Evaluate the Effects of Different Types of Preoperative Restricted Calorie Diets on Weight, Body Mass Index, Operation Time and Hospital Stay in Patients Undergoing Bariatric Surgery: a Systematic Review and Meta Analysis Study.

Previous studies investigated low-calorie diets (LCD), very-low-calorie diets (VLCD), and very-low-calorie ketogenic diets (VLCKD) in relation to weight loss and outcomes for bariatric surgery patients. However, the overall effects of these diets on various outcomes remain unclear. This study aimed to assess the impact of preoperative restricted calorie diets on weight, body mass index (BMI), operation time (OT), and hospital stay (HS) in bariatric surgery patients. Seventeen articles were analyzed, revealing the highest weight loss (-8.62) and BMI reduction (-5.75) with VLCKD. Due to insufficient data, the impact of these diets on OT and HS could not be determined. Further interventional studies are required to determine the ideal preoperative diet that achieves optimal weight loss, patient compliance, tolerance, acceptance, and surgical outcomes.

Locoregional therapy containing surgery in metastatic breast cancer: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The role of locoregional therapy (LRT) containing surgery and systematic therapy in metastatic breast cancer patients remains controversial. This study investigated the effect of LRT in patients who were initially diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) on overall survival (OS), locoregional progression-free survival (PFS), and distant systemic PFS. METHODS: The related keywords were searched in MEDLINE/PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Science databases up to August 15th, 2022. Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled by the random-effects model. RESULTS: Seven articles with 1626 participants compared LRT with only systemic therapy (ST) for patients with de novo MBC. LRT did not improve (p = 0.28) OS compared to ST (HR: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.60, 1.16). LRT significantly improved locoregional PFS outcomes compared to ST (HR: 0.31, 95% CI: 0.15, 0.60, p = 0.001). LRT significantly (p = 0.001) improved OS in patients with solitary bone metastases (HR: 0.48; 95% CI: 0.35-0.67). CONCLUSION: LRT improves locoregional PFS. Furthermore, LRT improves OS in patients with solitary bone metastases.

Tumor characteristics and survival rate of HER2-low breast cancer patients: a retrospective cohort study.

HER2 is an important prognostic marker in breast cancer (BC) patients, which also plays a crucial role in their therapeutic plan. Consequently, a great desire is to thoroughly assess the patients based on their HER2 status. In the current study, we aimed to evaluate HER2-low breast cancer as a new subtype in the standard classification of BC patients and review its characteristics and survival rate in a tertiary center in Iran. We retrospectively evaluated disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and clinicopathological characteristics of BC patients referred to the Cancer Research Center in Tehran, Iran from 1991 to 2022. Patients' clinical characteristics, including HER2 status, which is classified as HER2-low, HER2-positive, or HER2-negative, were obtained from prospectively maintained registries. Among the total 3582 recruited patients, 60.2%, 13.6%, and 26.2% were HER2-negative, HER2-low, and HER2-positive, respectively. HER2-positive patients showed a significantly higher Hazard Ratio (HR) for DFS (HR 1.44, 95% CI 1.01-2.05) and OS (HR 2.05, 95% CI 1.31-3.20), compared to HER2-low. Moreover, HER2-low and HER2-negative were found to show the same proportion of high-grade tumors (28 and 28.4%), while 40% of the HER2-positive tumors were high-grade. Accordingly, HER2-low patients had a lower metastasis risk than the others (P-value = 0.01). The Ki67 percentage was significantly lower in the HER2-low group compared to the HER2-positive (P-value < 0.001). HER2-low, a new subtype of HER2-status classification with distinct biological and clinicopathological traits, represented the highest survival rate and less invasive characteristics. This difference was statistically significant when compared to HER2-positive, but not when compared to HER2-negative.Research registration unique identifying number: NCT05754047.

