Effect of acupuncture in eczema: An overview of systematic reviews

BackgroundEczema is a common chronic relapsing inflammatory skin disease, which is characterized by intense itching. Acupuncture can be effective for eczema, and it is thus regarded as a common complementary treatment.ObjectiveThe intention of this overview is to methodically appraise and synthesize evidence about systematic reviews/meta-analyses (SRs/MAs) on acupuncture in eczema.MethodsWe searched for SRs/MAs of acupuncture with eczema in eight databases. We evaluated the methodological quality by Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2), the reporting quality with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020 Checkist), and the evidence quality according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system.ResultsA total of 7 SRs/MAs were included. According to AMSTAR-2, all the SRs/MAs included were categorized as critically low-quality. According to the PRISMA 2020 checklist, none of the reviews completed all the 27 items, thus their compliance was relatively weak. On the base of GRADE system, 2 of the 12 outcomes were rated as moderate, and 5 outcomes were rated as low-quality, while the others were regarded as very low-quality.ConclusionCompared with the control group, the included reviews of the acupuncture group were more effective and safer; however, the conclusion should be treated cautiously because the quality of evidence was not high enough to support it. In order to improve the quality, more rigorous, standardized, and comprehensive SRs/MAs need designing in the future.     

Acupuncture for treatment of anxiety,an overview of systematic reviews

PurposeTo evaluate the methodological quality and summarize evidence of important outcomes of systematic reviews (SRs)/Meta analyses (MAs) of acupuncture for anxiety.MethodsWe conducted a comprehensive literature search for SRs/MAs in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library, Chinese Biomedical Databases (CBM), Wanfang database and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) until November 30, 2018. Three reviewers independently extracted data and assessed the methodological quality of the reviews according to the Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2), the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) was used to rate the quality of evidence. In the pre-experiment, we used the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) to assess reviewer agreement, the ICC value for overall score was 0.978.ResultsTen reviews were included. The assessment results of AMSTAR-2 showed that the methodological quality of all included studies was critically low. The lowest score were item “provide a list of excluded studies and justify the exclusions” and item “report sources of funding for the included studies”, none of studies provided information about the above two items, followed by the “providing a priori design” item with only two (20%) studies conforming to this item. For GRADE, of the 7 outcomes, high quality evidence was provided in only 1 (14.3%), moderate in 2 (28.6.7%), and low in 4 (57.1%).ConclusionAlthough most of the included reviews indicated that acupuncture group was more effective than control group in the treatment of anxiety, more importantly, the methodological quality of the included reviews and the quality of evidence were low. More high-quality evidence is needed to determine whether acupuncture is more effective than other treatments.     

Acupuncture for treatment of insomnia: An overview of systematic reviews

PurposeTo evaluate the reliability of the methodological quality and outcome measures of systematic review (SR) /meta-analysis (MA) of acupuncture for insomnia.MethodsWe conducted a comprehensive literature search for SRs with MAs in seven international and Chinese databases. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed the methodological quality of the reviews according to the Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2), the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) was used to rate the quality of evidence.ResultsThirty-four reviews were included. The AMSTAR-2 score showed that most of the included studies were of low methodological quality and included only two high-quality literatures. The lowest score were the item 10 (all the studies didn't report on the sources of funding for the studies included in the review), item 7(32 studies didn't provide a list of excluded studies and justify the exclusions) and item 3 (27 studies didn't explain their selection of the study designs for inclusion in the review).ConclusionMost of the reviews included suggested that the acupuncture group was more effective than the control group in the treatment of insomnia, but the methodological quality of most of the studies and the quality of evidence were low.     

