2024-03-20 2024, Volume 17 Issue 3

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  • LETTER
    Ilari Kuitunen , Ville T. Ponkilainen , Mikko Uimonen
    2024, 17(3): 471-473. https://doi.org/10.1111/jebm.12636
  • LETTER
    Jianxin Wang , Rui Sun , Xuemin Gao , Rui Gao
    2024, 17(3): 474-476. https://doi.org/10.1111/jebm.12640
  • LETTER
    José Nunes de Alencar , Gabriel Gonçalves da Costa , Vitor Borin Pardo de Souza , Felipe Nogueira Barbara , Yung Gonzaga , Arn Migowski
    2024, 17(3): 477-479. https://doi.org/10.1111/jebm.12641
  • LETTER
    Yoshihiro Noguchi , Rikuto Masuda , Masataka Shishido , Tomoaki Yoshimura
    2024, 17(3): 480-482. https://doi.org/10.1111/jebm.12647
  • LETTER
    Jiayue Xu , Wenkai Wu , Jundi Jia , Liang Du , Wen Wang , Xin Sun
    2024, 17(3): 483-485. https://doi.org/10.1111/jebm.12648
  • LETTER
    Ning Liang , Yujing Zhang , Xuefei Zhang , Lijiao Yan , Chen Zhao , Sihong Yang , Ziteng Hu , Zehui Ye , Qianzi Che , Bin Liu , Haili Zhang , Huizhen Li , Zhao Chen , Qi Zhang , Taixiang Wu , Yanping Wang , Nannan Shi , Luqi Huang
    2024, 17(3): 486-489. https://doi.org/10.1111/jebm.12651
  • ARTICLE
    Xiang Yuan , Xingyu Xiong , Jianxin Xue
    2024, 17(3): 490-502. https://doi.org/10.1111/jebm.12628

    Objective: In this study, we aimed to perform a network meta-analysis (NMA) to investigate the effects of different testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) administration routes on lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in aging men with late-onset hypogonadism (LOH).

    Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, CNKI, WanFang Data, and VIP was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting data on International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, or prostate volume. NMA was performed, and subgroup analysis was conducted to assess the impact of TRT duration on outcomes.

    Results: A total of 21 RCTs involving 2453 participants were included. For pairwise meta-analysis,p values for TRT delivered by transdermal, intramuscular, and oral routes were as follows: IPSS: 0.93, 0.20, and 0.76; PSA level: 0.20, 0.27, and 0.98; prostate volume: 0.18, 0.04, and 0.16. There were no significant differences in IPSS, PSA level, or prostate volume between TRT routes. In subgroup analysis, long-term intramuscular TRT significantly decreased IPSS (p = 0.03), short-term transdermal TRT increased PSA levels (p < 0.001), and short-term intramuscular TRT increased the prostate volume (p = 0.04). Other forms of TRT showed no significant change in IPSS, PSA level, and prostate volume compared with the placebo. Indirect comparison of the three administration routes demonstrated no significant differences in IPSS, PSA level, and prostate volume. Nevertheless, surface under the cumulative ranking curve analysis indicated that intramuscular TRT had an 83% probability of being the best method for decreasing IPSS.

    Conclusions: The results demonstrate that TRT does not worsen LUTS regardless of the administration route. Intramuscular TRT may be the preferred treatment for aging men with LOH and LUTS. Intramuscular TRT may be the preferred treatment for men with LOH and LUTS. Further research is warranted to validate these findings and optimize TRT management strategies.

  • ARTICLE
    Qin Wang , Peipei Shi , Lu Cao , Haoran Li , Xiankai Chen , Peiyu Wang , Jianjiang Zhang
    2024, 17(3): 503-525. https://doi.org/10.1111/jebm.12629

    Objective: Skeletal muscle catabolism supports multiple organs and systems during severe trauma and infection, but its role in COVID-19 remains unclear. This study investigates the interactions between skeletal muscle and COVID-19.

