Pak J Med Sci
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Review
Harm reduction associated with heated tobacco products: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised studies in humans comparing the outcomes of switching to heated tobacco products (HTPs) versus continuing conventional tobacco smoking by burning. ⋯ In RCTs of moderate quality, some biomarkers show harm reduction associated with switching from burnt tobacco smoking to HTPs. The majority of the findings are imprecise due to the small sample sizes of the included studies. Sufficiently powered, robust RCTs targeting key harm reduction biomarkers within both upper and low-middle income country settings are required in the future.
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Currently, there are many implants in clinical use, making it hard to choose the right one for the patient. The success rate of an implant depends on its diameter, length, and direction of insertion in bone. In implant dentistry, Finite Element Analysis (FEA) simulates intraoral conditions in vitro and analyzes the effects of implant material, diameter, size, and other components related to oral structure on the implant and peri-implant tissues. The objective of the present systematic review was to evaluate the influence of variation in Dental Implant dimensions on Peri-implant Bone Stress/strain distribution, where Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is used as a method of analysis. ⋯ The evidence from the most recent literature suggests that the use of FEA showed promising results in understanding the stress distribution surrounding the implant. It was discovered that the material of the dental implant and the prosthesis, the type of loading, the direction and magnitude of force (axial or non-axial), the quality and quantity of the bone that surrounds the implant, as well as other factors, all play a role in the maintenance of bone around dental implants.
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The survival benefit of venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) for the management of acute high-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) remains unclear. This meta-analysis combines data from comparative studies to assess the risk of mortality after ECMO vs standard care in the management of acute high-risk PE. ⋯ Limited evidence derived from mostly retrospective studies riddled with selection bias suggests that ECMO may not offer additional survival benefits in high-risk PE.
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Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been increasingly recognized as a comorbidity in many psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder (BD). This study aimed to synthesize existing evidence to determine the frequency of OSA in patients diagnosed with BD and identify potential predictors of its occurrence. ⋯ Our results demonstrated higher incidence of OSA in patients with BD. Male BD patients had higher rate of OSA.
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Dyslipidemias are major risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and other comorbidities. The focus on food and nutrition to prevent and treat cardiovascular risk factors including dyslipidemia is a paradigm shift. This is the first meta-analysis to assess the association of dates fruit and dyslipidemia in Type-2 diabetes. The study aimed to assess the same among patients with Type-2 diabetes. ⋯ Dates fruit could reduce total cholesterol, with a non-significant reduction in low-density lipoproteins. No significant effect was evident regarding triglycerides and high-density lipoproteins. Further larger studies with a high selection of controls and dates are needed.