The effect of anamorelin (ONO-7643) on cachexia in cancer patients: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Cachexia is associated with increased morbidity and mortality rates in patients with cancer. This meta-analysis aims to explore the effect of anamorelin on cancer cachexia markers. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE/PubMed, SCOPUS, and WOS from their inception until 5 June 2022. A systematic search was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. We included trials investigating the effect of anamorelin on body weight, lean body mass, fat mass, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), handgrip, quality of life insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3), and in patients with cancer. A random-effects model was run to pooled results. RESULTS: Five articles providing 1331 participants were analyzed in this study. Pooled analysis revealed a significant increase in body weight (weighted mean difference (WMD): 1.56 kg, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.20, 1.92; I2= 0%), lean body mass (WMD: 1.36 kg, 95% CI: 0.85, 1.86; I2= 53.1%), fat mass (WMD: 1.02 kg, 95% CI: 0.51, 1.53; I2= 60.7%), IGF-1 (WMD: 51.16 ng/mL, 95% CI: 41.42, 60.90, I2= 0%), and IGFBP-3 (WMD: 0.43 µg/mL, 95% CI: 0.17, 0.68, I2= 98.6%). Results showed no significant increase in appetite when analysis run on all studies without considering different doses 0.29 (95% CI: -0.30, 0.89, I2= 73.8%), however, there was a significant increase in appetite without heterogeneity and inconsistency 0.59 (95% CI: 0.32, 0.86; I2= 0%) in the 100 mg/day group compared to anamorelin non-user. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with cancer who receive anamorelin as a treatment for cachexia showed a significant increase in body weight, lean body mass, fat mass, IGF-1, and IGFBP-3.

Possible ameliorative role of Spirulina platensis on coagulation factors, lymphocytopenia, and malnutrition in ICU patients with COVID-19.

Considering the anti-viral effects of Spirulina platensis (Sp), this study investigated the impact of Sp on impaired blood biomarkers of patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) with COVID-19. Therefore, 104 patients (aged 48-66; 61.5% male) were randomly assigned to the Sp (daily consumption of 5 g) or placebo group for 2 weeks. Linear regression analysis was employed to assess the differences in blood test results between the control and intervention groups among patients with COVID-19. Our results showed significant differences in certain hematological tests, including a higher level of hematocrit (HCT) and a lower platelet count (PLT) in the intervention group (p < 0.05). The percentage of lymphocytes (Lym%) in serology testing was significantly different between the control and intervention groups (p = 0.03). In terms of biochemical test analyses, Sp supplementation was associated with reduced levels of both blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (p = 0.01). Furthermore, on day 14, the intervention group displayed significantly higher medians of serum protein, albumin, and zinc compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Additionally, patients supplemented with Sp had a lower BUN-albumin ratio (BAR) (p = 0.01). No immunological and hormonal differences were observed between groups following 2 weeks. Our analysis indicates that Sp supplementation may be effective in regulating some blood test abnormalities associated with COVID-19. This study was registered at ISRCTN as IRCT20200720048139N1.

Maternal uric acid levels and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of cohort studies including 105,380 participants.

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: Although the association between uric acid levels and adverse pregnancy outcomes has been investigated, the effects of higher uric acid levels on the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have yet to be established. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the relationship between uric acid levels during pregnancy and the risk of GDM. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PubMed/Medline, Scopus and Web of Science databases were searched up to April 2022 for relevant observational studies. A random effects model was used to estimate pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). To assess the heterogeneity of included studies, the I2 index was used. RESULTS: Among the initial 262 studies that were recognized from the databases search, 23 studies including 105,380 participants were eligible. Pooled analysis showed that higher uric acid levels significantly affected the risk of GDM (OR 2.58, 95% CI 1.89-3.52, I2 = 90.8%, P < 0.001). Subgroup analyses based on the gestational week showed that higher uric acid levels before the 20th week of gestation were significantly associated with the risk of GDM (OR 3.26, 95% CI 2.26-4.71, I2 = 89.3%, P < 0.001). Based on the meta-regression analysis, uric acid levels and odds of GDM were significantly correlated with the participants' age, and it was more significant in younger pregnant women. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed a positive association between uric acid levels and the risk of GDM. Also, our results indicate that measuring uric acid levels before 20 weeks of gestation can potentially predict GDM, especially in younger women.