    Methods: The PubMed, EMbase, and The Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched from January 2020 to August 2023 for cohort studies focusing on the impact of skeletal muscle on COVID-19 prevalence and outcomes, and longitudinal studies examining skeletal muscle changes caused by COVID-19. Skeletal muscle quantity (SMQN) and quality (SMQL) were assessed separately. The random-effect model was predominantly utilized for statistical analysis.

    Results: Seventy studies with moderate to high quality were included. Low SMQN/SMQL was associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 infection (OR = 1.62,p < 0.001). Both the low SMQN and SMQL predicted COVID-19-related mortality (OR = 1.53,p = 0.016; OR = 2.18,p = 0.001, respectively). Mortality risk decreased with increasing SMQN (OR = 0.979,p = 0.009) and SMQL (OR = 0.972,p = 0.034). Low SMQN and SMQL were also linked to the need for intensive care unit/mechanical ventilation, increased COVID-19 severity, and longer hospital stays. Significant skeletal muscle wasting, characterized by reduced volume and strength, was observed during COVID-19 infection and the pandemic.

    Conclusions: This study reveals a detrimental vicious circle between skeletal muscle and COVID-19. Effective management of skeletal muscle could be beneficial for treating COVID-19 infections and addressing the broader pandemic. These findings have important implications for the management of future virus pandemics.

  • ARTICLE
    Jingen Li , Meili Yu , Yanhui Wang , Siming Li , Siwei Li , Xue Feng , Ruijie Li , Keji Chen , Hao Xu
    2024, 17(3): 526-534. https://doi.org/10.1111/jebm.12631

    Aim: While Baduanjin, a traditional Chinese mind-body exercise, has shown potential health benefits, its efficacy in improving outcomes for heart failure patients with mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction (HFmrEF/HFpEF) has not been well documented. We aimed to investigate the adjunctive impact of Baduanjin on exercise capacity and quality of life for HFmrEF/HFpEF.

    Methods: Patients with HFmrEF/HFpEF were enrolled in this multicenter randomized clinical trial. All participants were randomized to conventional cardiac rehabilitation with or without an additional 12-week Baduanjin exercise. The primary endpoint was the distance covered in a 6-min walk test (6MWD), while key secondary outcomes included quality of life measured by the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) and cardiopulmonary function including anaerobic threshold (VO2 AT).

    Results: A total of 120 patients were enrolled, and 109 completed all session and tests. The mean age of the 120 patients was 60.5 years (SD, 9.21 years), and 23 (19.2%) were women. The Baduanjin group exhibited a 6.14% improvement in 6MWD compared to a 1.32% improvement in the control group (median improvement, 25.0 vs. 5.0 m; p < 0.001) at 12th week. The VO2 AT increased by 25.87% in the Baduanjin group versus 3.94% in the control group (p < 0.001). Quality of life also significantly improved in the Baduanjin group as indicated by MLHFQ score changes (–16.8% vs. –3.99%; p < 0.001).

    Conclusions: Adding Baduanjin to exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation for patients with ischemic HFmrEF or HFpEF are generally safe and could provide significant improvements in exercise capacity and quality of life.

  • ARTICLE
    Qing Wang , Yanfei Liu , Shihan Xu , Fenglan Liu , Luqi Huang , Fengqin Xu , Yue Liu
    2024, 17(3): 535-549. https://doi.org/10.1111/jebm.12632

    Objective: This study aimed to develop and validate an eMCI-CHD tool based on clinical data to predict mild cognitive impairment (MCI) risk in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).

    Methods: This cross-sectional study prospectively collected data from 400 patients with coronary heart disease (aged 55–90 years, 62% men) from July 2022 to September 2023 and randomized (7:3 ratio) them into training and validation sets. After determining the modeling variables through least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis, four ML classifiers were developed: logistic regression, extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), support vector machine, and random forest. The performance of the models was evaluated using area under the ROC curve, accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and F1 score. Decision curve analysis was used to assess the clinical performance of the established models. The SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method was applied to determine the significance of the features, the predictive model was visualized with a nomogram, and an online web-based calculator for predicting CHD-MCI risk scores was developed.

