Joseph Lau

..When data were available to combine, meta-analyses were performed, and summary odds ratios (OR) are presented...

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..To assess the safety and efficacy of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), alone or combined with opioids, for the treatment of cancer pain...

..Atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis is increasingly common in an aging population. Therapeutic options include medical treatment only or revascularization procedures...

..Two investigations evaluate Bayesian meta-regression for detecting treatment interactions...

..To review the available evidence on the association between primary short stature and intellectual and physical dysfunction among children...

..The evidence for the benefits of fish oil is stronger in secondary- than in primary-prevention settings. Adverse effects appear to be minor...

..The objective of this meta-analysis was to determine the effect of insulin therapy initiated during hospitalization on mortality in adult patients with a critical illness...

..The evidence regarding the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on hs-CRP is inconclusive, as are data on ALA...

..Hyperglycemia is common in critically ill hospitalized patients and has been associated with adverse outcomes, including increased mortality. In this review, we examine the effect of insulin therapy on mortality in critically ill patients...

..However, these surveys suggest that a significant number of patients with cancer worldwide will, during the course of their disease, experience pain that requires medical and/or other treatment...

..00, 95% confidence interval 0.96 to 1.05). The available data (mostly derived from older studies with important methodologic limitations) do not demonstrate a consistent, clinically important benefit of fish oil in kidney transplantation...

..Patients in whom conservative therapies fail may improve after surgical treatment of superficial and perforating venous disease, but the degree of this benefit is uncertain...

..A systematic review of the effect of chromium supplementation on glucose metabolism and lipid levels...

..We sought to determine whether researchers can correctly identify publication bias from visual inspection of funnel plots in typical-size systematic reviews...

..The dearth of long term data on fish consumption or omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on measures of cardiovascular disease risk severely limits our ability to draw definitive conclusions at this time...

..Selection modelling is an alternative method warranting further study. It performed better than trim and fill in our simulations, although its frequency of convergence varied, depending on the simulation parameters...

..Well-designed trials in the specified populations are required to furnish clinicians with secure evidence on managing opioid side effects successfully...

..The goals of these systematic reviews, the processes that were used, the benefits and limitations of the collaboration, and the conclusions of the reviews, including recommendations for future research, are summarized here...

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..Vitamin D may modify risk for cardiometabolic outcomes (type 2 diabetes, hypertension, or cardiovascular disease)...

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..The experiences described in this article can serve as a basis for future improvements in systematic reviews of nutrients and to better integrate systematic review into development of future nutrient reference values...

..Liposomal lidocaine is commercially available in the United States and offers a more rapid onset and less expensive alternative to EMLA...

..Systematic reviews are a valuable and independent component of decision-making processes by groups responsible for developing science-based recommendations and policies...

..To investigate whether proper patient selection might allow most of the benefits of population-wide primary coronary angioplasty to be captured in a subgroup of high-risk patients...

..Until long-term safety data are available, inhaled insulin should be reserved for nonpregnant adults with diabetes who are opposed to injections and who would otherwise delay appropriate and timely therapy with insulin...

..Because of the high prevalence of early stages of chronic kidney disease in the general population (approximately 11% of adults), this information is particularly important for general internists and specialists...

..The authors aimed to identify factors associated with SVR in hemodialysis patients through analysis of individual patient data obtained from systematic review of published literature...

..Severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia is associated with chronic bilirubin encephalopathy (kernicterus)...

..It is not known whether omega-3 fatty-acid supplementation has antiarrhythmic effects in other disease settings not related to ischemia...

..Pharmacotherapies that augment the incretin pathway have recently become available, but their role in the management of type 2 diabetes is not well defined...

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..Large prospective studies in patients with and without previous cardiovascular events during long follow-up are required to validate this concept...

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..Overall, however, available data are insufficient to support recommendations for using nonlipid serum markers in decisions regarding statin therapy for individual patients...

..The quality of nutrition-related systematic reviews (SRs) is an unstudied but important factor affecting their usefulness...

..Although the basic statistical issues for performing meta-analysis are well described in the literature, there are remaining methodological issues...

..Radiation therapy with charged particles can potentially deliver maximum doses while minimizing irradiation of surrounding tissues, and it may be more effective or less harmful than other forms of radiation therapy...

..To conduct a systematic review of reports on the physical and psychological effects of Tai Chi on various chronic medical conditions...

..79; P = 0.007). In a sensitivity analysis that included 4 additional RCTs published in abstract form, RR remained significant at 0.55 (95% CI, 0.34 to 0.91; P = 0.020). CONCLUSION: NAC reduces the risk for RCN in patients with CKD...

..Measures of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) subfractions have been proposed as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease...

..Matched designs such as sibling analysis may provide a method to control for hereditary and household factors that are important in certain outcomes...

..CONCLUSION: The conversion of dialysis patients to a vitamin E-coated dialyser is associated with an improvement in circulating biomarkers of lipid peroxidation, which is of potential clinical benefit...

..We have summarized the evidence, mostly favorable, supporting the use of various non-cocaine-containing topical anesthetics...

..In practice, most meta-analyses are performed in general statistical packages or dedicated meta-analysis programs...

..This study was conducted to examine the psychometric properties of a Chinese translation of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (HK-PCS)...

..Acupuncture may be a promising treatment for poststroke paralysis. We conducted a meta-analysis, assessing the efficacy of acupuncture with and without stroke rehabilitation...

..Because of a rapidly ageing population, healthcare planners in Hong Kong must prepare for an increasing burden of visual disability and blindness...

..To evaluate the efficacy of self-management education on GHb in adults with type 2 diabetes...

..Statins also improve measures of vascular function, which may contribute to their clinical benefits. There is insufficient evidence to suggest that individual statins differ in their vascular effects...

..Our objective was to assess the effectiveness of lifestyle and behavioral weight loss and weight control interventions in adults with type 2 diabetes...

..Based on the results from the most recent study to report BET morbidity, the overall risk of permanent sequelae in 25 sick infants who survived BET was from 5% to 10%...

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..The objective of this review was to assess the efficacy of pharmacotherapy for weight loss in adults with type 2 diabetes...

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..Availability of standardized information for performing meta-analysis of safety data may be limited. Standardized reporting, prospective collection, and long-term availability of safety information should be improved...

..Its efficacy is based mainly on case series. Less than one third of patients obtained full pain relief. The absence of control groups in case series leads to an overestimation of the treatment response that can explain the findings...

..To examine the patterns of drinking, the relationship between binge drinking, alcohol abuse, and dependence, and the sociodemographic factors associated with problem drinking among Hong Kong Chinese...

..22 to 6.90). Lidocaine and mexiletine produced no major adverse events in controlled clinical trials, were superior to placebo to relieve neuropathic pain, and were as effective as other analgesics used for this condition...

..To assess the effectiveness of weight-loss and weight-control interventions for adults with pre-diabetes (impaired fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance), an important risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes...

..12, 95% CI 0.81-1.54), but there was significant heterogeneity of results across the studies. All the treatment regimens were safe and well tolerated. AQ+SP should be considered in some settings before the full implementation of an ACT...

..9%, respectively. Test-retest reliability was undertaken in 51 subjects and the measurement of agreement (Kappa value) was 0.6. This HK-CSQ is a useful, valid, and reliable screening instrument for the presence of OSAS in children...

..Based on the statements of the conference, the available literature, and ongoing studies, our aim is to provide practical recommendations for the management of this common entity and to highlight areas for future studies and research...

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..Our purpose was to estimate the effects of tamoxifen on potentially life-threatening vascular and neoplastic outcomes...

..Understanding these issues is important to properly interpret results from these meta-analyses...