemotherapy, but it may not have a significant effect on anxiety. The risk of bias was high in the included studies using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool RoB2, and no studies were considered to be of high grade according to the GRADE system. Aromatherapy is an efficacious, safe and economic adjunctive therapy for cancer patients, which can mend the physical symptoms and mental health of cancer patients. However, more high-quality studies are needed to verify it. (PROSPERO registration No. CRD42023390171).

Compound Danshen Dripping Pills combined with isosorbide mononitrate for angina pectoris: A systematic review and a Meta-analysis

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy of Compound Danshen Dripping Pills (CDDP) combined with isosorbide mononitrate (ISMN) versus ISMN alone for treating angina pectoris in patients. MethodsThe PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Biomedical Literature Service System, Chinese Medical Journal Database, and Wan Fang MED databases were searched from inception to November 2022. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies were included. The primary outcomes were angina symptom and electrocardiography (ECG) efficacy, angina symptom efficacy, and ECG efficacy. The protocol was registered with PROSPERO No. CRD42022314774. ResultsOur study included 7 245 patients with angina (59 RCTs, 11 cohort studies). When ISMN was combined with CDDP, the efficacy of angina symptom and ECG [odds ratio (OR) = 4.824, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 3.636–6.401, P = 0.000], the efficacy of angina symptom (OR = 4.347, 95% CI = 3.635–5.198, P = 0.000), the efficacy of ECG (OR = 3.364, 95% CI = 2.767–4.089, P = 0.000) was better than that of patients treated with ISMN alone. CDDP combined with ISMN was superior to ISMN alone in reducing triglyceride (TG) [mean difference (MD) = −35.176, 95% CI = −37.439 to −32.912, P = 0.000], total cholesterol (TC) (MD = −24.296, 95% CI = −26.429 to −22.163, P = 0.000), the duration of angina attack (MD = −1.991, 95% CI = −2.349 to −1.633, P = 0.000), and the frequency of angina attack [standardized MD (SMD) = −2.840, 95% CI = −3.416 to −2.265, P = 0.000]. There was no increase in adverse events between CDDP combined with ISMN and ISMN alone (OR = 0.513, 95% CI = 0.421–0.626, P = 0.000). ConclusionsCDDP combined with ISMN improved treatment efficacy and was well tolerated. Therefore, this combination could be used as an alternative treatment. However, clinical and patient conditions should be considered.

Evaluation of compliance of CONSORT-CHM formula 2017 in randomized controlled trials of Chinese herbal medicine formulas: protocol of a five-year review.

Background: The CONSORT Extension for Chinese Herbal Medicine Formula 2017 (CONSORT-CHM Formula 2017) has established a reporting standard for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of Chinese Herbal Medicine Formula (CHMF) interventions; however, its adherence and implications for the design and execution of study design remain ambiguous. It is necessary to evaluate the level of compliance with the CONSORT-CHM Formula 2017 in RCTs conducted over the past 5years, and to determine the reporting quality of clinical trials in this field. Methods: First, a systematic search is conducted for RCTs on CHMF in EBM Reviews, Allied and Complementary Medicine (AMED), Embase, Ovid-MEDLINE(R), Wanfang data, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP Chinese Medical Journal Database (VIP) and Chinese Biomedical Literature (CBM) database, that encompassed CHMF interventional RCTs published from 1 January 2018 to 8 June 2022, with language restriction to English or Chinese. Second, a descriptive analysis will be performed regarding the study design and general characteristics of the included trials. Third, for the quality assessment, we have subdivided the CONSORT-CHM Formula 2017 checklist (consisting of 22 extended items) into a total of 42 sub-questions to facilitate scoring, with a specific focus on the description, quality control, and safety assessment of CHMF interventions. Professional training and a pilot test on 100 randomly selected articles will be provided for all reviewers. Throughout this process, a standard operating procedure (SOP) for quality assessment will be developed to ensure consistency. Each item will be assessed by two reviewers in a paired back-to-back manner, and the compliance rate will be calculated to assess inter-rater agreement. Discussion: This review will identify the current reporting characteristics and quality of CHMF interventional studies and further evaluate the impact of CONSORT-CHM Formula 2017. The results may provide suggestions for future application or promotion of the guideline. Registration: The study has been registered on Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/xpn7f).