Tamoxifen use and risk of endometrial cancer in breast cancer patients: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Worse prognosis of endometrial cancers (EC) in tamoxifen-treated women compared to non-tamoxifen-treated women been proposed. The relationship between tamoxifen treatment of breast cancer (BC) and the risk of EC is controversial and there is no agreement between publication results on this issue (the answer to all comments provided in the page 2 of manuscript). The aim of this study is investigation the association between tamoxifen treatment and the risk of EC in patients with BC. METHODS AND RESULTS: We conducted a comprehensive search with related keywords in MEDLINE/PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Science databases until April 16, 2022. Random-effects model (DerSimonian and Laird) was used to pool risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of EC. Dose, cumulative dose, and duration-response analysis were performed in linear and non-linear states. Twenty-six studies reported a relation between tamoxifen treatment and risk of EC in patients with BC. Results showed a direct relationship between tamoxifen use and EC (RR: 2.03, 95% CI: 1.68-2.45; I2:76%). By increase the age of participants, the risk of EC was decrease (coef = -.0206), although this was not statistically significant (p = .37). Linear dose-response model indicated a direct significant association between dose and duration use of tamoxifen and EC (dose: exe(b) = 1.019, p = .001; duration: exe(b) = 1.014, p = .001). Non-linear dose-response analysis confirmed linear analysis. CONCLUSION: This study highlights that tamoxifen use is a significant risk factor related to the incidence of EC in patients with BC.

Increased risk of stroke among patients with ankylosing spondylitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that is associated with adverse cardiovascular events. This study aimed to determine the relationship between ankylosing spondylitis and the risk of stroke. METHODS: A systematic literature search in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science were conducted from inception to December 2021 to identify relevant articles investigating the risk of stroke in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. A random-effects model (DerSimonian and Laird) was used to estimate a pooled hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Meta-regression based on the length of follow-up and subgroup analysis based on the type of stroke, study location, and year of publication to investigate the source of heterogeneity. RESULTS: A total of eleven studies comprising 1.7 million participants were included in this study. Pooled analysis showed a significantly increased stroke risk (56%) among patients with ankylosing spondylitis (HR: 1.56, 95% CI 1.33-1.79). Subgroup analysis revealed a higher risk of ischemic stroke among patients with ankylosing spondylitis (HR: 1.46, 95% CI: 1.23-1.68). However, meta-regression analysis showed no association between the duration of ankylosing spondylitis and stroke incidence (Coef=-0.0010, P=0.951). CONCLUSION: This study reveals that ankylosing spondylitis was associated with an increased risk of suffering a stroke. Management of cerebrovascular risk factors and the control of systemic inflammation should be considered in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

Increased risk of stroke among patients with ankylosing spondylitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis / Estudio respecto a un mayor riesgo de accidente cerebrovascular entre los pacientes con espondilitis anquilosante: revisión sistemática y metaanálisis

Background: Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that is associated with adverse cardiovascular events. This study aimed to determine the relationship between ankylosing spondylitis and the risk of stroke. Methods: A systematic literature search in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science were conducted from inception to December 2021 to identify relevant articles investigating the risk of stroke in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. A random-effects model (DerSimonian and Laird) was used to estimate a pooled hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Meta-regression based on the length of follow-up and subgroup analysis based on the type of stroke, study location, and year of publication to investigate the source of heterogeneity. Results: A total of eleven studies comprising 1.7 million participants were included in this study. Pooled analysis showed a significantly increased stroke risk (56%) among patients with ankylosing spondylitis (HR: 1.56, 95% CI 1.33–1.79). Subgroup analysis revealed a higher risk of ischemic stroke among patients with ankylosing spondylitis (HR: 1.46, 95% CI: 1.23–1.68). However, meta-regression analysis showed no association between the duration of ankylosing spondylitis and stroke incidence (Coef=−0.0010, P=0.951). Conclusion: This study reveals that ankylosing spondylitis was associated with an increased risk of suffering a stroke. Management of cerebrovascular risk factors and the control of systemic inflammation should be considered in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.(AU)