Cognitive interventions for mild cognitive impairment and dementia: An overview of systematic reviews

PurposeConducting an overview of systematic reviews (SRs)/Meta analyses (MAs) to assess the effectiveness of cognitive interventions on participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia and evaluate the methodological quality of SRs/MAs.MethodsPubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library, Web of science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Chinese Biomedical Databases (CBM) were systematically searched from inception to January 1, 2019 to identify SRs/MAs. Three reviewers independently screened the articles, extracted data and assessed the quality of the included studies according to the Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2), the Grading of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation (GRADE) was used to evaluate the quality of evidence.ResultsA total of 22 reviews were included. New meta-analyses (36 RCTs) showed that cognitive interventions were more effective than routine therapies for the alleviation of MCI and dementia symptoms (SMD: 0.62; 95%CI: 0.47, 0.78; I² = 53.9%). The results of AMSTAR-2 showed that the methodological quality of most included studies was critically low, and two reviews were low quality. The lowest score was item 10, none of reviews reported on the sources of funding for the included studies. Followed by the “provide a list of excluded studies and justify the exclusions” item with only one (4.5%) reviews conforming to this item. Results of GRADE manifested that moderate quality evidence was provided in 11 reviews (39.3%), 12 (42.9%) were low quality and 5 (17.8%) were very low.ConclusionThe present SRs/MAs indicated that persons with MCI or dementia could benefit from cognitive interventions. Future trial designs should focus on measuring changes in individual specific cognitive functions. More high-quality evidence is needed to further determine the effectiveness of cognitive interventions.     

The Effectiveness of Tai Chi in Patients With Breast Cancer: An Overview of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses

BackgroundAs a mind-body exercise, Tai Chi (TC) may have a positive impact on physical function and psychological well-being in patients with breast cancer (BC). The aim of this current overview of systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) was to identify and summarize the existing evidence regarding the effectiveness of TC in patients with BC.MethodsA computerized search of electronic databases was performed to identify relevant SRs/MAs of TC related to BC from inception to June 2020. The Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2) and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklists were used to assess the methodological quality and reporting quality of SRs and MAs, respectively. The Grades of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was used to assess the evidence quality of outcome measures.ResultsSix SRs/MAs in which quantitative synthesis was used to assess various outcomes of TC related to BC were included in this overview. The quality of the SRs/MAs and the evidence quality of the outcome measures were generally unsatisfactory. The limitations of the past SRs/MAs were the lack of a protocol and registration, a list of excluded studies, or inadequately reported computational details of meta-analyses. The critical problems were that the qualitative data synthesis relied on the trials with small sample sizes and of critical low quality.ConclusionsTC is possibly beneficial to BC treatment. However, further rigorous and comprehensive studies are required to provide robust evidence for definitive conclusions.     

The effectiveness of acupuncture for Parkinson’s disease: An overview of systematic reviews

ObjectivesAcupuncture is an alternative therapy for Parkinson’s disease (PD), but its efficacy and safety are controversial. This overview aimed to summarize the existing evidence from systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) in order to assess the effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment for PD.MethodsSeven electronic databases were searched from their inception until July 2019. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) and Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR2) checklists were used to assess evidence quality and methodological quality, respectively. The outcomes of study were calculated using mean differences (MDs) and risk ratios (RRs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs). A meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software.ResultsA total of 12 SRs/MAs were included. All 12 SRs/MAs had more than one critical weakness in AMSTAR 2 and were considered of critically low methodological quality. The quality of evidence was unsatisfactory according to the GRADE checklist. Meta-analyses showed that acupuncture combined with drug for the treatment of PD can significantly improve the total effectiveness rate compared with drug alone (RR = 1.25, 95 % CI 1.16–1.34, P < 0.001). It was also found that acupuncture combined with drug significantly improved the UPDRS I–IV total summed scores (WMD=−6.18, 95 % CI -10.32 to –2.04, P < 0.001) and Webster scores (WMD=−4.20, 95 % CI -7.59 to –0.81, P < 0.001).ConclusionAcupuncture might improve the UPDRS score, Webster score, and total effective rate in treatment of PD. It might be a safe and useful adjunctive treatment for patients with PD. However, we should interpret the findings of these reviews with caution, considering the overall limited methodological and reporting quality.     

The effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for depression: An overview of meta-analyses

PurposeTo provide an overview of existing meta-analysis (MAs) on the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for depression, and assess the methodological quality and the strength of evidence of the included MAs.MethodsWe searched MAs of randomized trials that have evaluated the effects of acupuncture on depression in three international and three Chinese databases from their inception until August 2019. The methodological quality of included MAs was evaluated with the Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2), and the strength of evidence with the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). We used the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) to assess reviewer agreement in the pre-experiment.ResultsWe included 31 MAs and 59 RCTs. The results of included MAs were conflicting, our meta-analyses found that acupuncture may confer small benefit in reducing the severity of depression by end of treatment than no treatment/wait list/treatment as usual(SMD -0.74, 95% CI -1.06 to -0.41, eight trials, 624 participants), control acupuncture (invasive, non-invasive sham controls) (SMD 0.27, 95% CI -0.51 to -0.04, 20 trials, 1055 participants), antidepressants(Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI)/ Tetracyclic antidepressants(TCAs)) (SMD -0.28, 95% CI -0.46 to -0.10, 30 trials, 3068 participants), acupuncture plus antidepressants versus antidepressants(SSRI/TCAs) (SMD -0.99, 95% CI -1.37 to -0.61, 17 trials, 1110 participants). Subgroup analyses showed that there was no difference between electro-acupuncture and invasive control (P = 0.37), electro-acupuncture and non-invasive control (P = 0.90), manual acupuncture and Tetracyclic antidepressants (P = 0.57), electro-acupuncture and Tetracyclic antidepressants (P = 0.07). Six MAs concluded that acupuncture reduced the incidence of adverse events compared with antidepressants. The evaluation with AMSTAR-2 showed that the quality of included MAs was low or critically low. The results of the GRADE evaluation showed that the strength of evidence was low to very low for most outcomes.ConclusionsAlthough acupuncture appears to be more effective and safer than no treatment, control acupuncture and antidepressants, the quality of the available evidence was very low. Further methodologically rigorous and adequately powered primary studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness of acupuncture for depression.     

Ginger for health care: An overview of systematic reviews

ObjectivesTo summarize the evidence from systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses that evaluated the efficacy of ginger in treating any conditions and critically assess the quality of these evidence.MethodsA systematic search of the literature was conducted from inception until February 28, 2019 using the PubMed, EMBASE, Web of science, Cochrane library, and four Chinese databases. Literature selection and data extraction were conducted by two independent reviewers. The quality of SRs was evaluated using the AMSTAR-2 tool. The GRADE system was used to assess the quality of evidence.ResultsTwenty-seven SRs were included. The number of included studies were various, range from 3 to 27. The condition with the most included SRs was nausea and vomiting (n = 12, 44.4%). Many SRs showed a promising efficacy of ginger, including nausea and vomiting, metabolic syndrome and pain, while the effect of ginger for platelet aggregation failed to draw a certain conclusion. The quality of SRs was heterogeneous. All of included SRs well complied with the Item 1 (“research questions included the components of PICO”) and Item 3 (“explained selection of the study designs for inclusion”). Twenty review failed to provide registration information. Only one SR reported the sources of funding for studies included.ConclusionsIn our overview, most of SRs suggest ginger is a promising herbal medicine for health care, which is beneficial for nausea and vomiting, metabolic syndrome and pain. However, considering the limited quality of included evidence and heterogeneity of different clinical trials, more well-design studies are required to confirm the conclusion further.     