A cross-sectional study of reporting guidelines for clinical studies in Traditional Chinese Medicine

IntroductionReporting guidelines (RGs) provide the minimum information for inclusion to ensure that research reports can be understood by readers, reproduced or otherwise utilized by other researchers, or guide decisions by clinicians. The Reporting Guidelines for Clinical Studies in Traditional Chinese Medicine (RGCS-TCM) were established to guide the development of reporting standardization of clinical studies in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). However, the characteristics and methodological quality of existing RGCS-TCM are yet to be investigated. We therefore performed a cross-sectional study to identify and evaluate the adequacy of RGCS-TCM and propose recommendations to optimize the development standards and future directions for RGCS-TCM. MethodsSeven databases including MEDLINE, Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), the Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (AMED), Chinese Biomedical Literature Service System (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data and VIP Chinese Medical Journal Database, the EQUATOR network website, tracking references to included studies, and Google Scholar were searched up to 20th Oct 2023 for RGCS-TCM. The characteristics of included RGCS-TCM were summarized. The methodological quality of included RGCS-TCM were critically appraised. ResultsThirty published RGCS-TCM and six registered (under development) RGCS-TCM for different types of studies were included. Nine RGCS-TCM did not use a consensus method and lacked a consensus process, and fourteen RGCS-TCM failed to retrieve and use existing relevant evidence and lacked preliminary systematic reviews. Thirteen RGs had a relatively complete research and development process, which met the 3 basic criteria for determining high-quality RGs. Most RGCS-TCM reported the details of 1) rationale of TCM (10/15, 66.7 %), 2) reason for selected certain type of TCM intervention (9/15, 60.0 %), 3) diagnosis of TCM conditions (9/15, 60.0 %), 4) details about the intervention and its controls (13/15, 86.7 %), 5) dynamic changes of Pattern Differentiation and Treatment (2/15, 13.3 %), 6) outcome assessment specifically linked with TCM (8/15, 53.3 %), and 7) potential side effects related to TCM (4/15, 26.7 %). ConclusionThere are opportunities to rationalise and improve the quality of existing RGCS-TCM and reduce research waste. Further research is indicated to investigate the barriers and facilitators for optimizing the development and application of RGCS-TCM.

Penile vascular anomalies: A retrospective single center study and cumulative analysis of studies from China

ObjectivePenile vascular anomalies (PVAs) or hemangioma can arouse patient concern about aesthetics and cause symptoms like bleeding and sexual dysfunction. However, its low incidence and the deficiency of large-volume studies hinder urologists from making informed decisions. This study aimed to investigate the clinical features and treatment experience of PVAs at the Seventh Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China. Furthermore, by systematically analysis of studies on PVAs in Chinese people, we aimed to provide novel insights on the management of this condition. MethodsWe retrospectively investigated clinical features and pathology of surgery-treated PVAs at our center. Moreover, by systemically reviewing the literature from PubMed and the three largest medical databases (China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wan Fang, and Chinese Medical Journal Database) in China, we analyzed the clinical features and various therapies of PVAs in Chinese people. ResultsBetween March 1, 2018 and March 1, 2023, a total of 356 cases with vascular anomalies were treated with surgery at out center. Only seven (2.0%) cases had lesions involving the perineum and external genitalia. All the seven cases were pathologically benign and demonstrated no recurrence over a follow-up period of 1–52 months (median 14 months). A total of 410 cases from 44 studies were selected in the cumulative analysis. Most patients (92.4%) diagnosed with PVAs were asymptomatic, and 68.8% of the patients were treated with sclerotherapy. As to the pathology, 57.1% were venous malformation. ConclusionThe most common PVA is venous malformation and the majority of patients are asymptomatic. Sclerotherapy and laser have emerged as viable options for treating small lesions. Surgery still has its role in treating large lesions and obtaining pathology. Although PVAs often relapse or demand multiple treatments, the prognosis is favorable.

Effects on neuromodulation, acupuncture, and aerobic exercises on migraine and tension-type headache outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Headache disorders are common diseases that cause a social burden. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of various non-pharmacological treatments to address or prevent acute headaches, including neuromodulation, acupuncture, and aerobic exercises in patients with episodic migraine and tension-type headache (TTH). We performed a systematic search of the electronic databases PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WANFANG MEDICINE ONLINE, and Chinese Medical Journal database using Stata/SE 14.0 to obtain weighted mean differences (WMDs). The outcomes included monthly headache days, headache intensity, headache duration, days per month of acute medication use, and the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey. Of 872 identified articles, 27 were included in the meta-analysis. Neuromodulation was associated with reduced headache days (WMD: -1.274, 95% CI [-1.914, -0.634], P < .001), duration (WMD: -2.2, 95% CI [-3.32, -0.107], P < .001) and medication consumption (WMD: -1.808, 95% CI [-2.546, -1.071], P < .001) in cases of migraine. Acupuncture was associated with the alleviation of headache days (WMD: -0.677, 95% CI [-0.932, -0.422], P < .001) and intensity (WMD: -0.893, 95% CI [-1.573, -0.212], P = .01) in cases of migraine and acute medication use (WMD: -3.29, 95% CI [-4.86, -1.72], P < .001) in cases of TTH. Aerobic exercise was associated with reduced headache duration (WMD: -5.1, 95% CI [-8.97, -1.22], P = .01) in cases of TTH. The risk of bias for included articles was moderate. There is low- and moderate-quality evidence that neuromodulation, acupuncture, and aerobic exercises are associated with attenuated headache symptoms in patients with episodic migraine or TTH. However, high-quality studies are needed to draw more detailed conclusions.