    Results: Of 400 CHD patients (average age 70.86 ± 8.74 years), 220 (55%) had MCI. The XGBoost model demonstrated superior performance (AUC: 0.86, accuracy: 78.57%, sensitivity: 0.74, specificity: 0.84, F1: 0.79) and underwent validation. An online tool (https://mr.cscps.com.cn/mci/index.html) with seven predictive variables (APOE gene typing, age, education, TyG index, NT-proBNP, C-reactive protein, and occupation) assessed MCI risk in CHD patients.

    Conclusion: This study highlights the potential for predicting MCI risk among CHD patients using an ML model-driven nomogram and risk scoring tool based on clinical data.

  • ARTICLE
    Minghong Yao , Fan Mei , Kang Zou , Ling Li , Xin Sun
    2024, 17(3): 550-558. https://doi.org/10.1111/jebm.12633

    Objective: An important consideration when combining RCTs and NRSIs is how to address their potential biases in the pooled estimates. This study aimed to propose a Bayesian bias-adjusted random effects model for the synthesis of evidence from RCTs and NRSIs.

    Methods: We present a Bayesian bias-adjusted random effects model based on power prior method, which combines the likelihood contribution of the NRSIs, raised to the power parameter of alpha, with the likelihood of the RCT data, modeled with an additive bias. The method was illustrated using a meta-analysis on the association between low-dose methotrexate exposure and melanoma. We also combined RCTs and NRSIs using the naïve data synthesis.

    Results: The results including only RCTs has a posterior median and 95% credible interval (CrI) of 1.18 (0.31–4.04), the posterior probability of any harm (> 1.0) and a meaningful association (> 1.15) were 0.61 and 0.52, respectively. The posterior median and 95% CrI based on the naïve data synthesis resulted in 1.17 (0.96–1.47), and the posterior probability of any harm and a meaningful association were 0.96 and 0.60, respectively. For the Bayesian bias-adjusted analysis, the median OR was 1.16 (95% CrI: 0.83–1.71), and the posterior probabilities of any and a meaningful clinical association were 0.88 and 0.53, respectively.

    Conclusions: The results indicated that integrating NRSIs into meta-analysis could increase the certainty of the body of evidence. However, directly combining RCTs and NRSIs in the same meta-analysis without distinction may lead to misleading conclusions.

  • ARTICLE
    Da Zhou , Donglai Chen , Peidong Song , Zihao Hu , Sukai Xu , Rongying Zhu , Yongbing Chen
    2024, 17(3): 559-574. https://doi.org/10.1111/jebm.12634

    Aim: Conflicting results have been reported about the impact of neoadjuvant therapy on anastomotic leakage (AL) after esophagectomy. We aimed to unravel the potential effect of neoadjuvant therapy on AL after esophagectomy through a network meta-analysis.

    Methods: A Bayesian network meta-analysis was performed by retrieving relevant literature from PubMed, EMbase, The Cochrane Library and Web of Science Core Collection. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and retrospective studies (RS) comparing the following treatment modalities were included: neoadjuvant chemoradiation (nCRT), neoadjuvant chemotherapy (nCT), neoadjuvant radiotherapy (nR), neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy (nICT), and surgery alone (SA). Subgroup analyses by radiation dose, examined lymph nodes (ELN), route of reconstruction, site of anastomosis, and surgical approach were also conducted.