Antecedentes: La espondilitis anquilosante es una enfermedad inflamatoria crónica que se asocia con eventos cardiovasculares adversos. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo determinar la relación entre la espondilitis anquilosante y el riesgo de accidente cerebrovascular. Métodos: Se realizó una búsqueda sistemática de la literatura en PubMed/Medline, Scopus y Web of Science a partir de diciembre de 2021 para identificar los artículos relevantes que investigan el riesgo de accidente cerebrovascular en pacientes con espondilitis anquilosante. Se usó un modelo de efectos aleatorios (Dersimonian y Laird) para estimar una relación de peligro agrupada (HR) e intervalos de confianza (IC) del 95%. Meta-regresión basada en la duración del seguimiento y análisis de subgrupos basados en el tipo de accidente cerebrovascular, la ubicación de estudio y año de publicación para investigar la fuente de heterogeneidad. Resultados: Un total de 11 estudios que comprenden 1,7 millones de participantes, se incluyeron en este estudio. El análisis agrupado mostró un riesgo de accidente cerebrovascular significativamente aumentado (56%) entre los pacientes con espondilitis anquilosante (HR: 1,56; IC 95%: 1,33-1,79). El análisis de los subgrupos reveló un mayor riesgo de accidente cerebrovascular isquémico entre los pacientes con espondilitis anquilosante (HR: 1,46; IC 95%: 1,23-1,68). Sin embargo, el análisis de meta-regresión no mostró ninguna asociación entre la duración de la espondilitis anquilosante y la incidencia de accidentes cerebrovasculares (coef=−0,0010; P=0,951). Conclusiones: Este estudio revela que la espondilitis anquilosante se asocia a un mayor riesgo de sufrir un accidente cerebrovascular. La gestión de los factores de riesgo cerebrovasculares y el control de la inflamación sistémica deben considerarse en pacientes con espondilitis anquilosante.(AU)

Association between intake of sodium, potassium, sodium-to-potassium ratio, and blood pressure among US adults.

High dietary sodium and low potassium intake is associated with high blood pressure (BP). The current study aimed to determine if the sodium-to-potassium ratio is more strongly associated with low (130-139/80-89 mm Hg) and high (≥140/90 mm Hg) BP thresholds among US adults than either sodium or potassium alone. A total of 30,776 patients aged ≥20 years with complete blood pressure participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2003 to 2018. Demographic information and health characteristics were compared between men and women using the chi-square test for categorical variables and independent samples t-test for continuous variables. Logistic regression was performed to investigate the association of the odds ratios (OR) of different levels of sodium, potassium, and sodium-to-potassium ratio. After multivariable adjustment (age, gender, Body mass index, Smoking, education, Race, Alcohol, total energy intake, and physical activity), no relationship has been observed between high versus low sodium-to-potassium ratio and BP threshold of 130-139/80-89 mm Hg (odds ratio [OR]: 1.02, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.92-1.12). Higher sodium-to-potassium ratio (OR=1.24; CI: 1.11-1.38) and dietary intake of potassium (OR=0.66; CI: 0.55-0.80) showed significant association in reducing the BP threshold of ≥140/90 mm Hg. In dose-response analysis, higher BP ≥140/90 mm Hg was inversely associated with higher potassium intake. Furthermore, the sodium-to-potassium ratio showed higher odds in predicting the BP of patients aged ≤60 years, underweight, nonsmokers, and non-alcohol users. The study confirms an inverse association between higher potassium intake and higher BP threshold. The Doses-response analyses showed sodium-to-potassium ratio is a better predictor of BP thresholds than sodium or potassium alone.

The association between plant-based diet indices and metabolic syndrome: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis.

