ABSTRACT
Background: Besides being commonly used to treat high blood pressure, beta blockers are a family of drugs that are primarily used to regulate irregular cardiac rhythms. Nebivolol is a third generation of beta blockers, which is highly cardioselective, about three times as selective as bisoprolol. In this study, we aimed to evaluate Nebivolol's effectiveness and safety in comparison to other beta blockers. Methods: We searched the online databases PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane Library for relevant RCTs evaluating Nebivolol's effect on hypertension management. Relative risk (WRR) and weighted mean difference (WMD), with a 95% confidence interval (CI) were utilized to quantify the impact of nebivolol medication in the treatment of hypertension using a random effects model. Results: Twelve RCTs are included in the study, the patient numbers in every attempt ranged from 42-273 and 1456 patients in all were included in this review. Nebivolol does not significantly reduce SBP, DBP and HR compared to other beta blockers (WMD -0.57 mmHg, 95% CI [-1.55; 0.42 mmHg] p=0.12; WMD -0.27 mmHg, 95% CI [-1.36; 0.82 mmHg] p=0.63 ; WMD 0.10 BPM, 95% CI [-4.11;1.31 BPM] p=0.96, respectively). Patients treated with Nebivolol has significantly lower LDL-C (WMD -8.88 mg/dL, 95% CI [-15.28; -2.48 mg/dL] p=0.007) and significantly higher HDL-C (WMD 2.30 mg/dL, 95% CI [0.75; 3.84 mg/dL] p=0.004. Conclusions: According to this study's findings, nebivolol is well tolerated and decreases LDL-C. And higher HDL-C than other beta blocker agents. This review does not recommend nebivolol as first-line treatment in hypertension as Nebivolol does not significantly reduce blood pressure and HR of patients.
ABSTRACT
Background: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common disorder and although most of the cases are mild, the mortality risk is high when it comes to severe AP. It is therefore important to determine the severity of AP as early as possible. This review aimed to determine the prognostic value of C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CRP/alb ratio) in patients with AP. Methods: We performed a systematic search on the electronic databases PubMed, Science Direct, and Cochrane Library up to January 2023. Studies reporting CRP/alb ratio on admission and its association with severity or mortality in AP patients were included. We calculated pooled mean difference (MD) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) using a random-effects model. Quality assessment of the included studies was appraised using a Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Results: A total of six studies comprising 2244 patients were included in this meta-analysis. Severe AP had higher CRP/alb ratio on admission than mild-moderate AP (pooled MD: 3.59; 95% CI: 2.51-4.68; p<0.00001). CRP/alb ratio was also significantly higher on non-survivor AP patients compared to survivor AP patients (pooled MD: 2.12; 95% CI: 0.43-3.8; p < 0.01). Conclusion: High CRP/alb ratio can be used as an early predictor of poor prognosis in patients with AP.
Subject(s)
C-Reactive Protein , Pancreatitis , Humans , C-Reactive Protein/analysis , Prognosis , Pancreatitis/diagnosis , Acute Disease , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
Aim of the study: Patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) have no recognizable clinical symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy (HE), but the mild cognitive and psychomotor deficits have been shown to negatively affect their daily functioning and quality of life. Treatment with probiotics has shown benefit in some clinical trials. This review aimed to systematically analyze the efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of MHE. Material and methods: A systematic search of the electronic databases PubMed, Science Direct, and Cochrane Library was conducted for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in adult patients with MHE who had been given probiotics intervention. The primary outcomes were reversal of MHE and improvement of neuropsychometric tests, while the secondary outcome was the reduction of serum ammonia. Results: Nine RCTs involving 776 MHE patients were included, consisting of 311 patients receiving probiotics and 465 patients receiving comparator (placebo or no treatment, lactulose, L-ornithine L-aspartate [LOLA], or rifaximin). The meta-analysis showed that probiotics significantly reversed MHE (OR = 3.95, p < 0.0001, 95% CI: 2.05 to 7.60) compared with placebo or no treatment. Probiotics also significantly reduced serum ammonia compared with placebo (pooled mean difference -25.94, p = 0.04, 95% CI: -50.21 to -1.66). However when compared to lactulose and LOLA, probiotics did not show a significant difference in reversal of MHE or reduction of serum ammonia levels. Conclusions: Probiotics were more effective in reversal of MHE and reduced serum ammonia levels in patients with MHE compared to placebo or no treatment, but not more effective than lactulose or LOLA.