    Results: A total of 62 studies with 12, 746 patients were included for the present study, among which 17 were RCTs. There were no significantly statistical differences observed among the five treatment modalities in AL for both RCTs (nCRT-nICT: risk ratio 1.51, 95% confidence interval 0.52–4.4; nCT-nICT: 1.71, 0.56–5.08; nICT-nR: 0.79, 0.12–8.02; nICT-SA: 0.59, 0.2–1.84) and RS (nCRT-nICT: odds ratio 1.53, 95% confidence interval 0.84–2.84; nCT-nICT: 1.56, 0.87–2.88; nICT-SA: 0.6, 0.31–1.12; nICT-nR: 1.08, 0.09–36.02). Subgroup analysis revealed that no significant difference in AL was observed among the five treatment modalities except for the impact of nCRT versus nCT (0.21, 0.05–0.73) on AL with a radiation dose ≥41.4 Gy.

    Conclusions: Neoadjuvant therapy do not significantly increase the incidence of AL after esophagectomy. Administration of irradiation with a moderate dose is not associated with elevated risk in AL. Clinicians can be less apprehensive about prescribing nCRT.

  • ARTICLE
    Lihui Deng , Zhiyao Chen , Ping Zhu , Cheng Hu , Tao Jin , Xinwei Wang , Lan Li , Ziqi Lin , Jia Guo , Xiaonan Yang , Na Shi , Xiaoxin Zhang , Xinmin Yang , Kun Jiang , Yun Ma , Qingyuan Tan , Ling Li , Wen Wang , Wei Huang , Xin Sun , Qing Xia
    2024, 17(3): 575-587. https://doi.org/10.1111/jebm.12635

    Aim: This study aimed to evaluate whether integrated traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine (WM) is more effective than WM for acute pancreatitis (AP).

    Methods: Patients with AP were enrolled and divided into the TCM and WM (TCM&WM) and WM groups according to the therapeutic protocol in real clinical settings. We applied 1:3 propensity score matching, which was to adjust confounding factors. The primary outcome was mortality, whereas the secondary outcomes were organ failure, organ supportive therapies, local complications, hospitalization cost, and length of hospital stay. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses were also performed.

    Results: Of 5442 patients with AP, 4691 and 751 were included in the TCM&WM and WM groups, respectively. After PSM, patient baseline characteristics were well balanced. Compared with the WM group (n = 734), the TCM&WM group (n = 2096) had lower overall mortality rate (1.7% vs. 3.4%; risk ratio, 0.482; 95% confidence interval, 0.286–0.810; p = 0.005). The TCM&WM group was associated with lower risk of persistent renal failure, multiple organ failure, and infection, lower utilization of organ supportive therapies, shortened lengths of hospital and intensive care unit stay, and lower hospital costs. Sensitivity analyses showed similar results. Subgroup analysis favored TCM&WM treatment for patients aged < 60 years, with hypertriglyceridic etiology, and with admission interval between 24 and 48 h.

    Conclusion: TCM&WM treatment can achieve lower risks of mortality and organ failure and better economic effectiveness in patients with AP than WM treatment. This study provides a promising alternative of TCM&WM treatment for AP in the real-world setting.

  • ARTICLE
    Kwang Hyun Chung , In Rae Cho , Young Hoon Choi , Young Deok Cho , Ji Kon Ryu , Sang Hyub Lee , Kyungdo Han
    2024, 17(3): 588-596. https://doi.org/10.1111/jebm.12637

    Objective: There have been several epidemiologic studies on the association between diabetes mellitus and acute pancreatitis. However, there is no solid evidence, and the effect of diabetes mellitus severity on acute pancreatitis incidence is not well known. This study aimed to evaluate the association between diabetic status and the risk of acute pancreatitis in a nationwide population-based cohort.

    Methods: Among the participants who underwent national health examinations between 2009 and 2012, patients with diabetes mellitus were included. Patients diagnosed with acute pancreatitis before the health examination or diagnosed with pancreatitis within 1 year following the examination were excluded. The association between the number of oral hypoglycemic agents (<3 or ≥3) or insulin use during examination and acute pancreatitis occurrence was analyzed after follow-up until December 31, 2018.