Aim/introduction: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components have markedly increased worldwide. Among lifestyle factors introduced to lower the risk of MetS, healthy dietary patterns have gained considerable attention. This study aimed to assess the association between adherence to plant-based diet indices including O-PDI (overall plant-based diet index), H-PDI (healthy plant-based diet index), U-PDI (unhealthy plant-based diet index), and risk of MetS development. Methods: To find related observational studies which assessed the association between Plant-based Diet indices and risk of MetS development, PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched from January 2016 to November 2023. A random effects model was used to estimate pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). To assess the heterogeneity of included studies, the I2 index was used. Results: Nine studies including 34,953 participants from the initial 288 studies were recognized to include in this meta-analysis study. According to pooled analysis, there was a significant relationship between the adherence to H-PDI and the lower risk of MetS (ES: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.67, 0.97; I2 = 77.2%, p < 0.001), while greater adherence to U-PDI was associated with 27% increases in the risk of MetS (ES: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.54; I2 = 76.8%, p < 0.001). According to our analysis of the association between adherence to PDIs and the risk of MetS components, greater adherence to O-PDI and H-PDI was significantly associated with a higher risk of elevated FBS and obesity, respectively. As well, greater adherence to U-PDI was significantly associated with a higher risk of obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, low HDL-C, and elevated FBS. Conclusion: Our results highlighted the importance of food choices in the context of a plant-based dietary pattern, indicating that adherence to unhealthy plant-based dietary patterns rich in less healthful carbohydrates may induce the risk of MetS development. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42023428981.

Supervised mHeath Exercise Improves Health Factors More Than Self-Directed mHealth Exercise: A Clinical Controlled Study.

Wearable physical activity trackers are getting popular for the self-management of weight despite limited evidence of their efficacy. Studies have proven that on-site supervised exercise is superior to unsupervised exercise for many health problems, there is no evidence comparing the effectiveness of remote supervision exercise with self-directed exercise based on mHealth. This study aims to compare the effects of mHealth-based supervised exercise to mHealth-based self-directed exercise on weight control in the overweight and obese population. A nonrandomized controlled clinical study was conducted. Overweight or obese volunteers were given personalized exercise prescriptions based on their HRR (Heart Rate Reserve), all patients were equipped with wearable heartbeat trackers to follow their exercise performance and additional remote supervisions were added to the intervention group. Exercise performances, weight losses, and health examinations were compared between 2 groups after 12 weeks of follow-up. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to determine any differences between study groups after intervention. Two groups had the same rate of attrition in 12 weeks of follow-up, but the exercising day, the effective exercising day and the rate of effective exercising day in the supervised group were higher than those in the control group. Weight loss was -2.7 ± 2.8 kg in the intervention group and -2.0 ± 2.9 kg in the control group (P = 0.23). Compared with the control group, participants in the intervention group improved their liver function, kidney function, fasting blood sugar, total cholesterol, and triglyceride. mHealth-based supervised exercise is more effective in health factors improvement than mHealth-based self-directed exercise among overweight and obesity participants.

Feedback based on health advice via tracing bracelet and smartphone in the management of blood pressure among hypertensive patients: A community-based RCT trial in Chongqing, China.

BACKGROUND: Lifestyle interventions have been recognized as a line of treatment for noncommunicable diseases. This study aimed to evaluate a bespoke mHealth approach to deliver personalized feedback to improve blood pressure and weight for hypertensive patients in community settings. METHODS: A total of 307 participants, 50 from each community, were expected to be in the intervention or control group. A professional health facilitator was assigned for each of the 6 communities. The primary outcomes of the study are the reduction in blood pressure and weight at baseline and postintervention. RESULTS: Of 307 recruited, 192 participants (62.5%) completed the study (intervention: 104 and control: 88). There was no difference in attrition rates between the 2 groups (33.5% vs 41.9%, P = .291). After 6 month of intensive feedback intervention through the mHealth approach, patients had better blood pressure (133.4 ± 15.3 vs 139.7 ± 16.0) compared with control. CONCLUSIONS: People who were adherent to the intervention demonstrated a clinical benefit in weight and blood pressure.

COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Cardiometabolic Markers in Adults in Chongqing, China: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

The influx of COVID-19 infection and government-enforced lockdowns and social isolation changed people's lifestyles. Concerns regarding the health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic due to the new sedentary lifestyle. This study aims to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cardiovascular health factors. A retrospective observational study was conducted using historical medical records. The cohort consisted of healthy adults (without chronic non-communicable diseases) over 18 years of age who have undertaken a health examination at the Chongqing Medical University from 2019 to 2020. The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) test was used to compare variables between 2019 and 2020. The effect of exposure time to COVID-19 on cardiometabolic markers was analyzed using multiple linear regression models. 29,773 participants took part in this study. The average age was 42.5 ± 13.44 years at baseline, and the average follow-up period was 12.7 ± 2.8 months. Analysis showed that weight, BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference, WHR, fasting blood glucose, TG, LDL, uric acid, and liver enzymes increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic (P < 0.05). This study showed evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic and its control measures negatively impacted cardiometabolic profiles.

Sex Differences in the TyG Index and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Metabolically Obese Normal Weight Phenotype.

Background: The triglyceride glucose (TyG) index is a novel surrogate marker of insulin resistance and increases cardiovascular disease risk. We sought to explore sex differences in the relationship between TyG and cardiovascular (CV) risk factors in metabolically obese normal weight (MONW) phenotype. Method: We analyzed data of 1208 healthy men and nonpregnant women enrolled in a population-based longitudinal study from January 2017-June 2020. MONW phenotype was defined by normal body mass index (BMI: 18-<25 kg/m2) with at least one of the following metabolic disorders (MONW phenotype): elevated blood pressure (BP), hypertriglyceridemia, hyperglycemia, and low HDL cholesterol. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between elevated TyG index and the CV risk factors in women and men and was presented in odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: Of 1208 subjects, 350 (29%) were MONW phenotype (mean age (years): male: 43.5 ± 12.4 and female: 43.1 ± 12.7) and 858 were metabolically healthy normal weight (MHNW; n = 858 (71%)). MONW women had higher mean values of the TyG index (8.03 ± 5.07) than men (7.47 ± 4.68). Multivariate analysis revealed that the elevated TyG index is significantly associated with MONW phenotype in women (adjusted OR: 8.73, 95% CI: 5.62-13.57) and men (aOR: 5.90, 95% CI: 4.23-8.23). TyG was found to be an excellent predictor of MONW status in both women (receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area under the curve (AUC): 0.979, 95% CI: 0.969-0.988) and men (ROC-AUC: 0.968, 95% CI: 0.952-0.983). Conclusion: Our study revealed that the TyG index may represent a cost-effective and informative screening tool for the high-risk MONW phenotype.

Sweetened beverage consumption and risk of cardiovascular mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Several studies have reported the association of sweetened beverages (SB) with cardiovascular disease. However, the relationship between SB and cardiovascular mortality has not been clearly established. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the association between SB consumption and cardiovascular mortality. METHODS: PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Embase were systematically searched up to July 31, 2021, for prospective cohort studies investigating this association in adults. Pooled relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of association between SB: sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB)/artificial-sweetened beverages (ASB) exposure and cardiovascular mortality. RESULTS: A total of eight cohort studies comprising 1.2 million participants exposed to SB, reported 15,831 (1.2%) cases of cardiovascular mortality with a median follow-up of 12.2 years. Consuming at least one glass (250 ml) of SB per day (RR: 1.06; 95% CI: 1.00-1.12, P < 0.001) or ≥2 glasses per day (RR: 1.24; 95% CI: 1.16-1.31, P < 0.001) was significantly associated with increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. SSB and ASB intake of ≥2 glasses per day increased the risk of cardiovascular mortality by 21% (RR:1.21, 95% CI: 1.09-1.33, P < 0.001) and 33% (RR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.12-1.55, P < 0.001), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reveal that high SSB and ASB consumption are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. Policymakers and public health practitioners should work on multisectoral strategies to reduce the consumption of sweetened beverages around the world and among all population groups.