Acupuncture for major depressive disorder: A review of the recommendations stated at clinical practice guidelines

BackgroundThe use of acupuncture to treat depression is not uncommon. However, recommendations regarding acupuncture issued by clinical practice guidelines (CPG) vary widely.ObjectiveTo describe the recommendations regarding acupuncture in CPGs for depression in adults, and to assess the methodology used to reach them.MethodsWe conducted a scoping review of CPGs for depression management in adults, which performed systematic reviews (SRs) to answer their review questions, were published between January 2014 and May 2018, and assessed the use of acupuncture as a review question. We limited out search to articles published in English/Spanish. We assessed the SRs quality using the “A MeaSurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews-2” (AMSTAR-2), and described how the recommendation regarding acupuncture was reached.FindingsWe found five CPGs that fulfilled our inclusion criteria: three from the US, one from Canada, and one from China. Four CPGs fulfilled between two and three items of AMSTAR-2, and one CPG fulfilled seven items. The methodology used to formulate the recommendations varied between CPGs. Regarding acupuncture use recommendations: three CPGs did not issue any recommendation (although one mentions that it should not be used), whilst two were in favor.DiscussionsThe lack of a clearly stated review question presented in the majority of CPGs prevents the reader from understanding what the CPG developing group was trying to answer. Moreover, the arguments presented to support a decision are usually not detailed enough. Therefore, the assessment of the recommendations was extremely difficult.Clinical implicationsGiven that the formulation of recommendations is not always reliable, clinicians should carefully read and assess the recommendations presented in CPGs before implementing them.     

Effectiveness of nonpharmacological interventions to prevent adverse events in the intensive care unit: A review of systematic reviews

BackgroundDifferent types of interventions have been assessed for the prevention of adverse events. However, determining which patient-safety practice is most effective can be challenging when there is no systematised evidence synthesis. An overview following the best methodological standards can provide the best reliable integrative evidence.ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to provide an overview of effectiveness nonpharmacological interventions aimed at preventing adverse events in the intensive care unit.MethodsA review of systematic reviews (SRs) was conducted according to the Cochrane Handbook and PRISMA recommendations. PubMed, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library were searched for SRs published until March 2022. Two reviewers independently assessed the study’s quality, using AMSTAR-2, and extracted data on intervention characteristics and effect on prevention of adverse events.ResultsThirty-seven SRs were included, and 27 nonpharmacological interventions were identified to prevent 11 adverse events. Most of the reviews had critically low methodological quality. Among all the identified interventions, subglottic secretion drainage, semirecumbent position, and kinetic bed therapy were effective in preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia; the use of earplugs, early mobilisation, family participation, and music in reducing delirium; physical rehabilitation in improving muscle strength; use of respiratory support in preventing reintubation; the use of a computerised physician order entry system in reducing risk of medication errors; and the use of heated water humidifier was effective in reducing artificial airway occlusion.ConclusionsSome nonpharmacological interventions reduced adverse events in the intensive care setting. These findings should be interpreted carefully due to the low methodological quality. SRs on preventing adverse events in the intensive care unit should adhere to quality assessment tools so that best evidence can be used in decision-making.     

Exercise for fatigue in breast cancer patients: An umbrella review of systematic reviews

ObjectiveTo evaluate evidence from published systematic reviews about the effectiveness of exercise interventions on fatigue management in breast cancer patients.MethodsPubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health (CINAHL), Embase databases, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), the Wanfang database, the China Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), and the VIP database were searched to identify relevant systematic reviews. The reviews which assessed exercise interventions on cancer-related fatigue (CRF) in breast cancer patients were included. Quality of evidence was evaluated by the Grade of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) tool. The Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) appraisal tool was used to evaluate the methodological quality of included systematic reviews.ResultsTwenty-four systematic reviews met all the inclusion criteria. The overall mean score for AMSATR is 7.38 and ranged from 4 to 10 points. In addition, 21 reviews arrived at positive conclusions, which exercises could reduce CRF, and 3 obtained that exercise does not affect fatigue. As for GRADE, 8 of the reviews were graded as ‘moderate’, 2 of the studies were ‘very low’, and the others were ‘low’.ConclusionsAerobic and resistance exercise can be regarded as beneficial to CRF in breast cancer patients, and limited evidence exists that yoga had an effect on reducing fatigue. The quality of the current systematic review is still far from satisfactory.     