    Results: Overall, 2, 444, 254 patients were included in the final analysis. During the follow-up period, acute pancreatitis occurred in 10, 360 patients with an incidence ratio of 0.585 per 1, 000 person-years, and it was observed that the risk of acute pancreatitis sequentially increased between patients taking oral hypoglycemic agents <3 (incidence ratio = 0.546), those taking ≥3 (incidence ratio = 0.665), and those using insulin (incidence ratio = 0.872). The adjusted hazard ratios of patients taking three or more hypoglycemic agents and those using insulin were 1.196 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.123–1.273) and 1.493 (95% CI 1.398–1.594), respectively.

    Conclusions: As diabetes mellitus severity increases, the risk of acute pancreatitis increases.

  • ARTICLE
    Mengshu Wang , Xufei Luo , Janne Estill , Karen Spruyt , Ryo Kurokawa , Nav Persaud , Yasuteru Shimamura , Holly Raison , Paolo Niccolò Franco , Cesare Maino , Hussein Elkhayat , Rehab A. Galal , Daisuke Kimura , Shingo Omata , Sergey A. Ryzhkin , Timur R. Izmailov , Rustem A. Bashirov , Zhaoxiang Bian , Jinhui Tian , Junqiang Lei
    2024, 17(3): 597-603. https://doi.org/10.1111/jebm.12638

    Aim: The study aimed to evaluate the reliability and usability of the CARE-Radiology checklist in assessing radiological case reports and provide a basis for its broader adoption and optimization.

    Methods: Ten randomly selected radiological case reports published in scientific journals in 2020 were evaluated using the CARE-Radiology checklist. Twenty-six experts from 10 countries were invited to independently assess all ten reports. The reliability of the checklist was measured using Fleiss’ Kappa, and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Usability was evaluated by recording the time taken to complete the assessments and requesting the evaluators to rate each item on a Likert scale for its easiness of use.

    Results: The median time for evaluating one radiological case report was 15 min. The overall agreement among evaluators showed moderate reliability with a Kappa value of 0.47 and a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.51. The mean compliance rate for the items of CARE-Radiology was 61.8%, with some items exceeding 90% compliance. Items related to abstracts and keywords had the lowest compliance rates. The evaluators found most items easy to understand, with a few exceptions.

    Conclusions: The CARE-Radiology checklist is relatively easy for researchers to use and understand. Continuous feedback is necessary for future revisions and updates, to enhance the effectiveness of the checklist, and to improve user experience.

  • ARTICLE
    Yongbo Wang , Xiangying Ren , Kuang Gao , Mukun Chen , Qiao Huang , Siyu Yan , Yan Zhu , Xin Sun , Yaolong Chen , Long Ge , Jinguang Gu , Feng Gao , Wenbin Hu , Liang Hong , Chen Zhao , Hongcai Shang , Yinghui Jin
    2024, 17(3): 604-614. https://doi.org/10.1111/jebm.12639

    Objective: Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine (TCM and WM) are important medical documents used to assist medical decision-making and are of great significance for standardizing clinical pathways. However, due to the constraints of text format, it is difficult for Integrated TCM and WM CPGs to play a real role in medical practice. In addition, how to standardize the structure and semantic relationships between Integrated TCM and WM CPG knowledge, and realize the construction of computable, sharable and reliable CPGs, remains an urgent issue to be addressed. Therefore, we are proposing an ontology of CPGs for Integrated TCM and WM.

    Methods: We first initialized domain concepts and relationships to ensure the accuracy of the ontology knowledge structure. We then screened CPGs that meet the standards for Integrated TCM and WM, analyzed and classified the contents, and extracted the common structures. Based on the seven-step ontology construction method combined with inference-complement, referring to the representation methods and hierarchical relationships of terms and concepts in MeSH, ICD-10, SNOMED-CT, and other ontologies and terminology sets, we formed the concept structure and semantic relationship tables for the ontology. We also achieved the matching and mapping between the ontology and reference ontologies and term sets. Next, we defined the aspects and constraints of properties, selected multiple Integrated TCM and WM CPGs as instances to populate, and used ontology reasoning tools and formulated defined inference rules to reason and extend the ontology. Finally, we evaluated the performance of the ontology.