The Effect of Vitamin D Deficiency on Outcomes of Patients Undergoing Elective Spinal Fusion Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Vitamin D plays a major role in bone metabolism, regulating calcium and phosphorus homeostasis, along with bone growth and remodeling processes. The objective of the present study was to assess the effect of vitamin D deficiency on clinical outcomes following elective spinal fusion surgery by conducting a meta-analysis on the relevant literature. METHODS: Studies included in this analysis involved patients older than 18 years who underwent elective spinal fusion surgery. The number of patients as well as visual analog scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) in groups with and without vitamin D deficiency were required to be reported in eligible studies. Of the 179 articles identified, 7 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. RESULTS: Seven studies, including 1188 patients, reported the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and clinical outcomes in patients undergoing elective spinal fusion surgery. Five studies reported VAS as a primary outcome. The combined results using a random-effects model showed reduction in VAS after elective spinal fusion surgery in group with vitamin D deficiency, but no statistically significant association was identified between vitamin D deficiency and VAS. ODI was assessed and reported as an outcome measure in 5 of the included studies. The combined results showed an increase in ODI following elective spinal fusion surgery in the vitamin D-deficient group compared to the group with normal levels of vitamin D. In addition, a significant association was observed between ODI and vitamin D deficiency. CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D deficiency may negatively affect the postoperative outcomes in elective spinal fusion surgery. Preoperative optimization of vitamin D levels would seem appropriate. Future high-quality studies are highly warranted to evaluate this. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This meta-analysis demonstrated a significant association between vitamin D deficiency and postoperative ODI scores in patients undergoing elective spinal fusion surgery.

Sex Differences in Healthy Eating: Investigating the Moderating Effect of Self-Efficacy.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate sex differences in dietary habits and the moderating effect of self-efficacy on the adoption of a healthy diet. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: The healthy population of Tehran, Iran. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 262 participants from the general population with normal health status. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The adoption of a healthy diet was based on the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) scores and the moderating effect of self-efficacy on eating behaviors. ANALYSIS: Logistic regression analysis and multiple linear regression (moderation) analysis were conducted using PROCESS macro (version 3.5). RESULTS: The sex-based analysis revealed that females were more likely to adopt a healthy diet vs males (adjusted odds ratio, 1.85; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-3.35). The moderation analysis showed that eating behavior self-efficacy significantly moderated the relationship between sex differences and HEI-2015 scores (ΔR2 = 0.01; P = 0.033). Males with low self-efficacy scores had the highest difference in HEI-2015 with females with low self-efficacy scores, whereas the difference in HEI-2015 was very small in males and females with high self-efficacy scores. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Eating behavior self-efficacy had a significantly decreasing moderating effect on sex differences in the adoption of a healthy diet. Future research needs to clarify the impact of eating`` behavior self-efficacy in the adoption of a healthy diet, particularly in males, and to confirm the study's findings.

Maternal polycystic ovary syndrome and the potential risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder in the offspring: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are two increasing important problems among children. This study aims to explore the link between maternal polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and the risk of ASD and ADHD in the offspring. METHOD: The MOOSE guidelines were followed in the conduct of this meta-analysis. A literature search was done in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception until January 2021. The DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model was used to estimate the combined risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Sensitivity analysis was also used to investigate the effect of each study on the combined results. RESULTS: Seven studies, with 1,358,696 participants, comprising 7,334 ADHD cases and 3,920 ASD cases, were included in this study. Children born to mothers with maternal PCOS had higher risks of developing ASD (RR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.26-1.69, I2 = 64%) and ADHD (RR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.35-1.41, I2 = 0%) when compared with children born to mothers without maternal PCOS. CONCLUSION: This study showed that there might be a link between maternal PCOS and the risk of developing ASD and ADHD in the offspring. This important issue must be considered in PCOS women during and after pregnancy.