One-Third of Systematic Reviews in Rehabilitation Applied the Grading of Recommendations Assessment,Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) System to Evaluate Certainty of Evidence: A Meta-Research Study

ObjectiveTo determine how many systematic reviews (SRs) of the literature in rehabilitation assess the certainty of evidence (CoE) and how many apply the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system to do this.Data SourcesFor this meta-research study, we searched PubMed and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews databases for SRs on rehabilitation published in 2020.Study Selection and Data ExtractionTwo reviewers independently selected the SRs and extracted the data. Reporting characteristics and appropriate use of the GRADE system were assessed.Data SynthesisThe search retrieved 827 records: 29% (239/827) SRs evaluated CoE, 68% (163/239) of which applied the GRADE system. GRADE was used by SRs of randomized controlled trials (RCTs, 88%; 144/163), non-randomized intervention studies (NRIS, 2%; 3/163), and both RCT and NRIS (10%; 16/163). In the latter case, a separate GRADE assessment according to the study design was not provided in 75% (12/16). The reasons for GRADE judgment were reported in 82% (134/163) of SRs.ConclusionsOne-third of SRs in rehabilitation assessed CoE with the GRADE system. GRADE assessment was presented transparently by most SRs. Journal editors and funders should encourage the uptake of the GRADE system when considering SRs in rehabilitation for publication. The authors should pre-define GRADE assessment in a registered and/or published protocol.     

Shall we use cryotherapy in the treatment in surgical procedures,in acute pain or injury,or in long term pain or dysfunction? - A systematic review

PurposeThis review aimed to evaluate the certainty of evidence for the use of cryotherapy in patients with musculoskeletal disorders.MethodsPubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and AMED were searched from January 2000 to January 2018 (update June 2019) for systematic reviews (SRs) and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting outcomes on pain, swelling, range of motion (ROM), function, blood loss, analgesic use, patient satisfaction and adverse advents. The papers were categorised into: surgical procedures, acute pain or injury and long-term pain or dysfunction. Methodological quality and risk of bias were assessed using the AMSTAR and the Swedish Health Technology Assessment instruments. Level of certainty of evidence was synthesized using GRADE.Study selectionEight SRs and 50 RCTs from a total of 6027 (+839) were included. In total 34 studies evaluated cryotherapy in surgical procedures, twelve evaluated cryotherapy use in acute pain or injury and twelve studies evaluated cryotherapy in long-term pain and dysfunction.ResultsThe certainty of evidence is moderate (GRADE III) after surgical procedures to reduce pain, improve ROM, for patient satisfaction and few adverse events are reported. Cryotherapy in acute pain and injury or long-term pain and dysfunction show positive effects but have a higher number of outcomes with low certainty of evidence (GRADE II).ConclusionCryotherapy may safely be used in musculoskeletal injuries and dysfunctions. It is well tolerated by patients. More advanced forms of cryotherapy may accentuate the effect. Future research is needed where timing, temperature for cooling, dose (time) and frequency are evaluated.     

Factors associated with the reporting quality of low back pain systematic review abstracts in physical therapy: a methodological study

