This article describes rationales and limitations for making inferences based on data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We argue that obtaining a representative random sample from a patient population is impossible for a clinical trial becaus...
Data suggest inadequacy of common statistical techniques for reporting outcomes in clinical trials. The Fragility Index can measure how many events the statistical significance hinges on, and may facilitate better interpretation of trial results. Thi...
Background: The evidence stemming from trials on restorative materials is shaped not only by trial findings, but also trial design and validity. We aimed to evaluate both aspects in randomized controlled dental restorative trials published from 2005–...
Preterm birth affects about 10% of infants born in the United States. Massage therapy is being used in some neonatal intensive care units for its potential beneficial effects on preterm infants. This article reviews published randomized controlled tr...
As a consequence of epidemiological studies showing significant associations of vitamin D deficiency with a variety of adverse extra-skeletal clinical outcomes including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and mortality, large vitamin D randomized contr...
Background: There has been substantial interest from the pharmaceutical industry to study and develop new biologic agents. Previous studies outside of the biologics field have demonstrated that industry funding has the potential to impact the design...
Major depressive disorder is one of the most severe mental disorders. It strongly impairs daily functioning, and, in extreme cases, it can lead to suicide. Although different treatment options are available for patients with depression, there is an o...
20 September 2020
Background and objectives: Our research aimed to evaluate the quality of reporting of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) linked to rotator cuff (RC) tears. The present study analyzed factors connected to the quality of the RCTs and trends in the qua...
Although electroacupuncture (EA) is an effective treatment for pain relief, there has been no systematic review of EA treatment for temporomandibular disorder TMD. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of EA in TMD manageme...
The aim of this analysis was to assess the quality of reporting of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) relating to pain management in rotator cuff (RC) tears. This review evaluated the quality of the studies in the literature regarding this topic thr...
Placebo effects emerging from the expectations of relatives, also known as placebo by proxy, have seldom been explored. The aim of this study was to investigate whether in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) there is a clinically relevant difference...
Clinical applications of ginger with an expectation of clinical benefits are receiving significant attention. This systematic review aims to provide a comprehensive discussion in terms of the clinical effects of ginger in all reported areas. Followin...
Cardiac arrest, one of the leading causes of death, accounts for numerous clinical studies published each year. This review summarizes the findings of all the randomized controlled clinical trials (RCT) on cardiac arrest published in the year 2022. T...
Background/Objectives: Nutritional supplementation has been proposed as a potential adjunct strategy in myopia prevention and control through antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and extracellular matrix-regulating mechanisms. This systematic review aim...
Background and Objectives: Various publications have compared outcomes among open (OPDs), laparoscopic (LPDs), and robotic pancreaticoduodenectomies (RPDs); however, the number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) remains limited. This study aims t...
Magnesium (Mg) may have several beneficial effects on human health outcomes. One hypothesized mechanism eliciting such effects is the action of Mg on serum inflammatory parameters. However, studies on this topic to date have several important limitat...
4 July 2023
Objective: For many years, outcomes such as mortality and morbidity were the standard for evaluating oncological treatment effectiveness. With the introduction of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), the focus shifted from a mere extension of a...
Background: This systematic review evaluated the efficacy of laser therapies and antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) for the treatment of intraoral halitosis by synthesizing randomized controlled trials. Methods: A comprehensive search of the P...
Acute diarrhea is a burdensome disease with potentially harmful consequences, especially in childhood. Despite its large use in clinical practice, the efficacy of the probiotic Bacillus clausii in treating acute childhood diarrhea remains unclear. Ou...
24 January 2022
Time series data collected in clinical trials can have varying degrees of missingness, adding challenges during statistical analyses. An additional layer of complexity is introduced for missing data in randomized controlled trials (RCT), where resear...
Over the years, there has been heightened interest in the health benefits of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in reducing chronic diseases such as, cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, type 2 diabetes, and acute macular degeneration (AMD). Due...
Background: In this study, we compared and contrasted design characteristics, results, and publications of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in gastrointestinal (GI), lung, and breast cancer. Methods: A PUBMED search identified phase III RCTs of an...
Sustainable health approaches promote functional food alternatives that support metabolic well-being while reducing reliance on added sugars and artificial sweeteners. Monk fruit extract (MFE), a natural, non-caloric sweetener, is gaining interest fo...
11 February 2024
This study aimed to assess the efficacy of various music therapy interventions in ameliorating depressive symptoms in dementia patients, utilizing a network meta-analysis approach. We rigorously selected randomized controlled trials focused on music...
Background: In recent years, the use of the internet among children and adolescents has dramatically increased, leading to growing concerns regarding the potential risks of excessive internet use and addiction. Addressing these concerns, this systema...
