Clinical epidemiology
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Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic fibrotic lung disease of unknown cause that occurs in adults and has a poor prognosis. Its epidemiology has been difficult to study because of its rarity and evolution in diagnostic and coding practices. ⋯ Potential risk factors include occupational and environmental exposures, tobacco smoking, gastroesophageal reflux, and genetic factors. An accurate understanding of its epidemiology is important, especially as novel therapies are emerging.
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Clinical epidemiology · Jan 2013
Titles versus titles and abstracts for initial screening of articles for systematic reviews.
There is no consensus on whether screening titles alone or titles and abstracts together is the preferable strategy for inclusion of articles in a systematic review. ⋯ Screening via a titles-first approach may be more efficient than screening titles and abstracts together.
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Clinical epidemiology · Jan 2013
Risk of miscarriage among users of corticosteroid hormones: a population-based nested case-control study.
The purpose of this nested case-control study in Denmark was to study the association between use of corticosteroids and risk of miscarriage. ⋯ Use of inhaled corticosteroids was associated with a slightly increased risk of early miscarriage, but explanations alternative to causal ones were possible.