ABSTRACT
Fatty liver disease is defined as liver condition characterized by hepatic steatosis, closely related to pathological conditions in type 2 diabetes and obesity. The high prevalence of fatty liver disease in obese patients with type 2 diabetes reached 70%, reflecting the importance of these conditions with fatty liver. Although the exact pathological mechanism of fatty liver disease, specifically non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remains not completely revealed, insulin resistance is suggested as the major mechanism that bridged the development of NAFLD. Indeed, loss of the incretin effect leads to insulin resistance. Since incretin is closely related to insulin resistance and the resistance of insulin associated with the development of fatty liver disease, this pathway suggested a potential me-chanism that explains the association between type 2 diabetes and NAFLD. Furthermore, recent studies indicated that NAFLD is associated with impaired glucagon-like peptide-1, resulting in decreased incretin effect. Nevertheless, improving the incretin effect becomes a reasonable approach to manage fatty liver disease. This review elucidates the involvement of incretin in fatty liver disease and recent studies of incretin as the management for fatty liver disease.
ABSTRACT
Insulin resistance provides an important role in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Several studies already evaluate vitamin D supplementation for NAFLD patients in relation to insulin resistance. The results obtained still carry conflicting results. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of additional treatment of vitamin D for the improvement of insulin resistance in NAFLD patients. Relevant literatures were obtained from PubMed, Google Scholar, COCHRANE, and Science Direct database. The obtained studies were analyzed using fixed effect model or random effect model. Seven eligible studies with a total of 735 participants were included. Vitamin D supplementation improves insulin resistance in NAFLD patients, marked by reduced Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), with pooled mean difference - 1.06 (p = 0.0006; 95% CI - 1.66 to - 0.45). Vitamin D supplementation increase the level of vitamin D serum with pooled mean difference of 17.45 (p = 0.0002; 95% CI 8.33 to 26.56). Vitamin D supplementation decrease ALT levels, with pooled mean difference of - 4.44 (p = 0.02; 95% CI - 8.24 to - 0.65). No effect was observed for AST levels. Vitamin D supplementation provides beneficial effects on the improvement of insulin resistance in NAFLD patients. This supplementation may reduce HOMA-IR in such patients. It may serve as a potential adjunctive treatment for NAFLD patients.
Subject(s)
Insulin Resistance , Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease , Dietary Supplements , Humans , Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/drug therapy , Vitamin D/therapeutic use , Vitamins/pharmacologyABSTRACT
Tuberculous osteomyelitis is an uncommon form of tuberculosis (TB); the isolated involvement of the wrist joint is particularly rare. The symptoms and clinical manifestation mimic other conditions; hence, careful diagnosis is required. The authors present two cases of patients presenting with soft tissue mass and a lytic bone lesion. The biopsy revealed granulomatous osteomyelitis. Lesion culture identified Mycobacterium tuberculosis . The authors urge clinicians to include TB as a differential diagnosis when investigating the primary cause of lytic bone lesions, even in the absence of pulmonary symptoms or risk factors of TB infection. The inclusion of mycobacterial cultures when analyzing biopsies of lytic bone lesions is also advised.
ABSTRACT
Abstract Tuberculous osteomyelitis is an uncommon form of tuberculosis (TB); the isolated involvement of the wrist joint is particularly rare. The symptoms and clinical manifestation mimic other conditions; hence, careful diagnosis is required. The authors present two cases of patients presenting with soft tissue mass and a lytic bone lesion. The biopsy revealed granulomatous osteomyelitis. Lesion culture identified Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The authors urge clinicians to include TB as a differential diagnosis when investigating the primary cause of lytic bone lesions, even in the absence of pulmonary symptoms or risk factors of TB infection. The inclusion of mycobacterial cultures when analyzing biopsies of lytic bone lesions is also advised.
Resumo A osteomielite tuberculosa é uma forma incomum de tuberculose (TB) e o acometimento isolado da articulação do punho pelo TB é particularmente raro. Os sintomas e a manifestação clínica imitam outras doenças; portanto, um diagnóstico cuidadoso é necessário. Os autores apresentam dois casos de pacientes com massa nas partes moles e lesão óssea lítica. A biópsia revelou osteomielite granulomatosa. A cultura da lesão identificou Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Os autores recomendam que médicos clínicos incluam a TB como um diagnóstico diferencial da causa primária das lesões ósseas líticas, mesmo na ausência de sintomas pulmonares ou fatores de risco de infecção por TB. A inclusão de culturas micobacterianas na análise de biópsias de lesões ósseas líticas também é recomendada.