BackgroundAbstracts of systematic reviews (SR) are frequently used to guide clinical decision-making. However, if the abstract is inadequately reported, key information may be missing and it may not accurately summarize the results of the review.ObjectiveWe aimed to investigate 1) if abstracts are fully reported; 2) if abstract reporting is associated with review/journal characteristics in physical therapy for low back pain (LBP); and 3) if these abstracts are consistent with the corresponding full texts.MethodsWe searched the Physiotherapy Evidence Database for SRs in physical therapy for LBP published between 2015 and 2017. Associations between abstract reporting quality and review/journal characteristics were explored with linear regression. Abstract reporting was assessed with the 12 item Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for abstracts (PRISMA-A) checklist. Consistency of reporting between abstracts and the full text was evaluated by comparing responses to each item of the PRISMA-A using Kappa coefficients. Methodological quality of the reviews was assessed with A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews (AMSTAR-2).ResultsWe included 66 SRs, 9 Cochrane and 57 non-Cochrane. Review methodological quality ranged from ‘high’ (8%) to ‘critically low’ (76%). The mean ± SD of the “total number of PRISMA-A fully reported items” (range 0–12 points for fully reported items) was 4.1 ± 1.9 points for non-Cochrane review abstracts and 9.9 ± 1.1 points for Cochrane abstracts. Factors associated with reporting quality of abstracts were: journal impact factor (ß 0.20; 95% CI: 0.06, 0.35), number of words in abstract (ß 0.01; 95% CI: 0.00, 0.01) and review methodological quality (‘critically low’ with ß ?3.06; 95% CI: ?5.30, ?0.82; with ‘high’ as reference variable). There was typically inconsistent reporting between abstract and full text, with most Kappa values lower than 0.60.ConclusionsThe abstracts of SRs in physical therapy for LBP were poorly reported and inconsistent with the full text. The reporting quality of abstracts was higher in journals with a higher impact factor, in abstracts with a greater number of words, and when the review was of higher methodological quality.     

近5年中国科学引文数据库护理干预性系统评价/Meta分析报告质量分析

目的 评价近5年中国科学引文数据库收录的护理期刊发表的干预性系统评价/Meta分析的报告质量,以期规范其研究过程和报告方法,提升系统评价/Meta分析质量。方法 计算机检索CNKI、VIP、CBM和Wanfang数据库,搜集中国科学引文数据库收录的护理期刊发表的干预性系统评价/Meta分析研究,检索时限为2015年1月—2020年6月。由2名研究者独立筛选文献、提取资料,采用系统评价和Meta分析优先报告的条目进行报告质量评价;采用Office Excel 2019、Stata 15.0软件对相关数据进行统计和分析。结果 共纳入干预性系统评价/Meta分析176篇,其PRISMA评分为14.5~24.5分（20.17±2.00）,其中有1篇研究评分≤15分,有严重信息缺失;122篇评分为15~21分,存在一定报告缺陷;53篇评分为21~27分,报告相对完全。报告质量不足主要表现为结构式摘要（0/176）,方案和注册（0/176）,检索策略（55/176）,研究间偏倚（26/176）和资金支持（0/176）报告不全面。亚组分析结果显示：有基金资助、作者单位性质为医院和单位数为1个可明显提高系统评价/Meta分析报告质量（P<0.05）;作者人数对系统评价/Meta分析的报告质量影响不显著（P>0.05）。结论 目前,我国护理领域干预性系统评价/Meta分析的报告质量差异较大。因此,有必要采取相应的措施,加大对PRISMA的宣传和普及,推动其在护理期刊稿约中的引用;研究人员应严格遵守PRISMA相关条目,规范、详细地进行报告;护理期刊的编辑和审稿人在同行评审阶段也要严格遵循PRISMA的指导方针,以期提高系统评价/Meta分析的质量。     

Should acupuncture,biofeedback, massage,Qi gong,relaxation therapy,device-guided breathing,yoga and tai chi be used to reduce blood pressure?: Recommendations based on high-quality systematic reviews