    Results: The content of the Integrated TCM and WM CPGs is divided into nine parts: basic information, background, development method, clinical question, recommendation, evidence, conclusion, result, and reason for recommendations. The Integrated TCM and WM CPG ontology has 152 classes and defines 90 object properties and 114 data properties, with a maximum classification depth of 4 layers. The terms of disease, drug and examination item names in the ontology have been standardized.

    Conclusions: This study proposes an Integrated TCM and WM CPG ontology. The ontology adopts a modular design, which has both sharing and scaling ability, and can express rich guideline knowledge. It provides important support for the semantic processing and computational application of guideline documents.

  • ARTICLE
    Meixuan Li , Shitong Xie , Minyan Yang , Yanan Wu , Zijun Li , Rui Li , Xiuxia Li , Xue Li , Yijun Liu , Jing Wu , Kun Zhao , Feng Xie , Kehu Yang
    2024, 17(3): 615-625. https://doi.org/10.1111/jebm.12642

    Objective: The Generic Version of China Health Related Outcomes Measures (CHROME-G) was a new preference-based health-related quality of life (HRQoL) instrument designed specifically for the Chinese population. This study aimed to validate and compare measurement properties of CHROME-G with EuroQol-5 Dimensions-5 Levels (EQ-5D-5L), Short Form-6 Dimensions version 2 (SF-6Dv2), and Diabetes-Specific Quality of Life (DSQL) scales among the elderly Chinese population with type 2 diabetes.

    Methods: A representative sample population was recruited across the country. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. Hypotheses testing including convergent validity and known-groups validity were evaluated using Spearman’s rank correlation and effect sizes, respectively. Sensitivity was examined using relative efficiency and receiver operating characteristic curve.

    Results: A total of 131 individuals with type 2 diabetes (54.20% male; mean age 69.03 years) were enrolled. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.94 for DSQL, 0.93 for CHROME-G, 0.87 for EQ-5D-5L, and 0.88 for SF-6Dv2. For the convergent validity of CHROME-G, 24/29 (82.76%) correlations met the predefined hypotheses, with Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients ranging from 0.51 to 0.96. Among the different health subgroups, the effect sizes for CHROME-G, DSQL, EQ-5D-5L, and SF-6Dv2 were 0.19–1.26, 0.36–1.62, 0.22–1.06, and 0.49–0.87, respectively. CHROME-G, DSQL, and SF-6Dv2 had higher efficiency compared with EQ-5D-5L in detecting differences in self-reported health status, with relative efficiency of 3.18 and 1.76, 4.38 and 6.52, and 1.56 and 2.09, respectively.

    Conclusions: CHROME-G demonstrates relatively good measurement properties compared with EQ-5D-5L and SF-6Dv2 for measuring the HRQoL among the elderly Chinese population with type 2 diabetes. The sensitivity of DSQL appears to be better than that of the three generic instruments.

  • ARTICLE
    Yuxin Li , Jun Xiong , Zheng Zhang , Kai Liao , Xiaohong Zhou , Jun Li , Jie Xiang , Lingling Xu
    2024, 17(3): 626-642. https://doi.org/10.1111/jebm.12645

    Background: Intranasal corticosteroids were recommended as first-line drugs for the treatment of allergic rhinitis (AR) children. A variety of corticosteroids were available for clinical choice; however, which could relieve the clinical symptoms of patients to the greatest extent was currently unknown. Thus, we performed a network meta-analysis (NMA) to systematically evaluate the effectiveness and safety of different corticosteroids in treating children with AR, which might provide a basis for more rational clinical treatment decisions.

    Methods: Seven electronic databases were searched, and the retrieval time range was the time from their inception to November 2023. The literature screening, data extraction, and assessment of the risk of bias of included studies were completed independently by two reviewers. A frequentist NMA was performed with Stata17.0 software.