Diagnostic Value of Serum Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1 for Liver Fibrosis: A Meta-analysis.

Background Serum chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) is a promising marker for diagnosing liver fibrosis. This meta-analysis was carried out to assess the diagnostic performance of serum CHI3L1 for the estimation of liver fibrosis. Methods Systematic searches were performed on PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, Sinomed, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), the Chinese Medical Journal Database, and the Wanfang databases for available studies. The primary studies were screened strictly according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and sensitivity, specificity, and other measures of accuracy of serum CHI3L1 for evaluating liver fibrosis were pooled with 95% confidence intervals. I2 was calculated to assess heterogeneity, and sources of heterogeneity were explored by subgroup analysis. Deeks' test was used to assess for publication bias, and likelihood ratio was used to determine posttest probability. Results Our research integrated 11 articles, accounting for 1897 patients older than 18 years old. The pooled sensitivity and specificity for significant fibrosis, advanced fibrosis, and cirrhosis were 0.79 and 0.82 with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.85, 0.81 and 0.83 with an AUC of 0.91, and 0.72 and 0.74 with an AUC of 0.85, respectively. Random-effects models were used to assess for significant heterogeneity, and subgroup analysis showed that age and aetiology of included patients were likely sources of heterogeneity. No potential publication bias was found for serum CHI3L1 in the diagnosis of significant fibrosis, advanced fibrosis, or cirrhosis, and posttest probability was moderate. Conclusion Measurement of serum CHI3L1 is a feasible diagnostic tool for liver fibrosis.

Efficacy of integrated Traditional Chinese Medicine and anti-retroviral therapy on immunological nonresponse in patients with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: a Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trial.

To explore the efficacy of integrating Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and anti-retroviral therapy (ART), a customized combination of different classes of medications which was also called cock-tail treatment, on the immunological nonresponse (INR) in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (PLWH). Relevant literature in databases such as China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database (CNKI), Wanfang Digital Journal, Chinese Medical Journal Database (CMJD), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase was reviewed by two independent investigators. Data were extracted from the studies according to the eligible criteria and analyzed using Review Manager 5.3. Nine randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 1078 patients were analyzed. Our analyses showed that CD4 T cell counts in the treatment group improved compared with that in the control group [mean difference (MD) = 13.51, 95% confidence interval (CI): 7.42-19.60, P < 0.0001]. There was no significant difference between the treated and control groups after 3 months (MD = 25.31, 95% CI: ?2.78 to 53.41, P = 0.08). However, after 6 and 12 months, the response of the treatment group was superior to the control group (MD = 27.45, 95% CI: 7.09-47.81, P = 0.008 and MD = 27.34, 95% CI: 6.31-48.37, P = 0.01, respectively). The clinical efficacy of the treatment group was also higher than that of the control group (RR = 1.75, 95% CI: 1.16-2.65, P = 0.007). However, CD45RO and CD45RA T cell counts did not differ significantly between the two groups (MD = 12.37, 95% CI: ?6.71 to 31.45, P = 0.20 and MD = 5.67, 95% CI: ?3.00 to14.35, P = 0.20, respectively). The combined treatment strategy of integrated TCM and Western Medicine promotes long-term reconstitution of the immune system and thus, is beneficial and has potential use for improving INR in PLWH. However, large-scale RCTs are required to provide evidence for optimal intervention strategies.

Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics of Non-Severe and Severe Pediatric and Adult COVID-19 Patients Across Different Geographical Regions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

Background: An understanding of key differences in epidemiological and clinical characteristics between geographical regions and populations is limited. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to compare clinical presentation, outcomes, and care management of different COVID-19 patient groups globally. Methods: The search strategy involved peer-reviewed studies published between 1st January and 9th April 2020 in Pubmed, Google scholar, and Chinese Medical Journal database. Pooled prevalence and means with 95% confidence intervals were computed using a random effects model. Subgroup analyses were performed between different geographies, clinical severities, and age groups. Results: A total of 77 publications were identified after full-text screening. Subsequently, data from 40 non-overlapping studies, comprising 4,884 patients from seven countries, were summarized. Wuhan patients were older (mean age: 54·3) and had higher rates of dyspnea (39·5%), compared to patients in other cities of China (mean age: 43·6; dyspnea: 9·7%) and outside of China (mean age: 50·5; dyspnea: 13·4%). Myalgia, fatigue, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and fatalities were also significantly more prevalent amongst Wuhan patients compared to other geographical subgroups (pInterpretation: COVID-19 patients had more severe clinical disease in Wuhan compared to patients outside of Wuhan and beyond China. Pediatric cases had less severe disease compared to adults. Biomarkers at admission may be useful for prognosis among COVID-19 patients.Funding Statement: Ministry of Defence, SingaporeDeclaration of Interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Recommendations for respiratory rehabilitation in adults with coronavirus disease 2019.

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a highly infectious respiratory disease that leads to respiratory, physical, and psychological dysfunction in patients. Respiratory rehabilitation is an important intervention as well as cure for clinical patients. With increased understanding of COVID-19 and the accumulation of clinical experience, we proposed recommendations for respiratory rehabilitation in adults with COVID-19 based on the opinions of frontline clinical experts involved in the management of this epidemic and a review of the relevant literature and evidence. Our recommendations are as follows: 1. for inpatients with COVID-19, respiratory rehabilitation would relieve the symptoms of dyspnea, anxiety, and depression and eventually improve physical functions and the quality of life; 2. for severe/critical inpatients, early respiratory rehabilitation is not suggested; 3. for patients in isolation, respiratory rehabilitation guidance should be conducted through educational videos, instruction manuals, or remote consultation; 4. assessment and monitoring should be performed throughout the respiratory rehabilitation process; 5. proper grade protection should be used following the present guidelines. These recommendations can guide clinical practice and form the basis for respiratory rehabilitation in COVID-19 patients.

Ligustrazine for the Treatment of Unstable Angina: A Meta-Analysis of 16 Randomized Controlled Trials.

Ligustrazine is a principal ingredient of chuanxiong. Concerns regarding the evaluation of the effectiveness of ligustrazine in the treatment of UA have resulted in a meta-analysis combined with recent clinical evidence. Seven computer databases that included the China hospital knowledge database (CHKD), Wanfang Med Online, the Chinese medical journal database (CMJD), PubMed, Cochrane, Embase (Ovid), and Medline (Ovid) were systematically searched. We included randomized controlled trials and quasi-randomized controlled trials. Our systematic review identified 16 RCTs that met our eligibility criteria. Ligustrazine combined with conventional medicine was associated with an increased rate of marked improvement in symptoms and an increased rate of marked improvement of ECG compared with conventional Western medicine alone. Additionally, the use of ligustrazine was associated with significant trends in the reduction of the consumption of nitroglycerin and the level of fibrinogen when compared with conventional Western medicine alone. No firm results were found between the intervention and the control method groups in the reduction of the time of onset or the frequency of acute attack angina due to the high level of heterogeneity. In conclusion, our meta-analysis found that ligustrazine was associated with some benefits for people with unstable angina.

Transvaginal cholecystectomy vs conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gallbladder disease: A meta-analysis.

To compare the results of transvaginal cholecystectomy (TVC) and conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy (CLC) for gallbladder disease. We performed a literature search of PubMed, EMBASE, Ovid, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, MetaRegister of Controlled Trials, Chinese Medical Journal database and Wanfang Data for trials comparing outcomes between TVC and CLC. Data were extracted by two authors. Mean difference (MD), standardized mean difference (SMD), odds ratios and risk rate with 95%CIs were calculated using fixed- or random-effects models. Statistical heterogeneity was evaluated with the χ(2) test. The fixed-effects model was used in the absence of statistically significant heterogeneity. The random-effects model was chosen when heterogeneity was found. There were 730 patients in nine controlled clinical trials. No significant difference was found regarding demographic characteristics (P > 0.5), including anesthetic risk score, age, body mass index, and abdominal surgical history between the TVC and CLC groups. Both groups had similar mortality, morbidity, and return to work after surgery. Patients in the TVC group had a lower pain score on postoperative day 1 (SMD: -0.957, 95%CI: -1.488 to -0.426, P < 0.001), needed less postoperative analgesic medication (SMD: -0.574, 95%CI: -0.807 to -0.341, P < 0.001) and stayed for a shorter time in hospital (MD: -1.004 d, 95%CI: -1.779 to 0.228, P = 0.011), but had longer operative time (MD: 17.307 min, 95%CI: 6.789 to 27.826, P = 0.001). TVC had no significant influence on postoperative sexual function and quality of life. Better cosmetic results and satisfaction were achieved in the TVC group. TVC is safe and effective for gallbladder disease. However, vaginal injury might occur, and further trials are needed to compare TVC with CLC.