BackgroundThis review aims to rate the quality of evidence and the strength of recommendations in high-quality systematic reviews of non-drug therapies. Hypertensive patients who are resistant or non-adherent to antihypertensive drugs may be easier to manage if they choose alternative non-drug therapies for hypertension, based on this review.MethodsP: Adults (>18 years), except pregnant women, with essential hypertension. I: Cupping, moxibustion, acupuncture, acupoint stimulation, yoga, meditation, tai chi, Qi gong, Chinese massage, massage, spinal manipulation, biofeedback, device-guided breathing therapy, aromatherapy, music therapy, and relaxation approaches. C: 1. No treatment. 2. Sham therapy. 3. Conventional treatment, including antihypertensive drugs and lifestyle modification (e.g., exercise). O: 1. Change in the incidence of cardiovascular death. 2. Change in the incidence of myocardial infarction. 3. Change in the incidence of stroke. 4. Change in blood pressure (BP). 5. Efficacy rate of BP lowering. 6. Adverse effects (review specific). S: Systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials, including meta-analyses and assessments of the methodological quality/risk of bias.Information sourcesCochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, Cochrane library, PubMed, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Chinese Scientific Journal Database were searched. The bibliographies of the included articles were also searched for relevant systematic reviews. GRADE criteria were used to rate the quality of evidence in systematic reviews considering 6 factors, including risk of bias.ResultsThis review ultimately included 13 systematic reviews of 14 non-drug therapies (acupuncture, wet cupping, Baduanjin, blood letting, auricular acupuncture, music, massage, Qi gong, moxibustion, relaxation therapies, biofeedback, device-guided breathing, yoga and tai chi) based on the inclusion criteria. The quality of evidence was generally low, and weak recommendations were given for most therapies except massage and acupuncture plus antihypertensive drug. Based on the analyzed evidence, massage and acupuncture plus antihypertensive drug could benefit people who want to lower their BP and do not have contraindications for massage and acupuncture plus antihypertensive drug.Discussion/StrengthThe GRADE approach makes this review a unique reference for people who are considering the grade of quality of evidence in systematic reviews, the balance of desirable and undesirable consequences and the strength of recommendations to decide which intervention should be used to reduce BP.LimitationsMany non-drug therapies were excluded due to the low methodological quality of their systematic reviews, and only 14 therapies were evaluated in this review. As no patient-important outcomes were reviewed, surrogate outcomes were used to rate the strength of recommendations. This approach may cause a decrease in evidence quality according to GRADE, but we argue that this is appropriate in the context of this review.     

中医药治疗原发性高血压系统评价的再评价

目的评价中医药治疗原发性高血压系统评价的方法学偏倚及其结论的可靠程度。方法计算机检索PubMed、EMbase、The Cochrane Library(2014年第4期)、CBM、CNKI和WanFang Data数据库,查找中医药治疗原发性高血压的系统评价,检索时限均为从建库至2014年4月30日。采用AMSTAR工具评价纳入系统评价的方法学质量,并基于GRADE方法对系统评价纳入的结局指标进行证据质量分级。结果共纳入12个系统评价,包含31个结局指标,其中11个系统评价比较了中医药联合西药对比西药治疗原发性高血压的疗效,9个采用了Jadad量表作为系统评价纳入原始研究的方法学质量评估工具。AMSTAR工具评价结果显示,11个条目中,存在问题最多的是条目1"是否提供了前期设计方案"(12个未提供),其次是条目11"是否说明相关利益冲突"(9个未说明)和条目6"是否描述纳入研究的特征"(6个未描述)。GRADE分级结果显示:29个结局指标的证据质量均为低或极低,导致降级最主要因素为局限性(31个结局指标),其次为不精确(13个结局指标)和不一致(12个结局指标)。结论当前针对中医药治疗原发性高血压系统评价的方法学质量总体较差,结论的证据水平较低,对患者终点结局的关注程度不足。因此,临床医生在使用这些证据进行临床决策时尚需谨慎。     

中药治疗心房颤动的系统评价再评价

目的对中药治疗心房颤动的系统评价进行再评价。方法计算机检索PubMed、The Cochrane Library、EMbase、CNKI、CBM、WanFang Data和VIP数据库,搜集中药治疗心房颤动的系统评价(SR),检索时限均为建库至2019年7月。由2名研究员独立筛选和提取资料后,应用AMSTAR2量表、PRISMA声明和GRADE方法对纳入研究的方法学质量、报告质量和证据质量进行评价。结果最终纳入20个SR,其中15个合并分析了临床疗效,12个对不良反应进行了分析。纳入SR的AMSTAR2方法学质量评价整体偏低,评价为高质量的0篇,低质量1篇,极低质量19篇;得分较差的条目为条目2、7、8、9、10、12、13、14、16。纳入SR的PRISMA得分在14~22.5分之间,报告质量问题主要表现在方案与注册、资料条目、其他分析方法和资金来源方面。采用GRADE进行结局指标证据体评价,证据体质量普遍较低。结论中药治疗房颤可提高临床疗效,减少不良反应,但所纳入文献整体方法学质量不高,证据体质量普遍偏低,建议进一步开展高质量临床研究,为评价中药治疗房颤临床疗效提供依据。     