    Results: A total of 43 RCTs covering 10, 897 participants were included. In the improvement of reflective total nasal symptom score (rTNSS) and instantaneous total nasal symptom score (iTNSS), fluticasone furoate nasal spray (FFNS) and beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) nasal aerosol presented the best efficacy. Regarding the incidence of adverse reactions, mometasone furoate aqueous nasal spray (MFANS) and BDP showed a good safety profile. In terms of the influence of cortisol (urinary free cortisol, plasma cortisol) and growth, no significant difference was observed between the different groups.

    Conclusion: The results showed that BDP nasal aerosol and FFNS had best efficacy; MFANS and BDP had the best safety profile. However, this conclusion was less convincing because of the limited numbers of patients/controls and study quality.

  • ARTICLE
    Shuzhen Bai , Chu Lin , Xiaoling Cai , Han Wu , Ruoyang Jiao , Suiyuan Hu , Fang Lv , Wenjia Yang , Linong Ji
    2024, 17(3): 643-653. https://doi.org/10.1111/jebm.12646

    Background: The associations between the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) slope and the cardiorenal prognosis in patients with renoprotective drugs have not been well characterized yet.

    Methods: PubMed, Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library, CNKI, WanFang, Weipu databases and Clinicaltrial.gov were searched from inception to April 2023. Event-driven randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating renoprotective drugs and reporting eGFR slopes in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, heart failure, type 2 diabetes, or chronic kidney disease were included.

    Results: In all, 25 RCTs with 179, 893 participants were included. The preservation of eGFR was observed in patients with renoprotective drugs, with a comparator-adjusted total eGFR slope of 0.51 mL/min per 1.73 m2/year (95% CI, 0.31 to 0.70). It was indicated that the eGFR preservation reflected by the positive comparator-adjusted total eGFR slope was associated with a reduced risk of composite renal outcome (β = −0.097, 95% CI, -0.178 to -0.016,p = 0.022), but was not associated with the risks of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) or all-cause mortality. In patients with SGLT2i, MRA, or RAASi treatments, the placebo-adjusted acute eGFR slope was -0.59 mL/min per 1.73 m2 per week (95% CI, -0.74 to -0.43), which was marginally associated with a reduced risk of composite renal outcome (β = 0.290, 95% CI, 0.000 to 0.581,p = 0.050), but was not associated with the risks of MACE or all-cause mortality.

    Conclusions: The eGFR preservation reflected by the positive comparator-adjusted total eGFR slope was associated with a reduced risk of composite renal outcome in patients receiving renoprotective agents. Greater acute decline in eGFR during the initiation of the treatment might confer a trend of fewer renal events in patients receiving SGLT2i, MRA, or RAASi.

  • ARTICLE
    Jiansheng Li , Hailong Zhang , Jun Wang , Xuechao Lu , Mingyan Zuo , Li Jiao , Xiaofan Lu , Yang Wang
    2024, 17(3): 654-666. https://doi.org/10.1111/jebm.12650

    Aim: This study aimed to develop and evaluate the efficacy and safety of Supine Daoyin, a TCM PR technique, in hospitalized patients with AECOPD.

    Methods: This is a multicenter, prospective, randomized, controlled trial involving AECOPD inpatients recruited from April 2021 to December 2023 in five tertiary hospitals in China. Participants were randomly assigned to 14 days of Supine Daoyin group or control group and evaluated at days 3, 7, and 14 (posttreatment). The primary outcomes were LOS and CCQ and secondary outcomes were 6MWD, 30-STS, BI, Borg CR10, time on mechanical ventilation, SGRQ, mCOPD-PRO, and mESQ-COPD.

