Cochrane Db Syst Rev
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Systematic reviews are most helpful if they are up-to-date. We did a systematic review of strategies and methods describing when and how to update systematic reviews. ⋯ Little research has been conducted on when and how to update systematic reviews and the feasibility and efficiency of the identified approaches is uncertain. These shortcomings should be addressed in future research.
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Mass media tobacco control campaigns can reach large numbers of people. Much of the literature is focused on the effects of tobacco control advertising on young people, but there are also a number of evaluations of campaigns targeting adult smokers, which show mixed results. Campaigns may be local, regional or national, and may be combined with other components of a comprehensive tobacco control policy. ⋯ There is evidence that comprehensive tobacco control programmes which include mass media campaigns can be effective in changing smoking behaviour in adults, but the evidence comes from a heterogeneous group of studies of variable methodological quality. One state-wide tobacco control programme (Massachusetts) showed positive results up to eight years after the campaign, while another (California) showed positive results only during the period of adequate funding and implementation. Six of nine studies carried out in communities or regions showed some positive effects on smoking behaviour and at least one significant change in smoking prevalence (Sydney). The intensity and duration of mass media campaigns may influence effectiveness, but length of follow up and concurrent secular trends and events can make this difficult to quantify. No consistent relationship was observed between campaign effectiveness and age, education, ethnicity or gender.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2008
ReviewAtypical antipsychotics for people with both schizophrenia and depression.
Many people (up to 50%) with schizophrenia also have co-morbid depression. It has been suggested that new atypical antipsychotic drugs are beneficial for people with the two diagnoses. ⋯ There are too few data to guide patients, carers, clinicians or policy makers. Current practice has to be guided by evidence other than that derived from randomised trials and more trials in this important area are indicated.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2008
Review Meta AnalysisAlendronate for the primary and secondary prevention of osteoporotic fractures in postmenopausal women.
Osteoporosis is an abnormal reduction in bone mass and bone deterioration leading to increased fracture risk. Alendronate belongs to the bisphosphonate class of drugs, which act to inhibit bone resorption by interfering with the activity of osteoclasts. ⋯ At 10 mg per day, both clinically important and statistically significant reductions in vertebral, non-vertebral, hip and wrist fractures were observed for secondary prevention ('gold' level evidence, www.cochranemsk.org). We found no statistically significant results for primary prevention, with the exception of vertebral fractures, for which the reduction was clinically important ('gold' level evidence).
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2008
Review Meta AnalysisRisedronate for the primary and secondary prevention of osteoporotic fractures in postmenopausal women.
Osteoporosis is an abnormal reduction in bone mass and bone deterioration leading to increased fracture risk. Risedronate belongs to the bisphosphonate class of drugs which act to inhibit bone resorption by interfering with the activity of osteoclasts. ⋯ At 5 mg/day a statistically significant and clinically important benefit in the secondary prevention of vertebral, non-vertebral and hip fractures was observed, but not for wrist. The level of evidence for secondary prevention is Gold (www.cochranemsk.org) for vertebral and non-vertebral and Silver for hip and wrist. There were no statistically significant reductions in the primary prevention of vertebral and non-vertebral fractures. The level of evidence is Silver.