Reports of uncontrolled clinical trials for directly placed restorations in vital teeth

Abstract Uncontrolled trials are criticized as unreliable. This study aimed to establish how the number of published reports from uncontrolled clinical trials compares to that of controlled trials for directly placed restorations in vital teeth and whether their annual number is increasing, stable or decreasing. PubMed was searched and suitable citations of uncontrolled and controlled trial reports published between 1990-2016 were included. Reference check and hand searching were conducted. The median annual report number with 25 and 75% percentile was calculated for both types of trials. 695 reports were found. The median number of reports per year was 4 (3-7) and 22 (15-26) from uncontrolled and controlled trials, respectively. A statistically significant decreasing ratio of uncontrolled to controlled trial reports was observed (p = 0.01) by linear regression analysis. The number of reports of uncontrolled clinical trials listed in PubMed over the last 27 years appears at least five times smaller than that of controlled clinical trials and its number in relation to that of controlled trials seems to decrease over time.

Prevalencia de enfermedades vasculares periféricas en el municipio de Arroyo Naranjo / Prevalence of vascular peripheral diseases in Arroyo Naranjo municipality

Objetivo: Determinar la prevalencia de enfermedades vasculares periféricas en el municipio de Arroyo Naranjo según edad y sexo, su distribución en las personas detectadas enfermas y factores de riesgo asociados. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo en una muestra aleatorizada (n= 200) de los 208 554 habitantes del municipio de Arroyo Naranjo. El diagnóstico de la enfermedad vascular periférica se realizó por examen físico­vascular confirmado por estudios hemodinámico, ultrasonográfico, y ecográfico. Los datos de interés se obtuvieron del interrogatorio. Resultados: Se halló una elevada frecuencia del sexo femenino (80,5 por ciento) y del grupo mayor de 60 años (33,5 por ciento). La tasa de enfermedades vasculares periféricas fue de 77,2 por 100 000 habitantes contribuyó a esta cifra las flebopatías. Se observó un predominio de la obesidad (45 por ciento), la hipertensión arterial (44,5 por ciento) y el tabaquismo (41 por ciento). Se encontró que el 47,8 por ciento de las personas enfermas tenían más de tres factores de riesgo. Las mujeres mayores de 50 años, a diferencia de los hombres, presentaban más enfermedad carotidea (80,8 por ciento) y macroangiopatía diabética (65,7 por ciento). Conclusiones: En el municipio de Arroyo Naranjo, hay una elevada tasa de enfermedades vasculares periféricas sobre todo en las mujeres mayores de 50 años, más aún cuando tienen tres o más factores de riesgo, lo que indica la importancia del diagnóstico precoz, ya que estas personas desconocían que estaban enfermas y que requerían de un tratamiento oportuno(AU)

Objective: To determine the prevalence of peripheral vascular diseases in Arroyo Naranjo municipality by sex and age, their distribution in the detected sick persons and the associated risk factors. Methods: A descriptive study was conducted in a randomized sample (n= 200) of 208 554 inhabitants of Arroyo Naranjo municipality. Peripheral vascular diseases were diagnosed through physical-vascular examination and confirmed with hemodynamic, ultrasonografic and echographic studies. Questioning of patients provided the necessary information. Results: There was high frequency of females (80.5 percent) and of the age group over 60 years (33.5 percent). The rate of peripheral vascular diseases was 77.2 per 100 000 inhabitants in which phlebopathies influence. Obesity (45,0 percent), arterial hypertension (44.5 percent) and smoking (41,0 percent) predominated. It was found that 47.8 percent of the sick persons had more than three risk factors. Unlike men, women older than 50 years were more affected by carotid disease (80.8 percent) and diabetic macroangiopathy (65.7 percent). Conclusions: In Arroyo Naranjo municipality, there is a high rate of peripheral vascular disease mainly in women older than 50 years, even more when they have three or more risk factors, which points to the importance of early diagnosis since these persons did not know that they were sick and required timely treatment(AU)

Effect of vitamin D therapy in addition to amitriptyline on migraine attacks in pediatric patients

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of supplementary vitamin D therapy in addition to amitriptyline on the frequency of migraine attacks in pediatric migraine patients. Fifty-three children 8-16 years of age and diagnosed with migraine following the International Headache Society 2005 definition, which includes childhood criteria, were enrolled. Patients were classified into four groups on the basis of their 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels. Group 1 had normal 25(OH)D levels and received amitriptyline therapy alone; group 2 had normal 25(OH)D levels and received vitamin D supplementation (400 IU/day) plus amitriptyline; group 3 had mildly deficient 25(OH)D levels and received amitriptyline plus vitamin D (800 IU/day); and group 4 had severely deficient 25(OH)D levels and was given amitriptyline plus vitamin D (5000 IU/day). All groups were monitored for 6 months, and the number of migraine attacks before and during treatment was determined. Calcium, phosphorus alkaline phosphatase, parathormone, and 25(OH)D levels were also determined before and during treatment. Results were compared between the groups. Data obtained from the groups were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance. The number of pretreatment attacks in groups 1 to 4 was 7±0.12, 6.8±0.2, 7.3±0.4, and 7.2±0.3 for 6 months, respectively (all P>0.05). The number of attacks during treatment was 3±0.25, 1.76±0.37 (P<0.05), 2.14±0.29 (P<0.05), and 1.15±0.15 (P<0.05), respectively. No statistically significant differences in calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, or parathormone levels were observed (P>0.05). Vitamin D given in addition to anti-migraine treatment reduced the number of migraine attacks.