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading causes of death worldwide. Dyslipidemia is a cardiometabolic risk factor of CVD, yet it can be modifiable. Walnuts have been suggested as a dietary intervention to improve the lipid profile. Therefore, we...
Whey supplementation is beneficial for human health, possibly by reducing the circulating C-reactive protein (CRP) level, a sensitive marker of inflammation. Thus, a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials was conducted to evaluate their relat...
Background: Epidemiological studies have reported an inverse association between smoking and Parkinson’s disease (PD) risk, prompting interest in nicotine as a potential therapeutic agent. The present meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy of nic...
11 April 2016
Covariate adjustment methods are frequently used when baseline covariate information is available for randomized controlled trials. Using a simulation study, we compared the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with three nonparametric covariate adjustmen...
18 November 2022
Our meta-epidemiological study aimed to describe the prevalence of reporting effect modification only on relative scale outcomes and inappropriate interpretations of the coefficient of interaction terms in nonlinear models on categorical outcomes. Ou...
Background: Cocoa flavanols have strong anti-inflammatory properties in vitro. If these also occur in vivo, cocoa consumption may contribute to the prevention or treatment of diseases mediated by chronic inflammation. This critical review judged the...
Growing evidence exists that consumption of cocoa-rich food improves the parameters of cardiometabolic health. These effects are ascribed to cocoa flavanols, particularly to (–)-epicatechin (EC), a natural ingredient of cocoa. Hence, to evaluate if E...
27 September 2022
There are two possible ways to conceptualize the term “insomnia”: insomnia disorder and insomnia symptoms, which are often poorly reported. The purpose of this study was to examine the proportion of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and systematic...
Background: Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) caused by cirrhosis has severe consequences on an individual’s lifespan, leading to long-term liver complications and potentially life-threatening outcomes. Despite recent interest in this condition, the...
Purpose: Standard automated perimetry (SAP) remains the gold standard functional test in glaucoma, used primarily for evaluating peripheral vision loss. Central contrast sensitivity (CCS) has emerged as a potential early functional marker of glaucoma...
Iron-deficiency anemia is the most frequent nutritional deficiency, with women of reproductive age being particularly at risk of its development. The aim of the systematic review was to assess the effectiveness of dietary interventions to treat iron-...
Background: Observational studies have indicated beneficial effects of whole grain consumption on human health. However, no evidence based on randomized controlled trials has been established. Our objective was to perform a systematic review and meta...
With the penetration of social media into all aspects of people’s lives, there is a growing trend of social media detox (taking a short break from social media). Although social media detox (SMD) has been theorized to influence well-being, vibr...
In recent years, overweight and obesity have reached an alarmingly high incidence and prevalence worldwide; they have also been steadily increasing in military populations. Military personnel, as an occupational group, are often exposed to stressful...
22 January 2021
School-based interventions have reported effectiveness on back health; however, there are no specific guidelines for teaching body mechanics and posture in primary and secondary schools. To identify, describe, and analyze the educative features of ra...
It has been reported that gut probiotics play a major role in the bidirectional communication between the gut and the brain. Probiotics may be essential to people with depression, which remains a global health challenge, as depression is a metabolic...
Hand osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent and disabling condition, yet its pathogenesis remains less studied than OA in large weight-bearing joints. Emerging genetic, epigenetic, and microbiome research suggests that hand OA might be biologically disti...
Most studies confirm the beneficial effects of enteral nutrition on the quality of life, but some studies indicate an inverse association and its detrimental impacts. However, there are insufficient data on the effects of enteral nutrition on the qua...
Background: Recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have reported inconsistent findings regarding the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation in the treatment of acute respiratory infections (ARIs). This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of vi...
Pregnant women are among the population groups most vulnerable to the development of anemia, as the overall iron requirement during pregnancy is significantly higher than in non-pregnant women. The aim of the systematic review was to assess the effec...
Background/Objectives: Anesthesia for intracranial neurosurgery presents unique challenges because of the sensitivity of the brain to perioperative physiological disturbances, yet neuroanesthetic practice remains highly variable and supported by a li...
Background: Preoperative anxiety causes profound psychological and physiological reactions that may lead to a worse postoperative recovery, higher intensity of acute and persistent postsurgical pain and impaired quality of life in the postoperative p...
Probiotic yogurt is suggested as a nutritional approach in type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effects of probiotic yogurt on glycemic outcomes in...
Although a range of pharmacological interventions is available, it remains uncertain which treatment for osteoporosis is more effective. This network meta-analysis study aimed to compare different drug efficacy and safety in randomized controlled tri...
Aim: The aim of this study was to systematically assess the risk of bias in osteosarcoma and Ewing’s sarcoma (ES) randomized controlled trials (RCT) and to examine the relationships between bias and conflict of interest/industry sponsorship. Methods:...
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