Medium- and long-term efficacy of ligustrazine plus conventional medication on ischemic stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis

ObjectiveTo evaluate the medium- to long-term efficacy of ligustrazine plus conventional medicine treating ischemic stroke. MethodsRandomized controlled trials (RCTs) testing ligustrazine in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke were retrieved from Cochrane Library, PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database, Chinese Medical Journal Database, Chinese Biomedical Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, and Chinese Clinical Trial Register, and then identified by the inclusive and exclusive criteria. The quality of trials was assessed with the Cochrane Handbook 5.1, a risk of bias assessment tool. RevMan 5.1 was used for meta-analysis. ResultsThree RCTs involving 643 patients were included. Compared to conventional medicine treatment alone, ligustrazine plus conventional medicine treatment showed significant difference in reduction of stroke recurrence either at the end of 1-year follow-up [RR=0.42, 95% CI (0.18, 0.94), P< 0.05] or 3-years observation [RR=0.48, 95% CI (0.27, 0.83), P<0.05]. The ligustrazine group also showed higher survival rate [RR=1.67, 95% CI (1.02, 0.2.71), P<0.05] and significantly better effective rate [RR=1.28, 95% CI (1.10, 1.50), P<0.05] than that of the control group at the end of 1 year visit. Only one trial conducted safety assessment and no adverse events were reported. The methodological quality of all the trials included was generally poor. ConclusionThe findings provided evidence that the combination of ligustrazine and conventional medication was medium- and long-term beneficial to the patients suffering ischemic stroke. But more RCTs of high quality are needed to further prove the efficacy and safety of using ligustrazine for ischemic stroke.

Comparative effects of sitagliptin and metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis

Background:Sitagliptin has been widely used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM); however, the therapeutic efficacy of sitagliptin remains inconclusive in randomized controlled studies on T2DM in which metformin has served as a control.Objectives:The present meta-analysis aimed to compare the therapeutic efficacy of sitagliptin and metformin in the treatment of T2DM.Methods:We searched the following databases (Medline, Embase, Cochrane databases, Chinese Medical Journal Database, and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure from inception until April 2013), and identified randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving sitagliptin and metformin for T2DM. Two independent authors determined whether or not these trials met the inclusion criteria. Then, the variance of results from each study was calculated, and I 2 was employed for evaluation of heterogeneity.Results:One hundred and twenty-one studies were identified, of which seven were included for further analysis. For T2DM, the therapeutic efficacy of sitagliptin and metformin was comparable in reducing HbA1c (P = 0.148, standard mean difference [SMD] = 0.13, 95% confidence interval [CI] = −0.05, 0.30), decreasing BMI (P = 0.063, SMD = 0.26, 95% CI = −0.01, 0.54), and improving the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA)-β (P = 0.285, SMD = −0.05, 95% CI = −0.15, 0.04), but sitagliptin was inferior to metformin in improving HOMA-IR (P = 0.003, SMD = 0.16, 95% CI = 0.06, 0.27).Conclusions:Sitagliptin is similar to metformin in reducing HbA1c, decreasing body weight, and improving the function of beta cells, but is inferior to metformin in improving insulin sensitivity. More RCTs with large sample sizes are required to provide evidence for the rational application of sitagliptin.

Literary analysis of the adverse reactions of Niuhuang-Jiedu pill

Objective To Summariz and discuss the adverse reactions of Niuhuang-Jiedu pill (NJP) in the treatment.Methods Retrieved ADR report literatures through Chinese Medical Journal Database (CMJD) and WANFANG DATA from 1970 to 2012 with NJP as the key words,got and analyzed datas including patient age,gender,dosage,medication time and ADR type.Results Sixty-eight literatures with seventy-seven ADR report cases were retrieved.Adverse action induced by NJP was mainly allergic response,including arseniasis,gastrointestinal,uropoiesis reactions.Among 77 ADR cases,47 cases were considered as allergic response,61.0％ of the total,one death and thirteen shock cases were included.The number of arseniasis,gastrointestinal,uropoiesis reactions cases were respectively 14.3％,11.7％,6.5％ of the total.Conclusion The ADR of NJP should not be ignored.Allergy history,dosage and medication time should be pay more attention to to prevent the ADR of NJP to the fullest extemt. Key words: Niuhuang-Jiedu pill; ADR; Proprietary Chinese medicines