    Results: Out of 369 participants screened, 228 were randomly assigned (Supine Daoyin group: n = 114; control group: n = 114). For primary outcomes, there was no significant between-group difference in LOS (p > 0.05), but for CCQ the Supine Daoyin was superior to control at days 7 (p < 0.01) and 14 (p < 0.01). For secondary outcomes, Supine Daoyin groups showed robust and superior improvements in 6MWD, 30-STS, BI, Borg CR10, SGRQ, mCOPD-PRO, and mESQ-COPD (all p < 0.05), but for time on mechanical ventilation there was no significant difference in two groups (p > 0.05).

    Conclusion: Supine Daoyin, a novel TCM PR technique, demonstrates safety and efficacy for AECOPD inpatients, yielding clinically meaningful improvements in health status, exercise capacity, and quality of life. This study offers a viable PR option for AECOPD patients with severe symptoms and limited mobility.

  • ARTICLE
    Yuwen Zhou , Qian Xu , Jialing Wang , Wei-Bing Leng , Peng Cao , Ye Chen , De-Yun Luo , Meng Qiu , Jiyan Liu
    2024, 17(3): 667-674. https://doi.org/10.1111/jebm.12652

    Background: This study aims to compare the effectiveness and safety of the combination of raltitrexed, S-1 (RS), and fruquintinib with the combination of RS and bevacizumab in patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

    Methods: This retrospective cohort included mCRC patients who received the RS plus fruquintinib or regorafenib as the third-line therapy from May 2019 to April 2023. A propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was used to balance the baseline characteristics of all patients. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), tumor response, and safety of the two regimens were evaluated.

    Results: Of the 153 patients enrolled, 123 patients received the RS plus bevacizumab and 30 patients received the RS plus fruquintinib. After PSM, 30 pairs were analyzed. Patients treated with RS plus fruquintinib had a longer PFS than those treated with RS plus bevacizumab before PSM (5.0 months vs. 4.3 months,p = 0.008) and after PSM (5.0 months vs. 4.4 months,p = 0.012). A longer OS was also observed in RS plus fruquintinib group before PSM and after PSM, but there was no statistic difference between two groups after PSM. Both objective response rate and disease control rate were higher in the RS plus fruquintinib cohort than those in the RS plus bevacizumab cohort before PSM, and the difference in values between the two groups reduced after PSM. The adverse effects (AEs) of both groups were well tolerated.

    Conclusion: In patients with refractory mCRC, RS plus fruquintinib demonstrated a superior OS, PFS than RS plus bevacizumab and had manageable AEs.

  • REVIEW
    Siyi Zhu , Wenchun Qu , Chengqi He
    2024, 17(3): 675-687. https://doi.org/10.1111/jebm.12627

    Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) significantly contributes to the global disability burden, with its incidence expected to escalate by 74.9% by 2050. The urgency to comprehend and tackle this condition is critical, necessitating an updated and thorough review of KOA. A systematic review up to February 26, 2024, has elucidated the principal aspects of KOA’s pathogenesis, risk factors, clinical manifestations, and contemporary management paradigms. The origins of KOA are intricately linked to mechanical, inflammatory, and metabolic disturbances that impair joint function. Notable risk factors include age, obesity, and previous knee injuries. Diagnosis predominantly relies on clinical assessment, with radiographic evaluation reserved conditionally. The significance of rehabilitation assessments, informed by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health framework, is highlighted. Treatment strategies are diverse, prioritizing nonpharmacological measures such as patient education, exercise, and weight management, with pharmacological interventions considered adjuncts. Intra-articular injections and surgical options are contemplated for instances where conventional management is inadequate. KOA stands as a predominant disability cause globally, characterized by a complex etiology and profound effects on individuals’ quality of life. Early, proactive management focusing on nonpharmacological interventions forms the cornerstone of treatment, aiming to alleviate symptoms and enhance joint function. This comprehensive review underscores the need for early diagnosis, individualized treatment plans, and the integration of rehabilitation assessments to optimize patient outcomes. Further research is needed to refine prevention strategies and improve management outcomes for KOA patients.