Atomoxetine treatment in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a CNS disorder that has its onset in childhood, but often persists into adulthood. There is growing recognition that adult ADHD can result in multiple negative consequences for individuals. ADHD is also often associated with a number of comorbid psychiatric disorders. Atomoxetine (ATX), a nonstimulant, selective noradrenergic reuptake inhibitor, was approved in the United States in 2002 for the treatment of ADHD in children and adolescents, as well as adults. We review here the safety and efficacy of ATX in adults with ADHD, including data in special populations, functional outcomes, as well as provider and patient real-world perceptions. Methods: We searched the databases Embase, MEDLINE and PsycINFO using the terms ‘ADHD’ and ‘adult’ and ‘ATX’ capturing publications from January 1, 1998, to March 27, 2014. Only publications in English were considered. Results: ATX demonstrated significantly greater improvement than placebo (PBO) on the Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scale-Investigator rated:Screening Version (CAARS-Inv:SV) in all trials (N = 6; total score difference ranged from ?3.5 to ?5.5). For long-term trials using the CAARS-Inv:SV, ATX demonstrated significantly greater improvement than PBO in three of four trials (total score differences ranged from ?0.1 to ?6.0). In short-term studies, ATX showed significantly greater improvement than PBO on the Adult ADHD Quality-of-Life scale total score in three of three studies, but results were mixed on the Sheehan Disability Scale. Three studies of ATX have reported statistically significant improvement (compared with PBO) on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version Self Report scale. The most common adverse events (occurring in ≥ 10% of patients taking ATX) were nausea, dry mouth, decreased appetite, insomnia and fatigue. Conclusions: ATX is an important treatment option for the right patient. ATX can provide long-term, consistent symptom relief and functional improvement for adults with ADHD.     

我国“循证”冠名期刊发表干预类系统评价/Meta分析的现状调查

目的 调查我国以“循证”冠名的医学期刊发表的干预类系统评价/Meta分析(SR/MA)的现状.方法 根据纳入与排除标准选择《循证医学》(2001.1 ～ 2011.12)、《中国循证医学杂志》(2001.1～2011.12)、《中国循证儿科杂志》(2006.1 ～ 2011.12)和《中国循证心血管医学杂志》(2008.1 ～ 2011.12)所发表的干预类SR/MA,由两名评价者按制定的信息提取表独立提取资料并交叉核对,如有分歧,讨论解决.而后采用Excel软件进行统计分析.结果 共纳入SR/MA 487篇,其中《中国循证医学杂志》379篇(77.82％),《循证医学》70篇(14.38％),《中国循证儿科杂志》30篇(6.17％),《中国循证心血管医学杂志》8篇(1.63％).2001～2011年,SR/MA发表数量总体呈上升趋势,每篇文献作者的数量为5+2人;SR/MA纳入的RCT数量在1～129个不等,中位数8个;共涉及20个病种,研究领域较多的依次为肿瘤(83篇,17.04％)、循环系统疾病(63篇,12.73％)和泌尿生殖系统疾病(54篇,11.09％)等.所纳入的487篇SR/MA中,82.75％进行了方法学质量评价,44篇(9.03％)描述了质量评价方法但未展现质量评价结果,使用最多的评价标准为Cochrane偏倚风险评估工具(314篇,64.48％).结论 我国以“循证”冠名的医学期刊所发表的干预类SR/MA数量总体呈上升趋势,其选题来源广泛,但对纳入随机对照试验的质量评价标准的选择和实施尚待进一步加强.